Krystal stood in the line inside the tunnel, waiting for the walkout for the next game of the season. Her spectacular pass, and subsequent goal by Bianchi hit the presses like a thunderstorm. In soccer crazed Italy, even the overlooked woman's game got into the papers and news media from the audacious combination. The game sold more tickets than usual. People wanted to see if she got lucky or the foreign import could deliver more magic.
Walking with the teams for the ceremonial opening, Krystal wanted to put on a good show again. The opening game would not be a fluke, however she needed Bianchi to have a great game too if her silky passes would see the back of the net. Unbeknownst to her, Nik sat watching the game again from across the ocean with fervent interest.
The game started. A couple quick passes and interceptions on both sides made for a hectic first couple minutes. Both teams were finding their footing. From the opening whistle, Krystal did not stop running. She ran from box to box, tackling like a fiend to get the ball at any opportunity, and strip the opposition of any attacking attempts.
Her coach wanted them to remain cautious in the opening half. The home team would come out like a cannon, wanting to get on the scoreboard early to please the home fans. Absorb the pressure and hit them on the counter attack.
"Lucchese strips the ball away, lobbing it through the middle. Knight and Agri go up for the header. Down goes Knight holding her mouth. Agri got up close and personal with the elbow," the TV commentator shouted, excitedly.
Krystal took a knee, hand on her mouth, as blood started to gush from her lip. She heard something told to her in Italian by Agri but didn't understand a word of it. Standing up, she glared at the opposing player as others rushed over to keep the pair separated. The referee ran up too, a yellow card immediately held out in the air as she showed it to Agri.
Spitting the blood onto the grass, Krystal knew they would go in rough after the display from the last game. They tested her mettle. Would she break from the rough style, or would she tank it and make them pay? She wasted no time in getting her revenge. As the players were breaking up to restart the game, Krystal pulled Bianchi quickly aside.
"One bounce," she told her.
Bianchi slightly nodded her head, just enough to confirm it to Krystal and not let the opposition know they were setting up a play. Lining up for the free kick from just past the halfway line, Krystal waited just long enough for Bianchi to start her run. Of course a defender went with her, but none knew what they had planned. Instead of lobbing the ball high into the air, Krystal aimed for an open space outside the box.
Once the ball hit the spot with pinpoint accuracy, it made a single bounce, popping up at waist level while also curling right. It bounced right in front of Bianchi's path as she stayed in front of her defender. Angling her body correctly, she twisted her hips to sideways kick the ball. It shot towards the top corner of the net, leaving a stunned goalkeeper wondering what just happened.
"Goal! Goal! Goal!!!" the commentator shouted in joy. "Bianchi! Two wonder strikes in as many games. What will this pairing think of next?"
Nik sat there in his room stunned, again, soaking in all he saw. Cool and calm, his aunt got the perfect revenge. A highlight reel pass into a highlight reel goal. He knew she had the skills to produce such results. Some people were envious of him because his aunt played pro sports but part of it was she played at an elite level.
Ups and downs followed Krystal's career. A championship here, and hard loss there, but in the twilight of her career when she should be on the downward spiral, she found a striker that could read her mind. Midfielders are made to set up the strikers. Assists are not sexy stats people track or care the most about in soccer lore. It's all about the goals, much like it's all about the dingers in baseball. Despite being two games and a pre-season into their partnership, Krystal felt a connection to Bianchi. They clicked on the field. If they could keep this up, bringing a championship to Roma would not be out of the question.
Nothing else happened during the first half. The opposition parked the bus, not wanting to let in any more fancy goals to dismay the home fans more. One wondergoal was enough. The coach gave them the usual, generic pep talk about keeping their heads in the game, watch for any counterattacks, and not overlook their fundamentals. Simple, efficient coaching. Nothing more needed to be said.
Nik ran out of snacks before the end of the first half, quickly hopping out of his chair to scurry down the stairs for a refill. Veronika heard him blaze through the hallways, relaxing in her bed by reading a fashion magazine.
"Must be half time," she chuckled. "Some things never change."
Before the halftime finished, and the commercials ran their due, Nik's butt sat back down in the chair to continue the match.
"Knight jumps in the air. Simple header to the wing. Picked up by Moretti. Ouch! Slide tackle gone wrong. Moretti got sideswiped by the opposing player. The referee immediately runs over with a yellow. It has been a rough game for Roma. They are still up one to nothing but Leece are making them pay for it."
One of the Roma defenders took the simple free kick. Krystal ran towards the open space in the middle, receiving the lob. Chesting it downward, she deftly jumped over another slide tackle. More open space stood in front of her, open space to get selfish. Quickly sprinting into the opening, she counted in her head. Five seconds, the time she theorized she'd have before another opponent caught up with her. Five seconds to get as close as possible before letting a shot fly.
Four seconds...three seconds...two seconds...the opposition closing in...one second...BANG! Her right cleat struck true. The soccer ball cannoned towards the goal. Krystal saw it long before anyone else. The goalie stood in the right area, agonizingly close enough to stretch out for the save. Fingers deflected the ball against the post, bouncing outwards into the box. Before the goalkeeper could react, Bianchi flew in from the flank to tap the ball into the back of the net. Two goals, two assists, the beautiful partnership heated up for the second game in a row.
Bianchi pumped her fist into the air, running over to the corner flag in celebration. Teammates followed suit, including Krystal. The pair smiled before their hands stung from a loud, hard high five. They did not notice the stinging sensation. Excitement and adrenaline filled their veins, giving them the athletic high so many craved to experience.
The supporters in the crowd cheered as loudly as the players, caught up in the emotion from the new partnership blossoming. The opposing goalie tossed her water bottle at the netting, disgusted by a spectacular save ruined by Bianchi sneaking in. The defence had no answer for her this night.
In typical Italian fashion, Leece kept parking the bus like Parma did the match before. It made for a boring finish, and the wonder pair could not sneak through another goal for the hat trick. Regardless, once the whistle blew, no one on the team felt upset by winning two straight matches.
Inside the dressing room, the coach gave a complimentary speech, encouraging the team to keep the momentum going. A shutout made sure they were not perceived as gunslingers, searching only for the headlines. After a quick shower and change, the team were on the team bus heading back to Rome overnight. The over six hour bus ride felt more comfortable with the jubilant air.
"Hey, Krissy, check this out," one of the players sitting behind Krystal called out.
The brunette leaned over the back of Krystal's seat. In her late twenties, she kept her youthful figure despite a lot of miles on her body from entering the league young.
"What is it, De Luca?" Krystal asked, staring at the screen.
"Your fancy goal already got posted on social media by the team. Look at all the hits."
"Bianchi scored, not me."
