Theo silently clenched his fists.
The opportunity had arrived.
He muttered to himself: “Since it has come, don’t leave!
I will seize every opportunity!
Jack Binks, you can just honestly stay on the bench forever.” Upon seeing that Theo did not show excessive excitement or agitation after hearing he was in the starting lineup, Head Coach Damian Matthew nodded with satisfaction.
A goalkeeper needs to remain calm most of the time, and this proved that Assistant Coach Steve Avery’s recommendation was not in vain.
Actually, he still hoped to field Jack Binks, as the latter had always been the starting goalkeeper for the U18 team, and his performance was considered acceptable.
However, Assistant Coach Steve Avery’s reason for the recommendation was: Theo had been training very hard recently, his goalkeeping performance was quite good, and his ability might have already surpassed Jack Binks.
Furthermore, judging from the previous match against the Reserve Team, Theo was a match-type player.
His on-field reactions were excellent, and he should be given a chance to prove himself.
In the end, Head Coach Damian Matthew decided to let Theo play a match to see the actual results.
March 6, 2010.
London.
It was a rare day without rain; the weather was clear, and the spring breeze was cool.
At the pitch inside the training base at Sparrow’s Lane, Charlton Athletic U18 welcomed an important home league match this season, with their opponent being Fulham U18.
This was a London derby, a duel between two youth teams, and it was also highly anticipated by their respective loyal fans.
Fulham U18 was a traditional powerhouse in the U18 League; they had performed consistently over the past few seasons and possessed a group of very promising young players.
Currently, their midfield core, Christopher Buchtmann, was a future star with high expectations, while Marcus Bettinelli was the current U18 starting goalkeeper, who would later play for clubs like Chelsea and Manchester City.
At this moment, in the Charlton Athletic U18 dressing room, the atmosphere was tense and exciting.
The players were all making pre-match preparations.
Theo sat in the corner; this was his assigned dressing room spot.
Number 22 was his jersey number.
At this moment, his heartbeat was accelerating.
It was his first time participating in an official league match, and even if it was just the U18 League, it was inevitable to feel a bit nervous.
Everyone feels nervous during their first time.
However, his gaze was exceptionally firm, and his eyes carried a burning fighting spirit.
“Theo!
Are you ready?” Vice-Captain Jordan Cousins walked over and patted Theo on the shoulder.
Theo looked over.
Come to think of it, this kid was two years younger than him but already had the look of a veteran player.
Cousins was 1.77 meters tall, held dual nationality for England and Jamaica, was physically strong, had excellent heading ability, and possessed a unique long-passing skill.
Currently, he partnered with Morris as a center-back, though after reaching adulthood, perhaps due to his lack of height, he would switch to playing in midfield.
“Rest assured, my Vice-Captain, I am already prepared.
With me in the back, you just go forward and do your job,” Theo said, emphasizing the word “Vice” in particular.
“Tch!
Don’t add the ‘Vice’ part, okay!
When I become the official captain, I’ll look after you!” Cousins said confidently.
Theo chuckled and didn’t answer; this kid had been led astray by him, hadn’t he.
He looked at the other players in the dressing room.
Harry Pell was listening to music, relaxing his mood.
He was the current midfield core of this U18 team, 19 years old, and one of the three over-age players and one over-age goalkeeper allowed by the FA regulations for U18 teams.
His technique was already very good, and he was responsible for midfield interception and defense.
It was just that he didn’t have many opportunities to play for the First Team, and because the Reserve Team League was abandoned by the club due to financial problems and personnel shortages, he could only be relegated to the U18 team to play matches and gain experience.
The forward, Azeez, was doing stretches; he was fast and had strong explosive power.
Defensive midfielder Bellamy didn’t know what he was discussing with the substitute, Warren, as they were laughing and joking; they were responsible for coordinating with Pell.
Morris was resting with his eyes closed; he was tall and had good positioning awareness.
Jenkinson was tying his shoelaces; as a full-back, his attacking ability was good, and he could often press forward to assist in the attack.
At this moment, he saw Ajayi walk over to where Jack Binks was located.
After a few tacit glances between the two, Ajayi looked around, and seeing that no one was paying attention, he spoke in an extremely careful, low voice: “Binks, you can rest assured when I handle things.
That kid will be substituted off by the second half at the latest.
Remember, £1,000.” After speaking, he quickly left.
This was the dressing room; it was crowded and a bit noisy, and no one noticed what they had said.
Theo did see the two of them muttering about something and even glancing at him; he guessed they weren’t plotting anything good.
Theo didn’t care; on the pitch, strength is king, and the two of them were just clowns.
After looking around, he stopped paying attention to the others.
He imitated the captain and closed his eyes to rest, but in reality, he was checking the results of his training over the past few days.
Name: Theo Age: 18 Height: 190cm Wingspan: 198cm Weight: 81kg Position: Goalkeeper (Locked) Team: Charlton Athletic (EFL League One) Attribute Points: 0 Points: 1 Overall Rating: 55 (Qualified EFL League One Reserve Team Goalkeeper) — — Physical (56) — — Strength: 55 (2) | Speed: 51 (1) | Reaction: 60 Explosiveness: 50 (2) | Jumping: 57 (2) | Stamina: 61 (1) — — Goalkeeper Ability (53) — — Saves: 61 (1) | Positioning: 62 (2) | One-on-One: 60 Rushing Out: 49 (1) | Aerial Ability: 56 (1) | Goal Line: 50 Handling: 55 | Goal Kicks: 45 | Throwing: 48 Penalty Saving: 47 | Free Kick Saving: 46 — — Associated Ability (55) — — Balance: 56 (1) | Anticipation: 56 (1) | Composure: 54 (2) Over these past few days, he had eaten very well for all three meals, his weight had increased by 1 kilogram, and his overall rating had increased by 2 points compared to last time.
Furthermore, after these few days of training, many of his basic goalkeeper stats had increased.
However, the higher the level, the more difficult it would be to improve, and in the later stages, he would still need points to accelerate the speed of improvement.
Just then, a loud voice came: “Alright!
Everyone gather around!” U18 Head Coach Damian Matthew walked into the dressing room with a serious expression on his face.
“Today is an important match for us this season; our opponent is Fulham U18, who are currently ranked above us.
Their strength cannot be underestimated, especially their midfielder Christopher Buchtmann.
He has delicate left-foot technique, his dribbling and crossing are very distinctive, he is fast, aggressive in tackles, and also has excellent set-piece ability.
Everyone must pay attention to coordinated defense.” The players nodded one after another.
Christopher Buchtmann was the star player of Fulham U18.
He had just transferred from Liverpool U18, had previously reached the FA Cup final for youth, and carried the halo of being one of the “Top 10 European Rising Stars” and a Germany U18 international; he was the current midfield core of Fulham U18.
It was just that Theo had never heard of this person; he guessed that his development had been cut short later on, or that he was likely muddling along in lower-level leagues.
“Today our formation is 4-4-2,” Head Coach Damian Matthew began to set up the tactics.
“Bellamy!
You are responsible for marking Christopher Buchtmann in the midfield; stick to him and don’t give him too much space to hold the ball.
Pell!
You need to control the midfield rhythm, connect the midfield well, and don’t let the opponent break through easily.
Jenkinson!
You need to pay attention to assisting the center, and when assisting in the attack, be mindful of the positions of your teammates behind you.” “Yes, Coach!” Bellamy, Pell, and Jenkinson said in unison.
The head coach gave instructions one by one; these were all young players who were relatively obedient, so the coach gave a lot of instructions, and it wasn’t time yet to use the ‘hairdryer’ treatment.
Finally, Head Coach Damian Matthew looked at Theo: “Theo, your task today is very heavy.
Fulham’s offense is very methodical.
Their front line coordinates well with each other, so you must always be prepared for balls behind our defensive line, and pay special attention to their passing lines and long shots.” “Rest assured, Coach!” Theo said confidently.
For him, long shots were as simple as could be.
Head Coach Damian Matthew checked the time and said: “Alright!
There are 40 minutes left; everyone go out and warm up.” The players began to walk out of the dressing room one after another, heading towards the pitch.