"Hayley Knight does it again, saves team USA and keeps their winning streak alive!"
"That's now 38 matches the US have gone without losing a single game and Knight has scored the winning one in 15 of them"
"If that doesn't speak volumes about how good of a player she is I don't know what does. Hayley Knight seems to be the Ibrahimović of the woman's game"
"I can agree with you there Peter, and to think she couldn't walk at the beginning of the year seeing her now is astonishing"
I collapse to the floor in a heap my arms resting on my knees as I try to get enough oxygen into my lungs as possible. I gave everything to the last 20 minutes of the game and my legs feel like utter jelly
"Well played Knight, you were amazing as always," Marta says coming over to shake my hand
"You too Marta, I'll see you soon," I say to the Brazil national captain who walks off to her teammates.
The year has been a whirlwind and a half, unfortunately, the surgery to get my stutter fixed didn't go without some complications, I had to do a lot of physical therapy to get back on track and fit again.
Plus I had my wedding to attend and I wasn't going to walk down that aisle without my voice and body back. But I did it though, I somehow managed to survive the impossible and got to marry my soulmate in the process.
The World doesn't know that we're married just yet, to the fans and media we are still just girlfriends since Kelley hasn't changed the name on the back of her jersey.
I've been fighting hard to stay at the top of my game and I feel like I've been doing just that, the Olympics is right around the corner and I really want that starting 11 spot which means Kelley and I have been training like mad women to be in our best shape, in more ways than one too.
"You okay there Hayley?" My best friend Christen asks coming over to me
"Oh yeah I'm good Chris, but I am going to need to help in getting off the pitch," I tell her sheepishly.
She just rolls her eyes at me and waves over to her wife to come and help out too. Soon enough the Heath-Press couple are lifting me from under the armpits and onto my feet
"Can you walk at all Hayls?" Tobin asks and I try to take a step forward but my legs feel completely numb
"Err that would be a no" I chuckle out and look at the pair who don't seem to happy.
"This can't be good for you Hayley, you shouldn't be pushing your body this hard" Chris tells me in a disapproving voice
"My mind has a different agenda to my body sometimes, I don't realise how tired I am until I stop" I explain trying my best to help them practically drag me across the field
"Oh my God, is everything okay Hayley?" Julie asks suddenly rushing over
"I'm fine J, I just can't feel my legs at the moment," I tell her giving her a quick wave of the hand to brush it off.
"Oh alright then, you just casually can't feel your legs," Julie says sarcastically
"Why is my wife being carried into the tunnel!" I hear Kelley shout ahead of me.
I look up to see her sprinting towards me her top in her hands leaving her in just her shorts and sports bra, which obviously isn't my first observation about her, definitely not.
"I've just overexerted myself Kel, get me in an ice bath with mama and I'll be set," I say to which she just glares at me in response
"Babe we have talked about this, I don't mind you pushing yourself but when you get to this state it's not good for you," She tells me to which Christen nods her head with.
