Football System: Classic Number 10
Episode 25: Starting from the Beginning
My friends were very surprised when they heard that I still could not get into the Cananga Youth Mining team, and had to fight from team B first. I have actually resigned and accepted all the decisions given by the coaching team and staff, but it does not seem so for Derry.
Derry was the front man who explained to the coaching team and the staff about my ability, but I never felt I had such great ability as everyone else. However, even though Derry has struggled desperately to defend me, the coaching team and staff still have another assessment of that and still make me have to play from team B first.
"This is unacceptable! Are you willing to accept this unfair treatment, buddy?"
"It's Derry, if you insist that I'm afraid that you're being relegated to Team B" I tried to calm down the troubled Derry, I don't want to because I'm Derry to be relegated to Team B.
"But how? You're the central figure in the middle ground you know! Just ask Zaki and Axel"
I was a little surprised to hear what Derry said, then I looked towards Zaki and Axel who were next to him. I saw the two of them take a breath for a moment, before finally giving their opinion of me.
"Honestly, when playing together in the middle field with you, I feel jealous because my light is covered by your existence. You can always cover up all my mistakes, your accurate passing or the way you give command of the midfield, I don't have any of that and make me feel jealous" Zaki said, I don't know if he's really telling the truth or just comforting me, but I'm obviously happy to hear that.
Then Axel also gave his opinion, he turned his face and said. "Your passing in the game at that time was very pampering for me, I will miss that in the Youth team" he said then he walked away from us, indeed the temperament that Axel always showed.
I'm really happy to hear all that from my friends, I want to do more things with them, but for now I have to fight first in team B to catch up with them and prove myself to the coach and the staff.
I train earnestly every day, for the sole purpose of self-evidence. Just like now, I was practicing doing quick passes without control. It aims to perform a series of rapid attacks, these fast-rolling balls will later be troublesome enemy defense if really mastered well.
After practicing the quick pass, I then practiced on how to defend well. I went through the training of the defenders and asked them how to defend, they just said that I should be able to understand what defending really is. I got a little confused, so I finally asked Coach Dodi what I should do.
Coach Dodi held her chin, her eyes up like looking for answers to my questions. "Looks like you're gonna have to start from the basics, son!" After saying that, Coach Dodi left me but he told me to stay there waiting for him to come back.
Long enough I waited for him, if I stayed in the training session, I could have spent three training sessions today. He came back with some tapes containing recordings that I did not know what it was, he handed the tape to me. There were more than 5 tapes he gave me, so I had a little trouble holding them.
I happily received the tape, every night after training from the Academy, I turned the tape and watched it. Not only watching, I actually observed how world-class midfielders played. Every night I observed, and then I recorded the key points on the paper and I learned them again in the morning at school or during training at the academy.
Just like today, at the time of Mathematics. I was listening to the teacher who was explaining but taking notes on what I could learn from the game of a Milenkovic-Savic.
Milenkovic-Savic, a Serbian player who currently plays for Juventus. During his prime time at Lazio, Milenkovic-Savic was a key player who was very good at midfield. Milenkovic-Savic has 84 assists at Lazio with over 200 appearances. In addition to being good at finding space, Milenkovic-Savic is also good at seeing enemy movements, he is a fairly complete package for players who position as midfielders.
I recorded everything, from his habit, timing, to how often Milenkovic-Savic touched in one game. All that information I absorbed and like penetrated into me and made me a slightly different person, but unfortunately the lesson that was being explained by the teacher in front was not heard at all.
In fact, when Salma tried to get me to talk, I didn't hear it either. Now that I was focused on my own world, it felt like I was alone in that spacious classroom.
I was surprised when Salma unbeknownst to me pulled the book that contained my observation notes, he read all the contents of the notes and made me almost crazy because I felt immense shame.
"Rizal! Instead of learning even doodles are not clear like this" he said who commented on the paper containing my observation notes while whispering because he did not want to make a fuss and even ended up ridiculous.
"That's not an obscure note!" I tried to retrieve my notebook, but Salma didn't let it go.
I kept trying to reclaim my notebook from her, and Salma kept avoiding her. Until finally the teacher who was explaining saw what I did, he misunderstood me and thought I was disturbing Salma. He thought Salma was focused on listening to his explanation and was even disturbed by me.
"Rizaldi! Instead of listening, it disturbs people. You mother put it out until the lesson time is over" The teacher even let me out, I slightly did not accept and explained the chronology of the incident to him, but he seemed to be too angry with me and did not listen to my explanation at all.
"It's wrong not to confess! If not out of the count of one to three, I will take you to the office" he gave me an ultimatum, forced me to get out of this problem more and more.