The Greatest of All Time

Chapter 80 - A Game Of Thrills

In the technical area, Coach Johansen watched the ball flashing towards the goal. It rose and dipped at an incredible speed, going on to veer past VfB Stuttgart's defense and goalkeeper.

Zachary had spotted Odysseas Vlachodimos, VfB Stuttgart's goalkeeper, off his line. So, he had gone for a first-time shot from thirty-five yards, using the laced part of the boot.

The keeper was helpless and beaten.

The fans in the stands had gone quiet, watching Zachary's long-range effort head towards the goal.

Zachary, still at the edge of the box, raised his arms to start celebrating, expecting his attempt to find its way to the back of the net.

However—

"BAM"

"Goddamn it!" Coach Johansen couldn't help but curse loudly, punching the air before him, as he watched the ball smash off the crossbar and bounce back into the pitch.

Nonetheless, he didn't look away from the field of play since he'd noticed both Zachary and Årjan chasing after the loose ball in VfB Stuttgart's box. He hoped they'd get there first and give the NF Academy an early two-goal advantage. With the way the VfB Stuttgart players were playing, NF Academy needed a cushion if they wished to hold on to their lead and win the final.

"Yes," he heard Coach Bjørn Peters, celebrating from beside him as Årjan, NF Academy's center-forward, got to the ball first—before the VfB Stuttgart center-backs. With acrobatic flamboyance, he planted a diving header towards the bottom left corner.

However, the VfB Stuttgart goalkeeper was alert that time around. He dived sideways and pushed the ball with his fingertips away from his goal. He had denied NF Academy the chance to extend their lead.

The referee blew his whistle and pointed towards the corner flag.

"Damn," Coach Bjørn cursed from beside him. "That's a gone opportunity. We missed the chance to extend our advantage."

Coach Johansen nodded without saying anything. Although he could relate to his assistant's mood, he still hoped his team would get something out of the corner kick.

"Øyvind," he yelled at the top of his voice. "Go ahead and take the corner," he added when the right-back faced towards the technical area. He didn't forget to signal to Øyvind and the rest of his players, instructing them on which corner-kick taking routine would be the best at that moment.

A few seconds later, he nodded in satisfaction as he watched six of his tallest players gather at the edge of the box. They intended to make runs towards different areas to confuse the VfB Stuttgart defenders. That would vastly increase their chances of scoring. In the meantime, Magnus, the tall defensive midfielder, got close to the keeper, waiting to pounce on the loose ball that might come his way.

The only tall NF Academy player that wasn't in that box was Zachary. He stood right outside the eighteen, waiting for the rebound.

Coach Johansen was satisfied with the positioning of his players for the corner kick. It was up to Øyvind to deliver a good corner ball so that NF Academy could extend their lead before it was too late. The earlier they improved their advantage, the better their chances at victory.

Øyvind, NF Academy's right-back, didn't disappoint. He whipped the ball in a circular arc—into the rowdy group of players packed within the box.

There was some pushing and shoving within the box as the ball dropped towards the far post. However, Robin Jatta, NF Academy's left-back, timed his run superbly, outwitting his mark to connect with the resulting corner ball. He showed his brilliance in the air and managed to plant a header towards the goal, uncontested.