"And the rockets red glare, the bombs bursting in air. Gave proof through the night that our flag was still there. Oh say does that star spangled banner yet wave. For the land of the free and the home of the brave." Standing in a line was my teammates. We are the women's national team and we stand together as we wait for our time to play. We all shook hands of both the refs and the
"Captains!" The center ref called from the other side field. Our captain Alyssa left our circle that we had created. A few minutes later she returned.
"We got kick off." She yelled as we all dispersed to our correct places. I took mine as the attacking midfielder.
"Let's have a nice clean game." The central ref said as she placed the ball in front of my feet. She took the step back and placed herself in the correct position.
I looked up at the girls across from me. My teammates from my club in Germany, that for three years I have played with and had also became part of my large family.
"Good luck Ladies!" I called in German as we all waited for the whistle to signal the start of the game.
"You too." They of course said back in English. It was our occuring joke that I would speak German to them as they spoke English back to me.
The whistle blew and the game commenced. And after forty-seven minutes we were going into the half with a two-goal lead. I had made the assist on both of the plays.
We waited for our coach to come in as they talked out side and decide what we did well on and what was wrong and needed to be fixed for the next forty -five minute half.
As Pam our coach came in, we all sat and just tried to let our muscle relaxed and let our bodies try and recover from the intense and aggressive game we were only half way in.
"Ladies you're playing real soccer out there. You are playing how I expect you to play. I am proud of you. Now all you have to do is keep your lead and stay tight. Don't relax and keep pressuring them. They are on their way to collapsing and if you keep it up we should get some more goals to secure this game." After she finished her speech and all the other coaches made the changes and put their two sense in. We finally walked out onto the pitch and got ourselves warm again.
Finally the refs called us out again and we took our places once again on the opposite side of the pitch. We started off quickly and in the sixty -second minute our top scorer Lily got the ball in the back of the net off an almost perfect run by our forward Addie. Now our lead was up to three.
Minutes later our right midfielder Hana stole the ball at the halfway mark. She sprinted up the right side with the ball. I stay pretty much even with her in the middle of the field, just about two steps behind her. I saw her eyes catch mine. It was basically indicated to me that she was going to cross it to the center where I was one on one in the air with a shorter defensive player.
I saw it and tried my hardest to jump as high as I could to get over her. Although it the player was shorter than me by four inches she could jump. Luckily I must have put my body in the right place because I felt my forehead contact it. The goalkeeper didn't react fast enough to the change because before I knew it the ball was in back of the net.
"ALLISON MUELLER GETS THE GOAL!" The speakers roared as my goal was rule allowed. I looked around the Browns Stadium in Cleveland where the game was being held. People were standing up and cheering. It was indescribable to explain the sensation that I was feeling at the moment. The only moment that was greater than that was getting the goal for the gold medal in London. Other than that this was the best even though this game doesn't mean anything.
Twenty three minutes later the final whistle blew. We were the winners. This was the last of our scrimmages before our next camp. Then we'd go into our qualifiers for the 2015 World Cup.
"Allison, great goal." My best friend and probably the best player on the German team Brenna told me as we approached each other. I personally thought she was going to kill me because our team kept her away from the goal for the most part.
"Thanks Brea, I think you played great." We both embraced each other, unfortunately we were cut short. We had to go back to our locker rooms and got ready to travel back to our homes. I was the only one that wasn't.
"Ali, what time are you going to get into Rome?" Addy asked as we all got into the bus taking us to the airport.
"I think around seven in morning tomorrow. Why?"
"Nothing I was just wondering how long the flight was. So if I did my math correctly it's about a eight hour flight?"
"Yep luckily I have my lap top and my Ipod fully charged so hopefully it will just cruise by." We all went back to different conversations as we reached the airport.
"Bye Ali!" All my teammates and coaches flights were later so I was of course the first to leave. I wasn't really happy about being all by myself for twelve hours but since I would be headed to the Men's World Cup in Italy.
"Welcome ladies and gentle to Roman International Flights. We should be landing in Rome in eight hours. It appears it will be at seven in the morning. Have a nice flight." The pilot quickly turned on the fasten seat belt light on and in less than ten minutes we were taking off. I quickly fell asleep. And at around six o'clock Italian time I awoke. Less than an hour later the fasten seat belt was turned on. We descended quickly and we were in Rome. Or more so outside of the city of Rome.
"Welcome to Rome international airport. We hope you had a nice flight. Thank you and have a good day." I quickly grabbed my carry on bag and walked out of the gate quickly. I haven't seen my dad in about five months.
"Allison!" I looked around and saw one of the drivers that I had known since I was sixteen.
"Bob!" I said as I gave him a tight hug loving being back into something almost family like. He use to drive for the Chicago Fire the team my dad coached when I was a teenager. He basically coached for two years. He then took the job as the U.S. head coach and had already experienced the last World cup which the team did good but they wanted to go further this time.
"Hey it's good to have you here. I hope you know that it's about a thirty minute drive to the base camp. Your dad told me to tell you that he expects you to be out and ready to play when we arrive. The boys are already there so we'll have to be late." He quickly shuffled me and my luggage to the car and we sped off towards the training grounds of the US men's team.
"How was the flight Allison?" I was sitting in the backseat of the car as we quickly sped through the streets of the Italian countryside.
"It was good, I slept most of the way. I was exhausted after the game." I replied as I felt my eyes grow heavy even after a nine hour sleep.
"Congrats on the win. I saw it and you were amazing."
"Really?" I was actually surprised that he watched it. I would have thought they wwouldn't have been able to watch. Why would they have broadcasted it all the way out in Italy.
"Yes the whole staff and team watch it. Your dad went nuts on your goal. Then of course your brother went on to say that he taught you how to do that." I smiled knowing that was something Chris would say.
"Of course he did. But I bet he didn't tell you that i taught him that little jerk step that he loves so much." I replied as I saw the training base come into view.
"Here we are." He turned the car off the road. "The hotel is about ten minutes east of here."
"Wow this is nice." I said as I saw the four nicely cut grass full length fields. Also tons of goals were set up. This is basically every players dream to play in such an amazingly nice grounds.
"Now just go through that gate there and you will be on the fields. They know who you are so, you won't have to go through security. Take your equipment bag in and I will take all the rest back to your hotel room and have them put it in the room so you can deal with one less thing.
"Thank you so much Bob." I said as I grabbed my soccer bag out of the back and walked through the gate.
"Allison!" Was the same comment I received every time I passed a coach or a player. I noticed that the players were going through their fitness training at the second that means their running their asses off.
"Hey daddy." I said as I came up behind my dad.
"Allibear!" I smiled as I heard him say my nickname I've had since I was one.
" Hey dad." He grabbed me into a hug. "So I heard from Bob that you watched my game last night."
"Yes and I'm very proud of you. It was amazing to watch you do so well even though you your coming off the injury of your foot. Hows it doing by the way." I broke three bones in my foot this past season and I was in a boot for a month and went to rehab for a month after.
"Soar actually really soar. It's like I don't feel it during the game but after when I sit down and the adrenalin is finished it becomes stiff, and hurts to walk." I said as i watched the rest of the guys were doing their sprints as Peter the fitness coach was pushing them to the fullest.
"Well, that what should be expected, just keep icing it and try to elevate it." That was everyone's answer, the trainers, the sports doctors, it's the only thing people tell me.
"I know I iced it, and took an advil. The trainer was ready and waiting with my bag of ice when we got off the field." I smiled as the guys were released for their break.
"Good job guys today. Now I'll give you a thirty minute break then I'll let Mike take over." I smiled at Peter as the rest of the team came over and said their hellos and congrats on the game.
"Ali, how about you get ready and you can help me run practice and do some of the demonstations." My dad was using his voice that told me I had no choice in the matter. That it basically didn't matter that I was just came from a game and played the whole time every minute. So instead of argueing I quickly changed into my cleats and headed out with the boys.
After about an hour we all loaded up and headed back to the hotel on the team bus. My legs were feeling heavy and i knew i was going to probably need to go for a slight jog while the guys were practicing.
"So tell me, have you met anyone interesting?" i asked as we made the ten minute drive back to the hotel.
"Yep the whole entire German team is in our hotel. Apparently since we are in the same group we are rooming together. Then I found out that Nigeria and Slovakia is in the other hotel a couple of miles away." I was told by Jay Smittor a guy I've known since I was sixteen when we lived in Chicago.
"Let me guess your pist. I hope you realize that we don't own this hotel and I have a feeling FIFA didn't want to have to book hotels and protect them. It's smart thinking they get out of having to get security for only half the hotels they usually have." I was the more logical person. I was happy because usually I would be locked up with just the guys now I could at least meet someone from the other team. What I didn't understand was why Jay was getting worked up, I mean I know he was the most competitive person i have ever met. Still I've never see him get this worked up.
"Yes of course, why would I want the team we play first to be in the same vicinity as me before the tunnel when we line up before that game." Wow his passion was strong on this issue. Which made the vein on his neck protrude out.
"Calm down boy, no need to give yourself a heart attack. Plus that vein on your neck is sticking out." I pointed at it as we started climbing off the bus. I grabbed my bag as the rest of the guys walked ahead.
"You know the real reason Jay is freaking out about the German's being here.?" I looked over at Jon who I had know since I was about twenty.
"No, I'm surprised that he is freaking i mean we all know besides the U.S. it's his favorite team to cheer for."
"It's also that he knows that when you go back to the club season for Frankfurt, that all these guys are a lot closer to you than he is in London."
"Come on he knows we're just friends. I mean I can't date him. We're too close, anyway he's plays for my dad." I really couldn't wrap my head around this information. Don't get me wrong he's a great guy and all but I see him as a friend and that's about it.
"Yeah I know that and you know that, and even he knows it in the back of his head but I don't think he's letting himself learn it yet." And with that he just walked away.
"Dude take a shower you smell." My brother Chris told me as he walked from behind me. Oh my good old brother who is older than me by three years was so charming. I now understand why his wife fell for him.
"Jerk!" I said as I ran after him into the hotel.
"Wait don't you have to get your room key. Dad left it here." Chris said as we walked through the lobby towards the front desk.
"Where did Dad go?" I asked as we reached the front desk.
"He had to go to a meeting with some other coaches. So he asked me to help you." He was using that Mueller charm that he got from my dad.
"Well thanks for the thought but I got this." I smirked at him as I looked at the worker.
"Bonjourno , hi I'm here looking for my room? It should be under Allison Mueller." I said in perfect italian.
"Awe yes here we go." The lady handed me my room key, and I turned to my older brother with a grin that said that I'm the best and you suck.
"Thank you very much." I told the lady and walked with Chris to the elevators.
"Oh i forgot to tell you, nice header. It was very me, so I'm proud." I slapped his chest at the comment.
"Don't even try and take credit for my goal. You know it was all dad who taught me." I said as we got into the elevator.
"I know but I was your practice buddy." I rolled my eyes at the comment. I use to have to drag him out to field for him to play with me.
"Oh please." I said as the elevator stopped at our floor. We walked down the hallway until we reached my room.
"So I'm leaving but be down in the lobby at one for lunch." I nodded my head as I opened the door and quickly grabbed all my tolettries and took a nice log hot shower. I had my music blasting and was having a good time just dancing around and getting rid of the jet lag that had been affecting me lately. After about a half an hour in there I quickly removed myself and noticed something was off. All my bags with my clothes had disappeared.
"Chris!" I knew he'd have something to do with this.
I quickly flew out the door with out thinking about what I was wearing. I realized after I heard the click from the door signalling that it locked.