THE GREATEST OF ALL TIME
chapter-358

The game continued after the goal celebrations. The Olympique Lyonnais players seemed not to have given up yet, even after conceding the fourth goal. They launched another fierce attack against Rosenborg during the final minutes of added time. They passed the ball immaculately around the middle until they picked out Bafétimbi Gomis, the striker who had just escaped from Yerry Mina's harassment.

Bafétimbi Gomis received the ball and whirled around to create space for himself at the edge of the box. He then unleashed a powerful shot towards the goal when the angle opened up.

But his efforts were fruitless once again as his shot soon met a roadblock in the form of Eric Bailly. The Rosenborg defender slid in fast to intercept the ball and send it out of play with an outstretched leg.

*FWEEEEEEE*

The referee blew the whistle and pointed toward the corner flag.

The Lyon players quickly flooded into Rosenborg's box, hoping to score at least a consolation goal before the end of that night's proceedings. Soon, they started creating chaos in the box as they pushed and pulled at their opponents' shirts to create some space for themselves.

The tension was high in Rosenborg's box for the next minute, and the referee even had to step in and control the situation by cautioning some Lyon players. Otherwise, they might have come to blows with the Rosenborg players there in the box.

*FWEEEEEEE*

The referee finally blew the whistle and signaled for team Lyon to take the corner kick after calming the players' tempers down.

Jordan Ferri, the Lyon midfielder, immediately unleashed a tricky cross towards the crowded box from the corner spot.

The players of both teams pushed up from the ground to meet the ball descending into the box. But in the end, it was Yerry Mina, the tall Rosenborg center-back, who got the better of everyone else. He outjumped the rest and cleared the ball out of the box with his head.

*FWEEEEEEE*

It was then that the referee blew the whistle and brought the proceedings for the night to a close. After 96 minutes of intense action, the first leg of the Europe League quarter-finals had finally ended with Rosenborg overwhelming Lyon by four goals to nil.

The night was like a dream come true for the Rosenborg players. They soon started running around the pitch while yelling at the top of their voices to celebrate their victory. But a few minutes later, they had to cut their celebrations short as chaos descended upon the stadium.

The ugly side of football reared its hideous head as several dozens of supporters started pushing against the safety barriers held by the stewards. They continuously hurled out curses and insults as they tried to break past the security blockade and invade the stadium.

The situation soon turned more chaotic and out of control. As a result, the players and coaches of both teams could only return to their respective dressing rooms to avoid the mess.

The mood in Rosenborg's dressing room was jolly even with all the chaos outside in the stadium. Both coaches and players sang and danced like crazed fellows for minutes. They could hardly contain their excitement since they'd just made history by thrashing Lyon 4:0 away from home. They only needed to defend well during the second leg at Lerkendal, and then they would qualify for the Europa League semi-finals.

"Good game!" Coach Johansen said as he gave Zachary a bear hug. "And damn! You were really composed when you scored the fourth goal. The Lyon defenders will suffer nightmares, thinking about the goal for at least a few weeks."

"Thanks, coach," Zachary replied with a smile. His spirits were already shooting through the roof and soaring high up into the skies. Waves of contentment continuously warmed him from within as he'd scored four goals and won the match ball again.

**** ****

In the ESPN studio, Emilia smiled at the cameras. "What a surprising game," she said. "We all expected a match with a few goals. But in the end, Zachary Bemba pulled out all stops to ensure that his team, Rosenborg, thrashed Lyon by four goals to nil. What an incredible player!"

"Yes, what an incredible player, indeed," Juninho chimed in. "We're witnessing the rise of a very great player who can compete with the best of the best in history. He's just 19 years old — but already playing like this! If he can continue maturing, I just can't begin to imagine how deadly he'll be in a few years."

"You're right, Juninho," Ole said. "He's already scored seventeen goals in the Europa League this season. Jonathan Soriano, the RB Salzburg striker second on the list of top scorers, is just at eleven goals. But as we all know, Red Bull Salzburg is already out of the competition. So, Zachary will most likely take the Europa League golden boot this season, which is quite a big achievement for a young man who has just clocked 19-years."

Emilia smiled and said, "Gentlemen! Let's talk about the fourth goal. I keep having goosebumps every time I recall that goal during the 93rd minute."

"The goal was incredible," Juninho said with a smile. "The run from the left flank to the box was something else. Then, his simple feints to fool the keeper and the defenders before scoring were simply magnificent. Most players would be panicking to take the shot when they are that close to the goal. But what did Zachary do? He remained calm and composed and thought about fooling the defenders before scoring. Such composure at crucial moments of the game is the attribute that separates the best players from the mediocre players in the game."

Ole chuckled. "The other thing I noticed is that he seems to create chances out of nothing. You know! When he received the ball close to the left flank during the 93rd minute, I only froze a bit, thinking along the lines of oh, well, there's a 5% chance he can score. Then he accelerated to his maximum speed, and his chances increased to 50% in a few seconds. He approaches the keeper and circumvents him, and then his scoring-probability increases only to 80% — simply because of the two defenders still blocking his way. But with two more feints, he sends the defenders packing, and he has an open goal in front of him. His chances are already 100% by then. He buries the ball in the back of the net."

"If other players had been in Zachary's position," Ole continued, "They wouldn't have had the courage and boldness to make the run in the first place. They would have played it safe and waited for their teammates to catch up since their chances of making a successful run from the flanks to goal were minimal. And they would definitely not have scored the goal."

"Let me correct you there, Ole," Juninho said. "There are a few other players who would have made the run. Messi is one. Cristiano Ronaldo, Ronaldo Nazário de Lima, and Ronaldinho would also have made the same decision. Then, there's Maradona, Ryan Giggs, Romario, etcetera. The list goes on."

Ole chuckled. "Yes, you're right," he said. "Those players would have chosen to run with the ball. But comparing Zachary to those greats shows how great he is, even when he's just 19 years. And I'm sure that many big clubs will be eager to snatch him from Rosenborg during the upcoming transfer window."

"Zachary's next club is a big talking point these days," Emilia said. "A few weeks ago, there were rumors of Juventus already initiating a move on him. But, I'm guessing that the Italian giants won't be the only ones looking forward to acquiring his services. Many other big clubs should start keeping an eye on him, especially after his performance today."

"Definitely," Ole agreed. "The big spenders like Real Madrid, Manchester United, Manchester City, and Chelsea would want to buy him. Even Barcelona would welcome him to Camp Nou by offering him a lucrative salary. But from what I heard, Zachary still has two more years on his contract with Rosenborg. So, all those wishing to acquire his services will have to cough out some good money."

Emilia smiled. "Where do you wish to see him next season?"

"Manchester United," Ole was quick to answer.

"I would prefer to see him in a Lyon shirt," Juninho said. "But I know that that isn't going to happen, especially after our fans booed him throughout the entire match. I guess seeing him in a Juventus shirt is my next best option. I want to see him partner-up with Pirlo, Vidal, and Pogba in Turin. They would do great things together."

"Let's first put speculations of Zachary's future to the side," Emilia said. "Rosenborg's overwhelming win has put the Norwegian giants in a seemingly invincible position during this quarter-final. But do you think there's a chance for Lyon to make a comeback at Lerkendal next week? Can Lyon overcome a deficit of four goals to qualify for the semi-finals of the Europa League?"

"There's no chance," Ole replied, shaking his head. "Rosenborg is a team that is clearly on form. They'll be playing at Lerkendal in front of their home fans. They'll also be having Zachary, their playmaker, on the pitch. Can Lyon make a comeback with all those factors superimposing together? I don't think so. Many people like to say that football is unpredictable right up to the last minute. But for me, I believe that the result of this quarter-final is already decided."

Emilia nodded and turned to the Brazilian Maestro. "What about you, Juninho? What do you think?"

Juninho sighed and shook his head. "If Zachary doesn't play the second leg," he said, "Lyon might have a chance. But we all know that that isn't going to happen. Coach Johansen might even rest Zachary during the weekend and reserve him for the second leg clash. And with Zachary on the pitch, Lyon's chances are very slim."

**** ****