Allen's Big Goal
Allen was just fourteen years old, but football was already the center of his world. Every afternoon after school, he laced up his cool boots and ran onto the pitch with his local team in Valencia and played as if every match was a final. He wasn’t the biggest player on the field, but he understood the strategy of football better than any other player on his team, and his feet seemed to know exactly what to do with the ball.
One morning, while eating breakfast, Allen saw something in the newspaper that made him drop his spoon. The headline read: “Valencia Club de Fútbol Looking for New Players.” Tryouts would be held at Mestalla stadium on Saturday at 09:00.
His first thought was simple: I’m too young. That’s La Liga.
But at practice later that day, he showed the article to his trainer, who read it carefully and then looked up at him with a smile.
“You should go,” the trainer said. “They didn’t say anything about age. And you have the talent.”
So, Allen went.
That Saturday, he stepped onto the green grass of Mestalla, surrounded by older, stronger boys, and even a few semi-professionals. But when the ball started rolling, Allen forgot how nervous he was. He played with the same joy he always had. By the end of the tryout, coaches were whispering his name.
A week later, his phone rang. He had made the team.
Allen couldn’t believe it. Suddenly, he was part of Valencia CF. He trained with grown men, wore the team’s colors, and even had his own locker in the famous stadium. Still, he was just a kid who had to finish his homework before practice.
Before his first game, Allen sat on the bench, bouncing his knees nervously. The fans were loud, the lights bright, and the pressure heavy. But when the coach called his name and he ran onto the field, everything changed. The ball touched his feet, and his nerves disappeared. He passed, dribbled, and even came close to scoring. Everyone noticed.
Then came the final game of the season: Valencia vs. Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabéu. The stadium was packed, the title race was tight, and the pressure was like nothing Allen had ever known.
He started on the bench, watching every play with wide eyes. In the second half, the coach looked down the row of substitutes and said, “Allen, warm up.”
He entered the game with just minutes left. The score was tied. In the very last minute, the ball came to him—just outside the box. He didn’t think. He just hit it.
The ball curved, flew past the keeper’s hands, and slammed into the net.
Valencia won.
His teammates lifted him into the air. Reporters shouted his name. The crowd sang. It was a dream.
After the game, the team planned a big celebration. But Allen checked his watch, smiled shyly, and said, “I can’t. I have a math exam tomorrow.”
Because no matter how big the goal was, Allen was still only 14.