★Point of View
Grade 4 Reading Worksheet - Challenge Me
Read the story. Circle the sentence that tells what a character is thinking or feeling.
Read this first
The Last Penalty Kick
Part 1: Dmitri
The score was tied, 2 to 2, with one minute left. Then the referee blew her whistle and pointed at our goal. Penalty kick.
Our coach, Mr. Osei, clapped from the sideline. "You've got this, Dmitri!" he called. I did not feel like I had anything. My little brother was in the stands, holding a sign with my name on it.
I stood in the goal and tried to look calm. My gloves were damp with sweat, and my knees felt like jelly. The striker on the other team was the tallest player I had ever seen. I watched her eyes. She kept glancing to my left, so I guessed she would kick left.
She ran up and kicked. I dived left. The ball sailed into the right corner of the net.
The other team's fans exploded with cheers. I lay on the grass and stared at the sky. I had lost the game for everyone. Our whole season was over because of one bad guess.
When I finally stood up, Selin was jogging toward me. She is our captain, and she had a strange look on her face. I was sure she was going to yell at me. I walked straight to the bench without looking at her.
Part 2: Selin
I saw the whole thing from midfield. The striker looked left on purpose. It was a trick, and Dmitri fell for it. Her coach must have taught her that move. She did it with her eyes and her shoulders. Honestly, almost any goalie would have fallen for it.
What Dmitri didn't see was the replay running in my head. Ten minutes earlier, the ball had rolled right to my feet in front of an empty net. I kicked it wide. If I had scored then, that penalty would never have mattered.
When the ball went in, I ran toward Dmitri. I wanted to tell him it wasn't his fault. But he wouldn't look at me. He walked to the bench and sat with his head down. His shoulders were slumped, and he kept pulling at his gloves. The rest of the team was packing their bags, so I sat down beside him.
For a while, neither of us spoke. Then I said, "I missed a shot that was way easier than that save."
He looked up, surprised. "You did?"
"Into an empty net," I said. "So if you want to blame someone, you'll have to share."
Then, for the first time all afternoon, he almost smiled.
- I had lost the game for everyone.
- The other team's fans exploded with cheers.
- The ball sailed into the right corner of the net.
- She ran up and kicked.
- The rest of the team was packing their bags, so I sat down beside him.
- I wanted to tell him it wasn't his fault.
- For a while, neither of us spoke.
- I ran toward Dmitri.
- Then the referee blew her whistle and pointed at our goal.
- Our coach, Mr. Osei, clapped from the sideline.
- I watched her eyes.
- She kept glancing to my left, so I guessed she would kick left.
- I walked straight to the bench without looking at her.
- When I finally stood up, Selin was jogging toward me.
- I lay on the grass and stared at the sky.
- I was sure she was going to yell at me.
