Mark Khloe

“I’ll mark Khloe,” you say. “Assuming I can tell which one she is.”

Once you’re all ready, you spread out on the half of the pitch in front of Keegan’s goal and mark your targets. Katie and Khloe kick off, and you quickly track Khloe’s movements as the girls pass the ball around, keeping possession but unable to make any real headway towards Keegan.

Then Katie gets the ball, and you see Khloe dip out of your peripheral vision. Katie knocks the ball into her sister’s path, and you sprint to get goalside of her, but the ball is already gone, back to Katie who has managed to distance herself from Jack. She is already charging towards the edge of the box, the ball at her feet.

You sprint towards her, abandoning Khloe, but just as you plant your foot in front of Katie’s path she nudges it to the side, laying it off to her twin. Khloe drives her foot through it, sending it towards the top right corner of the goal. You watch Keegan leap, his fingertips brushing the ball and nudging it onto the post, and Charlie sweeps the loose ball away and over the sideline.

“Come on, girls, chase the rebound,” Daphne yells. “Jack, Alex, you gave them far too much space.”

The game resets. The twins kick off again, and this time you make sure to cut off the angle between them as you stick to Khloe’s side. “Got a thing for getting in between twins, huh?” she smiles at you as she darts forward to receive the ball, blonde ponytail swishing, but you intercept it and send it spinning off towards Javier.

“Something like that,” you reply.

As the game continues, Jack catches on to your strategy. Whenever the twins receive the ball, one of you is there to stop their devastating link-up play, forcing them to pass out to Mars or Val instead. The girls only get a couple more opportunities on goal, which are saved or fall wide, before Daphne blows her whistle.

“Alright, switch sides!” Daphne shouts.

The other half of the game is frustrating for you. {if Jack <= 0}Pretty much every time Jack gets the ball, he tries to dribble through Mars and Val, and while it works once or twice, soon they form an impenetrable blockade that stops him at every turn. Despite this, he refuses to pass to you even when you’re in a better position than Jason, Javier or Charlie.{else@}Despite getting several opportunities and mostly maintaining possession, you’re unable to convert your shots into goals. Daphne seems to chase down almost every ball, the twins lock off the short passes, and Mars and Val are there to mop up the ball when it flies loose. Jack tests Keegan once or twice, and in frustration you take a longshot that he barely tips over the crossbar, but the back of the net remains untouched.{endif}

The shrill whistle calls an end to training. “Good job, team,” Daphne says as you join into a huddle. “Our defensive chemistry is good, we just need to make the same happen on the offensive. Alex and Charlie, I want to see you making yourselves an option to spread the play. Jack, learn when to get rid of the ball. Jason, Javier, start making those incisive runs down the wing and cut in when you can.” She looks around at you all, seemingly satisfied. “Alright, go get changed.”

You nod and follow the rest of the team back to the changing rooms. “Nice play, Alex,” Katie smiles, and Khloe nods in agreement.

Khloe +10
Katie +10