The Greatest of All Time

Chapter 69 - Preparations For The Semifinal

It was Monday morning, the day before NF Academy's semifinal match with ADO Den Haag.

Zachary and his teammates woke up and had breakfast early before heading to the gym for post-match recovery exercises and massage. The academy management had fully covered the fees for their gym activities during their stay in Riga. They could enjoy the facilities of the Riga People's Fitness Gym on the days following their matches. Zachary was satisfied with the arrangement.

The squad spent an hour at the gym going through Coach Bjørn's post-match recovery routine. Zachary diligently stretched using foam rollers— a routine that involved rolling different parts of his body slowly over a tube. Coach Bjørn had said foam rolling helped reduce post-match-related soreness and muscle pain, shortening recovery time considerably.

Zachary and his teammates left the gym an hour later, feeling more relaxed after the massage session. They headed back to the hotel in a bus, chattering about their quarter-final match against Zenit. Even after an entire night, their euphoria hadn't faded. Most of them couldn't believe they'd qualified for the semis.

Thirty minutes later, they arrived at one of the conference halls in their hotel for Coach Johansen's tactical briefing. He had called the meeting to discuss strategies for the semifinal game against ADO Den Haag.

On entering the conference hall, Zachary immediately noticed a large LCD screen placed atop a table in front of the room. It appeared that, unlike in previous meetings, Coach Johansen would use video analysis to expound on tactics he intended to employ in the semifinals.

"Good morning to you all," Coach Johansen intoned in a booming voice after the squad finished taking up their seats.

"Good morning, coach," the players replied in a chorus.

Coach Johansen half-smiled. "I'm quite happy that we've made it all the way to the semifinals," he said. He was seated on the edge of a table in front of the room. "However, our work is still cut out for us. We still need to win both the semis and finals before becoming the champions." He paused, letting his gaze settle momentarily on each player in turn.

"Are we together?" He asked.

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

"That's good." Coach Johansen nodded. "Winning in football is not just about tactics. It's not just about a game plan—like the one we'll be discussing in a few minutes. What matters most is your state of mind. The focus and concentration you put in a particular game will have a marked impact on your performance."

"If our intention is winning the next two games and becoming champions, we've got to have the proper mindset," he continued, beginning to walk around the players' seats. "We have to stay focused for the entirety of these games."

"Remember, the ability to focus makes or breaks our chances of success in matches. Scientists have shown that an individual's ability to establish mental focus is one of the most important predictors of future success in life. It's the same in sports."

"The ability to focus in sports is perhaps one of the most significant drivers of success, along with hard work and talent." He paused and walked back to the front of the room before continuing.

"Mental focus can make the difference between being mediocre and being extraordinary. It helps you avoid the little mistakes that lead to losses in our matches. It helps us win matches. It's as simple as that. Are we together?"

Zachary nodded along with the rest of his teammates. His mind soaked into Coach Johansen's message. He could relate to the point about the importance of mindset and concentration in sports.