THE GREATEST OF ALL TIME

Thursday, March 13, 2014.

Juventus Stadium, Turin, Italy.

-----

The Rosenborg squad, which had arrived in Turin the previous day, stepped onto the pitch for the pre-match warm-up session when the clock hand pointed to the eight o'clock mark that evening.

Zachary had thought that he'd already experienced all there was to the passion of football fans after playing against Fiorentina in Florence a few weeks prior. But after stepping into the Juventus stadium, he immediately realized how wrong he'd been. He was startled since the fans were much more intense than their counterparts in Florence.

Even though an hour remained before kick-off, the stadium was already jam-packed. The Juventus fans, mostly donned in their team's black and white colors, had already occupied nearly all the seats available in the stands. Moreover, they were already cheering wildly and singing at the top of their voices as they watched their team go through a dynamic warm-up.

Even while warming up on the pitch, Zachary could hear their vibrant voices loud and clear. And even though he didn't understand Italian, he could still feel their passion and affection for their team when his ears picked up the chants.

However, those chants didn't induce any feelings of fear or tension within his psyche. Instead, his entire being was swelling with expectation as he readied himself to play against the Italian giants. Moreover, his anticipation had even helped him push the worry about his grandma to the back of his mind.

It had only been about a year since he'd made his debut as a pro player for Rosenborg. However, he'd already gotten a chance to play against one of the best teams in Europe. As a person who loved football with his everything, the match was the perfect God-sent opportunity. He could finally test his skills against some of the best players in the world and see how he fared against them. So, why wouldn't he be excited?

"We're really in enemy territory," Kasongo remarked. He was going through the dynamic warm-up routine beside him while also stealing glances at the stands. "Look at them cheer for their team. It is as if they are cheering for an army going to war."

"That's the beauty of football," Zachary said while performing a static upper-back stretch. "The cheers are what make the match more exciting. The only pity is that very few Rosenborg fans are in the stands today evening. Otherwise, this match would have turned out epic."

Zachary had already surveyed the stands when he'd just stepped on the pitch. However, he'd noticed that only a few hundred Rosenborg fans had occupied a small portion of what should have been the visitor's section of the stands. Compared to the more than 35,000 Juventus supporters present, they were just like a drop in the ocean. Thus, they couldn't cause any ripple within the large stadium even if they shouted at the top of their voices.

"Guys," Coach Rolf Aas, the assistant coach in charge of fitness, suddenly yelled. "Add more energy. We need to finish this dynamic warm-up in fifteen minutes."

Zachary immediately added more intensity to his warm-up routine after hearing the assistant coach's impassioned shout. He went through the exercises at a much quicker pace than before until he was sweating buckets. However, he would occasionally cast his gaze towards the other side of the pitch to spy on the opponents.

All the famous Juventus players, including Paul Pogba, Arturo Vidal, Andrea Pirlo, Fernando Llorente, and Giorgio Chiellini, among others, were warming up on the other side of the pitch. Zachary could feel his heart tremble a bit just by glancing at them. However, he soon suppressed those unstable feelings within his mind and continued his warm-up.

-----

On the other side of the field, the Juventus players had just taken a water break after going through a shuttle run session. Claudio Marchisio turned his gaze to the other half to examine the opponents. "That tall black player with an afro is Zachary," he said to a few of his teammates beside him. "The coach has warned us several times to be wary of him."

Pogba shrugged. "He's a very talented player going by the videos and statistics. One of the assistants even mentioned that he has already scored nine goals and is the current top scorer in the Europa League. But all that doesn't concern me since I'm on the bench today."

"Don't worry, guys," Arturo Vidal said with a lopsided grin. "I'm full of energy today, especially since the coach had me rest on Sunday. He won't be able to do anything on my watch."

"You need to be on your toes, Arturo," Pirlo warned from the side. "Otherwise, it would be shameful if a nineteen-year-old kid outplayed you."

Some of the players laughed at that while Arturo, himself, narrowed his eyes. "I guess I don't need to waste my words convincing you people. You only need to wait, and I'll show you how I handle him on the pitch."

"Break over," the voice of one of the assistant coaches suddenly sounded. "Please, continue with the warm-up."

The Juventus players could only halt their conversation before immersing themselves in the dynamic warm-up exercises. They worked hard for the next few minutes until their coaches called them back to the dressing room for the pre-match tactical briefing.

-----

A minute later, the Rosenborg players also returned to the dressing room. Since kick-off was just twenty minutes away, they hurriedly started changing into their all-black away match jerseys. Before long, they completed their preparations and settled on the benches around the dressing room to listen to coach Johansen's pre-match address.

"Guys," the coach began, a soft smile outlining his face. "It's finally time. We're about to step out of here and face off against Juventus in the Europa League's round of sixteen. And I believe I don't have to explain to you what'll happen if we don't pull out all our stops during the game."

"For the past two weeks, we've been going over the tactics for this game," he continued. "And as you're well aware, we'll be using the 4-5-1 formation, with four defenders, five midfielders, and one center-forward. The whole formation aims to ensure that we defend well while also being able to stifle Juventus' strong midfield."

"However, if any of us relaxes even for a minute during the game, the entire formation will crumble. Then, what will follow is us conceding. So, guys, I urge you to remain focused from the very first minute. Play simple football, be swift when closing down the opponents in our own half, and when you get chances, use them. If you remain true to those simple rules, we'll surely give the Italian giants a run for their money. Are we together, guys?"

"Yes, coach," the players yelled back with zest.

Coach Johansen smiled, nodding. "One last thing before we go. We need to approach this match carefully and systematically to attain a good result. So, we'll divide the first half's 45 minutes into three smaller segments, each 15-minutes."

"In the first fifteen minutes, before the Juventus players settle down into their usual game tempo, we'll play boldly and attack more often. The focus of our game plan will remain on defending, yes — but whenever we get the chance, we launch a counterattack immediately and swiftly. So, I expect at least three effective counters from you in those first fifteen minutes. Are you with me, guys?"

"Yes, coach."

"Moving on," the coach continued. "During the second segment, we'll be more reserved. No matter the result—no matter whether we're a goal down or winning, we'll remain solid in defense from the 15th to the 30th minute. We'll play with ten men behind the ball and ensure that we don't concede a goal."

"When we move on to the last segment—from the 30th to the 45th minute, we'll start adapting to the situation. If we're a goal down, we'll become bolder and look for opportunities by relying on counters. However, if the score is still a tie—or if we're winning, we'll remain conservative and defend as if our lives depend on the game. Are you guys with me? Have you understood the entire plan?"

"Yes, coach," most players replied, nodding their heads.

However, Zachary was in doubt. So, he raised his arm and asked a question. "What do I do if I get a hard-to-resist counterattacking opportunity during the second segment? Do I let it pass because our entire focus is on defending?"

Coach Johansen took a few steps across the dressing room before answering. "If you're sure you won't lose the ball when you attack, you can launch the counter. However, if you are not at least 90% sure that you can break through the opponents, you better relax and stick to the game plan."

"One thing you need to understand is that Juventus usually raises their attacking momentum between the 15th and 30th minute. So, that's why we've got to be very careful during that segment."

Coach Johansen smiled slightly. "But for you, Zachary, you're playing a free role. You can determine how and when to attack depending on the situation on the pitch. So, to some extent, these arrangements are not for you—but the rest of your teammates. But, please remember to play smart and don't make amateur mistakes."

"Okay," Zachary replied. "I understand, coach."

"Good." Coach Johansen said, glancing at his watch. "It's about time. So, let's finish our preparations and head to the pitch. We'll make further detailed arrangements depending on the situation at halftime."