THE GREATEST OF ALL TIME
NF Academy Vs BK Frem I

11:00 AM. Wednesday, 15 February 2012.

The fans in the stands were a sea of smiles as they quietly waited for the start of the match.

Emily Anderson stuck her neck out to better see the players entering the field of play. He sat close to the bottom row, closer to the field.

"NF Academy Player," he heard the commentator announce, his deep voice heard from the large speaker positioned several meters to his right. "Shirt number-1: Kendrick Otterson, shirt number-2: yvind Alseth, No. 16: Alexander Foosnaes, No. 4: Lars Togstad, No. 5: Daniel Kvande, No. 6: Magnus Blakstad, No. 7: Kasongo Paul, No. 8: Zachary Bemba..” The commentator was a little goosebumps when reading his last name. Cheers suddenly— exploded all over the stands. The fans are in a happy mood.

Emily is surprised by the large number of home fans and their support for Zachary. He originally thought the match between the NF academy and BK Frem would not attract many people. But, upon arrival at the Skonto Arena, he was quickly proven wrong. There were over a thousand fans present. Most likely of them just came to watch his new client, Zachary Bemba, play. He was glad he managed to sign such a promising client.

Commentators continued to read the names after the crowd stopped cheering. "No.9: Paul Otterson, No. 10: rjan Boermark, No. 11: Martin Lundal. And this is BK Frem's squad..."

She goes on to announce Frem's BK squad, but Emily pays no attention. He dismantled his Nikon camera, installed his lens, and checked the battery to make sure it was ready for use when the game started. He did not want to miss capturing a brilliant performance from Zachary that could give him an edge in future negotiations.

"What are you doing?" ask Jimmy Edwards, his direct superior. "We've recorded one of the matches. No need to waste time photographing something else." He waved, casually waving his hand to emphasize his point.

Emily frowned, turning to look at her partner flatly. Scouts/agents have been in a bad mood ever since he learned about his success signing Zachary. Jimmy Edwards intended to be his direct handling agent rather than him. He just—assigned to contact Zachary. However, Emily has used her wits to outdo her boss to clients by offering a contract that is hard to turn down. It seemed like he made her angry as a result.

"Have you forgotten he's already my client?" He asked with his trademark gentle smile to handle the negotiation. "I don't need to teach you that an agent should take note of any information that could increase the bargaining power of his clients in negotiations." He returned his attention to the match. The players go through a pre-match routine by shaking hands with their opponents.

"I have a feeling Zachary will do even better in this match" he continued. "There's no way I'm gonna miss recording this game." He said, his tone without further ado.

Jimmy Edwards frowned, then nodded sharply. "As far as you. However, we should have that meeting before we return to London. You obviously can't take all the credit for signing Zachary." He emphasizes.

Emily sighed, rolling her eyes. "With all the players you've signed, what's the difference that's going to happen to your career?" She asked. "Do you even have enough time to serve all of your clients?"

**** ****

"I want you to talk more with your teammates while on the pitch" Coach Johansen told Zachary. "The players respect you as captain. Trying to warn them if they start losing focus—like in the previous game. I'm sure they'll listen to you." He spoke slowly in a well-pronounced manner to emphasize his point.

Zakaria nodded. He downed the water before running back to his position on the field. Coach Johansen has allowed him to return to midfield, leaving an attacking position for rjan Boermark, the NF's number 10 academy.

Zachary looked around and noticed that the players from both teams had taken their positions. His teammates did not appear as relaxed as in the second half of the previous match. Looks like Coach Johansen's message has reached them. They jump and run around their positions to keep their bodies warm while waiting for the whistle. He knows they are ready to perform.

He looked back at the BK Frem players wearing white shirts on the other side of the pitch. They also seem excited to start the game. Their great defeat against Genoa did not seem to dampen their spirits in the least.

The referee immediately blew his whistle, and the match started with a kick-off of BK Frem.

Five minutes into the match, Zachary noticed that the opponents also used a 5-4-1 formation, with most of their efforts focused on defending. With five defenders and four midfielders protecting the goal, Zachary and his team-mates struggled to get the ball further forward. The game soon became a dead end.

The difference between the two teams turned out to be Zachary. The NF Academy was able to use a 5-4-1 formation due to its speed and efficiency with the ball. He has an uncanny ability to move quickly through midfield, forming the perfect link between defence and offense.

He played his typical role, helping the NF academy to dictate the tempo of the game. He is always on the move, either with the ball or ready to take a pass. His first touch was incredible, often taking him past one or two of his opponents. He didn't let the enemy tie him up— like they did in the match against JFC Riga.

However, the BK Frem players were very determined. The nine players they kept behind the ball did their best to stop the NF academy players approaching their box. In particular, their defenders played well in the first half by Zachary and his team-mates. They managed to hold the most dangerous shot from their goal in the first half.

The score remained a 0-0 draw until the end of the first half. BK Frem managed to hold back the attacking power of the NF academy.