The Greatest of All Time

Chapter 63 - Against Genoa Youth

Coach Johansen called for the pre-match tactical meeting only two hours prior to the match against Genoa. The players were surprised by the change in the usual scheduling of the meeting. However, they still attended without complaint. A coach was practically a monarch in a team. Players had to follow his instructions with no objections.

They became even more surprised when the coach announced the starting line-up. Some, like Magnus and Øyvind, even went on to complain openly to the coach. The meeting room was in chaos for more than half a minute as the players murmured their discontent among their ranks.

"Quiet," Coach Johansen bellowed, his face hardening as he glared at the players. The room once again descended into silence as the young men waited for the coach to explain himself.

"As I already said," Coach Johansen began, "Zachary, Årjan, and Kendrick will all start on the bench today. We need to rest some of our key players in preparation for the quarter-final. We are here to win the tournament, not just the group stages." He said firmly.

"But coach," Magnus intoned. "We'll face a tougher opponent in the quarter-final if we lose this game. Would it not be better for us to win this match and improve our overall chances in the knock-out stages? For that, we need Zachary and Årjan to score goals."

"What gave the impression that I'm giving away this game?" The coach queried, his frown deepening. "All of you are the same age as your opponents. You've got to learn how to play without Zachary. He can't continue carrying the whole team through matches. That is a very unhealthy habit for a team that is vying for the title."

"In this game, I will require only one thing from you," Coach Johansen continued. "Do not concede any goals. You've got to defend like your life depends on it. All players, except Kim, who will play striking today—have to stay behind the ball, close down opponents quickly, and leave no gaps for Genoa to exploit. If you manage to achieve that, we'll still be at the top of the group. Are we clear?"

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

**** ****

The match began at exactly 7:00 PM in the Skonto Arena indoor stadium. Zachary sat on the bench, huddled together with the rest of the subs, watching Genoa outplay his team. It was late in the first half, and if Zachary had to be totally honest with himself, he would admit that he was angry at his teammates since the scoreboard read NF ACADEMY 0, GENOA YOUTH 1. He couldn't help it. They had made an amateur defensive mistake in the first few minutes, gifting a goal to Said Ahmed, Genoa's central striker.

As the match progressed, Zachary could see that the NF Academy players were trying their best to defend and mark their opponents. But they were still outclassed in all areas of the game. The Italian team had faster players who worked together—like those of an experienced professional team. Their teamwork was seamless, outshining NF academy.

The Genoa youth team used the 4-3-3 formation, with three strikers and three midfielders continuously bearing down—on NF academy's goal. They played with a high defensive line, typically applying the offside trap, with midfielders providing support to defenders to make more passing options available. Their style of play, characterized by short triangular movements and passing, was a feast for the eyes. They worked the ball from left to right through a combination of sideways, backward, and coordinated passes, in-between the opposition's defensive lines.

Genoa created most of the chances depending on through balls and performing give-and-go passes, usually involving their three midfielders. They didn't allow the NF academy players any breathing space. They passed the ball quickly around the pitch, looking for chances to penetrate the box.

However, Zachary's teammates remained steadfast and defended against all the attacks until the middle of the second half.

In the 75th minute, a below-par clearance gave Genoa a chance to shore up their lead. One of the strikers, playing on the flanks, picked up the loose ball right outside the box. He immediately passed to Said Ahmed, the central striker. The number-9 latched on to the pin-point pass within the box and unleashed a daisy-cutter shot towards the bottom right corner.