THE GREATEST OF ALL TIME
Feel Win

Immediately after the final whistle, Zachary and his teammates left the stadium. They don't even replace their gear first.

It was almost 1pm when their match with ADO The Hague ended. The other semi-final between VfB Stuttgart and Tottenham's young players will start at exactly 14:00. Both squads already occupied the dressing room to start their match preparation. That left the NF Academy players with nowhere to change their match equipment.

The squad walked out of the Indoor Skonto Stadium, still wearing their sweatshirt. They walked through the brightly lit tunnel to the gate with haughty steps, looking like they had the whole world, chatting about the highlights of the match.

Zachary also walked with a Cheshire cat grin drawn on his face. His mind thought of some decisive moments in the match. His team made it to the final and stayed one step away from becoming champions.

He is just a step away from getting a sizable number of Juju points plus tournament titles that are rare in the young careers of many professional players.

He could not help but recall some parts of his previous life that seemed to have originated from a century ago.

In her previous life, her grandmother died when she was only seventeen, leaving her struggling to stay in school. He then went out and started looking for a local club to take him. But, he still failed due to repeated injuries that started when he was involved in an accident two years earlier.

He then fell into a period of depression, taking local drinks and drugs regularly to avoid his problems. His sports career seems to be over, and many consider it a lost case. However, in a fortunate twist of fate, he managed to reach the professional level at TP Mazembe after receiving help from a retired Congolese national team player.

Arthur Afobe, the player in question, has shown him a way to overcome the problem of repeated ankle injuries by playing smarter. He has managed to develop a unique playing style from his previous life by following that advice. He has learned to do more with the ball with one touch than running past defenders. That's how he managed to develop his high level ball control and passing ability two attributes that continue to help him well even in his new life.

He can sit in defensive midfield and release passes that split the defence to help his team win games without running overboard. He is similar to the upcoming Maestro, showing a lot of promise because of his tactical vision on the pitch. That was the reason TP Mazembe offered him the contract, even when knowing he— was filled with injury and addiction problems.

Despite this, he had wasted the opportunity by returning to his old habits. A glass of wine, a little Cannabis sativa is how the fall begins again. And before he could benefit from his success, his career ended abruptly. What happened next was an event he did not want to remember.

But when he thought it was all over, he had been given a second chance. Mysteriously, he travels back in time accompanied by a system, to a time where he manages to seize opportunities.

Since then, he has worked relentlessly to achieve his previous life goals of being a pro in European leagues.

Things couldn't work better. He now felt a deep sense of happiness on the pitch as he was no longer afraid of injuring a weak ankle. Due to some system advantages, he is tougher, more agile, and more clinical with the ball than he has ever done in his previous life.

With his unique style of play, he managed to get a contract appointment from the European team—Rosenborg before turning eighteen. And most importantly, his junior team had just qualified for the Riga Cup finals. Zachary's on cloud nine.

Even with a system, he understood that the difference between ordinary and extraordinary was a little extra. He must continue to work to exceed his own limits. He intends to be the kind of athlete who became a better version of himself in the past as he advanced through the years.

Zachary felt like he could climb to the top with his system in hand. All he needs to do is get more Juju points and maintain his work ethic, and eventually, the whole world will be under his feet.

"The reporters are waiting for us once again." Zachary was torn from his shadow by the shouts of his teammates as they approached the gate.

"What's the point of reporters looking for us when Coach Johansen keeps rejecting them?" Paul grumbling. "It's troublesome," he sighed while shaking his head.

Zachary tilted his head and saw many people, some with cameras and microphones, waiting near the gate. They began scouting the NF Academy squad soon after their win against Zenit in the quarter-finals.

The troops continued towards the gate, trudging past the reporters, who had been eliminated by the technical team. The reporters in Riga looked very polite and did not chase after the players as they passed by.

As the troops exited the indoor stadium, Zachary felt a cold wind caress his skin, making him cold to the bone. The sky above was washed in a gray tone. The watery light illuminated the thin parts until brilliant.

Zachary alternated between observing his boots move over a perfectly frozen concrete slab of pavement, flat and square, and observing the mesmerizing interaction between the clouds and the sun above.

His constant footsteps continuously returned his gaze to the earth, pulling his mind into the present. Zachary is pleased all Riga Cup matches are held—held indoors. He will have trouble playing in the cold.

As usual, a group of travelling fans, including friends and family of NF Academy players, were waiting for them outside the arena. Zachary saw Marta, her sister, and their other traveling companions in the small crowd. It is customary for the squad to greet their 'fans' right after every game. However, on that day, Coach Johansen cut short the reunion.

"Hurry up and get on the bus" shouted Coach Johansen. "You need to get out of the cold as quickly as possible. You will get time with your friends and family after the tournament. For now, I need you all on the bus."

Zachary grinned at Marta and her other classmates, waving his hands, before boarding the bus. Other players followed, with renewed urgency.

After taking place on the bus, the players removed their boots and shin guards, vaporizing the glass windows. Coach Johansen stood up to greet them.

"OK, guys," he said, his voice husky as he shouted commands over his voice during the game. "I'm proud of you, and I want you to enjoy this victory. We made it to the final." He raised his voice towards the end.

Cheers erupted.

Coach Johansen raised his hand to silence and immediately got it. "ADO The Hague is a tough nut to crack," he said, half-smiling. “They are a much stronger team than you expected—from what I expected. However, you manage to stay focused despite facing relentless attacks for a full 90 minutes. You all play as a team, and Zachary played well, as always, scoring our two goals."

"Kendrick and our centre-backs, plus the others, stopped us from conceding a lot of goals!" zachary shouted, interrupting the coach. He doesn't like— being chosen as the winner of the match. It is possible that it could have a negative impact on their teamwork during the final.

"And there, our star is afraid of being the center of attention once again" Paul said.

"He doesn't even want to be recognised for scoring goals" Kendrick said.

Everyone, except Zachary, laughed.

Coach Johansen smiled and raised his hand. "Zachary has a point" he said in an amused tone. "You all played well in this match. Kendrick is amazing at keeping goal. Kasongo, Robin, Lars, Magnus and others were hungry for victory and played their best today. You all have that hunger—the determination needed to win. And that's a lesson for us. As long as we stay focused, we can achieve whatever we think. And that's how we win trophies."

More cheers erupted, and Coach Johansen raised his hand once more. "For now, let's move to the hotel, clean up, take our lunch, and rush back to watch the next semi-final match" He stopped, glancing at his watch. "We only have about an hour left to start the game. So, you have to hurry." He added, his tone turned grim.

"Yes, coach," the players replied in unison.

The coach sat down as his driver put on the bus gear, and they sang all the way back to the hotel.