"Oh my God, look at the time! Only 10 minutes left until kickoff!"

Mom's exclamation caused Dad and I to scurry off to source much-needed snacks, while Mom briefly prepared the oven.

Back with his supply of alcoholic refreshments, Dad drew the curtains as I set 2 massive bowls of crisps and popcorn down.

'Can't wait for my growth spurt', I complained while lightly massaging my wrists as I hollered for Mom,

"Hurry! They finished singing the National anthem!"

Mom placed a glass of apple juice in front of me as she sat down, just in time for Denmark's kick-off.

While I couldn't remember the exact details, I heaved a sigh of relief as England thrashed Denmark 3-0 in the first half, just as I'd recalled.

I recalled the shocking upsets in this tournament, especially Turkey and South Korea's semi-final advancements, with South Korea even beating powerhouses Spain and Italy, while England would receive yet another lackluster report card - knocked out in the quarterfinals.

While every one of these events would confirm my theory, I couldn't help but lament, 'Can't believe I'm rooting against England, but, at least we got knocked out by the champions'

***********************************

As I cycled past the numerous inebriated people chanting and singing in joy, the atmosphere left me feeling intoxicated, reaffirming my love for football.

'Just 22 players chasing a ball around on a field can bring so much joy to people'

While reminiscing, I walked into the club building and spotted the coaches chatting.

I called out while making my way towards them, "Hello! Did you catch the game?"

"Hello, Nick! You bet we did! In fact, we were discussing Owen's goal just now", answered James, the head coach.

"Oh! What a great goal that was! His composure and balance was top-notch. And the finish! I wish I could be that clinical!"

"Right you are, Nick! That goal was a textbook example of a poacher. But, it was something far more basic that enabled him to score that goal. Can you guess what that is, Nick?", quizzed Robert, our offensive coach.

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'Never one to let an opportunity to teach a lesson go by', I chuckled inwardly, before answering with a grin, "First touch?"

"Correct! That's why it is imperative that you continue to train your basics", advised Robert.

"Oh spare the poor boy, Robert. He is one of the few who actually puts in the effort", butted in Lewis, the midfield coach before asking, "Speaking of scoring, I heard you scored a hat-trick yesterday?"

"Haha, that was just an informal match. It was a chaotic 12-a-side game with no tactics", I explained, surprised at the speed of the news.

"That's quite different from what I heard. A little birdie informed me of your sensational performance in the midfield and how you brilliantly executed tactics that you planned by yourself on the spot", gushed Coach James.

"Yes. I heard you single-handedly led your team to a dominant victory. When were you planning to inform us of your skills in the midfield?", pressed Lewis with a sly grin, slowly erasing the proud smile off of Robert's face.

"Unfortunately, I don't have the skills you're imagining. My passing is still mediocre, the lack of tactics and instructions created chaos in the beginning. I just made sure my team recovered from it faster"

"Showcasing that you possess significant leadership talent in addition to that of a finisher", remarked Robert, seemingly in a hurry to steer the conversation away from the topic.

"Yes, a quality that would be most useful in the midfield. You can always improve your passing in the future. Scholes and Zidane were not born with a godly passing ability either", rebutted Lewis.

Sensing the subtle battle of words between Robert and Lewis, I finally gained an understanding of the situation.

'I, also want to try out an attacking midfielder role since it would be the best way to utilize my current understanding of space and tactics. Alas, my stamina will not allow that. Tch, what a pity'

"What?! Coach Lewis, Nick is obviously born to be a striker. His talent in sneaking up on defenders akin to a panther is top-notch. Although his finishing needs some improvement, he has the talent to be an excellent poacher", admonished Robert, attempting to nip Lewis' undertaking in the bud.

"Haha, Coach Robert, you seem to have overlooked the fact that a good understanding of space is a crucial requirement for an excellent playmaker. He can fully unleash his talents as a midfielder", refuted Lewis, ostensibly brushing off Robert's rebuke.

"Lewis, are you attempting to steal my disciple right under my nose?", bellowed a now visibly irate Robert.

"Disciple? I was under the impression that we were not to play favorites", sneered Robert.

Stepping in to rescue me from their frankly embarrassing quibble, head coach James rebuked the coaches, "Give it a rest, both of you. How much further do you plan to embarrass yourselves? It's nearly time for others to start showing up. Nick, could you make sure to inform everyone about a strategic meeting at 4?"

"Sure, sir. Will it be at the mini-training area as usual?"

"Yes", confirmed James while dragging the glaring duo away. I walked towards the common room with a pep in my step and a growing smile on my lips.

************************************

"So, I don't have to worry about competing for my position with you?", asked Max, a teammate who regularly partners with Arthur in the midfield and attends Braxton school.

Students from Braxton and my school, Yewster make up the majority of the youth at Gainford FC.

"Yes. I'm nowhere near good enough at passing to play as a midfielder", I assured him.

"Don't blindly trust him, Max. Although his short passing could use some practice, his vision and creativity outweigh those drawbacks. It seemed like he could look into the future, always finding someone making a run", cautioned Arthur, the culprit of this situation as he had recounted yesterday's match to everyone at the club, including the coaches.

"Yeah, he could spot the most inconsequential holes in the defense and take advantage of them", conveyed a slightly scarred Oscar, successfully making a frown appear on Max's face.

"Haha, don't worry, Max. Even if he's as good as they're making him out to be, it is better for our team if he plays as a striker. Unless he requests to play as a midfielder, you don't have to worry about competing with him", convinced Rick, my partner in attack.

"Yeah. I love scoring goals, so you can stop worrying. You're a good midfielder, have some confidence in yourself", I encouraged him as I glared at Arthur, who swiftly looked away after flashing a mischievous grin.

"Ok, enough chit-chat. I want everyone's focus on the board", announced head coach James as he stepped into the ground.

Author's Notes:

Poacher: As you can guess, it is a player who is very good at poaching, basically, someone who is very good at scoring goals because of their positioning.