THE GREATEST OF ALL TIME

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

He wasn't angry with Mikael, the acting captain, who was about to take the corner kick. Instead, he was immensely exasperated by Nicki wasting a clear goal-scoring opportunity when he was one-on-one with the keeper.

"Damn!" The coach let out a few more expletives— of the sort that couldn't be said in front of children, to vent his frustration. Despite being the coach, some happenings on the pitch occasionally managed to sour his mood immensely. Missing a clear goal-scoring chance was close to the top of the list of those occurrences.

But as a coach, he had to remain alert to every single change in the game. He couldn't let negative thoughts like frustration influence his decision-making as the match progressed. So, he tried his best to push the irritation to the back of his mind as he returned his focus to the field to continue following the game.

Despite his still bitter mood, he couldn't help but smile when he saw Mikael trying to take the corner short and quick once again.

However, the Vålerenga players had learned their lesson and were on the alert for his antics. Within a few seconds, they marked every Rosenborg player that could connect with the corner. They were not giving any Rosenborg player even a single inch of space within the box.

Based on their reactions, it seemed the corner-kick that had resulted in Zachary's goal a few minutes prior was still very fresh in their minds.

Coach Johansen's soft smile morphed into a frown as he continued observing the situation in Vålerenga's final third. He could tell that his players were not yet ready for the corner. So, with a hand sign agreed upon before the match, he motioned for Mikael, his acting captain, to delay restarting gameplay. In the meantime, he shouted at his players, trying to motivate and organize them with his words.

"Focus, focus, focus on the corner," he yelled at the top of his lungs. "Zachary! Join the rest in the penalty box and ready yourself to directly attack the corner. Don't just stand at the edge of the box. Move!" He waved an arm before him for emphasis.

Coach Johansen couldn't help but sigh as he watched Zachary begrudgingly trek towards the box. With his looming height at 6'4, he could turn into a nightmare for defenders during set-pieces.

With a bit of effort, he could transform into an assassin within the box. He could be someone like Marouane Fellaini or Zlatan Ibrahimović if he put some effort into training his heading technique.

Coach Johansen could even picture all teams in the Tippeligaen coming to fear him in the near future—just because of that physique of his.

But the only problem hindering that scenario from developing was Zachary's attitude. The coach couldn't comprehend why the boy didn't fancy heading into the area to attack corner kicks whenever there was a chance. It was against all reason and a clear waste not to utilize such a clear height advantage. So, he made a mental note to have a word with Zachary about the issue when a chance arose in the near future.

*FWEEEEEEE*

The referee blew the whistle and motioned for Mikael to take the corner after trying his best to stop the turmoil in the box. But still, the players continued to pull and push at one another, all trying to outmaneuver their opponents. Even some of the Rosenborg players had started committing fouls despite being on the attack.

"Stay calm, guys," Coach Johansen yelled anew, stepping close to the boundary of the technical area. "Don't get sucked into their fouling. Just focus on attacking and leave the rest for the referee to handle. We only have a minute or two to half time. So, focus and make the most out of this corner."

Mikael Dorsin, the Rosenborg acting captain, finally floated a teasing ball into the congested area.

But coach Johansen was not satisfied with its trajectory.

He sighed with a little despondence, thinking Mikael had taken a sub-par corner. That was because it didn't match any of the corner drills they'd practiced during the training sessions before the game. By following its course, he'd quickly judged that it would descend on the far side—close to the boundary of the box. He doubted any of the Rosenborg players would get to it that far away from goal.

But his heart started racing and palpitating with anticipation the next moment—as the ball began descending fast, heading close to the far post. He'd just noticed that Zachary had already broken away from his marker and positioned himself in the exact spot where the corner ball was heading. The African prodigy had seemingly anticipated the delivery—and reacted fast—before any other player, winning himself a second or two ahead of his mark.

He pushed off the green like a basketball player out to make a dunk—and jumped high to meet the corner ball. Two Vålerenga players that'd managed to reach his position tried to stop him a moment later. But he outmuscled them by relying on his incredible physique and continued rising into the air.

Coach Johansen could hear a momentary silence descend upon the stands within the Ullevaal Stadion when Zachary emerged victorious in a battle for aerial superiority to connect with the corner ball. He believed Rosenborg would surely score since it was Zachary making an attempt.

He raised his hands when he saw Zachary thrust his head forward to plant a heavy header towards the inside of the right post. But the next moment, he let them dangle at his sides before repeatedly punching the air in front of him. His team, Rosenborg, had just missed another goal-scoring chance.

The ball had smashed off the right post after a slight deflection on one of the Vålerenga players within the box.

It was frustrating for Coach Johansen to watch such missed opportunities. He could feel anxiety thrumming through his veins as the ball bounced back into the field and headed towards the right side of the box.

But he didn't stay irritated for long as he noticed that it was once again on a straight course towards Zachary's position.

"You better not mess this up again, Zachary," Coach Johansen mumbled, obviously not expecting the player to hear him. He was only psyching himself up to prepare for what was to come as he watched Zachary get to the rebound before the confusion in the box could settle down.

And God, did he pull the trigger!

Coach Johansen's hopes sored as Zachary raised his leg and swung it down to meet the ball on a well-timed half-volley. He blasted it with his left boot so forcefully that it looked like he intended to send anyone that got into its path straight to the hospital. The ball flew straight into the top right corner of the net.

Since Zachary had unleashed the shot so close to the goal, it was unstoppable. Gudmund Kongshavn, the Vålerenga keeper, didn't even manage to react in the slightest. He could only turn around and watch the ball dancing in the back of the net after a few seconds. By then, Zachary had already started running to the corner flag to celebrate.

1:2.

Rosenborg had managed to score and take the lead in the 45th minute, just before half-time.

[What a way to score! 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 replaying in his mind. He'd even forgotten to celebrate the goal as he mulled over Zachary's uncanny connection with the rebound.

As a coach, he was well aware that timing volleys and unleashing first-time shots at goal were difficult feats to achieve when luck wasn't on one's side. But Zachary made it look easy even while near crowded spaces on the field. He never lost his composure. He could always time the ball perfectly—and take the shot first-time despite the situation around him. The boy was simply a genius beyond geniuses considering his possession of such an incredible ability.

"Coach," a yell beside him interrupted his thought process. He inclined his head to the side and found both Verner Rönning and Ole Selnæs, the two substitutes he'd previously instructed to warm-up, standing by his side.

"What's the matter?" He asked, looking at the players inquisitively.

"Should we continue warming up?" Verner queried, scratching at his chin. "Or should we take a few moments to rest?"

"Just continue warming up," Coach Johansen was quick to reply. "You know how badly we've been performing at the start of the second half during the past few games. So, I want you to be ready since I might require you to enter the match and stabilize the situation at any time. Are we together?"

"Yes, coach," both players replied more or less in unison.

"Then, off you go," Coach Johansen said, shooing them away with a wave of his hand. "But keep the warm-up light so that you don't tire yourselves out before entering the game. And don't forget to take some water."

"Yes, coach."

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