I looked around the room, making eye contact with each player. "Sarah has done her homework on Inter. We'll spend the next two days preparing tactically. But I want you to enjoy this. This is what football is about. Testing yourself against the best. Proving yourself. Showing the world what you're capable of. So let's make the most of it."
Thursday's practice match was all about preparing for Inter. Sarah had done her homework, spending hours watching footage of their U18 side, breaking down their defensive structure, their pressing triggers, their counter-attacking patterns.
They were a classic Italian side, defensively organized, tactically disciplined, their 4-5-1 formation a compact, impenetrable wall. They didn't press high, they didn't take risks.
