Second Chances: Indonesian Football Player

Chapter 118's

The cheers around the stadium were deafening.

Anderlecht scored the opening goal in the 13th minute of the Belgian Football Cup second half.

Sage celebrated the goal with other Anderlecht fans in the stands. He could feel that all the supporters around him seemed to vent their pent-up frustration as their club had lost their previous two games.

"OKAY. That was, Anderlecht's first RSC goal," Sage heard Anne Rimmen, the commentator, say, the sound coming at him through the stadium loudspeakers.

"It was an incredible finish from Alexsandar Mitrovic, as always." The commentator laughed softly.

"The Purple and White Boys are one goal ahead. With his experience Mitrovic remained calm in front of goal. But his assists are even more spectacular. That is a quality trait of young midfielder Anderlecht Nero Juniar." He grumbled, trying to pronounce the last name properly.

"But what we wanted to know: was the bait a coincidence, or was he intentional? Moss, what do you think?"

"Well, the important thing is that he makes assists that result in goals," replied Aad de Moss "In addition, he added, we don't know for sure if it's luck or pure skill because this is the first time we've seen this young midfielder in a senior Anderlecht game. We have no basis for any conclusion."

"Oh," said Anne Rimmen, looking a little disappointed. "But if you analyze the fifty-yard pass that was the assist, do you think he can repeat it again?"

Moss laughs. "You're a persistent person" he said.

"Yes." Yeah."

"Well, from the moment Nero Juniar touches the ball in the half area, you can tell that he intends to unleash an attack as quickly as possible to counterattack. You can see that from the way he made the incredible Cruyff Turn to lose both midfielders guarding him."

"He's a very talented midfielder. That's all I know. Just look at the way he makes space for himself in that dense defensive midfield. It shows us that he has good game-reading skills and can see the odds quickly."

"However, the Killer pass was something else" continued Mr Moss. “You have to see how it flows through the defenders and falls right into a good position behind the Lommel SK defensive line. Maybe there is a bit of luck involved. But who knows? Maybe we'll see the same thing from Nero in the future."

"Luck," Sage heard Ryandi's snort from beside him. "Those people haven't seen anything."

The people around him laughed at him.

"For a moment there, I thought she would go forward and run past the opponent with the ball" said Amelia Leroy, her words tinged with her French accent.

"It's a professional league, not an academy" Damon said, shaking his head. "Dribbling the ball will be very difficult for him at this stage."

"Well, you never know" Ryandi said. "If anyone can do it, it's Nero. He's phenomenal."

Sage was getting curious about Nero's current skill level. From the way his former team-mates talk about him, it seems they believe he can put himself on Anderlecht's starting line-up list in no time. They made it seem as if making a crazy assist was just a walk in the park for him.

Sage surprised. Although he believed in his grandfather's vision, he thought that Nero needed time to mature before he could help Anderlecht.

He only teased him when he had previously asked him to help Anderlecht reach the Europa League quarter-finals. The White and Purple Boys could not even beat Club Brugge the previous season in the fourth round of the Belgian Cup. So, it will not be easy for them to qualify from the Europa League group phase.

But if Nero does have the skills to release a pass like he just made, Anderlecht will soar in the following seasons. They already have Ronald Vargas, who was signed by the club in February before. If they can add another good midfielder, then they have a chance to go beyond the Europa League group stages. He could feel his heart beating faster than usual as he thought of the possibility.

"The players have taken their starting positions once again," he heard the melodic sound of Anne Rimmen from the loudspeaker. "The celebration has ended, and the game will restart in a few seconds. Moss, you think because Anderlecht scored in the 13th minute, they're going to win this game?"

"As I've said, you can never be one hundred percent sure in football. Anything can happen."

"Lommel SK had a spell attack in the opening minutes. They have to dominate possession by at least 52% if my estimates are correct. However, they lack one key factor. They haven't been able to break through the final third and score goals. Their attackers seem unable to connect with their midfielders. If they could correct that simple mistake, they could make Anderlecht have trouble holding them back."

"On the other hand, Anderlecht are now quite comfortable after securing that goal," continued Mr. The Aad de Moss. "They can sit back and relax and face the attack of Lommel SK. And when there was a chance, they could attack Lommel with a counterattack. They are a stronger team. So, they can achieve it easily. However, it all depends on whether those young midfielders can continue to defend in the middle of the field of play."

"OK, thank you, Moss," said Anne Rimmen. "For now, let's take you back to live action. The game has just begun again, and Lommel's in control of the ball."

Sage smiled, returning his entire focus to the events on the field. A Lommel centre-back had just received the ball near his box. However, before he could let go, Alexsandar Mitrovic, number 9 Anderlecht, was already on top of him.

However, Alex Mitrovic did not let Lommel's defence relax. He seems to get more energy after scoring goals. He continued to chase the ball until he pressed the goalkeeper to release the ball wide towards the left back.

Left-back Lommel received the ball but was also immediately capped by Matthew Suarez, the left-hander. The left-back looked around to find a safe place to release the ball before Anderlecht's RSC player could snatch it. But he didn't make it. All his team-mates nearby have been closely watched by the highly agile Anderlecht attacker and midfielder. So, he could only kick the ball up high towards the half of Anderlecht's pitch, trying to reach Lommel's attacker with a long-range pass.

But, it's all still in vain. Olivier Deschacht, captain of Anderlecht, is in the best shape in defence. He outscored striker Lommel in the air and headed the long ball safely back to the goalkeeper. Anderlecht got back on the ball that way.

For the next ten minutes, Sage watched closely as Anderlecht's players dictated the tempo of the game. Whenever they did not have the ball, they would use high-pressing tactics to force Lommel's players to play the ball with – long passes. The defensive player and highly tactical midfielder Anderlecht will then beat the opponent and easily regain the ball that has been released. Anderlecht completely beat Lommel within minutes of the goal.

The young midfielder performed very well in the middle of the pitch. Their passing is very precise and reminds Sage of Barcelona's Tiki-Taka style of play. They completely dominated the midfield with that style of play.

Nero is very prominent. He can overcome and endure. He is also good at running into empty spaces, putting himself between opponents, and opening himself up to receive passes. His sense of position on the pitch and his vision is incredible.

He doesn't look at all like someone who plays his debut match. He looked confident and connected with his team-mates to play beautifully flowing football. All the midfielders and strikers around him come alive every time he has the ball.

In the 25th minute, Anderlecht managed to push back all of Lommel's players into their own half of the pitch due to their dominant midfielder. It had been a long time since the Sage last saw Anderlecht press another team, either strong or weak, in such a manner.

In the 28th minute, Nero again thwarted Lommel's long-range pass. He lowered it near the center circle and released a through pass into the wing where Nathan Kabasele was. And as he did throughout the game, he ran forward towards Lommel SK's penalty box after releasing the ball.

Nathan Kabasele, one of Anderlecht's wingers, managed to receive Nero's breakthrough pass near the touchline. He did not stop to control the ball because it landed directly on his running path. Instead, he fed it past Jeroen Gossens, Lommel's right-back, with a deft first touch before beating it at pace.

Nathan ignored Jeroen Gossens desperately trying to pull his shirt and dribble like the wind. He approached the goal line on the wing and sent a teasing flat pass into the box.

The cross came in so quickly that it left centre-back Lommel without much time to prepare. Even goalkeeper Lommel did not come out from the sidelines to intercept the ball. The defense of the Lommel SK team now looks a mess.

Alex Mitrovic makes use of gaps in defense and acts like a hungry predator who has seen prey. He passed Sam Vanaken, Lommel's centre-back, and slid towards the goal to get the ball into the back of the net.

It was the best chance Anderlecht had created in minutes. All the fans, including Sage, stood up from their seats, anticipating another goal from the attacker.

However, the number 9 player was one second late. The ball slid through the mouth of the goal, between the goalkeeper's outstretched hand and Mitrovic's foot just inches away. Then it continues past the feet of some other players and towards the right wing.

"Geez," Anne Rimmen, the commentator, shouted her voice dwarfing ******* Anderlecht fans in the stadium. "The missed opportunity. It should be 2:0. Wait..." He paused for a moment. "Rosenborg's fight is not over. Sandy Walsh, Anderlecht's right-back, picked up the ball near the touchline. He'll feed it back into the area..."

All of Sage's attention was on the playing field. He saw Sandy Walsh pass Romero Regales and then whipped a beautiful cross into the box.

The second time around, all the players in the box, including Mitrovic and Matias Suarez of Anderlecht, jumped high to welcome the incoming cross. Meanwhile, the two tried their best to beat the Lommel SK defenders.

However, goalkeeper Lommel SK, who had just recovered, jumped high and beat them to get the ball. He showed great determination and outperformed all the other players in the air before punching the ball out of the box with a strong arm.

KSage's eyes followed the ball hovering past the players in purple and white shirts before bouncing a few yards from the box.

"Here it is, he comes," Sage heard Ryandi shouting excitedly from beside him. He wondered what Ryandi was talking about, but he did not have time to investigate the matter. Instead, his eyes remained following the loose ball that was still bouncing off Lommel's box.

He almost sighed about the missed opportunity. But then, he saw a tall figure filling the bouncing ball with the left boot, sending it back where it came from. The figure was Nero, and he had just fired a missile shot towards the goal with a half-volley from twenty-eight yards.

Sage surprised. ‘How did he get there so fast?’ He wondered, flashing reflexively. The ball glides like a bullet to the goal. By the time he reopened his eyes to follow in his footsteps once again, it had only hit the crossbar and bounced off to the back of the net.

2:0. Sage fell into a state of shock with his mouth agape as he could not believe what he had just witnessed. He could sense that even Nero's friends, who knew him best, were surprised by the goal.

"Geez," cried the commentator, waking him up from trance. "A brilliant kick? Surprising? A spectacular, amazing and incredible goal! How about that? Nero Juniar has shown us with absolute beauty in his debut match. Holy hooch! I don't believe that." The words of Anne Rimmen are pronounced in Dutch at a machine gun-like speed.

The stadium exploded with loud cheers once again.

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