THE GREATEST OF ALL TIME
An Opportunity

Zachary successfully completed a set of fifty repetitions of the classic knee tuck board when it was forty minutes to eleven. It is almost time for a video review meeting with coach Johansen and other Rosenborg match squad members to begin.

He quickly thanked Coach Bjorn Peters and said goodbye before rushing out of the gym like the wind. He ran along the corridor, ran past some Rosenborg employees who were cleaning or moving equipment, and finally arrived at one of the bathroom areas.

Without wasting any time, she undressed and immediately went into the bathroom. His actions were hasty as he had no intention of being late for the team meeting scheduled to start at 11:00. He only had thirty-five minutes to get ready. He stood under the shower, letting the hot water wash away all the sweat accumulated on his body from the two-hour workout.

When he finished cleaning, he observed himself in the mirror as he dried it with a towel.

A face with sculpted jaws and protruding angular cheekbones stared back at him. It had deep brown eyes, just below its protruding forehead, which matched its overgrown black hair. Beneath the face is a chest and a pair of shoulders, built like a tank, making the mirror image even more impressive.

Zachary smiled, feeling pleased with his reflection. After working hard every day for the past year, he has developed lean muscle that blends well with his height. His body did not look disproportionate or too fat despite being six feet four tall. He is not like Peter Crouch, but more like Zlatan Ibrahimovic. That, coupled with the ebony skin color, made it look like a steel muscle.

Zachary hummed the African Lingala song as he took great care to remove the moisture of his hair with a hand-held dryer. He had let it grow over the past year just with the desire to change his image. It had grown long enough for him to easily tie into the afro-style bun on the back of his head. Although it is difficult to clean the hair that grows too much, it is worth the effort because it makes it look more dignified—and different from his previous life. Zachary likes that.

After she finished drying and combing her hair, she put on her black Rosenborg tracksuit in the dressing room before rushing to the cafeteria for a quick meal. Although it was almost too late, he still had to replenish his energy reserves after two hours of intensive training that morning. So, he quickly devoured an omelet with an avocado spread on toast and drank the juice in the canteen while keeping an eye on his watch.

After finishing her meal, she felt refreshed and full of energy once again. He rushed into the tactics room without further ado. He was one of the last players to arrive for the meeting. Most of the other first-team players like Lund Hansen, the goalkeeper, Tore Reginiussen, the captain, Mikael Dorsin, the assistant captain, and Nicki Nielsen are already sitting in the room. But the good news is that Coach Johansen and his assistant have yet to arrive. Zachary exhaled a submerged breath and quietly slipped into the room without drawing attention.

None of the players tried to invite him to join their small group because they knew that trying to hold a conversation with Zachary was futile. Over the past two months, he has built a not-so-good reputation in the team. He doesn't interact much with other players—which keeps him away from them. He became a fully-loner—man who came to the field and practiced secretly without involving himself in small talk. So, most players keep their distance, only talk to him when it matters.

Zachary, however, did not object to isolation because it was his intention when he made the decision to limit his interaction with other players. After realizing that she is still vulnerable to the anger issues that have haunted her past life, she decides to reduce her interactions with others.

That way, he would remain a neutral party since he would never get a chance to get angry at them. So far, the tactic has worked out quite well and even gave him some advantages. Thanks to his loner-type lifestyle within the team, he had more time to train than his peers.

Zachary found himself sitting in the very back seat and started eavesdropping on the conversation around him.

"Most refereeing decisions don't make sense" said Mike Jensen, the central midfielder, from one of the seats in the middle of the room. "I can understand Tore's red card because it was a last-person professional foul. But, second yellow card from Nicki, it doesn't make sense."

Zachary's ears lifted, wanting to hear more about the midfielder's views on the Tippeligaen game the previous day. He has watched matches from the stands since he was not in the squad. It was one of the distractions of the season.

Rosenborg BK lost to Sandnes Ulf 0:1 at home with the entire first-team squad present. Moreover, it was their second miserable appearance in a row. Prior to that match, Rosenborg had tied 1:1 against IK Start at home. Then, the troll boys lost 3:1 against F. K. Haugesund away from home. Rosenborg's situation is not so good with three wins, one draw, and two defeats—as a result for the new season. The fans were not happy one bit. They use social media to express their dissatisfaction about the state of the club and, of course, poor management.

"But we still performed poorly during the game" Mikael Dorsin, the veteran defender, added. "Tore's red card came in the 66th minute. We didn't score at the time. We don't blame anyone but ourselves for losing that game."

"Right," said Nicki Nielsen. "During that game, I didn't know what happened to me. I couldn't beat the goalkeeper even when I had clear chances in the 30th minute."

"Don't get hung up on the past" Mikael said, patting the striker on the back. "You try your best in the game, but luck is not on our side. We'll win next time."

"Good morning to all of you" said Coach Johansen after putting his map on the table in front of the room. Meanwhile, Trond Henriksen, an assistant coach, begins to prepare video equipment.

"Good morning, coach," replied the players in unison. They all stopped their conversation and focused their attention on him.

"Are you all well rested?" The coach smiled, starting to walk around the room slowly.

"Yes, coach," the players replied, many of them grinning.

"Oh, that's great" praised the coach. "I hope you all make a post-match recovery. You should all be ready for the match against Strindheim." He added, keep moving around the room.

"Daniel, how's the family?"

"They're fine. How are you?"

"They're fine."

"...Mike, have you adapted well?"

"...Inge, how's that leg? Did you put ice on it?

"...Kristin..."

Coach Johansen didn't start the meeting as he always did at the academy. Instead, he first went around the room to make small talk and, occasionally, saluted the players while waiting for the assistant coach to finish connecting the video equipment. The coach was very careful to ask about the affairs of all the players. Sometimes, it's about family, other times an injury, or even a boyfriend. And finally, he reached the back of the room where Zachary was sitting.

"Zach," said the coach, punching him. "How are you feeling?"

"Okay, and you?" Zachary replied nonchalantly. He has developed some negative feelings about his coach after being left out of the squad for the first six games of the new Tippeligaen season. It was even after practicing like a maniac under supervision for two months. The coach didn't even call him for one first-team meeting during the entire period. Inevitably he felt like Coach Johansen had betrayed him.

"I'm fine too, but fine, too" replied the coach, leaning his head and observing Zachary with a thoughtful expression. "Are you ready for action on Wednesday?" He asked after a while.

"Of course, I'm ready." Zachary smiled slightly. "I've always been ready since I graduated from the academy. I just need a chance to show my skills." He said, regardless of the players around him. He needs to tell them he will be fighting for first-team numbers with all the effort he can muster. Moreover, Coach Johansen should have used that opportunity to pressure the senior players by telling them that there are new players joining the regulars. As a result, they will feel threatened and work harder to maintain their position.

"That's good to hear" Coach Johansen said, half-smiling. "I'll give you a chance at Wednesday's game. I hope you use it well."

"Thank you, coach," Zachary replied, finally feeling his mood become brighter. He doesn't mind if Coach Johansen just uses him to pressure the players to work harder. Nothing else matters as long as he gets the chance to play professional football.