The Academy

Seeing Tig dressed nicer than Leo’s ever seen him, the younger boy asks if he has a date with Samantha. Tig says that they’re meeting friends out in the city. Leo asks how old Samantha is, and Tig reveals that Samantha played professionally when she was 18. However, she injured her knee, ending her career. She’s now 21.

While they wait for Samantha on one of the training fields, Leo thanks Tig for taking an interest in him. Tig emphasizes that Leo is really talented but needs to develop his fitness, athleticism, mindset, and game intelligence. Leo has a natural reflex, and he’s creative, but he needs to build his technique.

Samantha and Garika come over, and Samantha gives Garika a new pair of cleats since his are old and worn. Garika comments that he’s glad Leo is there, but he’s surprised that Leo doesn’t have formal training. Leo says he’s from Middleton, Ohio, not a big city, and similarly, Garika is from the capital of Zimbabwe, which is nowhere near as big as London. Leo admits to himself that he thought Garika was from a small village.

They decide to practice shooting. Tig goes first, and after Leo shoots, Garika notices that Tig lands on the same foot he shoots with, making it a more powerful shot. Samantha offers more tips on how Leo can improve his shot, and they keep practicing. Leo wonders if he’ll improve in time for it to matter, and Samantha says it won’t unless he practices enough. They have to leave but tell Leo and Garika to stay past midnight.

When Leo gets back to his room, Robbie is asleep. There’s a pizza box on his bed and a note from Alejandro asking where he was. Leo eats and then goes to sleep.

In the morning, Leo is late getting up, and his legs are back to feeling very sore. Samantha chastises him and tells him if he’s late three times, he gets sent home. Leo feels bad and knows that Samantha will put even more pressure on him since she’s taking time to help him.

At the end of the day, Samantha asks Leo if they’re still meeting tonight, and he says that they are and apologizes for not doing his best that day. She tells him not to apologize but adds that he has to show that he wants to make the team.

The Special Activity that evening is dodgeball, and Leo almost opts out of extra training to play. However, he knows that he’d be taking the easy road like he always does, and he really wants to join the Academy. He knows he needs to dedicate himself to this goal. He thinks of his lizard and how lizards go for what they want.

At their night practice, Samantha goes over how to do headers properly. Tig talks about basic defensive stances and reading an attacker. Over the week, Leo’s legs continue to hurt, but the repetition of his new skills starts to manifest in his everyday play. On Friday, he and Garika also tell their friends about their night sessions. That night, Alejandro and Dayo join in. They’re now the “Fantastic Four,” which is appropriate because Dayo loves the Silver Surfer from the Fantastic Four comics.

Week Two ends, and Samantha announces that there is no activity that night. She says how much she’s enjoyed coaching them and that there will be a pool party the next day. Afterwards, cuts will be revealed.

On Sunday, Leo and his friends go to the lido (what the British call a local swimming pool). They take turns jumping off the diving boards. Leo teaches them how to chicken fight with one person on another’s shoulders. Leo sits on Alejandro’s shoulders. They push their friends into the water until only Julian and Brock remain. When Julian and Leo fall into the water at the same time, Brock holds Leo in the water. Just before Leo runs out of air, Brock pulls Leo out and pretends to ask if he’s okay. Alejandro pushes Brock. Then, Julian gets involved right after the lifeguard blows her whistle. When Leo tries to go for Julian, Robbie holds him back. A large fight with many of the players breaks out.

One of the coaches asks what happened. Leo says that Brock tried to drown him, and Brock responds that Leo was upset when he lost their chicken fight. The coach asks who started the fight, and Leo responds that Brock did but that he pushed him back, lying to cover for Alejandro.

When they get back to the Castle, Brock and Leo go see Director Hawk. He tells them that they will have a second chance, but they are not allowed to instigate each other or be late to practice.

Leo returns to his room, which is empty. He sees Robbie’s open envelope on the bed and sees that his roommate has survived another week. Leo also survives.

Carlos texts to find out if Leo made it to Week Three, and Leo responds that he did. Carlos tries to boost his confidence that he’s going to make it all the way. Leo tells him about Brock. Carlos says that he can’t imagine Leo not doing anything about a bully. However, he knows that Leo doesn’t want to lose his place on the team. He asks what Leo will do, but Leo doesn’t know.

Only 96 players are left. Twenty-four are in Leo’s squad. Leo has mixed feelings that two forwards were eliminated because they were his friends. Samantha warns them that it will only get more difficult. They will also start playing against the other squads in scrimmages so that the coaches can think about what position each player would play in the World Cup in the last week. She will also have to think about the final 11 who will make it from their squad.

One piece of advice Samantha gives them before lunch is to think about their diets. She calls Leo out for liking junk food so much. After lunch, the squad plays the Four Kingdoms game. Samantha puts everyone into teams of six, and each team defends two goals and tries to score in two goals. Leo thinks about how his defense has improved. Sometimes, which goal was which changed, and Leo excels at changing directions. Leo’s team wins their first game. The next one is against José, Julian, and Brock, who continues to harass him. Leo asks why, and Brock says that America is “trash” and that all Americans think they’re important. A loose ball comes their way, and Leo tricks Brock and gets it.

Next, the squad is split into three teams of eight for scrimmages. Samantha tells the teams to organize themselves into positions. José organizes them into a 3-3-2 formation. He suggests Leo play left midfielder, showing that he thinks Leo isn’t as good as the players in the two forward positions. Disappointed, Leo doesn’t argue. They play against a team from the Gila Monsters, and the scrimmage ends in a tie. In the next game, Leo’s team plays against Diego and others, and the Mexican player still seems to be the best forward at the camp. They lose 2-1.

In the final game, the Iguana team struggles against two of the opposing defenders. Leo gets the ball, moving around another midfielder. Leo makes it look like he’s going to pass, and he kicks the ball further downfield before running after it again. He approaches the goal and shoots. However, the goalie gets it. Two of Leo’s teammates call him “selfish,” but one points out how he tricked the other team’s defender.

That night, the campers attend a Dragons game. Leo and the rest of the players are thrilled. Leo spots an American player, which gives him a surge of delight. When the match starts, Leo feels surer than ever that he wants to be a professional soccer player. However, he wonders how he could ever get as good as them.

Leo and his friends continue the nightly sessions with Samantha and Tig. He feels close to his friends, too, as they practice late into the night. It also helps Leo to understand his friends’ playing styles better, which aids them in scrimmages.

On Friday, Samantha arrives and looks like she’s been crying. Tig shows up ten minutes later, but the two older players don’t talk to one another. That night, Leo goes over to Tig after the session is over. He asks how he can still improve, and Tig suggests that he needs to mix up his shots so that goalies can’t read him as easily. Eventually, Tig also reveals that he kissed another girl, and Samantha found out. He didn’t think they were serious, but Sam did. He won’t be joining the late-night sessions going forward. Leo says that he understands.

On Saturday, Leo asks Samantha if midfield is the right position for him, and she tentatively tells him that it works for him in this camp because it lets him be creative. She finally admits that she’s not sure he can beat the other forwards and that the coaches are unsure of where to play him. She adds that she’s ending the night sessions. He asks if it has anything to do with Tig, and she replies that’s for her and Tig to figure out. Leo tries to convey that Tig is really sorry.

Leo feels like things are coming undone, with the night sessions ending and him not being able to play center forward like he wants to. He doesn’t want to play in midfield.

During practice, Brock trips Leo, who confronts the big player. Leo suggests that they face off one-on-one that night. When Brock asks what the point is, Leo says that if he loses, he’ll quit. Leo later worries about why he promised Brock he’d quit. However, he knows that he can’t lose.

He gets down to the field, and slowly, other players show up to watch. José offers to referee. The boys agree to play to three points. Brock immediately rams into Leo in a fair-shoulder play. He scores. Leo quickly scores in return.

Leo then slide-tackles Brock in what José calls a fair play. He scores again. When Brock gets the ball back, he shields the ball by using his weight and large physique to keep Leo from it. With Leo unable to get the ball, Brock scores, tying it up 2-2.

Leo starts with the ball, and Brock bodychecks him. Leo loses control of the ball, and Brock ends up tripping him. José calls a foul. Leo gets the ball back, and they go back and forth. They fall over and over, knocking each other down. Leo can tell that Brock is frustrated. He gets more desperate, and they nearly wrestle as they each try to score. The ball gets close to the goal, and Brock knows that Leo can score. He tries to block him, and Leo desperately kicks his foot out, pushing the ball in. He wins.