Keep Going

Getting back onto the pitch

"It's not that hard," we're standing in Carli's back garden, "just kick the ball."

I stare at her as if she's insane before I prod the ball with my foot.

"Argh!" I grab my foot, not expecting the ball to be that hard.

I see my teammates confused face and point to the ball in explanation.

Lloyd sighs, telling me, "So you've pushed two kids out your vagina but this hurts too much?"

"I don't remember giving birth," I point out which is fair from me.

We're now in front of a mini goal.
"I just want you...to kick the ball where I tell you to." Carli decides, her tone making it seem like her instruction is fairly basic.

"Bottom left."
I shoot into the bottom left corner.
"Top left."
I shoot the ball into the top left corner.
"Top right."
I shoot the ball into the top right corner.
"Bottom right."
I shoot the ball into the top right corner.

Carli appears relieved. Wiping a bead of sweat from her forehead, she reveals to me another idea.
"I want to practise...taking pens."

I panic. "No Carli! Please don't make me the goalie! The ball bloody hurts!"

Carli shakes her head. "No, I'll go in goals. You will practise taking the pen against me."

Come on Ellie, I tell myself as I place the ball, you scored in a World Cup final.
This shouldn't. Be. Too. Much.

I hit the ball as hard as I could, wincing as I made contact with the outside of my foot.

Every thing goes in slow motion as the ball hits Carli in the face , before bouncing off into the bottom right corner.

I look to the ball which has blood on it before hearing a muffled voice.

"I'm...I'm fine."
"Carli, I've broke your nose!"

———————————————————————————

"Are you sure I'm ready for this?"
We're just about to start training, and we're going to do a scrimmage first, I've heard.
Carli sighs. "Just don't sock anyone in the face."
I hear Kelley and her voice. "Glad to see you back Els! Break some ankles!"
Me and Carli exchange looks before breaking down in laughter, much to the confusion of everyone else.

Thankfully, we're on the same team, the ball not really being passed to me.

Then we're venturing in on goal and the ball gets passed to me, I think by Julie Ertz.
I can't give a quick pass to someone ahead as Christen is flocked by three players on the opposing team.
In fact no one in my team is in that good of a position.

So I do something I probably shouldn't do.

I start to dribble.

My first hurdles are Jessica MacDonald and Sam Mewis.
I nutmeg MacDonald and feint past Mewis, hearing a few cheers as I do so.

Then it's Dahlkemper and Sauerbrunn.
Abby comes sliding in and I decide to use an elastico around her.

Becky stays on her feet, experienced enough to deal with me surely.
Yet I do two step overs and skip past her.

Now Alyssa is out, rushing to meet me.
I instinctively dink the ball over her, pleasantly surprised to see the ball enter the net.

"Coma huh?" I hear Megan say, "You were in a coma huh?"

Well...that session wasn't too bad.

That's why I'm now standing at the touchline about to go on and play for the first time in nearly three months.

Maybe it's too quick, too early.

Now I'm on, replacing Rose. The crowd is deafening
and everyone's eyes are on me.

We're against Canada. I heard how important it is to win this game.

Will I crack under the pressure?

It's the 68th minute.

Not long after I'm on, Christen passes the ball to me.

We exchange passes as I can hear the crowd getting louder, as we approach the box.

Now Press dinks the ball over the defence and it's at my feet.

C'mon Els, just shoot.

I take a touch, dribbling past the keeper.

The nets open, I shoot...

But the ball wheels off weakly, hitting the inside of the crossbar before bouncing out the wrong side of the line and into Labbé's arms.

I instantly give a thumbs up to Press, although I feel for the crowd who may have hoped for me to score straight away.

Yet just four minutes later, I have another chance.
Me and Alex take control of a counterattack, and soon we are 2 v 2 on the Canadian defence.
She passes to me and I shoot on my first touch.

Unfortunately it's straight at Labbé, who palms it into the way of Alex who fires over.

I'm sure the next chance we have is around ten minutes later. Neither side are really profiting from their opportunities.

Tobin's on the ball, dribbling past Canada.
Not even tackles from Chapman or Fleming can stop her.

Soon she's in the box. I'm the only one with her.

Unmarked.

I gesture for her to show I'm free, yet I'm ignored.
Instead Heath takes on two more players before shooting into Labbé's arms, the goalie getting an easy catch.

Not long after, Tobin gets substituted and Carli's in her place, which I'm glad for.

We're into added time now, a corner given to us.

Carli, weirdly, is going to take this. I'm not really being marked, although I'm not surprised, I'm quite short.

The ball whips in, and everything goes slowly.

It misses everyone and Labbé isn't able to catch it.

I'm right behind her though and I don't remember much, just the ball hitting off my head.

And into the net.

I ignore everyone, rushing to Carli, high-fiving her in celebration.

"Hmm," she smirks, "I thought you didn't know how to play soccer huh?"