Tales of the Tournaments

July 25, 2023

Wellington

New Zealand vs. Philippines

When the halftime whistle blew, Hannah Wilkinson felt a muddle of emotions blurring in her head. She stumbled off the side of the pitch, through the locker room in a daze, instinct telling her to run, to find the deepest abyss below Wellington Regional Stadium and never come out again.

Before she'd gotten far, though, she felt familiar hands on her shoulders, and a familiar - if not entirely welcome - American accent speaking too gently in her ear.

"Wilkinson, hey, stop that. Easy, easy, breathe, I have you." 

Hannah drew a shuddering breath, eyes blurring with tears. "N-no...let me go...please..."

"Go where?"

"Away."

"No, there's not going to be any running away, Hannah, honey. That's not how my brave girls face up to what they've done. Not that I'm saying it's easy," Ali added wryly. "I'd be a hypocrite if I tried to convince you it was easy. But it's not the right thing to do, running away, Hannah. Come on, take another deep breath, you're going to be alright, don't look at me like you're going to be executed."

"B-but I ruined it!"

"Shhh." Ali ran a hand lightly down Hannah's back, leading her back to the bench inside the locker room and sitting down with the younger girl on her lap. "Breathe. What do you mean, you ruined it, Hannah?"

"I...I won us the game last time, I should have scored, I should...should've been a good girl, and...and instead you an' Ria are gonna be mad, so mad...."

"Oh, little one." Ali sighed, shaking her head. "Do I sound mad to you, Hannah?"

"N-no?" Hannah ventured, lifting her head from Ali's shoulder, where she'd been trying to hide her tears. "B-but you should be..."

"Don't," Ali said warningly, "tell me what I should and shouldn't be, little one. I'm not mad, you haven't ruined everything, yes, you fucked up, but it's not the end of the world, sweetheart."

Hannah hid her face in the curve of Ali's neck again, and Ali patted her back gently, rocking the Melbourne City player in her lap. Hannah wasn't, Ali reflected, one of the team youngests. In fact only four years separated Ali from Hannah. But she clearly had little tendencies, and the shock of being yellow carded just one match after scoring a winning goal for the team - that had sent her spiraling.

"Shhh, I've got you. I've got you safe, Hannah, breathe for me."

Slowly, Hannah obeyed. When she was calm again, she lifted her head and met Ali's eyes meekly.

"S-sorry."

"It's okay Hannah," Ali soothed her. "Am I dealing with big Hannah again, now?"

Hannah blushed and nodded. She squirmed off of Ali's lap and looked at her warily. "Are you or Ria going to--"

"After the match is over," Ali said decisively. "You nearly had a meltdown just now, I don't want to aggravate it so you can't finish. But Hannah, remember, everything is going to be okay. You're in trouble, yes, big trouble even, but it's not the biggest trouble ever. You're not off the team, you're not going to stop being part of mine and Ria's team, our family, okay?" 

Hannah nodded, taking a shuddering breath and letting it out. She accepted the water Ali gave her and took a few sips. "W-what if I don't score this game?"

"Then you don't score," Ali said quietly. "You don't have to today just because you did last time. Maybe someone else will. We'll see. But don't take everything on you. Okay?"

Hannah nodded apprehensively. "Okay."

“There’s my good girl.” Ali gave Hannah a reassuring pat on the shoulder. “You misbehaved, but you’re still a good girl inside. Now let’s get back out on that pitch and you show me and Ria what you can do.”

Hannah nodded tremulously, and did her best to obey.

Unfortunately, just three minutes after the start of the second half, having been mixed up in a tangle of players vying for the ball, Hannah found herself flat on the ground near Katie Bowen, her club and national teammate.

A yellow card was whistled for, again, and Hannah’s eyes widened. She quickly got up, praying to whatever soccer gods were listening that it wasn’t--

Thankfully, it wasn’t for her. It was for the Philippines’ Angela Beard, a twenty-five-year-old defender who played for Western United in Australia. The Australian-born player was rougher than Hannah had prepared for (maybe Angela thought they were playing Australian rules football, instead, Hannah thought sarcastically.) But her rough shove had earned Angela, not Hannah, the yellow card this time.

Luckily for both sides, there were no more yellow cards. Unfortunately for New Zealand, the Philippines’ one goal in the first half stood as the only one of the match.

Win over Norway, lose to the Philippines. The tournament was very up and down for the Football Ferns so far - the third round of the group stage would decide all.

Well, that and how Norway and Switzerland went, later that day. That remained to be seen.

Still, Hannah dragged her feet as the team headed into the locker rooms. Before she had a chance to make another run for it, Captain Ria Percival stopped Hannah in her tracks.

“Come here, Wilkinson.” No matter how gently spoken, the words were still an order, and one she didn’t dare to disobey. Hannah slowly made her way back to Ria, looking warily at the older woman.

“Ma’am, please, I’m sorry I made us lose--”

“You didn’t,” Ria said firmly. “That was not on you, and I’ll thank you not to blame yourself for things that are not your fault, young lady.”

Hannah blushed.

“That isn’t to say there’s not fault to be had, of course.”

Ali’s hand shot out and she kept Hannah from toppling over in surprise at the new voice. She turned warily to see the Philippines’ captain standing in the doorway, watching them - Hali Long, her arm draped over Angela Beard’s shoulders. The younger yellow carded player stood there warily, looking up at her captain.

“Sorry for knocking into you, Wilkinson.”

“I’m sorry,” Hannah replied, eyes downcast. “We sort of knocked into each other really. And I’m sorry for before, with Harrison,” Hannah added, knowing what had caused her own yellow card

“Yes, well, you both got yellow carded today,” Ria said firmly. “I’m sure Hannah accepts your apology,” she added to Angela, and Hannah nodded quickly. “Was there something you needed, Long?”

The Filipina player shook her head. “Not really, Percival. That was all, making things right between our girls. I’d have brought Sofia so Wilkinson could apologize directly, but she’s being checked over by the med staff to make sure everything’s alright.”

“Fair enough,” Ria nodded. “Have you seen to yours yet?”

Angela’s cheeks flushed and she looked away, which Ria took to be an affirmative. “Right, well, I’m about to deal with mine, so--”

“Perhaps Angela might learn something from it, if you don’t mind, Percival.”

Hannah sputtered indignantly. “Captain, ma’am!”

Ria turned Hannah to face her, looking intently at her charge. “Hannah,” she said reprovingly, and Hannah lowered her eyes.

“Whatever you think is best, Captain.”

Ria nodded. “Ali, clear the rest out, Hannah doesn’t need everyone to see.”

Before long, there were just the two Filipinas and three Football Ferns left in the room. Hannah looked apprehensively at Ali.

“Captain Ali, are both of you going to--”

“No, Hannah, not this time. Just Ria,” Ali said, keeping her tone patient, but still firm. “Now remember, this is just about the yellow card - just your yellow card,” she clarified. “And a little bit about your foul when you and Angela here got tangled up. This isn’t about whether we won or lost, or how any of your teammates played. Just you, do you understand?”

Gulping, Hannah nodded. “I’m sorry, Captains, I--”

“We know.” Ria held up a hand to cut off the panicked flow of words. “Breathe. Come here.” Ria braced her leg up on the bench, and helped Hannah into position. “There now, you know what this is for.”

“For hitting Harrison in the face with my arm,” Hannah said meekly. “Captain Ria, I didn’t mean it, she was just there and I needed her to go away--”

“I know,” Ria said, more soothingly than she’d intended. “But you need to be more careful, Hannah, so I think in this case a sharper lesson is called for. You’re old enough to know better than that.”

Hannah whined softly, blushing vibrantly as Ria tugged her bottoms down, baring her from the start. A dozen smacks with Ria’s hand followed in quick succession, making Hannah sniffle and squirm as she took her spanking.

“Ow - fuck, Ria, that burns,” Hannah whimpered, gulping back tears.

“We’re not quite done yet, Hannah,” Ria said grimly, and Hannah squeaked, throwing her hands forward to grab Ria’s leg (rather than back to cover her bottom, as instinct told her to. She knew better.)

“You hit another player in the face, Hannah,” Ria said grimly. “And she’s still being checked by the medics. That isn’t acceptable, even though you didn’t mean it.”

Hannah froze as the nursery cane, a rattan switch, tapped her bottom lightly. She whined and kicked at the floor. “Captain, please--”

“Three, Hannah,” Ria said quietly, and with a whimper, Hannah subsided. She gasped at the first stroke, clinging tighter than ever to Ria’s leg. The second stroke brought tears, and her legs flailed until Ali grabbed her ankles to hold her still.

“One more, Hannah, sweetheart,” Ali whispered bracingly, the endearment slipping out but something the distraught footballer could cling to.

Ali doesn’t hate me, she thought as Ria’s third stroke bit into her sit spots. She sobbed over Ria’s thigh, hanging limply until Ria lifted her up, pulling Hannah’s panties and shorts back up.

“Shhh,” Ria cooed softly, “there now, there, sweet girl, good girl, Hannah.” She held Hannah against her chest, letting her cry it out. “It’s alright now.”

“S-sorry, sorry I was bad,” Hannah babbled, and Ria petted her hair.

“I know, Hannah, it’s all forgiven, just breathe for us,” Ria instructed, and Hannah did her best to obey. She cried into Ria’s shoulder, slowly calming down and taking in the reassurances that all was well, that her captains didn’t hate her.

“Though that seems pretty effective,” the Filipina captain said, and Hannah cringed, trying to bury herself in Ria’s arms and never come out.

“It works,” Ali agreed, putting the nursery cane away. “Don’t like to use it much, unless absolutely necessary, but sometimes…” She sighed. “I don’t know many girls who want a repeat of it after the first time, so let’s hope it’s served its purpose.”

“Never gonna do it again,” Hannah whispered. “I’ll be so good.”

“We know you will.” Ali took Hannah in her arms in turn, giving her a warm hug as Ria escorted their opponents away. “It’s all alright sweetheart, you did so well, you took it all so bravely, and you’ve learned your lesson, haven’t you?”

Hannah nodded quickly.

“Which is?” Ali prompted, and Hannah blushed.

“Don’t hit people in the face?”

“Are you asking me or telling me?” Ali queried, and Hannah’s blush deepened.

“Don’t hit people in the face ever again. Ever,” she repeated emphatically. “I won’t.”

“I believe you mean that, Hannah,” Ali reassured her. “It’s going to be all alright now. Just breathe, you’re safe.”

Safe. Her bottom stung like fury, especially the three licks from the switch, but all the same, Hannah did feel safe in Ali’s - and Ria’s - arms. Everything had been forgiven and forgotten, unless it happened again of course. Which it wouldn’t. Not ever.

Hannah promised herself she wouldn’t get any more cards during the tournament. Especially not for that. 

Now all that mattered was the Switzerland match - and winning, hopefully.

That would come in time.