More Than a Game | Mason Mount

Thirty Four

A surprising nap before dinner left me rearing to go that night.  This Ajax team were similar to us: a lot of young players in the team reinforced with a fair amount of experience, too, and a relatively young manager.  Two of their key players had departed in the summer, and as much talent as they had, it was obvious they were still finding their footing without their hotshots.

One of the players they'd brought in the last window, though, happened to be the one player I'd hoped to never go up against again.  I spotted him in the warm up for the first time, the Croatian winger who'd almost ended my career.  The horror that I'd expected to feel upon seeing Luka Savic didn't appear, though. Instead, I felt a raw determination come over me: there was no way I would let him get the better of me or my team again.

True his decision, Frank didn't start Mason. Valentina Vargas came in for him, with Lucia Rodriges getting to nod over Olly as well.  Lining up in the tunnel behind Annika, the Newcastle game seemed weeks ago.  My mind was clear, my priorities in line.  My chest swelled with eagerness, a contrast to the nerves I usually felt at this stage pre-match.

Out of nowhere, someone grabbed onto my hand. By the time I looked up and spotted Mason, his hand had slipped from mine.  But glancing back over his shoulder, I saw the grin and nod he gave me clear as day.  I still felt his touch as he disappeared out of the tunnel.

The momentary distraction left my mind when I heard the ref's call from the front of the line.  Another hand clutched at mine, but this time the smaller one of the mascot at my side.  I led her out, following behind Annika into the shower that fell over the Johan Cruyff Arena.

Like it always did, the Champion's League anthem sent shivers down my spine.  God, we needed this win, especially after the weekend's game. Energy swelled amid my teammates as we gathered for a final huddle.  Emil, a fiery expression in his eyes, gave us some definitive words of encouragement before we broke to take our positions.

Bouncing on the balls of my feet, I watched Emil and the Ajax captain do the toss.  The crowd was thunderous, their cheers echoing around the pitch intimidatingly. I took deep breaths, trying to block them out.  Rain had all but drenched my jersey and plastered my hair against my neck already. A strong gust of wind blew drops against my side and goose bumps ran down my arms.  However, the rain and the wind and the crowd dissolved into nothing as the ref blew her whistle and the game started.

The balance between our teams was evident from the first seconds.  We both wanted to press high and win the ball back, but both had enough presence in the midfield to try and pass around each other.  Ajax won a corner first, but their centre half headed it over the goals. I fired one of my best crosses of the season into the box, but Kyle was just a step too far away to get on the end of it.  Elena and one of their midfielders got into a hustle, earning them both yellow cards. Savic had one bite at my ankles in a terrible sliding tackle, but I jumped over him cleanly.

Walking off at half time, it was practically impossible to separate our teams.  I couldn't see how we would get a goal past them, but at the same time there wasn't a doubt in my mind that we would keep a clean sheet.  Head down, I followed behind Fran into the changing room, half-heartedly accepting a high-five from David and a clap on the back from Emil.

In the changing room, I peeled my soaked jersey off and sank back against the bench.  Kyle lay on the physio table, Nicki working on his thigh; Emil and Valentina were engaged in a heated discussion; a stressed-looking Frank and Jody huddled together near the doorway.  The mood wasn't down, exactly, but it felt like the weather and supporters outside had leeched all the energy we'd shown in the huddle before the game.

I accepted a drink from Abby and wiped my arms down with a towel while I waited for Frank to begin his talk.  He'd moved on from Jody and now sat next to Rodri, making rapid hand movements as they talked.  Leaning back, my eyes trailed around the room.  They came to a stop on a seething Emil.