THE GREATEST OF ALL TIME
Angle Kick

"How could he miss that?" Coach Johansen exclaimed, shaking his head as he watched Mikael Dorsin walk up to the corner flag.

He was not angry with Mikael, the acting captain, who was about to take a corner kick. Instead, he was particularly upset with Nicki squandering a clear goal-scoring opportunity when he faced off one-on-one with the goalkeeper.

"Shoppers!" The coach took out some more unspeakable curses— in front of the children, to vent his frustration. Despite being a coach, some events on the field sometimes managed to damage his mood. Missing clear goalscoring opportunities is almost topping that list of events.

But as a coach, he has to stay alert to any changes in the game. He cannot allow negative thoughts such as frustration to affect his decision-making as the game progresses. So, he tried his best to suppress the aggravation in his mind as he returned his focus to the field to continue the game.

Although her mood was still bitter, she could not help but smile when she saw Mikael trying to take a short and quick corner kick once again.

However, the Valerenga players have learned their lesson and are wary of his antics. Within seconds, they flagged every Rosenborg player who could connect with a corner. They didn't give Rosenborg a single inch of space in the box.

Based on their reaction, it seemed like the corner kick that produced Zachary's goal a few minutes earlier was still very fresh in their minds.

Coach Johansen's gentle smile turned into a frown as he continued to observe the situation in the final third of Valerenga. He knows that his players are not ready for a corner kick. So, with an agreed signature before the game, she beckoned Mikael, her acting captain, to delay restarting the game. In the meantime, he yells at his players, trying to motivate and organize them with his words.

"Focus, focus, focus around the corner," he shouted with all his might. "Zachary! Join the others in the penalty box and prepare yourself to instantly strike a corner. Don't just stand on the edge of the box. Move in!" He waved a hand in front of him for emphasis.

Coach Johansen could only sigh when he saw Zachary reluctantly walking towards the penalty box. With his towering height at 6'4, he could turn into a nightmare for defenders during set-pieces.

With a little effort, he could turn into an assassin in a box. He could be someone like Marouane Fellaini or Zlatan Ibrahimovic if he tries hard to train his heading technique.

Coach Johansen could even imagine all the teams in Tippeligaen would fear him in the near future simply because of his physicality.

But the only problem preventing that scenario from developing is Zachary's attitude. The coach could not understand why the boy did not like heading to the penalty box to attack corner kicks whenever the opportunity arose. That goes against all the obvious reasons and wastage for not taking advantage of the obvious height advantage. So, he made a mental note to talk to Zachary about the matter when there was a chance in the near future.

*FREEEE*

The referee blew the whistle and gestured for Mikael to take a corner kick after trying his best to stop the mess inside the box. But still, the players kept pulling and pushing each other, all trying to beat their opponents. Even some Rosenborg players have started to commit violations even though they are attacking.

"Calm down, guys," shouted Coach Johansen again, stepping close to the limits of the technical area. "Don't get caught up in their offense. Just focus on attacking and let the rest be handled by the referee. We only have one or two minutes until the first half. So, focus and make the most of this angle."

Mikael Dorsin, Rosenborg's acting captain, eventually floated the ball teasingly into the crowded area.

But coach Johansen was not satisfied with the track.

He sighed with a bit of despair, thinking Mikael had taken a subpar corner. That's because it doesn't fit into any corner drills they practice during the pre-match practice session. By following his path, he quickly judged that it would go down on the far side—near the box limit. He doubts one of Rosenborg's players will get that far from the goal.

But his heart started racing and pounding with anticipation the next moment— as the ball started to drop quickly, towards the far post. He had just realized that Zachary had detached himself from his marker and positioned himself in the exact spot where the corner ball was heading. The African prodigy seems to have anticipated delivery of — and reacted quickly to — before another player, winning himself a second or two ahead of his target.

He pushed green like a basketball player to do dunk— and jumped high to welcome the corner ball. Two Valerenga players who managed to reach his position tried to stop him a moment later. But he defeated them by relying on his extraordinary physique and continued to rise into the air.

Coach Johansen could hear momentary silence descending into the stands inside the Ullevaal Stadium as Zachary emerged victorious in the battle for air superiority to connect with the corner ball. He believes Rosenborg will definitely score because Zachary did the experiment.

The ball hit the right post after slightly veering on one of Vlerenga's players in the box.

It is frustrating for Coach Johansen to witness such missed opportunities. He could feel anxiety running through his veins as the ball bounced back onto the field and headed to the right side of the box.

But he did not continue to be upset as long as he realized that it was once again on a straight path towards Zachary's position.

"You better not mess this up again, Zachary," murmured Coach Johansen, obviously not expecting players to hear it. He was just preparing himself for what was to come when he saw Zachary rebound before the confusion inside the box could subside.

And God, did he pull the trigger!

Coach Johansen's hopes were dashed when Zachary lifted his leg and swung it down to greet the ball with a timely half-volley. He blew it up with his left boot so powerful that it seemed like he intended to send anyone who entered his path straight to the hospital. The ball goes straight into the top right corner of the goal.

Because Zachary fired so close to goal, it was unstoppable. Gudmund Kongshavn, Valerenga's guard, could not even react in the slightest. He could only turn around and see the ball dancing behind the net after a few seconds. Back then, Zachary had already started running to the corner flag to celebrate.

1:2.

Rosenborg scored and took the lead in the 45th minute, just before halftime.

[What a way to score! The power to overcome all obstacles.]

For a moment, Coach Johansen was at a loss for words. The moment Zachary made contact with the ball kept spinning in his mind. He even forgot to celebrate the goal as he thought of Zachary's incredible connection with the rebound.

As a coach, he was well aware that volleying time and firing the first shot at goal was a difficult feat to achieve when luck was not on the side. But Zachary makes it look easy even when near crowded spaces in the field. He never lost his calm. He can always time the ball perfectly—and make the first shot regardless of the situation around him. The boy was merely a genius beyond genius given his extraordinary abilities.

"Coach," a shout beside him disperse his thought process. He leaned his head to the side and found Verner Ronning and Ole Selnaes, the two substitutes he had previously ordered for the warm-up, standing beside him.

"What's the problem?" He asked, looking at the players with curiosity.

"Should we continue warming up?" Verner asked, scratching his chin. "Do we need to rest for a moment?"

"Continue the warm-up" replied Coach Johansen quickly. "You know how bad we were at the start of the second half over the last few games. So, I want you to be ready because I might ask you to enter the match and stabilize the situation anytime. together?"

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

"Then go, go" said Coach Johansen, casting them off with a wave of his hand. "But keep the warm-up so as not to get exhausted before entering the game. And don't forget to drink water."

"Yes, coach."

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