THE GREATEST OF ALL TIME

Coach Johansen called for the prematch tactical meeting only two hours prior to the match against Genoa. The players were surprised by the change in the usual scheduling of the meeting. However, they still attended without complaint. A coach was practically a monarch in a team. Players had to follow his instructions with no objections.

They became even more surprised when the coach announced the starting line-up. Some, like Magnus and Öyvind, even went on to complain openly to the coach. The meeting room was in chaos for more than half a minute as the players murmured their discontent among their ranks.

"Quiet," Coach Johansen bellowed, his face hardening as he glared at the players. The room once again descended into silence as the young men waited for the coach to explain himself.

"As I already said," Coach Johansen began, "Zachary, Örjan, and Kendrick will all start on the bench today. We need to rest some of our key players in preparation for the quarter-final. We are here to win the tournament, not just the group stages." He said firmly.

"But coach," Magnus intoned. "We'll face a tougher opponent in the quarter-final if we lose this game. Would it not be better for us to win this match and improve our overall chances in the knock-out stages? For that, we need Zachary and Örjan to score goals."

"What gave the impression that I'm giving away this game?" The coach queried, his frown deepening. "All of you are the same age as your opponents. You've got to learn how to play without Zachary. He can't continue carrying the whole team through matches. That is a very unhealthy habit for a team that is vying for the title."

"In this game, I will require only one thing from you," Coach Johansen continued. "Do not concede any goals. You've got to defend like your life depends on it. All players, except Kim, who will play striking today—have to stay behind the ball, close down opponents quickly, and leave no gaps for Genoa to exploit. If you manage to achieve that, we'll still be at the top of the group. Are we clear?"

"Yes, coach," all the players replied, more or less in unison.

**** ****

The match began at exactly 7:00 PM in the Skonto Arena indoor stadium. Zachary sat on the bench, huddled together with the rest of the subs, watching Genoa outplay his team. It was late in the first half, and if Zachary had to be totally honest with himself, he would admit that he was angry at his teammates since the scoreboard read NF ACADEMY 0, GENOA YOUTH 1. He couldn't help it. They had made an amateur defensive mistake in the first few minutes, gifting a goal to Said Ahmed, Genoa's central striker.

As the match progressed, Zachary could see that the NF Academy players were trying their best to defend and mark their opponents. But they were still outclassed in all areas of the game. The Italian team had faster players who worked together—like those of an experienced professional team. Their teamwork was seamless, outshining NF academy.

The Genoa youth team used the 4-3-3 formation, with three strikers and three midfielders continuously bearing down—on NF academy's goal. They played with a high defensive line, typically applying the offside trap, with midfielders providing support to defenders to make more passing options available. Their style of play, characterized by short triangular movements and passing, was a feast for the eyes. They worked the ball from left to right through a combination of sideways, backward, and coordinated passes, in-between the opposition's defensive lines.

Genoa created most of the chances depending on through balls and performing give-and-go passes, usually involving their three midfielders. They didn't allow the NF academy players any breathing space. They passed the ball quickly around the pitch, looking for chances to penetrate the box.

However, Zachary's teammates remained steadfast and defended against all the attacks until the middle of the second half.

In the 75th minute, a below-par clearance gave Genoa a chance to shore up their lead. One of the strikers, playing on the flanks, picked up the loose ball right outside the box. He immediately passed to Said Ahmed, the central striker. The number-9 latched on to the pin-point pass within the box and unleashed a daisy-cutter shot towards the bottom right corner.

Zachary winced despite himself as he watched the ball flash by Mathew Stevenson, NF academy's substitute goalkeeper, into the back of the net. The Genoa team was ahead by two goals in the 76th minute.

Zachary stood up from the bench and moved closer to the coach. A small spark in his mind hinted at a necessary change in NF Academy's midfield. He thought the coach would substitute him in after the team had conceded the second goal. Zachary straightened his posture and performed a few stretches to show the coach that he was ready for action. He was itching to go on the pitch and play the remaining minutes.

However, Coach Johansen gave him a flat stare—like he was nothing but air before going back to shouting at the players on the pitch. His offhandedness told Zachary all he needed to know. He wouldn't play in the game that day.

"Tighten the defense," the coach yelled at the top of his lungs. "We can't afford to concede any more goals. Daniel and Lars; push the defensive line forward. You can't let them play so close to our box..."

Zachary slumped back in his seat on the bench, wondering whether Coach Johansen had decided to give up the match from the start.

"I told you already that he wanted to throw this game," Kendrick said from his left side. "I could already read his intentions when he left you and Örjan out of the starting line-up." He sighed.

"I suspected so at the beginning but later dismissed the fact," Zachary intoned, shaking his head. "I can't believe that Coach Johansen is one to throw matches!"

"Me, too." Kendrick smiled softly. "I understand his target is to win the cup, not the group stages. That's what he said. But we have got a free day tomorrow since the quarter-finals begin on Saturday. We could have played today and still gotten enough rest before the knock-outs."

Zachary frowned. "I heard that Zenit and Tottenham, both, won their last group games earlier today. Maybe, he wanted to face Zenit rather than Tottenham in the quarter-finals."

"That doesn't make sense," Kendrick mumbled, shaking his head. "From the information your agent gave us, we can tell that Zenit is by far the hardest-to-defeat foe in this tournament, with the possible exception of VfB Stuttgart. Why would Coach Johansen decide to face such a team early in the knock-out stages?"

"Maybe, he knows something we don't..." Zachary let his voice trail off as he focused his attention back on the pitch. The Genoa players showed perfect teamwork, controlling the ball with seamless short passes, penetrating deeper into NF academy's half. One of the midfielders received a pass and quickly slid the ball through the defense—to one of the strikers on the left flank.

The Genoa number-11 showed brilliant composure as he entered the box. He latched on to the precise pass and produced a glorious strike that deflected off the post into the top left corner.

3:0. Genoa had managed to score the third goal against the NF academy in the 82nd minute.

"Shit," Zachary swore despite himself. He rested his head in his hands since he couldn't continue watching the match.

He knew he would feel angrier if he continued watching his team struggle against their opponents. He'd always been a sore loser, even in his previous life. He hated losing, even in small soccer games held in the backyard of his former school. However, what made the loss against Genoa more frustrating was the fact that he couldn't do anything about it. There was nothing more frustrating than watching your team lose while on the bench.

Moreover, he was missing out on an opportunity to achieve one of the system mission milestones. Timo Werner had scored two more goals earlier that day, lifting his total tally to nine. The German striker was ahead of him by two goals as the top scorer for the tournament. Yet, he was stuck on the bench—with no opportunity to catch up. He was frustrated.

"Tighten the defense, mark their forwards, use long balls..." Zachary heard Coach Johansen yelling again from near the touchline.

"He seems quite serious about the game in his commentary," Kendrick commented.

Zachary sighed audibly, forcing himself to steady his emotions. "I guess we'll be facing Zenit in the quarter-finals," he remarked, returning his attention to the match. The Genoa players were still attacking like there was no tomorrow. However, the NF academy players managed to block most of their attempts towards their goal in the final minutes of play. The game ended with a score of 3:0 in favor of Genoa.

"We should head back to the bus," Kendrick suggested, getting up from his seat. Zachary did not reply. His focus was on the Genoa players celebrating after the final whistle. Meanwhile, his teammates trekked out of the pitch with their shoulders slouched forward, giving off a grumpy vibe.

Zachary was worried that the loss could have affected their confidence. He sure hoped that Coach Johansen was well aware of what he'd just put them through and had a way to lift their morale quickly before the next game. Otherwise, they were in for a depressing quarter-final against Zenit.

Zachary sighed, shaking his head. "Let's head to the bus," he intoned, leading the way out of the stadium. There was nothing he could do for the rest of his teammates. Coach Johansen was the best person to motivate them after their loss.