Second Chances: Indonesian Football Player

Chapter 117's

It was the eighth minute of the second round of the Belgian Football Cup. Lommel returned to possession after Mitrovic failed to take advantage of Leander's long-range pass. The Lommel SK players, dressed in yellow and blue, appeared on fire in the early minutes of the match.

Bart Gossens, one of Lommel's centre-backs, leaped over Anderlecht and cleared the ball from the box.

Without delay, the Lommel players continued their attacks. Christophe Delande, the left midfielder, took the ball from Bart's clearence. He pushed it onto the grass and made a breakthrough pass to Romero Regales, the left-hander.

With skillful footwork, Romero Regales passed Sandy Walsh, Anderlecht's right-back, once again. He ran across the touchline, penetrating deep into Anderlecht's half-court in just an instant.

Nero has been on alert and carefully tracking the attacker's movements since he had the ball. He has noted that Lommel's players seem to prefer left-sided attackers as they continue to give him passes. So, Nero had long since prepared himself for action and stopped the striker once again.

The coach repeatedly stressed the midfielder's responsibility to assist the defense in thwarting threats to the goal throughout the game. For the first eight minutes, Nero had observed the simple instructions on the letter. Each time the opponent attacked, he would fall back to his half and adjust his position. That way, he managed to stop three Strindheim attacks in the first few minutes of the game.

As a midfielder, he has to play smart, using his brain to weaken opponents rather than relying solely on tight guard and tackles. So, at all times, he always makes a mental map of all the players around the pitch in order to position himself perfectly.

Moreover, he realized that it was easier to track down opponents and teammates since he had studied Perfect Vision. He can analyse the risks on the pitch quickly and react accordingly. Thanks to that, he slowly became more confident in his defensive abilities as the game progressed.

So, he was not afraid of meeting Romero Regales in a one-on-one encounter. He had stopped her before he could stop her again.

However, Nero changed his decision after only a few seconds. From the corner of his eye, he saw Olivier, captain of Anderlecht and a centre-back, running from his position and darting towards Romero like a bullet.

The centre-back ran so fast that he chased to the front left in just a few seconds. He did not reduce his speed even when he reached Romero who was running. He instead slid in and handled the ball, pushing it off the field of play.

Meanwhile, Romero is thrown to the ground by another Anderlecht player. He had nightmares from a game. This was the third time he had been dropped to the ground as he ran across the edge line of the field.

"Ref," he shouted, waving his hands in the air as he rose from the ground. "High shoes, high shoes..." He added, running towards the referee. However, the referee ignored him and gestured for Lommels to throw in.

Nero smiled at Romero's reaction. He knew that Romero was too used to dribbling past defenders using his pace and footwork. But it seems he forgot that he was not playing a second division game but was facing Anderlecht. His dribbling efforts are like a children's game in front of a top Pro Ligue defender like Olivier Deschacht.

Nero shook his head and ran to the right side of the field to defend against a throw-in.

He made mental notes to prevent himself from falling into a situation like Romero. He will only try to dribble when he believes his speed and skill can beat any defender in the Pro Ligue. Otherwise, he would only embarrass himself.

"Sandy!" Nero heard Olivier shout loudly as he took a position close to the touchline. "That's the third time you've failed to stop the boy. What are you doing on the field? Are you sleeping? Get in the game. Stop making a mess for us." The captain looked angry at the right-back and did not mince words with him.

Sandy Walsh just smiled sadly, shaking her head before concentrating on marking her husband once more. He did not seem the slightest bit bothered by the captain's shout at him.

*PRIIIIIIITT*

The referee blew his whistle after giving a verbal warning to Romero Regales over his protest.

Glenn Neven, the Lommel full-back, threw in. After a short run, he set foot on the sidelines and threw the ball over the line towards Romero Regales.

However, this time, Sandy was already on alert and managed to stop the left attacker. He jumped high and headed the ball, directing it into midfield towards Nero.

He didn't feel any pressure though it was his debut match. Instead, he felt his heart throbbing with excitement as he turned around with the ball plugged into his left foot. He intends to release the attackers as quickly as possible as he realizes that most of Lommel's players have attacked in the Anderlecht defensive area.

It was the perfect opportunity to counterattack. He could not understand why, but he could feel it in his bones. He's sure of it. However, Lommels' two central midfielders shut him down quickly, even before he had time to release the ball.

‘What the fuck is this?’ Nero could only curse inwardly.

He wondered why midfielder Lommel had shut it down so quickly since the game began. Whenever he had the ball, they would chase him in just seconds.

At the start of the game, he didn't think about it because he believed that it was the tempo and intensity that fit the professional football stage in Europe. However, as the match progressed, he realized that the opponent was targeting him specifically. It looks like they think of it as a weak link in Anderlecht's midfield and intend to force him into a blunder so they can reap the profits. In other words, they gave him special treatment as a newbie who had just graduated from the academy. That time was no different.

Although Nero disliked the feeling of being identified as a weak link, he forced himself to focus on the task at hand. He has a choice to make. He could not let a hint of displeasure interfere with his state of mind.

At that point, he decided that he could play it safe and pass the ball back to the goalkeeper of the safest choice. Or he could take a risk and try to pass the ball outside the intense pressure zone of the rivals. That way, he could unleash an attack quickly and start a counterattack.

Nero is basically a gambler. So, he took even riskier but most profitable action. He raised his legs high and faked a pass towards Silvio Proto, Anderlecht's goalkeeper.

But instead of passing the ball back, he pulled it towards himself with his left shoe thus starting one of his Cruyff Turn variations. He has trained the skill to a high level of mastery and can use it in any situation, even under pressure.

Nero spun with the ball, passing one of Lommel's midfielders. With that simple Cruyff Turn, he had created a yard of space for himself. But he had to act in seconds, or the opponent would attack him once more.

Nero didn't want that to happen. So, he did not linger and looked across the field. His eyes quickly stared at the two Anderlecht attackers positioned outside the rival's strong pressure zone. In his mind, a mental map with an open linear route to pass the ball appeared instantly. Meanwhile, his A-rated game intelligence coupled with Perfect Vision helped him deduce the best place to distribute the ball in just an instant.

Nero's mind had been working very fast, probably in an overdrive state, so he managed to find the best passing route in just a span of one second. Thanks to that, he managed to realize that Alex Mitrovic had just moved away from his guard in the Lommel defensive area.

Nero no longer lounges. He lifted his right leg and unleashed a sweeping pass with the outside of his shoe just before midfielder Lommel could close it. However, he did not relax, but followed the ball.

The ball flew in the air through the gap between the opponent and teammates on the field, heading towards Alex Mitrovic. Loris Brogno, Lommel's defensive midfielder, tried to intercept him near the centre circle. He even jumped up, trying his best level to stop him from reaching Mitrovic with his head. However, everything was in vain. The ball appears to be controlled by a high-tech missile guidance system. It flashed over it at a distance of only a few centimeters, continuing to Mitrovic who had long since started running towards the Lommel goal.

The cheers at the stadium eased for a moment as Mitrovic, Anderlecht's centre-forward and number 9, held the ball just in front of Lommel's box. The fans in the stands waited nervously their eyes fixed on number 9 as he stepped into Lommel's box without a fight.

Bait splitting Nero's defence has helped him gain an advantage over the opposition centre-back. So, he had long since left them in the dust without even being offside.

Nero also watched nervously as goalkeeper Lommel came off the net to welcome Mitrovic. Although he knows number 9 is a talented striker who has been in excellent form since the beginning of the new season, he did not rule out the possibility of still being able to waste opportunities. If that happens, Nero will miss the chance to make his first assist on the professional stage. So, he's restless.

Fortunately, the goddess of fortune seems to be with Mitrovic, Nero, and the rest of Anderlecht. The number 9 maintains his composure like a talented striker he is. He gouged the ball past the defenseless goalkeeper and managed to put Anderlecht ahead in the 13th minute.

1:0

The cheers of the Anderlecht fans exploded like a storm in the Soverein Stadium.

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