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Chapter 454: Finally, In the Starting Eleven
Chapter 454: Finally, In the Starting Eleven
Chapter 454: Finally, In the Starting Eleven
Fernando Llorente's 54th-minute goal was obviously not the last for Juventus on the night. Álvaro Morata, the newly-signed Spanish center-forward, connected with Andrea Pirlo's pass to score Juventus' fourth goal in the 66th minute. Twelve minutes later, during the 78th minute, Leonardo Bonucci, the center-back, outjumped all the other players in the box to connect with a corner ball and score Juventus' fifth and final goal for the night.
The rest of the game was pretty much all about game management. The Juventus players continued working tirelessly to dominate possession with their slow but steady passing. They kept the ball to themselves and ensured that the Udinese side would not get an opportunity to create any chances on goal during the final minutes of gameplay. As a result, the tenacious Old Lady players saw the game through and defeated the spiritless Udinese side by five goals to nil after four minutes of added time.
Zachary, on his part, could only watch from the bench as his teammates celebrated their massive win against Udinese Calcio. He felt slightly dejected and confused after failing to get an opportunity to step on the pitch that evening. He couldn't stomach the fact that the coaches had opted not to give him a chance to partake in the proceedings even after he put his all into training and performed impressively during the team sessions leading to the game against Udinese.
Were the coaches not watching him during training? Or had management passed a resolution to reduce his playing time so as to cut down on his lofty appearance bonuses? Zachary sighed and shook his head before rising up from his seat and walking down the tunnel with his jubilant teammates.
He was silent the entire time as he traversed the sparkling hallways of the Juventus Stadium while heading towards the home team's dressing room. He wasn't about to involve himself in bantering with his teammates, especially since he wasn't in the best of moods. He just wanted to quickly reach the dressing room and change out of his match gear before returning to his hotel room to rest and calm himself down.
"Zachary, a moment, please?" A familiar voice sounded behind him just as he was about to step into the corridor leading to the dressing room. He turned around and realized that Coach Trombetta, the assistant coach in charge of the first team, was the person that had called his name.
"Hello, coach," Zachary said, holding his position and facing the coach. Even though he was not in a good mood, he forced himself to smile and continued, "Do you need me for anything?"
"Come; let's talk for a minute." The coach immediately led Zachary by the arm into a nearby room without giving him a chance to reply. In a short while, the two men stood face to face in what seemed like a staffers' changing room.
"How are you?" Coach Trombetta immediately asked before Zachary could say a word. "I noticed you were quieter than usual while walking down the tunnel! Are you okay?"
"I'm okay," Zachary lied.
"Really?" Coach Trombetta asked again while studying Zachary's face with his penetrative gaze. He seemed skeptical.
"Of course, I'm okay," Zachary confirmed while maintaining his poker face. "Why wouldn't I be?"
Zachary wasn't about to express his dissatisfaction with the team selection to his new coaches. He had already resolved to bury his frustration deep within his heart and keep working hard during training. He would win his rightful place on the Juventus starting eleven by showcasing his skills instead of complaining and sobbing to gain sympathy from his trainers.
Coach Trombetta nodded as a mysterious smile outlined his face. "Let me tell you a secret," he said, lowering his voice. "Coach Allegri only left you out of the proceedings today because he's considering you for a starting position in the Champions League game against Malmö on Tuesday night. So, don't let any negative feelings affect your sharpness during training on Monday. Continue working hard, and you might get your first start for Juventus on Tuesday night. Okay?"
"Okay." Zachary nodded as his mood lifted and soared high and beyond. His eyes glittered with a spark of anticipation, and he continued, "I'll obviously work hard during training on Monday. And as long as I get an opportunity to start the game on Tuesday, I'll do my utmost not to disappoint. I'll play my heart out when I'm on the field of play."
"Good. I like your conviction." Coach Trombetta nodded and smiled. Without saying anything else, he turned around and walked out of the room.
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After taking a day off to recover from post-match fatigue, the Juventus players were back on the training ground on Monday morning. They immediately commenced their preparations for their opening Champions League group game against Malmo, scheduled to be played on the evening of the following day.
First and foremost, the players attended a team meeting chaired by Coach Allegri at 9:00 AM, just after arriving at the training ground. Most of them listened attentively as Coach Allegri explained the tactics for the game against Malmo. As for those like Zachary, Evra, and Morata, who couldn't understand Italian, they just had to swallow their frustration and continue pretending to comprehend the coach's words throughout the session.
Fortunately, the coach's address ended after just an hour and thus saved the non-Italian speakers from their long spell of boredom. Like the rest of their teammates, they were also excited as they waited for the coach to read out the match squad for the following day's game.
"These will be our starting eleven for the game against Malmo tomorrow night," the coach stated with a smile as the big screen behind him lit up to display the names of the players that had made his match squad. "Gianluigi Buffon will be in goal. In defense, we'll utilize three defenders. They are Giorgio Chiellini, Leonardo Bonucci, and Martín Cáceres. Our three central midfielders will be Claudio Marchisio, Arturo Vidal, and Zachary Bemba. Then, on the flanks, we'll go with Patrice Evra and Stephan Lichtsteiner to complete our midfield of five."
"Lastly," the coach continued after a slight pause, "Fernando Llorente and Carlos Tévez will play on our striking line to complete our 3-5-2 formation. That's it for the starting eleven. Any questions?" He glanced around.
The players remained silent in response.
"Moving on," the coach said, "On the bench, we'll have Marco Storari, Angelo Ogbonna, Rômulo, Andrea Pirlo, Kingsley Coman, Sebastian Giovinco, and Álvaro Morata. That's it for the match squad. Any questions?"
"None at all, coach," the players replied almost in unison.
Coach Allegri nodded. "Since we're all on the same page, let's head out onto the training turfs and start our practice. We all have to do our best as we only have a few hours to go through the drills to prepare us for tomorrow night's game. Clear?"
"Clear," the players replied.
"Then, let's move immediately." The coach clapped his hands to emphasize his words. "I want you on the training ground, ready for training in ten minutes. We don't have time to waste."
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