Free Soccer Duel by Matt Christopher

probably been counting on winning the MVP trophy all season,” Renny whispered in the dark. All at once, he felt he understood what had made Bryce seek out Turk Walters.
    He was desperate, Renny thought. I guess it means more to him than it does to me. And I'll bet when Isaac got hurt, Bryce thought the championship was in the bag. And then I came along… .
    Suddenly, Renny didn't feel angry with Bryce any-more. Maybe Bryce had suggested to Turk that he foul Renny hard, but a kid like Turk wouldn't have needed much encouragement.
    There was one thing Renny didn't understand, though. Bryce had sicced Turk on him, but then he had encouraged Renny to be more aggressive on the field. Was it possible Bryce had had second thoughts about his dirty little trick? If he had, then he couldn't have helped Renny more. Without Bryce's inspiration, Renny would never have raised the level of his game so quickly. He had always been timid on the field; he realized that now. And he would never be timid on the field again — thanks to Bryce.
    “Today must have been one of the worst days of his life,” Renny breathed. If the Blue Hornets won the championship tomorrow, Renny promised himself that he wouldn't rub it in Bryce's face.
    But something told him this play-off wasn't going to be that easy… that he hadn't heard the last of Bryce McCormack.

16
    B ryce lay in bed, unable to sleep. His anger was like a red film in front of his eyes. He tossed and turned, burning for revenge.
    His whole life he'd been a winner. Now, all of a sudden, he was in danger of being not only a loser, but the goat. If the Yellow Jackets didn't win the championship, everyone would think it was Bryce who had choked under pressure. “He was good,” they'd say, “but not good enough.”
    If the Blue Hornets beat them tomorrow, Renny Harding would win the MVP trophy, no doubt about it. And Coach Harrelson would pick Renny Harding to be JV center striker next fall. Bryce would ride the bench. He would sit there, hoping Renny Harding would go down with a broken ankle, just the way Isaac Mendez had, so that Bryce would get his chance.
    Bryce made a face. “I really am a loser,” he said out loud. “I nearly got the kid hurt once already — now here I am thinking about him getting injured.” He sighed. “I was the best soccer player in this league. So how come he's playing better than me? How come his team won today?”
    He realized he'd never asked himself these questions before. It wasn't that Renny had more talent — Bryce was stronger, bigger, more of a natural athlete. But Renny Harding was thinking ahead, and working with his teammates. “Not being a hot dog like me,” Bryce mused, recalling Coach Harrelson's description of his play. Renny was the best player on his team, like Bryce, but unlike Bryce, he didn't ignore his teammates and try to do it all himself.
    All at once, he wasn't mad at Renny anymore. It had come to Bryce that in order to beat the kid, he had to play like him. Renny expected Bryce to hog the field, not give one of his teammates a chance for glory.
    Well, Renny and his Blue Hornets were in for a surprise. Tomorrow, Bryce was going to pull his team back into this thing — by playing soccer Renny Harding's way.

17
    T he following morning, Renny woke up feeling tired. He hadn't slept much, and his stomach was churning restlessly. He went downstairs, where his mom had made him some pancakes, but the smell of them made him feel even sicker. “I'm not hungry,” he told her, pushing his plate away.
    “Are you okay?” his mom asked, concerned, coming over to him and feeling his forehead for a fever. “You don't feel hot. But maybe you ought to get back in bed and rest today.”
    “Are you kidding me?” Renny blurted out “I have to be at the game!”
    “Okay, I know it's very important to you,” his mother said soothingly. “But your health is important, too.”
    “I'm not sick,” Renny insisted. “Just tired … and a