Free T.J. and the Cup Run by Theo Walcott Page B

got to you. You’d better take a break.’
    Rob walked miserably off the pitch and Leila ran on to take his place.

C HAPTER 18
    ‘COME AND STAND here with me,’ Mr Wood said to Rob, as he pulled on his training top and his hat and gloves. ‘Watch the game and you’ll see why we need your passing.’
    ‘It’s no good,’ said Rob. ‘I can’t do it with all these people watching. Everything happens too fast out there.’
    ‘Rubbish,’ said Mr Wood. ‘I’ve seen what you can do, Rob, and I know from Miss Berry that your passing made the difference in the semifinal. You understand the game better than anyone. Right now, I want you to go back to being Assistant Coach. Just watch what’s happening.’
    Out on the pitch, Parkview were fighting hard. Leila and Rafi were chasing backwards and forwards in midfield, intercepting passes and making tackles. TJ was running back whenever he could to try and win the ball, and every time Kelvin or Krissy broke through, Rodrigo and Tommy were able to tackle them. Twice, Deng tried again from long-range. The first time Leila forced him to hurry his shot, and the ball flew just wide of the post. The second time, he slipped away from Rafi’s challenge and hit a fierce drive which Jamie touched over the bar to loud applause from the crowd.
    ‘Well?’ Mr Wood asked Rob. ‘What do you think?’
    ‘I think we won’t ever score like this,’ Rob said. ‘Not unless we get very lucky. And there’s a good chance Deng will get another one. He’s awesome.’
    ‘So, what can we do to change it?’
    ‘Someone needs to get the ball to TJ. He’s hardly touched it. Neither has Tulsi.’
    ‘Exactly,’ replied Mr Wood. ‘Leila has turned out to be an excellent tackler. She’s a natural holding midfield player. And unfortunately that’s Rafi’s natural game too. Neither of them can pass the ball like you, Rob. That’s why we need you out there. This Hillside team is a very different proposition to the one we played in our first game together.’
    ‘I know what I want to do,’ Rob said. ‘But I can’t stop thinking about all the people watching me.’
    ‘Well, if you don’t go out there and do something,’ Mr Wood said, ‘then I think Parkview are going to lose this game. You can do the exact same job that Paco Sanchez does for Wanderers. All those amazing players can’t do a thing if they haven ’t got Paco to get the ball to them. And besides, Rob, I know you can do it. Get out there on the pitch and try not to think so much. When the ball comes to you, control it and pass it instantly, as if it was a two-touch practice at school. Are you ready?’
    Rob nodded and Mr Wood signalled to the referee. ‘There’s just two minutes to go until half time,’ he said. ‘Let’s see if we can take them by surprise. A goal just before half time would really give them something to think about.’
    Mr Wood called Rafi over. ‘Great work, Rafi,’ he said. ‘Take a rest now. Leila can handle the tackling.’
    Rob took up his position as the Hillside goalkeeper rolled the ball out to the blond defender. The defender’s long pass found Kelvin running down the left wing, but Rodrigo watched the ball carefully and when Kelvin tried to go past him he made a neat tackle and came away with the ball. With Kelvin snapping at his heels trying to win it back he passed hurriedly to Leila. She stopped the ball, and turned cleverly away from the onrushing Deng.
    ‘Yes!’ called Rob. ‘Give it to me!’
    Out on the wing, with a defender close behind him, TJ saw Rob receive the ball from Leila and he knew what Rob was going to do. He took off, sprinting at top speed, diagonally across the pitch. And then he hesitated. What if Rob didn’t make the pass?
    He only paused for a millisecond, no more than a brief stutter in his run, but that was enough to do the damage, because Rob did play the pass TJ had been anticipating. The pass fooled Deng completely. It fooled the entire Hillside team as