The Greatest of all Time

Chapter 660 The Turning Point

660 The Turning Point

Zachary lay on the grass, wincing as he massaged his shin where N'Golo Kanté's boot had caught him. The pain was sharp but manageable. It was more a result of the impact than any significant injury. As he sat up, Wilfried Zaha, Eric Bailly, and Franck Kessié were already by his side, their faces etched with worry.

"Are you alright?" Zaha asked, extending a hand to help him up.

Zachary smiled reassuringly. "I'll be fine," he said, grasping Zaha's hand and quickly rising to stand back on his feet.

"Watch out for Kanté," Zaha warned. "He's out to get you." Visitt for the latest updates

Zachary chuckled. "I will," he replied, turning his attention to the rest of the field. He immediately saw Salomon Kalou and Serey Dié arguing with the referee, their gestures animated.

"Calm down, guys," Zachary called out as he hurried over to them. "Don't play into their hands. Focus on our game."

The two players nodded, eventually heeding his advice, and returned to their positions. Seconds later, the referee gave N'Golo Kanté a stern verbal warning before blowing his whistle to restart the game.

Zachary quickly took the free-kick, passing it short to Franck Kessié. But as soon as Kessié received the ball, Antoine Griezmann was upon him, forcing a quick pass back to Eric Bailly.

Bailly was also under pressure from Olivier Giroud, so he wasted no time before passing the ball to Sylvain Gbohouo, the Ivorian goalkeeper. Gbohouo scanned the field and saw Kylian Mbappé sprinting towards him. Deciding not to take any risks, he launched the ball high and far downfield.

Wilfried Zaha positioned himself near the edge of the final third, ready to contest the aerial ball with the French center-backs - Samuel Umtiti and Raphaël Varane. Using his body effectively, Zaha held them off and expertly chested the ball down, playing it back into the midfield, where Zachary was charging forward.

But Zachary wasn't alone. N'Golo Kanté was right on his heels, sticking to him like a shadow. Zachary, though, grinned, knowing his superior SSS grade agility could leave Kanté behind. He accelerated, pulling away—but then felt a tug on his shirt. Kanté had grabbed him, pulling him back.

Zachary and his teammates erupted, yelling at the referee for a penalty, waving their arms frantically. But the referee waved off their pleas, motioning for the play to continue.

In the meantime, Antoine Griezmann swiftly collected the cleared ball, turning and passing to Kylian Mbappé, who was already sprinting down the right wing, ready to launch a counterattack.

Just then, another twist happened. The referee blew his whistle again and pointed to his ear, signaling a VAR check. The stadium's jumbotron flashed "Checking Possible Penalty" and "Handball," sending shockwaves through the pitch. Mbappé, frustrated, halted his run while an anxious atmosphere settled over the crowd.

The French players surrounded the referee, arguing their case, but he waved them off and soon jogged to the pitch-side monitor. He reviewed the replay of Umtiti's handball, clearly seeing the ball strike the defender's hand. The crucial questions now were whether Umtiti's hand was in a natural position and if the handball was intentional or denied a goal-scoring opportunity.

The referee made his decision and ran back to the pitch, pointing to the penalty spot and awarding Ivory Coast a penalty. He also showed Umtiti a yellow card, much to the relief and joy of the Ivorian fans and players. The French fans, however, erupted in outrage, cursing the intrusion of VAR into the beautiful game of football.

But all that had nothing to do with Zachary. He stepped forward, his heart pounding with the weight of the moment.

It was the 23rd minute, and he had the chance to put Ivory Coast ahead. The stadium fell into a tense silence as he placed the ball on the spot. He took a deep breath, blocking out the noise and pressure, focusing solely on the goal before him.

Hugo Lloris, the French goalkeeper, stood poised, his eyes locked on Zachary. Zachary took a few steps back, visualizing the shot. The referee blew the whistle, and in that instant, time seemed to slow down. Zachary surged forward, striking the ball with composure and practiced skill.

Everything that followed happened so fast, and the ball sailed through the air, curving away from Lloris's outstretched arms and burying itself in the back of the net.

The stadium erupted into thunderous cheers and groans, a symphony of contrasting emotions. Zachary sprinted towards the corner flag, his teammates piling onto him in celebration. Ivory Coast was ahead, 1-0, and the dream of lifting the World Cup grew closer.

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