Second Chances: Indonesian Football Player
Chapter 76's
The second half of the semi-final between RSCA Youth Academy and Borussia Dortmund ensued, running at the same tempo as the first half. The German team mostly used wing play to attack while the Belgian team waited and defended more.
Nero was impressed by how his team-mates managed to maintain a high level of focus throughout the game. They worked together admirably, using teamwork to keep Borussia Dortmund by disrupting most of their wing attacks.
Ryandi and Stefan, who play on the wing of the RSCA Youth Academy line-up, help the full-backs every time they face an attack from Borussia Dortmund on the wing. On the other hand, the three centre-backs kept a close eye on Marvin Ducksch and Pablo Merenguez, the Borussia Dortmund centre-forward. They managed to clear most of the crosses that managed to reach the penalty box.
In the 75th minute, the defense and midfield of RSCA Youth Academy still displayed a slick game. The score is still 1:1, thanks to their efforts.
However, Nero was frustrated because of the lack of balls that enter his position. He is still playing as a half-striker/half-milder in a 5-3-1-1 formation, just behind Bjorn, the centre-forward. He had to wait more than five minutes between touches on the ball. Nero prefers to play in midfield. That will make him more involved in attack and defense.
Nero halted his thought process when Miguel Alaron, the RSCA Youth Academy centre-back, performed a superb interception inside the box. He stopped a dangerous cross from finding the head of Marvin Dusksch, Borussia Dortmund's centre-forward. Without losing his composure, he dodged the ball straight away, heading to the left wing where Antonio Mitchell, left-back, was lurking.
Antonio controlled the ball beautifully near the edge of the field, jumping away from Christian Pulisic with a deft first touch. He continued with a perfectly executed cut-back pass towards Isaac, the defensive midfielder of the RSCA Youth Academy, on the inside of the pitch.
However, Mario Gotze intercepted the pass before it could reach its target. He controlled the ball with a nimble first touch, using the back of his heel to roll it over the towering figure of Magnus, who had approached him quickly before he could escape with the ball.
He moved seamlessly like a fish wading through water, bringing the ball back to the ground with ease. He immediately unleashed his trademark sweeping pass onto the right wing, where Patrick Pflucke was already waiting. The creative midfielder managed to capture the defense of the RSCA Youth Academy unknowingly with a sudden switch to the wings once again.
Undeniably, Patrick Pflucke, the Borussia Dortmund winger, deftly tackled the ball, pushing it into the path of Herbert Bockhorn, a right-back, who ran into open space. The two exchanged short passes, playing one-two, cruising along the edge of the field. They swerved through the RSCA Youth Academy players before cutting back to the field. Their coordination is perfect.
Before the defenders could close it out, Pflucke fired a tempting cross behind the defensive line of the RSCA Youth Academy.
Marvin Ducksch, number 9 of Borussia Dortmund, pounced on the ball, like a cat looking at a catnip.
Number-9 has the uncanny ability to lose track of him and escape the ranks of defenders. He showed the same brilliance at the time, sliding between Miguel Alaron and Van Rochefort, the RSCA Youth Academy's centre-back, before shooting the ball towards goal.
However, Damon Kvennson, the RSCA Youth Academy goalkeeper, was at the top of his game throughout the game. He immediately reacted by stretching his left foot and managed to get a little touch on the ball, keeping it away from the goal.
Nero felt a tremor in his back as he watched the ball hit the post before bouncing back onto the field of play. The threat to the RSCA Youth Academy goal is not over. Christian Pulisic, Borussia Dortmund's left winger, came in at high speed into the box with the intention of pushing the ball into the back of the net. Ryandi was close, trying to catch Pulisic and grab the ball from his feet.
‘Can he snatch the ball in time?’ Nero pondered as he followed the course of the match from his position that was in front, close to the middle circle. He felt a little helpless as he could not get back into the half of his team's pitch to help defend against a relentless barrage of attacks from Borussia Dortmund.
He could see that Ryandi was struggling to catch up with the Borussia Dortmund winger, number 11. However, the goddess of luck seems to be on the side of the RSCA Youth Academy today. Ryandi made a bold and timely sliding tackle, successfully pushing the ball out of the game before Pulisic could reach it. Nero let out a long sigh, letting his body relax. His team survived that deadly attack without conceding a goal.
The referee pointed to the corner flag.
Nero returned to his side's penalty box to help in defending from a corner kick.
"Let's defend, let's defend" he shouted at his team-mates. "Man to man. Don't leave anyone unattended in the penalty box." He shouted with all his might, clapping to give the emphasis to motivate his teammates.
Nero had a hunch that if they conceded again, they might lose in the semi-finals. He could not accept such a fate, not when they were so close to the final. Nero wants to be champion and get some exp points. He 'just' couldn't accept defeat in the semifinals. So, he kept roaring to his team-mates, encouraging them to focus as they waited for the corner ball.
Herbert Bockhorn took a corner kick and sent the ball into the crowded penalty area. However, Isaac jumped over the rest and headed the ball out of the box, seemingly safe.
Nero immediately chased after him.
However, in the middle of his escape, he noticed that the ball was moving straight towards Mario Gotze, Borussia Dortmund's dangerous attacking midfielder, who was waiting on the edge of the box. Gotze was in the process of lifting his leg to volley a volley against the rebound of the ball and aim it back at goal.
"Not under my supervision" roared Nero as he dashed towards the midfielder.
Gotze maintained his composure and managed to dribble towards goal, without a fight. But fortunately, Nero managed to get his body in front of the rebound effort in time. He jumps high and blocks the ball, directing it away from the intended path, away from the goal.
Ryandi pounced on the loose ball and cleared it off the field with a first time volley. He gave Borussia Dortmund a throw-in. Once again, the RSCA Youth Academy managed to come out unscathed from another deadly attack.
Team-mate Nero, who defended from the start, was under immense pressure. Underdog what? Nero reasoned that the sentence was complete nonsense. The German team looked much more menacing than Zenit, especially when they attacked through the wings.
"Nero" shouted Coach Marcel from the sidelines. "Go back and leave the defense for the others. You cause more trouble by retreating to hold on. Look at that." The coach pointed to the middle of the field.
Nero turned around and saw two Borussia Dortmund defenders who had previously kept him already moved into the RSCA Youth Academy section, seemingly joining the attack.
He understands Coach Marcel's reasoning. If he leaves the attacking half for even a minute, he will release the defenders responsible for guarding him. That would increase the pressure on his other team-mates if the free defenders also attacked. So, he quickly ran back to his position without complaining and patiently waited for the ball to come to him.
Herbert Bockhorn takes a throw-in at Borussia Dortmund. He fired a long throw, hoping to get to Marvin Ducksch in the box. However, Miguel Alaron managed to dispel the ball from the penalty box with a timely volley. He sent the ball back to the right wing where Ryandi was waiting.
The short right winger controlled the ball like a professional and unleashed the first cut-back pass into midfield, towards Isaac.
Nero immediately ran away from the two defenders who escorted him, darting to the right wing, without bothering to see if Isaac managed to hold the ball. He just hopes the defensive midfielder can predict his run and release him as soon as possible.
Isaac did not disappoint him. He sent a high pass towards Nero.
The counterattack is underway.
He soon realized that he would have a hard time controlling the ball. He had to intercept him in the next few seconds to prevent him from going out of the game and turning into a throw-in for Borussia Dortmund again.
Even so, he did not panic. Continuing his run, he kept track of the ball while his football brain quickly devised the best option to make good use of the situation. Fortunately, a solution came to him when he was almost at the touchline.
Without turning around, Nero jumped high into the line of flying balls and displayed his upper back as a surface to receive the balls. At the same time, he relaxed his back muscles to kill the momentum of the ball upon contact. And as he expected, he felt the ball hit his back in the next second, as he was at the peak of his jump.
At that moment, Nero pushed his back muscles, holding the ball past the chasing defender before he started to descend back to the ground. When his foot touched the ground, he did not stop—but revolved around a bewildered defender who was still looking for the ball.
Nero smiled when he realized he had pushed the ball in the right direction. He pointed it over the shoulder of the defender, with his back. Nero ignored the spelling defender and tried to break him and let go with the ball like the wind, he immediately ran towards the Borussia Dortmund penalty box. His heart pounded fiercely on his chest like he was a hunting predator as he ran, cutting back into the field.
A defender appeared in his tunnel vision, but he poked the ball between his legs and dodged it with his incredible speed. Another defender shut it down as soon as he passed the first one. He used the same trick. Without slowing down, he nudged the ball slightly, pushing it between his legs with the tip of his boots. He then darted past her, leaving her face down, on the artificial grass.
The third defender came soon after with a sliding tackle. Nero slowed down a bit and dug the tip of his left shoe under the ball rolling at his feet. Without stopping, he deftly flicked the ball past defenders and then jumped it before restarting his crazy sprint across the green field.
Nero had regained his instinctive state of mind once again. The thought process when running with the ball is so fast, that the actions of the defenders seem like part of the video in slow motion. His eyes were focused on the obstacles that were the defenders in front of him. However, in a strange way, he could still see and react in time when someone approached him from his blind spot.
He continued his attack towards the Borussia Dortmund penalty box, passing defender after defender before facing the goalkeeper.
Nero did not slow down when the goalkeeper came out to greet him. He dodged it with his silly steps and missed the challenge he noticed in his peripheral vision. He continued his run with the ball all the way to the back of the net.
He was just out of an incredible state of mind when Bjorn came to him to celebrate the goal. Then it all comes back to him: How he somehow zig-zagged past many defenders without much conscious thought. That state of focus is truly divine.
He tries to harness that feeling, to appeal to the instincts and states of mind that have improved his style of play. However, it quickly passed, receding like a wave from his conscious mind. Soon, it disappeared without a trace.
‘What feeling is it?’ He looked back as he went back to himself. He had never felt anything like it in both of his lives. He wondered if the state of mind was something that all developing athletes had or something that was born out of the system. Whatever the case, he was determined to find out.
NEro brushed those strange thoughts out of his mind as his other team-mates ran into the Borussia Dortmund goal and jumped at him to celebrate the goal. His mood lifted when he remembered that he might have just scored the RSCA Youth Academy winning goal.
The RSCA Youth Academy led 2:1 in the semifinals. The digital clock on the big screen just showed the 82nd minute. Nero has put his team ahead with just eight minutes of normal time remaining, ignoring injury time.
**** ****
"It's incredible, it's incredible, it's just magic" the commentator's heavy voice boomed over the loud cheers in the stadium. "Geez! What an incredible goal! The genius! Are we witnessing a great birth here at the Riga tournament? Somebody, please slap me and tell me that I'm dreaming. The goal was out of this world. .."
Isabella Anderson, in the stands, was overjoyed after Nero scored her second goal. The commentator's rant sounded like music to his ears. The cheers of the fans present warmed the air around him more than the sun could.
In his eyes, Nero was like a goose laying golden eggs. Every spectacular goal he scores will result in a huge amount of money later on. There must be some potential support deals around the corner if he can maintain his current form.
"Are you sure he doesn't want to leave Belgium?" His boss asked, shouting for his voice to be heard among the cheers around them.
Bella smiled, shaking her head. "I've spoken at length with him about moving. He said he wanted to start his career first in the easier Belgian League. He would only think of moving to a greater stage after that."
His boss raised one eyebrow. "Are you 'just' going to let him waste his time in that league? The people of Atletico Madrid just contacted me last night. They are ready to offer him a deal if he wants to go to Madrid as soon as he turns eighteen. You want to let him miss such a golden opportunity?" She asked, locking eyes with Bella. "Why am I not surprised? Anyway, you're an intern."
Bella frowned. "The decision to move should represent the core interests of the player. I've spoken to him, and he really wants to stay in Belgium for now." He said, his voice firm.
His boss shrugged his shoulders. "Well, I have to see him myself before the tournament ends. Try to arrange a meeting with him away from the other eye. Only then can I determine if what you say is true."
"I'll tell him about your advice" replied Bella. "If he agrees with the meeting, then good and good. But, if he objected, there's nothing I can do."
He smiled gently. "And FYI, the offer from Atletico Madrid is not the only one he has received. Zenit, AC Milan and Crystal Palace all showed interest in him. However, he had yet to agree to meet with their representative."
The boss smiled, shaking his head. "That's the problem with young, inexperienced agents like you. There is always a price for everyone. Our role as agents is to determine that price and encourage our clients to take on a more lucrative deal. Don't bother with meetings anymore. I'll try to see if I can move things my own way."
Bella frowned, her mind thinking of all the paths her Boss could take to push Nero away from Belgium. However, he did not find it, except to offer a very lucrative contract that was difficult to refuse.
However, no big club would be willing to offer big money contracts to inexperienced players still in the academy. Players can lose form as they progress in a few years. A player who is the best in the academy does not necessarily remain at the top of his game five or ten years later. That is why football careers are often considered marathons, not sprints.
A player must continue to do his best in both practice and matches to maintain his performance in the long run. Otherwise, he would stumble and become mediocre before reaching the finish line.
Club executives know that the truth is simple, and in most cases, will not allow their scouting department to offer contracts involving large sums of money to inexperienced players. That's why he agreed with Nero when he said he wanted to play in Belgium for some time before moving on to the bigger stage. If he manages to play well in his debut season at Anderlecht, he could get a hefty transfer fee from a big club that wants him.
The higher the transfer fee, the higher the commission when he finishes negotiating the transfer. Perhaps after such a deal, he would be able to fulfill his long-held dream of starting his own sports agency. It was his target, and he would not let anyone mess up his first golden goose.
He shook his head, scattered the daydreams from his head, and returned his focus to the matches. He was glad he hired a cameraman for the game rather than doing it himself. He was able to enjoy 90 minutes of football completely without being distracted by the work of recording Nero's performances.
Borussia Dortmund are still dictating the tempo of the game despite having just conceded. They continue to use their typical wing attack and send a cross into the box every few minutes. RSCA Youth Academy are under great pressure and cannot seem to take the ball from the Dortmund players and feed it towards Zachary and the other attackers. However, they managed to stay until the match ended 2:1 for the RSCA Youth Academy victory.
**** ****
