THE GREATEST OF ALL TIME
The Norwegian Football Cup Series Challenge
Coach Johansen sighed, leaning back in his chair. "OK, do as you please" he said. "You can keep fighting for numbers in midfield. But remember, you are competing against very experienced players. So, you won't have any trouble."
"I understand," Zachary answered solemnly. "I'm more than ready to compete for a place in midfield."
He had just studied Juju Mental Zinedine-Pirlo. If he continues to improve his skill mastery, he is confident he will surpass the top midfielder at Tippeligaen in no time. As long as the coach gives him playing time in a few games, he is confident he will earn a place as one of Rosenborg's early midfielders. He has no intention of changing his playing position just to make the team.
"OK, I like your confidence," Coach Johansen said as he nodded. "Let's wait and see how you look in Wednesday's game against Strindheim. I'm not supposed to put any pressure on your shoulders before your debut game, but I feel the need to remind you of some things."
The coach placed his elbow on the table and looked at Zachary pensively. "Remember, you'll get a few other opportunities to show your skills in the first team. If you're performing boringly, it'll be very difficult for you to get another chance."
“You must have felt it. The atmosphere in the first team is very different to that in the academy. The fans, coaches, and even your teammates won't give you a chance if they feel you're just going to make a "
"I'm not asking you to play like Ronaldinho or Messi" he continued, words coming out of his mouth slowly but surely. "I just want you to do your part in the team. Take a simple approach and release the ball as quickly as possible. Don't try to display striking performances, such as running from defensive midfield to the opposing box. If you do that, you will only be looking for injuries in your debut match. We can't have it."
"Remember, you're no longer in the academy. You are now playing on the professional stage. Defenders are paid high to stop opponents attacking their goals. So they will do everything in their power to stop you, if you dribble a lot. That's why I'm asking you to play simple football in your debut game. If you do the opposite, chances are you'll make a mistake, and that's where the problem will begin."
"Understood?"
"Yes, coach."
Coach Johansen narrowed his eyes and looked at Zachary intently. His overgrown red beard made him even more impressive despite his thin physique.
“I have seen some talented players graduate brilliantly from the academy but fail in their first season. They all have one thing in common — they try to play like Zidane or Ronaldinho when they don't have the necessary experience. Most of them will do better if they play simple football than pass—give and go. But as they try to do more than necessary, they keep making mistakes and wasting away until all the fans and coaches lose faith in them."
"Zachary, I urge you, again and again, do not follow the same trend" said the coach firmly. "Are we clear?"
"Yes, coach," replied Zachary, his tone humble. "I understand and will follow your advice strictly."
The negative thoughts about his trainer that had just taken root in his soul disappeared instantly. From that one conversation, he could feel that the coach was very concerned about his progress as a player. He had called her into his office and warned her of all the pitfalls to avoid in her debut match. Zachary felt very grateful to him.
He had suffered a similar trap during his previous life debut match. He intends to show off his skills while playing his first game for Mazembe— TP but has messed up the process. He did not want to experience a similar situation in his new life. So, he would follow the coach's instructions to the letter.
"OK, you can go" said the coach, with an atmosphere like seeing a visitor come out. "Don't forget to do your last medical test. If possible, do it today or tomorrow. We don't want anything to stop your debut right now."
"Yes, coach," Zachary said as he stood up. "Thank you for giving me a chance at the starting eleven. And thank you for your valuable advice." He added before walking out the door.
After leaving the coach's office, Zachary headed straight to the cafeteria. He immediately ate his lunch before leaving Lerkendal.
It was only half midday. So, there were still three hours left to start the training session that night. Zachary wanted to use those three hours to rest and recover his stamina. That way, he would do his best during training. He doesn't want to mess up after getting into the squad.
So, he got on the bus and headed to his apartment in Stjordalsveien without further ado. Thirty minutes later, he was safely in his living room. He could not resist the temptation to open the system interface any longer. He was eager to learn about the mission details of the new system.
"System," he murmured, lying on his bed. "Bring information about the mission of the new system."
"The government accepted," the apathetic feminine voice of the AI system instantly sounded in his mind.
"Mission details have been displayed in the interface."
Zachary blinked as his eyes adjusted to the contents of the transparent bluish screen that appeared before him. He then began to read the details of the mission.
****
GOat MISSION
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NEW MISSION: Norwegian Football Cup Serial Challenge 2013
->System has detected that users are part of the Rosenborg BK squad that took part in the 2013 Norwegian Football Cup, commonly referred to as Cupen. The system has designed a related mission for the event.
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->Users must accept the mission in advance to get a chance of winning a prize after completing the below achievements.
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*History 2: Help your teammates win finals and become Cupen champions.
*History 3: Providing the most assists in Cupen.
*History 4: Top scorer in Cupen.
*Access 5: Becoming the MVP of Cupen.
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* Gift:
-> Achievement prize 1:1000 points Juju
-> Achievement prize 2:1500 points Juju
-> Achievement prize 3:3000 points Juju
-> Achievement prize 4:4500 points Juju
-> Achievement prize 5 achievements: Three-month dosage from Elixir A-grade Physical Conditioning.
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-> Users can choose not to accept missions.
*Receive reject
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*Punishment if no achievement is achieved after the specified time (If the user accepts).
->Minus 15000 Juju-points
*Users must complete at least one achievement before the tournament ends to avoid penalties.
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*Remarks: The role of a genius is not to complicate the simple but to simplify the complicated. And only geniuses have the potential to be GOATS
****
After reading the mission details, Zachary did not immediately click the receive button as he always did in previous events. Instead, he took the time to consider whether completing the various milestones was worth it.
First, he is unsure if he will be in the match squad of all Rosenborg fixtures in the Norwegian Cup. Even if he plays well, the coaches can still decide to rotate the players anytime—and then he will fail in his mission. Secondly, although Rosenborg is one of the giants of Norwegian football, they could still fail to win the trophy. In the previous year, Molde had easily knocked them out of Cupen in the fourth round.
Zachary is only confident of finishing the third milestone, requiring him to provide the most assists in Cupen. With Zinedine-Pirlo Mental Juju in his craft, he would easily let go of passes that split the defense that would turn into goals. But completing the milestone also depends on whether his team progress further in the tournament. If by any chance his team were knocked out of Cupen in the second half, he would still fail even if he made an average of three assists per game. The last two milestones were even more difficult to complete because he had just entered the Rosenborg first team. Being the top scorer or MVP requires a lot of luck and help from a team of players. Only established and experienced star players in top team squads usually have the chance to make such achievements happen.
"Oh, whatever," Zachary murmured to himself and pressed the accept button after a few seconds of thought.
He was basically a habit — gambler who picked up in the bad years of his previous life. If he failed, he would only need to figure out a way to pay the 15,000 points Juju owed. But if he completes one milestone, he will soon win Juju many points. He will be one step closer to improving the system and learning other GOAT skills. So, he decided to bite the bullet and accept the mission even if he could not guarantee he would reach at least one milestone required to escape punishment.
"DING"
"Users have accepted the mission: Norwegian Football Cup Serial Challenge 2013."
"User data successfully updated."
After Zachary finished receiving the mission, he set the alarm clock to 15:00. He didn't want to miss training that night. He closed his eyes and entered slumberland— dreaming of himself scoring in one of Tippeligaen's matches.