THE GREATEST OF ALL TIME
Debut Game III

The cheers around the stadium were deafening.

Rosenborg scored the opening goal in the 13th minute of the Norwegian Football Cup second half.

Kristin celebrated the goal with other Rosenborg fans in the stands. He could feel that all the supporters around him seemed to vent their pent-up frustration as their club had lost their previous two games.

"Okay, there you have it, Rosenborg Ballklub's first goal," Kristin heard Anne Rimmen, the commentator, say, the sound coming to her through the stadium loudspeakers.

"That's an amazing solution from Nicki Nielsen, as always." The commentator laughed softly.

"The Troll Kids are one goal ahead. Nicki remained calm in front of goal. But his assists are even more spectacular. It was a quality trait of the young midfielder Rosenborg—Zachary Bemba." He grumbled, trying to pronounce the last name properly.

"But what we wanted to know: was the bait a coincidence, or was he intentional? Harald, what do you think?"

"Well, the important thing is that he makes assists that result in goals" replied Mr. Harald Brattbakk. "In addition, we don't know for sure if it's luck or pure skill as this is the first time we've seen this young midfielder in Rosenborg colours. We have no basis for any conclusion."

"Oh," said Anne Rimmen, looking a little disappointed. "But if you analyze a fifty-yard pass that is an assist, do you think he can repeat it again?"

Harald laughs. "You're a persistent person" he said.

"Yes." Yeah."

"Well, from the moment Zachary Bemba touches the ball in half, you can tell that he intends to release the attacker as quickly as possible to counterattack. You could see that from the way he made the incredible Cruyff turn around to lose both of them.The midfielder shut them down."

"He is a very talented midfielder. That's all I can say. Just look at the way he makes space for himself in that overcrowded defensive midfield. It shows us that he has good game-reading skills and can see the odds quickly."

"However, sweeping the pass was something else," continued Mr. Harald Brattbakk's. “You have to see how it flows through the defenders and falls right into a good position behind the Strindheim defensive line. Maybe there is a bit of luck involved. But who knows? Maybe we'll see the same thing from Zachary in the future."

"Luck," Kristin heard Kasongo ridicule from beside her. "Those people haven't seen anything."

The people around him laughed at him.

"For a moment there, I thought he would go forward and run past the opponent with the ball" Melissa Romano said, her words tinged with her Italian accent.

"It's a professional league, not an academy" Kendrick said, shaking his head. "Dribbling the ball will be very difficult for him at this stage."

"Well, you never know" Kasongo said. "If anyone can do it, it's Zachary. He's phenomenal."

Kristin was getting curious about Zachary's current skill level. From the way his former team-mates talk about him, it seems they believe he can put himself on Rosenborg's starting list in no time. They made it seem as if making a crazy assist was just a walk in the park for him.

Kristin surprised. Although he believes in his grandfather's vision, he thinks that Zachary needs time to mature before he can help Rosenborg.

He only teased him when he had previously asked him to help Rosenborg reach the Europa League quarter-finals. Troll Kids could not even beat Molde the previous season in the fourth round of the Norwegian Cup. So, it will not be easy for them to qualify from the Europa League group phase.

But if Zachary does have the skills to release a pass like he just made, Rosenborg will soar in the following seasons. They already have Mike Jensen, who arrived at the club from Brondby IF in February earlier. If they can add another good midfielder, then they have a chance to go beyond the Europa League group stages. He could feel his heart beating faster than usual as he thought of the possibility.

"The players have taken their starting positions once again," he heard the melodic sound of Anne Rimmen from the loudspeaker. "The celebration has ended, and the game will restart in a few seconds. Harald, do you think that since Rosenborg scored in the 13th minute, they will win this game?"

"As I've said, you can never be one hundred percent sure in football. Anything can happen."

"Strindheim had a spell attack in the opening minutes. They have to dominate possession by at least 52% if my estimates are correct. However, they lack one key factor. They haven't been able to break through the final third and score goals. Their attackers seem unable to connect with their midfielders. If they can fix that simple mistake, they can make Rosenborg run for their money."

"On the other hand, Rosenborg is now quite comfortable after securing that goal," continued Mr. Harald Brattbakk's. "They can sit back and relax—and face Strindheim's attack. And when there was a chance, they could attack Strindheim with a counter-attack. They are a stronger team. So, they can achieve this easily. However, it all depends on whether the young midfielders can continue to defend in the middle of the field of play."

"Okay, thank you, Harald," said Anne Rimmen. "For now, let's take you back to live-action. The game had just restarted, and Strindheim had the ball."

Kristin smiled, returning her entire focus to the events on the field. A Strindheim centre-back had just received the ball near his box. However, before she could let go, Nicki Nielsen, number 9 Rosenborg, had already attacked her.

Nevertheless, Nicki Nielsen did not let the heat of Strindheim's defense. He seems to get more energy after scoring goals. He continued to chase the ball until he pressed the goalkeeper to release the ball wide towards the left back.

Left-back Strindheim received the ball but was also immediately capped by John Chibuike, the left-hander. The left-back looked around to find a safe place to release the ball before the number 10 Rosenborg could snatch it. But he didn't make it. All of his team-mates nearby have been closely watched by the highly agile forward and midfielder Rosenborg. So, he could only kick the ball high up towards Rosenborg's half, trying to pick out a Strindheim attacker with a long-range pass.

But, it's all still in vain. Tore Reginiussen, Rosenborg's captain, is in top form in defence. He outscored Strindheim forward and headed the long ball safely back to the goalkeeper. Rosenborg regained possession of the ball that way.

Over the next ten minutes, Kristin watched closely as Rosenborg's players dictated the tempo of the game. Whenever they did not have the ball, they would use high-pressing tactics to force Strindheim players to play the ball high. The defensive player and highly tactical midfielder Rosenborg will then beat the opponent and easily regain the ball that has been released. Rosenborg completely beat Strindheim within minutes of the goal.

The young midfielder performed very well in the middle of the pitch. Their passing is very precise and reminds Kristin of Barcelona's Tiki-Taka style of play. They completely dominated the midfield with that style of play.

Zachary is very prominent. He can overcome and endure. He is also good at running into empty spaces, putting himself between opponents, and opening himself up to receive passes. His sense of position on the pitch and his vision is incredible.

He doesn't look at all like someone who plays his debut match. He looked confident and connected with his team-mates—to play beautifully flowing football. All the midfielders and strikers around him come alive every time he has the ball.

In the 25th minute, Rosenborg managed to push back all Strindheim players into their own half of the pitch due to their dominant midfielder. It has been a long time since Kristin last saw Rosenborg bully other teams, whether strong or weak, in such a way.

In the 28th minute, Zachary again intercepted Strindheim's long-range pass. He lowered it near the middle circle and released a penetrating pass into the wing where Jaime Alas was hiding. And as he did throughout the game, he ran forward towards the Strindheim box after releasing the ball.

Jaime Alas, Rosenborg's left-hander, completed Zachary's breakthrough pass near the touchline. He did not pause to control the ball because it landed directly in his running path. Instead, he fed it past Kristian Sorli, Strindheim's right-back, with a deft first touch— before beating it to speed.

Jaime Alas ignored the left-back who desperately tried to pull his shirt and chase the ball like the wind. He approached the goal line on the left wing and sent a tempting down-to-earth pass into the box.

The cross came in so quickly that it left centre-back Strindheim without much time to prepare. Even the Strindheim goalkeeper did not come off the sidelines to intercept the ball. The defense of the man in yellow and blue was a mess.

Nicki Nielsen makes use of the gap in defense and acts like a hungry predator who has seen prey. He passed Mats Ingebrigtsen, Strindheim's centre-back, and slid towards the goal to get the ball into the back of the net.

It was the best chance Rosenborg had created in minutes. All the fans, including Kristin, stood up from their seats, anticipating another goal from the attacker.

However, the number-9 was one second late. The ball slid through the mouth of the goal, between the goalkeeper's outstretched hand and Nicki Nielsen's foot just inches away. Then it continues past the feet of some other players and towards the right wing.

"Geez," Anne Rimmen, the commentator, yelled—her voice dwarfed ******Rosenborg fans in the stadium. "The missed opportunity. It should be 2:0. Wait..." He paused for a moment. "Rosenborg's fight is not over. Brede Moe, Rosenborg's right-back, had picked up the ball near the sidelines. He'll feed it back into the penalty area..."

Kristin's entire attention was on the field of play. He saw Brede Moe pass Christopher Moen and then put a lovely cross into the box.

The second time around, all the players in the box, including Nicki Nielsen and John Chibuike of Rosenborg, jumped high to welcome the incoming cross. Meanwhile, both tried their best to beat the defenders of Strindheim.

However, the Strindheim Guard, who had just recovered, jumped high and beat them to get the ball. He showed great determination and outperformed all the other players in the air— before punching the ball out of the box with a strong arm.

Kristin's eyes followed a ball that hovered— over the players wearing black and yellow— shirts before bouncing a few yards from the box.

"That's it, she's coming," Kristin heard Kasongo screaming excitedly from beside her. He wondered what the African was talking about, but he had no time to investigate the matter. Instead, his eyes kept following the loose ball that was still bouncing off Strindheim's box.

He almost sighed about the missed opportunity. But then, he saw a tall figure filling the bouncing ball with the left boot, sending it back where it came from. The figure was Zachary, and he had just fired a missile shot towards the goal with a half-volley from twenty-eight yards.

Kristin surprised. [How did he get there so fast?] He wondered, flashing reflexively. The ball glides like a bullet to the goal. By the time he reopened his eyes to follow in his footsteps once again, it had only hit the crossbar and bounced off the green— to the back of the net.

2:0. Kristin fell into a trance, mouth agape because she could not believe what she had just witnessed. He could sense that even Zachary's friends, who knew him best, were surprised by the goal.

"Geez," cried the commentator, waking him up from trance. "A brilliant touch that's amazing? Surprising? The goal, glorious, magnificent, extraordinary! How about that? Zachary Bemba has braced us with absolute beauty in his debut match. Holy hooch! I don't believe." The words of Anne Rimmen were pronounced in Norwegian at the speed of a machine gun.

The stadium exploded with loud cheers once again.

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