Benfica 3-Celtic 1: One for the Youngsters

Celtic took on Benfica last night in a friendly in the Great White North. The Benfica squad saw numerous first teamers, while the Celtic squad was mostly youngsters, and it showed as Benfica defeated Celtic 3-1. Here are some quick thoughts about the youngsters.
-Despite being one of the few veterans last night, Andreas Hinkel looked the most inexperienced of them all. Two Hinkel defensive gaffs lead to two Benfica goals and it seemed that Benfica focused most of their attacks to Hinkel’s right side. Hinkel’s a great attacking fullback, but his defense is beginning to be a liability.
-Last night was the first start for American goalkeeper Dominic Cervi. I thought Cervi looked good and rather comfortable against some pretty good talent. He might have done better on the third goal, but there was nothing he could have done for the first two. He handled the box well and was able to distribute the ball quickly. Nice job, Big Dom!
-Paddy McCourt was also impressive yesterday. McCourt made some good runs and nearly got a woner-goal from a long blast that hit the cross bar. Just an inch lower, and McCourt’s goal would be on highlight reals all over. Despite that, he did well.
-Pretty much all the youngsters that got a run out at least held there own against a quality opponent. Hopefully there’s some gems for the future. I’d also like to add young Josh Thompson is a giant in the role of a Center Back and can be quite physical.

Category: Friendlies

Tags: Andreas Hinkel, Benfica, Celtic, Dominic Cervi, Friendlies, Josh Thompson, Paddy McCourt

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