Chapter 628 In the Driving Seat

Chapter 628 In the Driving Seat

Kristin Stein was more than just Zachary's personal assistant and publicity secretary. She was his biggest fan, and nothing would have stopped her from attending Zachary's debut match in the World Cup.

She had been eagerly waiting for this moment for weeks, counting down the days until the tournament began. At the moment, she was among thousands of Ivorian fans who had traveled from Africa to witness their team's opening match against the Iranian side.

As soon as Zachary scored the opening goal against Iran, the stadium erupted with an ear-splitting roar of excitement. Kristin could feel the Krestovsky Stadium quaking beneath her feet due to the loud sounds of cheers, drums, and vuvuzelas around her.

She looked around and saw thousands of people jumping up and down, waving flags and chanting "Ivory Coast" and Zachary's name. It was a moment of pure joy and ecstasy for Kristin and every other Ivorian fan in the stadium.

As Kristin continued looking around, she couldn't help but notice the vibrant energy emanating from the group of people seated next to her. They were all acquaintances and some relatives of Zachary, who had come from far and wide to witness his World Cup debut.

Emily, Bjørn Peters, Inger, Céleste Kouame, and Natasha Kone - all of them were cheering and yelling, their voices ringing out loud and clear after Ivory Coast scored the opening goal in the match. The excitement in the air was palpable, and Kristin couldn't help but get swept up in the moment.

"Wow, did you just witness that?!" screamed Emily Anderson, Zachary's agent. "He's done it again! Zachary just scored in the World Cup! This is incredible; I need to share this on my status right now!"

"Man, I hope Zachary scores more goals and becomes the top scorer of the World Cup," exclaimed Bjørn Peters, Zachary's fitness trainer. "If that happens, I could boast about how I trained him to my friends and colleagues and make them all jealous."

Kristin couldn't help but shake her head with a chuckle as she listened to the fitness coach's enthusiastic words. She turned her gaze towards the only person who seemed to maintain their calm amidst all the chaos. It was Céleste Kouame, Zachary's biological mom, who had come all the way to witness her son's World Cup debut. Kristin could see the pride and joy in her eyes after Zachary scored Ivory Coast's opening goal, making his biological mother emotional.

Just then, Hervé Renard, the coach of the Ivorian National team, stepped up and began to speak. Applauding, he said, "Great job, everyone! I'm pleased with how we played in the first half. We took the game to the Iranians with great enthusiasm from the get-go. Our teamwork was also outstanding, which is why we're ahead."

The coach's demeanor became more solemn as he inquired, "But the question is, have we done enough? Is scoring a single goal against the Iranians, the weakest team in our group, enough to propel us to the next round of the World Cup?"

The coach's words hung in the air with a weighty silence as the team contemplated the gravity of the situation. They knew they had to step up their game and win by a large margin if they wished to secure their place in the following round of the tournament. It was now or never! They had to give it their all to ensure they accumulated a better goal difference against Iran.

"Listen up!" continued the coach. "Our current situation demands our full effort and determination. We're up against some tough teams like Portugal and Spain after Iran. That's why we must capitalize on this opportunity to improve our goal difference and increase our chances of progressing from the group stage."

"We must be ruthless in the second half and score more goals. Zachary, Franck, Pépé, Zaha, and Gervinho! You five are our main attacking players! You need to step up your game. I don't want to see any hesitation, and I want you to be more daring, creative, and clinical in front of the goal. You need to up the tempo and create more chances to score."

"However, we can't afford to lose focus and concede a needless goal while on the offensive. So, we must fall back and defend as a team whenever we do not have the ball."

The coach stood before the team, his voice firm and full of conviction. "I'm not asking you to do the impossible," he said, emphasizing each word. "But I am demanding that you give it your all. We're in this together, and we're going to win together. Let's show the Iranians what we're made of!"

The team was already feeling the heat of the upcoming second half, but their coach's passionate words motivated them. They could sense his determination, and it sparked a fire within them.

"Are we together?" the coach asked, looking at each player in turn.

Excitement and determination filled the air as the players exclaimed, "Yes, coach!" With their confidence and spirit surging, they were ready to take on the upcoming second half. It would be a true-blue test of their skills and teamwork, but they were determined to face the challenge head-on and come out on top.