THE GREATEST OF ALL TIME
The Honefoss Ball Club

*FREEEE*

The referee blew the whistle at exactly 19:00, and the game was about to begin.

The face of coach Johansen was smiling as his players dominated the game from the first minute. Even the fact that they play on the road does not seem to be a problem for them as they dictate tempo on the playing field.

They completely ransacked the formation of Honefoss with their operands several times. Whether it's three attackers, three midfielders, or four defenders they all play as if their lives depend on the game.

In particular, Nicki Nielsen, Rosenborg's centre-forward, is on fire. In the 31st minute, he tore through the Honefoss defence like a knife through butter and fired a right-footed shot to score Rosenborg's first goal of the day.

Coach Johansen could hardly contain his excitement as he celebrated the goal. He felt the squad finally formed under his guidance. Even the bench players in Rosenborg's squad at the time could rise to the opportunity afforded the chance to start in official matches. He feels he can go places and win trophies with a team like that. His hopes have soared.

After the goal, the Rosenborg players gained more momentum. They played creative one-touch or two-touch impeccable football and managed to push back all of the Honefoss players into their own territory. Whenever they lacked options in the middle, they would switch to using wing play and send a cross into the Honefoss box to create scoring opportunities.

Over the next few minutes, goalkeeper Honefoss made some superb saves, and several shots hit the post as Rosenborg continued to put more pressure on their opponents.

Nevertheless, the score remained 1:0 until the 43rd minute when Tarik Elyounoussi, Rosenborg's left-hander, made use of Ole Selnaes' defensive-breaking pass near the 18-yard box of Honefoss. Without hesitation, he fired in with his left foot from the left corner of the box and scored Rosenborg's second goal before halftime.

At Aka Arena, it's all Rosenborg for now.

**** ****

Zachary followed the process on the pitch from the bench inside the visitors' technical area. He thought Rosenborg would definitely win the game because his team-mates on the pitch had bullied the Honefoss players for 45 minutes of the first half.

But he changed his outlook as soon as the second half began.

The Honefoss team was like a completely different team after halftime. The players in green and white managed to reverse the pressure on Rosenborg by using a long and high ball strategy. They used wing play and high balls to send the ball to their two attackers until they managed to score in the 50th minute, just five minutes after the start of the second half.

Riku Riski, one of the two attackers in the 4-4-2 formation of Honefoss, was the one who managed to convert and reduce Rosenborg's advantage. Zachary could only sigh as the match that seemed to be a sure win for Rosenborg before halftime turned into another tough match.

For the next twenty minutes, the Rosenborg players fought hard for possession. Worse, they failed to get a shot on target like they did in the first half. They seemed to have abandoned all their ball-handling skills and creativity in the dressing room in the first half. Zachary could hardly believe what he was witnessing on the pitch. But because he was on the bench, there was not much he could do to change the situation of the game. He could only hope the coach would react quickly before Rosenborg conceded the equaliser.

**** ****

Coach Johansen soon realized the change after making two substitutions. He sighed as Rosenborg managed to stabilize the game once more in a short period of time.

Zachary played as usual and managed to adjust to his new defensive midfield role within a minute of entering the game. He won several air and ground duels by relying on his high physique, thus closing the team's long-range ball strategy. After that, he started releasing passes to the left and to the right—to the wings like a true Maestro. That way, Rosenborg started dictating the tempo for the first time in the second half.

Coach Johansen could only sigh at Zachary's tactical ability and awareness of the game on the pitch, especially in midfield. Even in a relatively newer position, he could still play as usual and outsmart opponents far more experienced than him. Coach Johansen is quite grateful to have such a phenomenal player in his squad. But at the same time, he felt grateful. He wondered how Rosenborg would manage to retain such talent with such an incredible consistency.

In the 88th minute, Zachary intercepted one of Honefoss' long-range passes deep inside the Rosenborg defensive area. He dribbles to the ground and passes the opponent with a deft second touch. Before the opposing midfielder could react, he unleashed one of his breakthrough passes that split the defence towards the right wing where Tobias Mikkelsen was lurking.

Tobias made use of Zachary's superb pass before passing several opponents at his stunning pace. The right forward ran along the line of the field like the wind and immediately stepped into the final third. In some miraculous ways, he cut into the field, ran past several opponents' defenders— and immediately faced off one-on-one with the goalkeeper. Tobias managed to create Rosenborg's best chances throughout the second half just by relying on his incredible pace.

For a second or two, silence enveloped Aka Arena. Home fans Honefoss believes that right-hander Rosenborg will surely convert goals. But a moment later, they cheered again as goalkeeper Honefoss saved Tobias' effort with his legs outstretched.

Coach Johansen could not accept the situation. He could not believe how a professional attacker could miss such an opportunity after dribbling through the entire defence. He shook his head and made a mental note to include shooting practice on the weekly training menu of all his attackers and midfielders.

*FREEEE*

The referee blew the whistle and pointed to the corner flag.

Mikael Dorsin, Rosenborg's left-back, took a corner kick and floated the ball teasingly into the packed box. Tore Reginiussen, Rosenborg's captain, jumped out of the other players and connected with a corner ball to plant a header towards goal from around the penalty spot.

But then again, the goalkeeper jumps high and pushes the ball away from his goal. As luck would have it, the ball moved straight towards Zachary, who had positioned himself close to one of the goalposts. Coach Johansen felt his heart was starting to race when he realised it was another chance to score. There is not a single player between Zachary and the open goal.

"What!?" Coach Johansen shouted after a while. He could not believe what he was witnessing on the field once again.

Zachary had just failed to aim the ball behind the goal with his head—even when no opposing player had defended his goal. The coach shook his head once more and could only sigh with regret after the ball floated past the left goalpost just a few centimeters away. His players seemed to suffer bad luck in the final minutes of the game. They failed to turn two clean chances into goals in the span of two minutes.

However, they managed to maintain a narrow 2:1 lead until the final whistle sounded. Coach Johansen's mood eased as the win lifted his side to 19 points and locked in second place in the Tipeligaen table. Stromsgodset IF only excelled in first position because of superior goal difference.

**** ****