“The Last Goal” – Casual

Theme: Failure isn’t the end; it’s all just part of the game.

EXT. HIGH SCHOOL SOCCER FIELD – DAY

A final WHISTLE blows, sharp and final. The scoreboard flashes: HOME – 3, GUEST – 4. The CROWD chants—some cheer wildly, others shout in frustration. The field is a mess of sweat and dirt.

                                                                  EDDY 

                                            (18, sweat dripping, hands on knees) 

stares at the grass, disbelief etched on his face. His teammates gather around, panting, heads low.

                                                    COACH DiLEONARDO 

                                                           (35, stern but fair) 

                walks up, placing a hand on Eddy’s shoulder. You played your heart out, Eddy.

                                                                    EDDY

                                                                    (softly)

                                                             I missed the shot.

The coach nods, patting him before moving off. Eddy looks across the field. The OPPOSING TEAM celebrates, AHMED (18, their striker) up. Ahmed catches Eddy’s eye and gives a respectful nod. Eddy sighs, nodding back gently. His gaze shifts to the stands. DAD (36, arms crossed) watches, stone-faced. He shakes his head once, turns, and walks away. Eddy is kind of afraid. 

EXT. LOCKER ROOM ENTRANCE – DAY

Eddy slumps on a bench outside, staring at his cleats. The sun is about to set, casting long shadows. His best friend, PABEL (18, outgoing, always joking), strolls up, confidently juggling a soccer ball.

                                                                    PABEL

                                                         (looking and saying)

                                            Dude, stop regretting. We almost won.

                                                                   EDDY

                                                         (with broken voice)

                                                      Almost doesn’t count.

                                                                  PABEL

                                                             (sarcastically)

                                                     Oh, so now we’re dramatic?

Eddy doesn’t respond. His phone buzzes: “DAD CALLING.” He glances at it, then ignores it, flipping it over.

FLASHBACK: EXT. BACKYARD – LAST WEEK – DAY

Eddy and DAD kick a ball back and forth in the patchy yard. Dad stops, crossing his arms.

                                                                   DAD

                                                  (optimistic and heavy voice)

                               You know what separates good players from great ones?

                                                                     EDDY

             (confused and anxious)

Finishing under pressure?

   DAD

                     Exactly. You don’t get many chances. When you do, you have to make it count.

Eddy nods, tense. Dad kicks the ball hard. Eddy traps it, but his hands shake slightly.

FLASHBACK ENDS.

EXT. LOCKER ROOM ENTRANCE – NIGHT

The sky’s dark now, crickets chirping. Eddy kicks the bench in frustration, the thud echoing. Pabel sits next to him, tossing the soccer ball lightly between his hands.

PABEL

                                                       Dude, one missed shot doesn’t define you.

EDDY

    Tell that to my dad.

PABEL

            (smirks)

          Okay, hand me your phone.

EDDY

          (wait, what)

        What—

Pabel snatches Eddy’s phone as it buzzes again: “DAD CALLING.” He answers before Eddy can stop him.

    PABEL

       (into phone)

Uncle! Eddy was just talking about calling you—

Eddy lunges, but Pabel dodges, grinning. Eddy glares, then grabs the phone back. He hesitates, staring at the screen, then lifts it to his ear.

   EDDY

            (into phone)

Hey, Dad… yeah, I know. I’ll be better next time.

A beat. Eddy’s face tightens at whatever Dad says. He lowers the phone, ending the call.

PABEL

                                                          What’d he say?

EDDY

 (flat)

         “You don’t get second chances in the clutch.”

Pabel tosses the ball at Eddy’s chest. Eddy catches it, barely reacting.

    PABEL

He’s wrong, man. Games over. You’re still here.

EXT. LOCKER ROOM ENTRANCE – LATER THAT NIGHT

The parking lot’s nearly empty, just a few cars left under flickering lights. Eddy and Pabel sit on the bench, sharing a warm Gatorade from Pabel’s bag. The soccer ball rests between them.

 PABEL

(grinning)

       Remember when you slipped in practice and Coach made you run laps?

 EDDY

         (small smirk)

      Yeah, and you laughed so hard you fell over too.

PABEL

  Exactly. We mess up. We keep going. That’s the game.

Eddy rolls the ball under his foot, thoughtful. Across the lot, AHMED walks out, gear slung over his shoulder. He spots Eddy and waves.

AHMED

          (calling over)

  Good game, man! See you next season.

Eddy nods, managing a faint wave back. Ahmed heads off. Pabel nudges Eddy.

 PABEL

       See? Even the guy who smoked us doesn’t care.

EDDY

(quiet)

Maybe it’s not the end.

PABEL

         (jumping up)

There we go! Now, let’s bounce before my mom texts me again.

Eddy stands, grabbing the soccer ball. He spins it on his finger, a flicker of his old confidence returning.

EDDY

You’re buying food??.

PABEL

   (already walking)

Fine, but you’re carrying my bag next practice!

Eddy laughs, following. They head toward the lot, kicking the ball between them. 

The End

Reflection: 

1. What inspired you to choose the theme or idea for your script, and how did you decide on the direction it would take?

– This came from my real high school soccer game I was in—almost exactly like Eddy’s story. Eddy missed a big shot in a campus game, and it sucked. The theme “failure isn’t the end” hit me ‘cause that’s what I had to figure out after. I used their real names as Eddy, my best friend as Pabel —and decided to show how they got over it with his help. Eddy started with the game, went into the mess he felt after, and ended with realizing it’s just part of playing, kinda like what happens in life. 

2. How did you approach writing dialogue and creating characters for the first time? Was there anything that surprised you in the process?

– Since it’s based on real people, I just thought about how we talk. Pabel’s always cracking jokes, so I gave him sarcastic lines like “Oh, so now we’re dramatic?”—stuff he didn’t say that day but totally would. I kept Eddy quieter, ‘cause he was super down after that game. Dad’s strict vibe came from my dad, thought it would make the story more interesting. What surprised me was how fun it was to mix real stuff with fake dialogue—it felt like I was replaying it but better.

3. Were there any moments during the writing process that felt difficult or confusing? How did you work through them?

– The ending was hard ‘cause real life didn’t wrap up like that, just felt bad for a while. I didn’t want Eddy to stay sad, so I added Pabel pushing him to laugh it off, which he kinda did back then but not as big. I worked through it by imagining what needed to be heard that day. Also, making Dad’s call feel right was tricky. I kept it short and let Eddy’s reaction carry it, which I felt was enough.

4. Looking back on your script, is there anything you’d change if you had more time or experience?
– I might add more real details like how the field smelled or what the crowd yelled to make it feel more like that day. Maybe give Coach or Ahmed bigger roles, ‘cause they were there too. The flashback with Dad could use more of his real attitude, not just what I made up. 

5. What do you hope your audience will feel or think after reading or watching your script? 

– I want them to feel what Eddy felt, like messing up hurts, but you can get past it with a friend like Pabel. I hope they think it’s real and relatable, maybe even cheer for Eddy ‘cause they’ve been there too. I want them to see that failing’s just part of the game, and you don’t have to stay stuck.