"MA-YA! MA-YA! MA-YA!"
The chant was deafening. Maya faced the keeper, the shot there for the taking. But her legs felt like lead. The pressure crushing.
Too much. This is too much.
The keeper came out further, narrowing the angle. Maya had to shoot. Had to do something.
But she hesitated. Just a second too long.
The defender recovered, slid in. Blocked the shot. Ball out for a corner.
Maya stood there, hands on her knees, gasping. She'd had it. The chance to win. And she'd frozen.
"It's okay!" Ethan called from midfield. "Corner! We've still got this!"
But Maya could see the disappointment on Coach's face. The frustration in her teammates' body language. She'd had the moment and choked.
I messed up. Just like they said I would.
The corner came to nothing. Golden Gate cleared it, pushed forward on the counter.
Three minutes left. The game slipping away.
