Joe Montano

     As Rob was getting off the bus on this bright and sunny day, he gazed over at the field.  It was all that he had imagined it would be, a place that he would never forget.  The beautiful dark green and eight foot tall pine trees surround three-fourths the field.  The wonderful green grass that you could smell that had just been mowed.  Rob scratched his bald head remembering the hair he once had before he shaved off.  "Nice haircut, way to start a new trend," said Rob's teammate and bestfriend Steve.  Steve of course was one the guys who had a hand in shaving Rob's hair off. Rob had promised his teammates that if they got to the state finals they could shave his head.  Well, sure enough they made it and Rob had scored the winning goal to get them here.  He missed hair, but he also keeps his promises: besides his hair will eventually grow back in a couple months.
     Rob walked towards the sideline trying not to think about all the people there and just concentrate on the game.  Finally, Rob had to look, just one glimpse and that's all. Rob turned and stood beside himself in amazement.  Never before had he seen so many people fill all the stands just to watch a soccer game. Back home they were lucky to get thirty people, most of them being parents.  Rob saw around four thousand people that had circled the whole field. He took a deep breath to calm himself down, but it didn't work he could feel his heart beating a mile a minute.  
     He stood anxiously as the announcer was about to call
out the starting lineups for the teams.  As Rob stood on the sideline the announcer called out the other team's lineup. Then the announcer began on Rob's team, at these last few seconds Rob was thinking of how he should run out when they introduce him. Should he jump up and down, maybe do a little showboating, or do what ever comes to mind when the announcer calls his name.  "Steve number 34", the announcer called out.  Rob was next and he still wasn't sure what to do, he didn't want to seem like a fool in front all these people.  "The captain of the pirates and number five Rob Alexander", the announcer shouted out through the speaker system.  Rob jogged casually out the center line as if he had done this a million times before.  
     The national anthem was being played, but Rob never really heard any of it.  His mind was elsewhere, he was thinking of how great it would be to win the state championship, to go home and show his parents the trophy.  Just before the anthem was over Rob tried to get his mind back on the game. To concentrate on doing his job to help his team win.
     The referee blew his whistle to start the game, Rob looked at the black and white ball and kicked back to his teammate Jared. The ball seemed to glide over the grass, like a smooth surface.  It had felt kind of hard when he kicked, but Rob thought nothing of it.  Jared was a tall and skinny midfielder who Rob usually could count on to get him the ball. Rob felt very good today like he could run faster and jump higher.  This feeling soon left as a member of the other team and Rob collided with each other.  Rob landed on his back on the spongy green grass it seemed to soften his fall, but not enough to exclude him from feeling pain as he hit ground.  He slowly got up and could feel some pain in his shoulder and back, and looked down to see that he also had scraped his right knee.  Play continued and neither team could seem to score a goal for most of the first half.  With just a few minutes left in the half one of Steve a steady defender slipped and fell.  This allowed the other team to get a fast-break with nobody to stop them, except for the goalie.  It was now two on one and the other team was able to get the ball around the goalie and in to the goal.  Rob's team was now down 1-0 at the half.  
     "My fault guys, I blew it," Steve said. "Don't worry about it we will get it back," Rob replied.  Rob didn't want to admit that he was worried about being down a goal.  He knew that if he showed any kind of weakness the team would fall apart in the second half.  "Hey were not through yet, we still got another half to play," remarked Jared. "Jared's right, we sure as hell didn't come all this way just to give up now," Rob added. "Let's get out there and kick their ass this half," Rob yelled out to fire up his teammates.
     After a five minute halftime, the teams lined up for the second half of the game.  Rob was determined that his team did not come all this way just to lose, they weren't going with out a fight.  The whistle was blown and the start of the second half was on its way.  Rob ran after the guy with ball, hoping that he would make a mistake.  The ball didn't seem to move as well as did in the first half, the ball had little bounce to it as it rolled over the grass.  The game seemed to go by quickly nd with each minute passing by Rob felt a certain urgency to get the ball.  Still, every time Rob went for the ball he was always one step short, this added to his frustration.  With only a couple minutes left in the game things didn't look good for Rob's team.  He knew he had to something, then Rob's team got a break.  Steve had stolen the ball from the other team.  Rob quickly ran to an open spot yelling at the top of his lungs for the ball. Rob knew this was his time to prove that he was a great player that it was now or never. Jared took the ball from Steve and seeing Rob chipped the ball over the defense right to Rob's feet.  
     He was headed towards the goal and Rob had a head start on the other team.  He felt really light, that nobody could catch him, that nothing could stop him now.  He could hear the roar of the crowd as he got the ball and headed toward the goal, but that soon faded.  He could hear footsteps behind, but he couldn't tell if they were close or not.  Anyway he blocked all of this out of his mind, it was now just between him and the goalie.  He was getting closer and closer to the goal, he had been in this type of situation all year long.  Nothing should bother him, he's scored a lot of goals like this.  Then he thought none of them were as important as this one, what if this was the only time he messed up and missed.  He knew that this was his team's last chance to tie the game, it was all up to him, the whole season came down him.  
     Rob was now just eighteen yard outside the goal and the goalie started towards him.  Rob wanted to shoot, but he knew that he wanted the for sure shot, the one he wouldn't miss.  He held onto the ball, the goalie slowed down a little to try and cut off Rob's angle to shoot.  Rob pressed on towards the goal, the goalie was just two yards in front of him. Rob quickly gave a fake to the left and then went to the right, pushing the ball pass the goalie.  From that point on everything seemed to slow down for Rob, he could feel his legs and each step he took.  He could feel his feet trampling on the grass, he look down at the soccer ball it looked almost like a beach ball. As he looked up to see the goal it seemed to be almost and impossible angle and was twice as small than when the game began.  Rob pushed the ball with his left foot, which for some reason seemed kind of heavy to him.  He was hoping that all those practices and shooting drills would pay off.  As he watched the ball leave his foot Rob wondered should he have shot sooner when he had a better angle.  The ball rolled towards the goal and Rob watched it focusing his eyes on the ball not allowing them to stray or even blink.  Rob could see every little bounce and spin the ball made as it went through the spongy green grass.  The ball looked like it was going to take forever to go in.  Rob kept saying to himself, "get in there ball, get in there, get there you dam ball."  Just then Rob saw the white chalk fly up as the ball crossed the goal line and into the back of the net.  
     Rob's arms and hands flew up, as to make signal for a touchdown and he jumped into the warm night air.  The crowd which Rob had blocked out, he could now hear, with their loud roar. Before he knew it not one or two, but six or seven of Rob's teammates had tackled Rob.  All of them yelling and celebrating Rob's magnificent goal, the game was now tied at 1-1. The referee blew his whistle as time had expired in regulation, now they must play overtime.
     Both team went back to the sidelines and each gathered in a little huddle.  "See I told you we would get that goal back," Rob said.  "Man that was a great shot you had," commented Steve. "I almost didn't think you would make it," Jared stated.  Rob felt like telling them what he was actually thinking, but decided not to.  "We still got overtime and now the momentum is our side let's go get them," Rob said to his teammates.
     As they broke out of the huddle Rob looked to the sky and saw the dark and stormy clouds cover the field.  He felt a drop or two when he jogging out towards the center of the field. Everything seemed to be darker now and the bright and sunny day had disappeared and a sudden chill ran up Rob's spine from the cool breeze that come in from the north.  The ref blew the whistle to start the overtime period.  Rob's team had the ball first and pushed down to the other team's goal and Jared shot, but just missed wide.  The other team brought the ball up past midfield and into the goal area, they didn't get a shot off as Steve was able to steel the ball.  This continued on throughout the first and second overtime as each team missed a chance to score.  
     Each team gathered in their huddles at the end of the second overtime. "Man I so damned tired," Jared said.  "Well suck it up all we got left is 15 more minutes and then we will head into to shootouts," Rob replied.  "I know everyone is tired and cold, but can't give up now," Rob said. The whistle blew for the teams to get back on the field to start the third overtime period.  Each team was very tired they have been playing for two hours now and it has been raining for about half-an-hour.
     The ref blew the whistle to start the third overtime period, Rob took the ball and passed it across to Jared.  Rob really had to kick hard to get the ball over to him.  The once green grass was now nothing but mud, and clumps of it were laying all around from the players cleats digging and tearing into the soil.  The rain was coming down a little harder now and everyone was trying not fall face first in the mud.  Each team struggled to get the ball just barely over midfield, because nobody could control it very well in the mud.  
     Finally the other team got a break as they were able to get the ball in the goal area.  Steve managed to knock the ball out of bounds and gave the other team a corner kick.  Everyone marked a man, Rob just happened to get stuck with the other team's best player.  The other team's player kicked the ball sending it high into the air towards the goal area. Rob saw the ball coming towards him like he was the target it was looking for.  Rob put himself in front of the other player, waiting for the ball to come down. Rob knew what he was going to, he was going to chest trap the ball and then clear out of there.  The ball was coming right at Rob's chest almost perfect for a chest trap.  Rob felt the ball hit him the chest it sort of stinged being that it was and kind of heavy.  Rob was ready to kick the ball away as he had laid it perfectly in the air right in front of him.  Rob then felt his feet come out from under him and landed right in the mud.  He had slipped and the ball laid there five yards from him. The other team's player seeing that Rob had slipped took the ball and was going to shoot.  Rob was trying to get up as quickly as he could the guy had a clear shot at the goal.  The guy took a step and start to shoot the ball but he slipped also, yet he got enough of the ball to get it rolling slowing towards the goal.  Rob watched the ball as the water was spinning off it and headed towards the goal.  Rob's goalie saw the ball and started towards it, but due to the muddy area he slipped and fell on the ground.
     The ball just rolled along the muddy surface and all Rob could was watch, he knew this was the end.  He looked as the ball just kept rolling and rolling and rolling towards the goal. The ball went into the goal and their was nothing but silence for a few seconds. Rob sank to his knees in the mud looking down at it wondering why this was happening to him.  He didn't even noticed the rain or that he was muddy, cold, and wet.  Nothing matter at that moment, all he knew was that he failed.  He didn't want to get up, he just wanted to stay there, and surely didn't want to go back home.  Rob could not believe that if just would have headed the ball that this would have never happened.  Rob wanted to yell out and just say all the profanity names that he could call himself.  
     Rob felt a hand on his shoulder and looked up and saw Steve in front of him.  "You played a great game theirs nothing you could have done about it, it was muddy and you slipped, it's okay," Steve said.  Rob didn't believe it he wanted to tell Steve that yes, their was something he could have done to prevent it.   Rob slowly got up as his body was hurting and fatigued from the playing the whole game.  He walked to the bus and saw the other team out on the field celebrating and having a good time in the rain. Rob knew that some day, some time, some where, he would get his chance to win the big game.  Rob then took a last look at the field, to keep a picture of it in his mind and to never forget this day.