The day had finally arrived. Yn and the rest of the England team were at Wembley, preparing for their match against Germany. The excitement was palpable, and Yn could feel the adrenaline pulsing through her veins as she stepped off the team bus and walked into the stadium with her teammates.
As they made their way through the tunnels, Sarina approached Yn with a calm smile. "Yn, you’ll be starting on the bench today," she said. "But stay ready. I’ll probably bring you on in the second half."
Yn nodded, a mix of nerves and excitement in her stomach. "Got it, Coach. I'll be ready."
Once inside the locker room, Yn sat down beside Lauren, who gave her an encouraging nudge. "You’re going to smash it when you get out there," Lauren said with a grin.
"Thanks, sis," Yn replied, taking a deep breath. "It feels unreal to even be here."
The game kicked off, and Yn watched from the sidelines as England and Germany battled it out on the field. The first half was intense but without too many clear chances. Chloe Kelly had the best opportunity, but her shot flew just over the bar.
At halftime, the score remained 0-0. Sarina gathered everyone together, delivering some tactical advice and encouragement. Yn warmed up with the other substitutes, making sure she stayed focused and ready to go in.
As the second half began, both teams continued to play with intensity, each searching for that breakthrough. Yn watched closely, her heart pounding with every pass and tackle.
In the 70th minute, Sarina signaled to Yn and Georgia Stanway. "You two are going on," she said, clapping them both on the back. "Ella, Chloe, off; Georgia, Yn, you’re on."
Yn could hardly believe it. She was about to step onto the pitch, not just for England but alongside her sister, Lauren. As she jogged onto the field, Leah clapped and gave her a nod of encouragement.
"Let’s see what you’ve got, Yn," Leah said with a grin.
"Thanks, Leah!" Yn replied, flashing a quick smile.
As she settled into the game, Yn tried to keep her nerves in check. She knew she just had to stay focused and play her game.
---
Then, in the 82nd minute, Georgia Stanway took a powerful shot from outside the box. The German keeper got a hand to it, pushing it out for a corner. Lauren moved over to take the corner, and Yn positioned herself on the edge of the box, ready for any opportunity.
Lauren spotted Yn and sent a perfect corner right to her. Yn took a breath, met the ball cleanly, and watched as her shot soared into the top left corner of the net. The crowd erupted as she stood there, momentarily stunned.
She’d done it. She’d scored for England.
Overcome with emotion, Yn sprinted away, celebrating wildly with her teammates surrounding her, cheering and clapping her on the back.
"That was amazing!" Lauren yelled, pulling her into a hug. "You just scored for England, Yn!"
Yn was still catching her breath when, out of the corner of her eye, she spotted a familiar figure in the stands. There, among the crowd, was Summer, wearing an England shirt with Yn’s name and number on the back. Summer waved, a huge smile on her face, and Yn, beaming, blew her a kiss.
---
Ten minutes later, the final whistle blew. England had won 1-0, thanks to Yn’s incredible goal. As the team celebrated, Yn was bombarded with compliments from her teammates.
"That finish was unreal!" Leah said, giving her a high-five.
"Best debut goal I’ve seen!" Georgia added, grinning.
"Thanks, everyone," Yn replied, grinning from ear to ear. "Couldn’t have done it without you all."
As soon as she could, Yn excused herself and hurried toward the stands to find Summer. As she reached her, Summer pulled her into a tight hug.
"You were amazing, Yn!" Summer said, beaming. "I couldn’t miss this. I had to be here."
Yn held her close, the joy of the moment overwhelming her. "I didn’t think you’d make it! This was the best surprise."
Summer laughed, wiping a tear from her eye. "It was a rush, but seeing you out there... it was all worth it."
Yn leaned in and kissed her softly. "Thank you, Summer. For everything."
The cheers of the crowd echoed around them as they held onto each other, celebrating a moment neither of them would ever forget.
