Soccer Hero Read Online Free

continued on down the field as if he still had possession.
    The drop fooled both Dmitri and Benji for a split second — plenty of time for the fleet-footed Raul to rush forward, take
     control of the ball Leo had left for him, and dribble past them to the goal.
    Sam rushed forward to break up the drive, but it was Bryan who saved the day. He planted himself in front of the goal, and
     when Raul took a shot, Bryan deflected it — right off his head!
    The hit was so hard that it knocked him off his feet. He lay on the ground, stunned, while the ball soared into the air. When
     it came down, Raul was one step closer to it than Rob. All Raul had to do was tap it into the net.
    Raul didn't celebrate the score, however. He held his hand out to Bryan and helped him to his feet instead. “Sorry!” he said.
     “I was aiming for the corner, not for you!”
    “Yeah?” Bryan rubbed his forehead where a red mark was forming. “You got lousy aim, man!”
    The two players stared at each other for a moment. Rob held his breath. Was this the start of another argument?
    Then Raul and Bryan started laughing. Relieved, Rob did, too, and by the time the rest of the team had joined them, the three
     were howling.
    They played for another half hour with the two teams exchanging goals, praise, and insults. Then, when there was a lull in
     the action, Benji said, “I think I've had enough soccer for one day. Who's up for a swim in my pool?”
    The invitation was greeted with whoops of enthusiasm that quickly died when Benji added, “Admission to the pool is a couple
     of bucks.”
    “You're going to charge us to swim in your pool?” Sam asked, amazed.
    “It's for the ad in the newspaper, clown!” Benji said. “If you bring your money now, it'll save me from having to bug you
     for it later!”
    With that, the boys left for their homes. Rob's and Benji's houses were in the same direction, so they took off together.
    “Was it just me,” Rob asked as they hurried along the sidewalk, “or was Dmitri kind of mad at me today?”
    Benji was quiet for a moment. Then just as they reached his house, he said, “I think Dmitri is used to having other players
     look up to him. Take Kirk, for example. Usually, he's Dmitri's number one fan. But today…”
    “Today what?” Rob pressed.
    Benji climbed the steps to his front door. “Today, Kirk had a bad case of hero worship!” He gave his friend a lopsided grin.
     “Not that you don't deserve it. In fact, if I had my way, the whole world would know about what you did for the coach!”

6
    T he swim party at Benji's house was a huge success, and not just because Benji's pool was the best one around. Benji had made
     good on his promise to call the soccer league, and by the time everyone had arrived, he'd gotten permission to put an ad in
     the paper. He'd called some stores, too, and been told he could post signs in their windows. And when all the money the boys
     brought had been counted, they had just enough to run a quarter-page ad in the paper.
    “Now all I have to do is call the newspaperback and place the ad,” Benji said. “But that can wait until later.” He pointed to a table where some pieces of fluorescent
     green poster boards and black markers were lying. “Right now, I'm going to work on those signs. Who wants to help me?”
    But the other boys were more interested in swimming, so Benji wound up making the signs by himself. “I can swim anytime,”
     he reasoned when Rob tried to get him to join in the fun.
    The gathering lasted until sunset. Rob was exhausted from swimming and soccer, so when Benji asked if he'd help him post the
     signs after dinner, Rob shook his head.
    “Okay,” Benji said, “I guess I'll put them up myself after I call the newspaper about the ad.”
    Rob grinned. “Where do you get your energy, man?”
    But Benji just waved him away. “Well, it's not like I'm using it to save lives or anything!”
    Rob rolled his eyes and left.
    Later that night,