Fine Line ✸ Sam Kerr

XXIX. Know It's For The Better

★ twenty - nine ,
know it's for the better

SYDNEY   
    august 2023

*ੈ✩‧₊˚ THIS WAS the matildas chance to make history.

one more game, against france. they would play to be able to qualify for the semi-finals. igniting a nation even further. they had worked hard, and far. their games had been unstoppable. the only one they had lost was to nigeria. sam was finally back out on the field, she made her 2023 world cut debut during the last half of the denmark vs australia game only a few days before the big game.

the game had started with a simple whistle. the crowd around them lit up with anticipation, two forty five minute halves before one team would go into the semi finals, and the other would go home empty.

the first chance at goals started eleven minutes through the first half. the ball was kicked from the corner towards the matildas goal square. it was bounced away by hayley raso. but a france player got to it first instead of kyra, the france player kicked it towards the goal. the ball bouncing on another players foot. lacroix, the france player watched the ball fly over the goals.

odessa and helen sat in the crowd, the family section of the matildas. the pair were in the first row, sam's family sitting behind them. kora sat in odessa's lap, the three sitting in the front row cheered as the first goal from france was missed.

sam wasn't on the field for the first attempt of goal from france, nor the second attempt. luzomir, another french player ran quickly at the ball. players in yellow and blue surrounded her. with alana kennedy defending.

luzomir kicked towards the goal. the ball hit alana foot, she didn't get to deflect the ball. the ball continued to fly at mackenzie. who lept foward, throwing the ball away quickly. ellie ran foward, kicking the ball back towards frances goal.

there was a third attempt at goals from the french. it had been a corner, kicking the ball towards the goal square. mackenzie hit it away. it bounced off hayley's head, landing near a france player. the france player kicked it towards the goals. mackenzie stretched, getting a fingertip to the ball, the ball flew out of bounds.

the way the game was going, sam wouldn't return for the rest of the first half. odessa hoped she would at least get to play the second half, sam had sat out almost the entire world cup. her first game back only being days ago. when she jumped on during the second half, if sam was back on, she could help give a newfound confidence to the others that believed they were lacking in their main key striker.

at forty minutes past, the ball was down the frances goals end. hayley ran at the ball with amazing speed, she kicked it towards another matildas player, her defender pushing her out of bounds. the action going unnoticed by the ref. the matildas player saw an opportunity, she kicked it towards mary who took a chance at goals. seeing as the goal keeper was no longer in the square. but a french defender ran foward, deflecting mary's goal.

the whistle blew for the first half to be called over. so far, neither team had scored a single nil. leaving the fans worried for what could happen. there was only another forty five minutes to make a change in what was happening, if france took the lead. the matildas could've been a bit too late, losing their opportunity of making finals.

the time for break had been called over, and the next half started. this time, with a new player on the field. sam jogged lightly on the spot, warning herself up before the game started. odessa beamed, her heart fluttering when seeing the boots sam wore. the hot pink ones.