THE GREATEST OF ALL TIME
Counter Attacks

Under the fire of the setting sun, Zachary stood in his position outside the centre circle, waiting for the referee's whistle to start the match vigorously. He was already in a very focused state as the longing to kick the ball had already seeped through his bones. Staying on the bench for the previous two games has given birth to a burning hunger and desire for the game.

As kick-off time drew near, his anticipation grew until he could feel the muscles in his legs tingling with excitement. He has long developed a strong drive to battle with the ball and defeat anyone who gets in his way.

*FREEEE*

The referee finally gave the green light at exactly 18:00. The game starts with kick-off Molde. Daniel Chima Chukwu, Molde's centre-forward, immediately kicked the ball back to his team-mates in midfield.

Nicki Nielsen, Rosenborg's centre-forward, chased the ball as if her life was at stake, trying to get the ball as quickly as possible. However, Magne Hoseth, the captain and defensive midfielder of Molde, controlled the ball easily and passed it to Jo Inge Berget before he could get there.

Zachary went into action as soon as he realised that Jo Inge Berget, Molde's attacking midfielder, was about to receive the ball. Heart pounding, he pushed forward like the wind, stepping over the midfield line— towards the attacking midfielder at his fastest speed. He intends to follow Coach Johansen's strategy precisely—by helping his team win possession as soon as possible using counter-pressing tactics.

Jo Inge Berget did not panic when he saw Zachary approaching quickly. He even looked up to make Zachary smile wide before pointing the ball at Magnus Eikrem, another Molde midfielder.

Zachary instantly ignores Jo's antics and continues to chase the ball. His legs were pumping like the piston of the Audi R8 GT, he immediately changed the direction of— and started darting towards Magnus Eikrem before he could even receive Jo's pass.

With his high game intelligence, he has already concluded that he will reach the midfield position before he can control the ball properly. He intends to win possession for Rosenborg there and then.

"Lp mot ballen..."

  "Skjerm ballen and croppen..."

Zachary seemed to hear some Molde players shouting in Norwegian as he ran towards Magnus. But he ignored them and kept rushing towards the direction the ball was heading towards like a bullet train on the tracks. The desire to reclaim possession of the ball had twinkled within him, growing into a burning fighting spirit that fueled his sprint.

Without a surprise, Zachary managed to reach Magnus' position within seconds, just as the defensive midfielder pushed his foot to receive a pass from Jo Inge Berget.

Zachary did not allow the midfielder a second to hold the ball. With his eyes locked on the ball, like an eagle tracking prey, he glided massively to sweep it with a sliding tackle, making Magnus fall to the ground in the process.

"Aaahhh, rotten, rotten..." Zachary heard Magnus screaming from the ground. But he didn't even glance in the direction of defensive midfielder Molde. He believes he has not committed a foul since he caught the ball before sweeping the midfielder off his feet.

So, he lifted himself off the ground with the agility of a cat that sensed some catnip. Without delay, he controlled the ball with a deft touch as he swept his gaze across the field, looking for a suitable pass option. Since he managed to win back possession, he intended to count it out before Molde's players could adjust to the hostile atmosphere of the away game.

In an instant, he managed to take the position of Nicki Nielsen, who had long since opened up, right at the border of the final third, seemingly anticipating a pass from him.

Zachary's mischievous passing managed to keep Molde's players unconscious, giving Nicki Nielsen enough time to control the ball in the final third. With skillful handling in line with his professional centre-forward, Nicki dropped him to the ground and flicked him to the right wing where Tobias Mikkelsen was lurking.

Tobias controlled it in the middle of the sprint and fed it past Martin Linnes, Molde's left-back, trying to beat him to speed. The right winger Rosenborg chased the ball, probably intending to cut into the field and send a cross into the box.

But Martin Linnes managed to turn around and retrace his pace fast enough to slide in and stop Tobias' pace before he could penetrate further into Molde's third defence.

The referee immediately blew the whistle and gave a free-kick to Rosenborg, close to the touchline on the right wing.

"I got the ball," Zachary heard Martin Linnes trying to argue that he was innocent. "That's definitely not a foul" the Molde left-back denied.

"No, you don't even make contact with the ball" the referee replied as he showed Molde's left-back a yellow card. "I'm right behind you. You caught Tobias in the shins with high boots. It can't just be left alone. You have to understand that."

Several other Molde players also arrived at the scene and tried to dispute the referee's decision. But the referees have no nonsense and throw them out without considering their arguments.

Zachary's getting away from the mess. He instead took the ball to prepare himself for the free kick. Inevitably he wonders why professional players waste time debating free-kicks that are so far from their goal. Rather than protesting the referee's decision, they better set up their defence to ensure that it was in good shape before the set-piece.

[Is their defence in the right condition before a set piece?] Zachary pondered, a light bulb lit up in his head. He hurriedly looked around the pitch and noticed that most of Molde's players were still out of position. They are still not ready to defend against free kicks.

Zachary could already smell the opportunity as he turned his gaze to the edge of Molde's box, where Nicki Nielsen, number 9 Rosenborg, was lurking. He narrowed his eyes slightly as he made eye contact with the attacker from over twenty-five yards away. By the time the gazes locked it, they managed to understand each other's intent immediately—without the need for words.

So, Zachary went straight into action. While trying his best to remain calm and composed, he swept his gaze around the field once more to assess the situation of the game. He soon realized that the linesman was paying close attention to the position of the free kick. On the other hand, the Molde players have not formed well.

So, he hurriedly put the ball on the ground before lifting his foot and releasing a penetrating pass into the inside of Molde's 18-yard box.

Nicki Nielsen was in action when she saw Zachary take a lightning-fast free-kick. He moved away from Even Hovland, Molde's centre-back, and welcomed the ball in through a half-volley kick with his right boot. He fired from inside the 18-yard box and managed to beat the goalkeeper and scored Rosenborg's first goal for the day in the fourth minute after kick-off.

Zachary first steals a glance to the linesman to see if the goal is legitimate or not. A moment later, his smile developed into a tooth grin as the linesman's flag remained hoisted. Even the referee has pointed to the midpoint, signifying that goals will be counted. So, she joined Nicki in her celebrity as a wave of cheers raged in the stands of Lerkendal Stadium.

**** ****