[Fair warning, this is pretty sad.]

The whistle blew. We had lost.

The semi-final of the world cup in France. We had lost.

I can't really believe it. It doesn't feel real. The US players are all running and celebrating. I'm standing here, the same place I've been stood since the whistle, and none of it feels real. We're not good enough.

After a while I feel a pat on my back, causing me to look up just in time to see the face of Tobin Heath, an American player, as she says "good game", smiles a little and walks away. I don't think I said anything back to her, if I did I didn't hear it, and I doubt she did either.

I look around now, I see the faces of my team mates. Ellen White, walking down the side of the pitch, clear tears in her eyes, clapping to the crowds, thanking them for coming to support us. And apologising for not doing them proud. The further I looked, the more disappointment I saw, my teammates, hugging, comforting each other, watching as the US team celebrated making it to the final.

Where's Lucy? I thought to myself, we had both been at the last world cup together, we had been through this disappointment together before, we just didn't want to do it again. I see her, she's lying face down on the floor, no one has gone over to see her yet I don't think. Soon enough I'm sat on the floor by her head, my hand resting on the back of her neck, I can't do anything to comfort her really. I know exactly how she feels, and right now, there's nothing anyone could do to make me feel any better.

She grabs my hand and we sit there until Steph walks over to us.

"Come on girls, huddle time", she says, her voice weak with tears, her expression glum. She pulls me to my feet as Lucy rolls into her back, I reach my hand down to pull her up and no sooner is she standing, than she's in my arms, her face buried in my neck, and mine in hers.

It's at this point that I realise, I'm crying too, I must have been for a while, but in that position, I can't hold it any longer, and I let out a sob, as my teammate, best friend, and love of my life holds me the tightest I ever think she has.

We soon make our way over to everyone else, joining in the large circle, all joined together, holding eachother up, as Phil Neville reassures us that we played to the best of our ability, that we tried our hardest, that luck just wasn't with us today, and that no matter what, we are a team, and we are a family.

I'm still crying, as is Lucy, and most of the other girls. We are heartbroken, but we still have one more game, for 3rd place, and we will fight for it.

The huddle breaks and now more of the US players start coming over to comfort us. Ashlyn Harris hugs Lucy, saying something in her ear. As I'm watching them, Ali Krieger steps in front of me, placing her hand on my shoulders, she doesn't say anything, but we maintain eye contact for a few seconds, before I let out another sob, and she wraps her arms around me.

"I'm sorry", she says, and she repeats it as I sob into her shoulder, "you played so well", she's doing her best to comfort me, but she doesn't really know what it's like to be in this position, "I'm sorry", she's says again, and pulls away to look at me, wiping away some of the tears from my face, "whatevers going through your head right now, just know that you are one of the best players I've ever had the pleasure of playing against, and don't let one defeat make you think otherwise, you haven't disappointed anyone, you are amazing and you've done so much for your team, and for womens football as a whole, remember that", she said, pulling me in for another hug, "you're amazing, don't ever forget that", she pulled away again, and before she'd even properly let me go, I was engulfed into another hug, this time from Emily Sonnett.

I'd known her for years, we used to live together when I played for the Portland Thorns a few seasons ago, she was one of my best friends, to the point where fans thought we wear dating (we never did, I'm way too loved up for that), though I don't get to see her very often nowadays.

"Hey Waldo", she said, using her nickname for me. I'd got it simply from the fact I wore glasses usually and had once shown up to practice wearing a stripy hat. She hugged me tight, not saying anything else, she'd probably heard what Ali way saying to me, nothing else could top that really.

Soon enough we started heading back to the changing rooms, Sonny still had her arm around my shoulder, she was trying to cheer me up, cracking jokes as we walked off the pitch. As we neared the edge of the pitch I felt another arm wrap around me from the other side, causing Sonny to let go and head back to her own changing room and me to look and see Lucy next to me, tears still in her eyes. She smiled at me a little, though it didn't teach her eyes, she was heartbroken I could tell, she could probably tell the same on me.

We held each other up as we walked into the changing room.