THE GREATEST OF ALL TIME
The Battle of Underdog II
Zachary found himself cornered by two defenders as soon as he stepped into the penalty arc, a few yards from ADO Den Hague's eighteen-yard box. Without panicking, he immediately braked, stopping right in front of the two centre-backs. They positioned themselves well so he wouldn't get away.
It was at such times that Zachary wanted a smaller physique, like Argentina star Messi. If he had a smaller size, he would squirm between them without much effort. But with his height, he's not going anywhere.
"You're not going anywhere" shouted one of the defenders in thick accented English.
They both kept trying to put it in the box, directing their movements to steer it away from the box. They are not fully committed to the ball. They instead stood tall, blocking his path to their destination.
He knows right away that they are good defenders. Most defenders who have tried to handle it in the past will usually come in wholesale, with a flying tackle or a big lunge, to win the ball. He finds passing such hasty players much easier than dealing with those who defend.
Zachary kept a close eye on the legs of both defenders as he flicked the ball quickly between his legs. One of the defenders finally stuck out his leg, intending to scuttle the ball. He smiled as the reaction from the defenders was what he anticipated.
A fight between a defender and an attacker is like a full game of poker, but only lasts a few seconds. The first one showing the intention to fold would expose his weakness, putting himself at a disadvantage.
Zachary didn't waste the opportunity. He flicked the ball past defender—to the left, trying to avoid it.
However, from the corner of his eye, he saw a tackle slide off his left. It was well directed towards the ball, and if he did not react appropriately, he would lose possession of the ball.
Zachary hardened his resolve, deciding on a burdensome route. There will be very few chances to score in a semi-final match. So he has to create chances for his team to the best of his ability. It involves weathering a little discomfort.
Zachary quickly stuck his left foot between the ball and the incoming shoe, just before the tackle hit him. He made sure not to set his foot firmly on the ground to avoid any possible injury. He intends to protect the ball or win a free kick if the defender passes by with his tackle.
The defender made little contact with his left shoe, as he had expected. Zachary jumped a little, leaving his body at the mercy of the sliding tackle of the defender. He let the momentum of the defender sweep him before landing back on the ground. He had controlled his fall by training perfectly to avoid any injuries to his body.
"Attack," Zachary heard Coach Johansen shouting from the sidelines while he was still on the ground.
*FREEEE*
The referee's whistle was followed, confirming the foul.
"He swooped," Zachary then heard ADO defender Den Hague refute the referee's decision as he rose from the ground.
Zachary didn't bother to argue. He had bet, risked his body, and came out a winner. He has done his best to improve his team's chances of emerging victorious in the semifinals by winning a free-kick on the edge of the box. Zachary did not bother to explain himself to the opponent. He just focused on his left leg, stretched it, and checked if there was any damage from the challenge.
"Are you okay?" Sigrid Olsen, the NF Academy's medical team, ran to her side and asked.
"I'm fine" Zachary replied with a smile. He was sure he was not injured after stretching his legs. However, the medical team did not seem to believe him. She looked at him skeptically as she wriggled her legs, trying to show that she was unharmed.
"I'm absolutely fine" he stressed.
"The rest of you give us space" he shouted at the other NF Academy players who swarmed Zachary. The players followed his instructions and moved several meters away.
"I will examine the foot itself" urged Dr. Sigrid. He placed his P3K box on the ground before kneeling near Zachary's left foot. "Sit down" he commanded.
Zachary glanced at the referee and noticed that he was also waiting for a diagnosis. Referees in youth tournaments will always put the safety of the player above all else. He believes the referee will immediately send him to the sidelines if he refuses a check-up.
"I'm fine, really," he repeated once more but sat down to undergo a diagnosis directly from Dr. Sigrid. He was not the least bit worried as he did not feel any discomfort in his left leg.
"The tackle came quickly from my blind side. I can't react in time." She lies.
Sigrid raised an eyebrow. "It looks like you're really okay" he said, nodding to the referee. "But, I hope you try to avoid an immediate challenge in the rest of the game. Your career will stagnate a long time if you are injured. Watch my words." He warned before picking up his gear and running off the field.
Zachary hurriedly put on his left boots. He looked around and noticed that the referee was in the process of showing a yellow card to Steve Van Keseren, the defender who committed the foul.
Zachary stretched his body for a while and got back to his feet in just a few seconds, ready to take a free kick. Some fans booed him, assuming he dived. However, Zachary did not mind. He closed the sound and concentrated on placing the ball on the ground, right on the edge of the box, while waiting for the referee to finish setting the wall.
He began to observe the line-up of ADO Den Hague players standing between him and the wicket. His mind worked quickly to deduce the height of the player making the wall, the distance from the goal, plus any other parameters that might affect his free kick. He wanted to make sure he would put a free kick in the back of the net.
"You're making us worry, man," a voice interrupted his reflection.
Zachary turned around and smiled at Kasongo, who slipped behind him. "Why are you worried? Teak is part of the game. We do our best to protect ourselves from them. We can also benefit from them as I just did." He added while pointing at the ball.
“You better come back and prepare to defend against the ADO Den Haag counter-attack,” he added before Kasongo could say anything more. He always used to avoid the chatter in the middle of the game.
"OK, and good luck." Kasongo nodded before running back to the halfway line.
*FREEEE*
The referee blew his whistle, gesturing for Zachary to take a free kick. He's done setting the walls of ADO Den Hague players.
Zachary did not panic because he had taken dozens of free kicks in the system simulator every night. He took a few steps back following Bend-it body movements like Beckham Juju while occasionally glancing at the placement of the opposing goalie and other players in the box.
Zachary decides to go with his courage and immediately takes the shot. However, as he started running towards the ball, he saw a shadow corresponding to the two players forming the wall, jumping up and down. Zinedine-Visual-Juju in action once again.
Zachary instantly changed his decision, changing the angle of his approach as he raced towards the ball. He then loosened his body as he took one last long step towards the ball, only keeping his left ankle strained to make the shot. He then shot his knee forward and swung his left foot towards the ball, catching it in the upper middle.
He fired a daisy-cutter shot that slid to the ground, towards the goal. Like a bullet train, it moved at incredible speed, passing under the feet of two leaping ADO Den Hague players. It houses to the back of the net after deflection from the right post. The goalkeeper did not even manage to react.
**** ****
Emily Anderson, Zachary's agent, sat in the stands, in the bottom row, close to the field. He watched Zachary open fire on a powerful carpet that found its way to the back of the net.
The surrounding fans looked surprised for a moment, speechless after witnessing the goal. The stadium was very quiet as Zachary raced to the sidelines to celebrate his goal.
"Once again, Zachary Bemba, NF Academy captain, broke the deadlock— scored from set pieces in the 18th minute," the commentator announced in a thunderous voice, breaking a momentary silence in the stadium.
The fans started cheering and shouting Zachary's name. They seemed to have forgotten that they had booed him just a few seconds before.
Emily is delighted her client has amassed plenty of loyal fans in Riga for her spectacular goal. His fame would translate into a profitable business after he negotiated several contracts for him at the end of the year.
"The score is 1:0" continued the commentator as loud cheers in the stadium eased. "NF Academy have managed to score the first goal in a highly contested semi-final between the underdogs in this tournament."