Second Chances: Indonesian Football Player

Chapter 82's

In the engineering area, Coach Marcel watched the ball drift towards the goal. It went up and down at incredible speed, constantly veering past the defence and goalkeeper VfB Stuttgart.

Nero has seen Odysseas Vlachodimos, the goalkeeper of VfB Stuttgart, out of his line-up. So, he made his first shot from thirty-five yards, using the strappy part of the boots.

The guard was helpless and beaten.

Fans in the stands fell silent, watching Nero's long-range shot attempt towards goal.

Nero, still on the edge of the box, raised his hand to start celebrating, expecting his effort to find his way to the back of the net.

However

"BAM"

"Damn !" Coach Marcel could not resist cursing loudly, punching the air in front of him, as he watched the ball hit the crossbar and bounce back onto the pitch.

Nonetheless, he did not turn away from the field of play as he saw Nero and Bjorn chasing loose balls in the VfB Stuttgart penalty box. He hoped they would get there first and give the RSCA Youth Academy a two-goal lead early. With the way the VfB Stuttgart players play, the RSCA Youth Academy needs a cushion if they are to maintain their lead and win the final.

"Yes," he heard his assistant coach Sebastian, celebrating from the side as Bjorn, the RSCA Youth Academy's centre-forward, got the ball first before centre-back VfB Stuttgart. With flamboyant acrobatics, he made a header in the lower left corner.

However, the VfB Stuttgart goalkeeper was wary at the time. He swoops to the side and pushes the ball with his fingertips away from his goal. He has turned down the RSCA Youth Academy an opportunity to extend their lead.

The referee blew his whistle and pointed towards the corner flag.

"Damn," Coach Sebastian cursing from beside him. "It was a lost opportunity. We missed the opportunity to extend our lead."

Coach Marcel nodded without saying anything. Although he could understand the mood of his assistant, he still hoped his team would get something out of a corner kick.

"Kierst," he cried loudly. "Please take a corner kick" he added as the right-back faced the technical area. He did not forget to gesture to Kierst and his other players, instructing them on which corner kick routine would be the best at the time.

A few seconds later, he nodded in satisfaction when he saw his six highest players gathered at the edge of the box. They intended to run in different directions to confuse the defenders of VfB Stuttgart. That would greatly increase their chances of scoring. Meanwhile, Isaac, a tall defensive midfielder, approached the goalkeeper, waiting to pounce on a loose ball that might come his way.

The only high-ranking RSCA Youth Academy player who wasn't in the box was Nero. He stood right outside the eighteen, waiting for the rebound.

Coach Johansen claimed to be satisfied with the placement of his players to take corner kicks. It was up to Kierst to give the ball a good angle so that the RSCA Youth Academy could extend their lead before it was too late. The earlier they increase their edge, the better their chances of winning.

Kierst, the right-back of RSCA Youth Academy, did not disappoint. He whipped the ball in a circular bow into the group of players who were inside the box.

There is some push and push in the box when the ball falls to the far post. However, Van Rochefort, who plays at left-back RSCA Academy, set his running time superbly, outwitting his target to connect with the resulting corner ball. He showed his brilliance in the air and managed to make a header into the net, without a fight.

Coach Marcel raised his hand, anticipating the goal.

However, Odysseas Vlachodimos, the goalkeeper of VfB Stuttgart, made a superb save to thwart Van's chances of making his name on the scoreboard. He swooped superbly to stop the ball heading towards the bottom right corner, sending it back onto the pitch.

Timo Baumgartl, the VfB Stuttgart centre-back, did it first and cleared it towards the left wing where Joshua Kimmich was waiting.

Joshua Kimmich had the ball with a movement that flowed like a Maestro. Even without doing a second touch, he fired a high pass across the touchline towards the halfway line where Timo Werner was lurking.

Joshua Kimmich, number 6 VfB Stuttgart, had just started a deadly counter-attack right after a corner kick. All the RSCA Youth Academy players seemed to be unconscious as the lightning-fast switch from defense to attack required only one touch to begin with.

Timo Werner, number 11 VfB Stuttgart, passed the ball on the left flank close to the touchline before darting into the half-court of the RSCA Youth Academy.

The Stuttgart VfB attacker was very fast, and the RSCA Youth Academy looked vulnerable. Coach Marcel was about to start yelling at Ryadi to close Timo Werner but suddenly stopped. He noticed that Nero was already chasing the fast winger.

Coach Marcel glanced nervously at the line judge who stood close to the two players on the left wing. However, the match referee lowered his flag, making him calm. He sighed when he realized that Nero's tackle didn't result in a foul.

"Nero must have started chasing Timo Werner before Kimmich even let go of the ball" said Coach Sebastian from the side. "It seems he can predict where the opponent will play the ball even before they start the attack. Doesn't this mean he always has a complete visual on everyone in the field?"

"Maybe," replied Coach Marcel indifferently as all his focus was still on the match. Nero had just picked up the loose ball and passed it back to Damon, the goalkeeper of the RSCA Youth Academy.

However, the danger is not over. Timo Werner, who had just risen from the ground, immediately closed it down.

Damon can only kick the ball high up the midfield because not many RSCA Academy players can pass, close to the penalty box.

However, in doing so, the RSCA Academy lost possession of the ball once again. What followed was a period of VfB Stuttgart dominance. The German team intensified its attack, passing the ball, patiently waiting for opportunities.

Joshua Kimmich continues to dictate tempo in midfield as a control tower. Nero had tried to tag and chase him away on many occasions but failed. Number 6 always plays it safe, choosing to pass the ball before Nero can get it. He played two more touches on the ball before releasing a breakthrough pass to VfB Stuttgart attacker. Efficient style. That helped VfB Stuttgart dominate possession and build plenty of chances in the following minutes.

Both Timo Werner and Felix Lohkemper, the VfB Stuttgart forward on the flank, came close to scoring after receiving passes that split the defence from him in the 26th and 30th minutes. However, Damon got up and produced an incredible rescue. Coach Marcel was pleased with his performance.

The defenders of the RSCA Academy are also playing at their best. They managed to block many goal attempts made by VfB Stuttgart attackers.

However, Coach Marcel is still not satisfied with the score. He knows very well how dangerous VfB Stuttgart is when the game takes place since he watched the two previous German team matches.

The only way he can increase his team's chances of winning against a much stronger team is by enlarging his lead before halftime. So, he decided to call his most effective player once again.

When the ball goes out of play for a throw-in, he calls Nero to the sidelines.

"Try to stay around Kimmich for the rest of the first half" he said, patting Nero on the back after he arrived near the technical area. "I'm sure you've noticed that a lot of action happens around him. If you stay close to him, you should be able to get a chance to counterattack if he makes a mistake."

"That's if he ever made a mistake" Nero replied with a wry smile. "But I will try to close it as soon as possible for the rest of the first half" he added before running back onto the pitch.

The game begins again, and Nero follows his instructions to the letter. He moved in front and stayed close to the number 6 VfB Stuttgart, making him uncomfortable in the process. Whenever Kimmich received the ball, Nero would pounce on it without giving him time or space to breathe.

Kimmich managed to maintain his composure most of the time. He continued to play a quick pass to his team-mates without giving Nero a chance to close it down.

But Nero remained patient, waiting around for an opportunity. And surprisingly, his effort came to fruition in the 43rd minute.

Sinan Gums, one of the midfielders, provided a loose pass to Kimmich deep inside the VfB Stuttgart defensive area when Nero was nearby. It was one of those unexpected mistakes that no one could have expected from a player of his caliber. All the players around him, including his teammates, were caught off guard by his rookie mistakes.

However, Nero managed to pounce on the blind pass, intercepting it before the other players could do so. He then did a solo run, passing Kimmich and Philipp Forster. He swept through midfield so quickly that he could attack centre-back VfB Stuttgart in no time.

The two VfB Stuttgart centre-backs seem to have been alerted how to handle Nero's dribbling. They stand upright in front of the box, blocking its path without trying to do a wild lunge on the ball.

Nero, however, did not try to dribble past them. He did the unexpected instead. He hit the ball with the inside of his left shoe from outside the eighteen-yard box.

Coach Marcel watched with nervous anticipation as the ball curled around the two defenders and spun past the goalkeeper towards the top left corner. Odysseas Vlachodimos, VfB Stuttgart number 1, could only turn around and see the ball spinning behind the net.

2:0.

RSCA Youth Academy have defied all odds to extend their lead to two goals before half-time. Coach Marcel inevitably celebrated like a madman, waving his hands and running back and forth inside the technical area.

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