I'm back! Finally managed to sort out my work-life balance. If any of you are struggling with that, here's a tip: nothing will work unless you get enough sleep.
Chapter Ten: A Costly Mistake
Goode's next match was against Sindletown High, a mid-table team that wasn't known for producing anything spectacular, but had a record of being one of the most consistent performers over the last ten years. There were rarely any surprises in games against them; what you saw was what you got.
Annabeth was reasonably confident of securing a win despite it being an away game, particularly because Percy had returned to the starting lineup following his one-game suspension. His inclusion allowed Annabeth to revert to her preferred 4-4-2, Percy and Malcolm playing as central strikers flanked by Chris and Ron on either side. Frank and Leo started in midfield, with the defence unchanged from its usual players.
The game got off to an even start. Of the two teams, Sindletown had the majority of possession, but weren't able to progress the ball into the final third where it mattered. Goode kept them at arm's length, waiting for a chance to launch one of their rapier-like counter-attacks.
Sindletown were compact but lacked depth to stretch Goode's lines. They eventually lost possession when one of their forays forward broke down outside Goode's penalty box. Matthew sprayed a pass wide into an advancing Luke, who sent it long down the left to where Ron and Percy were starting to accelerate.
Sindletown players closed in from all sides. Ron had gotten to the halfway line before squaring the ball to Percy and making a run down the touchline. The Sindletown right-back kept pace with him and Percy accelerated into the space they'd left, dodging around one enemy midfielder and then another. The Sindletown centre-backs faced him down and Percy tried to dribble through them, was dispossessed, spun around and managed to poke the ball back to Malcolm with a lunging slide that left him sprawled on the turf.
Malcolm faced the two centre-backs and knew that he couldn't outmanoeuvre them with Percy down on the grass. He opted to play the ball sideways and a battle ensued on the right flank as Chris and John tried to get past the Sindletown defence. Neither could get through, but the two of them combined with Malcolm to give John just enough space to swing in a cross. The two Sindletown centre-backs had been watching Malcolm and didn't realise that Percy had made a run in behind them until it was too late.
John's low ball skimmed past the two of them toward the far post where Percy arrived at the perfect moment to divert the ball past the Sindletown keeper and into the net.
"Yes!" Annabeth clenched her fist in celebration as the Goode bench broke into applause and fist bumps.
Sindletown pushed forward from the restart then fell back, trying to draw Goode out of their defensive shape. Annabeth had cautioned the players against such a tactic and smiled in satisfaction as her players stood off, allowing the ball to circulate freely between the Sindletown defenders. Sindletown saw that their tactic wasn't working and resumed their patient push forward.
The game ebbed and flowed in predictable fashion as the first half went on, Sindletown circulating possession and probing now and then, Goode flying forward whenever they regained possession. One particular battle down the left wing ended with Percy scything down the Sindletown centre-forward as he tried to accelerate upfield, earning him a yellow card as the Sindletown player rolled about on the turf, clutching his shin and grimacing. The Sindletown player got up after a while when the pain had eased. Percy shook his head at the perceived unfairness of the referee's decision.
Goode continued to grow into the game, repelling each wave of Sindletown attacks with increasing confidence. They had their own spell of possession midway through the first half which they used to advance the ball into the final third, zipping it around for a while before Sindletown concentrated their numbers and forced them back. David went long before Sindletown could pressure them into losing the ball and the game opened up again as both sides battled in the middle of the pitch.
Percy received the ball in midfield in first-half stoppage time, twisting away from the midfielder that had momentarily lost track of him. Instinctively recognising the danger, Sindletown players quickly moved to surround him, but Percy dodged and weaved between them one after another, accelerating upfield with unbelievable skill until he came face-to-face with the keeper in the penalty box. Percy fired the ball low and hard into the far corner of the net, leaving the keeper sprawled on the turf as he wheeled away to celebrate, taking a massive leap into the air and pulling his shirt off.
Goode players gathered for the group hug, but their celebrations were abruptly cut short by a long blast from the referee's whistle. Annabeth looked on with alarm as the referee pulled his yellow card out of his pocket, brandishing it at Percy for taking his shirt off, then reached back into his pocket for the red card, prompting a roar of approval from the crowd.
"Oh, no." Annabeth knew they were in trouble. A red card at this point meant that they would be playing the entire second half with one man short. No amount of tactics could make up for the corresponding increase in exertion and numerical disadvantage, which would eventually lead to fatigue and mistakes.
Percy was heading back toward the stands, shaking his head and smiling slightly. Annabeth's heart usually lifted at such a sight, but this time she could barely keep the annoyance from breaking out on her face. It had been an unnecessary booking. The second yellow had been completely avoidable had he shown a little more restraint.
Sindletown kicked off again and played the ball around for a couple of minutes before the referee blew for half time. Annabeth headed for the dressing room the moment the whistle went, intending to confront Percy for his mistake, but the winger had already disappeared into the shower and she could only fume silently as she arranged magnets on the board, frowning and muttering to herself. Percy remained in the shower for the whole of the half-time break, walking out of the tunnel alone after the second half had kicked off.
Sindletown showed a notable increase in tempo and aggression in the second half. Annabeth had ordered every Goode player back into their own half in an attempt to concentrate numbers behind the ball and frustrate Sindletown's attack. The tactic seemed to work for the first ten minutes or so, then Sindletown started to exploit Goode's lack of cover in the centre of the pitch, pushing players into midfield and rotating the ball in and out. Alone up front, Malcolm was bypassed again and again, unable to stop the ball from going past him. If he tried to man-mark the Sindletown midfielders their centre-backs would take the ball past him. Whenever he tried to close the centre-backs down, they would simply pass the ball around him. Sindletown built momentum, forcing Goode back inch by inch into their defensive third.
Goode were putting up a spirited defence, drawing inspiration from their two-goal lead. Sindletown lacked the creativity to cut through their dogged defence, but were smart enough to prioritise possession whenever things looked like they were getting out of hand. The regular supply of Goode counterattacks that had been so successful in the first half dried up as the minutes crept by. The few times that Goode did manage to get on the ball, they were quickly surrounded and forced back, their outnumbered attackers unable to make headway against Sindletown's defence.
A burst through Goode's lines ended with the Sindletown centre-forward through on goal just inside the penalty box, sandwiched by Matthew and Mark on either side. The two defenders could not break his stride and the centre-forward managed to get a shot away that flashed narrowly wide of David's left-hand post. A sigh went up from the spectator stands.
More near misses followed as the minutes crept by. David made a solid stop from Sindletown's left winger in the 61st minute. Another similar chance was blocked by Mark a couple of minutes later. Two inswinging corners followed, both cleared away by the mass of blue shirts.
Annabeth still thought that Goode could hold out, but the series of Sindletown chances were grinding her nerves to shreds. She curbed the urge to shout at her players each time the ball came into the box, clenching her jaw until it began to ache. There was something vaguely black in the corner of her eye and she blinked, then rubbed at it, then finally turned her head to see Nico standing on his seat in his socks, craning his head in an attempt to see what was going on over at the far side of the pitch.
Annabeth ordered Dakota to start warming up, sensing that her players would tire in the late stages of the game. Sindletown were preparing to make changes too and she dreaded the thought of faster, fitter players coming up against her embattled team for the last fifteen or twenty minutes. It was an inevitable scenario given the situation they were in and for about the tenth time that afternoon she cursed Percy for putting the whole team at a disadvantage because of his moment of folly.
Sindletown finally got their breakthrough in the 70th minute. Their three midfielders combined to outmanoeuvre Frank and Leo, breaking into the box with a series of short passes. Matthew and Mark scrambled to stop them and a low shot deflected off Mark's leg, sending David the wrong way as the ball rolled into the opposite corner. A big cheer rolled out from the spectator stands. Annabeth beckoned her players over.
"Don't lose your focus. We're still ahead. If we can keep them out we'll still win the game."
Goode responded well from the kickoff, but could not get past the wall of Sindletown players who'd retreated into midfield to form a blockade. A spirited attack ended with a looping cross into the box that was cleared upfield ahead of an onrushing Malcolm. Goode defenders managed to recover the ball, sent it upfield and Frank fired wide of the near post as enemy players closed him down from all sides. The frustrated Goode players trudged back into their own half as Sindletown reformed themselves to continue their assault.
Annabeth sensed that Goode's confidence had been jolted by the Sindletown goal. There was a noticeable shift in the team and a scare followed right away as Sindletown's centre-forward got on the ball just outside the penalty area and let loose a fierce shot that thankfully flew straight at David who pushed it over the crossbar.
Annabeth responded immediately by sending Nico to warm up. Sindletown smelled blood and were pushing forward with renewed aggression. She suspected that they might score again and if that happened then Goode would have to go on the attack to regain their lead. They could not continue to absorb pressure without hitting back anymore, not with their confidence being eroded by each Sindletown attack.
The minutes ticked by. Nico finished warming up in the 80th minute and was stretching on the touchline, waiting for a break in play. It was all one-way traffic at that point. The Goode players were pinned to the edge of their box as crosses, through-balls and long-balls tore them to shreds. Even though they repelled each attack, the ball kept getting picked up by Sindletown players who tried their luck from range every now and then. Each time they were charged down and blocked by Goode players. Annabeth kept biting her lip in worry, knowing that the outcome of each shot was almost completely down to chance.
There was still no stoppage. Sindletown kept circulating the ball in and around. Each time Goode players made a deflection or a block they were quickly dispossessed. Annabeth concluded that the Sindletown players had seen Nico warming up and were deliberately holding onto the ball to prevent his arrival.
"Kick it out!" She roared at her players, but Sindletown would not give them the opportunity to create a break.
Another sequence of passing moves ended with Sindletown's centre-forward receiving the ball right in front of goal. Matthew and Mark threw themselves in front of him as he pulled his leg back. The ball cannoned off an outstretched boot and bobbled to another Sindletown player who touched the ball around Dakota's sprawling tackle and slammed it into the far corner of the net. David could hardly see what was going on amidst the mass of bodies in front of him and didn't even manage to attempt the dive before the ball flashed past him. The crowd erupted in cheers and Annabeth swore uselessly into the wall of noise, turning away from the pitch toward Nico who looked absolutely livid.
"You need to score a goal," she told him. "Put us back in front. The opponents are tiring. If you think you have an opportunity to go through them, you take it."
"Got it." Nico gave a single nod, black fire smouldering in his eyes.
The game kicked off after an extended period of celebrations and the ball went straight to Nico, who immediately beat one player on the right wing and sprinted past the halfway line. Malcolm kept pace with him in the centre of the pitch, surrounded by Sindletown players. Nico attempted to cut inside the opposing left-back and got past him, but was impeded by the tussle and stumbled, allowing the Sindletown centre-back to get to the ball and pass it to safety. The Sindletown goalkeeper opted to go long as Nico bore down on him and the ball pinballed about the pitch as Goode battled Sindletown for possession. Sindletown managed to slip the ball away and played it through Goode's lines, sending their winger hurtling through the middle. Matthew, Mark and John looked like they were moving in slow motion as they tried to catch up to him. David saw the danger and came rushing out. The winger darted to the left and David threw himself at the ball, missed, and tripped the winger with his outstretched arms instead. The crowd roared in outrage and the referee immediately blew his whistle and pointed to the penalty spot. Annabeth groaned, covering her face with her hands.
The two sets of players gathered around the box. Annabeth forced her face into a stoic mask, clamping down on the urge to tap her foot on the grass. In the centre of the goal, David stared his opponent down, banged his gloves together and stamped his feet. The spectator stands chattered with anticipation, then went silent as the Sindletown winger took a short run-up.
SAVE! The winger fired low toward the left and David read him correctly, clawing the ball away. A frenzy erupted in front of the goal as Sindletown and Goode players came rushing in. The Sindletown centre-forward was first to the ball and fired it goalward, but Frank had darted in front of him and the ball cannoned off his chest. Nico got on the ball, drove upfield and was dispossessed. He chased the enemy player down, tackled him and sent the ball out of play. The throw-in went to Goode and Nico could not shake off the two players marking him so Dakota threw the ball to Malcolm further infield instead. Malcolm looked up to play the ball forward, but there was nobody around him except enemy players. He tried to dribble upfield and all three Sindletown midfielders closed around him. One of them fouled him in the process of winning back the ball and a free kick was awarded, which came to nothing after a short passing sequence upfield that stopped in front of sindletown's penalty box. Malcolm's shot was blocked and Sindletown went down the other end. Goode's tiring defenders struggled to get back into position. A sloppy through-ball was turned away by Luke, who sent it long as a wave of Sindletown players closed on him. Sindletown recovered possession at the other end. Goode were too tired to chase them and retreated into their own half, much to the frustration of Nico who'd remained high up the pitch to engage Sindletown's defenders.
The relentless pressure continued into stoppage time. Goode could not find a way out. Fatigue led to mistakes and Luke battled the enemy winger on the edge of the box, lost, and sprawled on the turf. The winger jerked into the box and attempted a cross that was blocked by Matthew. The ball bounced straight back into his feet and he darted around the Goode centre-back, working enough space to get a shot away. David blocked the ball and it bounced straight into the Sindletown centre-forward who bundled it into the net from point-black range as Mark clattered into him. Both players tumbled to the turf. The Sindletown striker got up and wheeled away in elation. Mark groaned in despair as he pushed himself upright with one arm, then grimaced as the referee arrived in front of him and brandished his yellow card for the wild tackle he'd just made.
Goode were deflated by the late goal and made a weak attempt to strike back. Nico received the ball thirty-five yards from goal and spent several seconds trying to get around the three defenders in front of him. He could not find a way past them and loosed a venomous strike that cannoned off an outstretched leg and bounced upfield. Frank got onto the loose ball and tried an ambitious strike from forty yards that sailed safely into the Sindletown keeper's arms. He clutched the ball, fell to the pitch dramatically and the referee ended the game with his whistle.
The two sets of substitutes vacated their benches immediately, Goode's heading for the dressing room, Sindletown's onto the field to congratulate their victorious teammates. The Goode players made their way off the pitch, despondent and exhausted. Annabeth's scowl deepened as she strode down the tunnel ahead of all of them, her eyes fixed on the back of Percy's head just ahead of her.
A few of the substitutes were already in the dressing room when Percy walked in, followed quickly by Annabeth. Behind her, the door was still open for the rest of the returning players, but Annabeth didn't care. A slow fire had been building in her chest since the half-time break, and now that the game was over there was nothing holding it back.
"What the fuck d'you think you were doing?" She shouted at Percy, making the substitutes jump as her voice reverberated around the confined space. "You knew you were on a yellow! That celebration is a bookable offence. You should know that by now!"
The players from the pitch were making their way into the room, aghast at the torrent of anger coming from their coach. Percy looked apologetic, holding his hands up palms out.
"I'm sorry, Annabeth. The stupid referee was biased. I didn't think he would book me again. They usually don't if you're already on a yellow, unless—"
"You didn't think he'd book you?" Annabeth shouted. "You'd take a risk like that just for a silly stunt? Look at them!" Annabeth threw her arm up, sweeping it across the newly-arrived players from the pitch. "They gave everything to try and salvage something from this game. I gave everything! But we lost. This game was winnable. We played well in the first half. But you threw that all away and now we don't even have one point when we could have had all three. Your stupidity cost us the game. Even worse, you're suspended again. I can't put you in for the next two, three games. You can't even make the bench."
A Sindletown player appeared in the open doorway.
"Damn, she's fiery." He grinned at her. "Wish our own girls were that fierce."
The clipboard flew from Annabeth's hand before anyone could even blink, striking the Sindletown player in the chest like a throwing star.
"GET OUT!" Annabeth grabbed the door handle and slammed the door shut so hard that the flimsy wall shook. The Sindletown player had been leaning against the doorframe with his forearm and jerked his head backwards at the sudden movement, but was too slow to pull his arm away and the door slammed into his knuckles, making him yelp.
"Ow! Bitch."
"Hey!" Jason stood from his seat across the room. "Watch it!"
Other Sindletown players had seen the altercation and came toward the still-open doorway, aggravated by the sight of their teammate cradling his hurt hand in the other. They pushed the door open, seeing Annabeth.
"What d'you think you're doing, you little—"
"OUT!" Annabeth roared at them. "ALL OF YOU!" Her voice filled the tunnel, so loud that the closest spectators at the tunnel's mouth jumped.
The Sindletown coach appeared from the home dressing room, looking angry.
"Back in the room," he ordered his players.
He crossed the small corridor to stand in the doorway, glaring at Annabeth.
"Why are you making trouble here?" He asked her.
"You tell your players to keep their noses out of our dressing room." Annabeth shot back. "Mind their own business. We're having a debrief."
"Who do you think you are, speaking to me like that?" The coach asked. "Where's your coach? I want to talk to him."
"I'm the coach," Annabeth snarled. "What do you want?"
"Do I look like I'm joking?" The coach glared at her.
"Do I?" Annabeth glared back.
Frank and Leo stepped forward to stand on either side of her.
"She is the coach. Coach Hedge is on hospital leave."
"So what did you want to say to me?" Annabeth asked him.
The Sindletown coach glowered at all of them for a moment, then snorted.
"You think you're the coach," he scoffed. "I know Coach Hedge. I'll be speaking to him about this."
"Coach Hedge knows you," Percy shot back. "He's told us about you, Coach Hanson. He's not interested in anything you have to say and neither are we. File an official complaint to our school if you really have something to bring up."
Frank reached over to the door and closed it hard, leaving the indignant coach glaring at the worn surface.
As always, massive thanks for the continued support. See y'all next time!