La Reina | The Story of Melanie Kavitz

final (II)

We had been doing well after our 26th-minute goal... until we screwed it up during injury time just before the halftime break.

Our defense fell weak for a few moments too long, and Alberto Medina was not only able to get past us, but he scored a stunner beyond the reach of Howard.

1-1.

We weren't sinking, but we weren't in a good place, either.

Substitutions weren't made during the second half, but there had been something that Bob said during the break that stuck with me through the second half of the final.

It's only over when you think it's over.

He was right. If the game was lost or unrecoverable in our heads, then it would translate on the field since that was what had been in our hearts. We needed to believe there was always a chance, even when it seemed to be impossible.

And it absolutely was crucial to carry that with us once Mexico took the lead almost right after the second half started.

A power shot from almost 30 feet away from the goal left no chance for Howard. He tried to slap the ball away, but his fingers just missed it.

2-1.

And there was nothing we could've done.

50th minute, 60th minute, 70th minute... 80th minute... we couldn't manage to recover. And all of a sudden I felt as small as I did against Honduras in the semi-finals. And Mexico was no Honduras. There was a wall defending their net and was going to make it his life's mission to not allow another goal to get past him again.

So when Rodriguez made the fatal decision to trip me in the penalty box as I was about to score possibly the equalizer... we were over the moon.

7 goals and 6 assists. I was already on track to win the Golden Boot after my goal in the first half, and I had won this penalty. The entire field was preparing for me to take it, and I was mentally preparing myself to face Ochoa directly - having to stare him down and figure out what was going on in his mind to outsmart him.

I placed the ball on the dot, trying to be ready for the moment. But... something didn't feel right. I sensed it in the air around me, and I felt a cloud of uncertainty in my mind.

The path had been cleared, the crowd had gotten relatively quiet, and it was just me and Ochoa. But it didn't feel right.

So then I glanced at Adair. His eyes met mine almost immediately, and he nodded slightly to give me reassurance. But I didn't need reassurance.

Because I wasn't going to be the one to take the penalty.

I quickly grabbed the ball, much to everybody's shock, and ran towards Adair - who looked just as lost as everybody else was. As soon as I approached him, I held the ball toward him, with a knowing smile on my face.

It took him a couple of moments to react to what had been happening, and as soon as he found his voice, he looked at me with eyes of disbelief. "Are you... are you sure?"

Yeah, I was. I wasn't about to win the Golden Boot on a technicality. Adair deserved the award more than I ever did, and I wasn't going to take that away from him. "Go get your Golden Boot."

He took the ball from my hands, and I could see in his eyes that they were bordering on becoming misty. "Thank you."

I smiled while gently slapping him on his back. "You can thank me after you score."

...
leo's point of view
...

"My goodness, Melanie Kavitz is willing to give up her Golden Boot chances for Brandon Adair! Both have seven goals, but Kavitz leads in the number of assists! Had she scored this penalty kick, she would have taken the award comfortably, but it will be Brandon Adair who will take it!"