The Greatest of All Time

Chapter 70 - Battle Of The Underdogs I

"Remember what we discussed yesterday," Coach Johansen said to the players in the dressing room. "Remember all your training. Remember all the hard work you've put into this over the past year." He lowered his voice slightly. Nonetheless, his words still carried to every corner of the room.

"It is the time to go forth and reap the rewards of all your efforts. It all depends on how you handle yourselves over the next 90 minutes. Remember, if you stay focused for every single moment of the game, we'll surely emerge as victors."

Coach Johansen spent a few minutes reminding the players of the game plan they'd discussed the previous day. He reminded them about the individual roles they would take on in the match before sending them off to the game.

Zachary and his teammates stepped onto the field, filled with eagerness to perform. They wished to overwhelm ADO Den Haag completely. Coach Johansen's pre-game pep talk had further inflamed their yearning to win the game and qualify for the finals.

If they could advance past the semis and win the finals, it would prove to be a rare feat amongst Norwegian academies. Winning a tournament meant fame, cash prizes, and increased chances of being picked up by professional teams from all over Europe.

Zachary, too, felt eager to perform. He finished the coin toss with the referee and ADO Den Haag's captain quickly and ran back to his half as fast as possible.

Meanwhile, the fans cheered on, drowning the stadium in thunderous applause. The commentators made some light jokes about the match that was about to begin. It felt like a festival in the Skonto Indoor Stadium, rather than a soccer match.

Zachary decided to call for an on-pitch team huddle before the start of the game. Although he didn't relish the act of bossing around his teammates, he felt he had to remind them about the coach's instructions before such an important game. Surprisingly, the squad seemed happy when he called them for the team huddle.

"Guys," he began as soon as they formed a circle on their side of the pitch. "The coach has already said everything that needs saying about the game plan and tactics. I only want to emphasize one thing. We've got to focus on the little things, the details that make a difference in such a competitive game. Those are the details we have to get right, the ones that we have to accomplish to perfection."

"We've got to carry out the roles assigned to us by the coach to the best of our ability," he added, raising his voice slightly to achieve the best effect on his teammates. "Whether defending or attacking, it's all the same. We've got to stay focused until the final whistle is blown. Everyone has to do their part." He eyed the rest of his teammates in the huddle.

"For Kendrick to do his part in the goal, Robin needs to do his part in the defense. And it's the same for every position on the field. We all depend on one another. Right?" He paused, looking at the rest.

He continued after seeing they were attentive. "Everyone has to play their part to perfection so that the next person can do theirs. That's how we'll play as a team in this game. Otherwise, we'll crumble and lose the game, even if only a single player relaxes for a single minute."

Zachary looked around and noticed that his teammates were listening raptly. They hang on to his words like they were golden or some precious elixir they'd been hunting for all their days. Some of them nodded with their eyes closed while others looked at him eagerly, waiting for him to conclude the team talk.

Zachary's tone of speech turned conclusive. "So, right now, let's get out there and play like our lives and careers depend on it. Let's stay true to who we are. Together, united as one on the pitch." He clapped his hands for emphasis. The rest of the players joined in chanting NF Academy's name in deep grating voices that were hard on the ears.