My No. 23

West Ham Pt.2

We lined up in the tunnel. Caitlin behind me and Kyra right a head of me. She kept rolling onto her tip toes clearly filled with excited energy. Alessia was behind Caitlin and I swear it was like I could feel her eyes piercing through me.
"Hey watch it!" I heard her say.
When I turned around she was staring directly at West Ham's Hannah Chambers who by the sounds of them just barged into Alessia for no reason. Chambers just grinned and looked straight ahead. The rest of our heads slowly turned back around. So this is what it was like in these big games. The mind games start in the tunnel.

We walked out onto the pitch. As we walked along shaking hands I again heard Alessia this time it was an "OW".
As I turned to look at her she was still running. I moved closer to her.
"You alright?" I asked.
She shook her head hand out.
"Yeah I'm mind. She just squeezed my hand extra tight." Nodding at Chambers again.

The game began and it was all go. I had been dreaming of playing I. Front of a crowd like this for I don't know how long but now I was on the pitch it was all blocked out.
The game was physical. I get now why Chambers had been trying to get under Alessia's skin at the start. She had been direct marking her all game and was not going in light with the tackles. Alessia had drawn out 4 free kicks from her in the first half alone. But no card had been shown.

As the whistle blew for half time the score line read 0-0. In the changing room Leah was stood pointing out where we were weak and trying to motivate us.
"Less you need to be more aggressive up front. That girl is going to push you around for the full 90 mins."
There was a determination in her eyes I had never seen before.
She was nodding along and taking every word Leah said in.