Tournaments...You would think that I would be excited as hell jumping around no? Wrong! I froze in place when the whistle blew. Why I hesitate so much? Because I was remembering my first tournaments in my past life, they were awful. And not just one, they were like 20 or 30 until I managed to win one.

Well back then I was just playing to hone my skills and I was just a beginner, but now I had an idea of the importance of your record. The bigger your win account is, the bigger is the chance to get noticed by a good headhunter.

Sure, I could ask Butch to get me on a 3rd class European league. But I didn't want that. I wanted to train with the best from my earliest age possible. I didn't want to waste more time.

The time I wasted waiting for the Champions League to end was big enough! Well, I didn't reeeeeally wasted my time and trained as best as I could with the resources I got available... But still! It wasn't at the pace I liked training.

Well in resume I need to win all the tournaments, complete the mission and get noticed by a good headhunter. But the first step is to win, I need to win in order to advance, or even if I don't win I have to at least make a good show for the people. Like the Coliseum, winning the crowd means you win your freedom. My freedom, in this case, would play whatever team I wanted as long as I have fans supporting me!

Wait a minute, can you get fans playing underage on smaller teams? I don't know, maybe a couple!

Let's go back to before the tournament started, shall we?

....

The next day arrived and my mother and I hopped on her car and followed behind Butch car. A discreet black car, it looked imported but since I never was a car kind of guy so I don't know what brand of car was, it looked expensive though.

We arrived at a professional football field, an 11 vs 11 football field. Jesus, you expect for kids to run on this immense field? Well, I suppose they can make 2 halves of 20 minutes in order to don't stress on the kids so much.

I arrived at the field and Butch came to me and gave me a football attire, with the number 10 on it. And he said while patting on my back "I used my connections to let you in on this team kiddo! And even got you your favorite position! Don't disappoint me, and most important of all...Have FUN!!"

He left for the street vendor to buy a couple of hotdogs for her and my mom. My mom was busy telling me to play safe, to have fun, to watch out for nasty kids and even cleaning my cheek with her saliva. Ew, I never get used to her doing that!

Anyway, after I dress in the dressing room really quickly I was ready to go on the bench on our side. Our team was called the puppies! And our attire was light blue with a German pastor puppy as the team shield. I wish I had puppies on my side, because of what I was seeing this team was as weak as a newborn calf. A couple of them were already dozing off on the beach because of how early in the morning it was, and the other half was actually playing "You are at it" while running like fools. Our coach was a fresh football coach student trying to make order on this chaos. I looked at the grades and saw Butch smiling with a hotdog on his mouth and waving his hand like a fool with his mouth still stuffed.

My mother was busy chatting with the other mothers next to her, obviously saying that his kid was the best, and for the looks of this, at least on my team, she was right. Jesus, at least tell me I have someone I can pass the ball on. Nope, that kid wanted to go home because he scratched his knee while playing "You are at it", great.

The other team was called the foxes, with an ugly brown and white attire. The kids were peacefully drinking water while chatting with their coach. A couple of them even began to warm up. Aaaaand my number 7 ate a worm, nice, proteins for the match I suppose.

The referee was a caveman looking man, he told our coaches that it was time for the match to began and we need to get in our positions. The kids were euphoric for beginning the match, I suppose that is a good thing. The match began and the other team had the kickoff, they began to run past our player. My teammates only followed the ball, and the other kids just pass the ball between them. It wasn't even 5 minutes that half of my team was without a breath and fell on the ground.

I recovered from my freeze state when I saw the kid who ate the worm began to throw up, thanks for waking me up little worm! Your sacrifice was not in vain! Now I was alone near our defense line without anybody but the whole opposite team in front of me. I shouted to my teammates "You, you and you! (3,6 & 5) Go the middle, don't move and if a kid with a ball is near you try to steal it WITHOUT kicking him or push him! You, number 2, come with me on the left side right now!! And you, goalkeeper, go to the middle-right side of your goal post! Don't worry we will catch the ball if it comes from the middle or the left, but if they come from the right, CATCH IT!"

Why did I call the number 2 that was on the right side to come all the way to the left side? Because he was the only one with a bored looking face. Like if this was not entertaining or difficult enough. Or maybe he didn't like playing football. Anyway, I had to risk it thinking it was one of the first 2 options.

They followed my instructions because our coach was shouting names about a couple of tactics that the kids didn't know or remember. The number 2 came to my side with a surprised face, like he didn't except to someone to take charge on the field. I looked at him and said "Look, I will try to steal the ball, in the worst case scenario, you will be left alone against all of them, in that case, do what you can and I will support you from behind. But if I steal the ball you follow me. If I the case I see I can't steal the ball I will try to make him kick the ball a little long so you can steal it, okay? GO PUPPIES GO!"

Shit, that was embarrassing as hell to shout, a couple of parents began to laugh while some began to shout! GO PUPPIES GO! After those shouts I was finally in front of the kid with the ball, it was fortunate that they were running with ease like they didn't have us on their eyes at all, and left me enough time to arrange my team. Anyway, the 11 of their team was in front of me. And he was fast and had good coordination with the ball. I stomped and made a defensive pose and he tried to pass me from my left, I quickly tried to steal the ball and succeed!

It seems that their coach focused on a rush attack tactic while passing the ball. They were overconfident of winning so they didn't pass the ball near the goal post. Obviously, the number 11 wanted to make a goal that why he didn't pass the ball.

Anyway, the biggest flaw about this tactic is that if the opponents manage to counter attack you are overexposed to their attack like a vulnerable hamster! I quickly dribble with the ball and went running to their goal post, the foxes where confused, a couple of them even continued to run to our goal post. Only 2 or 3 managed to run behind me, more exactly behind my number 2.

We passed my teammates on the ground panting for air and I had two defense opponents in front of me. I told with my hand behind my back to my number 2 to go on the right, he quickly understood and went over the right.

The 2 defenses of their team were focusing on me, a great mistake, this is a team sports kiddos! I made a high kick passing the ball to my number 2, the ball landed and he stopped it after it bounced 2 times, my bad I passed the ball like in my old times, I subconsciously assume that he would stop the ball immediately and shoot towards the goal post, shit!

One of the defense guys decided to stay with me while the other went to my number 2 while the offensive side was coming from behind to encircle the poor kid. I made a gesture to my hand like a long wave. I hope he gets the meaning and started to run.

He kicked the ball high near the goal post and I made my characteristic big jump while hitting the ball with my head. Making the first....

GOAAAAALLL!