THE GREATEST OF ALL TIME
chapter-255

Coach Johansen decided to play it safe and make three substitutions immediately after his players had finished celebrating the second goal. He switched out Zachary, Nicki Nielsen, and Mikael Dorsin — with the prime intention of giving them a little bit of extra rest before the following Thursday's Europa League game. He brought in the hardworking trio of Ole Selnæs, John Chibuike, and Stefan Strandberg to snuff out any possibility of Viking Stavanger lucking out and making a comeback.

"Narrow down the spaces in the middle," he yelled at his players as soon as the game restarted. "I want you to remain compact and prevent them from penetrating our defense through the middle. We have less than ten minutes remaining. Stay focused and mark every opponent in our defensive third..."

Coach Johansen spat out words at the pace of a machine gun, trying to organize his team into the perfect defensive shape to weather Viking's barrage of attacks in the final minutes of the game.

Fortunately, his yelling motivated his players, prompting them to work harder than ever before. The minutes flew by quickly, with them exhibiting a high level of discipline in defense. The Viking Stavanger forwards weren't able to make any shots on goal.

However, the Rosenborg players didn't just stop at defending well. They mounted another tantalizing counterattack in the 89th minute after defending against a Viking Stavanger corner kick.

John Chibuike, the substitute center-forward, streamed forward through the middle like a whirlwind, leaving both teammates and opponents in his wake. He then passed the ball ahead into space on the right-wing — seemingly to no one in particular.

His perfect initiation of the counterattack had left the Viking players without any time to reorganize themselves into a proper defensive shape. He'd managed to set loose Tobias Mikkelsen, the right-winger, on a straight course towards the goal with that well-timed defense-splitting pass.

Tobias Mikkelsen didn't disappoint. He met the ball mid-sprint and continued racing towards the box like a bullet out of a sniper rifle's muzzle. In a matter of seconds, he shrugged off the single Viking defender that had been tracking his run and found the bottom left corner of the net with his weaker right foot.

The score then was 3:0, and the Troll Kids had taken yet another firm step towards winning the league in the 89th minute of gameplay.

Be that as it may, the Rosenborg players didn't relax in the slightest, even after the third goal. They continued playing defensively throughout added time and denied the visitors any shots on goal. They maintained their 3:0 lead until the referee blew the final whistle after four minutes of added time.

**** ****

"Shalalalalalala... ohhh Rosenborg, Shalalalalalala... ohhh Rosenborg..."

Zachary remained seated on the bench for a minute or two, immersing himself in the passionate cheers of the fans after the final whistle. His team, Rosenborg, had just won the league with a match left to the end of the season. At long last, he'd won the first silverware in his professional career.

He felt much more alive than ever before. He could feel a quiet sense of contentment washing through him like a warm ocean wave, wiping away the stress of the entire season. He couldn't help but smile as he leaned back into his seat to savor the moment.

"Zachary," he heard Coach Johansen calling out to him a few seconds later. "Don't just sit there alone. Come and celebrate with us." A Cheshire cat's grin outlined the coach's face as he dragged Zachary from his seat and gave him a bear hug.

"You were incredible in today's game," he continued, "Your tremendous efforts have helped us become champions at an earlier date, with a match to go! Thanks for your hard work."

Zachary responded with a few polite words before stepping away from the coach and joining the rest of his already frenzied teammates. He felt like he was on cloud nine for the next few minutes while basking in the glory of winning the first silverware of his professional career.

A few minutes later, the entire Rosenborg team, including Zachary, started moving around the stadium to thank the fans who'd cheered them on throughout the season. The fans responded enthusiastically, giving the team a standing ovation while screaming Rosenborg's victory chants repeatedly.

Zachary enjoyed the moment, soaking himself into the excitement of winning the league. He gave away his jersey to a young passionate fan, seated close to the corner flag. At that moment, he was already drunk with resurgent joy, without any consideration to what Rosenborg's publicity and marketing departments would say.

**** ****

Olav Brusveen, the TV2 Sporten reporter, was all smiles as he dragged Zachary away from the frenzied group of Rosenborg players for an on-pitch post-match interview. He wanted to get the first scoop on the boy prodigy's take on the just-concluded season.

"Zachary, congratulations upon winning the 2013 Tippeligaen," he said, holding out a microphone towards the young number-33.

"Thank you," Zachary replied, grinning.

"How do you feel about winning the league in your first season at Rosenborg?"

"Of course, I feel terrific. Words can't even describe the happiness I'm feeling at this moment."

"You were amazing throughout the season," Olav said. "Time and time again, you managed to help Rosenborg win and continue keeping their hopes of winning the league alive. Should we expect to see the same performance from you here at Lerkendal next season?"

"That's a given," Zachary replied almost instantaneously, seemingly not giving much thought to the question. "I'll continue doing my best to improve myself so that I can put up more brilliant performances next season. For me, I believe winning the league is just the beginning, but not the end."

"You'll be heading to Austria to face off against Red Bull Salzburg in the fourth game of the Europa League group stages next Thursday," Olav continued. "What are your thoughts about that upcoming match? Do you think you and your colleagues can put up another incredible performance and keep Rosenborg's hopes of qualifying for the next round alive?"

"Hehe," Zachary chuckled, scratching at his chin. "This isn't the right time to answer questions about the upcoming matches. Olav! Can't you give me some time to immerse myself in the feeling of winning the league before asking me about another competition?"

"Well," Olav said with a smile. "I believe that most of the Rosenborg fans would like an answer to that question. So, can you please give us your take on that match?"

"All I can say is that we're professional players," Zachary said in a solemn tone. "We'll always do our best to win every match that comes our way. That's the spirit of Rosenborg."

"I, for one, still believe we have a chance to qualify for the Europa League knock-out stages," he continued without a pause. "If we manage to win all remaining three games in the group stages, then we'll get to qualify for the next round. So, I still haven't given up. I still believe. For every minute I'm on the pitch during the remaining group matches, I'll fight my hardest, even for the slimmest of possibilities, so that my team can qualify. I'm sure my coaches and the rest of my teammates feel the same way. They, too, will do their best in the upcoming matches."

"Thank you, Zachary, for taking the time to answer my questions," Olav said, extending his hand for a handshake. "And congratulations for winning the league once again. I wish you the best in your upcoming matches."

"Thank you, Olav," Zachary replied, taking the hand.

**** ****

Many of the reporters didn't just stop at speaking with Zachary. They flooded the stadium like locusts to interview all the Rosenborg players and the staff members that they could get ahold of at that moment. Even the people responsible for cleaning the stadium hallways managed to attract the attention of the press.

However, the reporters' manic behavior didn't last long. The festivities in Lerkendal stadium moved on to the next stage.

The members of the organizing committee began making preparations for the trophy presentation. They quickly set up a temporary podium, with a sparkling and glittering trophy sitting from across it. The long-awaited moment had finally come.

Without further ado, the chairman of Norsk Toppfotball, the governing body of Norwegian football, awarded the medals to Zachary and his teammates, sending Lerkendal into a frenzy of passionate cheers.

After that, the exciting moment truly arrived. Tore Reginiussen, the Rosenborg captain, received the 2013 league trophy from the Norsk Toppfotball chairman. The whole atmosphere in the stadium peaked when he lifted it up with both his hands the next instant.

The coach and players took turns holding the trophy before running with it across the green like madmen. What followed was a wild night of celebrations. The Rosenborg fans, staff, and players immersed themselves in the joy of becoming the 2013 champions after a year of hard work. It was a fantastic night for the footballing community of Trondheim.

**** ****