His mum smiled. ‘She is special.’
‘Mum,’ Jasper warned.
‘Okay. I won’t say anything else. Let’s join them.’
‘What about Dad?’
‘Don’t get me wrong. I love your father, but when it comes to dancing, he should be declared a danger zone. Besides, I want to dance with my handsome son.’
Jasper winced.
‘I’ve gone too far, haven’t I? That’s next week’s Good Parenting lesson.’
Jasper laughed as his mum pulled him up and they wove their way to the middle of the hall, which was packed with dancers laughing and clapping as they watched Nannu and Lil on the dance floor. The band played until after midnight and Jasper’s grandad was one of the last ones standing. Jasper only had the one dance. That was enough for him. He’d save his best moves for the soccer field. His mum was sweet and said he was really good, but when she went to sit down Jasper saw her secretly rubbing her toes.
His dad came off the dance floor and grabbed a drink. His face was red and he was breathing heavily. ‘I saw you dancing out there.’ He took a big sip of his drink.
‘Mum made me,’ Jasper cringed.
‘You might have Nannu’s legs but you’ve definitely got my feet. Sorry about that.’ He laughed out loud. One of those big chesty laughs he used to belt out before he lost his job. Jasper smiled. It was good to have his old dad back.
‘Dad? Are you and Nannu okay now?’
‘Yeah, we are.’ He ruffled Jasper’s hair. ‘Nothing for you to worry about, though. We’re just a couple of stubborn old men who had a difference of opinion, that’s all.’
He took a big sip of his juice.
‘Now I better get back before your mum starts to miss me.’
He danced back to Jasper’s mum and spun her into a twirl that almost knocked over Coach Wallace and his wife.
Ronaldinho was standing at the door, waiting to sneak in. When he saw his chance, he scooted into the hall and under the food tables until he reached Jasper.
‘You know you’re not allowed in here.’ Jasper tried to sound stern, but the look on Ronaldinho’s face melted it away. ‘All right then, come on.’
Ronaldinho jumped into his lap and they watched the room spin, swirl and bounce before them. His mum and dad, Coach Wallace and his wife, Mr and Mrs Spinelli, and the Rovers.
Then there was Lil and his grandad. Nannu was teaching her some smooth dance moves and Lil’s laugh floated above it all.
‘Chemistry,’ he said quietly. ‘That’s what it is, Ronaldinho.’
Ronaldinho nodded his furry head and nuzzled into Jasper’s lap. They spotted all the Rovers dancing in their new shirts. Even Mugger, although they weren’t sure if what he was doing could be called dancing, but it was close.
Jasper smiled. They were a good team before, but now they looked unbeatable. As he sank back into his chair he knew this season would be one of their best.
Backpass: A pass directed back to the goalie when you’re smothered by opponents and have no other options. Just be sure you don’t pull a Jasper and score on your own team. Keep the pass just wide of the goal.
Backs: The defensive positions in soccer. Your duty is to protect your back third of the field from attacking players. Don’t stray too far away from your duties; a clean breakaway from the opposition will leave your goalie helpless.
Ball: The round thing you kick and chase. Soccer games are a lot more fun with this little device.
Boofhead: Something Jasper is called when he’s been caught daydreaming on the soccer field and ends up scoring an own goal for the other team. This is a good one to try to avoid.
Chip: A short kick over an opponent to a team-mate. If a goalie wanders too far out of the goal area, this kick can be used for a cheeky goal.
Corner kick: If a defending player is the last to touch the ball before it goes out of bounds over the goal line, the attacking side gets a free kick from the corner arc at the nearest corner flagpost. This is a great opportunity to crowd the goal area and go for a winning header.
Cross: Passing the ball across the field in the direction of an open player. An accurate cross is deadly to defenders because they’re more focused on you than your team-mates.
Curve ball (also known as a bent or banana ball): When the ball is kicked across its side, causing it to spin and fly in a curve. Great for passing to avoid defenders or confuse a goalkeeper. This is David Beckham’s bread-and-butter and few do it better.
Dribbling: Running fast and in control with the ball at your feet. This essential soccer skill lets you evade an opponent or break away from a pack of defenders, opening up chances to score down the field.
Feint: Making an opponent think you’re dribbling in one direction and going in the opposite direction. Feints are skilled, practised moves, not just hocus pocus. Brazilians players like Ronaldo are known for faking out opponents. Olè!
Flick: A quick, often unexpected pass with your foot or head. Skilled players are good flickers.
Forwards: The offensive positions in soccer. Your job is simple: keep the ball in your offensive side of the field, make clean passes to set up your team-mates and, if the opportunity is there, put the ball in the back of the net. If you’re a ‘striker’, you’re the go-to-forward with the best chance to score.
Free kick: A kick awarded to the fouled team at the spot where the foul happened. The ball must be stationary before the kick. In an indirect free kick, opposing players must stand at least 9.15 metres away from the ball, often shoulder-to-shoulder in a wall. A direct free kick means no one stands between you and the goal. Which means you have less of an excuse if you miss.
Goal area: The boxed-off area within the penalty area in front of the goal where the goalie stands most of the time (hopefully not daydreaming).
Goal keeper: The last line of defence, the goalie stands in front of the goal and can use any part of their body to block, punch, deflect or trap the ball against their chest. Top goalies know exactly where to position themselves to block shots on goal.
Goal kick: If an attacking player is the last to touch the ball before it goes out of bounds over the goal line (without scoring a goal, of course), the goalie kicks the ball from anywhere inside the goal area. It helps if your goalie has a cannon for a leg.
Goals: The gateway to glory. Made up of a frame (two posts and a crossbar) and a net. This is where you kick or head the ball to score a goal. The ball must cross completely over the goal line for it to count. Hitting the crossbar, while common, gives you nothing more than frustration.
Handball: Simple – unless you’re the goalie, don’t touch the ball with your hand or arm. A handball in your own penalty area gives the other team a penalty kick.
Header: A shot or pass taken with your head when the ball is delivered through the air. The header is frequently used to score goals from corner kicks. Consider your head your ‘third foot’.
Interception: Stealing a pass meant for another opponent. Great midfielders and defenders are known for their pick-pocketing abilities.
Marking: Sticking close to a particular opponent, preventing them from getting the ball or passing to their team-mates.
Midfielder: The position between the defenders and the forwards. Your job is to see the ball safely through the middle third of the field with clean passes. This is where the game is controlled and scoring opportunities created. Good midfielders know when to go on the offensive and when to give their backs support.
Offside: A foul occurring when a team-mate passes you the ball and there are not at least two players (including the goalie) between you and the goal. Play stops immediately and the other team takes a free kick. This stops glory hogs from camping out by the goal, waiting for the ball to come to them.
One-touch pass: Receiving a pass from one team-mate and immediately passing it to another with the inside of the foot (without trapping it). A volley is a one-touch pass taken in the air with your head.
Overlapping: A
back goes from the defensive position and sweeps along the outside wings to join the attack.
Penalty area: The large boxed-off area around the goal area where the goalies can use their hands but other players can’t.
Penalty kick: A direct free kick taken by a team-mate when the opposing side commits a foul or a handball within their own penalty area. The shot is taken from a designated spot right in front of the goal and, more often than not, the goalie doesn’t have a prayer.
Penalty shootout: Often used to decide who wins games that are tied after regulation time and overtime. Both coaches choose five cool customers each to step up for a penalty kick. The team with the best out of five shots wins.
Push pass: A pass made with the inside foot for the best control and accuracy.
Reverse pass: Dribbling in one direction then passing the ball in the opposite direction.
Set play (or set piece): Plays that have been created during practice to score from free kicks and corner kicks. These plays give each player a certain job to do and, if they’re practised, are often the best scoring chances.
Sliding tackle: Sweeping along the ground to knock the ball from the opponent with an extended leg. You must slide from the side, not the back, and go for just the ball. A poor or overly aggressive tackle can result in a foul, a card, injury and dirty looks.
Through pass: Passing the ball through opponents to a running team-mate. An accurate though pass creates breakaway opportunities.
Throw-in: When a ball goes out of bounds, a member of the team that didn’t touch it last throws the ball back into play. You must throw with two hands over your head and your feet must not leave the ground.
Trap: Controlling a passed ball – either on the ground or in the air – with your feet or chest. Keeping possession of the ball allows you to quickly pass, dribble or shoot.
Wings: The outside lanes of the field. Midfielders called right and left wingers look to deliver the ball to open forwards in the centre of the field.
Yellow card: A warning given by a referee for severe fouls and bad sportsmanship, like overly aggressive tackles or complaining about a bad call. If this happens twice, you’ll receive the yellow card’s mean cousin, the red card. See one of these and you’re out of the game immediately.
Special thanks to the Hurlstone Park Wanderers and the Hunt Family – Nigel, Joey, Sasha, Poppy and Ruby. Thanks to Andy Harper and Brandon VanOver for your soccer know-how. Thanks to Jane Southward, Quentin Jones, Mitchell, Paddy, the two Matthews, Emma, Maddie, Nicholas, Edward, Gabriel and Sean for your enthusiasm and help. And thanks to Jeanne Ryckmans and Eva Mills for bringing together the dream team of Johnny Warren and Deborah Abela. You’re all legends!
Deb has always been a mad reader and writer and often gets lost in her imagination. After studying teaching, she travelled to America, the UK, Africa, Europe and Asia, and drove around Australia. She studied Communications before working in TV for nine years, most of it as the producer/writer of Cheez TV at Network TEN. She then began writing the Max Remy Superspy series. Deb grew up in Sydney, Australia, and lives there now with her partner Todd. Deb says: ‘I grew up playing lots of sports, but despite how hard I trained, I was never very good at any of them. Like Jasper, though, I loved playing! Especially as part of a team. My grandad was also born in Malta, just like Jasper’s. I’d love to be a soccer legend too, but I guess I’ll have to be happy with my own daydreaming and kicking the ball around the park with my friends.’
Johnny Warren MBE, OAM, was nine when he was rejected by his local under-12s team because he was ‘too small and needed to go home and eat more porridge’. Despite this, he went on to lead the Socceroos as captain and vice-captain through three World Cup campaigns, from 1964 to 1974. Johnny witnessed every stage of Australian football for over fifty years, from the days when you were called names if you played soccer to today, when players such as Harry Kewell are celebrated in Australia and prized by overseas clubs. In 1988, he was inducted into the Australian Sports Hall of Fame, and in 2004 soccer’s world governing body, FIFA, awarded Johnny the prestigious Centennial Order of Merit. Johnny died in 2004, but his contribution to Australian football will not be forgotten.
There’s a new kid at Jasper’s school. Aamir can’t speak English, but he knows a few tricks on the soccer field, and he’s soon invited to join the Rovers. The problem is, Eastville Kings player Badger Mackenzie can’t resist doing what he does best – badgering his opponent to put them off their game. This time his target is Aamir. Someone will be sent off the field with a red card – but who will it be? And will it affect the Rovers’ dream of playing in the finals?
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It’s a few weeks before the finals and Coach Wallace has to go overseas, but he leaves the Rovers in the hands of a new coach who is keen, charming and knows his stuff. But with winning being the only thing he cares about, his coaching methods lead to bitter divisions and a game that is no longer fun. When Lil’s brother arrives home from playing for the state team, he helps the Rovers devise a plan to get them back on track. But will he be able to save them from total collapse? Time is running out and he’s their only hope.
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Find out more at www.maxremy.com.au
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Jasper Zammit Soccer Legend 1 Page 10
