Free T.J. and the Penalty by Theo Walcott

him. This was real football.
    Tulsi was standing in her usual position near the opposition penalty spot. She still didn’t move as much as she should, TJ thought, but sometimes that didn’t matter – like now. Because Rafi hit a pass into Tulsi’s feet, and she did what she did best. She killed the ball with her right foot, shielding it from the defender who was breathing down her neck, then she pushed it a metre to the side, turned, and hit a low shot that sizzled past the goalkeeper.
    She threw her arms in the air in her trademark celebration, standing still and grinning while the Parkview cheerleaders hurled a storm of blue-and-black pom-poms into the air.
    ‘Hey!’ yelled Rodrigo. ‘Concentrate. We not won match. Only begin.’
    ‘That’s the most you’ve ever said,’ TJ laughed, as they jogged back into their own half.

    But Rodrigo’s face was grim. He was their captain again for this match, and he had his job to do. ‘They good team,’ he said, clapping his hands. ‘We work hard.’
    Rodrigo was right. Saint Joseph’s were a very good team. They seemed to be able to find each other with their passes without even looking. It was as if they could read each other’s minds, and for long periods after they had taken the lead, Parkview didn’t even touch the ball. It was Jamie who saved them. He worked as hard as anyone on the team, diving to the left and the right, throwing himself at the feet of attackers. St Joseph’s won a whole string of corners, but every time Jamie leaped into the air and grabbed the ball above the heads of the attackers.
    ‘I can’t believe it’s only half time,’ TJ said at the interval. ‘I feel as if I’ve run miles.’
    ‘Well done, Jamie,’ said Mr Wood, patting him on the back.
    ‘Stunning!’ said Marshall.
    ‘They had eleven shots,’ Rob said. ‘All of them on target, and all of them saved.’
    ‘Well, we’re going to have to make some changes for the second half,’ Mr Wood told them. ‘TJ and Tommy, I’m taking you off.’ He held up a hand to stop their protests.
    ‘You’ve both done a lot of running, and remember, if we’re going to win this tournament we’ll have to play three more matches after this one. Besides, we can always bring you back on if we need to. Tulsi, you stay upfield. If they manage to clear the ball to you, your job is to hold it up until the midfield can join you. Understood?’
    ‘It’s a risky strategy,’ Rob said to TJ, as the teams took the field again. ‘We’re going to defend most of the time, and Jamie’s sure to let one in eventually.’
    ‘We were defending most of the time in the first half,’ Tommy pointed out. ‘It’ll be easier with more defenders.’
    TJ said nothing. He was fed up that Mr Wood had taken him off. He was sure he could have scored another goal and made the game safe. And now he could only watch, as Saint Joseph’s continued to press forward and pepper Jamie’s goal with shots.
    The end of the match drew near. Parkview only had to hold out for a few seconds more. Mr Wood and Marshall were both looking at their watches. Some of the Parkview supporters were covering their eyes and screaming every time another shot came in. Rodrigo managed to tackle the red-haired Mac, but instantly another Saint Joseph’s player was on to him. He could only pass sideways to Leila, and the only thing she could do was play the ball back to Jamie.
    ‘Don’t pick it up!’ yelled Rob. ‘It’s a back pass,’ he said, turning to TJ. ‘He has to kick it.’
    ‘Oh, no,’ groaned TJ, as Jamie took two steps forward. ‘This might go anywhere.’ He sighed with relief as the clearance flew over the heads of all the attackers. On the halfway line Tulsi was waiting, marked by the defender who hadn’t left her side for the whole game. He had made one mistake to let her score, and now he made another. He should have stepped forward and headed the ball away, but instead he decided to let it bounce. He stepped back,