If there is an area in football that had a terrible time in our country with the social explosion and the pandemic, it was the formative one. The youngest were literally a year and a half without playing and seeing their training as athletes stagnant in a worrying way.
Fortunately, nothing is forever and the competition in youth soccer in our country returned this weekend, with Colo Colo facing Palestino in the U18 and U21 categories, getting a 4-2 win and 3-3 draw respectively.
Eduardo Rubio, youth soccer coach Albo, stated in conversation “Semillero Albo” that “It was quite a long preparation, not months, but a year to return to competition. There is some anxiety to return to compete. All of us who are related to football know that what motivates us is competition. We are happy for what has been done, for the boys also who have done everything to continue training in these months. All that effort will be reflected in the competition ”.
The former striker has grown professionally within the Monumental, going from the smallest to the largest in these years: “I was fortunate that in Colo Colo we started full-time, therefore, those of us who worked in the afternoon were assistants in the morning. That’s when I was able to work with the U16 and in the U20 with Gualberto Jara. He was an assistant in two very good categories and that facilitates the experience within the team ”.
Regarding the work they have done with the players in these months, Rubio said that “Most of the teams we face are with players a couple of years older. We are playing with boys who give away three or four years and have planted themselves in the same way. All the players get down to us when we play friendlies. Our idea is to empower this group, because they are the ones who have carried the weight of training in this year and a half without competition. In the end, the age difference should not influence much if you have the ability to face this type of situation ”.
Cacique’s young football finally returned to competition after almost two years without playing. | Photo: Colo Colo.
“The boys of the first team, who are 17 or 18 years old, have stood in the best way against older players and it has not affected them. They planted themselves as if they had been on the adult team for many years. In that sense we think the same and we believe in all the boys we have in this category ”, concluded.
The chief U21 will now play against Unión Española on Friday, September 10 at 11:00 at the Santa Laura, while the U18 will face the Hispanics on Saturday the 11th from 11:00 at the Monumental.
