Fine Line

From the sidelines

Ella rushed to grab Alessia a bottle of water and a coat. It wasn't cold but the she knew the strikers legs would often get cold quickly after coming off the pitch.

Her heart warmed when the disappointment weighing on Alessia's frown lift and a soft smile replace it.

"You alright?" Ella dared to ask the striker who took the bottle from her hand.

Alessia nodded in response as she took the coat from Tooney's other hand.

"Thank you" The blonde mumbled to the ground. Ella frowned taking her seat again, watching Alessia's pain riddled face as she sat down next to her.

"Is it your hamstring?" Ella leaned closer to Alessia and the blonde looked over to her.

The striker simply nodded, looking back out to the pitch.

"Is it bad?" The brunette looked down at the blonde clutching the back of her leg.

"Just feels tight, like really tight.." The striker responded deflated.

Ella could sense Alessia's disappointment, in an attempt to help her mood she added,

"You played amazing less" She smiled, but was met by Alessia's clenched jaw.

"I haven't scored, yet again." She scoffed.

"No cause you're too busy fuckin' defending!" Ella quiet response was quick.

"I wasn't good enough." Alessia shrugged, dropping her bottle to the ground and slumping back in her seat.

"Lessi... we've had this conversation. You are good enough..." Ella continued to look at her best friend's cold expression. Her eyes which were usually full of excitement, dull and bitter.

"You made a massive impact!" She poked at the strikers side, making her flinch. Ella could tell she wanted to smile but she had stopped herself.

"You asked me to do you a favour yesterday, to trust you and everyone around me and I do. We are going to win this game Alessia. So, can I ask you to do me a favour?"

The blondes eyes finally lifted to Ella's.

"Trust the girls around you, and on the pitch, to pull us through to the next stage because they will" Ella's eyes flicked between Alessia's. Seeing the depth of the strikers emotions felt like a bus parked on her chest.

"And if they don't." Alessia broke the eye contact, looking back at the game in play.

"They will." Ella said confidently "Trust me" Her hand gently tapping the strikers knee as she sat back in her seat.

Alessia's eyes immediately locked onto the innocent gesture from Ella. The midfielder pretended not to notice the blonde cover her chin and mouth with the collar of her coat. Was Alessia blushing?

As the minutes passed, Alessia's coldness wore away. Her and Ella chatting tactics, players, the red card, as they sat through the painful minutes of extra time. Before it was time for:

The dreaded penalties.

Ella has never felt so hopeless. She looked over to Alessia in the hope to find comfort but was greeted by the same worried expression she wore. Ella offered her hand out to Alessia and the striker seemed grateful to take her up on the gesture as they looked on.

The first was Georgia.

They knew she was a good penalty taker. They had full faith in her.

The midfielder stepped up to her mark, kicked it.

Alessia gripped Ella hard as the ball flew wide. Releasing her hand quickly when she realised just how hard she had squeezed. But Ella was a quick to grab it again.

They squeezed again as the Nigerian player Oparanoize missed in the same fashion as Stanway.

Next up Beth England. Again another strong penalty taker. Shoots. Back of the net.

Alozie for Nigeria stepped up. Missed.

Then Rach took her turn, back of the net.

Ajibade for Nigeria. Scored.

Then Alex stepped up, another player with a surprisingly strong shot. Scored.

Ucheibe for Nigeria. Scored again

It was 3-2. And who should be next up to take the kick. None other than Chloe Kelly.

If you'd want anyone on the pitch to score the decider it would be Chloe Kelly.

The blonde settled, looked up, carries out her iconic hop, slams the ball and it ripples the back of the net.

Alessia and Ella erupt along with the rest of the bench. Running onto the pitch, pain to the back of their minds, unconsciously still hand in hand until they reached the other players, the lionesses had just secured themselves in the finals. Another step closer to lifting the World Cup.

All the hard work, blood, sweat and tears they had put in had paid off. They had made it to the playoffs, they didn't care how they done it. They were through and that's all that mattered.