THE GREATEST OF ALL TIME
Before the Match

Zachary was comfortable driving his R8 GT through the streets of Trondheim to Lerkendal Stadium the following afternoon. He was on his way from his apartment in Stjrdalsveien to take part in a pre-match conditioning routine for a match between Rosenborg and Molde scheduled for that night.

A thin smile graced his face, softening his face as he enjoyed the feeling of the fresh breeze circulating through the car from outside. It blew on his face, bringing with it the freshness of late autumn. He felt like he was living a dream.

Nice car, steady income and professional football in Europe—ia already has it all despite being only eighteen years old. He was in a good mood that day — sentiments were compounded by finally being able to start another home game in Rosenborg colours.

Everything about him projected a relaxed atmosphere. His head swayed in rhythm with the rhythm of the hit song Gym Class Heroes—fighter, which was played on his five-speaker R8 GT stereo system. He looks more like a tourist on holiday in the countryside than a player heading into one of his team's toughest games of the season. He is a player completely unencumbered from pre-match pressure due to the confidence born from his skills and his growing experience on the professional stage in Europe.

Zachary glanced at the digital clock on the dashboard of his car and realized it was 14:57. There were only three hours less left to kick-off the match. So, he stepped on the gas pedal and ran through the streets to Lerkendal, just making sure to maintain the speed slightly below the speed limit. After a few minutes, he slowed down again as he joined the pathway that led straight to the gate of Lerkendal Stadium.

He was surprised to find that the excited fans had already started flooding the stadium in droves. The majority of them use the traditional white and black colors of Rosenborg. They sang and sang as they walked slowly towards the gate under the guidance of the security guards. The excitement that preceded the match between Molde and Rosenborg was at a level Zachary had never experienced during a Rosenborg match before.

One of the security guards immediately saw his vehicle and waved at him, possibly intending to guide him to the path reserved for the player. But it was the fault of the security guard. The special treatment made fans aware that a Rosenborg player's car was passing by.

The excited crowd wasted no time crowding around his vehicle. They even tried peering through the dark window to see who was inside the R8 GT. What followed was chaos that no one expected in front of the stadium gates as supporters struggled to get closer to the vehicles.

The stadium security personnel tried their best to pave the way for Zachary— but the fans were already agitated and did not budge in the least. Since they were within arm range of one of their stars, they all hoped to get a signature, at the very least, before they could free the vehicle.

Zachary likes their enthusiasm and does not want to disappoint them. He could see that they were the most dedicated and harshest fans of the kind who would have cheered Rosenborg to victory during the toughest of matches. But after glancing at the digital clock on the dashboard of the car and realizing that it was already 15:15, he resisted the urge to come out and greet them.

He has to get on the pitch and start his pre-match conditioning with his other team-mates. So, he sat quietly in his vehicle with all the doors locked and waited for police and stadium security to clear the fans.

In fact, he did not have to wait long. In about five minutes, they opened a narrow path for him through the sea of fans, all the way to the stadium gate.

Zachary didn't waste time. He immediately stepped on the gas pedal and pointed the vehicle towards the Lerkendal gate at medium speed. Under the guidance of security officers, he managed to arrive at the parking lot reserved for players in just one minute.

He sighed as he managed to reach the stadium before 15:30—time which was scheduled for the start of the pre-match conditioning session.

But shortly after getting off his vehicle, one of the security guards, who first saw his car before the gate, approached him. He was a big man and looked more like a wrestler than an ordinary security officer.

"Hello, Zachary," he said with a smile.

"Hello," Zachary replied, nodding at him.

"You're really making our job pretty difficult out there" the security officer said, in a formal tone. "The line you just used to enter the stadium is specific to the fans on match days. So, you being there is not a wise decision right before the game. The fans can get out of control and may hurt you during the chaos that ensues. ."

"Oh," said Zachary, his eyes widened. "Sorry about that. I don't know that players shouldn't use that path. I have used it to enter the stadium every day."

"Alright, I'll do it" Zachary replied with a nod. "Thank you for reminding me. But now, I have to go to the field as soon as possible. Otherwise, the coach will bake me alive." He added before turning around and starting to pick up his sports bag from the passenger seat.

"One more thing" the security officer said after a while.

"Yes" Zachary replied, turning to face him once more. "Is there anything else?"

The big guy first looked left and right, then forward and backward, before leaning forward— towards Zachary. "Is there a chance you could take a selfie with me?" He whispered, his tone begging. "This will make my son happy because he is a big fan of yours. He's already in the stands, eager to watch your match today."

"Oh," said Zachary, first glancing at his watch. "OKAY. But please hurry. I'll be late for the pre-match dynamic session."

"Thank you," said the security guard excitedly. He hurriedly pulled out his phone, inched closer to Zachary, and then took a selfie with him in seconds. He then looked around them before thanking Zachary again and stepping away. It seemed that he did not want his comrades to pay attention to his actions.

Since Zachary was in a hurry, he forgot the antics of the security guard. He threw his sports bag over his shoulder and walked further into the stadium at all the speed he could muster.

Moments later, he arrived in the dressing room and quickly changed into an all-black warm-up outfit for the day. Without wasting any time, he joined his teammates on the field for a light training session.

He spent the next hour undergoing dynamic routines such as foot-lifting, jogging, and stretching with other Rosenborg players who managed to get into Coach Johansen's squad.

He went through all the exercises with the highest concentration he could muster because he wanted to warm his muscles adequately. He didn't want to perform under his best or, worse, get injured just because he wasn't focused during the pre-match dynamic session.

About an hour later, at about 16:30, Molde's players also arrived on the pitch in their light blue training gear. Zachary observed them for a while while continuing his stretching routine. They are an intimidating group and exude the confidence characteristics of defending champion Tippeligaen.

Of course, the excited home fans were not impressed and immediately booed them. However, the travelling Molde fans also welcomed the opportunity and began pitting their cheers with scorn. Together, the two groups formed a chaotic and noisy harmony that caused the entire stadium to tremble like it was going through an earthquake.

Zachary was at a loss for words after sensing the energy emitted by the supporters. But he did not let all the cheers distract him. He stayed focused, going through the dynamic warm-up until Rolf Aas, the fitness coach, called for the session to stop.

Back then, the giant clock on the stadium's big screen was already pointing to 17:05, indicating that only fifty-five minutes were left for kick-off. Zachary trailed his team-mates as they left the pitch to prepare for the start of the game. But as he was about to enter the tunnel, he saw Ole Gunnar Solskjaer, Molde's coach, standing on the sidelines and watching the warm-up sessions of his players.

Zachary feels a wave of excitement burning within him as he faces an up-and-coming coach to manage one of the best clubs in the world in just a few years. Inevitably he wondered how his ability was against the defensive tactics developed by such a manager.

Nonetheless, he did not stop his journey off the pitch for a small goal seeing a future Manchester United manager. Instead, he forced himself to calm down and continued towards the tunnel to prepare for kick-off.

**** ****