In fact, the Charlton Athletic U18 youth team often played training matches against the Reserve Team.
After all, once some players were called up to the Reserve Team, the U18 squad could not even field 22 players, and the Reserve Team had even fewer.
They were all very familiar with each other, except for Theo.
The Reserve Team players were all wearing the traditional red training kits of Charlton Athletic.
They looked more mature than the U18 players, and their physiques were taller and stronger.
Theo carefully observed their key members.
The midfield core was 17-year-old Shelvey.
He used to be a member of the U18s as well, and his technique was outstanding—his passing precise, his vision broad.
He was already a key substitute for the First Team and had already made multiple appearances this season.
Then there was midfielder Scott Wagstaff, 19 years old.
As a product of the Charlton Athletic youth academy, he had already earned stable playing time in the First Team.
The forward, Tuna, of Turkish descent, had a sharp nose for goal.
His shooting technique was superb.
He was not only the main striker for the U18s but also frequently played up in the Reserve Team matches.
These were all midfield and attacking players that needed special attention.
This was going to be a tough match.
Theo knew it clearly.
The strength of the Reserve Team was far above the U18s, and those who performed well in the U18s were all in the Reserve Team.
Not only were they stronger and more technically gifted, but they were also more experienced.
Quite a few players even had experience playing in the EFL League One or even the EFL Championship.
But today, he was not afraid.
Not to mention that his attributes had already improved, plus he had his skills.
This training match would also be his battle to prove himself.
At this moment, some fans had already gathered in the stands.
Most of them were club staff and players’ family members.
There were also some residents from the nearby community.
They had all come over to watch this training match.
In the stands, a few young fans were holding up signs that read “Charlton Athletic!
Go!”, cheering on the struggling Charlton Athletic FC.
There were also some parents who brought their children to watch the match.
They hoped that their own children could also become football players.
“Hi, Theo!
Mate, come on!” A young voice called out.
Hearing someone calling him, Theo looked up.
It was actually that white guy from the basketball court yesterday, and he was accompanied by the two teammates he had played basketball with yesterday.
Seeing Theo respond, his face beamed with an excited smile.
“Mate, I am your fan!
Score another goal today!” Theo waved at him.
He felt a warmth in his heart.
It was just that scoring a goal in football was not easy.
It was even harder for a goalkeeper to score a goal.
On the other side of the stands, Director Steve Gritt was accompanying several senior management members of the club.
They were discussing the future of the team.
Currently, Charlton Athletic had 66 points in the league, ranking second, 4 points behind the first-placed Norwich City, with hopes of direct promotion to the EFL Championship.
However, the teams behind them were also biting closely.
Leeds United had 65 points, Millwall had 60 points, and Huddersfield had 59 points; it was just a matter of one or two games, so they could not be careless.
It was just that there were many injuries within the team, and both the defense and forward lines were not that stable.
They needed to scout the Reserve Team and the U18s to see if there were any good prospects left.
In a corner of the pitch, there was also a group of U16 players.
They were watching the match intently, hoping to learn something from this match, and were always ready to replace certain people, ready to step up at any time.
Assistant Coach Steve Avery, acting as the coach for the U18 side, arranged a traditional 4-4-2 formation, briefly outlined a defensive counter-attack strategy, and then let the players play freely.
On the Reserve Team side, Head Coach Damian Matthew was constantly setting up attacking routes and tactical arrangements with the players, occasionally communicating with a specific player individually.
It was not until the arrangements were complete that Damian Matthew waved his hand to signal the start of the match.
With a whistle from the temporary referee, David, the match began.
The Reserve Team kicked off first.
Lewis Perkins passed the ball back to the midfielder, Shelvey.
Shelvey took the ball and dribbled back a few steps, while the U18 midfield prepared to press forward.
They clearly wanted to take advantage of the opening to test their strength against the Reserve Team in midfield.
If they performed well and overwhelmed the opposition, the positions of both sides might be swapped.
Shelvey observed the situation on the pitch and noticed that the U18 players were preparing to come up and press.
Their positioning was quite high, so he decided to play a direct long pass.
He lifted his right foot, kicked the ball hard into the air, and the football carved an arc in the sky, heading straight for the forward, Tuna.
Tuna was currently outside the edge of the penalty area.
Seeing his teammate’s pass, he turned and ran, his speed extremely fast, shaking off his marker, Bellamy.
He rushed towards the football like a lightning bolt, took a light touch, and slipped into the edge of the penalty arc.
The U18 defender, Morris, attempted to intercept.
But Tuna, relying on his outstanding speed, easily shook him off.
Straight into the penalty area.
Danger!
The U18 captain, Morris, shouted loudly.
He quickly moved to cover from the right side, wanting to block Tuna’s path.
But Tuna had already entered the penalty area.
He had already dribbled past Morris, and Cousins had not yet arrived.
There was only the goalkeeper in front of him.
As a forward, if not shooting now, when?
Facing Theo, his eyes were calm.
He lifted his left foot, aimed at the top left corner of the goal, and unleashed a powerful strike.
The ball was extremely fast, whistling through the air straight toward the top left corner of the goal.
The whole process happened too quickly; the U18 players had not even reacted yet.
They only had one thought in their hearts: It’s over.
Just that useless Theo, facing such a powerful one-on-one shot, it would be good enough if he did not dodge, let alone expecting him to save it.
The spectators on the sidelines also held their breath; no one expected the first shot to come so quickly.
Everyone’s eyes were fixed on Theo.
That goalkeeper seemed to be just a substitute, and they had not really seen him play much; could he save this shot?
Theo, however, was exceptionally calm.
When the opponent broke through Morris’s defensive line, he had already started moving forward to block the opponent’s shooting angle.
He also moved towards his left-hand side, forcing the opponent to shoot from the right near-post angle.
At the same time, his eyes were locked onto the football.
Just at this moment, the system prompt sounded: “[Ding!
Detected opponent’s shooting trajectory, threatening the goal!
Enable Block Moment?]” Block Moment (Level 3): Predicts the opponent’s shooting trajectory 1.5 seconds in advance.
Usage per match: 3/3.
He could not accurately predict the angle of the opponent’s shot right now.
If he did not use it now, what was he waiting for?
He certainly did not want his goal to be breached on the very first shot.
“Enable!” Theo silently thought to himself.
In an instant, the flight time and trajectory of the football became crystal clear in his mind.
Now!
He made his judgment in advance.
Adjusting his posture, just before the opponent kicked, he pushed off with his right foot.
His body flew towards the right side like a cheetah.
His body stretched out in mid-air, and his right hand accurately touched the football that was heading toward the top right corner of the goal, tipping the ball over the crossbar.
“Swish!” The football grazed the crossbar and then flew out.
“Wow!” “How is that possible!” “Beautiful!” A wave of gasps came from the sidelines.
After Theo saved the ball, he rolled on the ground to dissipate the impact force, and then quickly scrambled up.
There was no expression on Theo’s face, as if that brilliant save just now was just an insignificant matter.
“[Ding!
Successful save!
Points +1!]” “[Current Points: 1 point!]” Theo silently gave a thumbs-up in his heart; one attribute point acquired.
“Saving a one-on-one, beautiful!
Theo!” Assistant Coach Steve Avery shouted in praise from the sidelines.
Head Coach Damian Matthew of the Reserve Team also nodded in approval.
“This young man!
His reflexes are truly fast!” The First Team assistant coach beside him also nodded in recognition, then wrote something down in his notebook with a pen.
The two center-backs, Morris and Cousins, who had rushed over, seeing that the danger had been cleared, both patted him on the shoulder.
“Well done!
Theo!” Theo nodded, acknowledging it, then adjusted his gloves.
Just at this moment, the referee blew his whistle: “Corner kick!”