240 On the Back Foot

Zachary reacted as soon as he saw Nicki Nielsen, the Rosenborg center-forward, pounce on the rebound from the corner ball. He shrugged off Abdisalam Ibrahim, the Strømsgodset midfielder marking him — and stepped into a pocket of free space in the crowded box. With his nearly instantaneous reaction, he'd managed to open himself up to receive a pass in the next two seconds — before the opponents could close him down once more.

His chemistry with Nicki on the pitch had always been incredible. The number-9 managed to spot him almost instantly. Without wasting time, the center forward relinquished the ball to him with a teasing flick over the head of an opposing player.

Zachary was aware that the opposing players would be upon him the next second. So, he didn't even pause to control the ball. He just smashed it on it volley right away — to unleash a missile of a shot towards goal from around the edge of the penalty area.