La Reina - Alexia Putellas

31.

The next day had come faster than expected and Alexia finds herself sitting in the teams locker room, Sandra next to her as Jorge gives his last motivation speech before the team would finally get on that pitch.

It was the day of the semi finale.

Never again did the Spanish team get there, so they were already writing history here. But that wasn't enough.

At least it wasn't for Alexia.

The Spanish captain was ready to give her all and everything into that game to reach that finale with her country.

All of them get up, hugging each other with so match passion, before Alexia turns towards her locker, giving herself a second to admire that picture of her dad holding her into her arms, the same she got tattooed years ago, before grabbing the pennant.

As soon as she reads the print, her nervousness and excitement turns into reality.

Semifinale 1
Womens Euros 2022 - England
Spain - Germany

The captain takes a deep breath, rereading the print on the pennant before making her way outside, leading her team into the tunnel before getting onto that pitch.

Now nothing could hold her back.

Even though she finds her heart beating extremely fast, she felt the adrenaline running through her veins in a way it hadn't often been before.

She stands first in the line, the pennant behind her back when she feels Sandra's presence behind her, the goalkeeper doing some warm up exercises as the German team lines up beside them.

Alexia turns her head, giving the German captain Alexandra Popp a slight nod, before she tries to hide her sudden nervousness with an beast mode expression on her face.

Alexia's lips form a flat line as she stands there, looking onto that perfectly green grass on the pitch.

"Here we go", the referee announces, giving both captains a light smile before she starts walking, Alexia following close behind her with the pennant in her right hand.

The captain tries to relax her breathing, looking up into the sky quickly the second she gets onto the pitch, before nervously taking her place beside the referees, her team standing next to her.

Alexia feels her hands shaking as she tries to hide them behind her back, holding onto the pennant tightly.

She didn't know why she was being this nervous right now, usually she wasn't like that.

The anthem of Germany gets played first, giving the Spanish captain some time to focus and relax, but it didn't work.

Alexia looks into the crowd, searching for that one person that had always given her the feeling of security that she so desperately needed in those last weeks.

Erin.

The captain sighs relieved as soon as her eyes fall on the blonde standing there between a bunch of Spanish fans, her eyes staring into Alexia's.

The athlete takes a deep breath, her lips forming a small smile as she suddenly feels her heartbeat relaxing at Erin's comforting look.

The therapist somehow always manages to make her relax like that.

Even when the national anthem of Spain started to play, Alexia's eyes remain on Erin's, finding the support that she so desperately needed right now.

At the end of it, Alexia mouths a small 'thank you' in the blondes direction, her lips forming the littlest of a smile before she turns, checking hands with the referees and the German players.