Chapter 19

CHAPTER NINETEEN

MAX

The match was supposed to be tough, and we were all prepared for it. We practiced day in day out. We watched clips, knowing what to expect. We knew the opponents and their plays like it was our own team.

But fuck it, they played dirty.

Yellow cards and red cards kept flying and even I had trouble keeping a straight face and a cool facade. As captain, I needed to keep everyone levelled, but I wanted to punch the referee who was blind to most of the shits Ander and his team pulled. We rotated players, getting suspensions for the first time in our lives and being careful not to catch two yellow cards for the same player.

"He literally grabbed him," I shouted at the referee after Liam got grabbed by his shirt and pushed away with force. This wasn't American football; this wasn't supposed to happen. "Just look at the recording!"

"No, it wasn't a fault," the referee replied. "If you say one more thing to me, you will get a yellow card."

Ander snickered as Maddox and Dex lined up behind me, ready to jump into a fight if needed. Edwins was behind Sanchez, waiting for the fight to break out.

But I couldn't lose myself, not with the National Team coach watching and waiting for me to slip up.

"Whatever," I muttered, turning away.

"That's okay, Aarons. There is no shame in being a loser or dating one."

I took a deep breath and forced my body to keep walking.

"I would be more concerned about your girlfriend, Edwins," Dex jumped in, removing the attention from me. "You know she booty-called me couple of weeks ago when she was supposed to be yours?"

"I fucked her," he added with a cocky grin. "She came all over my dick screaming my name. So, I guess you guys need to ask yourself why all your girls prefer us over you. I mean... it's a no-brainer really."

I rolled my eyes and gave him a slight shake of my head. "Come on, let's resume the game."

"You're dead," Edwins growled.

Dex grinned.

"Let's change to defense," I muttered to my friends. "You will need some people around you. Aaron, Hudson, Maverick?" I called on our best defenses and pointed toward their position signaling the change in formation.

I didn't have time to consult with Coach Parker, but after the exchange that went down and the 0-0 score, we needed to make sure Dex was in position to score and that position was safe.

"Any of us has the opening to shoot on the goal, go for it. We need to score."

Both Maddox and Oliver nodded, and the game resumed in more intense and faster pace. The Lions were growing impatient and aggressive, especially with their previous offenses going unnoticed by the referee.

My heart rate peaked as I pushed myself past my limits. We were closing in on their goalpost, pushing them back inch by inch and within minutes we were all in position that if we got the ball we could potentially shoot.

The defenders passed the ball between them, giving it to Oliver who moved it to Maddox and it finally landed at me. The Lions' defenders were circling me. I had seconds to break away from them, but no matter what trick I pulled with the ball, there was always someone around me. I pivoted over and over until I found a small break in their line and passed the ball smoothly to Dex, waiting to shoot on the goal.

He caught the ball with his left foot and immediately lifted his right one to shoot.

I watched the defenders move toward him.

I closed in on them, positioning in case he wanted to pass it back until he got freed up.

Ander stepped up behind, lifting his foot to kick the ball from Derek's possession, but he was way too far from the ball and I didn't get why was he trying to get it when he couldn't.

I felt like I watched the playback on slow motion on how Ander lifted his foot and kicked the back of Derek's knee with full force. I saw as his knee buckled and heard his painful shout echo in the stadium as he collapsed.

Everyone froze for a split second, rooted in place, not believing what they saw, before rushing over to Derek.

Ander lifted his hands as the referee approached, saying he didn't do anything.

But I saw it with my own eyes, and I knew what he did.

"What the fuck was that?" I stepped up to him, pushing him backward.

"Max," Maddox warned, pulling me back. "Not worth it. Not now."

"He fucking kicked him," I shouted.

"I know," Maddox said. Dex's grunts and struggles made me see red even more. "But it's not your job to make him pay for it. Not here, not like that."

"Why don't you listen to your friend." Ander snickered.

The referee and the medical team arrived, and I approached them.

"This was unacceptable," I started when the referee lifted a yellow card. "Thank you!"

"That's for you," he told me calmly. "I warned you."

"You're joking." I blinked at him in shock. "He was the one who kicked my teammate's knee out! All I'm trying to do is explain you…"

The referee dug in his pack and picked up another yellow card. A fucking yellow card.

"You are fucking kidding me." I shook my head, furious.

"One more word, Aarons, and I'm suspending you from the rest of the game."

"Let's take a time out," Maddox told me, grabbing my shoulder, and Liam appeared on my other side guiding me off the pitch.

"Like what the fuck are they thinking?"

"Cool down, son," Coach Parker said to me.

"When in the history has saying ‘cool down' to a pissed off kid helped?" Coach McCarthy asked. "Come with me."

I was too mad to argue, so I followed him to the changing rooms where I dropped onto the wooden bench and tried taking several deep breaths. My entire body trembled with anger.

Sky dug his fingers into my shoulder, forcing me to look up at him. "When I was your age, I felt the same anger raging through me. I was a little piece of shit," he started, and I doubted he was ever as hot-headed as I was. "Granted, I didn't witness what you just did, but also, I was playing professionally, being paid millions."

I swallowed hard as I met his sincere expression. He was more of a father to me than my own.

"I used to have to play against my biological father, who was a piece of shit. I was always angry and had rage attacks to deal with the emotions until I realized I was just sabotaging myself by letting him have any influence on my mood and game. Soccer is not just a physical game, it's also mental. Your opponent will say and do anything to get you to shift your focus. Especially Sanchez and the history the two of you share. Whatever you feel is valid, Max. You're allowed to be angry, to want to punch him for what he did for your teammate and for whatever happened with his ex. All you need to do is take a deep breath and never lose focus of the ball. You're angry and you want payback. Then win. Getting a reputation of a hotheaded unreliable player will not land you in the Cup final and it will sure as hell not help you get on the National Team. I need you to re-focus your feelings into the game. Make soccer the place where you can get rid of them."

My face must not have inspired the confidence he hoped for as Coach McCarthy sighed. "What do you do to clear your head?"

"Run."

"Then run after that ball until all your anger subdues. Run as fast as you can and win this game. That's all you need to do. Don't engage, don't talk. Just run."

With a deep breath, I nodded. I knew Dex would want us to win, to show them up. "We are down a striker."

I dropped my face in my hands and kept on breathing, but the anger shaking my body didn't subdue.

"Max, we need to go back, time's up. The choice is yours."

I breathed in for the count of six and exhaled for the same amount. I could do this. I could go out there and ignore everything Ander said and did. All his word vomit over Ivy, my teammates. I could pretend he didn't exist.

"I already have a yellow card," I muttered as we approached the corridor leading out to the pitch. It was my first ever yellow card.

"Yeah. It sucks when referees pick on you, but nothing we can do about it. Make sure to not provoke another one or they will force you to sit out the final."

He didn't say if we make it. He said when.

I nodded and cracked my knuckles, and taking one last deep breath, I stood at the sidelines. I could turn around take a look at my parents, Ivy, my friends, but I wanted to be in the zone.

My team surrounded me and Maddox patted my shoulder.

"Ready to win this?"

I had my whole team counting on me.

"Listen up, guys," I started, my voice a bit rusty. "We need to regroup and win this thing for Dex. We need to show the Lions no matter what we do, we can't be broken. No matter how dirty they fight, we will always come out on top. Sebastian, it's your chance to step up, big shoes to fill, but you've trained with us so you can do it. We are going to wipe the floor with them and send them packing. No one disrespects us like that in our home and walks away." The guys cheered. "But we are going to do it fair and square. We are the Titans and we always come out on top."

"Titans on three," Liam shouted, and we placed our hands on top of each other's, the bodies of my teammates surrounding me and our hearts all beat to the one determined rhythm.

"One."

"Two."

"TITANS!"

This was our home, and they didn't get to walk away in one piece after what they did.

I felt Coach McCarthy step up next to me and patted my shoulder. "You've got this, son."

"You never told me what happened with you and your biological father."

"I'll tell you when you get your team into the finals."

"No pressure." I chuckled, shaking out my heavy limbs.

"All the pressure is on you, Max. But you can handle it."

Man, I was fucking wrong.

During this game, I relied more on swearing than on my stamina. There were only twenty minutes left of the last half but we were giving it our blood, sweat and tears. It was clear that our moral was down and everyone was slightly concerned about their own well-being.

Ander's shit talking didn't really help in the back. I tried to cut him out but every single time he said Ivy's name, I had to swallow my urge to react. I bet he said her name more times during this game than during their relationship and that was a lot to assume. Obviously, he only cared because she chose me.

While I was lost in thoughts, the ball passed in front of my nose and the Lions made their way toward our goalpost. Lunging after their midfielder who was positioning to make the pass to Ander, I quickly intercepted him, and with my old foot magic trick, I got the ball away from him before he could blink.

I signaled to my team and we made our way back to the opponent's part of the field. Their goalkeeper jogged back, assessing the situation and moving best to block any potential shot. The field in front of me lay empty, everyone was behind me trying to catch up and the Lions were quickly shifting from their comfortable attacking position back to defending. It took them several minutes, which gave me all the advantage I needed.

I waited for their defender closest to me to catch up as I held on to my sprint.

As soon as their defender approached my line of vision, I looked at the goal ahead of me. We just passed the half line and approached the third. The crowd's anticipation told me everyone else was catching up and soon enough I would be surrounded by all the Lions.

I saw Maddox to the side, shaking off his own defender while Oliver was nowhere to be seen. There was no sight of Sebastian or any of our frontline.

There was only me and the goalie and the incredible distance between us.

Fuck it, I had to take the chance. It was now or never.

I kicked the ball, allowing me distance to position myself for the long kick. It was going to be the longest goal kick I had to do with the wind howling and the distance between me and the goal. I had to be precise as one small mistake could make the ball fly in a completely different direction.

My breathing slowed as I took a calming breath, picking a spot where I wanted the ball to land, and with my next exhale, I kicked it with everything inside me.

I stopped dead, watching the ball fly in a beautiful curve over the field, descending around the goal line, and with an impressive downward arc, it landed in the far-right corner of the goal. The goalie stood there, not knowing what happened as the ball bounced and entangled itself in the net.

I did it.

"There's no way," someone muttered behind me, but the whistle of the referee told otherwise.

The crowed screamed and my team crashed into me with all the force of their running.

It was only 1-0, but it gave us the hope we needed to push through the last minutes of the game.

I gave us the hope.

"You fucking did it, man!" Maddox shouted in my ear as he hugged me tight.

I believed in myself and in my team, took the risk, and I did it.

I got us into the finals.