THE GREATEST OF ALL TIME

Sevilla FC 2 : Rosenborg BK 4

"Surely, surely, this is it," Peter Drury, the commentator, yelled at the top of his lungs as Nicki Nielsen ran towards the corner flag to celebrate Rosenborg's 4th goal. Not even the booming cheers around the stadium could drown out his mellifluous voice. "What a deadly counter! Right at the end, right on the wire, just thirty seconds shy of the 96th minute, the Troll Kids have extended their lead against Sevilla. This time, Nicki Nielsen, the center-forward, was the one to deliver. Another deadly attack initiated by the one and only Zachary Bemba has seen Nicki score Rosenborg's 4th goal for the night."

"It's now Rosenborg Ballklub four and Sevilla FC two," the commentator continued. "It's a fairy tale ending, and the Norwegian giants are about to make it into the history books. They are flying and on their way to winning the Europa League trophy tonight. No one can stop them, not even the two-time Europa League champions - Sevilla. What a night for the Norwegian giants!"

In the stands, Kristin's smiled as her ears took in the ramblings of the commentator. But a moment later, she couldn't contain her emotions and couldn't stop her eyes from moistening. She was overflowing with happiness while watching the Rosenborg players celebrating the goal.

"Zachary has outdone himself tonight," Emily yelled and hugged her. "We're winning the trophy. We're winning..." Her words came out incoherently, in short bursts. It seemed that she also couldn't control her volatile emotions.

"Yes, we're going home with the trophy!" Kristin nodded, hugging her back. "I can't believe I have lived to see the day Rosenborg takes a Europa League trophy. Oh, my God. I hope this is not a dream."

"This is not a dream," Emily said, patting her back. "We're leading Sevilla by four goals to two during the last minute of added time. The opponent won't be able to make a comeback, even if the goddess of luck descends."

Kristin chuckled and released Emily from her embrace. The loud chants and cheers of the Rosenborg fans continued flooding her auditory senses, causing her mood to soar into the night skies. She smiled as she returned her attention to the proceedings on the field of play.

The Rosenborg players had just finished celebrating the goal. Their faces were all smiles as they took up their starting positions on the pitch. They were ready to restart the game and defend their two-goal lead during the final moments before the final whistle sounded.

*FWEEEEEEE*

The referee finally blew the whistle after a few more seconds. Carlos Bacca, Sevilla's center-forward, immediately kicked off the game again by passing the ball back into his midfield. The game was underway, and before long, team Sevilla was again on the offensive.

Ivan Rakitić, Sevilla's captain and attacking midfielder, received the ball close to the center circle. He skillfully skipped past the seemingly exhausted Takumi Minamino before continuing his sprint towards Rosenborg's defensive third. When the passing angle opened up, he flicked the ball to his left to find Piotr Trochowski, his counterpart in attacking midfield.

Maybe because it was the final minute, Piotr Trochowski seemed impatient to produce results. After receiving the ball, he dribbled it forward for a few yards before releasing a long shot towards Rosenborg's goal.

However, since he was about fifty-five yards from goal, his effort didn't produce any results. His shot was way-wide off-target, and he could only let out a helpless sigh as he watched the ball zooming towards the stands behind the goal.

"Rosenborg! *FWEEEEEEE* Rosenborg..."

The cheers of the Rosenborg fans rose to another level as Daniel Örlund, Rosenborg's keeper, picked up the ball from the ball boy. The keeper smiled and jogged back into the pitch before positioning the ball at the edge of the penalty box. He was preparing to take the goal kick, and hopefully, it would be the last kick of the final.

At that moment, a loud chorus of whistling resounded across the stadium. The Rosenborg fans were obviously pressurizing the referee to end the match by imitating the sound of the whistle. And that time around, the referee didn't disappoint the supporters. He blew the final whistle to signal the end of the match right after Daniel Örlund took the goal kick.

"The match has ended," Peter Drury, the commentator, yelled like a madman, his voice resounding over the loud chorus of cheers around the stadium. "Once again, Rosenborg BK, the Troll Kids, the underdogs from Norway, have bested another highly-experienced European club. They have defeated Sevilla FC, the two-time Europa League champions, in tonight's Europa League final by four goals to two. It's surely a fairy tale ending, and the Europa League trophy is on its way to Norway for the first time in history."

On the pitch, Zachary was on cloud nine. His thoughts were a jumbled mess for a few seconds as his ears took in the thunderous cheers around the stadium. He stood transfixed in one place as happiness glowed inside him like noon sunshine in summer. Then, his spirits bounded higher, and he felt like everything around him was surreal. It was as if he was experiencing a very wonderful dream.

"We're champions!" Mikael Dorsin yelled as he sprinted forward and gave him a bear hug. "We're freakin' bloody champions! We're taking the Europa League trophy to Trondheim. Thanks for the hard work throughout the tournament, Zachary." The left-back patted his back.

"Yes, we're bloody champions," Zachary yelled in response. "And thank you too for the hard work, Mikael. Oh, my god! I feel like my head is going to explode with happiness. We're Europa League champions. If I'm dreaming, please don't wake me up."

"You're quite the comedian." Mikael chuckled and released him.

By then, more teammates, including Nicki Nielsen, Thomas Partey, Eric Bailly, Takumi Minamino, Yerry Mina, Kasongo, Karl Toko Ekambi, Tore Reginiussen, and the substitutes, had also arrived at their position. A delightful atmosphere surrounded the team, and the players wasted no time hugging and congratulating each other upon winning the Europa League. Some even cried tears of joy since they could hardly rein in their emotions after winning the final.

Soon, Coach Johansen also joined the celebrations. He moved around gallantly like a king and hugged each of his players. But surprisingly, his eyes were a bit moist. The often-strict coach had obviously turned emotional after leading his team to win that year's Europa League trophy. But he seemed not to mind his outward bearing as he immersed himself in the festivities with his players.

"Guys!" Tore Reginiussen, the Rosenborg captain, said after a few more minutes. "Let's move around and thank our fans. They were amazing and energetic while cheering for us during today's final."

"True. Let's go."

All the players agreed and started running around the pitch to pay homage to the traveling Rosenborg supporters. Some even picked Rosenborg flags from who knows where and waved them around.

In response, the Rosenborg fans cheered like madmen and madwomen, and soon, their voices joined together into a booming chorus that shook the stadium. Some even cried, others laughed, while others danced with reckless abandon. Their excitement levels had obviously long bordered on the verge of insanity. But they were not to blame. Their team had won the Europa League trophy for the first time in history. And as a plus, their team had finally completed a treble for the past season. So, they couldn't give a shit about who was watching. They just celebrated Rosenborg's victory like there wasn't a tomorrow.

****

Even though it was already a few minutes past midnight, excited voices could still be heard within one of the lounges of the post-surgery rehabilitation center at the University Hospital Zurich. The employees and patients in the room had been rooting for Rosenborg to win the Europa League final. That was because a grandson of one of the patients was playing for Rosenborg. So, when the final whistle sounded, they all jumped up for joy and celebrated Rosenborg's victory. They danced and jubilated without any care for anything around them.

"Oh my God! Zachary has won a trophy! My grandson has won a trophy. Praise be to God." An aged woman among the room's occupants mumbled to herself in Swahili. Even though she was still recovering from a surgical wound, with a large bandage around her head, she appeared quite energetic at that moment. She was obviously very excited as she followed the proceedings on the large screen in front of the room.

"Congratulations, Mrs. Bemba," a young woman said and patted her shoulder. Even though she was European, she spoke fluent Swahili. She was Mia - a professional nurse and caregiver taking care of her. "Your grandson is now a champion," she continued. "A European Champion who has faced off against teams like Juventus and came out on top! Oh my God!"

"Indeed, little Zachary has achieved an incredible feat," Marie Bemba, Zachary's aunt, remarked with a smile. "At just nineteen years, he has already won the Europa League. My brother should be smiling as he looks down from heaven."

"You're right, Marie," Zachary's grandma said. "Samuel should be smiling and laughing as he looks down at Zachary's brilliance from heaven. He should be very proud of his son."

Zachary's grandma smiled as a great sense of contentment overwhelmed her entire being. She felt like she had finally lived a fruitful and long life after witnessing her grandson's success in his football career. She no longer had to worry about him as he could look after himself.

"Mrs. Bemba," Mia, the nurse, suddenly said. "Since the game is over, you should return to your room and rest for the night. Remember: You have to undergo some check-ups tomorrow."

"Just give me a few more minutes," Zachary's grandma said. "Let me watch my grandson lift the trophy first. After that, I'll immediately go to bed."

"Okay," Mia mumbled.

****