The Academy

Lunch is tense because everyone has realized that they’re in competition with each other. Leo has an extra helping of banana pudding, which he regrets later.

Afterward, Leo runs into Tig, and they talk about the morning. Leo admits it was hard. Tig reminds him that everyone is surprised by how skilled everyone else is. When Tig also reminds Leo that he’s a British citizen, even though he went to middle and high school in the U.S., Leo is bummed. He wishes that there was another American who already made it through the Academy. Tig tells him not to worry.

Leo is put on one of 20 11-player teams. Everyone is a stranger except José, whom he met during the agility test that morning. The teams play in rotating order, swapping out every 15 minutes. The coach disappoints Leo by putting him in a midfield position instead of as a striker or center forward. He isn’t sure what to do since he’s usually in a more attacking role on the field. In the first game, he doesn’t get possession of the ball. He’s struck by how skillfully the game is played with these kids versus his teammates back home. Leo reminds himself to adapt. When he finally gets the ball, a player on the other team intercepts his pass, and the other team realizes that he’s not good at defense.

After the other team scores a goal, Leo’s team gathers to strategize. Leo identifies one of the opposing defenders as their biggest threat and suggests that he pass to another player named Sven. When Leo gets the ball, he tricks the defender into thinking he’s going to keep it and fakes a pass before kicking it to Sven. Then, the ball goes to José, who scores, tying the game. Sven compliments him.

After his game, Leo watches the other teams play. He starts to pick up on patterns of play from around the world as he sees the way Germans, Brazilians, and Mexicans approach the sport differently. He thinks Diego is the most talented player.

In the next game, Leo plays at midfield again, though on a different side, and he plays even worse. José gives him some advice to help him improve his defense and encourages him to keep the ball more instead of passing it away. He says Leo should be a part of the flow of the game, but Leo isn’t sure what he’s talking about.

During the final game, Leo plays forward. The other team includes Brock, who had insulted American soccer players when Leo first arrived at the Academy. He’s playing defender and rams into Leo, making shoulder-to-shoulder contact. This is a legal play, and he takes possession of the ball. He tells Leo to go back to America.

At the end of the game and feeling like he hasn’t shown off his skill enough, Leo decides to change his strategy. He surprises the defense and intercepts a pass from one of his teammates to another. He sees that his teammate his open but decides to score anyway. He kicks the ball at the goal, and the goalie catches it. The director calls out that Leo shifted from left forward to center, putting him in the wrong position. Still, Sven compliments his move.

At dinner, Leo isn’t sure which group of players to join until Alejandro comes over to him. They’re joined by Dayo, Oliver, and Garika. Slowly, more kids join them, and Leo thinks of the group as those who feel like they didn’t belong anywhere else. He likes it.

Later, Leo calls his dad. He admits that he doesn’t feel talented enough to be there. His dad reminds him that he was scouted, just like everyone else. He makes Leo promise to do his best and encourages him to think about the good things he accomplished.

When Leo can’t sleep, he messages his friend Carlos, which brings him comfort. However, he also starts to miss his mother, which he hadn’t in a long time.

Leo wakes up and mentally feels excited to take on the day. His body, however, is sore. At breakfast, he learns he’s been assigned to the Iguanas squad. He likes iguanas, though he would’ve preferred Komodos since they’re big lizards. He thinks he’s similar to iguanas because they’re quick, snappy when threatened, and, admittedly, a little lazy. Iguanas, he decides, would play center forward, just like him. He adds that iguanas can grow their tails back, though he isn’t sure if that applies to him.

Learning that several of his friends are on his team also pleases Leo. However, Brock is also on his squad. His squad leader is Samantha, who ran the agility drills the day before. Robbie thinks that Leo was ranked a six on a scale of 10 based on where his name falls on their roster. Robbie is a three, so Leo congratulates him. However, Robbie grumbles that it means he’s not in the top 11. Leo thinks it’s unfair that everyone can figure out their rankings.

The Iguanas go to the field, where they meet Samantha. She doesn’t want them to worry too much about the cuts. Then, she explains that they’ll focus on one or two skills each day because repetition will help them refine their skills. She references playing for an Italian team, and Leo is impressed.

They practice juggling, and Samantha keeps talking. She tells them to get enough sleep and eat well. Then, she talks about passing and trapping. To trap is to catch a ball and keep it in preparation for another skill, like a shot. Together, they are collectively called “First Touch” (102). Samantha says that when someone does their first touch, they should already have a plan for what to do next with the ball. She shows them a very skilled trap and asks everyone to replicate it. They struggle. She shows them another trap. They pair up to practice drills, and Leo feels like he has learned so much.

At lunch, Leo discovers more about his squadmates, including that a scout saw Garika—who is from Zimbabwe—at a public park. This tells Leo that not everyone came from an elite club team.

In the afternoon, they put their new passing and trapping skills into practice. During the last drill, Leo is in a group with Brock and Brock’s friend Julian. He agitates Julian, who tackles him. Then, during another part of the drill, Brock throws his body into Leo. Samantha sees it and makes Brock run laps and do pushups.

Although Leo’s legs are very tired, he makes it through the scrimmages at the end of the day. In their room later, Robbie gives him some Icy Hot. Leo thanks him for being a good teammate during the scrimmages, to which he replies that they aren’t friends when they’re playing since they’re competing. Leo snaps back that Robbie shouldn’t be hurt when Leo makes the Academy. Robbie laughs, saying that Leo won’t make it to the finals.

At the end of dinner, Director Hawk stands up and announces their Special Activity, which is a tradition meant to show off British culture. He says that after dinner, everyone should grab their balls from their room and that they won’t need their cleats. Leo wants to rest his legs and worries that they’ll play another game.

When they get to the indoor practice facility, they see a projector screen. They also spot a former London Dragon, Frankie Dylan, who greets them and says that he also did the summer camp. The screen turns on, and an old London Dragons game plays while Frankie offers commentary. At the end, everyone lines up to have him sign their soccer ball.

On his way back to his room, Leo runs into Tig. He comments that people are talking about the play he made in the scrimmage the day before. He adds that Leo should work to get Samantha to like him so that she’ll be on his side when it comes to cuts. Leo asks if Samantha is Tig’s girlfriend, and Tig winks at him.

The next day, Leo stretches before their morning skills session. They practice shooting the ball and place kicks, in which the ball starts in a specific spot before being kicked. Leo can use both of his feet, and José is the only other player with this skill. However, Leo still struggles compared to the rest of his team. When they practice penalty kicks, where players stand in front of the goal to block it, Brock kicks the ball into Leo’s chest, then Alejandro’s’ head. Samantha watches his next one, and Brock misses.

At lunch, Leo asks Alejandro if Brock and his friend bother him. Alejandro says no, explaining that he comes from a poor village in Costa Rica and just appreciates being at the summer camp. Even if he doesn’t make the team, he already has a scholarship to a school in San José. His words make Leo realize that, while everyone might be from a different country, they all want the same thing. He wonders if he can care about making the team without being too serious, like Robbie.

Leo is too tired to perform well in the scrimmages in the afternoon, and his team loses every game.

The next day, Leo worries about defense, which is the skill of the day. Then, he remembers how his mom always used to tell him that everyone fails and that what is important is trying again.

Samantha emphasizes that everyone has to play defense even forwards like Leo. Everyone needs to want the ball more than their opponent. Leo learns that defense is constantly in motion on the soccer field, even when a player doesn’t have the ball. The scrimmages subdivide the squad into attacking strikers and midfielders against defenders to see if the former could score despite a strong defense and vice versa. Leo’s team manages to tie in the first scrimmage. In the second scrimmage, Leo plays against Brock and Julian, and Brock ends up knocking Leo to the ground.

Leo feels defeated, and as he rests in his bed, he sees a message from Carlos. They talk about the cuts, and Carlos tells him not to think about the other players.

Leo feels better in the morning, and they practice headers, throw-ins from the sidelines, and corner kicks. Headers are not Leo’s strongest skill, but Samantha shows him how to improve them.

Before lunch, Samantha makes each player hit the crossbar at the top of the goal net three times using the skills they learned today. Leo struggles and then reverts to how he has always done it. Samantha tells him that his form isn’t good and that while it can get him through, it won’t get him on the team.

In the afternoon, they do set pieces, which are scripted plays where a ball gets back into motion after a penalty or other stop in the game. Leo struggles to keep up and senses Samantha getting annoyed with him. She also tells him to persevere when Brock targets him during the scrimmages.

Later that day, Director Hawk announces that they’ll serve food at an orphanage. Everyone cheers when they enter, and Leo feels like a star. When he takes food to a little girl, he feels good for doing something for someone else.

The next morning, practice focuses on dribbling and ball control, at which Leo excels. He manages to get a goal past Samantha. He also picks up some new moves to shield the ball, but while watching Samantha dribble, he realizes that he still has a lot to learn.

The Special Activity that evening is a FIFA tournament on the PlayStation, and Leo is thrilled. The tournament is single elimination, and the winner will face the previous champion, who has won three years in a row. Leo first faces Robbie and defeats him handily. When the tournament of 256 competitors gets down to 32, Leo plays against Samantha. He lets her score a goal, and she notices him taking it easy on her. She tells him not to do it again. Leo continues to advance, and his Iguana squadmates continue to root for him. Defeating Hans, a player from Germany, Leo wins the tournament. Then, he prepares to face the winner from the year before, which is Tig. Changing from his strategy of using a team his opponent might underestimate, Leo picks Barcelona, which is where Lionel Messi played when the game came out.

It’s a close game, and Leo and Tig keep scoring. Right before time is up, Leo uses Lionel Messi to score, winning and becoming the “Ultimate Summer Camp FIFA Champion” (143). Tig is shocked but is a good sport, encouraging Leo to perform just as well on the field.

The next day, the teams practice a variety of skills. Leo feels like he doesn’t stand out, which worries him because it’s the last day before the first round of cuts. He thinks his legs have affected his play, and he’d been too afraid to take risks.

On the day of the first cuts, one of the coaches announces that they won’t release the names of those leaving until the evening. Instead, the day is dedicated to a field trip to central London. Leo doesn’t want to go, but he recalls his aunt Janice urging him to enjoy the city.

The trip starts with a bus tour. The size of the city amazes Leo, especially the Tower of London, because it’s a castle in the middle of the city. They park near Piccadilly Circus, and Leo spots Big Ben. They also go to the British Museum and ride the London Eye, a Ferris wheel. Leo nearly forgets that cuts are looming. He feels like his view on life is different after seeing a city this big.

Back at the Castle, everyone goes to their rooms, where envelopes are waiting with information on whether they made it through the first round of cuts or not. Robbie is already there when Leo gets to their room. He made the cut and leaves to meet his friends in the break room. On his way out, he wishes Leo luck.

Leo opens the envelope and discovers that he also survived the first cut. He sits down in relief and feels like he’s been validated because others thought he was good. He isn’t sure how to keep proving his worth, especially against strikers like Diego, but he takes a deep breath and falls asleep.