章節 2: Friendly Match vs Senior Team
Kenneth wasn't familiar with many of the Manchester City U-21 players. The one he recognized most clearly was Kelechi Iheanacho, who would one day join Leicester City. This summer, Kelechi had joined Manchester City's preseason tour and scored goals in several games.
Now it was August. The attention-grabbing 2014 World Cup had concluded. History remained the same: Germany defeated Argentina 1-0 with a goal by Mario Gotze, marking Europe's third consecutive World Cup victory. This marked a resurgence of European dominance before it was eventually broken by Argentina in 2022.
However, Kenneth was unsure if history would remain unchanged. With his presence, history was bound to shift due to the butterfly effect.
As the world's biggest football event ended, the summer transfer window unfolded. Luis Suarez moved to Barcelona, forming one of the most formidable trios in football history. James Rodriguez, who impressed at the World Cup, joined Real Madrid from Monaco.
Meanwhile, Alexis Sanchez signed with Arsenal, followed shortly by Danny Welbeck from Manchester United. Van Gaal's United welcomed Ander Herrera, Di Maria, and Luke Shaw. Chelsea bolstered their squad with Diego Costa, while City strengthened with Mangala and Fernando. Liverpool reinvested funds from Suarez's transfer to acquire Adam Lallana, Emre Can, Dejan Lovren, Divock Origi, and others.
In Germany, Lewandowski's transfer to Bayern Munich saw Dortmund fans burn his jerseys, and Xabi Alonso joined him from Real Madrid, though Bayern lost Toni Kroos.
In France, PSG acquired David Luiz from London. In Italy, however, notable transfers were sparse.
The holiday ended, and players began gathering to prepare for the 2014-15 season.
"Keep going, finish ten more laps!" yelled the fitness coach from the sideline.
The Manchester City U-21 squad was undergoing a tough physical training session. The start of the season typically involves intense conditioning to restore peak fitness levels. Luckily, Kenneth had maintained a regular workout routine, so he was performing well—not the last in the stamina test.
After the physical session, fitness coach Neil Roberts led the players in a cooldown.
"How are they doing, Roberts?" Vieira asked.
"Except for a few who are below standard, the rest are in pretty good shape," Neil replied.
"Alright, let's schedule the other foundational training."
Vieira and the U-21 coaching staff conducted drills focusing on fundamentals like passing, receiving, dribbling, and shooting.
Kenneth stood out in these drills alongside others like Kelechi, Jason Denayer, Kean Bryan, Brandon Barker, Bersant Celina, George Evans, and Thierry Ambrose.
A few days passed. The focus remained on improving physical fitness, but tactical training also gradually intensified.
Patrick Vieira introduced a possession-based style, urging the players to control the game's tempo, dismantle opposing defenses through short passes and off-the-ball movement, and circulate the ball quickly.
In the defensive organization phase, Vieira instructed his players to press the opposition aggressively to regain possession. The team was expected to apply high-pressure tactics, pressing intensely to recover the ball quickly. As a result, fitness was a priority, and Kenneth often found himself reprimanded for not pressing enough, as his average stamina was not quite meeting Vieira's standards.
"Alright, everyone. Pellegrini, the head coach of the Manchester City first team, has arranged an internal match between the main team and the U-21s—meaning all of you. This is a great opportunity to show your skills. If you perform well, I'm sure Pellegrini will consider giving you a chance with the first team."
Vieira's words motivated the U-21 players, eager for a shot against the main squad. While most understood they might not immediately make the first team, impressing in this match could lead to at least one or two appearances, which could be vital for their careers. Even a debut experience in the English league would improve their chances of being noticed by other clubs.
***
The match kicked off. Edin Dzeko initiated play by passing the ball to David Silva, who sent it back to the defensive line.
Man City U-21 pushed forward with a high press led by Kelechi Iheanacho. Kompany and the defense handled the pressure calmly, maintaining short, precise passes. After about two minutes, the U-21's pressing began to ease. Vieira had instructed them to press aggressively in the opening minutes but to scale back if they failed to win possession.
The first team slowly advanced, gradually pushing the U-21 defense back. When Yaya Toure received the ball, Kenneth attempted to close him down, but Toure deftly sidestepped him, using the momentum to bypass Kenneth's challenge.
Toure then passed to Silva, who quickly set up Kolarov overlapping on the wing. Kolarov delivered a low cross into the penalty area. Dzeko managed to connect, but his shot went straight to the keeper, who made a straightforward save. Dzeko gave Kolarov a thumbs-up in acknowledgment.
"What are you doing, Brandon? Track Kolarov and block that cross!" Vieira yelled at Brandon Barker, who was playing on the wing. In Vieira's tactical setup, wingers were expected to track back and assist in defense, especially when the opposing full-back joined the attack.
This was only the start of the first team's assault.
Two minutes later, Toure unleashed a powerful shot from outside the box that struck the crossbar and bounced out of play. Just a few minutes after that, Silva broke into the penalty area and aimed for the far corner, but the U-21 keeper, in excellent form, managed to tip it away.
For the first quarter of an hour, the U-21 team was under constant attack from the main team. Although they had not yet conceded, it was clear that it was only a matter of time.
On the sidelines, Vieira continued shouting instructions to his players, urging them to keep up with the intensity.
The first real opportunity came in the 18th minute when George Evans intercepted the ball from David Silva, quickly passing it to Kenneth, who moved to receive the pass. With Yaya Toure approaching, Kenneth played it forward to Bersant Celina, who sprinted with the ball. Celina spotted Brandon Barker's run and delivered a through ball to him. Without hesitation, Barker crossed the ball into the box toward Kelechi Iheanacho. Kelechi raced forward, controlling the ball, but Kompany stood firm in his path.
Kenneth arrived nearby, continued his run, and Kelechi laid the ball off to him. With composure, Kenneth took a shot toward the near corner, but Joe Hart reacted swiftly to deflect it, denying Kenneth's first goal.
The scoring opened in the 27th minute, with Edin Dzeko capitalizing on an excellent buildup from the City first team, slotting the ball home effortlessly. Just seven minutes later, Yaya Toure extended the lead to 2-0 with a powerful free kick, boosting the main team's momentum.
The U-21 squad's morale took a hit, with players visibly losing focus and making minor errors. In one instance, George Evans played a weak pass that Yaya Toure intercepted, sending a through ball to Dzeko. Dzeko's pace allowed him to beat center-back Kean Bryan, dribble past the goalkeeper, and score into an open net.
The half ended with a score of 3-0, and the first team calmly headed to the dressing room, appearing confident and in control.
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