THE GREATEST OF ALL TIME
Debut Game V

Zachary followed his other team-mates into the dressing room when the referee blew the whistle for the break. He can still feel the excitement of competing with pro players in a match even after leaving the field.

"Good, Zachary," Coach Johansen said, patting his back as they walked through the corridor back to the visitors' changing room. "Keep doing what you've done during the second half, and you'll be fine." He smiled, matching his steps.

"Thank you, coach," Zachary replied with a light smile. He continued to follow his teammates while chugging at the water. He intended to use every minute and a half time to regain his stamina.

Upon entering the dressing room, some of his teammates, such as Mikael Dorsin, stood up and congratulated him on his outstanding performance. The others gave him a light pat on the back as he walked to the seat.

They look very sincere and make him feel more at home. The atmosphere in the dressing room is very light. The players chatted like they were taking a break from a daily training session rather than the second round of the Norwegian Football Cup. They joked amongst themselves and laughed at some awkward moments in the first half.

Zachary's 'excited' celebration was also a topic of discussion and many jokes. His teammates imitated the celebration amid waves of laughter in the dressing room. To avoid trouble, Zachary had to pretend to hear nothing and busied himself by sipping the water.

"Okay, guys," said Coach Johansen, his gaze sweeping across the dressing room. "Let's focus and discuss the main points of our game plan in the second half. Please sit down."

As all the players took their seats, Coach Johansen began to give a part-time spirit. He made no meaningful changes in tactics or overall game plan for the second half. He just insisted that the players stay focused and make sure they don't concede throughout the rest of the game.

In addition, he explained what he needed from every field player, especially the defenders and midfielders, before sending them back on the pitch for the second half.

**** ****

The atmosphere in the home team's dressing room was completely different from Rosenborg's. All Strindheim players and coaching staff looked at them sadly.

Some frowned, others smiled miserably, while the rest held their heads between their hands like they were experiencing a personal tragedy. They appeared to give up on the game after conceding three goals against Rosenborg in the first half.

Coach Finn Morten Moe frowned a little at the condition of his players. "OK, guys," he said, started moving around the dressing room. "Let's forget the first half."

"Let's start the second half like we 'new' started the game from the start. Forget that we're 3:0 down. Let's start again and play our best for the rest of the game. Are you with me, guys? " He screamed at the top of his voice.

"Yes, coach," the players replied, more or less in unison.

The coach nodded to see some of his players regaining some morale. “We will continue to play a 4-5-1 formation for the second half. The five midfielders must try their best level to close all the spaces in midfield. They also need to help in surviving. We didn't want to concede another goal. That's our first goal."

"Let's start the second half by getting midfielder Rosenborg out of the equation. I agree that they are talented players. However, they still lack the necessary experience to adapt to changing game situations quickly. So, use your brain to keep them on their toes. Vary your playing style from one moment to the next. When they expect a short pass, play high. When they think we're going through the middle, play through the wings."

"Emil, Sindre, and Preben" continued the coach, leaving his gaze momentarily fixed on the three players. "You are our midfielder. Your job is to stop their midfielders from playing freely and limit their influence on the game. But you haven't fulfilled your role so far. In the second half, try to play like a man. Rude those youngsters.the midfielders are few and don't give them an inch of space."

"Preben, watch that tall African. You let him play at his own pace in the first half. It can't happen again in the second half. Make sure you watch him closely. Make him upset if you want to. But you can't let him control the midfield. Are we together?"

"Yes, coach," answered Preben solemnly.

"Okay, guys," said Coach Finn Morten Moe with a small smile. "Let's go out there and play as well as possible. Do not leave regrets on the field. Are you with me?"

"Yes, coach," the players replied, more or less in unison.

**** ****

As the second half began, Zachary immediately saw that Strindheim had tightened their midfield. Strindheim— players are still in a 4-5-1 formation. However, they were more compact and more aggressive than in the first half. They will run towards any player who will receive the ball, without giving them the opportunity to control it without pressure. They react like hungry scavengers that catch the smell of food for the first time in weeks. They were able to stop the dominance of Rosenborg in the middle of the field at the beginning of the round.

He remained as stable as he was in the first half, except not playing the ball forward as often as he wanted. Strindheim's second-half defensive form limited his options to a greater extent. All Rosenborg attackers are heavily guarded by Strindheim defenders every minute. Nicki Nielsen is very difficult with two centre-backs who shadow her like bodyguards wherever she goes on the pitch. Zachary couldn't let go of the pass that split the defence to him.

He and the other Rosenborg midfielders hardly had any difficulties because they had to face five Strindheim players in the middle of the field. The only players who had room to play the ball at their own pace without pressure were the defenders as Strindheim only used one striker in the second half.

So, Zachary returned to defensive midfield in the 60th minute, forming a line-up with Ole Selnaes just ahead of Rosenborg's defence. He then started playing short and precise passes with Ole and the defenders at the back, allowing Rosenborg to have possession of the ball.

However, it did not last long. In the 70th minute, Strindheim's players changed their form again, allowing their two midfielders to move forward and putting more pressure on Rosenborg. Preben Hammersland, Strindheim's attacking midfielder, specifically targeted Zachary even when he was not in possession of the ball. The midfielder followed him around the pitch, sometimes breaking him and pulling his shirt to disrupt his control of the midfield.

Zachary was a little annoyed by his antics, especially when the referee failed to mention his foul. However, he remained calm and focused on his game.

He was surprised to learn that it was not too difficult to control his emotions while on the pitch. All he has to do is remember when he scores so that all the negativity disappears from his mind. Although the game became more difficult for Rosenborg, he continued to enjoy his football.

**** ****

Kristin frowned slightly after glancing at her watch. It was already the eightieth minute, but Rosenborg had yet to score again. During the first half, he thought his team would continue to bag at least six goals by the end of the game. However, Strindheim came out of the dressing room harder than in the first half.

Since the break, they have played defensive football such as isolating attackers and limiting the mobility of Rosenborg's midfield. They managed to hold Rosenborg and avoid conceding one more goal.

"Oh my goodness" Kristin heard Anne Rimmen, the commentator, yell. "This is another tackle on Zachary Bemba near the centre of the pitch. I think this is it. The referee finally showed a yellow card to Preben Hammersland, Strindheim number 8. Harald, what do you think of the Strindheim breach? committed player?"

"Well," said Mr. Harald Brattbakk, another commentator and direct pundit for the game. “I wouldn't blame Strindheim for committing some fouls here and there in midfield. They only did their best to stop Rosenborg from dominating the game and scoring another goal. If they weren't strong and played a man's game in the second half, they should've conceded three more goals."

"Don't you feel they specifically targeted Zachary Bemba with their offense?" Anne Rimmen asked.

"It seems so" replied Mr. Harald Brattbakk. "He was the best performing player in midfield during the first half. He was involved in all three of Rosenborg's goals. If I was the coach of the opposing team, I would also chase him to mess up his game. So, we can't blame Strindheim for babysitting Zachary a few times. You can say that they didn't do anything evil—but just tried to limit his time to master the ball."

"Well, what do you think coach Rosenborg should do in such a situation?"

"If I were the coach of Rosenborg," said Mr. Harald Brattbakk, "My priority is to protect Zachary at all costs. We have all seen that he is quite a talented player. You don't want to lose such an asset on his debut. Because there are less than eight minutes left, I think there will be a change of players soon. And Zachary's probably gonna be the one to leave the field."

"Well, thank you, Mr. Harald," said Anne Rimmen. "Let's get back to the game, which has just restarted after the foul on Zachary Bemba. As predicted by Mr. Harald, Mix Diskerud, a frequent starter for Rosenborg, has begun warming up along the sidelines. Maybe, we'll see. Zachary, a young but talented central midfielder, is off the pitch in the next few minutes."

Kristin sighed and returned her attention to the field.

**** ****

On the field, Zachary saw Mix Diskerud had started warming up. Back then, he knew that the coach would take him off the pitch in a few minutes.

However, he remained calm and composed and continued to play at his own pace. He understands that coaches hate agitated players who try risky games at the end of a game.

Rosenborg has won the game, and that's all that matters. Zachary could sense that his team-mates were only setting up games to prevent Strindheim from scoring. There was no reason for him to be so fixated on completing the entire duration of the match as he had already earned his performance bonus for the day.

What's more, he already knew that he would put in a good performance for the game because he was involved in all three of Rosenborg's goals. That seems like enough to put him in the squad for the next game. As long as he continues to get playing time, he is confident he will be able to seal a place in the starting line-up. So, he continued to play quietly until the referee blew the whistle, calling for his replacement.