admin The final instalment of Rich Fay’s pre-season tour diary as Manchester City head back home for the new campaign.
If the goal of pre-season is to get the players used to their new surroundings, the torrential rain in Seoul was the perfect set-up for another year in Manchester.
It looked as if Man City’s last pre-season game would not take place as the skies opened up at the World Cup stadium before kick-off, but the granite gray skies were soon replaced by blue swarms of fans.
The downpour was so unexpected that few people brought an umbrella, let alone something slightly waterproof. My decision to wear shorts and a white t-shirt was quickly regretted as I arrived at the press entrance soaked like I had just arrived from Japan.
It seemed like it was all over in the final days of the South Korea tour.The support level has gone up a notch and the weather has become more extreme. It was not an on-field spectacle, with a somber game that was again followed by a sell-out crowd.
City’s fears are allayed by the fact that all of the goals came from profound changes at this stage, even if Kevin de Bruyne wasn’t one of them.
The Belgian didn’t play a second of football in three games at the tournament but was the most popular player. His images projected onto the stadium screen were applauded louder than any goal scored. Erling Haaland landed just behind second place.
He was alive for his move against Atletico but didn’t have many chances to score but still made the evening special for the fans.
He and De Bruyne embarked on a quick lap of appreciation at full-time to thank the thousands of fans for their support. Haaland made a beeline for a Norwegian flag being waved in the crowd and caused a frenzy when he threw his match-worn shirt over the hoardings.
There was no time to catch up with Pep Guardiola at full-time as City dashed for their chartered flight after the delayed kick-off, though there will be a chance when he previews the Community Shield at the end of the week.
What has been so clear from the summer tour has been the huge appetite for City in this region. The vast majority of supporters were wearing sky blue in Seoul, though others wearing kits of their Premier League rivals turned up as well, just to catch a glimpse of Europe’s best team in action.
