THE GREATEST OF ALL TIME

The squads of both teams had already assumed their positions on the pitch. However, the kick-off had been delayed slightly by a VfB Stuttgart substitution right after the break.

Zachary stood right outside the center-circle, studying the VfB Stuttgart line-up on the other side of the pitch. He was startled on finding out they'd changed their starting formation entirely.

Timo Werner and Felix Lohkemper had shifted inwards from the flanks. They stood on either side of the ball, on the center-spot, waiting to kick-off the second half.

The four VfB Stuttgart midfielders had arrayed themselves in a tightly knit diamond shape, compressing the space in the middle. From the way they stood on the pitch, Zachary guessed they intended to play with a 4-4-2 formation rather than the 4-3-3 system they'd used in the first half.

It seemed the VfB Stuttgart coach intended to utilize wing play and crosses to the two strikers. They had abandoned their signature playing-style which featured stable passing through midfield.

Zachary couldn't begin to predict how the change would affect the game. But he knew perfectly well that they were at a high risk of losing if they conceded even a single goal despite still holding the lead. He hoped the defenders would do their job perfectly and keep the VfB Stuttgart attackers at bay as they'd done in the first half.

*FWEEEEEEE*

The referee finally blew his whistle. The second half of the Riga Cup final started with a VfB Stuttgart kick-off.

The attack came at NF Academy like a hurricane sweeping through a coastal village right after kick-off. Joshua Kimmich received the ball and made a first-time pass to the left-wing where Phillipp Mwene, the left-back, was waiting.

The left-back received the ball and swiftly advanced close to the touchline, heading towards NF Academy's half. Kasongo, NF Academy's right-winger, was very alert and closed him down immediately.

However, Mwene passed the ball to Kaan Akkaya, the substitute midfielder who'd come on for Sinan Gümüs at half time.

The VfB Stuttgart number-16, controlled the ball beautifully in the left midfield, skipping past Simen Gi?ver, one of NF Academy's defensive midfielders, with his first touch. He then looked up and unleashed a defense-splitting pass towards the right-wing, where Adrian Grbic, VfB Stuttgart's former center forward, was lurking. The pass soared above the NF Academy players and made its way to the right-wing, unobstructed.

Adrian, the VfB Stuttgart right-winger, chested the ball down, shoving it towards Simon Wilske, the right-back.

Simon controlled the ball mid-sprint on the right flank. He didn't use any more time to orient himself and immediately sped off towards the corner flag.

Robin Jatta, NF Academy's left-back, came to intercept him soon after. However, Simon immediately sent a teasing cross into the box before Robin could close him down.

Timo Werner, one of the two VfB Stuttgart forwards, drifted into the box like a ghost, escaping his minders skillfully. He connected with the fantastic cross and attempted to surprise the goalkeeper with a snapshot—off his right boot.

But the goddess of luck seemed to be on NF Academy's side that time around. His shot smashed off the right post and bounced towards the left-wing.

Robin Jatta, NF Academy's left-back, met the ball as it moved out of the box and cleared it away to safety.

NF Academy had narrowly survived conceding a goal only three minutes into the second half.

"Focus, boys!" yelled Coach Johansen from the sideline. "Defenders, don't let their forwards get ahead of you when the ball enters the box," he added at the top of his lungs, though the players in question seemed not to be listening.

For the next fifteen minutes, the VfB Stuttgart players intensified their bouts of attacking. Their midfield was more compacted into a diamond shape, allowing a more stable passing style and faster release of the ball to forwards and wingers. Their backline was constantly pressed-up to the centerline, ready to send the ball back into NF Academy's half.

As the game progressed, Zachary realized that VfB Stuttgart had switched to a strategy similar to that employed by ADO Den Haag in the semifinals. The midfielders fed passes to the flanks as quickly as possible. The wingers and the wing-backs sprinted next to the touchline, then dribbled a bit before delivering crosses behind the defense.

The entire VfB Stuttgart squad relentlessly applied more pressure on their opponents' defense. The NF Academy defenders and goalkeeper were constantly on tenterhooks, watching out for the crosses and runs into the box by the two VfB Stuttgart forwards. Nonetheless, they held on, denying the VfB Stuttgart forwards all chances to write their names on the score sheet.

Zachary noticed a problem with his team as the clock approached the 70th minute. The defenders had started getting frustrated after weathering VfB Stuttgart's attacks for most of the second half. A few of them began making reckless challenges, hoping to win the ball back as quickly as possible.

In the 72nd minute, ?yvind Alseth, NF Academy's right-back, tripped Adrian Grbic on the right-wing. He had committed a foul in the process of trying to stop the skipper from getting past him.

The referee blew his whistle, signaling for a freekick.

NF Academy defended against the freekick successfully.

However, that didn't end the dilemma. Tackles continued flying all over NF Academy's side of the pitch.

In the 75th minute, Robin Jatta, NF Academy's number-3, toppled another opponent, sending him tumbling to the ground on the left flank.

The referee did not show any mercy that time around. He awarded VfB Stuttgart a freekick once more and showed a yellow card to Robin.

"Boys, calm down, calm down," Coach Johansen shouted from the sidelines in an attempt to straighten out his players. However, his words fell on deaf ears.

Tempers in the final flared to unbearable levels as the final whistle grew closer.

There was no single player in the NF Academy defense who would let any opponent get past them, especially in the last quarter of an hour on the clock. They were merely doing their best to deny VfB Stuttgart chances of scoring.

The defenders continued muscling the VfB Stuttgart forwards, sometimes upending them, when they tried to penetrate the box. As a result, three more NF Academy players had received yellow cards by the 78th minute.

Things weren't looking good for Zachary's team.

He was frustrated. He had barely gotten any touches on the ball in the second half. The four VfB Stuttgart midfielders had created a pressing zone around him. They had managed to block off most passes en-route to him. Moreover, the German side had shifted their attack strategy to the wings, pushing the game action further away from him. He was playing in a desert of balls.

However, he didn't mind the status quo. As long as his team maintained its lead, he would happily accept remaining isolated. He understood that the more the midfielders concentrated on him, the lesser the damage they could do to NF Academy upfront.

His thoughts had only changed when signs of frustration began manifesting in the playing style of his teammates. They were making a lot of unnecessary tackles and were running the risk of receiving red cards. He had to do something to calm their nerves. The best way to achieve that was attacking and giving them hope that they were closer to winning the game. But he had to find a way to get away from his minders first.

**** ****

In the stands, Emily watched the game keenly, catching every single second of play. As the match progressed, the tension she felt grew.

She couldn't understand why she was so deeply engrossed in the ups and downs of that match. She'd 'simply' come to watch her client play, yet she'd ended up becoming NF Academy's biggest fan.

The experience was unnerving.

Every part of her quivered with anxiety as she watched Zachary's team endure VfB Stuttgart's relentless attacks. She had never hoped more for the referee to blow the final whistle.

Emily had lost count of how many times VfB Stuttgart had come close to scoring. Crosses endlessly flew into NF Academy's box while shots occasionally smashed off the posts after failed attempts.

But what worried her most was the burgeoning number of fouls committed by the NF Academy defense. She couldn't understand why Zachary's teammates couldn't stay calm and play the same way they'd done in the first half.

Only Kendrick, the goalkeeper, had maintained his high level of performance. The rest looked sub-par. Emily was contemplating recruiting him as her second client from Norway. But, she intended to see more of his performances before making the decision.

Emily sighed, shaking her head. The annoying commentators kept yapping on about how NF Academy was most likely going to lose. They commented on every NF Academy mistake with delight, like they wished Zachary's team would lose. She didn't like their voices, one bit.

"I think the NF Academy players are finally collapsing under the pressure," she heard Andres Ricardo yell in his heavy accent. "That was a beautiful defense-splitting pass from Joshua Kimmich. But, Felix Lohkemper, the VfB Stuttgart forward, fails to score once again. Vincent! What do you think is wrong with VfB Stuttgart? We're in the 82nd minute, yet they've failed to put one past NF Academy—an underperforming team ever since the beginning of the second half!"

"Ricardo, let me correct you there," said Vincent McManaman, the second commentator. "NF Academy is not underperforming. They 'simply' can't handle the much stronger German side."

"So, why isn't VfB Stuttgart able to score?" Ricardo asked in a seemingly amused tone.

"Maybe, some bad luck on their side of things," said Vincent, his voice steady. "I really can't be sure. But if they manage to score even a single goal within the next five minutes—they can put two more past NF Academy in no time. They 'just' need to get that first goal past the defense. That's what they should focus on at the moment." He emphasized.

"Let's wait and..." Ricardo, the first commentator, paused mid-sentence. "Oh my God! What do we have here? Ayi, ya—ya—ya! Oh, my goodness me! The referee is pointing to the penalty spot. What happened?"

Emily's attention was on the pitch at that moment. A cross had come into the box from the left-wing, threatening to find Felix Lohkemper, the VfB Stuttgart forward. However, one of the defenders stepped in and cleared the ball to safety. She couldn't understand why the referee was pointing to the penalty spot.

"And, there we have it," yelled Ricardo Andres, the commentator, solving her doubts. His tone had turned climatic. "Daniel Kvande, NF Academy's center-back, has handled the ball within the box. It is a handball within the box—and that means a penalty has been awarded to VfB Stuttgart. But what does it mean for Daniel, the young NF Academy center-back? He already has a yellow card."

Emily felt her mood sink as she listened to the commentary. [Is my client going to lose his first competitive final?] She wondered, continuing to follow the proceedings in the stadium.

"Oh, my!" Ricardo continued in a dramatic tone after a slight pause. "The referee has produced a second yellow card—and now he is picking the red card from his pocket. Oh, my! What a turn of events!" His voice rose to a crescendo. "NF Academy will have to complete the game with a man down. It's a red card in the 84th minute. Vincent, what's your take on this?"

"This is a chance for VfB Stuttgart to take the lead," Vincent McManaman, the second commentator, said coolly. "They've got so many phenomenal players in their squad. They can take advantage of this and overturn NF Academy's advantage within the next five minutes plus injury time. It seems we're set for an exciting match ending in the Riga Cup final."

Emily could only sigh as she watched the NF Academy defender trekking dejectedly off the pitch.

NF Academy was in a precarious situation.

**** ****