Seeing Double

78

Astrid's POV

Me: Everyone grab lunch, snacks, drinks, blankets or whatever you need to be comfortable for 3 hours then report to the team meeting room in 30 minutes.

"Babe I'm back." Tobin says as she comes into our room with our lunch.

She went to get us lunch while I got us drinks and snacks for our team meeting.

"Hi Boo Bear." I say and peck her lips then I take the bag of food from her.

"You have no idea how hard it was for me not to eat this on the way back here." My wife says as she sits in the chair next to me.

"I can't remember the last time I had Shake Shack." I admit.

Tobin and I spend the next twenty minutes eating lunch and talking about random things then we grab all the things we'll need for the meeting before we head down to the meeting room. Once in the meeting room Tobin chooses one of the couches in the room while I get everything set up then we wait for the team to arrive.

"Alright." I say and take a drink of my sprite after everyone is in the room. "First off I apologize for yelling at you guys yesterday. It was uncalled for and probably made things worse...So here's what were gonna do. We're gonna dissect the Mexico game and the first half of the Jamaica game then we're going to forget they even happened and focus on winning our next couple games okay?"

"We forgive you." Mal says and the rest of the team nod. "But who are we playing next?"

"After the NWSL finishes we will head over to Europe to play Norway and Italy."

"Cool." Sam says.

"Then in January we're heading to Australia to play Australia and Canada." I say. " I want you guys to get a feel for what it'll be like to play there."

"Sweet." Kelley says.

"Wait Canada?" Alex questions.

"Canada is playing Australia in Australia as well so we made a deal to just play them in Australia."

"Oh."

"Yep...so let's get started." I say.

I load up the Mexico game, press play, then we watch until I see our first issue.

"Alright let's stop here first." I say and pause the video. "What's wrong with this sequence?"

The sequence I'm talking about is Kelley running with the ball up field then she crosses the ball, but it gets cleared.

"Uh the ball got cleared?" Kelley questions.

"sort of." I say.

I then rewind to my main talking point for this section .

"Kels I need you to get your crosses off a little bit earlier." I say then I use my pointer as I explain why. "You have an open player here, here, here, here, and here."

"Okay."

I press play then we watch until I pause it at my next talking point.

"Alright what's wrong here?" I question after pausing the video.

"The midfielders didn't drop?" Andi questions.

"Exactly." I say. "If whoever's in the 6 role drops back into defense then I need one of you to fill that roll at the top of the box."

We spend the next two and half hours nitpicking each and every mistake then when the meeting ends I see everyone staring at me like I have two heads.

"What?" I question.

"How the fuck did you catch all that?" Mal questions.

"And how do you have a solution for everything?" Emily asks.

"It's my job to know everything that happens on the pitch and how to solve the bad things." I say.

"Aww I'm outta snacks." Kelley says causing everyone to laugh.

"All of us are here until we fly back to were ever tomorrow so why don't we go have some fun."

"Like what?" Mal ask.

"We can go to the training field and play kickball, dodgeball, flag football, we can go to an arcade, putt putt, go kart racing, go to the local Top Golf......Take your pick."

- - - - -

"Strides." Kelley whines. "It keeps going left."

The girls decided to go to Top Golf so that's where we are.

"Because your aiming to the left Kelloggs." I say with a chuckle as our food and drinks arrive. "Kels food and beer is here."

"Ooh Beer." Kelley says then she comes and sits dow at our table

At our table and in our bay is myself, Kelley, Tobin, Christen, Alex, and Julie.

The 6 of us eat our food and drink the beers while chatting and watching the other girls hit.

"Stupid ball." Mal mumbles from the bay next to ours.

"Here." Lindsey says then she stands behind Mal and wraps her arms and hands around Mal's.

Lindsey then swings their arms back then she swings them forward and they hit the ball.

"IT WENT IN." Mal shouts then she pecks Lindsey's lips. "Thanks."

"Okay seriously." Emily teases. "Just get married already."

"In due time Emily." Mal says.

"Emily how's your love life?" Sam questions as I eat some of my chicken.

"Pretty good." Emily says and takes a sip of her beer. "Me and Jeni are gettin pretty serious."

"That's good."

"After the season we're moving in together."

"Good for you two." Moe says.

"IN THE HOLE BITCH." Ash shouts causing everyone to laugh. "My bad."

"I swear that's your favorite word." Julie says.

"Mhmm." Ash says and nods her head.

"This chickens so good." Kelley says.

"Hey." I say and smack Kelley's hands. "Eat your own food ya squirrel."

"Pressy." Kelley playfully whines. "Astrid's being a jerk."

"Behave children." Christen says.

"Speaking of kids." Alex says then she looks at my wife and I. "You two thought about kids yet?"

"We've talked about adopting, but we're a bit busy right now." Tobin says.

"We'll talk more seriously once our lives have slowed down." I say.

"Is that before or after the Olympics?" Julie questions.

"My contract stops at the end of 2024." I say. "I'm guessing US Soccer and I will discuss my position after the Paris Olympics."

"Would you want to stop coaching after the Olympics?" Mal asks.

"I don't know." I admit. "If continuing coaching means I don't get to spend as much time with Tobin and our future kids then yeah I'll stop."

"Future kids." Tobin says with a dopey smile. "I can't wait to have kids of our own."