Free T.J. and the Penalty by Theo Walcott Page B

game completely. So he ran at Deng, with the ball at his feet, and Deng backed off, watching the ball closely. TJ feinted to go inside Deng, and at the last moment played the ball outside him with his left foot. Deng saw what was happening and his right foot flashed out, but the ball had already gone.
    TJ felt a spike of pain as Deng’s boot clipped his ankle, but he didn’t go down. He knew that this was a big chance. He jumped over Deng’s outstretched leg and struggled for a moment to keep his balance. The ball was running towards the touchline, and with a desperate stretch, TJ managed to keep it in play.
    Now he was free. Deng was on the ground and would never catch him. As he raced for the dead-ball line, he looked across and saw Tulsi taking up her usual position near the penalty spot. Two of the Hillside players had gone with her, leaving plenty of space for Rafi to burst forward, completely unmarked.
    TJ hit a perfectly weighted pass. Somehow he knew exactly how hard to strike the ball so that it would arrive at the perfect moment for Rafi to make the shot. And it did. Rafi hit a scorching drive that TJ was pretty sure even Jamie wouldn’t have stopped.
    ‘I meant that one!’ Rafi said, as he exchanged high-fives with TJ and the Parkview fans began singing again. ‘Great pass, TJ. Amazing run too. That showed them!’
    For the rest of the first half, the game was evenly balanced. Jamie had to make two saves from Kelvin’s shots, and once Tulsi managed a long-range effort, but every spectator was riveted by the battle between TJ and Deng. When Deng had seen TJ’s cross converted by Rafi, he’d climbed to his feet with the grin still on his face, and begun to shadow TJ everywhere he went. Every time TJ received the ball, Deng was there. If TJ tried to beat him, Deng’s boot snaked out and won the ball. If TJ made a run, Deng tracked him all the way. ‘I don’t know what to do,’ TJ said at half time. ‘He never gives me a second.’
    ‘Just keep at it,’ Mr Wood told him. ‘This is when fitness is going to start to make a real difference. Hillside have had some hard games. Deng’s going to tire. You can make it worse for him by keeping up those runs when you don’t have the ball. You’re fast, TJ, and you’ve been training hard. Now make it count.’
    TJ did as Mr Wood had suggested. He made runs right back inside his own half, calling for the ball from the defenders and playing it back to them, then turning and making new runs down the wing. Every time, Deng came with him. TJ thought his lungs were going to burst, as he saw Krissy intercept a pass and hit a shot at Jamie. TJ raced back, forcing his legs to keep moving, and now, at last, he realized that he’d left Deng gasping behind him. ‘Here, Jamie!’ he called. ‘Give it to me.’
    Jamie rolled the ball to his feet and TJ took it forward a few metres, and space suddenly opened up ahead of him. Deng had turned and was following doggedly, but TJ was certain now that Deng couldn’t keep up with him. As he ran forward, Tulsi was heading towards the edge of the penalty area, while Rafi was moving quickly through the centre circle. Two of the Hillside players had followed Rafi. There was nothing between TJ and the Hillside goal. He felt as if he was flying, as if he could run for ever.
    As the goalkeeper came out, TJ slid the ball underneath him and he knew – he just knew – that they were going to win the match. Parkview were going through to the final!

C HAPTER 19
    ‘THAT WAS FABULOUS , TJ,’ Marshall said after the game. ‘Just a terrific performance. And a great game to watch.’ Marshall had been out on the pitch and shaken hands with every one of the Hillside players, so now everyone knew that Marshall was here. He’d even taken off his hoodie, and TJ knew that people were watching them. ‘The whole team did great,’ continued Marshall. ‘But it was you running Deng into the ground that made the difference.’
    TJ smiled with