Second Chances: Indonesian Football Player

Chapter 64's

11:00 AM. Wednesday, 15 February 2012.

The fans in the stands were a sea of smiles as they quietly waited for the start of the match.

Isabella Anderson stuck her neck out to better see the players entering the field of play. He sat close to the bottom row, closer to the field.

"The RSCA Youth Academy player," he heard the commentator announce, his deep voice heard from the large speaker positioned several meters to his right. "Suit number-1: Damon Kvennson, shirt number-2: Miguel Alaron, No. 16: Jonathan Lodi, No. 4: Kierst Donovan, No. 5: Antonio Mitchell, No. 6: Isaac Newton, No. 7: Ryandi Ferdianur No. 8: Nero Juniar..” The commentator was a little goosebumps when reading his last name. Cheers suddenly exploded throughout the stands. The fans are in a happy mood.

Isabella was surprised by the large number of home fans and their support for Nero. He originally thought the match between RSCA Youth Academy and Lechia Gedansk Junior would not attract many people. But, upon arrival at the Skonto Arena, he was quickly proven wrong. There were over a thousand fans present. It seems like most of them just came to watch his new client, Nero Juniar, play. He was glad he managed to sign such a promising client.

Commentators continued to read the names after the crowd stopped cheering. "No.9: Stefan Kvennson, No. 10: Bjorn Smirkson, No. 11: Andres Kim. And this is Lechia Gedanks Junior's squad..."

He went on to announce Lechia Gedanks Junior's squad, but Isabella did not notice. He dismantled his Nikon camera, installed his lens, and checked the battery to make sure it was ready for use when the game started. He did not want to miss capturing a brilliant performance from Nero that could give him the edge in future negotiations.

"What are you doing?" ask Michael Henderson, his immediate superior. "We've recorded one of the matches. No need to waste time photographing something else." He chanted, casually waving his hand to emphasize his point.

Isabella frowned, turning around to stare at her colleague flatly. Scout/agent has been in a bad mood ever since he learned about his success signing Nero. Michael Henderson intends to be his direct handling agent rather than him. He just—assigned to contact Nero. However, Isabella has used her wits to beat her boss to clients by offering contracts that are hard to refuse. It seemed like he made her angry as a result.

"Have you forgotten he's already my client?" He asked with his trademark gentle smile to handle the negotiation. "I don't need to teach you that an agent should take note of any information that could increase the bargaining power of his clients in negotiations." He returned his attention to the match. The players go through a pre-match routine by shaking hands with their opponents.

"I have a feeling Nero will perform even better in this match" he continued. "There's no way I'm gonna miss recording this game." He said, his tone without further ado.

Michael Henderson frowned, then nodded sharply. "As far as you. However, we should have that meeting before we return to London. You obviously can't take all the credit for signing Nero." He emphasizes.

Isabella sighed, rolling her eyes. "With all the players you've signed, what's the difference that's going to happen to your career?" She asked. "Do you have enough time to serve all your clients?"

He became much more confident in dealing with supervisors after he successfully signed a promising client. Michael Henderson will not be able to fire him without permission from top management.

**** ****

"I want you to talk more with your teammates while on the pitch" Coach Marcel told Nero. "The players respect you as captain. Try to warn them if they start to lose focus like in the previous game. I'm sure they'll listen to you." He spoke slowly in a well-pronounced manner to emphasize his point.

Nero nodded. He downed the water before running back to his position on the field. Coach Marcel has allowed him to return to midfield, leaving an attacking position for Bjorn Smirksson, the RSCA Youth Academy's number 10.

Nero looked around and noticed that the players from both teams had taken their positions. His teammates did not appear as relaxed as in the second half of the previous match. Looks like Coach Johansen's message has reached them. They jump around and run around their positions to keep their bodies warm while waiting for the whistle. He knows they are ready to perform.

He looked back at the Lechia Gedanks Junior players wearing white jerseys on the other side of the field. They also seem excited to start the game. Their great defeat against Genoa did not seem to dampen their spirits in the least.

The referee immediately blew his whistle, and the match started with the kick-off of Lechia Gedanks Junior.

Five minutes into the match, Nero noticed that the opponent used a 5-4-1 formation, with most of their efforts focused on defending. With five defenders and four midfielders protecting the goal, Zachary and his team-mates struggled to carry the ball further forward. The game soon became a dead end.

The difference between the two teams turned out to be Zachary. The RSCA Youth Academy is capable of using a 4-2-4 formation due to its speed and efficiency with the ball. He has an uncanny ability to move quickly through midfield, forming the perfect link between defence and offense.

He played his typical role, helping the RSCA Youth Academy to dictate the tempo of the game. He is always on the move, either with the ball or ready to take a pass. His first touch was incredible, often taking him past one or two of his opponents. He didn't let the enemy tie him up— like they did in the match against JFC Riga.

However, the players of Lechia Gedanks Junior were extremely determined. The nine players they kept behind the ball did their best to stop the RSCA Youth Academy players approaching their box. In particular, their defender played well in the first half by Nero and his team-mates. They managed to hold the most dangerous shot from their goal in the first half.

The score remained a 0-0 draw until the end of the first half. Lechia Gedanks Junior has managed to keep the attacking power of RSCA Youth Academy.

****

However, as the match progressed to the second half, the RSCA Youth Academy strengthened their superior ball possession.

RSCA Youth Academy showcases great teamwork by exchanging short and one-two passes, waiting to open up the Lechia Gedanks Junior defense and hitting them quickly on the break.

Nero created a game-changing opportunity in the 54th minute when he did a trick to the edge of the box. He managed to fire a howitzer towards the inside of the right post. However, Lechia goalkeeper Gedanks Junior was in the right position to make a brilliant save. The ball is out of play, a few inches wide from the pole. The referee pointed to the corner flag.

Kierst Donovan, the right wing-back of the RSCA Youth Academy, took a corner, sending a teasing ball into the box. He managed to find Isaac, who jumped all the defenders and tried his luck with a header from around the penalty spot. His effort was just right enough to pass Lechia goalkeeper Gedanks Junior into the top right corner of the net.

1:0.

RSCA Youth Academy have managed to score their first goal against a weaker team after 56 minutes. It seems to open the floodgates. Lechia Gedanks Junior midfielder lost their morale and started making a lot of amateur mistakes.

Nero began to notice many loopholes that could be exploited in the defense profile of Lechia Gedanks Junior. In the 60th minute, he broke away from his guard using the well-executed Cruyff Turn and accelerated towards goal.

Although he has not managed to reach the instinct condition of flowing the ball as in the previous game, he can still execute his movements quickly.

He dribbled past four defenders, managed to get enough space in the box and scored the second goal of the RSCA Youth Academy.

However, he did not relax after scoring.

For the next ten minutes, he was on fire. He tackles players, intercepts passes, and dribbles past opponents with ease. He scored three more goals in the 63rd, 68th and 71st minutes. Thanks to his efforts, the RSCA Youth Academy is five goals ahead with eighteen minutes left to play. However, he still had a lot of stamina left.

Nero felt like he was at his best. The ball listened to him, and the goddess of luck was on his side. He wants to score more goals. That will make it closer to completing one of the crucial milestones of the system's mission. However, Coach Marcel substituted him out in the 75th minute, shortening his playing time on the pitch.

"You need to rest" said the coach, patting Nero on the back. "We want you to be at your best against AC Milan Academy. That would be a real test for us." The coach added to emphasize his point.

Nero nodded before sitting on the bench. He understands the coach's decision, but he still feels a little angry. He probably has the best stamina and endurance among the academy players, rated A+ by the system. However, the coach has taken it out earlier than other players who are tired faster.

Nero downed more water from the bottle and returned his attention to the match. His teammates still dictate the game on the field. They even scored again in the 85th minute. However, they wasted a lot of opportunities. They did not fully take advantage of the mistakes Lechia Gedanks Academy players had made.

However, the match ended with a score of 6:0, for the victory of RSCA Youth Academy.

Nero felt that he could lead the team to a bigger win if he was allowed to stay on the pitch. Even though he has scored four goals, he is still bitter.

He felt angry at the coach for taking him off the pitch too early. He covered his face with his shirt to hide the wrinkles on his face. He did not even stand up and greet his other teammates as they exited the field after the final whistle sounded.

"Hey buddy," Ryandi greeted him right after the match. "You played a good game as always. We now have six points and are top of our group."

Nero opened his face and noticed that his friend was looming over him, smiling. He was quite happy to have scored the sixth goal of the RSCA Youth Academy.

While staring at his friend, he took a moment to ponder his emotions. He wondered why he suddenly felt angry with a simple substitution which was the right tactical decision by the coach.

‘Do I still have problems with mood swings like in my previous life?’ He pondered, feeling a chill run down his spine. The thought made him restless— to a certain extent.

Nero sighed, shaking his head. In his previous life, he had fought with his coach, teammates, and opponents on a regular basis. His bitterness over his unsafe football career has fueled his unsportsmanlike behaviour. His bad temper has contributed to his rapid exit from his previous squad in his first life.

In professional sports, a player must control his emotions perfectly in order to succeed. A single moment of instability can cause his team to lose an important match. Nero has watched Zinedine Zidane, the French legend, lose the World Cup final in such a way. He was glad he had realized such a glaring weakness before it could jeopardize his career. He decided to find a way to strengthen his mental abilities as soon as possible.

For a moment, he allowed his mind to focus on his happiest moments in the past few days in order to expel all the remaining negativity. He is immersed in memories of the times he ran past players or scored in previous games. His actions were calming, and he felt his mood become brighter after a few seconds.

"Are you okay?" Ryandi asked, waving his hand in front of Nero's face. "Why did you come out? The referee calls you to receive the match ball."

"Attent." Nero flashed a gentle smile to his friend. "I'll be there as soon as possible. And, congratulations on scoring your first goal in the tournament, by the way." She said.