Chapter 242: Another Hat-Trick

"Okay, he's good," Erik Bailly said to his agent as he watched Zachary celebrate with the rest of the Rosenborg players close to the corner flag. "The first goal with a backheel was incredible, yes. But I like his second better since I know how difficult it is to execute such a curling shot on a first-time volley. His timing and vision to meet that rebound ball were out of this world. What an incredible technique!"

"He must have used the outside of his boot to apply the spin and curve the ball beyond the goalkeeper's reach," Thomas Partey, the newly-signed Rosenborg defensive midfielder, remarked. "But what I'm not sure about is whether that was intentional or simply a rare stroke of luck."

"He must have intended it," Graziano Battistini, Erik Bailly's agent, chipped in, smiling. "For your information, that wasn't his first time scoring a goal like that on a volley. So, he must be very skilled in timing and meeting such rebound balls on a volley."

"Then he's something else," Thomas Partey, the Ghanaian defensive midfielder, commented. "I can't wait to play on the same team as him."

"Me too," Erik Bailly chipped in. "With him on the squad, Rosenborg might be able to surprise many in the Europa League. I'll also be signing the contract as soon as possible."

"Have you finally decided?" His agent asked, giving him a sideways glance.

"Yes," Erik Bailly replied, smiling. "I won't change my mind this time around. You can go ahead and finalize my contract details with Rosenborg as quickly as possible." He was eager to complete his transfer after witnessing Zachary's prowess with his own eyes.

"That's good," Graziano Battistini, his agent, replied, grinning. "I'll finalize everything with Rosenborg tomorrow morning. You should be able to take the medical immediately after."

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The Strømsgodset players seemed to have lost all their motivation after conceding the second goal in the 90th minute. They started making amateur mistakes in their defensive third as the game progressed into the additional four minutes of extra time.

Zachary didn't fail to capitalize on the sloppiness of his opponents. He became bolder and started making more runs through the defense with the ball whenever he got the chance. He'd turned into a beast on the striking line, relentlessly keeping the Strømsgodset defense on tenterhooks.

Rosenborg got another chance to score during the 93rd minute. After getting to the end of a low cross from John Chibuike, the Rosenborg left-winger, Zachary slalomed his way into the box, skipping past two sliding tackles in the process. Without wasting a second, he unleashed a carpet-shot towards the inside of the right post.

The ball skimmed over the green like a serpent, flashing past an outstretched boot and then the keeper's despairing dive – before smashing off the right post and homing into the back of the net.

Zachary immediately rushed off to the corner flag to celebrate as the cheers of the Rosenborg fans in the stands of the Marienlyst Stadion rose to a booming crescendo for the third time that Sunday evening.

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STRØMSGODSET IF 1    :              ROSENBORG BK 3

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Kristin felt a momentary surge of delight streaking through her like a comet after taking a glance at the stadium's jumbotron. Her team had finally made a perfect comeback to beat the second on the table in the closing minutes of the game. In only a few seconds, the referee would be blowing the final whistle, and her team would head back to Trondheim with the vital three points in the bag. She could hardly contain her excitement at that moment.

"The Troll Kids have done it again," she heard Kjell Roar, the commentator, yell as soon as the cheering started dying down. "They've managed to come from behind and win the game by a score of three goals to one through their star player Zachary Bemba. It's yet another incredible night for the young Rosenborg number-33. Even after switching to an unfamiliar striking position, he still managed to score yet another hat-trick, taking his Tippeligaen tally for this season to eighteen goals. He will surely emerge as the top scorer this season at the rate he's going."

"I feel that that's a given," Ragnar Dokken, the pundit for the day, chipped in. "Zachary is ahead of Nicki Nielsen, the second on the list by six goals. He's definitely the favorite to take the golden boot if he manages to maintain his form."

"I also believe he will win the best player of the Tippeligaen accolade at the end of this season," the pundit continued without a pause. "He has more than ten assists and twenty-three goals in all competitions. I don't see any possibility of another player beating him to the award if he can maintain his form."

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"You're absolutely right," Kjell Roar, the commentator, said. "With this win, Rosenborg has taken its tally to 47 points. That means the Troll Kids are nine points ahead of Strømsgodset, the second-placed team on the table. They are on track to emerge as champions considering the form they're on and the versatility of their squad. That will only increase Zachary's chances of winning the best player of the season award. If he can put up some good performances in the Europa League, he'll be uncontested for the accolade..."

Kristin smiled as she followed the commentary while also keeping an eye on the proceedings on the playing field. Even though it was the final minute of the game, Rosenborg was still putting the team from Drammen under pressure.

The game eventually ended with a score of 1:3 in favor of Rosenborg.

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Zachary was all smiles as he headed back to the dressing room after the post-match interview with Olav Brusveen, the TV2 reporter. The fact that he'd managed to score yet another hat-trick elevated his mood.

"Here comes the man of the match," Mikael Dorsin yelled, opening a champagne bottle and spraying it on him as soon as he stepped into the dressing room.

Since Zachary was unprepared, he could only watch helplessly as the drink spattered down onto his face and drenched the rest of his attire. But since he was in a good mood, he swallowed down his discomfort and then soaked in the victorious atmosphere in the dressing room. He joined his teammates in their celebrations for the next few minutes before heading to the bathroom to take a shower.

"Can I have your attention guys," Coach Johansen said as soon as Zachary had stepped out of the bathroom. All the players, including Zachary, reacted immediately by taking their seats around the visiting team's dressing room. In a matter of seconds, the chatter in the room died down.

"That was an incredible performance you guys put up in the second half," the coach began, smiling and looking around. "We managed to win, and we're now nine points ahead of the second-placed Strømsgodset on the Tippeligaen table. I have to emphasize that you guys were absolutely incredible, especially in the final ten minutes of the game.  I dare say that if you could play like that in every game, we might win a treble this season." He added with a bit of humor.

The players laughed at that.

"But," the coach continued, sweeping his gaze across most of the players in the dressing room. "We still have a lot of work to do before we can end our season successfully. On Wednesday, we've got a tough fixture at Lerkendal against St. Johnstone Football Club in the second round of the Europa League qualifying round. If we don't win, our hopes of competing in the Europa League tournament will end this coming week."

"We can't have that," the coach continued, stroking his red beard. "Our main priority this month is to qualify for the Europa League group stage. So, I expect you all to remain focused and ensure that we win both the home and away games against St. Johnstone. Are we together, guys?"

"Yes, coach," the players replied, more or less in unison.

"That's good," Coach Johansen said, nodding. "We must also keep our domestic priorities in mind. We've got to remain in tip-top shape to maintain our position at the top of the table. We only have eleven games left before we complete the Tippeligaen match schedule. So, I expect you all to put out two hundred percent effort so that we can emerge as champions at the end of the season. Are we together, guys?"

"Yes, coach."

"You guys have to believe in yourselves," Coach Johansen said with a smile after a short while. "You're a strong team that can go places if you remain focused throughout the entire season. So, continue working hard, play every game like it's a final, and we'll be able to create history at Rosenborg this season. Are you with me, guys?"

"Yes, coach."

"Good," Coach Johansen said, nodding. "For now, let's prepare and head back to Trondheim first. I expect to see you at Lerkendal for training tomorrow afternoon since we need to prepare for the mid-week Europa League game."

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