Testing New Skills

June 24, 2013

Jeremiah woke up early to do his 10-mile jog, he was humming the song "Gobe" by Davido early in the morning. It was one of his favourite songs that came out that year in his previous life and Jeremiah was a big fan of music in his previous life.

Today was the day he was going to put the system into practice, he hadn't played football the past two weeks due to the system demands, and now he could gauge his abilities against his friends and how much the system has worked and also see how ready he was for coach Benson's trials.

After the jog, he returned and had breakfast and lunch in the afternoon. Then, he went to the park to play with his friends in the evening.

"There he is," Okoro said to Abu and Emmanuel as Jeremiah approached them. They were all friends who went to the same school and were part of their junior high football team.

"I think say you don forget us," Abu said to Jeremiah in pidgin English as they dapped each other "Never" Jeremiah replied, and it was the truth. They were all childhood friends who grew up together and in his previous life they supported him when his dad kicked him out, they supported him however they could, and for that, he would never forget them.

"Guy, where have you been", said Emmanuel, "seems like it is only church we see you these days and you don't pick up your calls". 

"Just been busy" he replied, obviously couldn't tell them the real reason even though they were his days ones, perhaps he will when he achieves his dreams.

"Let go to the field before we're late," said Abu. 

They made their way to the pitch, some guys were already there including some who they already knew.

"You guys don land," said Amos in pidgin English, he was 17 years old and used to go to their school but works in a warehouse now. "Have sets been formed?" Jeremiah asked but Amos replied saying only the captains and monkey posts have been set up.

"You guys are with me," he said to them, and they all nodded in agreement. They played there frequently so they knew each other's strengths.

Others arrived wore their boots and started playing, Amos's set was third so they waited.

As they waited Jeremiah was anxiously awaiting to test himself, while waiting he saw a ball and started juggling it. "I feel normal," he said to himself. Nothing too drastic he thought to himself.

"Goal!" was said by those playing and watching as the by the second set. The next set came and aligned in 3-3-1 with Jeremiah, Emmanuel and Okoro playing the midfield three Abu playing CB and Amos playing as the lone CF.

The game started with the second set kicking the game off, They had 10 minutes to score or the third set stayed but that didn't mean the third set didn't want to win.

The second set was moving deep into their territory when Abu snatched the ball and passed the ball to Jeremiah picked it up in a hotspot and was about to get pressed when turning to face his front, he then did as if he was shifting to his right but went to his left leaving the other player in the dust with a simple feint.

Then moved into midfield and did a 1-2 with Okoro which took another player out of the equation but then it looked like he jugging when 2 midfielders from the second set were chasing him, remembering what Xavi taught him he was scanning and as Amos was making an angled run in front of the defender he was still scanning till he saw Emmanuel, making a blind run in the spot the defender left open, without wasting time he made through ball to Emmanuel who was unmarked and slotted it home.

"Gooooaaaalllll", everyone said in unison as third-set players went to dap up Emmanuel. Jeremiah went to meet them and got daps of his own. "I like that pass you gave" said Emmanuel.

The next set came and the game continued. Jeremiah's set continued to dictate possession with Jeremiah especially standing out his passing looked sharper than ever, and movement kept him one step ahead of the others, which in turn raised the performance of his teammates.

They were moving the ball so fluently that it didn't take long for them to score, Jeremiah finding Amos with a low cross for a simple tap-in in between defenders.

"Omo, you dey on fire today," said Amos as he went to dap Jeremiah "Na small challenge" he replied in Pidgin English back.

The next set came back with vengeance in mind, they were pressing hard and leaving no space for them to operate. "One minute more," the timekeeper said, knowing Jeremiah knew he had to take the game into his own hands. He started drifting wide to the barline, Okoro seeing him quickly passed the ball to him. As the ball was arriving one of the players from the opposing team was coming to press him, in one quick move Jeremiah looked like he was going towards the ball but proceeded to do a feint which left the player dazed and on the floor.

Everyone in the crowd was shouting but Jeremiah continued running in the barline with one of the opposing defenders approaching him. While running he suddenly slowed down, and the defender seeing this as an opportunity, charged at him.

But this is what Jeremiah wanted, the change in pace gave him enough time to pull a La Croqueta, as he sped and now charged towards the goal.

Another one of the defenders came, this time he came with much more aggression and went for a slide tackle.

Jeremiah didn't flinch, he jumped over the tackle with the ball still connected to his leg.

The last defender was at a crossroads, with Jeremiah's display of brilliance he had left 3 of his teammates for dead, and 3 runners approaching the box from his team.

The other had no choice but to charge and hope his teammates cover for him.

As the defender approached him, Jeremiah did as he was going right then neatly put the ball through the defender's legs and went past him.

The other skills had generated noise from the crowd but now there was nothing but silence as he approached the goal and chipped the the keeper.

They couldn't believe it and everybody went mad and entered the pitch running around and screaming.

Everybody surrounds Jeremiah as he tries to run away from the crowd.

Even his teammates hug him, "Guy, what did you just do" "Moving like Messi" and "Cr7", were just some of the comments being made around him.

As they continued playing a larger crowd came around, as word had gotten around about the play that went on.

Jeremiah's set continued to win and didn't lose a single game till the end. When the game was over the large crowd went around complimenting the players, they had played well, especially Jeremiah.

"Guy you were on fire today, you were always the best amongst us but today was different," said Emmanuel enthusiastically as they walked down the road.

"Is that what you've been doing the last two weeks?" Amos said, raising an eyebrow at him, "Nah, I haven't even played ball the last two weeks" Jeremiah replied. 

"Wow," they all said in unison, the fact that he had improved so much without even playing for two weeks. 

They all went their separate ways, while on his walk. He thought about how just having a small study of la pausa and doing the tasks he improved so much, if he could follow the tasks the sky was the limit.

As he got home, he greeted his family. Went to take a shower and when he was done, a mental notification came up.

* Secret Mission Alert Completed *