Author's Note:
The American soccer team made it into the semi-finals of the 2015 Women's World Cup in Canada facing the German team tonight. This calls for a little one-shot. Please forgive me for being partial and rooting for my fellow countrywomen ...
If you wonder who Lynnie Micelli is, read my stories "Two Lives" and "Of Mothers and Daughters".
VioletStella, I've been inspired to do this by your story about Tony and Angela watching the Super Bowl with their son Robert.
Disclaimer:
No copyright infringement intended.
Tuesday, June 30th, 2015
Tony's back ached a little, but he didn't want to move, for Angela was dozing with her head on his shoulder. They were in the business class section of a plane which brought them to Montreal, Canada, to watch a soccer game.
Soccer had made them travel the world quite a bit.
When Lynnie Micelli had started to play soccer at the tender age of four, nobody had been able to predict that she would make it into the National Team one day. She had still been struggling with the aftermaths of her terrible accident when she had fallen off a tree and broken her back, but her understanding of the game and her tremendous talent had soon been obvious.
After having discarded his resentments against the sport, the ex-athlete in her father had begun to support and even coach her first junior team. But she had improved her skills and had made it into a semi-professional team so fast that Tony had soon been overchallenged never having played soccer himself. Lynnie had been a member in her high school's soccer team and had joined Connecticut College with a full-tuition scholarship. The college's team had been very successful at the time, and Lynnie had learned a lot. Her anticipation of the game, her ability to pass the ball to the right teammate at the right moment, her stamina and power, made her a very valuable midfielder.
Lynnie had played club soccer for the Fairfield Riptides from U-12 to U-17 and had won state championships at the U-14 and U-15 levels with the them. After having been runner-up with the U-16 team, she had helped to win the national title with the U-17 with scoring 32 goals and 74 assists throughout the season. Lynnie had been named Connecticut's Girls' Soccer Player of the year in 2009 and NSCAA High School and Youth All-American in 2010. Her remarkable skills had made Lynnie one of the USA's best youth players of the recent generation.
It had been just a matter of time until the first talent scouts had knocked at her parents' door trying to get their joint signature on a contract. To her father's great dismay, not only American soccer clubs had been interested in his talented daughter. For years, European clubs had sent their talent scouts to North America, where girls' and women's soccer was much more popular and professionally played than in most European countries. Maybe, if there hadn't been this exchange student, an admittedly good-looking and amicable young man from Germany, where soccer was the #1 sport, Lynnie would've never considered joining a club overseas.
But the offer of a well-known club near Berlin had simply been too compelling: she could practice under professional conditions in one of the best teams of the country, she could go to university and study industrial engineering (she had never been interested in history, or art, or business administration), and she would be able to be together with her new boy-friend - the good-looking and amicable German who had just gotten hold of his first contract as a professional soccer player with Berlin's traditional men's club.
Tony hadn't been sure what was bothering him more - her being so far away or unchaperoned in the company of this charming soccer player whom she had a crush on. Lynnie had whined for weeks, had told him this was her once-in-a-lifetime chance to play abroad, had argued that the German Bundesliga was to the soccer player what the Major League was to the baseball player.
Kathleen, his ex-wife and Lynnie's mother, hadn't been of any help. She had never been too happy about the fact that Lynnie was living with her father, and because going to Europe would push her outside of Tony's sphere of influence, she had never really opposed her daughter's wish. Angela had tipped the scale eventually. She had practically raised Lynnie together with Tony. They had moved into her house after his divorce from Kathleen when she had been six years old, and Angela had been her motherly friend ever since. When Tony had married Angela ten years later, Lynnie had even been her maid of honor. Angela had always been Tony's voice of reason, his sounding board whenever he became too protective with his daughters. So she had told him to not spoil this for Lynnie, to let her go if she wanted it so badly. After a long inner struggle, he had finally given in and had set his signature on the contract.
The relationship to the young German had soon been over, but Lynnie had constantly improved her soccer skills. She had soon become a first-team regular player in Berlin and had benefitted from playing with her teammates who had mostly been older and more experienced than she. Her progress hadn't gone unnoticed in her home country, so she had become a member of the United States U-20 squad and had earned a spot at the 2012 FIFA U-20 Women's World Cup in Japan. In June 2013, Lynnie had been first called to a national training camp and had gotten her first cap for the senior team a little later. Her coach kept praising her amazing soccer brain, especially at her age. Although being one of the youngest players on the team, she already played a vital role.
The Women's World Cup in Canada was the high point in Lynnie's career so far. She had already played quite a few important tournaments and matches - like the U-20 Womens' World Cup or the matches of the European Champions League - but to play in her country's national team at the seniors' World Cup was something she had dreamed about almost ever since she started playing soccer. And it made her family very proud of her. Tony and Angela had traveled many countries to watch her play. They had visited Germany a few times for important matches, like a cup final or a decisive match of the national championship. They had gone to France and England and Sweden for away matches of the European Champions League. And they had spent their summer vacation in Japan to support Lynnie and the whole national team throughout the U-20 World Cup.
And right now they were heading for Montreal for the semi-final the US team would play against Germany.
"Angela," Tony whispered into his wife's ear, "wake up. We're approaching Montreal. I can't believe you're able to sleep. I'm so excited. We haven't seen Lynnie in more than six months."
"Well," Angela mumbled, still half asleep, "do I have to remind you that I worked all through the night just to be able to come with you today? I couldn't have left my team behind with that annoying, touchy client if we hadn't had this magnificent breakthrough with his campaign."
"I know, and I really appreciate it. But still, aren't you excited to see her again and about the match? It's going to be a tough one. Germany has a good team."
"I am excited as much as you are, Honey, but in fact I'm more tired that excited." Angela yawned and rubbed her eyes.
"You still have some time to take a nap once we are at the hotel before we have to leave for the stadium."
Tony looked out of the window. He already saw the outskirts of Québec's capital city. He rememered having played baseball against the Expos a few times. That had been many, many years ago. The team didn't even exist anymore. He had still been married to Marie at the time, his first wife. Now, he was flying into the city being married to his third wife, Angela, whom he had spent almost half his life with. Wife #2, Kathleen, was someone he hadn't been really happy with, but she had given him Lynnie, and for that he would always be grateful.
After they had gotten their baggage and had checked in at the hotel, Angela let herself fall down onto the bed in her clothes.
"Oh boy, I'm really worn-out. When do we have to leave?"
"In an hour or so. We mustn't be too late. Lynnie texted me that she made it into the start line-up, and I don't want to miss a single minute of her playing."
"You won't, Tony. I promise. Let me lie here just for a few minutes, then I take a shower and will be replenished and ready to hit the town."
"How about a foot massage?"
"Oooh, that'd be heavenly!"
Tony sat at the end of the bed, put Angela's feet on his lap and started rubbing and kneading, making his wife sigh and moan, "You're so good!"
"I know," he said with a grin.
If the choices had been Angela's to make, she would've let herself fall asleep right there on the bed. Last night had been terribly stressful, and she wasn't able to take a worked through night as easily as when she was a young, ambitious, and energetic career woman. On the other hand, she also wanted to see Lynnie play, and she knew how important it was to Tony to see her play. So she eventually rose from the bed, took the clothes she wanted to change into out of her suitcase, then vanished into the bathroom.
"Be right back."
"You have 15 minutes, Angela," Tony told her, tapping on his wristwatch.
"I won't need that much!"
"We'll see..."
But she had been right. A mere ten minutes later she opened the bathroom door just a little and peeked through the crack.
"Close your eyes. I have a surprise for you."
"You in your birthday suit coming out of the shower?" The mere thought of it made his male body react.
"No, you wolf! I thought you wanted to watch a soccer match."
"I did, I do actually,..."
"Are your eyes closed?"
"Yes, they are."
"Alright. Keep them closed until I tell you to open them."
"Okay."
Angela slipped out of the bathroom and positioned herself directly in front of Tony.
"You may open your eyes now. Ta-daaa!"
Tony did as he was told and found Angela standing an arm's length away from him, spreading her arms and smiling eagerly.
"Now, what do you say?"
She had put on an national soccer team jersey. Official merchandise was sold in various shops and through the website of the national soccer association.
"I thought we could show our support with dressing in her shirt. Look!"
She turned around, and Tony saw what was printed on the back: the number 9 - Lynnie's lucky number from early on - and the name Micelli.
"Oh, wow! That's great, Angela!"
"I got one for you, too!"
She drew a folded garment out of a little bag and threw it at him. "I had to take the biggest size they had, for these are women's shirts. I hope it's not too tight."
Tony jumped off the bed, ripped his shirt off his body and slipped the jersey on. It fitted nicely. His muscular chest, which was still remarkable for a man his age, was visible. Tony stroked his chest.
"Gee, Angela, thank you!"
"It also has Lynnie's number and her name on the back. I hope she plays well and we won't get bullied after the match for wearing her shirt," she giggled.
"Will she play well!...Are you serious? She'll be great!"
"Sure, she will. But it's not going to be easy. Germany is the current #1 of the FIFA World Ranking and has a strong team."
"True. But the US team is #2. And Hope Solo hasn't allowed a single goal in the past four matches!"
"Right, but Germany scored 16 goals in the past four matches. And the fact that they wrestled down France in the penalty shootout will give them a lot of confidence and momentum. Our girls have to play really well to beat them."
Angela had followed the group stage of the tournament, in which both the US team as well as Germany had come out as the winners of their respective groups. The US had sailed fairly smoothly into the semi-final winning their match against China 1-0, whereas Germany had played a tough match against France. The score had been tied 1-1 at the end of extra-time, so both teams faced each other in a dramatic penalty kick shootout. It had been their goalkeeper, a former World Player of the Year, who had stopped France's crucial last penalty and had sent her team into the semi-final.
Tony looked at Angela. He felt a wave of love rolling over him. This woman had never cared about sports in her life before she met him. The only sport she had been good at was miniature golf - and that could hardly be called a sport - and volleyball. But with him moving into her house and into her life, Angela's interest in sports had been aroused. She had been eager to learn everything about his baseball career. She had listened to more than just one of his baseball stories, had watched him play, and had even tried to learn the sport herself - without much success though. She had shot some hoops with him - distracting him improperly kissing him - had gone skiing and swimming with him. They had watched countless boxing matches together although she thought it was a disgusting sport. She had catered him with junk food on Super Bowl nights, crashing her boyfriend's car on the way one year.
All of this because she loved him, because she shared his interests and wanted him to pursue his passion for sports. And the way she took an active interest in soccer ever since it had become so important to him because of Lynnie, particularly meant a lot to him. Lynnie, a child he had never meant to have but got nevertheless because Kathleen had tricked him into fatherhood and marriage with having neglected birth control. After six years of trials and tribulations in a marriage he had never really been happy in, he had come back to Angela with his soccer-crazy daughter in tow.
By now, Angela had become an expert in women's soccer and almost knew the game better than him. They had been the reason for a bit of laughter once in Berlin, when they had traveled there to watch Lynnie play. In a sports bar, after the match which Lynnie's team had lost due to an unjustified offside goal, Angela had tried to explain to Tony in simple terms what being offside meant of a soccer field. 'Tony', she had said, 'offside occurs when an attacking player goes behind the line of defenders before the ball has been kicked to them.' She had used the salt and pepper posts as well as their glasses and beer bottles to further illustrate her explanation but Tony had only shrugged. A bunch of men at the table right next to them had been quite amused about the scene. 'Hey, Pal, what kind of a man are you to let a woman explain offside to you?' one of them had shouted. Tony had learned that in Germany it was more or less a running gag that women usually never understood the offside rule. Well, Angela had always been a woman like no other.
"You know, Angela, it's always nice to have a technical discussion with a sports enthusiast," Tony now said.
"Don't make fun of me, Tony!"
"I don't, not at all. You know more about soccer than I do! And these shirts are a wonderful idea. Thank you so much, Sweetheart."
Tony walked up to her, took her in his arms and kissed her.
"I just thought because it's going to be a very special match or Lynnie. She has to play against some of her friends from her team in Berlin. She could use our support. We're the Three Micellis," she giggled. "Like the Three Musketeers."
"Have I told you lately that I love you?"
"Well, yes, but it's always nice to hear it."
"I love you, Mrs. Micelli." He kissed her again. It was a deep kiss, passionate and intense.
"Mmmm, Tony," Angela mumbled, "we should be going, otherwise we might miss the kickoff."
"Remind me to pick up from here later," Tony placed another few kisses on her mouth.
"Okay."
Eventually, Tony took Angela's hand and dragged her out of the hotel room. Both were looking forward to the match. Of course they were biased and wanted Lynnie and her team to win, but fairplay was important to both of them. Montreal's Olympic Stadium would be the venue of an interesting match between two titans of women's soccer, both being the only two-time champions in Women's World Cup history. Sports journalists predicetd a tightly fought encounter, and whichever team prevailed would likely start as favorite in the final.
It was going to be a very exciting evening.