Have Hope

38

Y/N POV

After our conditioning training, we had lunch before it was time to get ready for the press conference. It turned out the event would be happening in one of the large media rooms at the stadium, so once everyone had showered and changed we filed onto the busses, our bags for the game packed, and headed over to Parc Olympique Lyonnais.

At the stadium were teams of hair and makeup people, who got us all ready for the cameras. I didn't have to wear any makeup, thank god, but I did get my hair done in a cool way. 

Jill also didn't make us wear anything fancy; just grey sweat pants and matching grey sweatshirts with the USSF logo.

"Everyone, we need you ready in 5 minutes!" A stage manager announced, popping her head into the room.

"Whoo...I'm nervous." Pinoe said.

I looked over at her, my eyebrows furrowed incredulously. "What? Why? Pinoe when are you ever nervous? You're like the most outspoken person out of all of us."

"Well duh but that doesn't mean I'm not nervous. Like a million people will be watching. What if I forget about the cameras and like pick my nose or something? Or fart and someone hears? Public speaking is a constant struggle, Y/n."

"Right, well I'm sorry I asked."

"One minute! If I could have all of you make your way down the hall, you'll see a door to your left, you'll use it to enter the room. A table has been set up with each of your numbers, in chronological order. You'll find your seat and once everyone is settled, the conference will begin." The same stage manager from before said.

I took a deep breath, feeling myself start to get nervous as I followed my teammates out of the room and down the hall. I was the first one to enter the room behind Jill, taking my seat at the far left of the table with Mal sitting next to me and Sam sitting next to her. I was a little bummed I couldn't sit next to Alex, but it was probably better for us anyway. The last thing we needed was to do something to out our relationship on national television.

The loud clicking of cameras and bright lights were the first thing I noticed upon entering.

It took a good few minutes for the team to take their seats, giving me some time to try and calm my nerves.

Now that I thought about it, though, why were we even doing the press conference in the first place? We never did one of these before a game- not even the semi finals, and to my knowledge, the Netherlands weren't having one.

No one had told us what to expect question wise, so we were all going into this completely in the dark.

"Alright, I think we're all good. So thanks everyone for coming, and we'll take some questions now." Jill told the crowd of reporters.

"Can you guys tell us how you're feeling in the time leading up to tonight's game?" One person asked.

We all sort of looked at each other, seeing who wanted to answer. Becky was the first to speak.

"I think we're feeling pretty confident about where we are as a team, and where we stand in this tournament so far. Over the course of the last few months we've showed our strength, our passion, and our fight to win, just as the Netherlands has, so definitely going into this knowing that it will be a challenge, but one we're ready for."

"Y/n, you're the only new player on the roster, this being your first year with the national team. Can you tell us what it's like for you being the youngest player on the team, and the starting goalkeeper?"

I nodded, clearing my throat before leaning into my mic. "Yeah, for sure I mean I think that this is obviously the most challenging thing I've ever done in terms of...in terms of gameplay and just mentality. I struggled a lot with that first loss against France in January, but thanks to the help of the coaches and my team, I've been able to learn, grow, and push myself to do better every day. Of course it's definitely stressful being a starter- I think I speak for everyone when I say that," I smiled, earning some laughs. "But it doesn't come without reward. Every position on the team is tough in it's own right, but I think that if you trust yourself and your teammates, and rely on yourself and your teammates, you can really make an impact."

"While we're on the topic of goalkeeping, can you go into a bit more detail of how it was for you to join the team after the Legend, Hope Solo, unexpectedly quit? How did that impact you and your performance throughout this tournament, especially now that we know she'll be attending tonight's game. Do you think she'd be proud of all that you've accomplished so far?"

"Well-"

But before I could answer, the unmistakable voice of my mom, Hope Solo, cut me off. 

"I can actually answer that." 

Cameras began to click and flash furiously as chatter erupted in the room among the news reporters and the team. I looked around, extremely confused as to where Hope was and why she was here.

That's when I saw her, mic in hand, walking onto the stage our table had been set up on. She walked behind the long row of chairs, stopping when she reached me. I smiled at her, still completely confused as to what the fuck was going on, but happy to see her.

"I couldn't be more proud of Y/n, and the work that she and this team have done in the last eight months. The effort, dedication, and passion they put into their craft is truly admirable, and I have nothing but pride and respect for these women. With that being said, I am not just here to support my friends, I am here to support my family, and most importantly, my daughter, Y/n Grant Solo."

If Hope's entrance had caused a frenzy, this announcement caused total chaos. I myself was in shock, unable to believe that she had just told the world- on national television  no less, that I was her daughter. 

"I am so grateful to pass her the torch and see her strive on this team. Since Y/n first joined she has been known to the world as Y/n Grant, a star goalkeeper who graduated from Stanford with seemingly no information about her family life. It's time you all know the truth. And with that, the United States Women's National Team and I are honored to give you this, Y/n."

The brunette, who had hidden her arm behind her back, pulled out a jersey and displayed it to the world.

Number one was on the back of it, and above that read one word.

Solo