Second Chances: Indonesian Football Player

Chapter 62's

Nero and his team-mates left the dressing room after Coach Johansen's speech. They passed VfB Stuttgart and Skonto Academy players in the hallway as they exited the field. Both teams are scheduled to play in the next game.

The RSCA Youth Academy squad joined a small crowd of home fans who left the stadium. Some people stuck their necks out to look at Nero. The others shouted in a language he did not understand. But, he knew they were trying to talk to him. It seems like he has gained fame among the JFC Riga fans.

Nero maintained a courteous smile and continued to move with the crowd. Everyone in the fan army moved forward as if being dragged by an invisible hand.

Before long, Nero and his teammates exited the indoor stadium.

At the gate, she is shocked to meet Maria and her twin sister, Amelie. They stand among a group of classmates from the Brussels International School. Most are French or Dutch who are part of an international program at her school.

"You guys are here!" Stefan was the first to run forward to greet the entourage. "Aren't you supposed to attend class?" The Norwegian asked, looking at the group of ten people from Brussels.

"We won't miss this tournament for anything" Amelie replied, smiling. Like her sister, she wore a stylish knee-length coat that covered most of her beautiful figure. "We arrived yesterday morning to give you support here in the cup. As international students, we seek for ourselves." She added.

Stefan grinned, hooking an arm around Amelie's shoulder. "That's great. The tournament will be more fun with all of you. Did you watch the game?" The Norwegian asked, his eyes staring from one person to another in the group.

"We watched. You guys are great." Amelie stopped, turning her gaze towards Nero. "I never knew you could play like that. You are really good at hiding your skills. Why don't you play for Anderlecht's team?" He asked, furrowing his brows.

Nero simply shrugged his shoulders in a relaxed manner . He looked around and noticed that his other classmates were staring at him in awe. They were also impressed by his appearance.

"Hello, everyone," he greeted them, trying his best to change the subject. He doesn't like to be the center of attention whenever he's off the field. "It's nice to meet you. It's always nice to have the support of the hosts every time we play."

His classmates returned greetings, nodding in the process. Maria blinked her eyes as they shook hands. He utters the word 'later' and starts to look around him, ignoring the chatter between Kvennsons, Ryandi, and his other classmates. He walked to the side and started observing his other teammates.

Most RSCA Youth Academy players greet their parents or siblings who have traveled to support them in Riga. They hugged each other and chatted sweetly or any topic that made them laugh and grin broadly, as Nero watched. Even the always moody Coach Marcel was busy talking to his wife and daughter, as if forgetting about the AC Milan Academy match that was about to start. Everyone was happy that their families had traveled a long way to comfort them.

At times like that, Nero wished his parents could come here to see him play. He wants them to know that their son is currently stepping into a professional footballer..

Nero felt like a teenager, thinking about the matter, but there was not much he could do to drive away that yearning. He decided to contact his parents later to ease these feelings, and he can't wait to return to Indonesia as one of the best players in the world

Maria quietly left her other group of friends and stood by her side. "A penny to your mind" he said.

"Just think about life and the next game" he replied with a smile, forcing himself to focus on the Frenchwoman. "I'm surprised you came here with your sister. I never thought of you as a football fan, like your brother." He added, switching topics.

Nero was under the impression that he was not interested in football. Unlike his sister, he never bothered to watch Anderlecht matches in the stadium, even when free match tickets were available.

Maria smiled softly. "I didn't come here for football, but to see you play. Looks like you've been avoiding me ever since we got back from Christmas. What's up with that?" His French accent colored his words.

Nero breathed. "I've been busy preparing for the tournament. We don't have time for class or anything." He stopped, throwing a casual look around him. "And now, I have to go back to the hotel and take a shower, then watch the match between our next two opponents."

Nero tilted his head to look at the French woman better. Maria is a beautiful girl with blonde hair woven into a long braid, draped over her shoulder. He had a long nose that perfectly matched his eyes that were as blue as the sky.

"But, we can meet and talk on Friday," Nero said. "It was a free day after our last group game. Is it okay with you?"

"It's a date then." Maria smile. "Should I expect a tour around town or something?"

"Maybe" answered Nero. "But I have to go now. Or my coach won't be happy."

He had noticed that the bus had already arrived at the gate. Coach Marcel is done saying goodbye to his family. He stood beside the bus, waiting for the players to end their interaction. Assistant Coach Sebastian was driving around, telling everyone to get on the bus as soon as possible.

Nero, his team-mates, and the coaches board a bus to the Monika Centrum Hotel. They quickly cleaned and changed new sports clothes in their rooms. Twenty minutes later, they were already at the Olympic Sports Center. They sat in the stands, among several fans, watching the match between AC Milan Academy and Lechia Gdanks Junior.

The match took place unilaterally, with the AC Milan Academy team dictating the game. They attacked the Danish team from the first minute, with their winger and midfielder making several attempts, on goal, in the first few minutes. Their chemistry is perfect. It seems they have been playing together for a long time.

They form in a 4 3 3 formation without showing any glaring flaws in their style of play. AC Milan's signature defence of two centre-backs and two full-backs stopped Lechia Gdanks' players from firing on goal.

The Italian team plays with three central midfielders who sometimes form triangles and play with a quick touch, transitioning from defensive to attacking. They conquered and dominated the midfield and closed out most of Lechia Gdanks' chances.

AC Milan's attacking power consists of three strikers, one central and two who play on the wings. The two strikers on the side are all-round attacking players with good speed and shooting ability, often using their speed on the flanks to cut towards the goal. The centre striker is a strong target man and sometimes drops deep into the box to drag defenders away and make room for the wingers to score.

In the 13th minute, AC Milan's number 11 managed to dribble from the wings and score the first goal. In the 20th minute, the centre-forward tapped in a cross inside the six-yard box and scored the second. Six minutes later, the third attacker scored again.

Nero watched attentively as AC Milan scored goal after goal throughout the one-sided game. The tall AC Milan centre-forward quickly made a hat-trick while the other attackers on the wing got two goals apiece. In the 80th minute, AC Milan were seven goals ahead of Lechia Gdanks. The Polish team have not scored a single goal.

"AC Milan will be a tough opponent" Damon, who sits to Nero's right, commented. "We had to find a way to freeze their two wings to win. Otherwise, we will suffer the same fate as Lechia Gdanks." He added, shaking his head.

"We have to win a game against Lechia Gdanks to qualify for the knockout stage" Nero said. "I don't want to risk playing AC Milan without six points in the bag." The AC Milan team is good with a balanced squad that has almost no weaknesses.

"I'm not worried about Lechia Gdanks," Damon said with a smile. "Look at them. They haven't had a shot on target since the game started. Do you think we can lose against a team like that?"

Nero furrowed his brows, turning his head to the side to look at his friend. "Damon," he said, his tone grim. "Have you forgotten what just happened to us in the second half? You can never be sure of winning the game until you dominate the other side. Otherwise, the betting company would have gone bankrupt centuries ago. Do you remember the match between Senegal and France at the 2002 World Cup? Or Greece versus Portugal in the Euro?" He asked, locking a gaze with his flatmate.

Damon was about to reply, but their conversation was interrupted by a sweet feminine voice coming from Nero's left side. "Hello, Nero. May I ask for your signature?"

Nero surprised. He only played one game in Riga. It was shocking that someone had already asked for his signature. He's not Messi or anyone who's famous yet. He looked to the side and saw the gentle face of a beautiful young lady. His blue eyes, like the sea, were calm and emotionless. She had dark black hair that was long and wavy so smooth and soft, almost like it was made of cloth.

"Who are you?" Nero managed to reply after a few seconds. However, his voice came out an octave higher than intended.

The woman smiled, her eyes gaining and radiating a hint of warmth. "I'm Isabella Anderson. And, I guess I'm a big fan of yours." He speaks with a classic English accent like the BBC news anchor. "Will you give me that signature and maybe have a cup of coffee with me?"

Nero remained silent, frowning. He could feel Damon pinching his right side when he delayed giving an answer to the woman. "Bro," he whispered. "Wait for what else? He won't kidnap you in broad daylight. You are much stronger than him for God's sake. Just say yes. I'll tell Coach that you just got back to the hotel to rest."

"I promise I'm not a fraud" cut the woman down. "And, I have a lot of info about each of the teams participating in the Riga Cup. We can talk about football over coffee. No need to be confused." She added, smiling gently.

"That's how," Damon interrupted. "A cup of coffee is good for relaxation after a busy game like the one we just played today morning."

Nero first looked back into the field before replying. AC Milan have scored their eighth goal of the match. They led the group due to a remarkable goal difference of eight goals. There is nothing left to see in the game.

Nero looked back at the woman. She knew that she was not like a fangirl, following a star to get an autograph. He looks more like the office type, is calculating, and is good at dealing with people.

He decided to go with her and hear what she was saying. He had a feeling he would regret if he refused the meeting.

"OK," he told the woman. "Let's have coffee."

He first told Damon to protect him before leading his way out of the indoor stadium.