Sonia couldn’t fall asleep that night. Not because she drank coffee or due to anxiousness about her first day of school tomorrow.
Rather, she was watching television. Supporter banners spread across the stadium, and the fan’s cheers roared all over. It was the final match of the Asian cup between Japan and Indonesia, and the winner would be crowned champion, claiming the title of ‘Asia’s Strongest’ before marching onward to the World Cup.
Sonia wasn’t interested at first. She only watched because her mom turned the television on. Ultimately, her mom turned in early and told Sonia to sleep. She, however, decided to watch the rest of the match in her room.
Indonesia got the chance to score the winning goal with a penalty. The clock had already hit the ninety-minute mark and only stoppage time remained. A goal meant a trophy and the gold medal. Failure left them with little to no time to score. Indonesia was debating over their kicker for this deciding moment. The referee urged them to hurry up, and Indonesia’s number 27, Arianto stepped up. Supporters chanted his name, ‘The Ace’.
His face was full of dirt, sweat, and rainwater. He placed the ball on the white mark and assumed his characteristic stance. Everyone in the crowd grew quiet, muffling their breaths. The other player focused on the penalty, ready to snatch the ball if Arianto missed. Sonia clasped her hands together and closed her eyes. She was nervous, but still wanted to give her support. She muttered every prayer she knew until the whistle was blown. And then…
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“GOOOOOOOOOOOAAALL!!!” Indonesia’s fans went bananas, jumping and screaming in joy and jubilation. Arianto’s teammates celebrated with him. He ran over to the side field and thanked the fans. Shortly after, the final whistle was blown. Indonesia had become the champion. The broadcast ended after the award ceremony. Sonia no longer focused on the television. Her eyes sparkled and she stood agape, astonished by what she had seen during these ninety minutes. Ever since she was little, she had always searched for a hobby she’d love. She got bored with most things easily since she learned so quickly.
“Fighting until the end... Together with everyone. I want to be like that!” She clenched her tiny fist until she could no longer contain herself from shouting, “I want to play football!”
Since that day, Sonia practiced. She played against the boys, joined a junior football team and became the children league national champion but her dream hadn’t ended there.
"The road to becoming number one is not just one.’ She kept that in her heart. “I will continue playing. I will not quit until I reach my dream!”