THE GREATEST OF ALL TIME

The evening of the following day, Zachary and Kristin flew back to Trondheim as planned. There were no unexpected incidents on their trip back. So they managed to arrive safely at Værnes Airport the following morning.

They went through airport procedures quickly with the intent of heading back home as soon as possible. They both wanted to have some hours of proper rest after the long journey.

However, just as they were on their way to the baggage claim area, a few passionate Rosenborg fans recognized Zachary. He ended up signing several autographs and taking the occasional selfie with the fans before managing to escape and collect his luggage.

But since he didn't want to get entangled by any more fans, he donned an oversized cap and pulled its visor down to cover part of his face as he exited the airport.

"Good sweet, Trondheim," Kristin said with a sigh as they were pulling their cases towards one of the parking spaces. "You're so popular here, unlike in Lubumbashi, where no one could recognize you. It's good you took the time to sign autographs for those fans. It shows that you care about them, and that'll lift your public image gradually."

"Oh," Zachary said, inclining his head to glance at her. "I can see that you're already in publicity secretary mode. By the way, I talked to my agent yesterday morning before we departed from Lubumbashi. She'll be in Trondheim next week to follow up on another deal of mine. Maybe, you could meet her then and finalize your contract details."

"That's okay with me," Kristin said with a smile. "I'll be spending a lot of time in my apartment until I commence my internship with Rosenborg next month. So, I'll surely be available to meet her next week."

"That's perfect then," Zachary said as they walked into the parking spaces for the taxi cabs for hire. "I'll confirm the plan with her when I talk to her later. You can start working on the Twitter account then."

"Do I need to prepare anything in particular?" Kristin queried, giving him a sideways glance.

"No," he replied, shaking his head. "Just make sure you're not late when meeting her. If she needs anything, she'll request you to prepare it during the meeting."

"Okay."

****  ****

A soft smile outlined Kristin's face as she watched Zachary help her carry her suitcases and arrange them properly in the boot of the hired taxi cab. She was in a good mood. The trip to Lubumbashi had been a productive one.

Aside from visiting the attractions there, she'd gotten the opportunity to work as Zachary's publicity secretary. She was eager to start working since she was a hundred percent certain that he would turn into a big star in the future. Working for him would open more doors and get her more contacts in the sports industry.

Besides, her new job would enable her to spend more quality time with him — and that was a possibility that made her smile on the inside. But then she checked herself a moment later.

'What am I thinking?' she wondered, shaking her head. 'When did I become so desperate and hopeless?'

"What's the matter?" She heard Zachary ask from beside her. He'd finished arranging all the suitcases in the boot and was watching her face intently.

Kristin could see that he was genuinely concerned. It seemed he was still trying to make up for neglecting her for weeks when they were in Lubumbashi together. However, a moment later, she recalled seeing him escort a beauty from his apartment and banished the thought from her mind.

"Is everything okay?" He asked again, looking all worried and imposing. "Why are you shaking your head like you're facing some dilemma? Are you okay?"

"I'm fine," she replied, flashing him a smile. "Don't mind me."

"Oh," he said, raising a brow. He didn't seem convinced.

"I just recalled a few artifacts that I forgot to buy in Lubumbashi since I was in a hurry," she lied, still maintaining a smile. "I was just regretting missing out on them a moment ago."

"Oh," Zachary said, nodding. "Maybe, I can tell a friend to buy them and send them here—to Trondheim if you wish."

"That's not necessary, Zachary," she said, still maintaining a smile. "But thanks anyway. Shouldn't we get into the taxi now and head home? We seem to be delaying the driver."

"Okay," Zachary replied, nodding.

****  ****

Zachary returned all his focus to training for the next few days after his return to Trondheim. He was fully intent on stabilizing his endurance and stamina attributes at the S-grading before the Strømsgodset match. That would leave him in tip-top shape and set him up for a good performance against the table leaders.

He even consumed the weekly dosage of the A-graded physical conditioning elixir in addition to exercising like a maniac. His workout routine involved running about eight kilometers and then going through an hour of weight training at the Lerkendal gym before attending the team's training sessions. During the team sessions, he would run laps around the stadium, go through cone drills, and practice shooting and passing under the guidance of the coaches.

The days flew by quickly, and soon it was the evening before the match against Strømsgodset IF.

Zachary headed to the Rosenborg tactics room to listen to Coach Johansen's pre-match tactical briefing after training. He was eager to take part in an official match again after spending almost a month without playing.

"Good evening, everyone," Coach Johansen said as soon as the players had settled down in their seats.

"Good evening, coach," the players replied, more or less in unison.

"Let's get right to business," he said, glancing around. "Tomorrow, in the evening, we're facing Strømsgodset IF, the current table leaders. They are only a point ahead of us. So, if we win, we'll surpass them and top the table. This is a match we must win. Are we together, guys?"

"Yes, coach."

"Good," Coach Johansen said, half-smiling. "To make sure we don't falter and concede needless goals tomorrow, I've adjusted the line-up a bit to bolster our defense. We'll utilize a 4-2-3-1 formation with two double pivots to boost our defensive line. But, before I delve further into the tactics, let me start by announcing the line-up."

"Daniel Örlund will be our goalkeeper for this match," he continued, moving towards the tactics board and starting to draw the formation. "In defense, we'll have Mikael Dorsin, Stefan Strandberg, Verner Rönning, and Cristian Gamboa. Our two double pivots in the 4-2-3-1 formation will be Mike Jensen and Jonas Svensson. Zachary Bemba will play in front of them as our only attacking midfielder. Tarik Elyounoussi and Tobias Mikkelsen will play in the left and right wings, respectively. And finally, Nicki Nielsen will play as our lone striker."

"Moving on," the coach said, stepping away from the tactics board after drawing the entire line-up. "On the bench, we'll have Lund Hansen, Mix Diskerud, Ole Selnæs, Fredrik Midtsjö, Daniel Berntsen, Borek Dockal, and John Chibuike. That is it for the line-up."

"Any questions?" He asked, sweeping his gaze across the entire room. But none of the players raised an arm.

"Okay," he said after a while, moving back towards the tactics board. "Let's move on to the game plan and tactics. As I already said, we'll mainly be defensive-minded during the game against the table leaders tomorrow. Our two double pivots will have to do their best to protect our defense from aerial balls while also checking the runs of Strømsgodset players through the middle."

"Additionally, our two wingers will have to constantly fall back to support the back whenever we lose possession. With such an arrangement, I believe that we'll be able to avoid conceding. That is if every player plays out his role perfectly. Are we together, guys?"

"Yes, coach."

"Good," Coach Johansen said, nodding. "To score, we'll mainly depend on counterattacks. We'll not try to dominate possession like we usually do tomorrow. Instead, we'll sit back and weather their attacks while awaiting an opportunity. If we manage to win the ball — pah, pah." He clapped his hands, glancing around.

"We immediately hit them on the counter — without giving them a chance to react," he continued. "For that tactic to work, we'll need the wingers and the attacking midfielder to be very creative and link up well while on the counter. Are we together, Zachary, Tarik, and Tobias?"

"Yes, coach," Zachary replied along with the other two wingers.

"Zachary," the coach continued after a while, glancing at him. "You'll be playing a free role tomorrow. It'll be solely up to you to decide where you're most needed on the pitch and then move there. You have got to keep on your toes so as to make sure that you don't miss out on any opportunities while also anticipating the danger posed by the opponents. Are we together, Zachary?"

"Yes, coach," he replied, nodding.

"Good," the coach intoned, still looking at him. "Since we're relying on counterattacks, you'll have to constantly run back and forth between the two halves throughout the entire game. That's because you'll be the main man linking the defense to both the wings and the attack. But don't worry. If you get tired, John or Borek will be available to take over your position. You only have to make sure that you create some goal-scoring opportunities for us before you tire yourself out. Are we together?"

"Coach, I understand," Zachary replied, matching the coach's gaze. "But I'm sure that I won't tire myself before the match ends. I'm very confident about that."

"Oh," Coach Johansen said, seemingly surprised by his confidence. "I was only making a deduction based on the amount of work you'll have to do in the first half. Mounting counterattacks over and over again while also defending at times is likely to consume your stamina. But, of course, it's my wish that you manage to complete the match without depleting your stamina, Zachary."

"I will, coach," Zachary said confidently once again. He'd just upgraded his stamina and endurance to the S-grading. So, he was almost certain that he wouldn't tire himself out before the 90 minutes of the game elapsed.

"Then, I'll look forward to your performance, Zachary," the coach said, smiling. "But you've got to remember that there's no pressure. As long as you play your role perfectly, even if it's for just the first half, that'll be enough. Do you understand what I mean, Zachary?"

"I understand, coach."

"Good," the coach said, finally turning away. He continued discussing the game plan while occasionally pointing out the individual roles of different players. He spoke in great detail and only released the squad when it was close to nine in the evening.

After the pre-match tactical briefing, Zachary said his goodbyes to his teammates and got into his R8 GT. He cruised at a leisurely speed, heading home to rest for the night. All the while, a soft smile outlined his face. He was very pleased with the role that the coach had assigned him. He hoped the night would pass quickly.