‘Yeah!’ Diego raised his fist into the air and ran towards Noggin, gripping him in a breath-squeezing hug. Lil, Aamir and Nippy raced over and jumped on top of them in one giant hug that eventually collapsed into a laughing heap on the ground.
They’d done it. They’d found their rhythm again. Their soccer feet.
‘Go the Rovers!’ Josie yelled before turning to Tricky, who was beside her. She moved to hug him, but he looked away. She turned quickly, wiping her hands on her shorts, before running over to join the others.
Finally, after the Rovers calmed down, play was restarted and the Rovers played like champions for the final ten minutes – guarding the ball, making careful, exacting passes and even had another shot on goal that was caught by the goalkeeper in a spectacular flying leap.
When full-time was signalled, the Rovers leapt over each other and ruffled hair as they talked about their plays.
‘You were great out there, Nippy,’ Noggin said quietly.
‘Thanks,’ Nippy replied. ‘You were pretty good too.’
Jasper was full of glory because of the way they played the second half together. Nannu said one of the most magical things about the game was chemistry. Once there was chemistry between players, he’d say, they were a whole lot closer to being a great team.
Jasper vaulted onto the shoulders of Lil and Aamir as they walked into position for the post-game handshake.
‘Coach has got to be impressed with that,’ he predicted excitedly. ‘You aren’t going to see much better play in the World Cup, I reckon.’
‘Maybe,’ Lil answered with a crooked smile. ‘But I wouldn’t be packing your bags yet for the big game.’
‘Yeah, maybe not this week,’ Aamir smiled.
After the handshake with the Wanderers, Coach Riley blew his whistle from the sidelines and signalled for the Rovers to meet him in the sheds.
‘Our master calls.’ Diego raised his eyebrows.
Josie sniggered into her chest as Tricky stood beside them, pretending not to have heard.
Jasper was walking close to Lil. Aamir gave him a wink and moved deliberately ahead. Maybe now was his chance.
‘Ah, Lil?’
‘Yep?’
‘You know how you come round to my house for training?’
‘Yes.’
‘Well, wouldn’t it be good, just like training even, well, sort of like training and ice-cream too, but more like training, even though I do like ice-cream, especially with nuts. And chocolate.’
Stop talking about ice-cream, Jasper warned himself.
‘Anyway, I thought it’d be good, you know, fun even, seeing as we’re friends, if we …’
‘Yes?’
Come on, Jasper pleaded with himself. We’re almost at the sheds.
‘Jasper, Lil!’ Tricky yelled from the sheds. ‘Coach is waiting.’
Jasper sighed and he and Lil hurried after the others.
Soon the Rovers had quickly piled into the sheds, found seats on the benches and fell into an instant silence.
Aamir sat beside Jasper. ‘Did you ask?’ he whispered.
Jasper shook his head. ‘I ran out of time.’
The coach waited a few more seconds before talking.
‘How do you think you went out there?’
The Rovers sat still. They weren’t used to Coach Riley asking questions.
Cautious, furtive looks swung between them.
‘I think we went okay,’ Josie said decisively.
She wasn’t just okay, she’d played brilliantly, Jasper thought.
‘I could have defended a little better,’ Diego shrugged his shoulders. ‘I let one ball get past me that I knew was mine.’
‘Anyone else?’ Riley asked.
‘I think Nippy was good,’ Noggin said. ‘She covered that field like she was skating on ice.’
There was a small twitter of laughter at Noggin’s blushing cheeks.
‘Do you think this is a laughing matter?’ There was a catch in the coach’s voice that made the laughing stop dead.
Jasper guessed that, even though Nippy was good, what the coach was really waiting for was talk about their play. ‘Lil, Aamir and Diego put a lot of pressure on the captain to lose the ball when he was heading for a sure goal.’
The slow turning of Coach’s head towards him, coupled with his puzzled stare, made Jasper think he hadn’t heard right. ‘You know, when Lil came in from the wing to …’
‘And you think that was good play, do you?’ He screwed up his face like he had a bad taste in his mouth.
‘Yeah?’ Jasper answered apprehensively.
Aamir gave Lil a sideways look, unsure about why the mood in the room had changed so dramatically. He thought it was his English but Lil shrugged. She’d been speaking English all her life, but she still wasn’t sure what was going on.
‘There were at least three other scoring chances out there and none of you took advantage of them. And anyone care to remember that the game was a draw?’ He paused, the hair in his nostrils quivering as if a wind had blown up. ‘Today should have been an easy win and you threw it away.’
Jasper’s chest deflated like a balloon someone had just popped.
‘This team needs much more work than I thought.’ Coach Riley took off his cap and put his hands on his hips, looking at them like he was inspecting a broken-down car.
‘Luckily, on points you’ve already made the semifinal, but if you play like you did today, that’s as far as you’re going to get.’
Diego leant forward, elbows on his knees, and threw an annoyed sniff into the air.
‘From now on,’ the coach continued, ‘we’ll have double training. Tuesdays and Thursdays. And each of you is going to take home a practice plan to improve the skills that you’re lacking in.’
Mugger looked even more miserable than usual.
‘Coach?’ It was Nippy. ‘I’ve got clarinet on Thursdays.’
‘And clarinet is more important than soccer?’
Nippy wasn’t sure how to answer. She loved them both. ‘I have a music exam coming up and –’
‘If you can’t make training, you can’t play on Saturday.’
Nippy stared back, sure she hadn’t heard right.
‘Only players who are willing to put in the hours and hard work will be able to play.’
Just like that, the coach was willing to bench one of their best players. Jasper could see Nippy blinking hard, trying not to cry. Trying to work out what had happened. It didn’t make sense.
‘But Coach …’ Noggin began.
‘Yes?’ Coach Riley said it like it was no inch of a yes. ‘We’ve got a grand final to be a part of and I can’t have the team dragged down by anyone who isn’t committed. We play for each other and with each other, and we owe it to your parents and everyone here to devote all our energies to creating the most successful team we can.’
The Rovers sat in silence, as if someone had just come in and told them the school holidays were cancelled forever.
‘Soccer isn’t just a matter of turning up to training when you don’t have anything else on. It’s an all-encompassing commitment to the team and the game. “When you commit to your soccer team, you commit like you couldn’t give any more of yourself.” Johnny Warren said that. And if it’s good enough for one of Australia’s greatest soccer legends, then it should be good enough for you.’
Coach Riley turned his back on them and packed his bag while the Rovers remained in silence. ‘I’ll see all of you who are serious about playing soccer on Tuesday and Thursday.’
That was the end of the conversation. Aamir went to put up his hand to ask a question, but Lil gently pulled it down and shook her head. Noggin picked up Nippy’s bag and walked outside with her. The rest of them quietly grabbed their bags and followed one by one. There was none of the usual flicking of jumpers, laughing or ruffling of hair that followed a game.
‘What just happened in there?’ Jasper asked when they were outside and far en
ough away from the sheds for the coach not to hear.
‘I think we were in the wrong dressing shed,’ Lil said.
‘But I thought we did well,’ Jasper was trying to hide his disappointment.
‘We played bad?’ Aamir asked.
‘I didn’t think so.’ Jasper looked up to see the coach get into his car and drive away in a storm of dust. ‘But it looks like we did.’
JOHNNY SAYS:
Not everybody can become a Pelé or a Bobby Charlton, but their raw, natural skills can be practised to an amazing level if you have the drive to succeed. Set your sights on the best – settle for a little less – and you will become an excellent player. Who knows, that magic spark of greatness can ignite anywhere in the world.
‘He said what?’
Nannu’s eyes blazed as Jasper told him about the game and what Coach Riley had said. ‘That’s what Johnny said all right. I heard him say it enough times, too, but that coach of yours has got it all wrong.’ Nannu was walking around his flat, throwing his hands above him and blowing air through pursed lips.
‘You heard Johnny say that?’ Jasper was always amazed at the soccer greats his grandad had met.
‘Yeah. Johnny was a great player and just as good when it came to getting people excited about soccer with his speeches. He had good feet and a good tongue, but your coach is tangling his words.’ Nannu swung back to face Jasper. ‘And the coach never said one word about the two goals you scored?’
‘Nup.’ Jasper sat on Nannu’s bed and leant over his knees. ‘They were good goals too. I know we didn’t win, but …’
‘It’s not the winning that matters.’ Nannu stared hard at Jasper. ‘You know that.’
He started pacing the room again.
‘It’s true that when you play soccer you commit yourself to it, but the way that coach is using Johnny’s words is wrong. You can’t take sayings from famous players and twist them like that. It’s just not how soccer is played.’
Nannu was getting worked up.
‘They’re the words of soccer legends. Words that have come from years of hard work, great soccer and big lessons on and off the field. To twist them is to disrespect who those legends are and how important they were to this beautiful game. And how can he talk to Nippy like that? She’s been with the Rovers since the beginning. You can’t just threaten to bench someone like that. A team’s more than a group of people. It’s your family, your home. It’s the same as throwing someone out onto the street!’ Nannu stopped as though he was thinking about what he should do next. ‘And Johnny also used to say “never underestimate your opponent”, and he was right. It’s a basic rule of soccer!’
Jasper looked up and held his hands in the air. ‘I tried to tell him that but he wouldn’t listen.’
‘Wouldn’t listen, eh?’
‘No.’ Jasper slumped forward and held his hands between his knees. ‘Half the team are fighting, and from the look on Nippy’s face when she walked out, we might have lost her for good. We won today’s game but it feels like we lost.’
Nannu rubbed the back of his neck and sat on the bed beside his grandson.
Jasper looked up. ‘What are we going to do, Nannu? Are the Rovers finished?’
The Rovers had been part of his life since he was five years old. It was as familiar to him as school or Ronaldinho or his mum’s lasagne and now, for the first time, he faced losing it.
‘No, they’re not finished. They’re a bit lost, that’s all.’ Nannu slapped his hands on his knees. ‘I’m going to see him. At training on Tuesday. Your coach is about to be set clear on a few things.’
Jasper flinched. It was what he wanted and didn’t want all at the same time. ‘Vince has already tried it and it didn’t do any good.’
Nannu raised a fluffy grey eyebrow above a cheeky smile. ‘Well, this time he’ll have to deal with me.’
‘What if it makes him even more angry?’
‘That’s something I’m just going to have to live with.’
‘What do you think he’s saying?’ Lil asked.
Jasper, Lil and the rest of the Rovers stood on the sidelines watching Nannu’s hands waving through the air.
‘Not sure.’ Jasper bit nervously at a fingernail.
‘He’s getting excited,’ Josie said. ‘Do you think his heart can take it?’
‘He’s only getting started,’ Jasper answered. ‘You should see him when he’s really fired up.’
‘Grrr …’ Ronaldinho stood at attention, as if he was about to pounce at the slightest sign of trouble.
Coach Riley stood in the centre of the soccer fields facing Nannu, not saying anything.
Jasper moved over to Nippy. ‘You came?’
‘Yeah,’ Nippy sighed. ‘Mum wasn’t happy about missing clarinet, but I don’t want to give up soccer.’
Jasper smiled and turned to see that Nannu had finally stopped talking and had crossed his arms over his chest, waiting for a reply.
‘Here goes.’ Jasper breathed.
But Coach Riley didn’t explode as Jasper had imagined. He spoke quietly and calmly and had this ‘trust me’ kind of smile on his face.
After a while, Diego scowled. ‘He’s buttering him up. I can see it from here.’
‘Nannu wouldn’t fall for that,’ Jasper assured him, but the longer he looked at the two men, that’s exactly what it looked like was happening.
Nannu’s hands fell to his hips. He listened and didn’t interrupt once. Coach Riley then held out his hand. Nannu took it, slowly and carefully. Coach Riley shook his hand vigorously and clamped the other onto Nannu’s back, like they were old school buddies who would always be on the same side.
‘He’s coming this way,’ Nutmeg gulped.
Jasper jumped up from the bench he was sitting on and felt like he should snap to attention as Coach Riley stopped before them.
‘Team, I’ve had a chat to Jasper’s grandfather here, and he’s told me some of you aren’t happy with the way I’ve been working you and misquoting famous players.’ He placed his hand on his heart, like he was about to sing a national anthem. ‘I’m sorry if that’s what it seemed to you. Maybe I have been a bit hard with the training, and I would never misuse the words of great players in that way. They’re the reason we have this great game today and the reason I’ve come to love it like life itself.’
Ronaldinho let out another quiet growl as the Rovers listened carefully. There was something very convincing about what he said, so why did Jasper feel like someone had stolen his bike and was standing in front of him explaining why it was okay?
‘I’m glad Mr Zammit came here today. It’s always better to have an open and honest team, otherwise things can bottle up and explode at the worst times. So if we don’t have other questions, we’ll get on with training.’
The Rovers followed the coach to the centre of the field.
‘So we’ll see you at the finals?’ Coach Riley asked Nannu.
‘I think I might stay and watch.’ There was a challenge in the way he said it.
‘Of course. It’s always nice having family at training.’
Where did this Mr Nice Guy come from? Jasper thought as he walked away.
Nannu placed his hand on Jasper’s shoulder. ‘Don’t worry; I’ll be watching closely.’
‘Thanks, Nannu.’
The rest of training went smoothly. Jasper kept watching for Coach Riley to lose it, but he kept calm throughout the whole session, taking care to explain techniques carefully and work with players until they got it right. He was supportive, encouraging and, once, even made a joke.
At the end, during the game, Jasper felt like the Rovers were getting back into their old training pattern. Jasper and Lil worked hard on moves they’d practised together, and Aamir and Josie were at their best as they controlled the ball and tried out some new tactics and flash passes.
During a milder warm-down, Coach Riley thanked the players and told them he’d see them on Thursday.
�
�Okay, now I’m confused,’ Josie quipped. ‘Who was that out there?’
‘Don’t know,’ Lil answered. ‘But he’s much better than that other coach.’
Nannu folded his arms across his chest as Jasper came off the field. ‘You did well. You showed some very fine moves out there. Thought I was watching myself in some kind of flashback.’
Jasper grinned. ‘Thanks, Nannu.’
‘I’m only saying it because it’s true. You’ve got a real chance at the grand final, haven’t you?’
‘Do you think?’ Jasper’s shoulders lifted.
‘Yeah, I do, and you know what? I’d like to be at your next games.’
‘What?’ Nannu wasn’t a fan of the fuss and noise of big games, something he hadn’t been able to handle since Nanna died. ‘But you don’t like crowds.’
Nannu waved his hand like it was no big deal. ‘It’s only two games. I can put up with a few people for an hour or two. That is, if you want me there.’
Jasper stared at his grandad and smiled. ‘Thanks, Nannu.’
He kept staring and smiling until Nannu started feeling uncomfortable.
‘Stop standing there gawking at me or I’ll change my mind. Now come on, we’ve got some dinner to get home to. I think it’s baked macaroni tonight.’
Jasper kept standing there until Nannu picked up his bag. ‘You can stay here all night if you want. Means more macaroni for me.’
Jasper laughed as Nannu walked ahead with a small grunt. His grandad liked to sound gruff but Jasper didn’t care. He’d fixed the problem with the coach and, for the first time since Nanna died, he was coming to one of Jasper’s games.
JOHNNY SAYS:
There are lots of really talented players who never made it to the next level of the game, because they didn’t have the will, strength of character and teeth-gritting courage. They counted on their natural ability to carry them and eventually faded. Talent alone in soccer – as in life – isn’t enough. Courage turns raw talent into success.
‘She said yes.’
Tricky ran up to Jasper after school and slapped him on the back.
‘I was a little nervous too,’ he laughed. ‘I never get nervous when I ask girls out, but this time I was. How weird is that? I’ll have to get a few more tips from Vince on how he handles nerves. He seems to really know what he’s doing when it comes to girls.’
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