The Beautiful Game
I own nothing but fake team, the plot and original characters
"Hello and welcome to our first Matchday Live of the season! The summer's almost out, the players are back from holiday and the new managers have joined. We have five-yes, five! - games for you today, including the much-anticipated inaugural match of rookie coach Natasha Romanoff and the Washington Eagles. Lots to look at and consider today as we gear up for a new season of drama and controversy. Ecstasy and agony. We'll have pre-match analysis from all our experts after this short break. Don't go anywhere…"
The television of Steve and Bucky's shared house boomed from the living and echoed around the house. Bucky threw his boots into his bag as the sports anchor spoke from behind his desk on the television. It was the first game of the season and Bucky could feel the knot of nerves in his stomach as he hefted his bag onto his shoulder. Bucky turned off the T.V. and grabbed his suit jacket from the couch. It was customary for the team to wear their club-issued suits for pre-game lunches until they togged out into their tracksuits and kits for the game. Bucky looked at his watch and sighed as he checked his phone. They were travelling to the team hotel with Tony and Rhodey, once they were at the hotel the team would eat lunch and then the team bus would take them to the Eagles' stadium in the centre of the city. Bucky heard the sudden, brash sound of Tony's car horn.
"Steve, we're gonna be late. Hurry up!" he yelled from the foot of the stairs. He heard a grunt in response and opened the brown oak door. After a few seconds, Steve appeared at top step with his own bag in hand. He raced down the stairs and out the front door. Bucky locked the door and the two men bundled into the backseat of Stark's black Audi.
The four men greeted each other as Steve and Bucky clambered in. Tony revved the engine and glanced at the backseat in his rear-view mirror.
"Ready to win this league?" he asked. Steve and Rhodey rolled their eyes as Bucky laughed.
"Hell, yeah!" he replied as they pulled away from the kerb. Steve raised an eyebrow.
"Well, aren't you two awfully confident?" he said, laughing. Rhodey turned in his seat to look at Stark, Barnes and Rogers.
"Didn't coach say promotion was our priority?" Rhodey said sceptically. Tony shrugged as they turned right.
"We win this league, we get promoted automatically. Duh," he stated. Rhodes sighed.
"Can't we just concentrate on today?" Steve asked, gazing out the window. Tony huffed as they reached a red traffic light.
"Whatever, I just hope Barton doesn't get distracted by something shiny or some crap," Stark grumbled. Rhodey tutted.
"He'll be fine. Anyway, I'll be there to cover. Who knows? Maybe you'll start defending," he joked. Stark narrowed his eyes.
"You're so lucky I'm driving right now…"
Stark's threat was met by laughter.
They arrived at the hotel around the same time as the other players. It was a tall, elegant structure that dominated much of the skyline of the area. It was also owned by Tony's family. The Starks owned a chain of hotels across the globe and had Howard Stark originally cast his son out when Tony announced that he saw his future in soccer, rather than enterprise. However, Tony and his father reconciled not long after Tony signed his first professional contract with a Major League Soccer club.
Tony parked in the underground car park and the men filed out of the car. They made their way to the dining room upstairs to meet their teammates. Thor was the first person to be seen, purely due to the reason that he was taller than everyone else in the room. There were twenty players in total in the room, along with other members of staff, such as team doctors and a press officer. The players had been named on the team sheet the previous day and there was sense of eager anticipation in the room as the men awaited the final announcement of the starting eleven.
Clint, T'Challa and a few others were sitting at a table in the middle of the room. Barton was busily attempting to do up his tie before huffing and stuffing the garment into his pocket. Steve chuckled as he sat down opposite T'Challa.
"Still working on tying a knot?" he asked. Clint scowled and stuck out his tongue, leaning back on his chair. Pietro was walking past and could not help but hook his foot under the chair and tilted it back. Clint tumbled backwards, leaving the others in stitches. He struggled to regain his composure as he sprang back to his feet.
"That's fine. I'll remember this when I gotta choose between passing to you and taking the shot, Maximoff!" he yelled. Wanda materialised at his side, the men stifled their laughter as Clint sighed.
"You called?" she asked innocently. Clint jumped slightly, making it more difficult for his friends to keep straight faces. Wanda gave them all a stern, silencing look.
"N-no, ma'am. I was referring t-to your bro… I mean, Pietro," he stuttered, fidgeting with his sleeves. Wanda folded her arms and looked Clint up and down. Steve thought he saw the ghost of a smirk playing on her lips.
"Tuck in that shirt and stand up straight. Where's your tie?" she asked. Clint struggled to speak as he felt his throat seize up.
"He couldn't put it on," Tony said, smugly. Wanda whirled around to face the table. The men sitting there gulped.
"And none of you brainiacs helped him?" she asked, eyebrows raised. She pointed at Steve.
"You, Rogers. Help Barton with his tie. I want you all to look respectable. The manager is almost here." Just as Wanda finished her command, Romanoff appeared at the doors. She wore a navy pantsuit with the club crest embroidered on the blazer and had a brown leather messenger bag slung over her shoulder. Her hair fell in waves around her shoulders.
A hush seemed to fall over the usually boisterous men as she walked in. Wanda jumped slightly and swallowed as she joined Natasha. Steve watched as they spoke to each other before the bell went for food. There was a long line of tables that were pushed together to make one monstrous table. Natasha took her place at the head of the table and Wanda sat beside her while another coach, Coulson, sat opposite Wanda. The men and other staff filled the remaining places.
After everyone had eaten, Romanoff stood up. She held a small slip of paper in her hand and cleared her throat. Everyone turned to look at the manager. She gazed out with a stony expression.
"Hello everyone," Natasha began. "Now that we've all been fed, I think it's a good time to announce the starters for the match against Hyde United."
An anxious laugh rippled down the table. Natasha looked at the slip of paper.
"In goal, we got T'Challa."
T'Challa eased back into his chair, his arm confidently strung over the back of Clint's chair. Natasha glanced around.
"Odinson and Banner, you two are playing in central defence. Wilson and Quill, you're full backs. Left and right, respectively."
Clint shifted in his seat and looked down the table. Thor seemed pleased, as did Bruce Banner who struggled with injuries in past seasons. Brock Rumlow, however, was seething. He glared at Romanoff with fury in dark eyes. Natasha remained as collected as ever as she named the rest of the team sheet.
"Stark, Rhodes, Barton. You three are the midfield. Same formation as training. Tony, you're attacking. James, Clint, you guys are deeper, more defensive."
Clint finally relaxed when he heard his name being called. It was as if a weight had been lifted off his shoulders.
"Rogers, you're playing striker. Barnes, Maximoff, you two are on the right and left wings. Finally, the substitutes are Parker, Rumlow, Lang, Campbell, Fitz and Rollins." Natasha leaned forward onto the table. She took a few seconds to recount the speech she came up with the night before as a member of hotel staff wheeled in a small whiteboard with the team's formation drawn on with black marker. Natasha took a deep breath before assuming her full height and clearing her throat to regain the attention of the group.
"So, here it is," she began, glancing around. "This is day one, we start as we mean to go on. Last season is in the past, leave it there. Today is the beginning of what is going to be a tough, exhausting slog. But it's gonna be worth it, y'know why?"
Natasha looked around.
"We're winning this league," Tony declared from where he sat at the end of the table. There was a somewhat nervous atmosphere that settled among the players as no one could decide whether to laugh, cheer or remain silent. Natasha's laugh broke the uneasy silence and the men joined in after a muted sigh of relief.
"That's the right idea, Stark. This club has been stuck in the doldrums for too long! This is our time, your time! So, don't goddamn waste it! Fight with everything you have. Be the great players I know you are… Give the fans something they can sing for!" Natasha urged finally. She let her words hang in the air as she paused for breath and glanced around at the enthralled faces. She let a smirk grace her features.
"A win will go a long way, boys."
"Well, folks, it's that time of the year again. You're here today with me, Andy Goodison, and my co-commentator Clive Wilton. The Second Division kicks off today and we are in the gantry at Lieber Park to bring you all the action from the match between new-look Washington and promotion favourites Hyde. So, Clive, who do you fancy for the win today? The Eagles or the Hydras?"
"That's a good question Andy. It's got to be the Hydras for me. The Eagles are still adapting under their new manager. Hyde are always promotion favourites, but this year feels right, not only because of all the new players they brought in. I'm going to say a convincing two-nil Hyde United win."
"Our expert say it will be two-nil. Let's see it Washington have anything to say about that. Their captain, Steve rogers is placing the ball on the centre spot and the referee is about to blow his whistle to start what is sure to be an exciting game."
The small stadium could seat a little over 8,000. Steve could hear each voice ringing out in the near capacity park as he pressed the ball onto the white spot. He barely heard the shrill sound of the whistle as the brash noise announced the beginning of the game. Rogers passed the ball backwards to Clint and the season began.
Hyde United pressed high up the pitch, putting immense pressure on Washington's midfield and defence and frustrating the attackers. Tony was caught in possession several times and was subject to many heavy tackles from Hydra defenders. On one such occasion Grant Ward slammed into Stark from behind, prompting Tony to turn furiously on his opponent. Rhodey and Bruce pulled their teammate back before the referee took any action but the tension has beginning to simmer. Thor and his defence endured an onslaught of attacks after Pietro was tackled while trying to create a scoring opportunity.
Eventually, just on the stroke of half-time, Washington managed to create an attack of their own. T'Challa passed the ball to Sam from a goal kick. Wilson jogged forward before playing the ball to Barton as a Hyde attacker was baring down on him. Clint received the ball and spun deftly out of another of Ward's reckless challenges. He looked up for any options and spotted Bucky in space on the right side of the Hydras' half. Clint sent a point-perfect pass soaring toward Barnes.
Bucky controlled it with his chest and looked around him. He smirked inwardly as he saw three men in red and black jerseys coming to close him down. Bucky flicked the ball over the first's head using his heel, he nutmegged the second man and fooled the third into going the wrong way with a dummy pass. Bucky looked up and spotted Steve sprinting into the penalty box parallel to Bucky. He crossed the ball and watched as it fizzed through the air. Natasha watched in anticipation, praying for Steve to score.
Rogers used his forward momentum to propel himself into the air. This, along with his great height, allowed him to reach the ball before his opponent. Using his head, he steered the ball past the goalkeeper and into the net. Steve stumbled as he landed again but stayed upright as he ran toward Bucky in the corner. Steve punched the air as he and Bucky celebrated with the fans.
Some other teammates joined them, jumping on their backs. Unfortunately, Pietro overshot his leap as he aimed for the group and went flying into the stand, much to the delight of the fans who caught him. The crowd were so loud now that the stadium filled with a thunder-like noise. Steve peeled himself away from his peers and saluted the crowd as they cheered.
Meanwhile, Natasha and Wanda tried to keep their celebrations muted but Natasha couldn't help but jump in the air, cheering slightly when Steve's header went in. Wanda was forced to hide her face when Pietro soared quite gracefully into the crowd to prevent the numerous cameras dotted around the ground from picking up her giggles.
After a few seconds, the referee blew for half-time. The players jogged off the pitch and into the dressing rooms. Both Wanda and Natasha spoke, both stressing the same thing. They implored the team against complacency. The Hydras were known for comebacks and Steve knew that the Eagles were going to be bombarded with attacks. The teams were back on the pitch fifteen minutes later. Tony felt cold droplets of water falling onto his skin and glanced upward at the approaching grey clouds.
Steve was right. Time after time, Hyde United attacked them. Thor and Bruce were working hard to keep track of Grant Ward and Johann Schmidt but the Eagles were forced to rely on T'Challa's goalkeeping far too often for Natasha's liking. Pietro and Bucky were growing frustrated as Clint and Rhodey needed to spend most of their time looking after their defensive duties, choosing to pass the ball to the defenders rather than to the attackers.
Steve was forced to run deep to retrieve the ball and turned around to launch an attack, only to be tackled by Hyde's Schmidt-the man the fans called 'Red Skull' due to the dark red mask he wore to protect his eternally broken nose. Rogers and Schmidt hated each other and often jostled for different awards, with Steve regularly losing out as he did in that moment.
Red Skull passed the ball off before Steve could even get back on his feet. Sitwell received the ball and played it back to Schmidt as Quill ran to close him down. Quill's movement left a hole in the defence, allowing Red Skull to get into the penalty box from the left side. He looked up once before shooting at goal. The strike was powerful and low, making T'Challa's job a whole lot more difficult. The goalie dived but only felt the ball graze his fingertips as it fizzed into the goal.
The Eagles' hearts all sank. T'Challa sat dejectedly on the now wet ground, arms resting his knees. Clint booted a lump grass into the air in frustrating. Steve watched as the Hydras celebrated their equaliser, hands on his hips. Rogers felt his anger levels rising as he watched Schmidt raise his right hand to his forehead and salute him in a mocking imitation of Steve's trademark celebration. Thor picked the ball out of the goals and punted it up to Bucky who caught it and quickly took the restart.
Natasha and Wanda stood on the touchline, debating tactics. Wanda recommended bringing on a defender to prevent any more goals.
"We bring on Rumlow and we invite attack," Natasha said. Wanda sighed.
"If we don't, we could concede anyway. The players are tired, the team needs energy," Wanda argued. Natasha bit her bottom lip.
"I know," she conceded. She saw Steve glance at the dugout as one of his shots narrowly missed. He caught her eye and held her gaze for a few seconds. Natasha sensed his frustration and motioned with her hand to calm down before nodding curtly and returning to her conversation.
"Get Rumlow ready, bring Quill off. Go three at the back, tell Wilson and Rhodes to move to the wings and let Barton and Stark go central together," Romanoff ordered. Wanda considered the commands for a moment before nodding and leaving to carry them out. With only a handful of minutes remaining Natasha knew the importance of her every decision and was aware of how she was going to be scrutinised.
Back on the pitch, tempers were beginning to flare. Clint and been about to release Pietro into space when a Hyde player had clipped his heel, sending him sprawling. Barton and the player then became involved in a scuffle. Tony ran to provide back up for Clint. Rhodey and Bruce pulled their colleagues away but not before the referee issued a yellow warning card to all involved. Washington were awarded the free kick on the halfway line. The substitution was made in the brief pause before the kick was taken and Rumlow relayed Natasha's orders to the others.
With the rain now pouring from the heavens. T'Challa sprinted up from his goal to take the kick, waving his arms frantically to get every Washington player up the field. The 'keeper ignored Clint's protests and commanded Barton to join the other player where they crowded around the penalty box. The goalie sent in quite a good cross. It was met by a Hyde player's head in the air but the ball bounced perfectly for Tony, who stood just outside the box. Without even looking up, Tony reeled back his left foot and blasted the ball with the laces of his boot. Time seemed to move in slow motion as the ball flew through the air. Stark had struck it perfectly. It soared toward the goal and looked to be too high before it dipped under the crossbar.
Tony wheeled off, cheering as his team trailed behind him. The delight on his face matched the ecstasy of the crowd. Stark slid on his knees and came to a stop just in front of the Eagles fans. Clint and Rhodey reached him first and bowled him over as they joined him. Soon, Tony was buried under a sea of bodies as the thunderous noise of the spectators returned to the stadium once more as they cheered Tony's name.
The Eagles defended for their lives for the last few minutes. Steve and the offense dropped back to help and Tony joined Clint in flying into tackles. Eventually, the referee signalled the end of ninety minutes. Several players doubled over in exhaustion and relief. Natasha quickly shook the hand of Hyde United's manager before joining her players on the pitch. She clapped them on the back and pulled several to their feet, including Rhodey and Stark. Natasha gathered all her players and walked over to the stand behind T'Challa's goals. Together, they applauded the supporters. Many of the boys threw an arm around Natasha before leaving for the showers. However, journalists were waiting to grab someone for an interview in the tunnel.
Clint and Tony were nabbed by the prestigious Cloud Sport broadcaster which also awarded the Man of the Match medal. Tony was being honoured for his performance with the award.
"Tony, Clint. Congratulations on the hard-fought win today. It must have been exhausting, especially in this weather," the female journalist said into her microphone.
"Thank you, it was extremely tiring. But we never gave up. We knew we couldn't afford to drop any points and, of course, no one wants to let the coach down first day out," Clint replied. The reporter nodded and smiled politely at Clint's standard answer. She shifted from foot to foot, her cheeks and nose red with the cold. She turned to Stark.
"Tony your goal was fantastic. Can you walk us through what you were thinking?"
Stark adopted the smile he used for all cameras. An easy smirk graced his handsome features as he cleared his throat.
"I don't think you can call it thinking, it's more like instinct. Ball comes down and I just…know. Y'know? I gotta take the shot. Sometimes your team just needs a little magic," Tony disclosed, still giving the reporter his smouldering look. Clint rolled his eyes and muttered under his breath.
"And an asshole, apparently."
Unfortunately, Tony heard him. His expression changed to one of shock.
"You can't call me an asshole on live T.V., asshole!" he exclaimed. Clint clamped a hand over his mouth.
"Oops!" He turned to the reporter. "Can I say 'asshole' on this show?"
"You can't ask her if you can call someone an asshole!" Tony said, aghast. Clint was turning gradually more pink by the second.
"Well, can I call someone an asshole?" he asked. Tony shook his head violently.
"Why are you asking me if you can call someone an asshole?!" he yelled.
"Because I want to know if I can say- "
Tony cut him off. "STOP SAYING ASSHOLE!"
Both men froze and slowly turned back toward the bemused reporter whose mouth hung slightly open. They adopted angelic smiles.
"C-congratulations, Tony. You've won Man of the Match. Clint, can you do the honours?" She pushed the polished medal into Clint's hand. Clint quickly hung it around Stark's neck.
"Thank you," both replied.
"Goodbye," the reporter answered as she and the cameraman shuffled away.
Clint and Tony sighed.
"That was a close call," Clint sighed. Tony glared at him before walking away.
Sorry about the long wait. Can you tell me if you want shorter match descriptions?
Please leave a review if you liked it. Tell me how to improve!
Bye!
