The Greatest of all Time

Chapter 396 Counterattacking at Its Best

　　"Nice play," Daniel Örlund, the experienced Rosenborg keeper, said to Zachary as he pulled him off the ground. "That was really close."

　　"Yes, that was a close call," Zachary replied as he glanced around. He breathed a sigh of relief as the two of them had just helped Rosenborg avoid conceding a goal during the 87th minute. "Daniel, don't relax. We have a great opportunity on our hands. We need to counterattack immediately before the Sevilla players shape up again. Hurry up and pass the ball to me."

　　Without bothering to say anything else, Zachary took off and sprinted to the right side of the box. And without a moment of delay, Daniel Örlund, the keeper, heeded his instructions and threw the ball to him.

　　Zachary controlled the ball skillfully and skipped past Marko Marin, the Sevilla right-winger, who was keeping an eye on him. He then worked with all the haste he could muster to move the ball forward and survey the situation on the pitch.

　　After picking a target, Zachary smashed the ball with the outside of his boot to unleash a long-range raking pass towards the left flank. He then took off towards the other side of the pitch as if his ass was on fire. He didn't even bother to ascertain whether the ball had reached the intended destination.

　　The counterattack was on, and on the left flank, close to the touchline, Karl Toko Ekambi, the substitute left-winger, connected with Zachary's pin-point pass. Ekambi chested the ball down skillfully before exploding with pace along the touchline. Before long, he was already stepping past the centerline as he dribbled the ball forward.

　　Coke, Sevilla's right-back, soon came forward to close him down. But Ekambi avoided him by passing the ball into the middle to find Nicki Nielsen, Rosenborg's center-forward.

　　Nicki was as sharp as ever going forward. His control was superb, and his first touch allowed him to leave Stéphane Mbia, Sevilla's defensive midfielder, in the dust. He then glanced around briefly before flicking the ball into the open space on his right, seemingly to no one.

　　Whoosh!

　　A silhouette in Rosenborg's black jersey flashed through the middle of the pitch like a whirlwind, chasing after the ball. It was Zachary Bemba. He'd run all the way from Rosenborg's box to aid with the counterattack. His incredible off-ball pace had enabled him to cover roughly 60 yards within a few seconds. He'd left all the opponents in the dust and even managed to catch up to Rosenborg's attacking players.

　　"Zachary! Zachary..."

　　The Rosenborg fans around the stadium started cheering loudly as Zachary connected with Nicki's pass. He didn't even bother to slow down to control the ball but prodded it forward with the top of his boot. His long strides ate up yards of space like there was no tomorrow, and soon, he stepped into the final third, where he faced off against Sevilla's two center-backs.

　　Zachary slowed down and stepped over the ball once to draw in the opposing center-backs. He immediately altered his center of gravity and leaned his body forward to fake going right. But suddenly, Zachary forced himself to contort his tall frame while braking. Within an instant, he switched his center of gravity again and exploded with speed on the left.

　　Whoosh!

　　His instantaneous acceleration and swift change of direction allowed him to escape from the harassment of the defenders. He moved the ball forward skillfully and was soon one-on-one with Beto, the Sevilla goalkeeper, who'd come out of his goal to meet him.

　　Zachary remained as composed as ever and circumvented the goalkeeper with a series of swift deft touches. He then smashed the ball into the back of the net before rushing towards the sidelines to celebrate Rosenborg's 3rd goal for the night.

　　At that moment, he could hardly contain his happiness since he was one step closer to winning the Europa League trophy that night. So, he punched and kicked the corner flag a couple of times to express his delight.

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　　Sevilla FC 2 : Rosenborg BK 3

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　　In the stands, Kristin was on cloud nine as she yelled at the top of her voice to celebrate Zachary's goal with the rest of the Rosenborg fans. She hugged Emily, who was next to her, as they immersed themselves in the thunderous and victorious atmosphere within the stadium.

　　Their excitement levels had obviously shot through the stadium roof and soared into the night skies of Turin. So, they danced and hopped around for seconds like little girls, without minding those around them.

　　But they were not alone in their brief state of madness. The Rosenborg fans around them had also gone wild with excitement as they cheered and celebrated Zachary's goal. Some had even undressed to let loose and express their delight.

　　"Zachary has delivered again," the voice of Peter Drury, the commentator, resounded across the stadium when the cheers started reducing in volume. "He has scored Rosenborg's third goal during the 88th minute of this heated final. One moment, Zachary was at the other end of the pitch, in Rosenborg's box, defending and making incredible goal-line saves. But a few seconds later, he had already sprinted across the pitch and scored Rosenborg's third goal for the night. His pace was incredible, his skills dazzling, and his composure out of this world. What a counterattack! Ladies and Gentlemen! We're surely witnessing the rise of a great player."

　　"It is funny how football can be unpredictable," Roy Hamilton, the co-commentator, remarked. "A few seconds before, Carlos Bacca and Ivan Rakitić were about to score and put Sevilla ahead. But they missed their chances, and Rosenborg took the opportunity to do what they do best. They launched a swift and terrifying counterattack. And due to Zachary's brilliance, the counter was a success, and the Troll Kids are now ahead. They are leading Sevilla by three goals to two with only a couple of minutes remaining to the end of this heated Europa League final."

　　"Let's not forget that the goal takes Zachary's tally in this year's Europa League to 23 goals," Peter Drury said. "He's the undisputed top scorer and has already broken the all-time goal-scoring record in a single Europa League tournament. He's now in a class of his own, and he's surely the best player in the Europa League this season. As I said before, we're witnessing the rise of a great player."

　　"You're right, Peter," Roy Hamilton, the co-commentator, said. "Zachary has played incredibly well in the Europa League this season. A whopping twenty-three goals and five assists! These are incredible statistics. He really deserves the Europa League trophy and all the honors that come with it. I really wish to see him on the podium as a champion at the end of the game tonight. Otherwise, I'll greatly be disappointed."

　　"Only a minute plus added time remain to the end of the game," Peter Drury said. "So, the Rosenborg players only need to maintain the lead for about six minutes, and they'll be champions. Can they achieve the feat and become the first Norwegian team to win a Europa League trophy? Let's return our focus to the proceedings on the pitch to find out."

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