THE GREATEST OF ALL TIME

In the home team's technical area, Coach Johansen's face was all smiles as he watched the final few minutes of the game. He was satisfied with the levels of concentration exhibited by his players on the field, especially that late in the game. They were all playing as if their lives depended on those few minutes. Even though the Molde continued attacking relentlessly, they still managed to hold on to their 3:2 lead until the 90th minute.

But to Coach Johansen's dismay, the referee added five minutes of stoppage time to the second half. So he decided to make his one remaining substitution in the 91st minute to waste some time and strengthen his defense. He brought on Jon Inge Höiland, the only defender on the bench, in place of Jonas Svensson, the already tired defensive midfielder.

The match recommenced soon after. The Molde players continued attacking, looking for an equalizer in those few minutes. They floated in cross after cross into the box, trying to wear down Rosenborg's defense.

But the ten Rosenborg players, left on the pitch, played like there wasn't a tomorrow as they defended against those attacks. In that way, the minutes slowly passed, and finally, the referee blew the match-ending whistle in the 96th minute.

At that instant, the stadium exploded into a wave of cheers once again.  For the following few minutes, Lerkendal was on fire as the Rosenborg players and technical staff started making rounds around the field.

Coach Johansen ran onto the pitch to celebrate with his players after shaking hands with Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, the Molde coach. He went around the pitch, giving the field players bear hugs while mumbling a few words of encouragement and appreciation to them. He was in a good mood after having secured another three points from a hard-to-win fixture.

****    ****

Zachary let the feeling of contentment soak right into his bones as he moved the entire length of the pitch, waving to the passionate Rosenborg fans.

It was so strange to feel that great gladness in his heart as he savored the inexpressible delight of triumph. He, who'd been dirt poor and hopeless during his past life, was finally feeling that he'd established himself in a European team. So, he was feeling dizzy with excitement.

"You were great out there," Coach Johansen said to him as soon as he'd finished making rounds around the pitch. "If you can maintain your form, you'll soon become the best player in Norway or even in Europe. So, keep up the hard work." The coach patted his back.

"Thank you for your compliment," Zachary replied, smiling. "I'll try my best to improve. My only wish is to have enough playing time so that I can quicken my development as a player."

Coach Johansen chuckled at that. "Don't worry," he said. "You'll get to play plenty of matches his season. But for now, you should go together with Nicki to the press area. The two of you are the ones who'll handle the post-match interview today."

"Oh," Zachary said, sighing. "Then I better go, right away. Do you have any tips on how I should go about the interview?"

Coach Johansen smiled. "Just be yourself and say what you really feel," he said. "But avoid negative comments about third parties, whether opponents or teammates. If you do that, you should be okay."

"Thank you for your advice," Zachary replied, beaming. "Then, I'm off to see the press." He added before turning around and trekking towards the area designated for the press.

****    ****

Emily was in the best of moods as she rode a taxi cab from Lerkendal back to her hotel after the game. Zachary's shocking counter-attack that'd resulted in the winning goal was still playing through her mind, like a song looped on a replay. With that goal, he must have managed to establish himself among the Rosenborg fans. His fame had increased, and that would prove beneficial while negotiating new endorsement deals for him.

Bzzt Bzzzt! Bzzt Bzzzt!

Her phone vibrated, rousing her up to full attention. She frowned, wondering who could be calling her that late in the evening. When she fished it out of her purse and looked at the screen of her smartphone, she was even more surprised. The person calling was one of the Red Bull representatives that she'd formerly been in touch with to discuss another potential endorsement deal for Zachary.

"Mr. Friedrich," she said, after placing the phone next to her ear. "To what do I owe the pleasure of receiving your call this late at night?"

Mr. Jerome Friedrich, the person at the other end of the line, chuckled. "Surely, it isn't late at all," he said. "According to my watch,  it's just 8:30 PM. And that's the best time for discussing business, especially over drinks. Isn't it?"

"Yes, it is," Emily replied. "But that's if it's just business. So, why are you calling?" She queried, hoping to get straight to the point.

Mr. Friedrich sighed audibly from the other end of the line. "I'm calling about Zachary. My bosses have finally given me the go-ahead. But they would like to meet with you first before continuing the negotiations. So, do you have time tomorrow?"

"As long as it's business, I can make time," Emily replied, beaming. "But if they wish to meet my client tomorrow, that's another story. I would have to first consult with him before getting back to you."

"That's not the case," Mr. Friedrich was quick to reply. "For tomorrow, they solely wish to meet with you alone. So, you don't have to worry about your client's schedule."

"They don't want to meet with Zachary yet!" Emily exclaimed, raising a brow. "Why?"

"You'll find out when you meet them tomorrow," Mr. Friedrich said with a bit of humor. "Don't worry. We're the leading energy drink brand in the world. So, believe me: we're not trying to land your client into any trouble. My bosses value his potential greatly. They only wish to have a simple chat with you and discuss potential business. And believe me, that business is greatly beneficial to him."

"Okay," Emily said, looking out of the taxi cab window and noticing that she was close to her hotel. "I think there's no harm in that. So, what time do you suggest I meet them, then?"

"I would recommend 9:00 AM at the Scandic Nidelven Hotel," Mr. Friedrich replied. "Is that okay with you?"

"Yes, that's fine," Emily said. "I'll be there."

"Great," Mr. Friedrich said, his voice laced with a hint of excitement. "I'll see you tomorrow then. Good night."

"Good night to you, too," Emily replied before quickly ending the call. She leaned back into the back seat and savored the feeling of contentment that had swelled within her entire being. She was delighted by the fact that Zachary was starting to attract lucrative endorsement contracts. With the six percent commission from Zachary's deals, Emily could see herself turning wealthy by the end of the year. She would then be able to start up her own agency and fulfill her long-time dream. That was what she hoped.

****    ****

When Kristin returned to her apartment after the match, she quickly switched on her TV. She wanted to rewatch the highlights of the game as soon as possible. So, when she settled herself within the comfort of her sofa, she immediately picked up the remote and navigated to the TV2-Sporten channel.

She relaxed when she found the studio pundits still discussing the game while also playing the short clips of the highlights. At that moment, they were analyzing Zachary's assists during the first half.

"The connection between Nicki and Zachary during this match was incredible," André Rekdal, the studio pundit for that match, said. "For me, that connection was the only factor that gave Rosenborg an edge over Molde."

"Let's not forget about Zachary's brilliance," Ørjan Berg, a former Rosenborg player and also the other pundit, chipped in. "That lightning-fast free-kick in the fourth minute was simply out of this world. Then there's the assist close to half-time and his goal in the 88th minute. What a night for the young Rosenborg number-33!"

"There's one thing the two of you are forgetting," Samantha Fladset, the female presenter, cut in. "That's concerning the decisions of the referee during this game. He ignored most of the fouls against Zachary and a few other Rosenborg players in both halves. What's your take on this?"

Both André Rekdal and Ørjan Berg sighed in unison on hearing that.

"All I can say is that the refereeing today was below par," André Rekdal intoned, shaking his head. "After watching this match, I really wish that FIFA approves the proposal to introduce VARs soon. Otherwise, we'll never do away with the human error factor, even at crucial moments."

"My thoughts exactly," Ørjan Berg concurred. "Had there been a video assistant referee during today's game, Rosenborg wouldn't have had to toil much to win this game. But I'm guessing that the referee will get a suspension for his negligence when on the pitch."