T.J. and the Winning Goal Read Online Free PDF Page A

last goal.’
    ‘You were good,’ agreed TJ. ‘And we’re going to have to be a lot better than that if we want to win the Regional Tournament.’
    ‘Maybe Deng could move to our school,’ Rob said.
    Deng grinned at Rob. The two midfield magicians had become good friends off the pitch. ‘No way!’ said Krissy, looking alarmed.
    ‘Don’t worry,’ Deng said. ‘I like it at Hillside. But I don’t know why they haven’t asked you to come to the PDC, Rob,’ he went on. ‘You should talk to your friend Marshall.’
    Marshall Jones was a star at nearby Premier League side Wanderers. He was an old friend of Mr Wood’s and he had given the Parkview team a lot of help.
    ‘I don’t think Marshall has much to do with the PDC,’ TJ said. ‘But I bet if Rob keeps playing that way then a scout will see him. I bet they’ll ask him one day soon.’
    ‘I don’t think so,’ said Rob.
    ‘If I was as good as he is I’d make sure everyone knew it,’ laughed Krissy, as Rob walked away.
    ‘I don’t think he actually knows just how good he is,’ replied TJ.
    Even though they’d won the match, TJ knew that it hadn’t been a convincing victory. ‘Those runs you made in the first half were amazing,’ he said to Tulsi, as they waited for her mum when school was over. ‘You should have kept doing them.’
    ‘You’re not the coach, are you?’ snapped Tulsi. ‘Just leave me alone, TJ.’
    TJ opened his mouth to say something else, but Rob tugged at his arm. ‘Not now,’ he hissed. ‘You’ll just make it worse.’
    ‘You were right,’ TJ said to Rob a little later, as they walked home. ‘It wasn’t a good time to talk to Tulsi, but look – there’s Danny. Let’s have a word with him. I want to find out why he isn’t coming to training.’
    ‘You go if you like,’ Rob said.
    TJ glanced at him, then he remembered. When he’d first arrived at Parkview Danny and Rob had been enemies. ‘He’s a good tackler,’ TJ said.
    ‘I know,’ replied Rob. ‘But I don’t have to like him, do I?’

C HAPTER 8
    ‘HEY, DANNY,’ CALLED TJ. ‘Wait for me.’
    Danny ignored him and kept on walking. TJ ran to catch him up. ‘You haven’t been to training,’ he said.
    ‘So?’
    ‘We could have really used you today. You could have marked Deng.’
    ‘You don’t need me. You won anyway.’
    ‘Only just. And we didn’t deserve to, not really.’
    ‘Look, I can’t come, OK.’
    ‘But why not?’
    ‘Leave me alone, TJ. I’ve got things to do.’
    Danny turned down the next street and walked off without looking back. Rob came up behind TJ. ‘What did he say?’
    ‘He wouldn’t listen. I don’t like it, Rob. Tulsi’s in a terrible mood and if she doesn’t watch out Mr Wood is going to drop her. Danny won’t even try to get in the team. We started off so well today and then it all went wrong. What if that happens in the tournament?’
    ‘Well,’ said Rob seriously. ‘All teams experience a dip in form at some point in the season. It’s a well-known fact.’
    TJ burst out laughing. ‘Did you hear that on some TV programme?’ he said.
    Rob grinned. ‘
Match of the Day
,’ he said. ‘But it’s true. And you just have to get on with it. All the best teams manage to win even when they’re playing badly. It’s what makes them great. And I’ve got a plan for Tulsi too.’
    ‘Oh yeah?’
    ‘When we go to see Wanderers next week I’m going to get her to watch their centre forward, Dwight Fanshawe, all the time. Then she’ll see how much work he gets through when he hasn’t got the ball.’
    ‘I don’t think anyone is going to tell Tulsi what to do,’ said TJ. ‘But I’m looking forward to the match. If they get to the Champions League final, will they give you tickets for that too?’
    ‘That’s what they told me,’ Rob said.
    As a birthday treat Jamie’s dad had taken them to watch Wanderers play Milan in the Champions League. Rob had made a brilliant tactical suggestion and by an