Football Lord - Chapter 23

Tony woke up really early around 5am as he really felt anxious about the match today against Wolves.

Tony got ready and went downstairs, everyone was still in thier rooms. He quickly organized some light breakfast as he didn’t have the ability to cook anything serious.

Tony ate his food quickly before he then went back upstairs and prepared again. Around after 7 he went downstairs to greet his family.

“Good morning” he greeted his family, who were all downstairs.

“Good morning” they all answered him in the middle of eating there breakfast.

“Hope you have eaten and are very prepared for the match” His dad asked.

“Yes Dad, am already getting a little late. So see you all later and wish me luck”

“Good luck!!!” they all said in unison as he rushed out of the house to go pick up John on his way to the academy.

His parents couldn’t watch the match on TV as the broadcasters mainly focused on the First teams and the premier league or champions league of the main teams.

The Under 18 matches that were sometimes broadcastered were maybe amongst the top teams or finals.

Tony and John arrived at the parking lot of the academy, as they saw that most of the players were already also there. They also looked anxious about the match they were going to play.

The Team bus was a blue Coaster bus that had numerous comfortable seats. The interior and exterior of the bus was designed with the man city logos.

They loaded there things as they boarded the bus. Tony and John sat together around the middle of the bus as the players busied themselves for the journey.

Some of the players pressed there phone, others played music with there headsets, some brought along handheld portable games which they played as they journeyed to wolves.

The journey was to last some few hours so the players were to get comfortable. The coaches and kit men sat at the front of the bus closer to the driver, while the players sat at the back.

Tony and John talked for a while, until they got bored. Tony then looked out of the window as he distracted himself until they got to the stadium.

They still had some few hours where they were to use and relax before the match. So they stayed in a hotel where they were paired in two’s for a room.

Tony and John got the same room, as both boys lay on there beds in other to try and rest before the match.

The hotel room was of a simple and cheap design, as it wasn’t luxurious, with two single beds in the room and a Television.

When it was about 2hours to the match they all moved to the stadium in the team bus.

Wolves under 18 academy stadium was a standard pitch for academy matches, with a seating capacity of about 3000.

The fans present in the stadium for the match where about 500. This was considered a better than average turn out as there wolves team were facing man city’s team which was considered to be among the top academies in England.

Tony who was on the substitute bench for his first competitive match wanted to start it in the best way possible.

He was going to go all out once he got on the pitch, as he wanted to make a good impression and maybe gain the interest of those watching and maybe the manager of the first team.

The starting 11 had been decided and Tony was on the bench. He wanted to make an impact and a difference once he came on the pitch, so that he could be maybe promoted to the Under 21’s team or even loaned out to another team.

He could only wait as the match started and a rhythm was established by both teams. The wolves team were good but not as good as man city.

Man city had control of the match as they had a larger share of the possession.

Around the 30th minute, Man City scored as one of the central midfielders named David headed in the ball from a right wing cross of his teammate.

The man city players were really happy as they celebrated. After the goal, wolves tried to immediately go on the front foot to even the score, but the defensive teamwork of man city was good.

After minutes of both team battling it out with chances coming and going, the first half ended as a 1:0 victory for Man City.

The starting 11 of both teams went into the locker room to rest and recuperate. While those on the substitute bench went on the pitch to warm up.

After about 10 minutes the starting 11 of both teams came on the pitch to resume the second half of the match.