THE GREATEST OF ALL TIME

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Rosenborg BK 3: Strømsgodset IF 0

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Coach Johansen nodded to himself in satisfaction after glancing at the score on the stadium's jumbotron. His mood had lightened after his team managed to solidify their lead in the 87th minute of gameplay.

He was satisfied with Zachary's quick reaction that enabled him to escape his minder and connect with Daniel Örlund's long throw.

The prodigy was as sharp as ever and had clearly made some improvements over the short break. Even in the final minutes of an intense game, he'd managed to make a captivating solo run and score without running out of stamina. He was growing at an incredible pace as a professional footballer.

"Zachary could easily turn into a great player in the wings if we play him there," he heard Trond Henriksen, the assistant head coach, remark from beside him. "That will give us a lot more options up front. Don't you think so?"

"Yeah, he was also good on the flanks during his academy days," Coach Johansen replied, nodding. "But the problem is that he doesn't want to change his position from the midfield. So, we can't begin considering him as a potential wing player."

"Oh, that's too bad, then," Coach Henriksen said, sighing. "Then, why did you switch him to the flank just now? Aren't you worried that he will be dissatisfied with the team?"

"I won't force him to play the wing if he doesn't want to," Coach Johansen replied, half smiling. "For this game, I only wanted to demonstrate to him the possibilities that could open up if he agreed to play on the wings. Maybe, after scoring, he'll fall in love with the position and ask us to play him there regularly."

Coach Trond Henriksen could only smile, shaking his head on hearing that.

****    ****

The match restarted right after Rosenborg's goal celebrations.

Zachary immediately noticed that the concentration of the Strømsgodset players had dipped after conceding the 3rd goal. They started making a lot of amateur mistakes and lost the ball to Rosenborg on several occasions. As a result, their attacking threat level reduced considerably as the match progressed into stoppage time.

Zachary and his teammates didn't miss out on the chance to capitalize on the laxity of their opponents. They began playing more boldly and quickly dictated the tempo for the first time since the start of the game.

In the 90th minute, just as the fourth official was raising the board to indicate the number of stoppage-time minutes added, Rosenborg got another opportunity.

Mike Jensen, the defensive midfielder, dispossessed Abdisalam Ibrahim, one of Strømsgodset's midfielders, at the border of the middle third. He wasted no time in unleashing a long-range defense splitting pass which found Nicki Nielsen.

The Rosenborg number nine did not let the pass go to waste. He brought the ball under control with his chest while holding off two Strømsgodset defenders with his incredible physique.

However, the defenders were already frustrated after conceding three goals. They didn't allow Nicki to have his way. They collided into his back and denied him space to maneuver the ball. He could only pass to John Chibuike, who was open on the right flank, to avoid losing possession.

John Chibuike, the substitute who'd come on as a right-winger for Tobias Mikkelsen, looked full of energy as he met Nicki's pass. He controlled the ball mid-sprint and continued spearing deeper into Strømsgodset's half.

He soon started cutting into the middle, heading straight for Strømsgodset's goal. However, a few seconds later, just as he was a few yards from the box, he ran into a reckless sliding challenge from Jarl André Storbaek, the Strømsgodset number-5.

*FWEEEEEEE*

The referee blew the whistle right away and awarded a free kick to Rosenborg in a position just a few yards away from the edge of the box. He also showed a yellow card to the center-back and immediately started to organize the wall.

"Zachary," Coach Johansen shouted from the sidelines. "Make sure you test the keeper. I'm counting on you to hit the target."

Zachary gave the coach an okay sign with his thumb before picking up the ball and placing it on the green. He took a few steps back and activated the Dead-Ball-Specialist Juju while observing the situation in the box.

The next second, he entered a state of extreme focus, and all the noise around the stadium disappeared. He noticed several gaps in the defense that he could exploit, which he hadn't managed to spot a moment prior. Thus, he was full of confidence as he prepared to take the free kick.

*FWEEEEEEE*

The referee blew the whistle after organizing the wall and making sure the players were not involved in any foul play.

Zachary immediately made a short angled run towards the ball before smashing it with the inside of his boot to unleash a curling shot towards the top-left corner. The whole process of taking the free-kick felt trivial since he'd practiced the Bend-it-like-Beckham routine more than ten thousand times over the course of the previous two years. So, he was confident he'd hit the target even before the ball could sail over the wall.

****    ****

"There it is again," Kristin heard Anne Rimmen, the commentator say, as she watched the ball soar over the wall and dip slightly to home in on the top left corner.

"GOAAAAAL," the commentator continued the next moment as the cheering rose to a thunderous crescendo across Lerkendal. "It's Zachary Bemba with another perfect curveball over the wall to beat the goalkeeper. The young Rosenborg midfielder has managed to bag the second hat-trick of his career with his textbook-perfect set-piece technique. What a night for the young player."

"In the 91st minute, it's Rosenborg 4, Strømsgodset 0.  I was expecting a thriller between the first and second on the table. But the match has turned into a one-sided affair. The Troll Kids are at their best today and have totally torn apart the team from Drammen. Harald! What is your take on this unusual score?"

"Well," Harald, the pundit for the day, chimed in. "As I said earlier, Rosenborg has the most lethal attacking force in the whole Tippeligaen. On their starting line-up, they have Zachary, Nicki, Tobias, and the list goes on—and on. All these are phenomenal attackers capable of bagging goals at any moment during a game if you give them any chance. That's the very reason they have managed to score four goals against the former table leaders."

"But what was out of my expectations is Rosenborg not conceding any goals during this match," the pundit continued. "For this, I have to commend Coach Johansen for totally altering his tactics and switching to a defensive-minded 4-2-3-1 formation. He really made an excellent gamble. With the shift to a defensive mindset, he has managed to solve the imbalance between his forward and defensive players. As a result, his team has managed to keep a clean sheet while also allowing his highly clinical attackers to go on a counterattacking rampage against Strømsgodset."

"Thank you for your analysis, Harald," Anne Rimmen chipped in. "We'll continue the discussion in a couple of minutes after the end of the match. But for now, let's first take you to the live-action which has just recommenced after Rosenborg's fourth goal celebrations."

****    ****

Rosenborg managed to hold on to the 4:0 lead until the end of the game. They remained solid at the back throughout stoppage time and didn't let the Strømsgodset attackers make any goal attempts.

After the final whistle, Zachary received the match ball from the referee since he'd scored his second career hat-trick. He then made his way to the area designated for the press. There, he found his old friend Olav Brusveen, the TV2 Sporten reporter, eagerly waiting to interview him.

"Welcome back, Zachary," Olav said, smiling and holding the microphone out to him right after he'd stepped in front of the cameras.

"Thank you, Olav," Zachary replied, smiling back at him.

"You're the man of the match again, Zachary," he said, maintaining a smile. "Your performance during the match was beyond even my wildest imaginations. You scored yet another hat-trick, taking your tally for the season to eleven goals. You're finally at the summit of the list of top scorers for this season. How do you feel, Zachary?"

"Terrific, of course," Zachary responded matter-of-factly. "But I'm more thrilled by the fact that my team, Rosenborg, has returned to its rightful place at the top of the table."

Olav raised a brow on hearing that. "Right place at the top of the table, you say! Could that imply that you're sure that Rosenborg will go on to maintain the number one position and become the champions at the end of the season?"

"Well," Zachary said, taking a moment to sort out his words. "Since we're finally back to the top, other teams will find it very hard to surpass us in points for the rest of the season. Every Rosenborg player is highly motivated to win more matches and help the team emerge as the overall champion at the end of the season."

"Let's talk more about today's game, Zachary," Olav chimed in. "Your second goal from the solo run was simply out of this world. That was some world-class brilliance on the ball you showcased there. Can you tell us what was going on inside your mind during those few seconds?"

"Well, I was only thinking of creating a goal-scoring opportunity for my team at that moment. Nothing else was on my mind. So, I just kept running and circumventing obstacles until I found myself one-on-one with the keeper and then scored. It was as simple as that."

"Oh," Olav said, nodding. "You're an incredible player, Zachary. Congratulations upon your incredible performance, and I wish you the best."  He said, ending the post-match interview.

****    ****