THE GREATEST OF ALL TIME
Debut Game II

It was the eighth minute of the Norwegian Football Cup second round. Strindheim returned to possession after Nicki Nielsen failed to take Ole's long-range pass. Strindheim players, dressed in yellow and blue, appeared on fire in the early minutes of the match.

Mats Ingebrigtsen, one of Strindheim's centre-backs, jumped the Rosenborg attacker and cleared the ball from the box.

Without delay, the Strindheim players continued their attack. Sindre Kjos-Wenjum, the left midfielder, picked up the ball from Ingebrigtsen's clearance. He pushed it onto the grass and made a breakthrough pass to Christopher Moen, the left-hander.

With skillful footwork, Christopher Moen passes Brede Moe, Rosenborg's right-back, once again. He ran across the touchline, penetrating deep into the Rosenborg half in just an instant.

Zachary has been on alert and carefully tracking the attacker's movements since he had the ball. He has noted that Strindheim's players seem to prefer left-sided attackers as they continue to give him passes. So, Zachary had long since prepared himself for action and stopped the striker once again.

The coach repeatedly stressed the midfielder's responsibility to assist the defense in thwarting threats to the goal throughout the game. For the first eight minutes, Zachary had observed simple instructions on the letter. Each time the opponent attacked, he would fall back to his half and adjust his position. That way, he managed to stop three Strindheim attacks in the first few minutes of the game.

As a midfielder, he has to play smart, using his brain to weaken opponents rather than relying solely on tight guard and tackles. So, at all times, he always makes a mental map of all the players around the pitch in order to position himself perfectly.

In addition, he realized that it was easier to track down opponents and teammates since he studied the Zinedine-Pirlo Mental Juju. He can analyse the risks on the pitch quickly and react appropriately. Thanks to that, he slowly became more confident in his defensive abilities as the game progressed.

So, he was not afraid to meet Christopher Moen in a one-on-one meeting. He had stopped him before—he could stop him again.

However, Zachary changed his decision only after a few seconds. From the corner of his eye, he saw Tore Reginiussen, Rosenborg's captain and centre-back, running from his position and darting towards Christopher like a bullet.

The centre-back ran so fast that he chased to the left-front in just a few seconds. He did not reduce his speed even when he reached Christopher who was running. He instead slid in and handled the ball, pushing it off the field of play.

Meanwhile, Christopher— was thrown to the ground by another Rosenborg player. He had nightmares from a game. This was the third time he had been dropped to the ground as he ran across the edge line of the field.

"Ref," he shouted, waving his hands into the air as he rose from the ground. "High shoes, high shoes..." He added, running towards the referee. However, the referee ignored him and gestured for Strindheim to throw in.

Zachary smiled at Christopher's reaction. He knows that the captain is too used to dribbling past defenders using his speed and footwork. But it seems he forgot that he did not play a second division game but faced Rosenborg. His dribbling efforts are like a children's game in front of top defender Tippeligaen like Tore Reginiussen.

Zachary shook his head and ran to the right side of the field to survive the throw-in.

He makes mental notes to prevent himself from falling into a situation like Christopher. He will only try to dribble when he believes his speed and skill— can beat any defender in Tippeligaen. Otherwise, he would try to embarrass himself.

"Breed!" Zachary heard Tore Reginiussen shouting loudly as he sat in a position close to the touchline. "That's the third time you've failed to stop the boy. What are you doing on the field? Are you sleeping? Get in the game. Stop making a mess for us." The captain looked angry at the right-back and did not mince words with him.

Brede Moe only smiled sadly, shaking her head before concentrating on marking her husband once more. He did not seem the slightest bit bothered by the captain's shout at him.

*FREEEE*

The referee blew his whistle after giving a verbal warning to Christopher Moen over his altercation.

Mathias Hegna, Strindheim's left-back, throws in. After a short run, he set foot on the sidelines and threw the ball over the— line towards Christopher Moen.

However, just then, Brede Moe was on high alert and managed to stop the left attacker. He jumped high and headed the ball, directing it into midfield— towards Zachary.

He didn't feel any pressure though it was his debut match. Instead, he felt his heart throbbing with excitement as he turned around with the ball plugged into his left foot. He intends to release the attackers as quickly as possible as he realizes that most Strindheim players are attacking in the Rosenborg defensive area.

It was the perfect opportunity to counterattack. He could not understand why, but he could feel it in his bones. He's sure of it. However, Strindheim's two central midfielders closed it off quickly, even before he had time to release the ball.

[What the fuck?] Zachary could only curse inwardly.

He wondered why the Strindheim midfielder had shut him down so quickly since the game began. Whenever he had the ball, they would chase him in just seconds.

At the start of the game, he didn't think about it because he believed that it was the tempo and intensity that fit the professional football stage in Europe. However, as the match progressed, he realized that the opponent was targeting him specifically. It seems like they think of it as a weak link in Rosenborg's midfield and intend to force him into a blunder so they can reap the profits. In other words, they gave him special treatment as a novice who had just graduated from the academy. That time was no different.

Although Zachary dislikes the feeling of being identified as a weak link, he forces himself to focus on the task at hand. He has a choice to make. He could not let a hint of displeasure interfere with his state of mind.

At that point, he decided that he could play it safe and pass the ball back to the goalkeeper—the safest choice. Or he could take a risk and try to pass the ball outside the intense pressure zone of the rivals. That way, he can release the striker quickly and start the counter-attack.

Zachary is basically a gambler. So, he took even riskier but most profitable action. He raised his legs high and faked a pass towards Lund Hansen, the Rosenborg goalkeeper.

But instead of passing the ball back, he pulled it towards himself with his left shoe— thereby starting one of his Cruyff turn variations. He has trained the skill to a high level of mastery and can use it in any situation, even under pressure.

Zachary spun with the ball, passing one of Strindheim's midfielders. With that simple Cruyff turn, he had created a courtyard of space for himself. But he had to act in seconds, or the opponent would attack him once more.

Zachary didn't want that to happen. So, he did not linger and looked across the field. His eyes quickly stared at the two Rosenborg— attackers positioned outside the strong rival pressure zone. In his mind, a mental map with an open linear route to pass the ball appeared instantly. Meanwhile, his A-rated game intelligence coupled with Juju Mental Zinedine-Pirlo helped him conclude the best place to distribute the ball in just an instant.

Zachary's mind had been working very fast, probably in an overdrive state, so he had managed to find the best passing route in just a span of one second. Thanks to that, she managed to realize that Nicki Nielsen had just moved away from her guard in the Strindheim defense area.

Zachary no longer lounges. He lifted his right leg and unleashed a sweeping pass with the outside of his shoe just before the Strindheim midfielder could close it. However, he did not relax, but followed the ball.

The ball flew through the air through the gap between the opponent and teammates on the field, heading towards Nicki Nielsen. Emil Rokke, Strindheim's defensive midfielder, tried to intercept him near the centre circle. He even dived, trying his best level to stop him from reaching Nicki Nielsen with his head. However, everything was in vain. The ball appears to be controlled by a high-tech missile guidance system. It flashed by him at a distance of only a few centimeters, continuing on to Nicki— who had long since started running towards the Strindheim goal.

The cheers at the stadium eased for a moment as Nicki Nielsen, Rosenborg's centre-forward and number 9, held the ball just in front of Strindheim's box. The fans in the stands waited nervously—their eyes were fixed on number 9 as he stepped into the Strindheim box without a fight.

Zachary's defensive splitting bait has helped him gain an advantage over the opposing centre-back. So, he had long since left them in the dust without even being offside.

Zachary also watched nervously as goalkeeper Strindheim came out of the net to welcome Nicki Nielsen. Although he knows the number 9 is a talented striker who has been in excellent form since the beginning of the new season, he did not rule out the possibility of still being able to miss opportunities. If that happens, Zachary will miss the chance to make his first assist on the professional stage. So, he's agitated.

Fortunately, the goddess of fortune seems to be with Nicki Nielsen, Zachary, and the rest of Rosenborg. The number 9 maintains his composure like a talented striker he is. He gouged the ball past the defenseless goalkeeper and managed to put Rosenborg ahead in the 13th minute.

1:0

The cheers of the Rosenborg fans exploded like a storm in the Ruta Arena.

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