Y/N POV

I can't believe it. Today is the quarter finals. And we're playing against France.

The last time we played against them, we lost.

Since then though, our team has grown into an unstoppable force, crushing every team we faced. We worked so well together; I can predict everyone's moves before they even think about making them.

If we win the match today, we'll either play against England, or Norway, depending on who won that game.

I'm feeling more confident than ever in our teams ability to to win. I know it won't be easy, especially against a team like France, but we conquered Spain, and Sweden and they both played rough.

The whole team was buzzing with excitement during breakfast this morning, and the bus ride to the stadium was anything but calm.

We waved to the fans outside the venue as we entered, and I looked to Alex, who sat next to me. She had fallen asleep on my shoulder. She looked to peaceful and so cute, I didn't want to wake her up, but I knew I needed to.

"Lex." I said softly, gently nudging her arm.

The girl stirred, moving even closer to me, but didn't open her eyes. I chuckled, running my fingers through her long, chocolate strands.

"Alex, you have to get up. We're here."

The forward groaned, pushing her head into my neck. I could feel her shaking her head.

"Fine. I guess I'll just get dressed with Tobs and Ash then."

She shot up in her seat, wide awake all of a sudden. "I'm awake."

"Damn Y/n, just pull the old see-me-naked-card and a bitch just comes back to life." Pinoe laughed behind us.

I laughed, flipping her off, and finally got my girlfriend to stand so we could get off the bus.

Since we had pulled directly into the large tunnel of the stadium, there was no one around except for the coaches and other staff, which meant Alex and I could be affectionate and not have to worry.

Once we got out onto the field though, things had to be strictly platonic.

It's a struggle to hide your feelings for someone when all you want to do is shout them out to the whole world, but neither Alex nor I are ready to come out publicly yet, so it's just something we have to do.

I will say though, that so far things are going much better than I had expected. Not to bag on Alex at all, but considering the place our relationship was in less than a month ago, the fact that we are where we are now is shocking, but awesome.

The brunette seems to have quickly warmed up and accepted the idea of dating someone who isn't a man, and from what I can tell, she's happy.

As we all entered the locker room, each player went to their respective spot to change into our practice kits and lace up our cleats. I made sure to tape my hands before putting my gloves on, then helped Jill, Mark, and Erica carry some of our equipment out to the field.

The place was empty since fans wouldn't be allowed in for another ten minutes, so we quickly set everything up, then headed back to the locker room so the captains could give their motivational speeches.

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I looked over at Alex as we lined up in the tunnel, the noise of the crowd deafening. There were cameras on us, broadcasting the game live around the world, so I couldn't do anything other than smile at her.

From the look in her eyes though, I knew she got the message.

We followed the trainers out to our half of the field, the defenders going to the top half, while the attackers went to the middle, and Ashlyn, Alyssa, and I went to the goal with Abel.

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To say the game was rough would be a gross understatement. France had spent the last few months grinding just as much as we had, and it was evident in their play. Their offense was so quick, our defense was having trouble keeping up with them.

They held possession much more than we did, but even still, Pinoe was able to sneak in a goal pretty early on; in just the 5th minute, after a penalty.

That was a boost of confidence we needed, and a reminder that we weren't the same team we were last time we played them. We deserved to be here just as much as they did.

The other team took shot after shot after shot, which I was somehow able to block each time, but I was slightly annoyed at our defense for getting so caught up with the other players so easily, and allowing the French offense to slip through the cracks.

We went into half time, up by one, and even though France was putting up one hell of a fight, we still felt good about it. Carli and the other vets pumped everyone up in the locker room, and once we got back out to the field, it was clear the other team had gotten a new boost of energy as well.

The stadium was packed to the brim with both French and American fans, screaming and cheering their respective teams on.

I knew my mom and aunt were watching the game, along with another few million people, so this would not be the time to fuck up.

I spent almost all of the second half on edge because of how much the French had the ball. I could see how frustrated Alex was getting, and it seemed like her usual performance had been hindered by the three defenders constantly on her.

Tobin, Alex, and Pinoe were doing everything they could to move the ball down the field, but France's goalie was having none of it.

Luckily, in the 65th minute, Pinoe scored again, thanks to an assist from Tobin, who received the ball from a pass from Alex, bringing the score up to 2-0, with just 25 minutes to go, without counting stoppage time.

It was awesome watching my teammates be able to celebrate, but we all knew the fight wasn't over yet, and the home team proved this by scoring a goal in the 81st minute thanks to a penalty.

I wasn't fast enough to stop the ball from sailing over head and hitting the back of the net, but I tried not to let my negativity distract me from the task at hand. We could still win this.

France fought tooth and nail during the remaining minutes, trying to tie the score in hopes of going into over time, but my team knew we couldn't let that happen.

As soon as the time ran out and the whistles were blown, I was running down the field towards my friends, jumping up onto them and cheering because our victory meant we would be advancing on to the semi-finals.

"Holy shit!" I breathed excitedly, clapping Pinoe on the back.

"I can't believe it!" Rose said with a huge grin, hugging Sam and Mal.

Christen hugged Tobin while Ash and Ali kissed.

I looked over at my girlfriend, meeting her eyes, and silently communicated my joy and pride.

"Later." I mouthed before turning to follow everyone to the locker room. We didn't have enough time to stay behind to sign jerseys, which sucked, so as we passed the last row of fans, I pulled off my gloves and jersey and tossed them into the crowd.

The captains went off to do their debrief interviews with the press, which included Alex, so Tobin, Ash, and I walked together to give our own interviews with the media.

The cheering in the stadium hadn't ceased since we entered the tunnel, and it echoed off the concrete walls, making it a bit difficult to hear the woman asking me questions.

"So Y/n, can you tell us how that game was for you?"

She was a nice, attractive blond woman, with a bright smile and blue eyes that reminded me of Alex, although she was no where near as attractive.

I nodded, smiling. "Yeah, for sure, I mean, it was definitely stressful. We've known from the start that France are very good competitors, and we knew this would be a challenging one, but we were able to pull through."

The interviewer grinned, her hand touching my bicep. I had forgotten that I was shirtless.

"You definitely played well today. What is it like being one of the youngest players on the team? I know you've had offers from Jill Ellis before, which you turned down, so why now are you joining?"

"Well...back then it just wasn't the right time. I was barely 17, and I didn't feel ready. I gave myself time to grow and get better and prepare, and I think I made the right choice at the right time."

It wasn't a total lie....but it also wasn't very true either. However, the public didn't know much about my personal life or family, and I intended to keep it that way. I value privacy.

"I love that. So I'm sure you've noticed that you've sort of become a hot topic in the soccer world, not only for your talent on the field, but for you good looks as well. I heard some people are calling you the 'USWNT'S Cristiano Ronaldo'. What are your thoughts about that?"

I laughed nervously, rubbing the back of my neck and trying to ignore the blush on my cheeks.

"I'm flattered. I haven't really noticed, to be honest. I spend almost all of my time either on the field, or getting to know my teammates. Social media is sort of my last priority right now."

Just then, the producer behind the camera signaled to the blond woman that we were out of time.

"Well, thank you so much for talking to me, Y/n, and good luck to you and your teammates in your next game. Hopefully I'll see you then."

I smiled and nodded before walking off to the locker room to change. Most of my teammates (the ones who didn't have interviews) had already changed into normal clothes and were watching the press conference with Jill and the captains on the monitors hung around the room.

I wasn't really paying attention, focusing more on peeling off my sweaty kit and trying to stuff it into my bag.

My ears perked up when my name was mentioned, though, and I stopped what I was doing to watch.

"Can you guys share your thoughts on Y/n Grant. She's the youngest goalkeeper to ever join the team, how is it entering the world cup with a star player who also happens to be a rookie?"

At the word 'rookie' a few of my friends laughed, but I just stuck my tongue out at them then turned back to the monitor.

"She's great. We love her, and she's a fantastic addition to the team. I've never once doubted her or felt unsure about her. She's got the talent, and she's shown that over the course of this tournament." Jill said in the casual tone she always used.

"Yeah, I agree with Jill. I think Y/n is the piece we needed to complete our puzzle, and she's one of those rare players who you don't find so often." Carli added.

Becky and Pinoe went on to add their own thoughts, saying sweet things about me as well.

"And Alex?" The news reporter asked the brunette. "There have been reports that the two of you weren't getting along when Grant first joined, has that changed at all?"

The forward's lips turned upwards in the tiniest of smirks, one you wouldn't notice unless you knew her.

"Yeah, I would say that our attitudes towards one another have improved. It's always a challenge to break in a rookie, especially when they join so close to the start of such a big tournament like this, but I think our gameplay pretty much speaks for itself. We're a connected team, we know one another, and that shows on the field."

The conference ended a few minutes later, and the rest of us loaded onto the buss while the captains changed.

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I didn't see Alex again until she took her seat next to me, and we drove back to the hotel.

"Good job today. I know we didn't get much chance to talk or anything, but I'm proud of you. You played really well."

The blue eyed woman smiled, leaning so that our shoulders touched. "Thanks. You played incredibly well too."

"Not bad for a rookie, eh?" I joked with a smirk, referencing her comment.

"Mmmm I guess."

"Psh wow, okay be like that." I laughed, feigning insult.

Our conversation was abruptly interrupted by Pinoe's loud cackle, followed by Crystal's snort of laughter.

The purple haired forward kneeled on her seat and looked back at all of us.

"Let's party tonight mother fuckers!"