Jasper Zammit Soccer Legend 3

by Deborah Abela

  ‘Are you saying I’m a lousy player?’ Nippy stood up from the bench.

  ‘It’s about time someone did. You’ve been lousy for weeks.’

  The two players gave each other a glacial stare. ‘I don’t come here to be abused. I come here to play soccer. At least I used to.’

  She whisked off her jersey, grabbed her bag and walked out.

  ‘Nippy!’ Josie called. She moved to within a centimetre of Tricky’s face. ‘Nice one. Are you going to stop acting like a jerk anytime soon or is this the new Tricky we have to get used to?’

  Jasper could see she was shaking.

  Tricky didn’t answer as Josie ran after Nippy. He shrank at the glowering looks from the rest of the Rovers.

  The coach hoisted himself from the wall with a small grunt and walked over to him.

  This was it, Jasper thought. This time Tricky was really going to get it. He’d been causing trouble for weeks and this time he’d gone too far.

  The room went spookily quiet. Then, finally, the coach spoke. ‘Well done, Tricky.’

  Jasper’s head jerked forward. What?

  The coach put his hand on Tricky’s shoulder. ‘It takes guts to say the truth, but in the end it’s always best, even though it may not feel like it at the time.’

  Tricky gained confidence from the coach’s words and straightened up.

  ‘When Nippy’s calmed down, she’ll appreciate what you’ve said. As for today, you won and that means you’re through to the grand final. We did it!’ He punched his fist into the air and yelled, ‘Yeah!’ He didn’t even seem to notice that the rest of the Rovers said nothing. ‘See you all on Tuesday for some championship training.’

  The team sat in silence.

  ‘What about fair play?’ Jasper whispered angrily to himself.

  ‘Zammit?’ It was the coach.

  Jasper’s heart stumbled. ‘Yes?’

  ‘Do you have something you’d like to say?’

  Jasper stared back. He had plenty to say but every time he tried, the coach stopped him. He thought about the fight with Tricky, the look on Nippy’s face when she left and Coach Wallace’s advice … play well, play fair and play as a team.

  ‘Nippy deserves a better go,’ he muttered into his jersey.

  Lil’s eyes opened wide and Diego sat forward on the bench.

  The coach stared icily at Jasper. ‘To have confidence in yourself is absolutely essential. Pelé said that and he was one of the greatest players of all time. Tricky showed us that level of confidence today. Nippy hasn’t had it for weeks and maybe isn’t cut out for this game.’

  Jasper tried to calm the feeling of rising tension in his stomach. ‘Pelé also said, “Be a man in failure and in success.”’

  ‘Nippy is a good player,’ Lil began, ‘and –’

  ‘I’m the coach,’ he swung around at her. ‘Are you telling me I don’t recognise talent?’

  ‘Maybe not this time.’ Noggin got to his feet beside Lil.

  Diego stood on her other side and slowly crossed his arms. ‘Definitely not this time.’

  Jasper waited for an outburst from the coach, but he said nothing. Riley turned away, grabbed his bag and headed for the door.

  No one said anything. The Rovers had won the semifinal, but to Jasper it felt more like they’d just lost everything.

  JOHNNY SAYS:

  Since soccer is such a fluid game and requires many different skills, don’t become fixed into one position on your team. Rotating through the positions will raise the overall level of the team and make you a more versatile player. Remember that sometimes forwards have to defend and fullbacks have to attack.

  ‘Have you and Lil had a fight?’

  Jasper breathed heavily. This was going to be one of those conversations where parents want to show they care but are really just getting in the way of you trying to sort out the mash of thoughts in your brain.

  ‘No.’ He said it with ‘yes’ written all over his face.

  His mother stood before him on the veranda of their house. ‘It’s just that she hasn’t been around lately, and you two don’t seem to hang out as much anymore.’

  Jasper looked towards the front gate and just wanted to get to school.

  ‘You know you can tell us anything.’

  ‘Yep. Thanks, Mum.’

  His dad leant down so they were eye to eye. ‘You should never feel embarrassed to tell us anything. You know that.’

  Considering Jasper’s mum had recently dyed her hair red in honour of the upcoming grand final and his dad wore a T-shirt that said, ‘I’m too sexy for me,’ he thought they should rethink that last statement.

  ‘I know.’ He wanted to tell his parents what was wrong, and in the past he would have if they’d asked, but this was different. This time it was about a girl. He couldn’t tell them it was about a girl.

  ‘Even if it’s about a girl,’ his dad said.

  ‘No, it’s not about a girl. Who said it was about a girl? There’s no girl. I’d let you know if it was about a girl.’

  Jasper sighed and closed his overflowing mouth before running down the veranda steps and heading for school.

  It was true. The whole girl thing was making him crazy, but it wasn’t just that. It was everything. The fighting, the new coach, the dance and now Nippy. How were they going to do without her?

  When he got to school, Jasper saw her being dropped off by her mum. Maybe he could convince her to come back. To forget about what Tricky and the coach had said. They were wrong and the Rovers needed her. Not only because she was fast, but because she was a team player and never took an opportunity to shoot or dribble when she knew they had a better chance if the ball was in someone else’s hands … or rather at their feet. He had to figure out a way to get her back.

  When her mother had pulled away, he ran over to her. ‘Nippy. I wanted to say sorry about Saturday and that the coach and Tricky don’t know what they’re talking about and that you’re one of the best players on the team and that without you, I don’t think we really have a chance at the finals, not only because of how you play, but …’

  ‘Jasper,’ Nippy interrupted, ‘I’m not coming back to the Rovers.’

  ‘But you love soccer,’ Jasper said quietly.

  ‘I know. That’s why I’ve joined the Eagles.’

  ‘The Eagles?’ Jasper almost choked.

  ‘Yes, I know. They’re at the bottom of the ladder; they hardly ever win a game, and their uniforms aren’t nearly as nice as the Rovers’. But they like each other and don’t mind if they lose each week. One of the kids is from my street and he asked me to join up for the next season.’

  Nippy knew that, no matter what she said to Jasper, she wouldn’t be able to get rid of the sad look on his face.

  ‘Jasper, I know you’re not going to like this, but the Eagles play as a team and they have fun.’ Nippy smiled weakly. ‘Do you remember when we used to be like that? We liked playing with each other and now we can barely stand being together. I don’t want to be part of the Rovers anymore. Not like they are.’ She paused. ‘I just want to play soccer again.’

  Jasper couldn’t argue with her. It was true. He didn’t want to play in the team as it was either, but he couldn’t give up on the Rovers, not after all the years he’d been with them. He had to find a way to get the old Rovers back.

  ‘I gotta go.’ And he watched her walk away.

  Jasper felt heavy and tired as the assembly bell clanged into his head and his footsteps trudged across the yard.

  JOHNNY SAYS:

  The FIFA slogan, Fair Play, doesn’t just apply to the players; it applies to the coaches, parents, spectators, media and association officials as well. Be fair – every person involved in soccer has the responsibility to respect the game and set the example. Take time to know the laws of the game.

  ‘We’ve found out some interesting things about your coach.’

  Vince leant against the sink in Nannu’s flat, while Nannu sat in his fav
ourite armchair and Aamir, Jasper and Lil perched on the bed. Jasper had positioned himself as far away from Lil as he could, so that he spent most of the time sitting on the edge trying not to fall off.

  ‘Interesting-fascinating or interesting-we-can-get-rid-of-him?’ Jasper anchored his foot further out from the bed to give himself better balance.

  ‘Not sure yet,’ Vince’s eyes flashed, ‘but I’ve been asking around about him, and it seems he used to coach the state team years ago but was asked to leave because he hit a spectator.’

  ‘He hit someone?’ Aamir asked as Jasper jolted forward and only just stopped himself from tumbling sideways off the bed. ‘What happened?’

  ‘A supporter from an opposing team was upset by what he saw as Riley’s dirty tactics and after the game followed him to his car and told him. Riley lost it and let fly with a king hit.’

  ‘Isn’t that enough reason to get him sacked as our coach?’ Lil reasoned.

  ‘If he’d been charged he wouldn’t even be allowed near the Rovers,’ Nannu sniffed.

  ‘Friends of mine reckon Riley was forced to resign, and since no one actually saw the punch, the spectator was paid money to keep quiet about it,’ Vince continued. ‘Would have been bad for the team if word got out.’

  ‘So this guy’s got a problem with his temper,’ Lil added. ‘What a surprise.’

  Jasper met her eyes briefly before looking away.

  ‘He’s also got a reputation for pushing players too hard,’ Vince explained. ‘Just before his resignation, he got into a pretty big argument with one of his best players. A guy called Stefan Bosnovic. He was a real soccer hopeful, but the rumour is that Riley drove him so hard he broke down. Just didn’t show up one day. Turns out he’d decided to give the game away for good. There was an investigation, but Riley claims Bosnovic didn’t have it in him to handle the pressure of the big games. Most of the players knew it wasn’t that, but they couldn’t prove it.’

  ‘Did Coach Wallace know all this?’ Jasper asked.

  ‘Doubt it,’ Vince said. ‘It was pretty hushed up.’

  Aamir frowned. ‘But if he coached the state team, why does he now coach kids?’

  ‘It’s a way back in.’ Nannu looked like he’d sucked a lemon. ‘When I went to talk to him at training, he told me he hoped to be good enough to coach state one day. I thought at the time he was hiding something, and now we know what. He figures if he takes the Rovers to the finals, he’ll prove to the soccer authorities that he’s changed his ways and deserves a second chance.’

  ‘So that’s why he’s always sucking up to the officials at our games,’ Lil guessed.

  Vince nodded at his little sister. ‘Exactly.’

  ‘And while he’s doing that, he’s ruining our team.’ Jasper slumped. ‘We’ve got to find a way to get rid of him.’

  Vince flashed Nannu a wicked smile. ‘And we think we might know how.’

  ‘What?’ Jasper nearly toppled off the bed again but caught hold of the bedspread just in time.

  Nannu leant forward on the lounge. ‘The ref has the job of making sure everyone around the game acts in a respectable manner. Coaches, spectators and players. If they think a person’s actions are bringing the game down, they can kick them out of the grounds or off the field. It’s all in Law 5 of the game.’

  ‘And we think Riley needs a lesson in what Law 5 is all about,’ Vince added excitedly.

  ‘We’re going to make Riley go away?’ Aamir turned to Jasper and Lil.

  ‘Looks like it,’ Lil beamed at Aamir before turning to Jasper, who flinched awkwardly under her gaze.

  ‘We’re not going to do anything illegal, are we?’ Jasper asked, desperate to escape Lil’s stare.

  ‘No,’ Nannu said firmly. ‘We’re about to protect the game of soccer from someone who has no idea what it’s really about.’

  ‘How are we going to do it?’ Jasper asked.

  Vince smiled boldly. ‘That’s what we’re about to work out.’

  ‘There he is,’ Jasper pointed to Coach Riley, who’d arrived early at the fields for Tuesday night training and entered the changing sheds. ‘Are you sure you can do this?’

  ‘Are you kidding?’ Vince smiled. ‘I’m looking forward to it.’

  ‘Be careful,’ Lil added.

  ‘And don’t be anyone’s hero,’ Nannu warned. ‘Stay calm, focused and remember what you’re in there for.’

  ‘Thanks, Coach.’ Vince laughed and walked over to the sheds. He took one deep breath to steady himself and entered to see Coach Riley practising different smiles in front of the mirror. Vince stifled a laugh before he stepped forward.

  ‘Coach Riley?’

  Riley backed away from the mirror so fast he almost fell as he stumbled over his sports bag.

  ‘Spinelli. Ah … I didn’t see you there. I had a pie before and I was checking to see if I had any food in my teeth.’

  Vince paused long enough to let Riley know he didn’t believe him.

  ‘Here to watch the practice? The Rovers are doing well, aren’t they? Well enough to hold that cup on Saturday, I reckon.’

  Vince could feel his shoulders and chest tighten. ‘I think they’ll be lucky to still be together on Saturday the way you’ve been coaching them.’

  Riley’s expression hardened. ‘Ah, another Spinelli lecture, except there’s nobody here interested.’

  ‘Whether you’re interested or not, you’re going to listen.’

  Coach Riley turned his back on Vince, opened his bag and began whistling.

  Vince walked over and stood beside him. ‘I know you were sacked from coaching the state team.’

  Riley stopped whistling.

  ‘Now you want to listen?’ Vince smiled.

  ‘I wasn’t sacked,’ he turned and hissed. ‘I left. Decided I needed to do something else.’

  ‘It wasn’t that your heavy-handed coaching methods were doing more damage than good?’

  Riley’s voice cut through the air with a steely edge. ‘Listen, Spinelli. You’ve got a big mouth. You’re known for it from what I hear, but if you’re not careful, it’s going to get you into big trouble.’

  ‘At least I don’t use it to bully people and massage my overweight ego.’

  Coach Riley pounced forward, grabbed Vince by the collar and pushed him against the wall. Vince gasped as his breath was knocked out of him.

  ‘Why don’t you just get out of here before I help you out?’

  Riley’s knuckles dug deep into Vince’s neck, pressing against his throat and making it hard for him to breathe. He held him there for whole seconds before he let go with a shove and stepped away. Vince massaged his throat and swallowed against the pain of where Riley’s fist had sunk in.

  Vince had Riley’s temper firing and he hardened himself for the final blow. ‘That’s the way you create soccer champions, is it? By threats?’

  ‘I’m warning you, Spinelli.’

  ‘By standing over players younger than you and scaring them into doing what you say? By picking out your favourites and ignoring the rest of the team?’ Vince moved closer to Riley until he stood directly behind him. ‘Except what you end up doing is destroying the game of soccer and the careers of good young players.’

  ‘That’s not true,’ Riley growled.

  Vince almost whispered, ‘Not even with Bosnovic?’

  Riley grunted and spun round, hurling a tightened fist towards Vince’s face. Vince ducked in time to avoid the blow, leaving Riley to double over with the force of the intended punch.

  Vince smiled victoriously as he watched Riley regain his balance. ‘I think you have just officially resigned as coach of the Rovers.’

  ‘I’m taking these kids to the champions’ podium on finals day,’ Riley seethed.

  ‘Even with your record of punching a spectator?’

  Coach Riley was momentarily stumped but quickly regained his composure. ‘That was all dropped, and anyway, you can’t blame me if there was an aggressive parent on
the sidelines.’

  ‘Yes, but you were told if you did it again, you’d be banned from any kind of soccer for life.’

  Vince had timed his final punch perfectly and the effect was beautiful. Coach Riley reeled back, his face burning into a fiery red.

  ‘If you say anything, I’ll deny it,’ Coach Riley said smugly.

  ‘But we have this.’ Jasper stepped from behind a row of lockers with a video camera in his hands. ‘It’s all here. Every word of it,’ he paused, ‘Coach.’

  ‘And not only that,’ Lil smiled, ‘when we looked at the video that Aamir’s dad had taken of our last few games, we found lots of interesting vision of you losing it on the sidelines.’

  Aamir shrugged and smiled innocently. ‘I didn’t know my father was so good with the camera.’

  Nannu stood between Lil, Aamir and Jasper and spoke quietly.

  ‘The game of soccer deserves respect. It demands skill, style and class and you, Riley, have none of that.’

  Riley was starting to sweat and looked around for an escape.

  ‘The way I see it, you have two choices,’ Nannu smiled. ‘You can argue against the five of us and the association or you can leave quietly, and we’ll tell everyone you had to leave suddenly for business interstate.’

  ‘Except for the officials.’ Vince faked a look of concern. ‘Who may like to know that temper of yours hasn’t gone after all.’

  Coach Riley approached Vince with small, careful steps. Lil grabbed Nannu’s hand, frightened that the coach was going to try to punch him again.

  Vince stood his ground.

  ‘You’ll never amount to anything, you know that, Spinelli, whereas I was a great player who made it all the way to Europe in one of the greatest Italian teams ever.’

  ‘You can say it all you like,’ Nannu warned him. ‘As long as it’s far away from these kids.’

  Riley looked at the camera like he could have crushed it in his hands. Jasper pulled it protectively to his chest while Riley grabbed his bag and slammed into Vince’s shoulder before heading out the door.

  Vince smiled. ‘I think we’ve been given our chance to get the Rovers back on track.’