Breakfast In Bed

USWNT v England Aftermath

To say no one from the USWNT was happy after their game against England was an understatement. The defense had cracked at the last few moments and Ashlyn had failed to make a save, letting England salvage a point. Suddenly, their chances at winning the tournament were dim. The bus ride back to the hotel was quiet, everyone trapped in their own thoughts or not wanting to break the silent tension that had settled over the group.

When the bus pulled up to the front of the hotel, Carli stood up before anyone could get off and cleared her throat. As captain, she felt it was her place to say something. Anything to help turn the page so they could regroup and focus on the game against France.

"Hey gals...I know the game didn't go the way we wanted. We fought hard and held on until almost the very end. Sometimes, that happens. It doesn't happen very often to us, I know, and I think that is why we are struggling here. But there are things we have to remember. We have a lot of new faces – those take time to integrate in and build chemistry between the lines. We are playing some of the top teams in the world. If we make mistakes, they will capitalize on them – and we attempt to do the same. We are playing in a new formation. That takes games to adjust to and adapt to new responsibilities. So yeah, we tied England. It was bound to happen. So let's go get some grub, rest up, and then watch some tape to get ready for France. We still have one game ahead of us. We can still win this tournament." Carli spoke with the firm conviction of a veteran who had been a daunting tournament road many times before. She knew the challenge and had full faith in the team to overcome it, as long as she could instill that confidence in the rookies of the team.

"You're right Car." Tobin piped up from the middle of the bus. "This game result sucks guys. Sometimes a tie hurts more than a tie. But we still have a game to play. And I for one do not want to lose to France. So, let's go get some grub and then hit the bed before we travel tomorrow morning."

"Yeah, food always make things better." Pinoe had stood up in the front. "Lead the way cap, I'm starving." As if on cue, her stomach let out a loud gurgle.

The tension on the bus eased as several players laughed at Pinoe's stomach. They all stood and grabbed their things before filing off the bus and heading through the small group of fans gathered outside the hotel to the elevators. The veterans were right. It was time to put it behind them and the best way to do that was with food.

--

"Ash you can't beat yourself up too much. It happens. There are good shots we don't save." Alyssa was doing her best to comfort her fellow goalkeeper. Ash felt the tie fell solely on her shoulders for not stopping the last goal. Alyssa knew how she felt. Goalkeepers always felt the blame for anything other than a win.

"Yeah that doesn't make me feel any less shitty. I had a decent backline and still couldn't stop that one damn shot." Ash swore as she reached for her drink. "There is no way in hell I am going to play against France now."

"You don't know that." Alyssa countered. "We never know what coach will do."

"Yeah...you're right." Ash sighed and took a long drink then wiped her lip with the back of her hand.

"I mean for all we know she could decide to cap Jane." Alyssa watched as Ashlyn's eyes opened wide.

"No... I mean do you really think she would do that to her? Against France? Especially this France?" Ash shook her head and looked around to make sure Jane wasn't near. "Don't get me wrong, I love Jane and she has loads of potential but that would just be cruel. No matter which of us plays, it will be a battle."

"No kidding." Alyssa snorted and leaned back in the booth, eyes finding Becky for a moment across the diner. "A lot of it will depend on who the three back is. Yours today seemed to hold up until Jill made those subs.

"Yeah, they did." Ash nodded in agreement. "Hopefully whoever of us is playing will get it. But I wouldn't count on it. There is a reason they were rotated."

"Ugh Ash we are trying to stop being upset. Stop making it worse." The brunette sighed as the blonde shrugged her shoulders.

"Sorry Lys." The two women shook their heads at the thought of the France game coming up and finished their meal.

Their two defenders joined them when they had finished eating, content to let the keepers talk by themselves. It wasn't long before they were piling back on the bus with the rest of the team. Full and feeling slightly better about their prospects against France, they headed back to their hotel.

Most managed smiles for the few committed fans who were still gathered outside the hotel and signed their soccer balls before getting inside. Elevators were crammed as everyone was eager to get to their rooms and rest before hopping on a plane in the early morning.

Alyssa walked Becky to her door and gave her a gentle kiss. Becky wrapped her arms around her and refused to let go, burying her face in fiance's neck. She loved tournaments, but she hated sleeping away from Lys. Being a captain meant she couldn't break the rules, no matter how much she wanted to.

"We really need to get some sleep honey. I promise I will text you if I have a nightmare." Lys kissed the top of Becky's head. "But curfew is in 10 minutes and you know Jill will be stalking the halls."

"Yeah I know." Becky muttered. "I just want to spend as much time with you as I can before we have to part ways for the season."

"And how am I supposed to respond to something as sweet as that?" Alyssa snorted and leaned back so she could see Becky's face.

"You aren't. That's the point." Becky retorted, unwinding one of her hands to cradle her goalkeeper's face. "If things get too bad, let me know. I mean it."

"I will sweetheart. Go get some rest and I will meet you for breakfast." Alyssa sealed the deal with a kiss and unwound the defender from her.

She stayed in the hallway until Becky was safely inside and padded down to her own room. She waved to Morgan Brian and gathered her clothes to change for bed. A quick trip to the bathroom and Alyssa had crawled into bed. Morgan was already snoring softly.

Before she dozed off, Alyssa looked at her phone and saw she had 1 unread message from Becky.

Broon: Try to get some rest and think positive thoughts about the France game. Jill has every reason to start you

Alyssa took a moment and thought about how to respond before she sent her message.

Ninja: I will do my best. I don't want to get my hopes up about playing France. Let's just wait to see what Jill tells us. I love you. Goodnight.

The goalkeeper tucked her phone under her pillow and tried to get comfy. She really didn't want to think about playing in the France game. While it would show that Jill has confidence in her playing style and likes her, it could also end badly. Sure France has a history of spectacularly crashing out of tournaments, but traditions and history have to change at some point. She wasn't sure if she could handle getting crushed by France and facing the accompanying backlash. Maybe Ash would play, not that Alyssa would wish that on Ash either. Frankly she thought there was no good outcome as long as they were playing without a full-strength defense.

Needless to say, her nights rest was not nearly as restful as Alyssa hoped it would be.

A/N: Not super long, but I felt bad for making y'all wait so long for a new chapter. I promise the next one will be better. Let me know what you think.

-Red