Read T.J. and the Winning Goal for Free Online Page B

who bounced it back into her path . Tulsi raced after the ball, but somehow it got stuck under her foot, as she went to shoot. She stumbled, took a second touch and hit her shot just wide of the post.
    ‘Bad luck,’ said TJ, as he jogged past her to join the back of the line.
    ‘It was a rubbish pass,’ said Tulsi, as she got ready to be a wall for Rob, but TJ knew there had been nothing wrong with his pass.
    Rob took off with the ball at his feet, dummied the defender and snapped his pass out to Tulsi. TJ knew at once that Tulsi’s return pass was all wrong. It bounced up from her foot and flew towards Rob at waist height. Somehow, Rob twisted in the air, brought his knee up over the ball and volleyed it into the net. Then he jogged over to take his place as a wall.
    It was Jamie’s turn next. ‘Watch me mess this up,’ he said with a grin. His pass flew at Rob like a bullet, but Rob calmly took the pace off the ball and returned it expertly into Jamie’s path. Jamie couldn’t miss. ‘I don’t know which was better,’ TJ said to Rob, as he rejoined the line, ‘the volley or that pass. You’ve been practising again, haven’t you?’
    Rob grinned sheepishly. ‘Every night,’ he said. ‘Against the wall in the back garden.’
    ‘Great,’ said TJ. ‘Hey, Tulsi, did you see it?’
    ‘Sure,’ said Tulsi. ‘Go on. It’s you again.’
    TJ hit another perfect one-two with Danny, then he was the wall again and Tulsi was rushing forward. She’s trying too hard, thought TJ, as Tulsi hit her pass towards him. It was wild, and TJ had to move fast to his right and stretch out a leg just to reach the ball. Somehow he managed to play it back to Tulsi. She took a touch and planted the ball in the net.
    As she turned to run back TJ saw an anxious look cross her face. She was looking towards the centre of the pitch where Mr Wood was making a note on his clipboard.
    ‘Don’t worry,’ TJ said. ‘That was better.’
    But TJ only had to look across at the other groups to know that there were at least ten other players who were making a better job of the drill than Tulsi was, and he could see that Tulsi knew that too.
    At the end of the session Mr Wood announced the squad for their final warm-up match before the tournament. ‘Jamie in goal. Defenders – Tommy, Rodrigo and Danny. Well done, Danny. Nice to have you back. Midfield – Rafi, Rob and Leila. Up front – TJ, Ebony and Ariyan. Tulsi, I know you’ve been in every squad so far, but I’m worried you look a bit tired. I think it might be best if you take a break for this one. We need you to be fresh for the tournament.’
    ‘Fine,’ muttered Tulsi under her breath. ‘See if I care.’

C HAPTER 11
    ON WEDNESDAY NIGHT Mr Wilson drove Jamie and TJ to the Sports Centre where the Player Development Centre was based. As usual, Rob came with them so that he could go for a run with TJ’s dad on the Sports Centre’s running trail. ‘So, who are you playing in this friendly match then?’ asked Mr Wilson.
    ‘It’s against the Sunday league team, Meadow Green Wasps,’ TJ told him. ‘You remember, we played them last term. Leroy’s their captain. Look, there he is now.’
    TJ and Jamie knew Leroy well, because he also attended the PDC. They got out of the car and Rob took off with Mr Wilson to run ten kilometres. Leroy waved to Rob, as he ran past with TJ’s dad. ‘Your midfield genius,’ he said to TJ and Jamie. ‘I saw you all in the paper. But what happened to that girl? Your striker? There weren’t any pictures of her. Has she left your school?’
    ‘No,’ said Jamie, shaking his head. ‘But Mr Wood dropped her for our next match.’
    ‘She was really good,’ said Leroy, puzzled. ‘What happened?’
    ‘I wish I knew,’ replied TJ. He turned to Jamie. ‘Leroy’s right, you know. We have to help Tulsi get back in the team.’
    ‘Sure,’ said Jamie. ‘But what if she doesn’t
want
to be in the team? Have you thought of that?’
    That Sunday