Our Kiddo: Nothing Lasts Forever

We need some risks

Evie and Lauren James got on very well. They weren't that similar personality wise but their friendship was building quickly. The two of them had sat next to each other on the plane to Austria and spent the whole time chatting. It felt as if they'd been mates for years.

They all lined up in the tunnel, ready for the game. If they won today, they qualified for the World Cup. With a few players out and Sarina wanting to stretch the team differently, Evie was starting. It was nerve wracking and Evie wasn't sure if she was ready. It was better now she was around the girls but deep down she was still struggling. If her head wasn't fully in it, it was very difficult to do anything.

Less managed to put them ahead six minutes in. It was a pure strikers finish, full of instinct and there was something very Ellen White-y about it.

Evie was having a bad game. She couldn't get into it properly. Her passes weren't crisp, she wasn't being as creative as usual and it was all going a bit wrong.

"Sorry," she apologised once more as the ball went too far and out the pitch.

She hadn't been as crisp in training but that was nothing compared to this, it was as if all her footballing ability had left her. With each mistake she was getting more and more overwhelmed. It was clear to everyone that something was wrong. This wasn't like her at all.

Her head was snapping back and forth as she tried to figure out a way to get into the game. She ran for the ball and hassled for it. She'd stepped into quick and the player had sent it through her legs before running off. Evie was pissed off, she turned up the speed and sprinted to get back. She went and slid along the ground in an attempt to get the ball. It didn't go well and the player managed to get past, Evie sliding along on her bum, completely out of the game.

She hit the floor in frustration. Why was she playing so badly?

With a bit of anger, she picked herself up for the final few minutes of the half. Everything was alright. She knew she was a good player.

She received the ball from Lucy and turned, starting a run up the pitch. Tooney was free and she slotted it to her before carrying on the run. This was more like it.

Now Evie had the ball back and she touched it round the defender before whipping it in for Less. She got her head to it but the keeper managed to tip it onto the bar.

They went into half time with the one goal lead. Evie was very annoyed at how she'd played. She'd picked up slightly towards the end but that hardly made up for it.

Sarina's team talk told them they weren't being positive enough. Evie was grateful that she wasn't the kind of manager to pick on players as she knew if she was that she'd be on the receiving end of it.

"I'm going to give it quarter of an hour and then I'll make some attacking changes. Evie and Alessia I'll probably bring you off but we'll see how it goes," Sarina explained.

Evie really didn't want to be taken off. She wanted to prove that she could play well. The pressure she was putting on herself didn't help and she was somehow playing worse than before.

Every time she got the ball it was tackled off her or she was so panicked that she booted it away. She could tell that her team were beginning to get annoyed and knew that it wasn't long until she was subbed.

The frustration was building higher and higher and with her anger came more pressure to do well. She couldn't let people down. They'd given themselves a chance to build the women's game and here she was playing like this.

She gave the ball away near the penalty box and she ran to get it back. She was desperate and without thinking she went in with a hard challenge. Fuck. That was a mistake. The referee blew her whistle and Evie looked up and saw her pointing to the penalty spot.