"Your job in this match is simple. I need you to shut down that winger." He said, pointing towards Yann-Erik.
The winger had just picked up another pass and begun dribbling into Rosenborg's half. He crossed the ball into the box from the side of the pitch, close to the touchline.
Luckily, Fredrik Midtsjø, one of the midfielders of Rosenborg, jumped high and blocked his cross. The referee blew his whistle and pointed to the corner flag.
"Tell Ole to adapt to the 4:3:3 formation..." the coach continued after seeing that the corner had been defended." As we did in training, Ole will remain the defensive midfielder, while Gjermund will move a little bit forward and serve the strikers. You'll have free rein along the entire center-line to get a better handle on Yann-Erik."
He gazed at Zachary for a moment with eyes full of skepticism.
"Is that clear to you, or do you need me to get the board?" He asked. The coach seemed to doubt Zachary's abilities to understand his instructions.
Zachary locked eyes with the coach and replied emphatically: "Yes, coach. I understand."
"Hope so," the coach muttered under his breath.
"You were tackling and intercepting passes during our training sessions. Just do the same on the pitch and shut down the damn kid." He slapped Zachary on the back, adding: "Go."
[DING]
No sooner had the coach slapped his back than the system interface popped up before him.
Zachary was a bit surprised and slowed down his pace as he matched towards the fourth official. He cast a glance at the translucent screen and noticed that there was a new mission from the system.
****
[G.O.A.T MISSIONS]
[NEW MISSION: Your Coach has given you an important task(s).]
[Task 1: Shut down a stubborn player in the game.]
[Task 2: Impress and gain your first fans.]
----
[Accept] [Reject]
----
[Rewards:]
[30 juju-points]
----
[Punishment in case the mission is still incomplete at the end of the game. (None if you reject the mission now)]
[Minus 40 Juju-Points.]
----
[Remarks: Opportunities don't happen. You create them.]
****
Zachary didn't hesitate to click on the accept button once he had finished perusing through the contents of the mission. It was the first mission with a hefty reward in juju-points. He had a feeling he would need them very soon.
Zachary had resolved to accumulate more points to upgrade the system. From his experience reading web-novels, he knew the system would become more helpful to the host after an upgrade.
**** ****
Kristin was watching the game in the emptier section of the Stadium. The match had begun boring her after the Rosenborg under-19s got into a tricky situation.
She hated losses and always felt the compulsion to leave the venue of the game whenever her team was trailing. But then, she noticed that Zachary had started warming up on the sidelines.
YOU ARE READING
The Greatest of All Time
Science FictionDive into a novel about the rise of a legendary sportsman. Follow Zachary Bemba on his journey to become the G.O.A.T (Greatest Of All Time) in the soccer world. He travels back to a time in his past where opportunity abounds. Access to a system capa...
