After We Were Friends

Chapter 26 - The Olympic Final

Bradie's POV

Our 3rd place match was set to be played the day before the gold medal one. We were coming up against the Netherlands, and even though they were World Cup runners up last year, I knew we could do it. We didn't play them in the tournament in Australia, so we still weren't sure how we would match up against the Dutch team, and so we knew that there was a chance. A chance that we could come away with a medal.

I was disappointed that we weren't able to get that gold. I still hadn't won an Olympic gold, and at this rate, I wasn't sure how likely it was going to be in the future. I was coming up to my 28th birthday, and even though I was by no means 'old', I felt as if that opportunity was getting slimmer and slimmer.

But there was still Los Angeles in 2028, and possibly even Brisbane in 2032 (if I felt like playing until I was 36.) I always felt as if my mind would give up before my body would, and even though I felt fit and wanted to keep going, this wasn't going to last a lifetime. There would always be something after football. It was just a question of what that could possibly be.

When we arrived at the stadium, I could sense the nerves in the locker room. No one was worried. No one was fearful. But there were nerves. Good nerves, however. Always good nerves before you are set to play in an important game.

"You ready?" Sam asked, as she sat beside me before we were set to head out.

"Yep, you?" 

"Yes. Let's do this!"

When we walked out onto the pitch, there were a lot of people in the stadium. Tokyo was such a surreal experience because of the lack of fans in the stands. Because of covid, no one was there. It was an empty house. But now, being able to play in an Olympic medal match, in front of the fans that we have always known and loved, feels fulfilling. Feels right.

We sang our national anthems, and then the game soon commenced. The Dutch girls were playing incredibly well. Each of their players was having sublime games, but so were we. Both teams knew of the importance of this match. Both teams knew that they could come home with a medal.

Jill Roord scored the first goal. She caught the ball at the top of the box, and I watched from half way. I saw the shot sweep into the top corner, and they were up. She jumped around with her teammates, and I was frustrated about this outcome. I knew we had to keep going. Knew we had more to do.

I soon scored as well. I nipped the ball into the net, from a Rose cross, and we had levelled the score before half time. It was going to be a back and forth match, I could only hope that we were the ones that were going to be up when the final whistle blew.

The game was a stalemate for the majority of the second half. Neither team were able to penetrate as both were too focused on the defensive pressure rather than the offensive breaks.

Kristie took a corner in the 85th minute, and it was pushed out by the Dutch keeper. Then as I turned around, I saw Miedema on a break. She was streaming down the pitch, and although Naomi was hurrying back to try and stop her, the Dutch striker switched the balls, pushing it to her left. She took a swing of the ball, surpassing Alyssa, and the Dutch girls were up. There were only a few minutes left. They were going to win.

"Fuck," I said under my breath, as I watched the Dutch girls celebrate. I ran my fingers through my hair, undoing it and putting back in a top knot on my head. Sam patted me on the back, and we went to restart the game.

We couldn't do anything else. The game was soon over, and I sat on the grass, feeling once again the emotion of frustration. Not at my teammates, but rather at myself. I knew I could've done more, but there was also no point dwelling in those moments. There was no reason to feel that way. The game was over, and in the end, it was just a game.