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We all nod, focused.

“They’re a tough team, they’re well-coached, and they’re going to put up a fight,” Raul continues. “But so are we. We’re the Breakers. We don’t break, we do the breaking!”

We shout our agreement. He’s right, we’re not here to be sentimental, we’re here to compete.

“Let’s get out there and do what we do best,” Raul says. “Play hard, play smart, play together.”

We head to the tunnel, line up and wait for the signal. The music plays, the announcer speaks, the crowd roars. We feel the adrenaline. We’re ready.

We walk out onto the field. The Gators are already warming up. I see some old friends. I nod at them, and this time, they actually nod back. No hard feelings anymore, just healthy competition.

We do our own warm-ups. I feel the grass under my boots and the sun on my neck, and I feel alive.

We go back to the locker room and wait for the kickoff. Raul gives us the lineup and the game plan. We understand and agree. We’re one unit.

The whistle blows, and we jog back to the field. We line up, facing the Gators.

The referee calls the captains, Lexa and Olivia, for the coin toss. That used to be me with Olivia as my backup. She wins and chooses to kick off.

The Gators kick off. The Gators pass the ball around, looking for an opening. We press them, trying to win it back. We’re aggressive. We want to make a statement.

We win the ball and counterattack. Lexa leads the charge, with Daisy and Rebecca on the wings. She takes a pass from Daisy and leaves a defender behind.

She looks for me, and I run forward, calling for it. She passes it to me, and I trap it with my foot. I look up and see Rebecca making a run. I pass it to her, and she takes a shot. The goalkeeper saves it, but it’s a good effort.

We keep pushing and create chances, but they don’t end up with the ball in the net. The Gators also have some opportunities, but Millie is solid, and the defense is tight. It’s a tense, balanced game.

We go into halftime level. We’re frustrated, but not defeated.

Raul joins us in the locker room. “I want to see smiles on your faces.”

“There’s nothing to smile about,” Daisy says.

“On the contrary,” Raul replies. “Don’t you see? A year ago, you’d be losing already. A year ago, you wouldn’t have two more chances than them. A year ago, you wouldn’t care about winning because it wasn’t a possibility. You’ve grown, you’ve improved, and I’m proud of all of you. But now I need you to stay focused for the next half. They’ll be more desperate for a win because this is their home field and they don’t want to look bad. They’ll be more dangerous. I need you to be stronger.”

He’s right. We’ve come a long way, and we can go further.

Raul stops me at the door. “You okay?”

“I’m good.”

“You can’t go easy on them, Valentina,” he says. “I know they’re your friends, but they’re also your opponents.”

“I won’t hold back,” I say.

“Good,” he says, patting my shoulder. “You’re the key to this match. You have to dominate the midfield, control the tempo, dictate the play. Our strikers are good, but they can’t do anything without the ball. Can you get it to them?”

I look at him and see the pride, the trust, the expectation in his eyes. He’s not just my coach, he’s my brother. He wants me to shine.

I smile. “Watch me.”

We go back to the field, and the second half starts. It’s our turn to kick off, and we do it with purpose. We pass the ball around, keeping possession, looking for gaps. I’m in the center and I feel the pressure to make the difference.

Seeing Lexa making a run, I pass it to her. She takes on a defender and beats her with a skillful move. She crosses the ball, and Rebecca gets her head on it, but it goes wide.

“Fuck!” Rebecca yells. “I almost had it.”

I jog up to her and give her a high five. “You’ll get the next one.”