i still do || n.h au

one

the final match

Niall wipes beads of sweat on his brow with the back of his hand as he assesses his surroundings. Two guys are guarding him right now -- Reeves and Morris. The former is standing a few feet away and the latter is slightly further but they share the same purpose: to prevent his team members from passing the ball to him. They see him as a bigger threat, even bigger than Oscar who is only guarded by one player right now, since he managed to score a goal a minute before they went on their half break and would've scored another one several minutes ago had the goalkeeper not shoved the ball away from the goal with the tips of his fingers.

Now they're on the second half of the match and with time nearly running out, all players are getting more and more intense as both teams are fighting to take the third spot in this year's league. Winning the fourth place doesn't have a nice ring to it.

Matt passes the ball to Oscar who then skillfully weaves around the opposing players to get closer to the goal -- the closer he gets, the more alert the goalkeeper is. Niall keeps his eyes on the ball, following its every move. A different pair of feet tries to steal the ball from Oscar but he manages to keep it to himself, deftly dodging Morris whose purpose has shifted from guarding Niall to guarding Oscar. Reeves is also no longer paying much attention to Niall so he sees that as an opportunity to get closer to his team members.

Niall jogs along the field as he shadows Oscar who has gotten close enough to the goalpost. Everyone anticipates another goal for Chelsea. If anyone could do it, it's Oscar.

However, before he can take the shots at the goal, the white shirt player, Andres, executes a slide tackle, stealing the ball away from him.

Niall could hear a string of profanities coming from his friend who is now lying on the grass, his knees clutched to his chest as Andres managed to not only kick the ball but also kick his foot during his attempt to dispossess Oscar -- no doubt he'll be complaining about that later once the game ends.

Niall's heart lurches at the idea of his friend getting injured but he snaps out of it. There's no time for worry and besides, Oscar would want him to steal the ball from Andres. He doesn't have to say it out loud but he knows what Oscar would say to him: 'Get that bastard.'

His feet blur against the green grass as he sets out to reclaim the ball. If they don't stop the white shirt players, they might score the goal and win this match. He can't let that happen.

Tom appears in Niall's periphery a couple of seconds later with the same intent and he blocks the other player's way as he works on getting the ball. When Tom has regained possession of the ball, he makes his way towards the opposing team's goalpost. He dodges everyone who gets in his way until he no longer can. He turns to his right and upon noticing that Niall is unguarded, he passes the ball quickly before anyone else could intercept the passing.

Niall knows he should get closer to the goalpost but with two players coming at him like hungry animals that have never seen meats before, his mind is made up. He needs to make the shot right here and right now or they'd lose possession of the ball once more.

So he sets his aim on the goal, glides past Andres who tries to tackle him and fires into the bottom corner like his life depends on it. Which, in a way, is the truth because the fate of his team relies on whether or not he makes the goal.

Time slows to a crawl and Niall can't decide if he wants to close his eyes or keep them open. He knows he gives his all in that kick and it could very well be the goal that wins them the match, and yet, that doesn't obliterate the anxiety that builds up inside of him the moment the ball flies away from his foot.