Keep Going

A legacy to hold

AUTHORS NOTE: Just to let you know in advance most of these videos require you to go on YouTube itself to watch for some reason :'(

"Let's start," Carli is already typing on the YouTube search bar, " with your debut."
I frown. "When was that?"

Carli briefly thinks back, before telling me, "July , 2006. You were only 16. Coach Greg was very impressed with you."
I try to remember stuff. "Is Greg still the coach?"
Carli gives a sad shake of the head. "No...he left after our disasterclass in China."

I don't say anything, of course I don't remember our "disasterclass".
I decide to ask another question. "Can I ask something...real quick before you play the video?"
Carli nods, clearly happy to hear this. "What do you want to know?"
I ponder for a moment, question momentarily going out my head, before I remember.
"How many coaches have we had on the National team?"
Carli frowns. "Good question. I've had six...coaches? You've played under five."

With that, Carli clicks on the clip.
The "USWNT" ( I'm guessing is us) are against Mexico.
I remember looking on my Wikipedia page and seeing that I scored on my debut.

There's quite a crowd. It's already dark and I hear the commentator say this match will hopefully be preparation for China next summer which I now know is the World Cup.

The only player I recognise from both sides is Carli, who looks like one of the youngest players on the team.

One of the first highlights is the a tall blonde player from our side heading into the net.
I hear Carli hiss "Go Abby!" and it makes me smile how this seems to take her back to the good times.

Although not long after, a Mexican player goes on an impressive run, taking on several of our players before calmly slotting their ball past our goalkeeper.
"Mercado!" Carli groaned. She looks to me and informs, "She's still on the international team you know."

I look back at the screen to the celebrating teenager. Then I realise most of the players on the pitch are no longer playing.
Damn, the times have changed.

"Look," Carli nudges my arm, "it's your time to shine."
For a moment, I don't understand what she means, then I see someone holding a board with two numbers.
Number nine is in red and I see a player on our team with the number nine jogging off, high fiving and hugging the player with number eighteen, whose number is in green, and is coming on.

"You came on for HAO," Carli explains, "I don't think the crowd liked that at first. We really wanted to win the game."

Yet literally, seconds later in the video, I see Carli on the ball, weaving past several players. She then lays the ball to me and my initial thought is how baby faced I looked.
Teen me looked like a foetus compared to everyone else, lmao.

I take a touch, I'm right outside the box, I see teammates calling for a pass, yet I take a second touch, the ball now on the inside of my right foot before I curl the ball.
Everything goes in slow motion as it curls right into the top corner, the keeper appearing foolish to even attempt to claw it out.

As soon as I score, I see myself running towards the touch line, before running into someone's arms.
"You were close to Kristine Lilly," Carli quietly says, "she was like your mum on the team."
I give a quiet laugh, though I'm crying on the inside.
How did I forget all this?

The highlights end not long after and Carli turns to me.
"What did you think of that?" She wants to know.
I shrug, admitting, "That was pretty impressive of me."
Carli elbows me. "I mean everyone wanted you afterwards!"

Now Carli is typing something else up.
I see Olympic Final 2008 on the search bar.
A couple of things come up, but I see Carli click on the game against Brazil.
We're on the thumbnail, her arm wrapped firmly around my shoulder as I'm smiling at someone with Heath on their back.