A bolt of pain shot through Zachary when the opponent's boot connected with his calf. He winced despite himself as he tumbled toward the ground at the border of the final third.
"Foul!"
"Yellow Card!"
"Red Card!"
A wave of cries and pleas for the foul and the corresponding disciplinary action immediately arose in the stadium. All the Juventus players, coaches, and most fans combined their voices to demand justice for Zachary. They yelled and yelled to ensure that the player who had committed the foul didn't get away scot-free.
But the referee clearly didn't need the reminders. He blew the whistle and arrived on the scene within seconds before showing a yellow card to Danilo Cataldi, the midfielder who had committed the foul against Zachary.
The ref then checked on Zachary, who was still in pain on the ground. After noticing his condition, he immediately signaled to the technical area for the medics to come onto the pitch.
As the situation seemed quite critical, the medics arrived in a matter of seconds. They applied first aid and started checking the extent of the damage as the whole Juventus side sank into a tense state.
Fans, coaches, and teammates were anxious as they feared the worst. They all watched with creased brows as they waited for the verdict of the medics, which seemed to be taking forever.
"This could be bad," Fabio Crudeli, the commentator, said. "Zachary rarely ever stays on the ground after facing a tackle. He's always eager to get back up and restart the game as soon as possible. That's why I find this situation worrying."
"Indeed, he was clearly in pain when he went down after facing that tackle from Danilo Cataldi," David Ferrini, the co-commentator, replied. "The situation could turn into a nightmare for Juventus as they head into the Champions League final that is only two and a half weeks away. They have already lost Andrea Pirlo to injury. It'll be the worst possible situation if they again lose Zachary before facing off against Barcelona."
"Zachary had really started the game well," Fabio Crudeli remarked. "He was involved in every wave of attack that Juventus launched against Lazio and even scored the first goal. Moreover, he's just a few goals away from breaking a few records. I really hope there's nothing wrong with him."
"The medics are helping him off the pitch," David Ferrini said. "He's limping and can't walk by himself. I can also see Roberto Pereyra, one of Juventus' substitute midfielders, warming on the sidelines. Do you think he will continue?"
"If I were the Juventus coach, I would stay on the side of caution and take him out of the game," Fabio Crudeli said. "But I'm not sure what Coach Max Allegri will do. I guess it will depend on what the medics tell him."
"True!" David Ferrini said. "Let's wait and see what happens."
Emily Anderson was tense when she saw Zachary limping off the pitch in pain. A small voice in her mind repeatedly clamored that the worst had happened. But she chose to ignore the thought and continued watching on with worry.
Of course, she had heard the words of the two commentators that were full of negativity. But she just scoffed at them and continued praying for her client. She wanted him to be well. She wanted him to play all of Juventus' remaining crucial games so he could push his career to another level.
She was seated in Juventus' side of the stadium. The fans around her were likewise worried as they waited for the verdict of the medics. Was he okay, and would he return? Their body language said all they were thinking as they continued waiting.
Then, the moment came when Zachary finished talking to the medics and started jogging on the sidelines. At first, he was struggling and running unnaturally. But after a few strides, he appeared to shake off whatever pain he was facing and started sprinting along the touchline.
All the Juventus fans in the stadium, including Emily, immediately stood up and started cheering. It was as if they had just won another final, and their voices and applause quickly hit a crescendo.
"Zachary! Clap! Clap! Zachary..."
Emily didn't know who started yelling Zachary's name. But within moments, she heard all those around her growing more and more animated as they repeated the same word. It was as if they hoped to boost Zachary's recovery with their voices.
In the meantime, Zachary was still doing a few sprints along the sidelines to run off the pain from the knock. He felt warm when he heard the cheers of the fans and started working harder. Soon enough, he shook off the pain before approaching Juventus' technical area again.
"How are you feeling?" Coach Max Allegri was the first to step forward and ask. "Do you think you can continue?"
"Yes, I can," he answered right away. "I no longer feel any pain in my leg."
"Ohh!" Coach Allegri said. He looked at the nearby medics as if asking them for confirmation.
"He could have suffered a slight impact injury," one of the medics said. "But it doesn't appear serious at first glance. He can continue."
Coach Max Allegri let out a breath and turned back to Zachary. "Okay, you can return. But if you feel any discomfort, remember to tell us. I don't need to caution you about the disadvantages of hiding any injury!"
"Yes, coach."
"Good, off you go. Try to play non-contact football that focuses on passing instead of dribbling. Release the ball as fast as possible to prevent the opponents from tackling you. Okay!"
"Okay. Point noted."
The game had already restarted even when Juventus was still down to ten men. A few minutes ago, Carlos Tevez had taken the free-kick. But his accuracy wasn't spot-on, and he had instead hit the defensive wall and failed to convert.
Fortunately, the ball had headed out of play for a Juventus corner kick. But even then, the Juventus players had failed to capitalize on the opportunity and guide the ball into the back of the net. They had instead gifted possession to the Lazio players, who quickly launched a counterattack against Juventus.
The Lazio players were like a pack of wolves as they streamed through the middle and advanced the attack. They exploited their temporary numerical advantage and effortlessly cut through Juventus' midfield, which still lacked Zachary's presence. They exchanged intricate and snappy passes through the middle until they fed the ball to Felipe Anderson, one of their attacking midfielders.
"Ref! Ref..."
Zachary shouted from the sidelines, hoping to re-enter the game quickly. But both the referee and the fourth official ignored him, and he continued waiting along the touchline while witnessing the opponents attack his team. It wasn't a good experience. Nevertheless, he didn't lose his cool and forced himself to remain calm as he watched Felipe Anderson thread a pass forward, hoping to find Miroslav Klose, the Lazio center-forward.
Miroslav Klose swiftly escaped from Giorgio Chiellini and connected with the ball on the half-turn. The German then turned and twisted at the edge of the box before blasting the ball goalward, hoping to score Lazio's 1st goal on the night during the 16th minute.
Zachary fidgeted as he watched the ball zooming towards the inside of the far post. Fortunately, Marco Storari, the stand-in goalkeeper, was alert and saved Juventus from the precarious situation. Like a Ninja, the shot-stopper executed a dive on a full stretch before snatching the ball out of the air.
"Ref, can I enter now?" Zachary asked the fourth official after seeing Marco Storari make the save.
The fourth official signaled the referee, who, in turn, waved to allow Zachary on the pitch.
Zachary's heart boiled with excitement as he re-entered the game. He took a position beside the touchline on the left flank and started yelling out to Marco Storari, the keeper, to send the ball his way.
Marco Storari, on his part, didn't disappoint. He leaped up from the ground like a cat that had caught the scent of catnip before racing towards the edge of the box and unleashing a goal kick towards the left far side of the field.
Adrenaline pumped through Zachary's system as he saw the ball soar toward the left flank. The pass wasn't that accurate since Marco Storari had overhit it and almost sent it towards the corner flag.
But that small challenge didn't discourage Zachary, who was already chasing after the flying ball like his life was on the line. His strides covered dozens of yards in seconds, and he got to it just in time with an outstretched left leg.
He slid forward for a few meters and controlled the ball on the touchline before it was about to bounce out of play on the left flank. Then, without a moment to lose, he picked himself on the ground, eager to launch another attack.
Just then, Ștefan Radu, the Lazio captain and defender, rushed forward, hoping to stop the potential attack. The Lazio man was coming in all guns blazing with a sliding tackle.
However, Zachary dug his boot under the ball and looped it over the defender. Without losing composure, he followed that up with a leap over the helpless guy, who continued sliding out of the pitch. Then, after reorienting himself, he accelerated and took off towards Lazio's goal like the wind.
His SS-grade agility worked wonders, and he approached the box from the left side in a flash. Santiago Gentiletti, the other center-back, rushed forward to stop him. But he chose not to take on the defender and instead squared the ball into the area toward the lurking Fernando Llorente.
Fernando Llorente did what was expected of him as a striker. He connected with Zachary's pass and effortlessly tapped the ball into the back of the net to score Juventus' 2nd goal on the night during the 17th minute.
