𝙊𝘽𝙎𝙀𝙎𝙎𝙄𝙊𝙉 | 𝙇𝙀𝘼𝙃 𝙒𝙄𝙇𝙇𝙄𝘼𝙈𝙎𝙊𝙉

Chapter 9 - Debuts & Dates

Madeline's POV

It was Saturday, it was the day Jonas had told me i was gonna be put in the starting lineup. I was obviously nervous, i was going to be playing in front of many people, arsenal fans. It made me feel even more nervous knowing who we were having the match against. 

Chelsea.

One of the best football teams here in london. That didn't make it easier for me, i was going up against one of the best teams here, so not only did i have to impress the arsenal fans but the chelsea fans and everyone else watching at home. What if i tripped going out into the pitch? What if i don't play good at all? What if i didn't defend well? All the tips and advice leah had given me kept going through my head. 

"Hey, you. alright?" katie snapped me out of my thought as she patted my shoulder. We were about to walk about, she must've seen how nervous i looked. That or how i was fidgeting with my fingers. 

I smiled and nodded, looking at the other team next to us. 

"It's your debut, and you're starting, i know how nervous it can be but you're gonna do great alright? This is what you've been training for. Jonas wouldn't have put you in if he saw you weren't ready.." katie smiled at me and turned back around. She was right up front and i was behind her, but she was right. Jonas put me in for a reason, not just to show me off. 

The moment we all stepped onto the pitch, i could hear the arsenal fans. I felt less nervous walking out, but what really mattered to me was how i played against the other players. 

~

We were playing in the 34th minute, arsenal and chelsea hadn't scored up till this point. I was center back, the ball had been mostly near chelsea's net for the past minute. I had my eyes on the ball, just like leah said. I saw alessia kick the ball towards the net, but millie kicked it far enough to make it to the middle of the pitch, that's when i saw lauren james head for the ball. Me and lotte were the only ones in the back, katie and steph had stayed behind lauren, i kept my eyes on the ball but out of the corner of my eye i saw lotte coming closer to me and lauren. I saw laurens foot going back ready to kick the ball so i took my chances and raised my leg up, stopping the ball from going any further. Luckily it landed near lotte, there she took the ball and ran to the middle of the pitch kicking it towards Caitlin. I heard the arsenal fans cheering, i had to had been doing something right.

~

The score was still 0-0. We have had a few chances to score, but one of the chelsea defenders always stopped the ball from going any further. It was now the 88th minute, the ball kept going back to back from each side of the pitch. At the moment it was in the middle of the pitch, Kyra and Lia had been fighting over the ball with this smaller, shorter brunette girl. The girl managed to pass it farther into our side of the pitch, i saw one of chelsea's forwards run towards the ball. My first instinct was to throw the ball away from the net. I ran and kicked it, i was expecting it to get off the pitch but it didn't. Alessia was able to hit the ball with her head, directing it to the net. I had to blink fast to see if it hit the back of the net and, it did. I saw beth and caitlin running to alessia to celebrate with her. She had gotten us our only goal of the night, i clapped and ran over to alessia congratulating her. 

~

The match ended with arsenal beating chelsea, 1-0. It was a tough game, but i was going to have to get used to it. We were walking around after the whistle blew. I shook the hands of some of the other players. The same small brunette walked over to me, smiling. I was surprised she was smiling after the loss but she looked too sweet.