Second Chances: Indonesian Football Player

Chapter 48's

"Nero," said Mr. Thorgan. "You should come and visit me a few times. It's been a long time since we last talked."

Nero sighed sadly. "My exercise schedule keeps me from doing anything else. I was afraid that if I got out of the routine, I would lose focus and interfere with my progress. That's why I didn't even come home last summer."

They're both standing outside Coach Marcel's office. They had just finished attending that short meeting.

"I totally understand. The coaches just say good things about you. But, remember not to overload your body." Mr. Thorgan warned. "By the way, have you thought about getting an agent?" He asked indifferently.

"Not yet." Nero shook his head. "I don't need to look for an agent when I haven't started my professional career. I'll think about it next year."

"It's okay." Mr. Thorgan smiled. "But remember to consult me when you decide to get one. Do not be fooled by fake agents when you go abroad to play in tournaments. The situation in other European countries is not the same as here in Belgium."

"I'll remember it." Nero nodded.

"I'll go now. I don't want to keep you out of your training. Staying focused. The sky is your limit." Mr. Thorgan said before walking away.

Nero breathed. Inevitably he noticed that Mr. Thorgan looked much older than before. The wrinkles on his face became clearer. He even used a cane to prop himself up.

‘I hope he's okay.’ Nero thought as he prayed inwardly. He turned around and returned to Coach Marcel's office.

"Have you returned?" Coach Marcel said, looking up from his notebook.

"Yes, Coach," answered Nero, sitting on one of the couches. The others have all gone. Coach Marcel is the only one still in the room.

"You want to see me?" Nero asked.

"Yes" replied coach Marcel, half smiling. "I've seen your style of play evolve over the few games you've played under me. I'm sure that we can turn you into a very agile player capable of beating any defender in a professional league. I'm thinking of a good training plan that can further increase your speed."

Nero immediately received his full attention. He had been looking for a more effective way to increase his speed.

"Do you want to add a speed workout routine to your schedule?" Coach Marcel asked.

"Of course." Nero nodded.

"Then take this," said the coach, ripping a few pages from his notebook. "Do speed training three times a week. You will start to see results in two to three months." He handed the letters to Nero.

"DING"

Not long after Nero received those pages a system notification sounded in his mind. A translucent interface appears before him, suggesting he has a new system mission awaiting completion. It seems that the trainer can begin the mission of the system as long as they assign tasks to him. His mood lifted as soon as he realized that he had another way to earn experience points.

"If there's nothing else, you can go back to training."

"Well Coach," Nero said as he wanted the system interface to close with his mind. He could not begin to peruse in front of his coach. "I have a few questions on my mind."

"Do you know anything about the X factor in football?"

"Oh." Coach Marcel let out a half smile. "Factor X. Why are you researching that?" He looked at Nero with a frown.

"I just want to know."

"Well, there's no harm in telling you," Coach Marcel said. “The answer is simple. The X factor is simply the ability to win games for the team. On my part, I consider things like creativity, consistency, and sometimes even a player's luck as the X factors a team needs. "

Nero frowned. "Does that mean the most skilled player will always have the highest X factor?" He asked to eliminate his confusion. He was very consistent in all his matches. However, the system still shows no data available for the X-factor stat.

"That's what usually happens" replied Coach Marcel. "But not always. Some players are not very good at the ball but often win games for their team. They always find themselves in a strategic position, either intentionally or unintentionally, and end up scoring goals and winning matches. They get such simple moments. Whether it's individual brilliance or other things beyond that that that have made them win games for their team." He clapped his hands to emphasize his point.

"Let me give you an example" continued the coach. "Do you know the Chelsea squad with Michael Ballack and Didier Drogba?"

Nero nodded.

"Ballack is very skilled with the ball and a good finish. His style of play gets a lot of people excited. However, he did not score often enough to influence the team in several seasons. However, Drogba only got a few passes in the box and put the ball into the net. He was the top scorer for several seasons in the Stamford Bridge-based team. I'm sure he has a higher X factor in the team compared to Ballack, who is more skilled at possession of the ball."

The coach smiled gently at Nero. "To have a high X factor, you have to perform, score goals, and win games. Not just once. You have to stay consistent in a lot of games." He spoke with a convincing tone.

Nero's confusion is becoming more. He also knows a lot about the X-factor from the online literature. He has had a significant impact on the outcome of all his games since travelling back in time. He was still puzzled that his system of assessing the X factor stat was still stuck from him receiving Andres Iniesta's Vision until now. He wondered if it was due to the lack of sufficient data from the right amount of games.

"You have to get back to your training now" said Coach Marcel, his tone back to his standard gloom.

"Coach, wait," Nero said in an imploring tone. "How can I increase the power behind my free-kick? You said something about helping me thrive in the morning."

Coach Marcel raised his black eyebrows. "The key to increasing power lies in the swing speed behind your firing leg."

"Remember, the speed of the kick comes from the rotation of the hip and not from the leg. I'd advise you to start by making sure your hip rotation muscles are strong and flexible." He explains.

"I've included some exercises in your speed workouts that will help increase the swing speed back of your kicks. Just remember, your foot acts as a bow every time you make a shot. You will be able to unleash a powerful and fast punch.the arrow only if you have a very strong but elastic bowstring that can be instantly retracted. On the other hand, if you have a rigid bowstring, your shot will mean nothing. Are we clear?"

"Yes, coach." Nero nodded, finally understanding how to improve his shooting ability. He will create more spins and increase the speed of the ball by increasing the speed of his kicks.

Nero did not need to make any significant modifications to The Miracle Shoot Lionel Messia. All he needed was more flexibility and strength in his hips.

"Okay, back to your practice."

"Thank you very much for your guidance, coach," replied Nero politely. Coach Marcel's pointer came at the right time. He would spend months figuring out which aspects of the technique he needed to improve.

He was eager to try out a new technique within the Virtual Dungeon System. Then, he will be ready to try it out in the real world.