THE GREATEST OF ALL TIME

The following day Zachary woke up at 8:00 AM and continued with his post-match recovery routine. After sleeping like a baby for the entire night, his body had started to recuperate from the match fatigue. But, he knew he had to put in a lot more effort in order to return to his peak state in only two days.

So, he resolved to use every minute before the match against Aalesunds to return to top shape. He followed Coach Johansen's instructions and started his day with another light yoga routine to stretch his sore muscles. He didn't attempt anything overly complicated. He limited himself to poses like the downward-facing dog posture that stimulated blood circulation, especially in the lower limbs.

When he finished the yoga regimen, he drank some tart cherry juice and chocolate milk to restore the glycogen in his body. That was to reduce the oxidative stress he'd accumulated from the previous day's match, stimulating muscle repair and recovery.

He had always understood that without proper nutrition, all the recovery techniques in the world were ineffectual. So, ever since his academy days, he had always eaten a proper diet along with a weekly dose of the physical conditioning elixir from the system to recover faster from fatigue.

Since joining the ranks of professional football players, he had grown even more strict with himself. He intended to continue the same habit to prevent himself from suffering chronic fatigue later on in the season. So, he didn't just stop at drinking juice and chocolate milk for breakfast. He also feasted on vegetables, meat, and bread. Afterward, he soaked into a cold bath for fifteen minutes and took a shower before setting off for Lerkendal.

He arrived there at around 9:00 AM. By then, a few senior players like Mikael Dorsin and Borek Dockal, who hadn't taken part in the previous day's match, were already on the pitch working with the ball. Zachary said hello to them before continuing to the gym.

He was surprised to find Mr. Rolf Aas, the fitness coach, already in the gym, instructing a few players. Zachary could tell he was guiding them on post-match recovery. The likes of Ole Selnæs, Brede Moe, and Tore Reginiussen were all carefully applying pressure on their thighs and calves using the foam rollers on the floor.

"Zachary, you're here," Mr. Rolf Aas, said smiling on noticing him at the door. "Good morning! Why not join us in our session? You know with exercise, the more, the merrier."

"Good morning, coach," Zachary first greeted the coach before adding: "Of course, I'll join in. Let me change into my training gear first." He walked to the dressing room to change.

Mr. Rolf Aas was one of the most skilled fitness coaches in Norway. Zachary couldn't reject an opportunity to participate in an active post-match recovery session directed by him. So, he spent the next hour in one of the Rosenborg gyms working his body over a foam roller. At the end of the session, he felt more relaxed and refreshed. The foam rolling had helped relieve the tension in his sore muscles and stimulated their recovery from the match fatigue faster.

Zachary thanked the fitness coach and said goodbye before leaving the gym to take another cold bath. He was intent on recovering faster than everyone else on the team.

He didn't want to waste any second of his time. So, he rested for only an hour after attending the match video review meeting that morning before going through another active recovery routine in the gym.

By the time the team training session started later that evening, he was full of energy. He felt like he could play another match immediately. A soft smile outlined his face as he marched to the training ground that evening. His efforts had paid off. He had almost fully recovered.

The team practice session began at 3:30 PM. Zachary was in high gear and gave everything he had. He breezed through agilities, running as if his life depended on it—while others moaned and groaned, still sore from the previous day's exertions. Only the players that had remained on the bench could match his pace when going through the drills.

He didn't care one bit about the few unfriendly looks from teammates suggesting that he back down because he was making everyone look like slackers. That was his intention. He was competing for a position on the starting line-up and had to outshine his teammates at all costs.

As practice went on, Zachary got more confident in his stamina. He realized that the slight post-match fatigue that had still lingered and bagged him at the beginning of the session had vanished. So, he upped the intensity with—which he approached the drills until the coaches called him out and requested him to slow down a bit.

He had to explain that he'd already recovered, for them to let him be. But that was on the condition that he saw the team physician before the end of the day. Zachary, though, wasn't the least bit afraid of being subjected to another physical fitness medical check-up once more. He knew his body well and was sure there would be no problems with the medical. So, he maintained a high level of intensity until training ended that day.

The next day, which was a Friday, he went through a similar routine. He woke up early, did yoga, stretched using a foam roller, and went through the team training prepared by the coaches to refine the game plan for the match against Aalesunds the following day.

Throughout the entire day, he was in a state of intense focus. He followed the instructions of the coaching staff to the letter throughout all the sessions. When they said run, he ran, and when they yelled pass, he passed. The hours passed by quickly, and before he knew it, it was evening.

It was finally time for Coach Johansen to announce the squad for the following day. Zachary made his way to the tactics room after taking a shower. He sank into a seat at the very back of the room and waited silently for the coach to begin his address.

"Good evening to you all," Coach Johansen said to the players when they had all finished taking their seats in the Rosenborg tactics room.

"Good evening, coach," all the players replied, more or less in unison. They'd stopped chattering and had their attention focused solely on the coach.

Coach Johansen nodded. "Tomorrow, we play Aalesunds FK away at the Color Line Stadion," he said. "This is a tough fixture, and we'll have to give more than a hundred percent if we want to get maximum points."

"You all know that we can't afford to lose another game in the Tippeligaen. So, we have to play as a team and win this game. Otherwise, our chances at contesting for the league title this season will greatly lessen. Are we together, guys?'" He yelled, sweeping his gaze across the players.

"Yes, coach."

"Let me just ask you one thing," the coach continued, a soft smile outlining his face. "Who is the strongest, physically, here?"

All the players, including Zachary, remained silent, under the impression that the coach had asked a rhetorical question.

"Come on, don't be shy," the coach said jokingly. "Okay, who thinks he's strong enough to bully any opponent out there using just his physique?"

A wave of light laughter cut across the room as some of the players raised their arms. Coach Johansen pointed to one of them. "Tore, I also believe you are quite strong," he said. "Too bad you're still on suspension and can't be part of tomorrow's game." The coach sighed. "But please do come here for a moment. Let's do this real quick so that we can go back to planning for the game."

The captain marched to the front of the tactics room confidently—amid cheers and whistles of his teammates.

"We have twelve pencils in this box," Coach Johansen said, raising the pencils and showing them to his players. "Tore, take the first pencil and break it into two. Come on, show me that grip strength of yours." He instructed, pumping his fist as if to cheer Tore on.

Tore Reginiussen, of course, followed the coach's instructions. He took the pencil and broke it into two as his teammates cheered him on in a joking manner.

"Okay, I see you're the man, Tore." Coach Johansen smiled, patting the captain's back. "Now, please take these eleven pencils and try to break them apart, like the first one." He said, handing him the set of pencils.

Zachary smiled, facepalming when he saw Tore Reginiussen take the pencils from the coach and use all his strength, trying to break them apart. However, as expected, his efforts were in vain. The pencils remained intact, however much he tried.

"The result is obvious to you all, I believe," Coach Johansen said, signaling Tore to go back to his seat. "If we play as individuals, we'll be as weak as the first pencil. The opponents will easily break us apart. But, if we play as a team of eleven, nothing can break us." He held out the eleven pencils for all to see.

"Nothing can break us if we play as a team. Strength comes from numbers. Every player brings a unique aspect to the game, and together—the team is like a well-oiled machine showcasing phenomenal football. Are we together, guys?"

"Yes, coach," all the players replied in chorus. Zachary could tell the mood in the tactics room had turned from solemn to relaxed after the coach's pencil talk.

"Okay, great," the coach said. "I want us to take that spirit to Color Line Stadion tomorrow. I guarantee you guys that we'll walk away with three points from that game if we're true to that. Are we on the same page, guys?"

"Yes, coach."

"Okay." Coach Johansen nodded. "Now on to the squad. Although Aalesunds plays with a 4-4-2 formation, we shall still use our default 4-3-3 to face them tomorrow." He pointed at the large screen in front of the room where the formation had just appeared.

"We'll play attacking football and focus on scoring goals throughout the entire game. Remember, like we said earlier today, offense is the best defense. So, I expect everyone to be agile on the pitch..."

Zachary listened intently for the next few minutes as Coach Johansen expounded on the game plan and tactics. Although he had already heard them during the training session that evening, Zachary listened carefully to catch any new points that came up. The seconds and minutes passed by quickly, and soon, the coach started announcing the squad.

"For the starting eleven," the coach said, pointing at the screen. "We have Lund Hansen as the keeper. Mikael Dorsin, Verner Rönning, Stefan Strandberg, and Cristian Gamboa as the four defenders. Mike Jensen, Mix Diskerud, and Jonas Svensson as the three midfielders. And finally, we have Tobias Mikkelsen, Tarik Elyounoussi, and Borek Dockal as the three forwards."

"On the bench," the coach continued. "We have Daniel Örlund, Brede Moe, Jon Inge Höiland, Ole Selnaes, Zachary Bemba, Daniel Berntsen, and John Chibuike. That's it for the squad."

Zachary smiled on hearing his name among the squad members. He wasn't the least bit disturbed by the fact that he was only a substitute. There was nothing to worry about since the coach had already promised to give him playing time during the match.

"Any questions?" Coach Johansen inquired, glancing around after he finished announcing the squad.

All the players, including Zachary, remained silent.

"Well, then," the coach said, clapping his hands. "Let's call it a day then..."

"Just one moment, please," Trond Henriksen, the assistant head coach, interrupted him before he could send off the players.

"Yes, Trond," Coach Johansen said.

"I would like to remind all of the players here that the journey to Ålesund is quite a long one," Trond Henriksen said, taking on a formal tone. "We'll need about six hours to travel from Lerkendal to the Color Line Stadion. So, we'll be departing by bus from the parking lot of Lerkendal at 8:30 AM sharp. Please come early and don't be late. Thank you."

"Thank you, Trond," Coach Johansen said, smiling. "I guess that marks the end of today's session. If you didn't make the squad, keep working hard and don't give up. Your turn will come sooner than you expect if you stay true to your goals. For the players on the squad, have a good night's sleep, and see you tomorrow. And, of course, don't be late." He clapped his hand for emphasis.

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