Andromeda Eagles @ Gor Kebab
Saturday Afternoon
Ten minutes have passed in the first half. After a brief kerfuffle between JD Campbell & a Kebab defender, Campbell breaks away. The other Andromeda front liners set up in their Eagle offense. Oona Kerry and Dolfo Martinez, the Eagles’ high scorers, take the wings while Steffi Tucker stands in front of the goalkeeper. Kerry and Martinez are both double-teamed.
“What you gonna d…,”
“Shut up.” Campbell silences the Kebab defender.
“Surfin’ Bird!” Campbell calls the play.
Tucker looks confused.
“OooMoo-Mao-Mao. Maa-Maa. OooMao-Mao.”
Tucker understands.
Campbell sees that Tucker has one hand on her defender and one finger in the air. Campbell head fakes his defender and kicks the ball in the general direction of the goal. Tucker runs away from her defender toward the ball. She shoots the ball before her defender can regain his bearings. The ball bounces past the goalie.
Andromeda 1, Gor Kebab 0.
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The first half rolls into injury time. There are sone dark clouds rolling over the pitch, threatening rain. The Kebabs have possession and have maneuvered past the midfield.
“Red Rover.” Goalie Rachel Medrano calls the play. Dave Richman and Kelly Bach move toward the goal to assist Medrano while Abby Salliewhite goes out to chase the ball.
“He’s got you, Sallie. You can’t do it,” Medrano yells.
Upon hearing this, Abby Salliewhite steals the ball from her defender. Upon seeing this, Bach walks over to Medrano.
“Didn’t Coach Zimmerman tell us to be more positive?”
“You’re a fifth-year senior at our country’s most prestigious university and you don’t know that certain psychology doesn’t work the same with everyone?”
“How’ that?”
“You tell someone like Sally that she can’t do something, the first thing she’ll do is try to prove you wrong.”
“But how did you know she would do that?”
Medrano shrugs her shoulders.
“The Force is strong with Rachel,” Dave Richman explains.
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Coach Hawkins makes a call midway through the second half.
“Brea, Cha-Cha, you’re in.”
Brea Young and Carla DiGregorio go in, replacing Oona Kerry and Steffi Tucker on the front line. Coach Zimmerman goes along with Hawkins’ decision.
“I’m not sure it was the right decision?”
“Jasmine. We needed to do something to change the dynamic. There are worse things we can do than change uniforms and have a more positive attitude.”
“But you got them souped up. You’ve promised them a spot in the World Cup if we win out.”
“No, I didn’t. They’re smart kids. They know that even if, by some miracle, we win out, the breaks may still be against us. We do our best in the face of all that.”
Zimmerman points at the front line. Carla DiGregorio makes a bicycle kick for the Eagles second goal of the night.
Andromeda 2, Gor Kebab 0.
After the celebration dies down, Zimmerman and Hopkins continue their conversation.
“Jasmine, if we win out, even if we don’t make the World Cup, we’ll crush it in the Cup of Harmony.”
“Kerri, are you thinking what I’m thinking?”
“Cha Cha starting against Eura?”
“Our third leading scorer shouldn’t be coming off the bench.”
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As time ticks away, it appears that the Eagles will celebrate their second win in a row. As Coach Zimmerman puts her things on a bench, Oona Kerry talks to her.
“Thank you, Coach.”
“For what?”
“For giving us something to hope for, instead of something to run from.”
“You’re welcome, Oona.”
Zimmerman realizes that her words may be construed by her players as more than just motivational noise. Her words matter to her players.
