When Rūstė Medeina stepped up to take the last penalty on Tuesday night, the Zarqa Lanterns’ players formed a tight line behind the centre circle. She sent the ball low into the corner, settled the women’s district cup final and turned a season built around bus fares into a celebration that carried on long after the final whistle.
Medeina, 42, had not played an official match for 15 years. She had returned to goalkeeping this season after a neighbourhood fundraising drive helped the amateur club afford away travel; on Tuesday, with the score level at 1-1 after extra time, she saved one penalty and then scored the decider.
A fund for the away road
The club’s trips had become a struggle as petrol and minibus hire bills rose. The Lanterns had cancelled three of their first five away fixtures last season, said treasurer Antonie M. Roth. In January, Roth and other residents set up a public collection for transport costs, asking local shops and families to contribute what they could.
The campaign raised JD18,400 from 214 donors over six months. It paid for a second-hand minibus and fuel for the team’s remaining fixtures, allowing the players to complete the season and enter the district cup. Roth said the fund was meant to keep the whole squad involved, not to build a team around one player.
The bus got us back into the competition; Rūstė gave the whole town a reason to stay until the last kick.
Antonie M. Roth, club treasurer
Medeina, who works in accounts, had kept her gloves in a cupboard since leaving the game. She started joining training after the team’s regular keeper missed several sessions for work, then earned a place in the match squad. “I thought I was coming back to help at practice,” she said. “I did not imagine standing over the final kick.”
The final at a municipal ground in Zarqa drew about 600 spectators, including families who had followed the club’s bus trips through the spring. Lanterns fell behind in the first half, equalised after the break and held Al-Safa Juniors through extra time. The tournament’s match sheet records Medeina’s save and the 5-4 penalty finish.
Roth said no one had planned a veteran comeback when the transport fund began. Medeina’s first competitive appearance came in April; she has since played in six matches. Coach Christopher Quan said her calmness in the final was visible well before the shootout: “She was telling the younger players to breathe, not rushing them.”
The next season starts now
The win brought the club its first district cup and, with it, a place in next year’s regional competition. For a team that had struggled to pay for away trips, the prospect means more journeys and a larger bill. Roth said the remaining money would cover transport first, with donors to be asked before any new spending.
After the trophy presentation, Medeina stayed on the pitch to take photos with teammates and supporters. She said she would keep training through the winter and had no plans to put the gloves away again. By then, the minibus was ready for the drive home, its seats filled with players still singing about the last kick.
