Switch Play! (4 page)

F
or the second night in a row, Ted didn’t sleep well. The image of Lisa crying because of something he’d done made him feel
rotten. He woke up the next morning determined to apologize for having been so mean.

He changed his mind, however, when he saw her talking with Bundy before the game against the Torpedoes. The two glanced at
Ted from time to time. He was sure they were talking about him.

Lisa and Bundy broke apart a moment later. Bundy walked toward Ted.

Ted half-expected Bundy to lecture him about staying in position, or to tell him that he’d talked to the coach about Ted’s
problem. But Bundy just punched him on the shoulder and wished him a good game. Then he walked up to Stookie and started talking
to him.

Maybe the coach is going to talk to me instead, Ted thought nervously. But no one said anything to him during warm-up drills.
Coach Bradley put him in at his usual position at the start of the game.

Ted began to wonder if he might have misunderstood Lisa’s phone call.
But if she wasn’t asking Bundy to talk to the coach, then who did she ask him to talk to?

He didn’t have time to think of an answer. The Torpedoes were bearing down on them with full force.

The Torpedo right striker had the ball. She dodged around Amanda and kept coming. Ted thought she was heading straight for
the goal.

Bucky seemed to think so, too. He came out of the goal to challenge her.

In a flash, the Torpedo kicked the ball to her teammate who was right at the goal mouth. Bucky was too far out of the goal
to stop a kick. It looked like the Torpedoes would score first.

But just as the Torpedo connected with the ball, Ted leaped into the goal. The ball soared toward him, chest high. Ted made
sure he didn’t use his arms or hands. Instead, he stopped the ball with his chest. It rebounded off him and bounced away from
the goal. Lisa quickly got control of it and sent it down the sideline.

The fans went wild.

“Great save!” Lisa crowed.

“Thanks!” said Ted. He took a deep breath. “Listen, about yesterday —”

He was interrupted when Bucky slapped him on the back. “Hey, I thought you were supposed to yell ‘Switch!’ when you wanted
to change positions!” Bucky said with a laugh.

Ted looked at him sharply.
Is Bucky making fun of me?

No
, he decided.
Bucky was just making a joke.

Ted didn’t have time to wonder why Lisa’s face was bright red. The ball was coming their way again.

T
ed, Lisa, and the other fullbacks got into position. The Torpedoes passed the ball back and forth, then slowly closed in on
the goal.

The right striker had the ball again. She glanced at her center and the center started toward the goal.

She’s going to pass to him!
Ted realized. Without hesitation, he rushed into the open space between them just as the right striker kicked a pass to the
middle. Ted was there to steal the
ball. There was nothing in front of him but open space.

He started to dribble. A quick glance showed him that both Bundy and Dewey were covered. Amanda was too far away to pass to.
He kept dribbling.

“Ted, switch!”

It was Bundy! Ted faltered a step, then kept going. Bundy’s defender, confused, followed Bundy back to Ted’s position before
realizing what had happened. By that time, Ted had crossed the center line.

Ted’s heart was pounding. He could see the ’Cat strikers trying to get free for a pass. But the Torpedo defense was just too
tough.

“Ted, switch!”

Stookie was the one who made the call this time. Ted dribbled madly past his teammate. The only thing between him and the
goal were the fullbacks!

But unlike Bundy’s defender, Stookie’s
defender didn’t follow Stookie. Instead, he moved in on Ted. Ted knew he had to act fast or lose the ball. With a mighty effort,
he stopped, planted one foot on the ground, and kicked with all his strength.

Ted held his breath. The ball soared in the air, over the heads of the fullbacks, straight toward the goal—

Clang!

It hit the goal post and bounced straight up into the air. Ted couldn’t believe it. He’d missed!

A blur of movement caught his eye. Stookie was rushing forward, his defender a step behind. When the ball fell, he headed
it into the goal. Score! A second later, the ref blew his whistle to end the first half.

“Yes!” Ted cried, pumping his fist in the air. “Way to go, Stookie!”

Stookie grinned, but shook his head. “You’re the one who deserves the credit for that goal!
There’s no way the ball would have been down here if it weren’t for you.”

Ted was grabbed in a bear hug from behind. It was Lisa.

Stookie said, “Actually, Lisa deserves some thanks, too. After all, she’s the one who asked Bundy to talk to me about switching
with you sometime. Too bad you didn’t make the goal like you wanted. Well, maybe next time!”

Ted stared at Stookie in amazement. Then he turned to Lisa. She was grinning happily.

“How’d you guess?” he said.

“We’re twins,” she answered simply. “I just put myself in your place and figured out what you were trying to do last game.
Plus I saw the way you looked when the coach told his switching story.” She leaned in and whispered, “Stookie needed a little
convincing, is all. Hope you don’t mind that I asked Bundy to talk to him.”

Ted gave his sister a hug. “You’re the best,”
he whispered. “I’m sorry about being so mean yesterday. Can I make it up to you?”

Just then, they heard a melody being played in the distance.

“You sure can make it up to me,” Lisa said as they headed off the field together. “After the game, you chase down that ice-cream
truck and buy me whatever I want!”

#1 The Captain Contest

#2 Operation Baby-Sitter

#3 Secret Weapon

#4 Hat Trick

#5 Master of Disaster

#6 Heads Up

#7 All Keyed Up

#8 You Lucky Dog

#9 Switch Play!

#10 Kick It!

#9

Switch Play!

Matt Christopher

Illustrated by Daniel Vasconcellos

Ted Gaddy is tired of his sister’s amazing “secret weapon” throw-in getting all the applause and attention during games. But
what can a fullback do to make people cheer? Coach Bradley tells a story about a fullback who almost made a goal. Ted decides
to do exactly what that fullback did, hoping that he, too, will get a chance at scoring. But will Ted’s sister keep him from
carrying out his plan?

Here is the ninth entry in Matt Christopher’s Soccer ’Cats series, an exciting line of first chapter books perfect for sports
fans ready to start reading on their own.

Matt Christopher
is the name behind more than seventy-five bestselling sports novels for young readers. For a list of books in the Soccer
’Cats series, please refer to the last page of this book.