#fox sports soccer
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"Spy"
I'm proud of ronny's costume tbh
(I had to do it digitally since I'm going home from little Tokyo)
#spy fox#humongous entertainment#ronny dobbs#backyard sports#backyard baseball#backyard football#backyard hockey#backyard soccer#backyard basketball#draw idea#costume#inktober#october#halloween#spy#fox#5th
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SPOTV Presents UEFA Euro 2024 🏆🇩🇪⚽ Astro TV Official Boardcaster Promotional Video 20s Sec Ad Fanmade.
Hanmade Use With Greeting Cards For Make Create This For Satin Matte Card And Press Button And With Phrases Sound Video Module.
These Are Videos Available Now On YouTube.
#uefa#dfb#fifa#euro 2024#football#soccer#greeting cards#diy#hanmade#craft#aliexpress#alibaba#made in china#germany nt#germany#video#youtube#module#capcut#editorial#fanmade#tv#astro#spotv#bein sport#fox sports#network#boardcaster#Spotify
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Does anyone have pics or stuff of Adrien Rabiot from 'Phenoms' made by Fox Sports in 2018?
I want to watch it so bad but it's unavailable in France 😫
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FS1 go home you're drunk
#major league soccer#los angeles fc#lafc#la galaxy#los angeles galaxy#seattle sounders#mls#world baseball classic#fox sports#fs1#for those uninitiated they displayed the logo for the wrong los angeles team
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Soccer Journalist Dies at World Cup After Collapsing at Argentina Game
Grant Wahl, who in his career covered soccer for Sports Illustrated, Fox Sports and CBS, was in Qatar for his eighth men’s World Cup.
Grant Wahl, a highly regarded soccer journalist who wrote extensively on the game, died Friday in Qatar, where he was covering the World Cup quarterfinal match between Argentina and the Netherlands.
Wahl’s agent, Tim Scanlan, confirmed the death in a phone interview on Friday night. Scanlan said that Wahl had been in the press box in the closing minutes of the match when he went into acute distress.
He is believed to have died, Scanlan said, at a hospital in Qatar or while he was being taken to one, after feeling unwell as the tournament proceeded.
“He wasn’t sleeping well, and I asked him if he tried melatonin or anything like,” Scanlan said. “He said, ‘I just need to like relax for a bit.’”
According to two New York Times journalists who were present, medical personnel performed chest compressions and other treatment for about 20 minutes before Wahl was taken out of Lusail Iconic Stadium.
Wahl was in the midst of his eighth men’s World Cup, with an aggressive schedule of reporting stories and recording podcasts.
Wahl’s wife, Dr. Celine Gounder, also confirmed the death in a post on Twitter. A family friend said that Gounder asked for privacy, and would leave all public comment to the U.S. Embassy in Qatar and the United States Soccer Federation.
Ned Price, a State Department spokesman, said U.S. officials were in contact with Wahl’s family and were “engaged with senior Qatari officials to see to it that his family’s wishes are fulfilled as expeditiously as possible.”
Wahl, 48, began his professional journalism career in 1996, at Sports Illustrated, where he worked for more than 23 years. He started out covering both soccer and college basketball, and wrote the magazine’s first cover story on LeBron James, titled “The Chosen One,” in 2002, when James was a junior in high school. Wahl then transitioned to cover soccer exclusively and his career grew in prominence alongside the sport in the United States.
“Grant’s passion for soccer and commitment to elevating its profile across our sporting landscape played a major role in helping to drive interest in and respect for our beautiful game,” the United States Soccer Federation said in a statement Friday night. Don Garber, the commissioner of Major League Soccer, wrote that Wahl “was a kind and caring person whose passion for soccer and dedication to journalism were immeasurable.”
Wahl grew up in Mission, Kan., outside of Kansas City, before attending Princeton University, where he graduated in 1996. Princeton is where Wahl fell in love with soccer. As a reporter for The Daily Princetonian, he covered the team when it was coached by Bob Bradley, who later led the United States men’s national team at the 2010 World Cup.
At Sports Illustrated, Wahl wrote dozens of cover stories and introduced Americans to many of the world’s great soccer stars, like Neymar and David Beckham, not to mention American stars like Christian Pulisic and Alex Morgan, and was one of a handful of journalists who covered the sport on a full-time basis. He wrote a book about the years Beckham spent playing in Major League Soccer, called “The Beckham Experiment,” and another on how the game’s best players think, titled the “Masters of Modern Soccer.”
Wahl also did television work for Fox Sports, and more recently, CBS.
After 24 years at Sports Illustrated, Wahl’s tenure ended unceremoniously after he was fired by Sports Illustrated’s publisher, Maven, over a dispute about pandemic-related pay cuts.
But Wahl quickly struck out on his own, starting an email newsletter, Fútbol with Grant Wahl, that garnered thousands of paid subscribers, and a podcast with Meadowlark Media, a sports media company started by the ESPN veterans John Skipper and Dan Le Batard.
“He is in my view America’s pre-eminent soccer journalist. He had this space as kind of a pioneer,” said Chris Wittyngham, his podcast co-host. “He was just so nice. Midwestern charm is a cliché, but he had it in abundance.”
Wahl was writing daily articles and recording podcasts every other day from Qatar throughout the World Cup. In recent days, Wahl wrote about struggles with his health during a run of coverage that, he said, typically left room for about five hours of sleep a night.
What had seemed to be a common cold for more than a week, he wrote, had “turned into something more severe” around Dec. 3, when the United States played the Netherlands.
“I could feel my upper chest take on a new level of pressure and discomfort,” he wrote, adding that he had tested negative for the coronavirus. Medical officials in Qatar, he said, thought he had bronchitis. The antibiotics he received, he said, appeared to work, backed up by 12 hours of sleep.
Earlier in the tournament, Wahl attracted attention for attending the game between Wales and the United States wearing a rainbow T-shirt, in support of L.G.B.T.Q. rights. Homosexuality is criminalized in Qatar, and some fans wearing rainbows on their clothing or carrying rainbow flags have been questioned by stadium security guards.
Wahl wrote that security guards at Ahmad bin Ali Stadium detained him for 25 minutes, telling him that his shirt was political and that he needed to take it off. Wahl refused, and eventually a security supervisor apologized and let him into the stadium.
On Wednesday night, he hosted a gathering at his apartment in Qatar to mark his birthday, which Scanlan said was on Thursday.
#Grant Wahl#Football Journalist#obituary#New York Times#sports illustrated#Fox Sports#CBS#World Cup#FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022#football#fußball#fussball#foot#fodbod#futbol#futebol#soccer#calcio
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Every time Jenny Taft, Alexi Lalas or Tyler Twelman open their mouths on air…
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Teammates, or lovers?
emily fox x uswntplayer!R
summary: after moving to Europe, the rumors surrounding you and your girlfriend died down. what if they come back during the gold cup?
warnings: none
Emily Fox and Y/n L/n are in a year long relationship together. The 25 and 23 year old first met when they both played for North Carolina Courage in 2023. Since then, Emily moved to London and Y/n L/n moved to Lyon to continue their football careers. So, their relationship turned into a long distance relationship.
The two lovers were sad about it, and the first two months were pretty hard to adjust to. However, they both moved to the same continent so it was easier to see each other during small breaks in their careers. Y/n made the effort to visit London to see Emily, even if it's only a day trip. Emily made the same efforts as well, coming to Lyon to watch Y/n play with their USWNT teammate Lindsey Horan whenever it's possible.
You remembered the night in North Carolina when you cried to Emily about your career. For a while, you lost your passion and struggled to find a challenge in the sport. Everyone involved in the NWSL knew that you were one of the best left wingers out there. You moved to North Carolina from the Chicago Red Stars to see if the team was the problem, it wasn’t.
Emily understands your feelings completely. She cried with you as well since your feelings with the sport related with hers.
The next day, Y/n’s agent told her that Olympique Lyon wanted to offer her a contract. The girl’s jaw dropped at the news. Lyon is one of the most developed clubs in the world, in terms of women’s soccer. She knew Lindsey Horan, her friend and USWNT teammate, transferred there after a year long loan deal. Y/n accepted the offer, hoping that Lyon would give her the passion she wanted back.
“Emily, I have to tell you something.” Y/n sat down beside Emily as she held her hands. The brunette swallowed in nervousness, wondering if her girlfriend saw the rumors about her on instagram.
“I am transferring clubs–” Y/n confessed, before Emily had the chance to talk, the left winger cut her off.
“Not a NWSL club.. Um.. I signed a contract and I’m moving to Europe—-France specifically.” Y/n frowned. She looked at Emily and saw a look… of relief??
“Em what's the matter?” Y/n questioned Emily’s expression.
“Nothing n/n. I was going to tell you this soon but maybe I'll tell you now too– but I am moving to Europe as well. A club offered me a contract and I signed a few days ago.” Emily confessed.
Y/n raised her eyebrows, she knew Emily wanted to transfer clubs, but wondered which lucky club signed Emily.
“Where?” Y/n asked.
“England...well London to be exact.” Emily answered. Y/n smiled and the two girls embraced each other in a hug.
When Emily and Y/n played at Courage, many fans started to suspect that they’re a couple. Many WOSO fanpages shipped the duo due to their close proximity at events. The girls decided that they didn’t want to go public with their relationship until a few years in, since they’d be established enough to not let external factors affect them.
As the two girls moved to Europe, they found their love for the sport back. Y/n fits into Lyon perfectly, being the highest goalscorer in France and in the Women’s Champions League. Emily is considered to be one of the best defenders in England since her transfer. The “rumors” about their relationship died down completely, but some fans do miss the duo at Courage.
Now it's March 2024, the USWNT faces off Brazil in the 2024 CONCACAF Gold Cup final. Y/n L/n and Emily Fox were both on the roster for the tournament which excited the couple. The couple excited the fans too, as Emily and Y/n’s pictures together during training practices excited the fanbase.
At halftime, the score is up 1-0. Y/n’s Lyon teammate Lindsey Horan scores a header that gives the United States the lead. Emily started the match but Y/n didn’t, but the forward subbed on and replaced Trinity Rodman in the 61st minute.
In the 79th minute, Emily fox gained possession of the ball after an error caused by a Brazilian midfielder. She passes the ball to Sophia Smith, seeing the striker in a nice path free from the opposition.
Sophia Smith struggles with keeping control of the ball when she found contact with a Brazilian defender, so she looks forward seeing Y/n L/n onside and free to receive a pass.
Y/n L/n is known for her dribbling and perfect finishes when she shoots from outside the box. The crowd knew this, so the screams got louder as y/n moved the ball to her left. She looks up to see that the Brazilian defender in front of her didn’t move quick enough at her move, so she goes to take a shot.
The soccer ball goes up high in the air and curves, the Brazilian goalkeeper jumps up and the ball barely grazes her fingers before it lands in the net. Goal!
Y/n jumps in excitement before she runs to the corner of the pitch, the crowd erupts and y/n has her arms spread out in celebration.
USWNT 2-0.
The forward turned around and saw Lindsey Horan running to her, y/n jumped up on the blonde girl in excitement. The rest of the team on the pitch gathered around the girls as they’re guaranteed to win, unless Brazil had a miracle.
As the group disbanded from the celebration, y/n saw her girlfriend who smiled brightly. Not caring about the amount of photographers that could capture the moment and the crowd as witnesses, the forward hugs the defender in a tight embrace. Emily accepted it, naturally putting her head on y/n’s shoulder for a few seconds before letting go and tapping her on the lower back in praise.
Twenty minutes later, the game ended 2-0. The USWNT wins the first women’s CONCACAF Gold Cup. Y/n and Emily run and give each other a hug. Well, y/n jumped on Emily who held her as the two celebrated their win. This didn’t go unnoticed by fans and shippers.
The team knew about their relationship, so they gave the girl’s their own moment before the whole team celebrated. This is before going up to receive the trophy and gold medals.
Emily and Y/n stayed side by side the entire night. The idea of hiding their relationship wasn’t ideal to them anymore, now they wanted the world to know about their love.
(pretend this is you in all the pictures below)
y/n.l/n
(tagged: naomi_girma, y/n.l/n, ___emilyfox)
(tagged: 100purcent, y/n.l/n)
(tagged: y/n.l/n, lindseyhoran10)
(tagged: olivia_moultrie, y/n.l/n, lindseyhoran10, emilysonnett)
liked by ___emilyfox, sophsssmith, and 33,987 others
a month of hard work ended in victory 💙 forever proud snd grateful for being with this team.
comments
alexmorgan13 🇺🇸🔥🏆
___emilyfox I love you!! ❤️
wosofan OH MY GOD???
y/n_lyonfan I CANT BELIEVE MY EYES
100purcent gold cup champs!! so proud 🥹
sophsssmith 🤍
trinity_rodman I had such a fun time! 🏆
y/n.l/n same!!
--
an: my first uswnt centered fic! hope you enjoyed <3
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Your mic’ed up series is inspired omg. I love the idea of the Foxes not getting riled up by other teams and it making their opponents even more pissed. When I was a goal keeper playing netball as a teenager (girls teen netball teams should be recruited by the military, because they have perfected the art of psychological warfare and physical violence) I was so much taller than any of my opponents and thus good at defence and they would shove me/step on my feet/pinch me/talk so much shit about me and my team and every time I would just click my tongue and say something like “Not very nice” because my coach took sportsman ship VERY seriously and we got benched for engaging. Would it make them worse? Yes. Was it worth it? Absolutely 😌
see while one the one hand it's like "i need to be nice because my coach will be mad if im not" it's also like,, engaging 9 times out of 10 just makes it worse. i'm taller than average (but not THAT tall) but i was always the tallest of the girls in my class in school so when i played sports it was kind of the thing that people went after. i have such vivid memories of a soccer final and the other teams supporters were right behind my goals and it SO threw me off because they were making fun of my height i was like,,, 10 and it absolutely made them worse because they could tell it was pissing me off
moral of the story is that "have a winning day!" will always be the smartest option over engaging with assholes
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i was listening to @thefoxholecast 's third episode, and they were talking about kevin's injury and whether it was realistic for him to come back from - i ended up sending them an ask with stuff about soccer injuries but i think i've thought of a better analogy.
i'm assuming exy is played with both hands like lacrosse (although it's never really mentioned in the series) but i would imagine that, like lacrosse, one hand is more of a stabilizing and supporting hand while the other gives a lot of the power and aim - with that in mind, and knowing that lacrosse is probably the best analogy but unfortunately i never played outside of gym class so i can't really speak to it, i'm thinking of fencing - a sport that also involves a lot of wrist movement from one arm. i had a teammate who injured her right shoulder and fenced left-handed for the year that it was healing, idk of anyone at a super high level who's done it, but it's definitely possible to relearn with your non-dominant hand. and once her shoulder was healed, she slowly started using it again and is back to fencing right-handed. i also know of a lot of serious injuries like acl tears that take roughly a year to a year and a half to recover from. his recovery timeline is a little fast based on how severe they make his injury sound, but he doesn't start using his left hand again until after the winter banquet, which would be right around a year after he first injured it, which i can accept as fairly reasonable, especially because it doesn't seem like exy uses a ton of fine motor skills so his hand probably didn't need to be completely like it used to be in order for him to play exy with it
i think a slightly less realistic injury would be neil's shoulder - he frequently dislocates it (which is realistic, once you do it once you're more likely to do it again), but he hops right back into contact without any rest time. every teammate i've had who's dislocated a shoulder has had to sit out from contact for at least a couple weeks, and most of them ended up getting surgery on their shoulder (i can't speak to the specifics cause i've luckily never done it myself but they were certainly not jumping into practice the next day). i know a lot of his injuries throughout the series are superficial - bruises, cuts, etc - but even something like a sprain can put someone out for weeks depending on the severity of it. coming back from baltimore should have been more than a week and a half long recovery. so in my mind, kevin's injury and recovery timeline actually makes a lot more sense than neil's throughout the series, and i understand that it's cause nora sakavic needed to keep the plot moving and the foxes really didn't have any subs to take neil's place, but his injuries are more severe than his recovery times would indicate, and it's one of the things that pulled me out of the series the most when i was reading it for the first time
#i was trying to go to sleep and this popped into my mind#sorry for the long post#aftg#neil josten#kevin day#all for the game#text post
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FOX IN THE BOX — ROY KENT.
PART TWO of ACES AT THE WATER’S EDGE.
(series masterlist!) (AO3!) (series playlist!)
pairing: roy kent x fem!reader (no use of y/n!)
summary: back in 2012, you and roy meet for the first time. in 2023, you sign a one-year contract with richmond and have to work with roy for the first time. both go about as well as you’d expect.
word count & rating: 9.6k, R (roy kent says fuck and does fuck!)
chapter warnings: swearing, light sexual innuendos and light references to sex, mentions of alcohol and partying (the olympians get DOWN in olympic village) minor allusions to what happened to reader at west ham, major football talk, roy kent is rich, original character intros and plot (author really likes a plot, woo boy), angst, and of course, fluff.
author’s note: ok wow, thank you for all the love on the first chapter! wildly unexpected but much appreciated. this one’s got a bit more to it— jumping timelines, original characters, lotta soccer/football talk, reader and roy don’t know how to act (in more ways than one). also did crazy research into the 2012 olympics for this, so no one tell me my timeline’s off or i’ll cry. also also, is roy's sister named molly or is that just evidence that i've read too many fics? whatever it is, her name's molly! thank you again for the love and i hope you all enjoy! love you all tons! -mags
LONDON OLYMPICS. (LATE JULY, 2012)
You meet Roy Kent for the first time at midnight, in a rookie’s dorm room in the Olympic Village.
It’s a seemingly unlikely place for a football phenom like him to be. You’d expected all of those guys to choose to be elsewhere, exploiting their home-country advantage to hang out in their posh flats. But there they were, carrying out their team bonding efforts to prepare for their game tomorrow.
Knowing what you know about Roy now, it’s fitting for him to have been there. But in this moment, you’re shocked to see the likes of him in Olympic Village.
It’s a place that’s convinced you that your college career was only good for preparing you for it. And you’re not even talking about the sports aspect of it. You’re talking about the shit-show, chaos-menu of athletes from around the world, acting as though it’s the first week of freshman year.
Despite the fact that alcohol, drugs, and any other traditional party favors are completely off-limits on-premises, it doesn’t seem to deter your fellow Olympians from running the dorms like it’s a frat party. You’re half-convinced you’re going to get a classic ‘who do you know here’ from the trust-fund-looking Australian swimmer you pass getting into your building, but he just sends a heartbreaking smile at you and your teammate as you walk in.
Your team’s fresh off the bus from Glasgow, having just beat France at Hampden Park. It was a hell of a way to open, despite the Opening Ceremony not taking place for another two days. As a younger player who’d proven herself in last year’s World Cup, you were the starting striker in your first Olympic game ever, scoring the second goal of the match and assisting the fourth. The adrenaline of it all hadn’t quite worn off yet.
It’s clear that your teammate’s feeling the same way. Melanie Rivera, your left winger and for all intents and purposes, best friend, is straight-up vibrating. You’d met during World Cup training, where you two had instantly clicked and she’d taken you under her wing to show you the ropes and what it meant to play at this level. Despite this being her second Olympics, the feeling of a win never goes away. Or at least, that’s what she tells you.
The two of you are practically bouncing off the walls as you arrive on your floor, giggling to yourselves about different things that had happened during the game. Your fluent-in-French full-back telling off a French forward when she got too close to your goalie. The mid-game mishap where some French girl’s cleat went flying. The ‘bullshit’ yellow card Mel had received right before the half (Mel knew it was a fair call, she’d totally pushed that girl).
“She was asking for it, though,” Mel insists, collapsing onto your bed as you enter your shared room. “Pulling on my shirt the whole game. I have two rules. Two. Don’t—”
You roll your eyes, having heard these rules a million times. “—touch my goalie, and don’t—”
“—touch my fucking kit,” she finishes, throwing her hands up exasperatedly. Her eyes shut with a huff. “They’re pretty simple. Don’t know why people can’t follow them.”
“Yeah, it’s a travesty,” you reply dryly. Your lip curls into a grimace as you look at her. “You wanna know what my rules are?”
One of Mel’s eyes opens with a knowing smile. “Don’t be sweaty on your bed?”
“Oh, so we do remember,” you say, falsely cheery. The faux smile falls from your face. “Get off. Or at least shower. I want to go to bed and I don’t want to like, smell you.”
Mel rolls off your bed with a dramatic sigh. “Fine,” she relents. “But you can’t go to bed.”
Your expression remains unamused. “And why not?”
“Because the British men’s team is hanging out upstairs,” she states as if the answer’s obvious.
“Right. Of course,” you reply. “So, we’re crashing their team bonding?”
“No,” she says, pointing at you. “Their women’s team crashed. And then Jack texted me to tell us to come up.”
You narrow your eyes at her. “Uh-huh. Is Paige there?”
Mel shrugs, avoiding your gaze. “Maybe.”
“Oh, great,” you say sarcastically. “So, you’re forcing me to stay awake so I can wingman you?”
Mel flops on your bed once more. “Please,” she cries. “Dude, I like her so fucking much. We’ve been texting since the Cup and I don’t know, this year I think I’ve got a chance.”
“Why can’t Jack wingman you? He’s clearly down to set you two up,” you say, sounding a bit whiny. “Also, why are they hanging out here? I thought they’d rent a place or stay at their own houses.”
“They make the rookies stay in the Village their first years. It's for the experience, or whatever,” she answers. That’s brushed to the side quickly. “Also, Jack is a fucking awful wingman. The only type of scoring he’s good at is on the field.” She looks at you expectantly. “And I can’t go up there alone. I’ll look like a loser.”
You gape at her. “You are twenty-seven years old.”
“And I’ll look like a twenty-seven-year-old friendless loser!” When she sees the expression you’re wearing, she tilts on her side. “Say yes or I’ll roll around in your bed.”
You cover your face with your hands, an exhausted laugh echoing into your palms. This clearly is a losing battle, and you decide you’re going to be a good friend tonight. “Fine,” you groan, hearing your bed squeak as she launches herself off of it with a cheer. “An hour. That’s it. And then I’m going to bed and never talking to you again.”
“I can live with that,” she yells, bounding for the shower in your room. “I’ll text Jack that we’ll be up in thirty!”
“You owe me so big!” you reply.
You can hear Mel’s grin when she says, “I love you, too!”
Thirty minutes later, you’re freshly showered and up three floors, standing outside of the rookie’s dorm room. You can hear just how loud it is from outside and you suddenly really feel like you’re back in college again.
It takes Mel a solid three minutes to work up the courage to knock on the door, something that you’re sure would have taken longer if you hadn’t reached out and done it yourself. She scowls at you, but the door opens before she can cuss you out.
Jack Wilson, Tottingham sweeper and three-time Olympian, answers the door with a wide smile. You’d met him a handful of times due to his friendship with Mel and he was just as lovely as everyone had said. There was a charming sort of awkwardness about him despite his status as a professional footballer, but it made him all the more endearing to you.
“Glad you finally decided to show,” he said to you two, opening the door wider for you to enter. “Congrats on the win.”
“Thanks,” Mel said, eyes already scanning the small dorm living room for Paige. “What’s up with the team bonding in the dorms?”
You’re also looking around the room, sending smiles to the handful of girls you recognize. “Game tomorrow. Coach wanted us to do dinner as a team, so we ate in that big hall. And we--” he says, pointing to two guys on the couch, “--wanted to see the Village this year. So here we are.”
Your eyes follow his finger to the men, one of which isn’t familiar. The other, you immediately identify as Roy Kent. And his eyes are on you.
He’s easily recognizable, curly hair a bit more tame and managed than the iconic, half-assed mullet he’d had when he first signed with Chelsea. That ever-present scowl only lifts a little when he sees that you and Mel have arrived, but you honestly can’t see much change in his expression due to his drawn brows.
While you’d relied on Mel for the majority of your connections to this new world of football, she’d never really seemed to hang out with the likes of Roy. From what you’d gathered, despite his rather high status, he was a bit of a recluse. Yes, he went out constantly, and yes (if the tabloids were right), he’d certainly dated around, nobody really seemed to know much about him.
When he’d come up in a team game of ‘Fuck, Marry, Kill’ with famous footballers, Mel had told the group that he was a guy of few words, and of the words he did say, ‘fuck’ seemed to be his favorite. Your friend and teammate Katie O’Connor was ready with a terrible impression of him when she answered with ‘fuck,’ especially after Mel also confirmed that the Gina Gershon news was true.
You try to ignore this as you go over to introduce yourself to them, despite the fact it’s currently setting up camp in your brain. “Nice to meet you guys,” you say to Roy and the other boy on the couch. Jack takes a spot next to you on the floor as you take an empty chair next to the couch. Paige waves at you from her spot when you sit.
Roy nods at you in acknowledgment. “Good showing out there.”
Jack points at you. “Bloody insane goal you had,” he says. “I think I’d break my back if I tried to do a scorpion kick like that. It was fucking class.”
You grin. “Well, lucky for Tottenham, they keep you on the other side,” you say, then quietly add, “Not that it would make a difference.”
You see Roy’s lips twitch up from the corner of your eye, and you bite back a laugh as Jack physically deflates before you. Mel’s heard your comment and runs over to sit on the arm of your chair, which is conveniently close to Paige. “Ooh, is it shit on Tottenham time? Because I haven’t seen your ass in months, so I got a whole list, man.”
As the two of them begin to argue in the way they do, you sit at watch them with a smile. They’d had this type of relationship since you’d met them back at the Cup, when Jack had flown into Germany to see your final games. Despite the loss, those were a wild couple of weeks.
The moment your brain starts to recount them, you can feel a pair of eyes on you. It snaps you out of your haze completely. Especially when you realize that it’s Roy Kent who’s staring at you once more.
You blink at him, slightly confused by the attention. “Hi?”
He nods at you again. He seems to take a moment to evaluate you, and then, “You overthink.”
“W-What?” you ask. The word comes out clunky and confused.
Roy motions to the TV that’s on across the room, one that’s showing highlights from your game. “Out there,” he says. “You overthink.”
The two of you stare at each other for a moment. You, feeling unbelievably out of sorts and unsure of what brought this on, Roy, secure and casual, like he just stated the weather.
Before you can question him, he nods at you for a final time, then stands up. “I’m going home,” he tells the group. “You lot better be fucking ready for the game tomorrow.”
Roy’s out of the room before anyone can say a proper goodbye to him, but no one bats an eye. No questions follow.
Except you, of course. You’ve got a fucking million.
You overthink on the field? Where the fuck had he gotten that from? How had he seen it? While there were some times, yeah, you got a bit in your head, you’d never considered yourself an overthinker. And even if you were, the overthinking produced results, right? You liked to think you were just three steps ahead of everyone else out there. Not an overthinker.
But what made him say that? What had he seen? Was it your hesitation outside the box in the first fifteen that resulted in you losing the ball? Was it the switch you’d made to get to the goal when your right winger had it on the side? Was there a look on your face when you’d taken that free kick in the second half? You were pretty in your head then, but hey, it led to Mel scoring.
Overthinking. Pfft. He didn’t know what he was talking about.
But then again, what the fuck was he talking about?
The thought of this unknown bomb dropped on you without any sort of answers quickly and completely took over your mind. Criticism about your playing had never bothered you (you were a twenty-five-year-old female soccer player, and you’d had more horrendous coaches than you could count), but this? This was something that literally made you itch. And you weren’t going to be able to scratch it until you knew what the hell he meant.
Before you knew what you were doing, you found yourself practically chasing Roy out of the room, whipping your head around to figure out which way he’d gone. Lucky for you, the dorm’s slow lifts were on your side.
Roy stood by the elevator, checking something on his phone as he waited. He clearly doesn’t hear you coming because he nearly drops it when you ask, “What do you mean I overthink?”
“What the fuck?” And now he’s staring at you like you’re the crazy one.
“I should be asking you that!” you say, then motion back to the direction of the dorm. “You tell me I overthink, stare at me with no follow-up, then leave? Who does that?” You’re way too animated for past midnight, but you don’t care. “Because even if I was an overthinker, which I’m not, that sort of stuff is probably the worst thing you can do. Not leaving on a note like that is like, rule number one.”
Roy’s brows shoot up. “I wasn’t aware there were rules.”
“Yeah, well, there are,” you reply, crossing your arms over your chest. When he continues to just stare at you, you make a face that you hope will cue him to go on. “So, go ahead. Please explain yourself.”
“Explain the overthinking thing?” he asks. “I thought it was pretty fucking simple.”
You roll your eyes. “No, what made you say that? Was it a play I had? Was it something I did? What did you see? I’m just curious as to—”
“You came up the field toward the end of the game,” he says, effectively cutting you off. “And you made a pass to Rivera that led to another pass, then a goal.”
You nod at him, not seeing his point at all. “Yeah? So? It was a great goal by Katie.”
Roy’s expression turns slightly frustrated, as if he’s annoyed that you don’t immediately catch on. “It was a great goal. But the fucking second you saw Rivera next to you, you started thinking ahead,” he tells you. “So far ahead that you didn’t notice how slow and fucking awful your mark was and that you could have had a better goal if you’d stopped thinking.”
There are approximately fifteen seconds of dead air between you two as you attempt to take in what he just said to you. “So, let me get this straight,” you begin. “You’re saying I’m bad because I think too much about teamwork?”
For a moment, you think Roy’s going to slam his head into the elevator door. Instead, he just turns to the buttons and presses them once more. “Fuck’s sake, could these be any fucking slower?”
You’re too far gone at this point to even be offended. “Uh, it doesn’t matter. You started this. You’re not going anywhere until we finish it. Why does me not being a selfish dick make me bad?”
“I didn’t say you were bad. You’re not. Clearly,” he responds. You note a bit of the classic ‘Roy Kent’ anger laced within his words and it makes you snap your mouth shut. “I’m just saying. You’re at your best when you’re not so fucking nice and when you don’t fucking think.”
Unconsciously, your arms cross over your chest. “I’ve got twenty-two years of playing time and about ten coaches that would disagree with that.”
Once more, you see the corner of his mouth slide upward as he glances at you. “If that’s the case, then your coaches were all idiots. They weren’t smart enough to let you loose.”
An unexpected warmth rises to your cheeks. But instead of acknowledging it, you ask, “What, like you’d be a better one?” Before he can respond to that, you’re talking again. “And even if all of that were true, I wouldn’t know how to do that.”
Roy’s brow creases. “Do what?”
“Not… think ahead,” you say. “Or not think at all. That being three steps ahead thing is kind of, well, my thing.” You offer a shrug. “The generous, teamwork thing too. I like that. It’s what makes me good.”
Roy continues to look at you, but says nothing. For a moment, all is quiet as he just… stares, almost as if he can see through you. Like he’s privy to something you’re not, or he’s had some sort of revelation about you. You’re not sure anyone’s ever looked at your this hard. It’s a bit unnerving and you have to fight to not avert your eyes.
Before you can begin to further overthink that (god fucking damn it), he’s holding his phone out to you. You stare down at it blankly.
“You’re showing me your phone,” you state, but it’s almost a question.
Roy rolls his eyes. “Put in your fucking number,” he says.
Your lips purse as you hesitate, but you find yourself reaching out for it. “Is this how you typically do it?” you ask, typing your name into his contacts. “You neg a girl for five minutes straight and then ask her for her number?”
Roy rolls his eyes again, but there’s humor amongst the annoyance this time. “I’m going to text you a time and an address,” he tells you. You hand him his phone back. “Be there on Friday after the Opening Ceremony.”
The elevator had finally arrived in the middle of his sentence and you eye him wearily as he steps in. “Just… show up to this address?” you ask. “Do I get context? Like, what to expect? What am I dressing for?”
“Overthinking,” he reminds you as he presses the button for the lobby. “Just fucking be there.”
Before you can object further or tell him that you were not in fact overthinking, you were just a woman in a foreign city concerned for your safety, he leans forward to stop the doors from closing. He’s got one hand up and has a small smirk on his face.
“And just so we’re crystal fucking clear,” he says. “If I were trying to chat you up, you’d fucking know it.”
Your eyes immediately fix into a glare and the doors close before you can say anything in response. “Asshole,” you mutter to yourself, but you’re already flipping your phone over to see if he’s texted you.
(You won’t know this until much, much later, but Roy Kent let out a loud and regretful ‘fuck!’ as soon as he was five floors down, absolutely cringing at the idea that he used a line like that on someone like you. It plagued him for three years straight.)
PRESENT DAY. (EARLY AUGUST, 2023)
On a day when Roy not only had the strangest interaction of his life with Jamie Tartt in the Boot Room, but he also found out that Trent fucking Crimm would be lingering around all season, he was sure that he was done with surprises at Nelson Road.
That quickly proved to be false, as he soon found that Ted was rounding the team up in the media room for some sort of meeting.
Roy saw Beard as he was leaving the Coaches’ Office and sent a questioning look his way. “Did I miss film on the agenda?”
Beard shook his head. “Nope. Impromptu. We just heard back.”
“Heard back?” Roy asked, watching Beard go to leave the room. “The fuck are you on about?”
Beard smiled at him in the doorway. “We got her,” he said and left with a skip in his step that Roy wasn’t sure he’d ever seen before.
They’d gotten her? Got who?
Then it hit Roy. Oh. You. They’d gotten you.
You’d said yes. You were joining Richmond. He’d helped convince you. Despite everything, despite all that had happened and everything you two had done, you’d said yes. You were willing to work with him. You were now going to be back in his life for worse or for better. And not just back in his life, but a fucking constant in it.
Then that hit Roy. The reality of it all fucking bodyslams him and it makes his heart race. After eight years of cold-turkey no-contact, he was going to be seeing you every day. After everything he’d done. After everything you had done.
Roy realized then that he didn’t exactly consider this feeling. That he was so blindsided by Rebecca’s request and by seeing you that he didn’t even think about this. It had been hard enough to work up the nerve to confront and speak to you once. Would it feel like that all season? Had you considered this?
But then, he remembered you and how you think about every fucking angle of every situation. You definitely had thought about this. And if you were willing to push the discomfort, the awkwardness, the whatever in order to have this job, he supposed he had to be too.
Roy swore under his breath, turning away from his desk to get his head back on straight. The team was waiting for him. He could mope about this in the comfort of his own home later.
He arrived in the room just as the rest of the team was getting in. The boys were buzzing. Between the news of a potential Zava acquisition and the Trent Crimm book development, as well as whatever this was, they couldn’t seem to stop talking. Roy didn’t blame them. It was a lot for one day.
(It’d been a lot for him too. With everyone now knowing about his break-up with Keeley, to fucking Trent Crimm, to you, he was surprised he hadn’t gone outside to scream yet. But he presumed that was coming.)
“Alright fellas, listen up,” Ted said from the front of the room, holding his hand up to get everyone’s attention. The team quieted down after a moment. “I know there’s been a lot of talk going around this week. And I know y’all are excited. But I’ve got some more news.”
“I don’t know if I can take any more,” Dani said, sending a wave of agreement through the group. “It’s hurting my head.”
Ted chuckled. “I know. Mine too. And we’re the ones who have to manage all this,” he said, motioning to Beard and Roy who stood against the wall. “But this is good news.”
Good news? That was something the team could manage.
“So, how many of you are familiar with the Women’s World Cup that happened back in 2015?” he asked, eyes scanning the crowd.
A murmur went through the team. “America won?” Colin offered. “Crazy final game that was.”
Isaac pointed at Roy. “You did some shit for Sky Sports for this Cup, right?”
As the boys began to recall this, Jaan Mas said, “Why they gave you another pundit job after that completely blows my mind.”
“Yes, Roy did do some TV work over here,” Ted answered after the laughter died down. “And yes, America won. But does anyone remember what this Cup started to be called?”
It seemed as though no one had an answer. That is, until Beard cleared his throat said, “The Summer of Fourteen, baby!”
Ted snapped at his best friend. “That’s exactly right, Coach. And despite it being the 2015 Cup, they called it that because of this woman right here.”
Ted had brought up what is perhaps the most iconic photo of you to date. It’s one of the first things to come up if you were to Google yourself, a picture that’s haunted you for the last eight years. It’s from the 2015 quarter-final. You’re mid-penalty kick against China, scowl on your face as your foot collides with the ball, blood dripping down your face from the broken nose you’d received moments before.
(It’s certainly not the most elegant or flattering picture of you that exists, especially when your fellow teammates’ search results yielded photos of them at the ESPYs, but you still think you’ve never looked like more of a badass.)
Ted said your name smoothly as he pointed to you on the screen, annunciating all syllables. “Wildly prolific USA Women's athlete despite her rather short time in the league. And while she was always good, y’know, starting striker since she began and all that—” He chuckled, turning to look at his other coaches, who had knowing smiles on their faces. “—I don’t know. There was something in the water in 2015. Because she just became…”
Ted trailed off, looking for the word. This time, Roy found it before Beard. “A nightmare,” he said, with a suppressed yet fond sort of smile. “She was a fucking nightmare out there.”
“In a good way, of course,” Ted cleared up, earning a nod from Roy. “But, yeah. A nightmare. Wonderful teammate and fantastic playmaker, but man…” Ted trailed off with a low whistle. “We were all glad she played for our neck of the woods.”
Jamie’s hand went up. “Didn’t she just get like, hired and fired by West Ham?”
“Wonderful segue there, Jamie,” Ted said. “Because yes, that is true. She was with West Ham for a couple months. First female coach in the league. Pretty impressive stuff, and it was a pretty big deal. And then something went wrong, and they let her go.” The team made a noise of acknowledgment, all of them having seen it in the news. “And I don’t know what happened, and we probably won’t know what happened, but we knew she was too good to leave the league. Lucky for us, we need a new coach. And she needs a new job.”
There was a wide smile on his face when Sam asked, “So she will be joining Richmond?”
“That she is, Sam,” Ted replied, earning yet another eruption of chatter amongst the group. “She’ll be joining us on Monday. And while I know you fellas will do everything you can to make her feel welcome and will show her the same level of respect that you show us up here—” Ted pointed to his coaches once more, glancing down at the computer in front of him. “—I’m going to show you why she deserves it more than us.”
A YouTube video of your highlights appeared on the big screen, going full-screen as the quick ad ended. Ted stepped back from the computer, sitting down on the stool behind him to watch along with the rest.
Your famous 2012-France-Scorpion-Kick goal just so happens to be the first thing up and Roy’s heart nearly stops. It’d been years since he’d seen this clip and he was immediately transported back to the night you two met. A ghost of a smile unconsciously made its way up his face as he watched your body contort to flip around, and the ball soar into the net. It was a goal of pure and utter instinct. You hadn’t thought about it. You just ran in there like a maniac and knew what to do. That one gets an immediate reaction from the team.
The next one is a play you’d set up in the Quarter-Final New Zealand game, with a bunch of quick passing in the box to confuse and rattle the defense. Melanie Rivera had sent you a world-class assist for an even better goal, one that earns you the title of ‘Fox in the Box’ from the past commentator on screen. The next, an impressive goal scored after an injury you’d had in the Semi-Finals against Canada. Then, and perhaps most famously, your assist to Katie O’Connor from midfield to win the Gold.
And they hadn’t even gotten to the World Cup yet.
The World Cup footage made up the other three-fourths of the video. It was a completely different side of you, one that had thrown caution to the wind, one that had a huge fucking chip on her shoulder, one that was just… insane. In all the best ways and meanings.
Roy’s shock of the day, though, comes after a highlight of you completely blowing past three Colombian defenders. You’d broken the fourth’s ankles with your footwork in the box for a quick goal. Footwork of yours that had been massively improved, Roy noted. And he would know, he’s the one who did it.
Arlo White’s voice filled up the room. “And yet another breakaway goal from USA’s Mean Fourteen!” The clip said. “It’s just remarkable to watch her work this year, don’t you think, Roy?”
Roy felt all eyes on him when he heard his own voice on the speakers. “I don’t know what USA would do without her,” 2015 Roy Kent said. “I’d hate to have her against me.”
It was strange for Roy to hear his own voice mock him like that. And as the team began to cheer for him, he felt a pit form in his stomach. They didn’t even know.
The highlight reel continued for another couple of minutes, and it seemed with each play, the boys became more excited about the prospect of being coached by someone like you. Beard and Ted were evidently just as ecstatic about the development, and Roy knew he had to get on board. Warp his feelings and nerves and whatever else into something resembling his team’s attitude.
After all, he was the reason you were joining.
The lights came up as soon as the video ended, snapping Roy back to reality. Ted smiled at the team. “Alright, fellas. Now, let’s get to work on the welcome party.”
The boys hooped and hollered, each of them getting up to join in whatever Ted had planned. Beard looked over at Roy as the rest filed out.
“You think we’re ready for her?” he asked.
Roy hated the weird fucking sixth sense Beard had when it came to… well, everything. He made Roy feel like he was completely transparent. “We’re ready for her,” he replied.
Though, he wasn’t sure if he was assuring Beard or himself.
PRESENT DAY. (EARLY AUGUST, 2023.)
You sign a one-year coaching contract with AFC Richmond that Monday in Rebecca Walton’s office.
The news broke that you’d been picked up by Richmond on Friday, something that had completely come alive in the press world. Your face was plastered over all of the papers yet again, newscasters seemed to mention your name every time you turned on your TV, and social media was set on fire. Everyone had something to say about this move and the majority of it wasn’t too positive.
You tried to keep your nose out of it, knowing just how much you did not need to see people talking about you like that. The majority of the negativity was from West Ham fans, wishing Richmond ‘luck’ with the likes of you, others wishing you good riddance.
If they knew how happy you were to be out of there, you’re not so sure they’d be as excited to let you go.
Though signings on every level in this league were typically more public affairs, ones with major press conferences and coverage, you’d requested this to be quieter. Just a few statements from the people who mattered and a pen and paper. You’d been in the media a bit too much for your liking over these past couple of months, and if you could get some exclusivity, you’d take it.
Rebecca, thankfully, was more than happy to comply. You’d been in contact with her practically non-stop since you’d called her, and she’d been nothing but lovely to you. Each interaction with her made you feel better about this job, despite the cloud of anxiety that still hung over you.
You’re sitting in a chair opposite Rebecca’s desk when a message from Mel comes through. i always liked richmond better than west ham anyway, she says. paige and i bought shirts and will be at every game.
A photo comes through shortly after of her three-year-old toddler, decked out in a Jamie Tartt jersey. oliver’s already got his!
You can’t help the smile that spreads across your face, fingers tapping against your screen with a quick response. adorable. give him and paige a hug for me. and i’ll be freaking out so bad at every game that i’m gonna need you there anyway, so i’m holding you to that.
you’ll be incredible. knock ‘em dead, kid.
Rebecca re-enters her office before you can respond with a thank you. She’s got Coach Ted Lasso in tow, who could not be grinning brighter at you. The second you see him, you think about everything Nate had told you during your short time at West Ham, and something within you just can’t believe it. The energy of Richmond had been different as soon as you walked through the door. The good kind of different. And their manager appeared to not be an exception.
Ted greets you immediately with an outstretched hand. “It’s so nice to finally meet you,” he says after your introduction. “I gotta tell you, we’re all mighty excited that you’re here.”
“I think I might be more excited,” you reply, and it’s an honest answer. Or at least, you’d been able to shift your nerves about the job into excitement. You’d only anxiety-thrown up once today. You figured that was an accomplishment. “Seriously. Thank you both again for the opportunity.”
“We’re just grateful you said yes,” Rebecca says. You can tell she means it. “The team’s been buzzing all week.”
The nerves return at the mention of the team, but you mentally scream at yourself to get over it. “Well, I’m just excited to get started.”
“Speaking of getting started, we should probably head downstairs,” Ted says to Rebecca. “I wanna show our new coach around a bit before practice gets going.”
“Of course, don’t let me keep you,” Rebecca responds. “I’ve got a couple more things for you to sign before you leave today, so just make sure to stop by. If you have any questions, my door’s always open, or you can ask Leslie, who you met earlier, who’s always wandering around somewhere.” Her smile gets warmer as she puts a hand on your shoulder. “And we really are pleased to have you joining us.”
You wonder for a moment how a woman like her could have ever been married to an asshole like Rupert, but you suppose that’s a story for another day. “Thank you,” you say again, a bit of that anxiety washing away. “I’m happy to be here.”
Ted leads you out of the office, his tour starting from the minute you exit. He offers a bit of insight into himself and his time at Richmond, his past two years working with Rebecca, then launches into what he knows about the history of the place (and you don’t have the heart to tell him that Rebecca had already done that when you’d arrived).
The facility is gorgeous, but it feels a bit more lived-in and welcoming than what you remember about West Ham. Everything there was so manicured and monochromatic and sterile. Nothing about it felt like a place you’d want to work.
Richmond is the opposite. It’s bright and colorful and you can hear people laughing as soon as you step down into the lower level. While your nervousness about the team still lingers, you can feel it easing. You’ll see how long that lasts.
You’re stepping into the Coaches’ Office before you even realize it, mind too occupied with taking in your new surroundings and trying to keep up with Ted’s story. You resent the overwhelming amount of relief you feel when you realize there are only two men in the office, and neither of them are Roy.
One is sitting with his feet crossed up on his desk and a book in his face. The other is writing on a notepad at a separate desk. You’re surprised by the speed at which both of them jump up to greet you as you and Ted enter.
“Alright, Coach, this is Coach Beard,” Ted says, and you meet Beard’s hand for a shake. “He’s one of the guys you’ll be working with this season.”
“Nice to meet you,” Beard says, nodding your way.
“You too,” you reply. Your eyes are drawn to the book he placed down on his desk and you allow yourself to grin. “I love Merlin Sheldrake.” When his brows shoot up in surprise, you shrug. “I’ve got a lot of time in the off-season.”
Beard’s eyes light up. “We’ll get along just fine.”
Your grin grows and you hear Ted’s voice from behind you. “Is that that mushroom book?” he asks. “I don’t think Beard’s ever found someone who reads that stuff too. I guess we’ve now got two Fun-guys in the group.”
You glance over at Beard. “Now it's a Fung-us.”
Out of the corner of your eye, you see Ted’s hand come up to his mouth as he looks over at his best friend. For whatever reason, it’s clear that the two of them are trying to contain their excitement. Before you can question it, Ted places a hand on your shoulder. “Oh, you’ll fit right in here, Ace.”
The nickname catches you off guard. It’s something that you haven’t heard since your playing days, something that the commentators and pundits loved to call you. It was always a compliment when they said it, but something about the way that your new manager says it makes it sound more like a title than a name. Like that’s what you are.
It immediately makes you feel welcome and you can feel yourself warm into their excitement.
The other man in the room, who’s been watching this interaction in amusement, steps forward to hold out his hand to you as well. “Trent Crimm.”
Now, it’s your turn to raise your brows. “You’re the writer who keeps calling me?”
A smile that could also be a cringe appears on his face. “Guilty,” he answers. “Just trying to cover all the bases for the book.”
“I get it,” you tell him. “If you still want a quote, I’d be happy to give you one. But I can’t guarantee it’s going to be clean.”
Trent chuckles. “I’ll take what I can get at this point.”
There’s a moment where you almost question what he means by that, but you brush it off. Especially now that Ted’s started talking again. “Roy's running a little late, but I’ve heard y’all already know each other, so we’re not technically missing an introduction.”
That makes you pause. You’d figured that when Roy had appeared on your doorstep he’d told at least Rebecca about your past, and that the probability he’d told the staff was high too. But exactly how much had he told them? Did they know the basics or did they know everything?
You then realize it’s Roy you’re talking about. There was no way in hell he’d told them anything more than what Ted said. That you knew each other. Maybe that things hadn’t ended smoothly. But that was it.
That, at least, gives you a bit more confidence. Ted turns to you and leads you back into the small, adjoining room you’d walked through, pointing at an almost empty desk. “That’s yours,” he tells you. “Feel free to dress it up with whatever you want, and get yourself unpacked. We’re starting practice in about fifteen minutes and Coach Beard and I gotta set some things up, but I’d like to introduce you to the fellas before you start shadowing. That all sound good?”
You grip the strap of your backpack and nod at him with a smile. “Works for me, Coach.”
Ted grins, patting you on the arm. “Glad to hear it.”
And with that, he returns to his desk, making sure to leave the door open as he leaves.
You plop your backpack on your desk and begin to empty out your things. You grab your laptop first and place it on your desk, followed by a couple of knick-knacks and photos you brought along, ones that never felt at home at your desk at West Ham. There’s a rational piece of you that knows you should stop comparing the two places, but the pettier, more aggressive side of you tells it to fuck off.
(You like to listen to that one when you can these days.)
You’re holding a photo of a baby Oliver dressed in a Women’s USA onesie when you hear someone else walk into the room. You glance over your shoulder and immediately regret it.
Roy Kent is standing in the doorway, staring at you like he completely forgot your signing day was today.
Of course, Roy hadn’t. He’d been pacing around his flat all morning because of it. It was actually why he was late to work. But he hadn’t expected to see you as soon as he walked in. In his office. Now, your office too, he supposed.
The two of you just stared at each other for a moment, much like you did when you saw each other again for the first time last week. However, it appears that you’re both acutely aware of the three sets of eyes that are on you two from the other room.
Like you’re snapping into a scene in a play, Roy’s expression rids itself of all surprise. “Coach,” he says stiffly, nodding at you.
Coach. You suddenly remember your previous conversation. It’ll be professional. Civil. I won’t let there be any issues.
Well, if he won’t let there be any issues, you’re sure as hell not going to give him the satisfaction of causing any.
So, instead, you return his nod. “Coach,” you greet him. As he puts his things on the desk opposite yours, your heart falls into your stomach, “A-Are we…”
“Sharing an office?” he finishes for you. You nod weakly. “Yeah.”
“Oh,” you say, then awkwardly add, “Fun.”
“I’m over the fucking moon,” he deadpans.
You bite your tongue, trying not to retort too quickly to a comment like that. You look away from him and to the keys in his hand and you prepare for the small talk you’re about to force yourself to engage in. “Tough ride in?”
It seems to take him a moment to process the question. The awkwardness of it all lingers. “Something like that,” he answers. However, his gaze is stuck on the picture in your hand. “What the fuck is that?”
Your brows furrow and you glance down. So much for small talk. “This?” You hold up the photo. “Oh, this is, uh, Oliver. Mel and Paige’s son.”
“Fuck off,” Roy says in a way that’s almost inquisitive, though the relief in his voice is palpable. You try to ignore that. “I didn’t know they had a kid.”
You huff a laugh despite yourself, and a bit of weight falls from your shoulders. “You clearly don’t follow Mel on anything,” you reply, then pause. “Oh, wait. I forgot. You don’t do social media.”
“It’s a waste of fucking time,” he says, reaching out to look at the photo. When you hand it to him, he mutters, “I think Rivera would have me blocked if I did, though.”
“Yeah, you’re not wrong,” you say honestly. You take the picture back from him and place it on your desk. Your next question comes out casual, and you can’t help but be proud of how nicely this is all flowing. “Speaking of kids, how’s Phoebe doing? And how’s Molly?”
You’re not expecting the hint of shock on Roy’s face when you turn back to him. It’s as if he can’t believe you’ve remembered his sister’s name, or his niece that you met when she was no more than six months old. You want to slap him upside the head for looking at you like that because, of course, you fucking remember that, but a knock on the door from the other room interrupts your conversation.
Trent’s standing hesitantly in the doorway, notepad in hand. “Sorry to interrupt,” he says, and he appears to be avoiding eye contact with Roy. “But if you were serious about talking, would you be free to do it tomorrow?”
You offer him a warm smile, hoping that’ll contrast Roy’s crossed arms and hard stare directed at him. “Sure thing.”
“No,” Roy immediately says. “You’re not fucking talking to him.”
Confusion takes over. “Why not?” you ask.
“Because no one’s fucking talking to him,” is Roy’s answer, firm, with no room for argument. His eyes never leave Trent. “And don’t try to fucking weasel your way into this team through someone who doesn’t fucking know any better, Crimm. You’re fucking better than that.”
You’re gaping at Roy as Trent nods at you kindly and retreats into the locker room. When you look back into the office to see if you can get some clarity from one of your other new colleagues, you notice that they’re both missing. Ted did say they had to set some things up.
You suppose that just gives you the ability to talk freely to Roy now.
“I’m sorry,” you say, whipping back to Roy who’s already facing his desk. “Has he not been given the O-K to write a book about this team?”
Roy grunts. “He has. But it doesn’t mean we’re fucking talking to him.”
“Well, doesn’t that, like, defeat the purpose of him writing a book?”
“You’re catching on.”
You lean back against your desk, folding your arms to take on Roy’s previous stance. “Oh, I see,” you say in understanding. “This is a Kent Rule.”
He doesn’t have to be facing you for you to know he rolled his eyes. “No, it’s not.”
“Oh, it’s totally a Kent Rule.” You stare at his back as he shifts his shoulders in discomfort. “You hate him, so you’re forcing the team to hate him. Enemy mine is enemy yours? That’s Kent Rule number three, if I’m remembering correctly.”
“It’s a team rule,” he states. “I’m just enforcing it.”
“Right,” you agree, though your voice says differently. “Each person here hates him so much that they allowed him to write a book here.”
Roy shakes his head with a scoff. “Fuck’s sake, I forgot how fucking irritating you were.”
“I’m not being irritating. You’re being evasive.” You only get another grunt in response. Fed up, your frustration at his lack of an explanation starts to seep into your tone. “So, what? I’m just supposed to ice that nice guy out because you say so?”
When Roy finally looks at you, he’s scowling. “He’s not fucking nice,” he says. “And you don’t know anything.”
“I don’t know anything because you won’t tell me,” you argue.
“My word’s not good enough?”
You glare at him. “Your word hasn’t been good enough in eight fucking years.”
Roy shakes his head, almost in disbelief. “Definitely not telling you now.”
“Okay, enough,” you say, scanning the room and the hall to make sure no one’s watching the two of you. You put a hand up before he can retaliate with anything. “Look, if this is gonna work, you have to tell me things, okay? And we can’t argue here. Not here.” You motion to the office around you. “I can’t work with that shit. Alright?”
For a moment, it’s like you can look into Roy’s mind. You watch him appear to recount last week’s talk, just as you did minutes ago. Professional. Civil. No issues.
“Fine,” he finally sighs, knowing you’re right.
“Fine,” you reply. You take a breath. “So, if he sucks and you don’t want me to talk to him, you need to tell me why. You can’t just order me around like I’m one of the guys, especially not in front of people. I’m your equal here, Roy. Whether you like it or not.”
Roy shakes his head. “You’ve always been my equal,” he says, though it’s a bit softer. “You fucking know that.”
His words leave a lump in your throat that you’re not anticipating. “Well, you’re not acting like it.”
His head tilts back, eyes falling shut. His shoulders tense up. Heavy sigh. Dear God, he really doesn’t want to tell you, huh?
And then it hits you. Oh, fuck does it hit you. He doesn’t want to tell you.
And you get why.
Roy’s talking as soon as you open your mouth to apologize for pushing him. “The others don’t know either. I’ll tell you when I tell them,” he offers. “That’s the fucking best you’re getting from me.”
Your tongue feels heavy in your mouth, so you offer a nod. “Fine,” you say softly.
The nod is returned. “Fine.”
The conversation feels finished, but there’s still one more thing you want to say. “And can we agree right here that we’re not going to argue in front of anyone? Just like you said?” you ask. “Like, if you want to pick a fight, just like, pull me into the Boot Room or something. This shit can’t affect the way we do our jobs.”
Humor slants Roy’s expression. “Boot Room fights?”
You roll your eyes. “You know what I mean. Not in front of the team.”
“Yeah, I got it,” he says with a nod. “Fine.”
“Fine.”
From the outside of the office, you can hear the team start to file into the locker room from their gym facility, laughing just the same as when you heard them earlier. The alone sound makes you tense up. Roy narrows his eyes at you.
“Speaking of,” he says cautiously. “I think it might be time for your introduction. Hope you like primary school-level art done by grown fucking men.”
That takes you out of your headspace immediately. “I’m sorry, what?”
LONDON OLYMPICS. (LATE JULY, 2012.)
Mabley Green. Friday. 23:30.
Wear some training gear.
I can send a car for you so you know you’re not being murdered.
You’d read the three messages you’d received two days ago from Roy Kent about a million times. While you’d replied to him that his sending a car felt very mafia boss and definitely doesn’t eliminate the murder possibility, you’d still gathered up the courage to dress up in your nicest sweats, escape from the Village after the Opening Ceremony festivities, and meet his driver on the outskirts.
(Of course, you said yes to the driver. Roy Kent was fucking loaded and if he were going to be strange and summon you places, you were going to take his free transportation.)
You’d confirmed your whereabouts and situation approximately thirty-five thousand times to Mel, who had nothing but questions for you.
“Roy Kent. Like Chelsea’s finest, here, there, every fucking where Roy Kent?” That’s the one.
“Is sending a car for you to go to where?” I don’t know, it looks like a soccer field.
“To do what?” Battle Pokemon. I don’t fucking know, Mel. I think he wants to train me.
“Train you or train you?” Why are you saying it like that?
“Because this has to be a weird hook-up thing that famous footballers do, right?” He made it very clear he had no interest. Also, pause. What about me says I’d fuck on a pitch?
“He could bring an air mattress.” Oh my God, I’m leaving.
But as you arrived to this completely empty field, with nobody but your overly friendly driver, Roger to back you up, you couldn’t help but feel a little nervous. This was weird, wasn’t it? You were meeting up with this guy you barely knew at an abandoned location just because he told you that you were an overthinker? Your mother would be absolutely horrified if she knew. You’d broken just about every Stranger Danger rule she’d set.
However, the second that you stepped out of the car to see Roy illuminated by the field lights, standing with his hood up and a bag of footballs thrown over his shoulder, you knew this was legit. And the anxiety washed away. But a few of the nerves stayed.
“Glad you showed,” he greets, turning to walk to the field as you fell into step with him.
You look over at him expectantly. “So, you are coaching me.”
“No, I’m fucking not,” he says. “I just want to get you out of your head.”
You nod in faux agreement. “Right. Because that’s not coaching.”
Roy rolls his eyes. “No, it’s not. It’s called being a nice fucking person.”
“Right,” you say again. “Because Roy Kent is known best for his kindness.”
He turns to you. Something sparks in you when you notice that he appears to be humored by all of this. “You should be thanking me.”
“Of course. I’m sorry,” you apologize, sending him a wide smile as you two make it to the field. “Thank you, Coach.” Roy rolls his eyes again and you chuckle softly. “I’ll thank you when I know for a fact you’re not gonna murder me.”
He watches as you plop yourself down on the pitch to stretch a bit. “If I was going to kill you, I wouldn’t have brought a fucking witness.”
“I don’t know,” you shrug. “Roger could be your Ryan Gosling.”
Roy actually laughs at that one. It’s a sound that you’d never expected to hear, but you’d be lying if you said you didn’t want to hear it again. “I wouldn’t trust him to do that kind of driving. Chatty prick can barely get around London.”
“Hey,” you chide. “He was very nice.”
“He’s fucking incredible. Been with him since my Sunderland days. Still a chatty prick.”
You can’t help but smile at the fondness that’s crept into his voice, but you say nothing about it. You bring your knee to your chest in a stretch and look up at him. “So, what’s the plan here, Coach?”
“Not your coach.”
“Right, sorry. What’s the plan here, Zodiac?”
Roy shakes his head, fighting to keep his lips even. “I want to make a deal with you.”
“A deal?” you ask. “What kind of deal?”
“I’ll train with you until your team's out,” he says. “Whenever our match schedules align, we can figure out a time to do shit until you need to go home.”
Your smile turns cocky. “And if we win?”
He practically snorts. “You’re not going to win.”
“But if we do?”
“Then we’ll train until then,” he replies. “And I’ll give you whatever you fucking want.”
You’re not sure what that entails, but anything you want from Roy fucking Kent? It’s an offer that may be too good to pass up. But still, one question lingers. “In exchange for what?”
“What?” he asks.
You stand, lifting one of your feet from the ground so that you can pull it up behind you in another stretch. “A deal works two ways. Exchanging goods or services and all that,” you tell him. “What’s in it for you?”
Roy shrugs. “I need to train too,” he answers. It's a bit simple, a bit evasive. “That’s what’s in it for me.”
“Oh, c’mon,” you say, “you can’t be serious. You want to train with me just to train?”
“What’s wrong with that?” he asked, crossing his arms.
“Nothing,” you respond, slowly realizing he’s serious. “I guess I just kind of assumed when I heard ‘deal’ that you’d want something in return.”
“Well, that’s all I fucking want,” he tells you. “If I think of anything else you can do for me, I’ll let you know.”
A mix between a scoff and a laugh escapes you. “I’ll be anxiously anticipating your demands.”
He’s turned to his bag of footballs and crouches to grab one, glancing up at you as he rises. “So?” he asks. “Do we have a fucking deal, or what?”
Your foot goes down as you look at him, evaluating him and his offer. You shift your gaze to the field, to the big lights around you, then to the night sky that tells you it’s almost the next day.
You have a game in Glasgow again tomorrow against Colombia. You’re out past curfew and know your team would both kill you and congratulate you if they knew where you were. You have to be on a bus in less than eight hours.
But here’s Roy Kent, standing with you on an abandoned pitch in London, offering to train with you. And what kind of idiot passes that up?
“Deal,” you agree, taking the ball from his hand. “Now, where do we start?”
(mini!) TAGLIST: @tegan8314, @csigeoblue, @confessionsofatotaldramaslut
#roy kent#roy kent x reader#roy kent x you#roy kent fanfiction#ted lasso#aatwe#aces#the one who can't walk up stairs
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heyy idk if you’ve seen but apparently olympic athletes have to record themselves saying their names so that i’m assuming viewers and announcers have a reference for how to pronounce them? and apprently at least in some cases those audios didn’t get edited at allll lmao and you can hear background conversation and stuff and the first thing i thought of was what those would be like for the aftg characters that went on to play in the olympics
brought to you by this appearing on my fyp:
https://vm.tiktok.com/ZGe78YUEP/
AHHHH I ACTUALLY HAD SEEN A VIDEO (i hadn’t seen this one yet but the one with the moroccan football soccer team) AND IT WAS SO FUNNY TO ME BECAUSE:
some of them were so confused if they were supposed to pronounce it in arabic or french (since arabic has a few letters that dont exist in the french alphabet) so i would imagine it for nabil to go like that where he goes: “nabil ma-moud” and laila goes “ma7moud. don’t you know how to pronounce your own name?” (like i said we have letters that dont exist in this alphabet so we use numbers to spell pronunciations sorry besties 🫣) and so he goes “oh we’re doing arabic? not english?” and they have to assure him he can just pronounce his name correctly.
and (2) apparently they also indicate that the players need to pause and one of the moroccan players went: “name” “pause” “name” as in they LITERALLY pronounced the pause out loud 😭😭 which i havent been able to stop thinking about like 😭😭 i’m trying really hard to think of who would even do such a thing because it’s SO SILLY but i can’t think of anyone— like sure we could say jeremy, but i feel like he would know better. we could say shawn, but he’s just a silly fanon socmed character atp yk. so idk 😭 i think i would love this one for matt where he doesn’t really think it through and he’s just reading out loud what’s in front of him SHDJFHFJ
i watched the other video that was put in the comments too of the tiktok you sent and jean moreau would definitely be serious about this and then you would hear jeremy in the background playing ping pong and yelling 😭 i think this could also work with kevin say and the foxes— so kevin is being all serious and then u hear nicky yelling in the background.
renee would do so well and it would be absolutely correct and perfect— no notes.
and i hate to go back to the moroccan team, but sadly i’m not just a sports fan in fiction, but i also support a sports team irl… i kid you not one of the players went: “[name] two. [name] two.” and then it had to be cut off and they had to explain to him “no. your name. then u pause. and then u say your name again.” and he was like :O without the two? LIKE MY BROTHER??? WHY DID YOU THINK U HAVE TO SAY THAT???? this too is something that’s so silly i cant even imagine someone of the aftg characters doing this 😭
but honestly i think overall the characters will do well without too much trouble. there might be some background noises— especially with the trojans because they’re such a big team and have do spend a longer period of time doing it while the foxes can just tell each other to shut up for a few seconds or either dan or coach will threaten them with extra laps around the court.
((anyways im not sure if anyone is interested in listening in to the moroccan team but here is a link anyways just in case: https://vm.tiktok.com/ZIJnEkJUV/ — it’s a mix of them speaking darija, french and spanish so yeah 😭😭 it adds to the messines))
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Takashi Abbottsford for @jonquilyst Total Drama Sims 2!
Name: Takashi Abbottsford Pronouns: he/him Gender Identity: cis male Sexuality: bisexual Aspiration: Extreme Sports Enthusiast Traits: Nosy, Dance Machine
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Takashi: Hey, world! How's it going? My name is Takashi Abbottsford, and I'm from Willow Creek. I'm sixteen years old, my birthday is August 13th, I'm a student at Willow Creek High, and I like pizza and energy drinks. Actually, my dads always say I probably don't need energy drinks, but hey... we can always use an extra boost, right?
Let's see... Other stuff about me... I love sports! I like snowboarding, rock climbing, soccer and swimming the best, and every time we visit my Papa's family in Mt. Komorebi, I always spend as much time as I can on the mountain. Shredding is life! Yeah!
Um, okay... My favourite colours are green and blue, and my favourite season is winter. I like video games and I like to cook. I also like dancing, like a lot, and I like rocking out to my favourite bands. I can play the piano too, although not as well as my brother Forest, which is a bummer because he won a medal at the youth music festival last year and I kinda messed up during a trio performance with two of my sisters, and of course Forest made fun of me about it. Siblings... ugh!
Yeah, so while we're on the subject of siblings, I should probably tell you about mine, and my two dads as well. My family falls squarely into the category of 'wild facts you could never make up', no joke.
We're a stupidly large family, just so you know. I'm the youngest of six siblings, and all six of us are science babies. My oldest siblings are Camellia and Forest, and they're twins. Next is Matsu, and then there's the triplets; Midori, Willow and me. Oh, and if you're wondering about why some of us have English-sounding names and some of us have Japanese names, it's because our Dad, Fox Abbottsford, is a Canadian and our Papa, Takahiro Suzuki, is Japanese. They met in Japan when Dad was there on a working holiday visa, and they have this absolutely crazy love story, but that's a tale for another time. The reason for our mixed bag of names is because they wanted us to have names that reflected both their cultures, so here we are.
Oh, and fun fact. Me, Matsu and Midori don't have middle names, which is part of Japanese naming tradition. Forest, Camellia and Willow do have middle names, and I don't know if I should be envious of that or grateful that I only had to learn how to spell two names instead of three when I was in first grade and we were all practising how to write them.
Right. Why did I sign up to be on Total Drama?
Hooo man... where do I even start with that? When you're one of six, 'total drama' is a way of life! I figured I'd be pretty good at it, because I'm used to chaos. I mean, 'chaos' should be our family motto or something.
Actually, let me tell you the real reason I signed up, besides the ongoing total drama in our household.
When you're one of six, there's this never-ending competition for attention, and this constant need to distinguish yourself from your brothers and sisters. Don't get me wrong. I love all my brothers and sisters, especially my older brother Matsu, but it's hard to be the youngest and the most unremarkable. I don't just have one shadow to live in. I have five.
For example, my absolute nerd of a brother Forest is like, this insanely gifted artist, just like Dad. Forest already has his illustrations in a children's book and he's only 18. Also, despite being Nerd Number One, he somehow managed to land the most popular girl at school as his girlfriend. Also, Forest's girlfriend Caroline is hot and she's a star athlete. Everybody's always talking about how great they are together. Like, how's a guy supposed to level up to that?
My other siblings all have their thing, too. My sister Camellia is good at acting, and Matsu is amazing at sports and the captain of the cheer squad. Midori and Willow are identical, which always gets them noticed just because, but also Midori is already planning her career as an aesthetician, and Willow is super-smart like Forest and wants to become an engineer.
As for me, I'm not sure what I want to do yet. I'm okay at most things, but not awesome like my siblings, and I don't have my future figured out like some of them do. I'm thinking maybe I'd like to be a police officer and work in something science-y like forensics, 'cause I really love science. Or I might like to be a journalist, 'cause I'm good at finding out stuff that people don't necessarily want me to know.
My dads keep telling me that being nosy isn't really a good thing, but I prefer to think of it as inquisitiveness. Anyway, I'd use my powers for good, so I think it's okay.
Everyone says I talk too much, so I should probably wrap this up so I don't annoy people too much. Kinda insecure about that, to be honest, but like... I can't help myself. Sometimes I feel awkward 'cause I don't know if I'm talking too much or not and I'm worried about what people might think. Like, 'Oh no, not that guy again. He can never shut up', or whatever.
Okay, that's it, I promise! I'm super pumped about this show, and I can't wait to meet everyone! Bring on the adventure and bring on the drama! Your boy Takashi is READY FOR IT! Woo!
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"He ... grabbed my hair in a way that made me understand the difference between rugby and football".
Its figurative intended means of compelling comprehension of all three implied sports (rugby being what American football diverged from, what the rest of the world calls football A.K.A. soccer, and American football): He made me want to be with him when he's in his world and want him with me when I'm in mine ... to always live in a realm where our two worlds meet.
Its literal intended means of compelling comprehension of all three implied sports (rugby being what American football diverged from, what the rest of the world calls football A.K.A. soccer, and American football and knowing that Nick has played "Conor Masters," "Henry Fox," and "Jeff"):
#red white and royal blue#rwarb#rwrb#firstprince#first prince#alex claremont-diaz#nicholas galitzine#prince henry fox-mountchristen-windsor#narration#nora holleran#percy 'pez' okonjo#percy okonjo#handsome devil#conor masters#oscar diaz#bottoms movie#jeff#tim#alex x henry#alexxhenry#alexhenry#henry x alex#henryxalex#henryalex#gif
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Ari Drennen at MMFA:
Senator and podcaster Ted Cruz (R-TX) is just one of the many political candidates flooding the airwaves with ads claiming that his opponent “opposed protecting women’s sports.” But does Cruz — or anyone else pushing trans inclusion in athletics as an electoral issue — actually care about women's sports?
Daily Wire host Michael Knowles, who co-hosted the Verdict podcast with Cruz until October 2022, recently made clear that he does not, and never has. His is a surprisingly popular point of view in a right-wing ecosystem that has worked to elevate perceived threats from equal participation of trans women in women’s sports as a path to winning over voters at odds with the GOP’s view on abortion. As co-hosts of the Verdict podcast, Knowles and Cruz frequently used their airtime to discuss anti-LGBTQ ideas, policies, and conspiracy theories. In just one episode, Cruz claimed that “the radical extreme left … want to sexualize little kids so they're in this gay bar,” while Knowles compared drag shows with taking children to a strip club. In another, Knowles pushed Cruz to use his power as an elected official to ban gender-affirming care.
The inclusion of trans athletes — real or imagined — in women’s sports has been a fixation of the right-wing media ecosystem even before University of Pennsylvania swimmer Lia Thomas became the first trans woman to win an NCAA title in 2022. Coverage frequently suggests that cisgender women face safety risks as a result of pro-trans policies, and commentator Riley Gaines has apparently gone so far as to compensate an athlete for forfeiting a match against a transgender competitor, while pushing former President Donald Trump to make the issue a centerpiece of his 2024 campaign. Right-wing media figures previously predicted that a backlash against trans athletes would fuel Republican victories in the 2022 midterms and beyond. Although voters have consistently rejected candidates who’ve chosen to embrace the issue, that hasn’t stopped pundits from arguing that 2024 will be different.
Many of the same figures fixated on the inclusion of trans women in women’s sports have not bothered to hide their contempt for the institutions and athletes they claim to defend: Knowles has mocked the WNBA and called for the U.S. women’s national soccer team to be disbanded. His co-worker Matt Walsh has complained about women even covering football games as reporters. Fox News host Jesse Watters has suggested that the only reason to watch women’s sports is if the athletes are getting hurt by men. Riley Gaines’ colleague Clay Travis derided Olympic swimmer Katie Ledecky as “pathetic” and “a coward” for not sharing his political views. And Gaines herself has labeled WNBA players inferior to male high school athletes.
Other right-wing media figures have acknowledged that the GOP’s panic over men in women’s sports is not based in facts or logic; in an interview promoting The Daily Wire’s critically panned basketball comedy Lady Ballers, founder Ben Shapiro admitted that “as it turns out, most ladies' leagues don't allow in actual men.”
Republican candidates keep wasting money on anti-trans ads claiming to “protect women’s sports”, but MAGA media influencers won’t stop taking cheapshots at women’s sports at every opportunity.
#Michael Knowles#Riley Gaines#Ted Cruz#Verdict With Ted Cruz#Clay Travis#2024 Elections#2024 Election Ads#Women's Sports#Anti Trans Extremism#Transphobia#Lady Ballers#The Daily Wire#WNBA#Jesse Watters#Ben Shapiro#Matt Walsh#Sports#LGBTQ+
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