The Greatest of All Time

Chapter 79 - Game Progress

"GOAAAAAL..."

Zachary sighed and facepalmed as he watched Paul Otterson howling like a hungry wolf after scoring.

Otterson spread out his hands as he weaved through his teammates like a rugby player and ran towards the corner flag to celebrate his goal. He didn't stop at that. He added a few flamboyant backflips for good measure before settling down to celebrate with the rest of his teammates.

Zachary didn't join in the celebrations. He instead reminded his teammates to get back into their positions. They needed to stay focused on the game since only two minutes had passed on the clock. NF Academy still had a long way to go to defeat VfB Stuttgart.

He knew one of the most-likely moments to concede in soccer matches was right after scoring. Players tended to become complacent after obtaining a lead. They would then end up making mistakes that could result in goals.

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In the stands, Emily Anderson felt excitement sparking within her after Paul Otterson scored the goal. The match had just begun, yet NF Academy had already taken the lead. She wondered what the commentators who'd put their money on a VfB Stuttgart win would say after seeing Zachary's assist.

"Ladies—and gentlemen," she heard Ricardo Andres, the commentator that spoke with a heavy Spanish accent, drawling after the cheers had died down. "NF Academy has done it. Oh, my goodness me! What about that? NF Academy is leading in the second minute, no, the first minute. Vincent, what is your take on that goal?"

Emily heard Vincent McManaman, the second commentator, clearing his throat before replying. "As I'd said a few minutes ago, VfB Stuttgart will have to keep Zachary in check if they wish to win the final. This goal is representative of his quick thinking and brilliance in the middle of the field. It took just a couple of seconds for him to take advantage of Kasongo's run in the left-wing. And luckily, Kasongo did not disappoint. He supplied a precise cut-back pass to Zachary. The number-8 did what he does best. He ran at the defenders, drew their attention away from his teammate, and delivered that tricky little ball over the defense. The boy is simply a genius. NF Academy is in the lead, thanks to him."

"I have to say both Kasongo Paul and Paul Otterson were instrumental in the buildup to this goal," drawled Ricardo Andres, the first commentator. "Even ?rjan B?rmark, the center-forward, should be given credit. Don't you think so, Mr. Vincent?"

"Absolutely," Vincent McManaman replied firmly. "Zachary wouldn't have held on to the ball that long if his teammates hadn't made runs at the VfB Stuttgart's defensive line. They gave Zachary Bemba a lot of options to choose from when he delivered his final pass. And in so doing, they confused the defense further, winning time for Zachary to create the chance. And special credit should go to Paul Otterson, the left-winger. He timed his run perfectly, avoiding the offside trap by a hair's breadth. He didn't lose composure and punished VfB Stuttgart."

"Well, let's leave it at that," said Ricardo Andres. "The gameplay has restarted, and it seems like VfB Stuttgart is trying their best to score an equalizer right away. Mr. Vincent, do you think this will be a match of many goals?"

"I really can't tell at the moment," Vincent McManaman replied. "If the NF Academy can manage to score another goal, we may get to see a multi-goal thriller in the finals. However, if they focus on defense—like I suspect they will, we may have to sit through a long, drawn-out match—like their quarter-final against Zenit."

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*FWEEEEEEE*

The referee blew the whistle, awarding a throw-in. Magnus, one of the two NF Academy's defensive midfielders, had just made a clean sliding tackle, dispossessing Sinan Gümüs and shoving the ball out of play.