Player

Chapter 19

The whistle blows signalling kick-off. This is the home opening game, our first of the year so the whole school is in the stands watching. My eyes land on one particular person though.

I send a smile and I get a wave back. Yes it was Sam. Duh! We have kick off so I pass it back to our central midfielder Zoe, she played it out wide on the left side to Sophie who bombs up the wing before crossing it into the box.

The keeper calmly collects the ball before kicking it upfield to her strikers. Erin our centre back intercepts the pass with a header sending it up into the air again. Both midfields battle for the ball putting in tackles here there and everywhere.

The ref should have blew for a foul against us but gave us the advantage instead. Our other centre midfielder Katie took on a player and beat her, playing a through ball to me.

I had the ball at my feet, I lifted my head and seen 2 defenders in front of me. Now that was a problem. I do a step over and fake out the first defender leaving me on a 1v1 against the other.

I dribble towards her and she puts in a slide tackle stealing the ball from my feet. I scramble to get it back but get denied possession by their left back who hits it out of play for a throw in.

Sophie throws the ball towards by head and I jump up and chest it down before controlling it with my feet. I turn and meg the player marking me and run towards the goal.

Their keeper is a bit off her line and I'm about 25 yards out. I hit a lofted shot and hoped for the best. It's about the 23rd minute and a goal would lift our spirits. I close my eyes as soon as the ball has left my foot not wanting to see what happens.

I hear a loud cheer and realise that my shot had in fact lobbed the keeper and gone in. My teammates jumped on top of me and everyone congratulated me on my goal. We walked back to get into position and as I looked up their captain mouthed "watch your back".

Guess I had to be cautious, don't want to get injured at the start of the season. They kick off again and it was just our two teams fighting for possession, the ref blew the whistle and the first half had finished.

I jogged over to the dug outs and grabbed a water bottle. While our coach was giving players advice and tactics I grabbed a wet towel and put it around my neck to cool myself down, occasionally patting my face with it.

I guzzled down more water before redoing my pony tail and fixing my Nike headband. I poured some water down the back of my shin guards to cool my legs down. It was refreshing and I usually do this every game.

The ref blows his whistle signalling both teams to get back into starting positions. I take one last gulp of water before throwing the bottle over to the bench and getting into position for the second half.

Play had begun again and the opposition had broke through the defence and was now 1v1 with our goalkeeper Riley. She came charging out making herself as big as possible, the striker hit the ball and thankfully for us, struck the post.

The ball bounced back into play and one of our centre backs Aimee cleared the ball away from danger. Our right winger Elle collected the ball and played a pass into Zoe I ran in line with the defenders and called for Zoe to play a ball over the top.

She did as I instructed and I made a breakaway with the ball, both defenders closely trailing behind me.
I was nearing the 18 yard box when I suddenly felt a sharp pain going throughout my leg.

I quickly hit the ground with a heavy weight landing on top of me. I clutched my leg that was now throbbing with pain, I think she came in studs up into the back of me. I hear yelling and the ref violently blowing his whistle multiple times.

The girl gets off of me and I realise it's the girl who mouthed watch your back to me in the first half. Fuck! I should've known it was her. Dirty ass bitch fouling me. I jump up with a limp and shove her.

"What the fuck man!" I yelled. "Are you fucking stupid!" I added. "I told you to watch your back" she shrugged her shoulders. She averted her gaze down to my leg and her eyes widened.

I looked down too and seen that my fresh white sock was now transitioning into a crimson red. "You fucking dirty player" I yelled even more infuriated.
"Ref surely that's a red" I protested.

I hobble over to him and show him my sock. One look and he'd already made his decision. She was going off, he reached into his back pocket and pulled out a red card. We were only 56 minutes in there was still basically a full half to go.

The trainers ran into the pitch to asses my injury. I was correct studs up. When my sock had been pulled down 5 symmetrical stud marks lined the outside of my calf on my right leg.

It was basically the same configuration on which her studs were laid out on the sole of her boot. Fucking bastard. "Your going to have to come off" the trainer said. I just nodded my head and accepted my fate.

He signalled for a stretcher and the medics ran onto the field. By now the fans had came to complete silence, still in shock of what had happened in the previous events.

I was placed on the stretcher and walked off the field into the locker room. The medics examined my leg and said that I'd need to be sent to the hospital for further inspection.

They temporarily bandaged up my wounds and wheeled me out towards the ambulance. As I emerged from the entrance I seen Sam waiting by the emergency vehicle I was soon to be loaded into.

"Oh my god are you ok" she rushed over to me. I must've looked a right mess. I had a face mask on providing 'laughing gas' to ease the pain, my hair was a mess from lying down and I was drenched in sweat from playing.

"Sammy of course I am" I laughed. Woah them drugs must be getting to me. "God your on the drugs already" she said worriedly. "Don't worry I'll beat her ass next time" I joked.

A faint smile appeared on her face. "Is anything broken, I seen blood why was there blood" she said hastily. "Just some battle scars ya know" I waved my hand in dismissal. She shook her head in disapproval.

The paramedics pushed me into the back of the ambulance. Sam tried to step in but they stopped her. "Family only" I heard a deep voice say. "She's my girlfriend" I yelled out. He stepped back and let Sam step in and sit beside me. "Girlfriend eh?" She questioned me. "Not yet" I smirked.