-Ding!
Contrary to what Noah intended, the ball hit the bar of the goal post.
Coach Wilbur was stunned to see that Noah could hit the ball that hard and accurately, even though the ball hit the bar of the post. For someone that has never played football before, it was an excellent shot.
'Can this kid actually play ball?' Coach Wilbur's expression changed as he blinked his eyes rapidly. 'Did this kid lie about never playing ball before just so that he could get some money from me? No, it can't be, I was the one that approached him.' Coach Wilbur panicked a little bit and gulped his saliva down.
Anisa felt the same thing that Coach Wilbur was feeling. 'The force behind that shot, the accuracy, form, angle at which he played it from, this Noah guy is a natural.' Anisa thought, immediately tagging Noah as an experienced player.
Everyone that saw how Noah played the ball felt like he was actually someone with experience. Most of them felt the hair in their skin stand.
"Seconds after the game started, he went for the post with a scary shot. Is this really a greenhorn?" A player amidst the audience uttered.
"It's just one shot! Sure his form is great, and the power behind that shot… I don't think there's anyone in our team that could match it. But what's the use of his accuracy is off." A tall guy, about 6'0" with long arms and broad shoulders, stated as he walked close to the player that just spoke.
This young man had red hair that extended to the base of his ears, fair skin that looks like it is well taken care of. Not only his hair had attractive traits to its nature, so did his black, stormy eyes. He looked like he was brought out of a modeling magazine.
"Captain!!" The players that noticed this young man's presence chorused…
The goalkeeper of the team wearing pink was in shock for a few moments. 'I couldn't even react until after the ball hit the post. That's one scary shot power in those long legs of his, and Coach said that he was a greenhorn.
Although the post we are using for this game isn't the standard one, if it was, that shot would have made it into the post, depending on the type of goalie. Nonetheless, his accuracy is not bad.' The goalkeeper thought.
"Goddamn it, it was a little bit off." Noah cursed and frowned.
Everything went happened a few seconds after Noah hit the ball. Without wasting much time, one of the defenders on the pink team chased after the ball and caught it before it crossed the throwing line.
The defender passed the ball to the goalkeeper of his team, who also sent the ball towards another defender. The pink team began passing the ball amongst their selves naturally, waiting for their opponent to make a move.
While they started doing this, Noah was a bit occupied thinking of what he did wrong when he hit the ball. He was sure that he hit it right, or so he thought.
From the corner of his eyes, he saw the other midfielder in his team and his striker, going forward. The striker chased after the ball, while the other midfielder marked a player that was free, closing the option of passing the ball to that player.
This thought didn't reach his head. 'So now we have to get the ball, eh? It should be that hard to do. I just need to be fast than the players.' He naively thought.
Just like the striker and midfielder that had already gone to mark their opponents, Noah followed suit, leaving his defenders and goalkeeper exposed.
'I just have to get the ball again and then aim for the post. This time, I won't miss.'
Noah immediately went after the player that was with the ball. The speed at which he moved scared the midfielder that was with the ball, he thought that he and Noah were going to collide and the only way to avoid that is if he passes the ball to someone else or if Noah slows down.
The midfielder had more doubt for the latter and chose to pass the ball back home, sending the ball to his goalkeeper. The goalkeeper used his leg to skillfully control the ball, stopping it in its tracks.
Noah didn't care that the ball had changed positions, he ran after it like a bull that had seen a red cloth —not noticing his surroundings or the body language of the player with the ball.
Seeing Noah rush towards him for the ball, the goalkeeper chose a tricky angle to pass the ball. Not only Noah was coming for the ball too, but the striker of the green team was also doing the same.
The only difference was that the striker was more conscious of his surroundings and in control.
The goalkeeper played the ball and sent it towards the middle of the two players.
-Thud!!
Noah and the striker. The two of them went after the ball, but before they could reach it, they made strong body contact.
The striker was sent to the ground upon collision with the high-speed Noah, and Noah was still standing. He glared at his striker like he wanted to beat him up. As this was friendly fire, the referee didn't blow a foul.
"Hahaha!!!" People from amongst the crowd began laughing. "That was smart!!" Someone commented on the goalkeeper.
This didn't infuriate Noah, he had been booed a lot of times in the pit when he first started fighting there. He was focused on getting the ball.
Noah shook his head and turned his head away from the striker that he collided with. He searched around for the ball and it didn't take long for him to find where it was.
By the time he found the ball, the pink team had already reached his team's defense and were about to breach it.
Like the wind, Noah rushed to the rescue. The ball was with a midfielder that was trying to breach the green team's defense from the corner position. Noah ran and in seconds he reached the player.
He brought his leg forward and was about to hit the ball off the player's legs when the ball stopped a few inches away from his foot. This sudden change in momentum caused Noah to slip and fall on his buttocks, giving his opponent the space he needed to pass.
Before Noah could get himself, he heard the crowd shouting. "Goall!!!"
Noah turned and looked at his post. Indeed, the ball was inside his team's post. The pass that the midfielder gave to the striker gave them a chance to score. The striker dribbled a defender and the goalkeeper together, creating the space for him to take a shot.
"Hahahaha!! Get up, greenhorn!!! Hope you didn't tear a muscle from that fall." Noah was being mocked by the people outside the pitch.
Unfortunately for them, this didn't affect Noah, rather, he had a smile on his face. 'So this is also possible. I didn't think of it. I think I have been too impulsive, I should focus on watching those that know how to play first, then pick whatever I can execute. I have to score a goal before the game ends.' Noah thought with a wide smile on his face…
"Hey, what's going on with your friend? Why is he smiling like he just did something good?" Coach Wilbur leaned towards Anisa and whispered to her.
"Coach, I just met him today. Not long after you met him, we are not friends. I also want to know what's wrong with him. Maybe he has some kind of personality disorder." Anisa replied.
"For someone as arrogant as him, he should be angry that he is being mocked by a lot of people, and yet, he's not. Either his mental fortitude is strong or it is messed up." Coach Wilbur added.
"I agree," Anisa said.
…
13 minutes had gone by and Noah still hadn't touched the ball for the second time. His teammates didn't pass the ball to him, and when he went forward to mark, he always got dribbled.
The only difference was his approach in marking. He didn't rush after the ball anymore, instead, he approached moderately and watched the player's body language. Subconsciously, Noah was reading the game.
Picking little things from the players that he had been watching, from the green and pink teams. 'I think I have a better idea of how this game works now.' Noah cocked his head a bit as he watched his team members mark their opponents.
…
"Apart from the first shot that Noah took, he hasn't touched the ball again." Anisa pointed out dejectedly. "He isn't even putting effort in marking and his teammates don't want to pass the ball to him."
"They can already tell that he doesn't know how to play. That first shot that he took might have been a fluke. They think that if they pass the ball to him, he would just waste their effort and give the ball to the opposing team." Coach Wilbur explained. "But who cares? It seems like I have a new ball boy." He smirked as he watched Noah on the field, embarrass himself.
"It might have been a fluke, and it might have not been a fluke. That form was good…" Anisa muttered.