The story of two different yet very similar football players who fall in love with each other.
Jayden Daly is Chelsea's goalkeeper and sister of Rachel Daly. She is killing it in England while Alexia Putellas, star of Barcelona, is trying to get bac...
We are here, game time, Allianz Arena filled by more than 60,000 fans. Incredible. I can feel the Bayern girls are a bit stressed and pressured but we are confident as hell. At least, I am. We huddle and I run to my goal, I put my towel and bottle next to the net and kiss the name of my dad on my gloves. It's my ritual ever since he died a year and half ago. This has changed everything in me, and it made me the ruthless player I am now. The game starts and we go straight to it. We're playing in a 4-3-3 with Eve – Millie – Kadeisha – Magda behind, Erin – Grace (who joined us in January because things in Paris were bad) – Guro in the middle, and Pernille – Sam – Fran in front.
For 20 minutes, we are dominating but we're not dangerous, which allows Bayern players to take risks in counterattacks. Lina Magull finds Georgia in the middle and my English friend sends Klara Buhl in deep. The German attacker works against Eve and manages to come on her right foot sending a powerful shot at the first post. I see the ball later than expected but I dive nevertheless and barely save it sending the ball on the post. I get up quickly and jump on the ball securing it. I take my time on the ground allowing my teammates to discuss the tactic issue there.
"Stay calm and lucid, girls!" I tell them as I stand up. "Keep doing what we've worked on."
I give the ball to Millie and watch them play our best game. We are really good, but we can't score much. Sam hits the crossbar and Pernille the post. Grace is doing brilliantly in the middle, and she shows why we needed her so much this season. As we walk back to the locker-room at half-time, I feel my teammates are a bit down. I let Emma and Stuart talk before standing up. I wait for everyone to listen, and I calmly talk.
"Girls, from behind we are very good, seriously. From the way we combine to the way we prevent them to come fast to our half. We just need to believe in ourselves more. Sam, Pernille, Fran, go for it, try, create, invent something. Grace, you're an absolute masterclass tonight, trust yourself more, shoot, make them fear you even more. Guro, same, love. Even on freekicks, try it." I end my rent slowly. "We are going to win, girls, I know it. And I can see on your face, you know it too. So, back to work, we need a fucking good reason to celebrate afterwards."
"Future captain, I'm telling you." Sam side hugs me.
"Score for me, bud." I chuckle in her embrace.
We exit the tunnel with big smiles on our faces and some opponents look at us weirdly. They aren't ready for what is coming for them. The game restarts and we are even better than before. More dangerous, more precise, faster, stronger. At the 57th minute, Guro finds Grace at the edge of the box but as our French maestro tries to turn, Saki Kumagai tackles her hard. The Japanese defender takes a yellow and Guro takes the ball. Go for it, girl... I look at my friend stepping back confidently. The referee whistles and Guro hits the ball perfectly. Top bin. 0-1. I jump with my fist in the air and Millie runs to me. We hug and focus back. Bayern tries to come back and fight back.
Fortunately, I have some work to do but nothing too complicated. At the 85thminute, I stop easily a shot from Lohmann and send a long ball in Sam's run. She controls perfectly in the Bayern's half and runs to the box. Fran and Pernille are running forward too. Fran cuts at the first post taking the last defender with her, Sam sees it and sends the ball to Pernille alone at the second post. Our Danish superstar doesn't ask for more and scores easily. 0-2. We all explode in joy, Maren who went in for Eve, hugs me tightly from behind lifting me from the ground.
"Great vision, kid." She congratulates me.
"Teamwork, Maren." I chuckle.
"Keep going." She puts me back on the ground.
We end the game at 0-2. We are happy but we contain ourselves as there is still a second leg. I walk behind the goal to take back my towel and bottle, and the Bayern fans applaud me. I smile and applaud them back. I give them a thumb up and walk back to my team. As I arrive near the girls, Sam opens her arms for me, a big smile on her face.
"I didn't score but an assist is not that bad, right?" She chuckles.
"I take it." I nod and hug her. "Good game, my friend."
"Thank you, you were good too." She winks at me.
"I didn't do much." I shrug.
"Trust me, you did enough." She rolls her eyes. "Their supporters love you."
We huddle all together and Emma reminds us we are only halfway to the semis. I take some time to talk with Georgia and Lina Magull, Klara Buhl, and Sydney Lohmann join us too. After that, I take a long-deserved shower and go back to the hotel in a joyful mood. We are playing Manchester City this weekend, so we better be ready and rested.
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Liked by keirawalsh, mbrighty04, and 11,923 others
jaydendaly4 Champions League nights hit differently ✨ focus on Saturday game now 💙
samanthakerr20 Looking good keeper 🤩 marenmjelde 🔭🔭 leilaouahabi Focus less on Saturday and more on the second leg 😉😘 greiten Best keeper around 🥰 chelseafcw She is one of our own 💙💙
