Little Sanchez - USWNT

Chapter 51

Ainsley's POV

When we got back to the hotel, I had my head buried in my phone, texting Mal and Tara. I heard my name called behind me, snapping me back into reality. 

"Ainsley!" I heard my name again, and my head whipped around. 

"What's up, Julie?" 

"I need to talk to you." 

Trinity, who was walking so close to my left side that our hands were brushing, gave me a nod when I looked back at her. I'd meet up with her in our room as soon as I was done. 

"What's up?" I asked, pocketing my phone and putting a smile on my face. 

"I wanted to tell you how insanely proud of you I am." 

"Me?" I smiled wider, laughing a little bit. "Julie Ertz is proud of me?" 

"Of course I am, kid. You're incredible out there. I would have loved to be part of a midfield run with you in it." 

"Wow." I was in awe, one of my absolute biggest inspirations ever is proud of the way I'm playing. Then I realized the terminology of what she said. "What makes you think we'll never play mid together? Maybe not these next few games, but when we play our games after the cup?" 

"You're totally right. I worded that poorly." She stared at the ground, watching her foot kick at something on the ground. "I do have a question for you, though." 

"Fire away." 

"What do you think of Vlatko?" 

"Do you want my honest opinion, or my fake opinion I've had to take on?" 

"Honest." 

I took a deep breath, not sure if I should give her everything I thought about our current coach. I know deep down that I can trust her, but I don't trust just anyone.

"I understand if this is hard for you to talk about, but you owe it to yourself to be honest about him." She said, obviously able to see the wheels in my head forcing a mental debate with myself. 

"Owe it to myself?" I asked. 

"You're Ainsley Sanchez." 

"So?" 

"You're said to be the best 18 year old player in the world, getting that title with the past few games you've played for the USWNT and Spirit. You're 18 years old, by far and away our best player this tournament by miles and miles. Your attitude positive, you believe in the team more than anyone else, so clearly you believe in yourself. You show a tremendous amount of confidence. You have trust in yourself and your teammates." 

I was almost speechless. I didn't know how to process all of this as today was the day I lost all my hope. She had no idea about my breakdown, no idea about everything changing in my mind after this game. 

"Have you seen nothing about yourself on the internet?" Julie asked. 

"I avoid that." I said honestly. 

"I respect that." She nodded and then sighed. "You don't have to tell me your thoughts on Vlatko if you don't want. I just want you to be honest with yourself." 

"Why?" 

"You're the undeniable future." 

"But what does that have to do with anything?" I was completely confused. 

Julie sighed again, looking me dead in the eyes, never looking away. 

"If you can do all of those things I mentioned earlier under a coach you don't like, then you'll be thriving even more under a coach that you do like."