THE GREATEST OF ALL TIME

After the game, Zachary received the match ball from the officials since he had scored a hat-trick. He felt a surge of happiness enveloping him since he had taken the first step towards completing the system mission.

He recalled the final minutes of the game when he had executed the Cruyff turn and Elastico dribble. He had been in a state of complete harmony with the ball, like never before in both his lives. That seemed to be the reason he had been able to execute skills he'd only practiced in his past life. He made a mental note to investigate that state of mind further during his next game.

There were no post-match interviews in the Riga Cup. So, Zachary and his teammates trekked silently back to the dressing room. They had expended all their stamina reserves, defending against the Riga team's relentless attacks in the final minutes.

When they got to the dressing room, they found Coach Johansen in a somber mood. There was a tension in his manner conveyed by the tightness of his face. His brows were creased. His eyes, rigid and cold. His mere presence seemed to chill the air in the dressing room. He immediately directed his glare at the NF academy players once they entered.

Robin Jatta was seated at the other end of the dressing room with his face covered by his two hands. Zachary walked up to him and patted his shoulder. "We won the game," he said to the center-back before settling down beside him to remove his match attire. He didn't want his teammate to remain saddled with guilt, thinking he'd sealed his team's downfall. Zachary could not help but wonder why Coach Johansen hadn't bothered to inform the defender about their win.

The center-back turned towards him, managing a small smile. "Thank you," he whispered back, looking more relaxed.

"No need to worry," Zachary continued, his voice barely a whisper. "In this tournament, you'll only be suspended for two games. You can return to the team in the quarter-finals."

He tried his best to raise his dejected teammate's spirits as he changed into his dark blue tracksuit. Coach Johansen maintained his silence, waiting for the players to finish changing their outfits.

All the players, except Zachary and Robin, had quit their murmuring. They were smart enough to realize that the coach was disappointed in their second-half performance.

"That was a truly terrible second half," intoned Coach Johansen, breaking the silence. A cryptic laugh, uncharacteristic of him, accompanied his words.

All the players in the dressing room maintained their silence, waiting for him to continue.

"You played a good game in the first half," Coach Johansen continued, his voice flat without any emotion. "You managed to keep all their attackers away from our box—and the whole team maintained a high level of discipline and focus. Can anyone tell me what happened in the second half?" He paused, letting his gaze roam over all the players in the dressing room.

None of the players bothered to answer since they'd long gotten accustomed to his rhetorical questions.

The coach shook his head and sighed. "I've always emphasized the importance of staying sharp until the end of the game. You have to stay focused, whether you're winning or losing. Any lapse in concentration will lead to mistakes like the ones in the game today. And, when you begin making mistakes, the inevitable conclusion is a loss…"

Coach Johansen's words came out of his mouth like bullets from the muzzle of a machine gun. He lectured them about the importance of maintaining focus during games for the following 15 minutes. He pointed out several incidents during the match where a failure in concentration could have given Riga opportunities to win the game.

Zachary could tell that the coach was trying his best to drill the message into the players' heads in the shortest time possible. He repeated himself several times, giving examples of how different tight situations in the match—could have been avoided. He only stopped his talk when Coach Bjørn informed him that the next team was about to come into the dressing room.

The coach glanced at his watch before adding a few concluding remarks. "Let me end by asking you this: Do you know what would have happened if you had lost the opening match? A match in which you were already ahead by three goals in the first half!" His tone had turned soft.

He started moving around the dressing room, gazing at each player as he spoke. "You would not be happy with yourself because you lost the game. You would feel nothing except dejection for the next few days—and would find it hard to perform at your best in the next series of games. Our tournament would likely have ended right there. Then, you would be filled with regret and have nothing to show for all your hard work."

"Is that what you want?" Coach Johansen asked, his voice rising a little.

The players remained silent, under the impression it was one of his rhetorical questions.

"Answer me," he bellowed, his voice tinged with rage.

"No, coach," all the players answered more or less in unison.

Coach Johansen sat back on one of the tables, smiling softly. "I hope everyone on this team understands that we're here to win the tournament," he said, his voice hushed. Nonetheless, it still carried on to every corner of the room.

"To win a tournament, we need dedication. You have to play every single match like a final. You have to do your best in every second of the game until you hear the final whistle. That's whether you're ahead or losing. And, that's the only way we can stand a chance of contesting this cup." He emphasized the last sentence.

"Remember, we are what we repeatedly do. Playing well in matches is not an act but a habit developed over a period. We have to hone this habit of playing like champions until it becomes part of us. That's how we become greats in football. That's the only way to become great players that can compete in professional leagues. Otherwise, you'll forever remain amateurs or pretenders. Are we clear?"

All the players nodded. Some of the players had their fists balled, their eyes glittering—like they couldn't wait to play the next game. Zachary was glad the coach had delivered such a stirring address right after the match. The message seemed to have hit home.

Coach Johansen smiled. "Let this match be a lesson to you all. I don't want to see any sort-of foolery in the game against BK Frem on Wednesday morning." His tone was somber.

"We'll meet again tomorrow in the morning for gym work. I expect all of you in the hotel lobby by 8 in the morning. We'll leave by bus and train at one of the gyms in the city. But today, I expect you to watch the match between Genoa and BK Frem. Those are our immediate competitors in this group. They are tough nuts to crack, but we have to face them and still win." Coach Johansen added in a conclusive tone.