T.J. and the Cup Run Read Free Page B

against you and Rob, then,’ Deng said to TJ. ‘That bin can be our goal, and that tree over there is yours. You ready?’
    He didn’t wait for TJ’s answer, just dropped the ball and hit it into space for Krissy to chase. TJ went after her. ‘Mark Deng!’ he yelled over his shoulder, but Rob paid no attention. Krissy was a striker and he knew she’d go for goal, so Rob raced to cut off her shot. She reached the ball before TJ could tackle her and blasted it at the tree, but Rob was already there. He controlled the ball with his chest and struck his pass instantly before the ball even hit the ground. It flew across the grass, cutting through the narrow gap between Deng and Krissy as they both raced towards him. TJ took the ball in his stride and saw Rob rushing forward, indicating with his hand where he wanted it to go. TJ played the pass and moved off himself, trying to get away from Deng.
    As he ran he had the strangest feeling that he knew what Rob was going to do. He checked his run suddenly and turned. And there was the ball at his feet! He had space and a little bit of time as Deng tried to get back to him. Rob was sprinting towards the goal, and TJ chipped the ball over Krissy’s head. It was easy for Rob to run on and tap it against the bin.
    ‘Yes!’ exclaimed TJ. ‘One–nil to us.’
    By the time they stopped playing the score was 6–2 to Rob and TJ, and Krissy looked at Rob with new respect. ‘We found a secret weapon when Deng came to our school,’ she said. ‘Now it looks like you’ve found one too.’

C HAPTER 5
    JAMIE’S MUM HAD made an enormous birthday cake in the shape of a pair of goalkeeping gloves. ‘Just make sure you wish for a Wanderers victory,’ said Tulsi, as Jamie blew the candles out.

    Jamie’s dad looked at his watch. ‘Eat your cake, you lot,’ he said, ‘and then we’d better get going.’
    ‘Just a small piece please, Mum,’ said Jamie, and everyone laughed. Jamie had been so unfit earlier in the term that Mr Wood had dropped him from the school team for a while.
    ‘You ate three big slices on your last birthday,’ his mum said.
    ‘Not any more,’ replied Jamie. ‘Not if I want to play in goal for Wanderers one day.’
    They all stared at Jamie. Just a few weeks ago he had hated the idea of going in goal.
    ‘Actually,’ said Rob, ‘there was a fat goalkeeper who played for England once in 1897. He was called Fatty Foulkes and they think he weighed a hundred and fifty kilograms.’
    ‘Well, I bet he wouldn’t have got in the Wanderers team for tonight,’ Jamie said laughing. ‘And Dad’s right. We’d better go.’
    There were five of them besides Jamie – Tulsi, Rafi, TJ, Rob and Rodrigo – all squashed into the back of the Carters’ battered old people-carrier. They parked in a car park on the edge of the city and walked in towards the ground with thousands of other spectators. TJ could feel the nervousness in the air. Wanderers hadn’t been playing well in their European games.
    ‘I don’t reckon Jones has got it any more,’ TJ heard a man say.
    ‘He was rubbish when we played this lot last time,’ his friend agreed.
    ‘Can’t see us winning if he doesn’t play though.’
    ‘I wish I’d talked to Marshall,’ Rob said to TJ, as the two men moved away. ‘Those men were right. Marshall’s very important, but he’s not back up to his pre-injury speed yet.’
    ‘I bet the Wanderers manager has thought of everything,’ TJ replied. ‘He’s not stupid, you know.’
    The Wanderers pitch was brilliant green under the floodlights as they found their way to their seats. The Champions League banner fluttered in the middle of the pitch as the teams ran out and the anthem played. ‘Maybe we’ll be on TV,’ said Jamie. ‘Look, Marshall’s in the team anyway.’
    The teams seemed a long way away. When they had been to watch Wanderers as Marshall’s guests they had sat right on the halfway line, but now they were in the corner of the ground.