T.J. and the Penalty (11 page)

While the defender was still wondering what had happened, she sprinted forward and buried the ball in the net. Parkview were through to the quarterfinals.

C
HAPTER
18

PARKVIEW WON THEIR
quarterfinal 4 – 0, with two goals apiece for Tulsi and TJ. It was a very one-sided game and Jamie didn’t have to make a single save. ‘It’s weird,’ he said after the game. ‘If we play against a really good team then I have loads to do, but if we play brilliantly then it’s boring. I mean, it’s just like watching from the touchline.’

‘No, it’s not,’ said Rob. ‘You can’t just watch. You have to be ready all the time in case there’s an attack.’

Jamie shook his head. ‘You saw that game,’ he said. ‘They hardly even got in our half.’

‘Would you like to know who you’re playing in the semifinal?’ Mr Wood said, smiling. ‘It’s Hillside. They’ve won all their matches so far, just like you.’

The Parkview players looked at each other. ‘They’ve got this new player,’ Tulsi said. ‘He’s Chinese. He’s called Deng.’

‘And he’s completely brilliant,’ said Jamie. ‘We played them in the park and they beat us twenty-three two.’

‘You know what?’ Marshall said. ‘It’s about time you guys started believing in yourselves. As far as I can see, you already beat the best team in the tournament – Saint Joseph’s. You put them out! And you did that without even playing that well. You’ve got a great team and you’ve got a great coach. And great supporters too,’ he added, with a glance at the far touchline, where the cheerleaders were having a wonderful time. ‘Go out there and really
show
them what you can do. Just look. I reckon your whole school is here!’

TJ looked. What Marshall said was true. During the morning the crowd had been swelling. Whole families were there, with lots of little kids running around playing football. And all the teachers were there too, even Mrs Logan, the deputy head. And Mr Coggins, of course. Mr Burrows was walking towards them now, with a tall grey-haired man who looked somehow familiar. Mr Burrows looked unusually cheerful. ‘You remember Mr Turvey?’ he said, and TJ found it hard to recognize the inspector without his grey suit on.

‘I wanted to see what was so special about this football team that seems to have turned your whole school around,’ Mr Turvey said with a smile. ‘Good luck in your semifinal, everyone!’

The referee was waiting. ‘OK,’ said
Mr
Wood. ‘Jamie in goal, Leila and Tommy at the back, then Rodrigo and Rafi, and TJ and Tulsi up front. You know what to do.’

TJ looked at Deng, as they took up their positions. He was still grinning, as if someone had just told him a very funny joke. ‘Why are you all looking so worried?’ said Leila.

‘You haven’t seen him play,’ Rafi told her.

‘But we’ve got Jamie in goal now,’ Leila said. ‘He won’t let them score.’

Jamie blushed, and the Parkview players laughed. Suddenly TJ felt a million times better. ‘We can win this,’ he called. ‘Come on, Parkview!’

The Parkview supporters took up the chant. ‘PARKVIEW!’ they yelled, as the dinner ladies and the cooks went into a complicated routine. ‘COME ON, PARKVIEW!’

Krissy Barton kicked off, and the barrel-shaped Kelvin played the ball out to Slim, the Hillside captain, who was playing on the wing. He pushed the ball back towards Deng. The pass was hit well enough, but Rafi
was
on fire. He darted in and stole the ball before Deng could reach it, and passed to Leila, who moved it on to TJ.

Instantly Deng moved over to try and cut off his run, and TJ knew that this was like a duel between the two of them. If he could beat Deng, if he could put doubt and fear into Deng’s heart, then it would change the game completely. So he ran at Deng, with the ball at his feet, and Deng backed off, watching the ball closely. TJ feinted to go inside Deng, and at the last moment played the ball outside him with his left foot. Deng saw what was happening and his right foot flashed out, but the ball had already gone.

TJ felt a spike of pain as Deng’s boot clipped his ankle, but he didn’t go down. He knew that this was a big chance. He jumped over Deng’s outstretched leg and struggled for a moment to keep his balance. The ball was running towards the touchline, and with
a
desperate stretch, TJ managed to keep it in play.

Now he was free. Deng was on the ground and would never catch him. As he raced for the dead-ball line, he looked across and saw Tulsi taking up her usual position near the penalty spot. Two of the Hillside players had gone with her, leaving plenty of space for Rafi to burst forward, completely unmarked.

TJ hit a perfectly weighted pass. Somehow he knew exactly how hard to strike the ball so that it would arrive at the perfect moment for Rafi to make the shot. And it did. Rafi hit a scorching drive that TJ was pretty sure even Jamie wouldn’t have stopped.

‘I meant that one!’ Rafi said, as he exchanged high-fives with TJ and the Parkview fans began singing again. ‘Great pass, TJ. Amazing run too. That showed them!’

For the rest of the first half, the game was evenly balanced. Jamie had to make two
saves
from Kelvin’s shots, and once Tulsi managed a long-range effort, but every spectator was riveted by the battle between TJ and Deng. When Deng had seen TJ’s cross converted by Rafi, he’d climbed to his feet with the grin still on his face, and begun to shadow TJ everywhere he went. Every time TJ received the ball, Deng was there. If TJ tried to beat him, Deng’s boot snaked out and won the ball. If TJ made a run, Deng tracked him all the way. ‘I don’t know what to do,’ TJ said at half time. ‘He never gives me a second.’

‘Just keep at it,’ Mr Wood told him. ‘This is when fitness is going to start to make a real difference. Hillside have had some hard games. Deng’s going to tire. You can make it worse for him by keeping up those runs when you don’t have the ball. You’re fast, TJ, and you’ve been training hard. Now make it count.’

TJ did as Mr Wood had suggested. He made runs right back inside his own half, calling for the ball from the defenders and playing it back to them, then turning and making new runs down the wing. Every time, Deng came with him. TJ thought his lungs were going to burst, as he saw Krissy intercept a pass and hit a shot at Jamie. TJ raced back, forcing his legs to keep moving, and now, at last, he realized that he’d left Deng gasping behind him. ‘Here, Jamie!’ he called. ‘Give it to me.’

Jamie rolled the ball to his feet and TJ took it forward a few metres, and space suddenly opened up ahead of him. Deng had turned and was following doggedly, but TJ was certain now that Deng couldn’t keep up with him. As he ran forward, Tulsi was heading towards the edge of the penalty area, while Rafi was moving quickly through the centre circle. Two of the Hillside players had
followed
Rafi. There was nothing between TJ and the Hillside goal. He felt as if he was flying, as if he could run for ever.

As the goalkeeper came out, TJ slid the ball underneath him and he knew – he just knew – that they were going to win the match. Parkview were going through to the final!

C
HAPTER
19

‘THAT WAS FABULOUS
, TJ,’ Marshall said after the game. ‘Just a terrific performance. And a great game to watch.’ Marshall had been out on the pitch and shaken hands with every one of the Hillside players, so now everyone knew that Marshall was here. He’d even taken off his hoodie, and TJ knew that people were watching them. ‘The whole team did great,’ continued Marshall. ‘But it was you running Deng into the ground that made the difference.’

TJ smiled with satisfaction. Deng had shaken his hand after the game. ‘You were
just
too good,’ he’d said. ‘I don’t know how you kept going like that. I’m shattered.’

‘You remember Phil, don’t you, TJ?’ Marshall asked him. ‘He’s from Wanderers. He showed you around when you visited.’

TJ could see now why he hadn’t recognized Phil before. His puffa jacket and hat made him look fat, and a lot older than he was, and now TJ realized that Phil was the man who’d been at the Wasps match. The one everyone had said was a scout.

‘I come to all these tournaments,’ Phil said. ‘And a lot of Sunday League games. We’re always on the lookout for talent. That lad, Deng, for instance,’ he said, with a twinkle in his eye. ‘I’ve been watching him for a while. Good luck in the final. You’re going to have your work cut out.’

‘What did he mean?’ asked TJ, as Phil walked away.

‘Didn’t you know?’ said TJ’s dad. ‘You’re
playing
Meadow Green. They won their semi-final five nil. They’re playing out of their skins!’

‘Get some rest, everyone,’ said Mr Wood. ‘The final is at two o’clock, so you’ve got time to have something to eat and drink too. Not too much, mind. Remember what happened to the Wasps. They won’t be making that mistake again.’

‘Here, TJ,’ said his mum. ‘I’ve got you a wrap with chicken and salad. And some juice. You must be starving after all that running.’

TJ realized that it was true. He finished the wrap quickly. ‘I could eat that all over again,’ he said.

‘Well, don’t,’ said his brother Joey. ‘But maybe you should go and check up on Jamie.’

A short distance away Jamie was laughing and joking with his family. And eating. TJ’s heart sank. If Jamie ate too much it would be
a
disaster. ‘What are you doing?’ TJ said to him. ‘Didn’t you hear what Mr Wood said?’

Jamie was lifting a large piece of pork pie to his mouth. ‘Now then, TJ,’ said Jamie’s mum. ‘You let him be. One piece of pie’s not going to do any harm.’

‘And the rest,’ said TJ, looking at the tell-tale crumbs on Jamie’s plate.

Jamie put the pie down. ‘It’s all right for you,’ he said. ‘You’ve got a scout from Wanderers watching you. I’m just a goalie. And I’m famished.’

‘He’s not watching me—’ began TJ. Then he stopped, remembering the look that had passed between Marshall and Phil.

‘Of course he is,’ Jamie said. ‘Everybody knows. But anyway, I don’t have to run like you do, and I’ve been starving myself for weeks.’

‘Please, Jamie. You want to win the final, don’t you?’

Jamie looked at TJ, then he looked at the pie. Finally he handed the plate to little Max.