You're my goal

Chapter 14

*Tyler's POV*

It's so bright out I can barely see anything. Great I lost her again. How are they running around so much? Can they keep going at this rate? What's the score again? Forget about that- where's 21? There she is. Why was a whistle just called? I don't understand why that was a foul. Was that player even near her? Why is the goalie so far up- they could easily score from across the field.

I'm always glad to have Ash choose me to be her special invite but I truly have no idea what's going on half the time. Even with the attendance of past games I still can't figure it out. As soon as I feel like I'm starting to figure the game out, the whistle will blow and it completely disassembles what I thought I understood.

For one thing, I can at least tell by the patriotic colors which team we are, and we've had possession for a good part of the game. Yet when I check the dramatically large TVs positioned all around the stadium, I see the score remains 0-0. It was bound to be a close game since they were matched up against Germany. At least that's what Savanna told me.

They've been playing for 90 minutes already and I'm growing uninterested. However, my attention is swept back into existence as I see Savanna intercept a pass and take the ball the other direction. The other team struggles to keep up with her as she moves swiftly down the field, her own team following closely behind.

She makes her way into the corner of the field, stalling as she looks around for some assistance. Doing some sort of move she fakes her opponent out, even causing her opponent to fall over from leaning in too much. She passes the ball back out to someone I don't know. Who passes the ball to someone I also don't know. She, then, plays the ball in the center to a player who I think I recognize, but I'm not sure. An opposing player makes a jab at the ball which causes it to spiral out toward the middle of the field. One of our players quickly retrieves the ball and we move into a more offensive advance again.

A defender rushes one of our players forcing her to pass the ball to someone else. The girl now in possession hits the ball into the center area in front of the goal. The ball jumps around in the air as a handful of players try to head it or kick it. Finally, I see Ash rush in to hit the ball up with her thigh and jumping to kick it with her other foot, making the ball go flying behind her and towards the goal, as she falls on her back. The goalie taps the ball enough to put it off course, only to have it hit the post and bounce in. They begin running across the field at the sound of the final three whistles. That must have ended the game.

Ash scrambles to get up, looking behind her as she smiles broadly. The Germans look gloomy at the goal as the Americans are eccentric. She begins running towards the stands of fans while throwing her fist in the air. She seems to be yelling something as her team mates run after her, also cheering. She jumps up on the closest wall that encloses the fans in, having her fans embrace her for a couple of seconds before letting her fall back to the ground. As she meets the ground again her team mates begin to jump over her in excitement.

After her teammates release her she stood there smiling, looking over the crowd. Her face begins filling up every picture on the surrounding TVs. Looking into the camera I see her do her signature move after scoring a goal. She extends her right arm fully to point at the camera and bending her left arm back so her other pointing hand is next to her face.

At this the crowd had begun a subtle chant of USA that eventually built to a roaring sound flooding the stadium. The muffled sounds of the announcers recap what had just happened but I pay no attention to that. I sit here smiling stupidly at her as she rejoices with her team as they all simultaneously end the game with a rush towards the stands and sliding on the field. She looks so happy, and I can't help but have that feeling inside me too at seeing this.