The "A" Team

Summary
Francine and Brain have sometimes wished that their soccer teammates would take the game more seriously, so they're thrilled to make the Elwood City All-Stars Traveling Team. But are their new teammates really more compatible?

Plot
Francine and Brain are upset at how none of the other players on their soccer team are taking the game seriously. After the game, a girl tells Francine that she saw Francine and Brain playing soccer, and should try something more advanced. She then offers then to join an advanced traveling soccer team called the Elwood City All-stars. Francine and Brain accept, and they both try out for the team, and make it. However, the coach, of the team is very tough, and makes them work very hard. He makes them play in the rain, and yells at Francine when she falls into the mud. He criticized them for everything that they do. In fact, even if they do something right, they are criticized that they could have done it better. But Francine and Brain keep reminding each other that they are not quitters. However, Francine and Brain have to give up things they enjoy doing, like the computer club, so that they can play for the All-Star league.

The coach announces to the team that their first game will be again the Lakewood Elementary School, which makes the whole team except for Francine and Brain laugh. Francine and Brain are worried about how they are gonna cream their old soccer team.

Before the game, the coach tells the team that the Lakewood Elementary School is short two players, and needs to borrow to players. He tells Francine and Brain to join their old team for the game. During the game, Francine and Brain remember how much fun they used to have on their team. They realize that the team has much better sportsmanship, and play better. Even though at the end they lose the game, Francine and Brain plan to go back to their old team, because it was much more fun.

Major

 * Francine Frensky
 * The Brain
 * Coach Raggett
 * Rae

Minor

 * Buster Baxter
 * Muffy Crosswire
 * Arthur Read
 * Nigel Ratburn
 * Ed Crosswire
 * Helga
 * Sam
 * Toby
 * Jordan
 * George Lundgren
 * Fern Walters

Cameo

 * D.W. Read (title card)
 * Jenna Morgan
 * Alex
 * Kenny
 * 3rd Grade Male Dog (Number 3)

Trivia

 * Alex is the only player on Lakewood who wears a headband.
 * D.W. appears in the title card, but is otherwise absent from the episode.
 * Coach Raggett's nickname for Francine is “Barrettes”, the American term for hair clips.
 * Moral:its better to have fun than win.

Cultural references

 * The title of this episode is a reference to The A-Team.

Errors

 * Alex's sweater is yellow for a few moments.
 * Francine's jersey number is #11 in her dream, but #18 in real life.

Production notes

 * This is Paul-Stuart Brown's first episode as Brain.