I knew there’d be an honor guard at the San Siro. I knew we’d be taking the pitch, in our first match as champions, at the home of our biggest rivals, from whom we had just wrested the championship. That’s a satisfying feeling. But it wasn’t quite enough. I wanted this moment to mean something more. I wanted to find a way to comemmorate 1910 with the joy of the scudetto.
So I sent out a youth team.
Accompanied by Kenji Mogi and the Ferj, nine players aged 20 or younger suited up for our final match of the season. “Go out and lose,” I told them. “Lose boldly. Lose 10-3. We still win the title. The whole point is that we don’t need this match, so have fun losing and play with joy today.”
You know kids, though. They don’t always listen to you.
Inter took the lead in the 49th minute when Sergio Iacopino beat our youth goalkeeper Peter Bloch from the edge of the area. In the 78th minute, Inter’s Gabriele Rolli fouled our 18-year-old Czech right back Jiri Rada in the box, and Kenji Mogi converted the penalty. A draw would have been a fantastic result, but in the 85th minute our 20-year-old Honduran striker Carlos Mendoza, brought on just a few minutes before, dribbled past two Inter defenders to score a point-blank shot. We won 2-1 in the perfect ending to the perfect Serie A season.
All that’s left now is the trip to Southampton for the Europa League final. Roma are tough opposition, but at least this game afforded us a chance to give our first-team players some rest.
Read More: Football Manager 2009, Pixel Dramas, Pro Vercelli
by Brian Phillips · May 28, 2009
By the way, the u20s also won their league, also with a slim lead over Milan. Carlos Mendoza scored 23 goals in 23 youth appearances.
Winning with your youth team players had to be a very satisfying middle finger — a double-hander even! — to Serie A … 🙂
Love the film reference in the title, and I love the film.
Now I can read the actual post, that that’s off my chest.
Playing a youth team in a worthless regular season game to rest starters for a European final?
Okay Sir Alex Phillips
Doesn’t quite make up for the 1910 match, but congratulations none the less, you must have felt very proud!
Good luck in Southampton !
This is exactly the type of prideful, romantic gesture I tend to try in the game. Of course, I tend to lose 10-3 when I do.
Bet this felt almost better than the Scudetto.
A: Not sure what this means, exactly. ,