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Jasper Zammit (Soccer Legend) #3: The Finals
ePub ISBN 9781742745312
Random House Australia Pty Ltd
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First published by Random House Australia 2006
Copyright © Deborah Abela and Johnny Warren 2006
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher.
National Library of Australia
Cataloguing-in-Publication Entry
Abela, Deborah.
The Finals.
For children.
ISBN 1 74166 100 5.
1. Soccer – Juvenile fiction. I. Warren, Johnny, 1943–2004. II. Title. (Series: Warren, Johnny, 1943–2004. Jasper Zammit (soccer legend); 3).
A823.4
Cover and internal design by Lore Foye
Front cover photo: Photolibrary/Mitch Diamond
Dedicated to Johnny Warren,
the Socceroos and the
Beautiful Game itself
CONTENTS
Cover
Title Page
Copyright
Imprint Page
Dedication
RULE #1: Persistence pays off
RULE #2: Look to your coach for instruction and encouragement
RULE #3: Mix up your training methods
RULE #4: Develop a range of skills for all situations
RULE #5: Always have your ‘second action’ in mind
RULE #6: Be fit for the long haul
RULE #7: Focus on fun and learning over winning
RULE #8: Never underestimate your opponent
RULE #9: Put your own spin on it
RULE #10: Follow in the footsteps of greatness
RULE #11: Let your courage lift you to the next level
RULE #12: Don’t be distracted by big-game hype
RULE #13: Be flexible
RULE #14: Fair play is the only way to play soccer
RULE #15: Respect the game on and off the field
RULE #16: A good team loses and wins with dignity
RULE #17: The game doesn’t end until the final whistle
RULE #18: Remember that soccer is the game of life
RULE #19: Play every game like it’s the
RULE #20: Make your shot count
Glossary
Deborah Abela
Johnny Warren
Have you read these?
Max Remy Surperspy Series
JOHNNY SAYS:
When I was nine, I missed out on selection for my local Under-12s soccer team. I had to wait until the following year when I turned ten. Even though everyone believed I was good enough to play, the selectors told me I was too small and to ‘eat more porridge’. Who knew that one day I’d captain the Socceroos?
‘And Jasper Zammit is flying along the wing like an Olympic sprinter.’
‘He’s outsmarted Vieri, sidestepped Roberto Carlos and easily dragged the ball back from Rivaldo’s block tackle attempt.’
‘There’s only one thing left to do now, Higsy.’
‘You’re right, Richy. And there it is. The wink from star striker Aamir Khan that the fans have come to love.’
‘Jasper delivers a hard cross. Aamir prepares for it and with a quick snap shot, he shoots and … yes! It’s a goal. Aamir Khan’s third for the match.’
‘This has got to be one of the great duos of world-class soccer. Khan and Zammit.’
‘You can hear the crowd chanting now. Khan and Zammit. Khan and Zammit. Khan and …’
‘Zammit!’ Diego cried.
Jasper looked up and saw a field of players charging towards him.
‘Oh no,’ he thought. ‘Not again.’
During one of their last games, he’d been snapped out of a daydream by the cry of two players headed straight for him. That time, he managed to leap out of the way to avoid being pulverised, only to end up in a pool of fresh mud.
He looked down quickly as the Hurricanes’ players bounded towards him. To the left of him was another mud puddle.
He wouldn’t let it happen again.
Like a fireman rushing into a burning building, like a lifesaver desperately paddling into rough surf, but mostly like a soccer player about to blow the game for his team, he burst forward to receive Diego’s pass.
He let out a small grunt of determination as he jumped into the air, cushioned the ball with his thigh and guided it to his feet. With Jasper’s marker closing in, he immediately dribbled forward. His eyes scanned the field, getting a sense of the game and what his next move should be. He saw Aamir moving down the wing and Lil backing him up in midfield. Jasper’s marker finally caught up and, moving in fast, did her best to take the ball back.
Jasper shot a quick flick pass out in front of Aamir, who lunged towards it and, landing his non-kicking foot firmly beside it, belted a direct pass to Lil.
Lil smiled as her boot met the ball and she spun away from her marker, who immediately began to back-pedal. She sent a sidefoot pass to Josie, who kicked a chip pass over the heads of several defenders to Noggin. With his eyes firmly on the ball, he bent his knees, leapt high into the air and executed a power header that ripped past the hands of the opposition goalie, straight into the back of the net.
The ref blew the whistle to signal a goal but the Rovers didn’t hear it.
They cheered and ran towards Noggin, rubbing his head and dragging him into shirt-scrunching, hair-ruffling hugs. Diego and Tricky soon fell into their own rumbling wrestle on the ground, and Lil and Josie tore themselves away, flinging their arms in the air and turning around their team in victory circles.
The ref looked down at his watch and, realising they were right on full-time, gave another short blast of his whistle and the game was over.
Mugger watched from the Rovers’ goal area and a small smile creased into his lips. Mugger wasn’t one for making a huge fuss or saying much, and the wrinkle of a smile he had on his face was about the most excitement he ever showed.
Eventually Coach Wallace got the attention of the Rovers and calmed them down long enough for the post-game handshake and a solid session of warm-downs. Aamir’s dad ran from the sidelines and recorded every moment on his new video camera. Ever since his son had been interviewed on television a few weeks ago as one of Australia’s future soccer stars, the camera rarely left his hand, even at home.
As they headed back to the sidelines Lil ran up to Jasper. ‘That last piece of play was real teamwork. Your grandad would be proud.’
‘Yeah, Nannu would,’ Jasper answered, then cautiously looked around, making sure no one else could hear him. ‘Lil?’ he whispered. ‘Did we win?’
After his daydream Jasper wasn’t sure what the final score was or if Aamir really had kicked three goals. The Rovers got just as excited about a goal as they did about a win,
so it was hard to tell if they’d actually won.
‘Yes.’ Lil tried to hide a laughing smile. ‘Rovers two, Hurricanes one.’
Jasper’s pride in his team increased even more. He’d played with most of them since he was five, and each one was a loyal player of the game and a good friend, but before he had any more time to enjoy the moment, Diego ran up beside him and plugged him in the shoulder. ‘Another daydream, Zammit? Because you came out of it just in time.’
‘I was focused on that game every minute,’ Jasper replied defensively.
‘Sure you were.’ Tricky wedged himself between Lil and Jasper and nudged into his opposite shoulder. ‘Just like in every game.’
Jasper carefully put on an offended frown and answered as casually as he could. ‘I may have been distracted for a second, but I was thinking about our strategy for next week’s game against the Eagles.’
Josie and Lil laughed quietly as Diego and Tricky went into sports commentator mode.
‘And there he is, sports fans. Jasper Zammit. The king of the soccer field,’ Diego put on a rough, deep voice.
‘Leading the Rovers to victory in the dying minutes of the game,’ Tricky added, pretending to speak into a hand-held microphone. ‘And thinking about victory in the next. This has got to make him one of the greatest soccer players to ever live!’
‘Jasper! Jasper!’ Diego added. ‘Do you have any words to say to your adoring fans around the world?’
Both Diego and Tricky were shoving invisible microphones into Jasper’s face.
‘The Eagles are a tough team.’ Once Tricky and Diego started on a joke, it was hard to get them to drop it. ‘We need to be prepared if we’re going to win.’
Tricky turned to an imaginary camera. ‘Wise words and you heard it here first, live, on The Beautiful Game.’
‘Tune in next week for more of Jasper’s profound and important soccer messages … if he can stop daydreaming long enough.’
Diego only just managed to finish his last sentence before falling all over Tricky, and the two collapsed into a combined burst of uncontrollable laughter.
‘Don’t worry about them.’ Nippy shoved them out of the way. ‘They’ll self-combust one day from how funny they are, and then we won’t have to put up with them anymore.’
‘Oranges. Get your juicy oranges.’ The team crowded around Jasper’s dad, who held out a tupperware container of orange segments.
All of them except Jasper. He’d been promising Coach Wallace he’d stop daydreaming for weeks, but there was something about his brain that just wouldn’t cooperate. No matter how hard he tried.
Jasper turned to Aamir. ‘There’s nothing wrong with a bit of planning, is there?’
Aamir smiled and bit into his orange. He knew Jasper had been daydreaming again. He could tell from that look in his eyes, as if Jasper’s brain had taken a long flight and left his body behind, waiting for it to get back.
‘Is it that obvious?’
‘Yep.’ Aamir shrugged as his dad pushed through the crowd and shoved his video camera in their faces.
‘You both played so well! How do you feel after such a game? Was it … oh, my battery has run out. Don’t worry, I have another.’
Aamir’s dad hurried away.
‘Does he ever put that down?’ Jasper asked.
‘Sometimes. When he’s asleep.’ Aamir smirked.
Jasper laughed. He’d only known Aamir for a few weeks, but they were already good friends. Aamir and his family had escaped from Afghanistan, and after years in refugee camps in Pakistan and a detention centre in Australia, they had moved to Jasper’s neighbourhood. Jasper had seen how well Aamir played soccer and quickly recruited him into the Rovers.
Jasper looked out over the field.
‘Who’s that?’ He saw a short, stocky man in a cap, shaking Coach Wallace’s hand like he was signing off on a deal.
‘He watched the game,’ Aamir replied easily, orange juice running down his arms.
‘He did?’ Jasper hadn’t noticed.
‘Yeah, I saw him too.’ Josie held up her orange skin and, taking aim, threw it in the bin. ‘He had this book with him like he was taking notes.’
‘Notes?’ Jasper asked quietly.
Who was he? He wasn’t one of the parents or an association official, or at least not one Jasper had ever seen; and even if he was, Coach Wallace always made sure everything was in order. Their fees were paid; all the players were registered, including their newest member, Aamir, who had his player ID card just like the rest of them.
Diego sidled up to Jasper and nudged him in the chest with his drink bottle. ‘Maybe he’s a scout who’s heard how good you are, Zammit, and he wants you for the state team.’
‘State?’ Tricky scoffed. ‘They’d want him for the Socceroos.’
The two laughed even louder. ‘Which is probably why he and Coach Wallace want to see us in the sheds.’ Tricky gave Jasper a nudge before walking off.
Jasper stopped and stared at the guy in the suit.
Maybe he was a soccer scout. Jasper had dreamt of being selected by a scout ever since Nannu told him about the time it had happened to him. His skin prickled all over and his mind flung back to the game. He went over how he’d performed. The goal setup was good, but how long had he been daydreaming? Maybe it had only been a few seconds and the scout hadn’t even noticed, or maybe it was whole minutes and that’s what he was taking notes about.
Jasper had been thinking about the day when a scout would come to see him play almost since he’d started playing in the Rovers Under 5’s, but now that it was here, maybe he’d blown it. Maybe he had been in with a real shot at the big time, only now he’d never know.
But if he was a scout, Jasper told himself, he’d be able to see through players’ off days. That was their job. His grandad said that scouts can see more than just how you play on the day. They see other things like a player’s thirst for the game, their ability to develop further and their drive to be one of the world’s best.
If that guy was a scout, Jasper was going to show him he was state material and had exactly what he was looking for.
JOHNNY SAYS:
You might be surprised to hear that I wasn’t properly coached in my early years. I had to learn by trial and error, observation, and listening to my own intuition. A good coach who stressed the skills and fundamentals of the game would have been worth their weight in gold.
‘You’re sitting on my beanie.’
‘Pardon?’
‘My grandma knitted that beanie for me and you’re sitting on it.’
‘Sorry, Noggin.’
Jasper half stood and picked up the multicoloured, woollen hat from the bench beneath him.
Coach Wallace had asked the Rovers to meet him in the changing sheds, and Jasper had been so preoccupied with what the stocky guy was going to say, he’d hardly been able to concentrate on walking straight, which would explain why he’d missed what he now saw was Noggin’s very bright, stripy and hard-to-miss hat.
‘That’s some beanie.’ Jasper thought it could have doubled as an emergency flare.
‘I know,’ Noggin said, a little deflated. ‘Grandma’s started a knitting class, and because I’m the only grandchild, I think it’s going to be the first of many.’
He put the beanie on his head and flicked the yellow and pink pompoms behind him.
‘All right, everyone, we haven’t got all day for you to stop talking.’
Coach Wallace tried to put on the usual gruff voice he used for announcements, but this time he looked a little nervous. He rubbed his hands together and kept biting his lower lip, which made Jasper feel even more anxious, and he started doing the same.
‘First of all, I want you to remember to thank your parents for what they’ve done to the sheds. The money from the recent talent quest bought us a few tins of paint and I think it’s made a big difference.’
‘At least now it looks like this place’ll stand for more than the next ten
minutes,’ Tricky murmured.
Jasper noticed the paint job. It did look good and there was no more peeling paint on the benches to scratch their legs and catch on their shorts, and the Rovers logo on the wall looked great, like they were a professional team. He’d miss that, he realised, but he wished Coach Wallace would just get on with it. If he was going to get ready for the state team, he needed to pack, say goodbye to his Maltese terrier, Ronaldinho, and his grandad. That’d be hard, he suddenly thought, but with great careers comes great sacrifice. His grandad had said it often enough, so he’d understand that Jasper had no choice. He’d promise to write, of course, and …
‘I have some news.’ Coach Wallace plucked Jasper from his farewell thoughts. ‘I guess there’s no way to say this except come straight out with it.’
Jasper gave a half smile at how nervous the coach was looking. Coach Wallace had been with most of the Rovers since they’d first started playing. It’d be tough for him to say goodbye, like saying goodbye to one of your family. Jasper would make sure that Coach Wallace would get a good deal of the credit when it came to his selection. In every interview, on every talk show panel, during every …
‘Mrs Wallace’s dad is very sick in Hungary and we need to go and visit him.’
Jasper frowned. What did Hungary have to do with his state selection?
There was a short silence before Lil slid forward on her seat. ‘When do you leave?’
‘Next week.’ Coach looked into Lil’s frowning expression and then quickly away.
The news slowly sank into most of the Rovers, except Jasper, who was still trying to work out where the selection part came in.
‘How long will you be away?’ Josie asked.
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