On Saturday, Yankee Stadium hosted a Norwegian star. While it might not have been the ideal scenario they anticipated, they still got what they desired.
The loudest cheers came when Erling Haaland scored. However, during the tour, his compatriot Oscar Bobb is outshining him. Bobb has accumulated three assists and a goal against Celtic over three games. Meanwhile, despite a two-game winning streak for Haaland in the preseason, it suggests a challenging start to the season.
However, Bobb is setting the bar high in the US, much like he did in Asia last year. Pep Guardiola credits Manchester City’s current success to him and views him as a strong contender for a starting position this season.
Bobb, known for his knack for handling difficult situations last season, is now showcasing his one-on-one skills learned from his training. This is particularly relevant, given Guardiola’s emphasis on similar abilities in Savinho and Jeremy Doku. As in his match against Celtic, Bobb delighted fans by shifting his shoulder, gaining extra speed, and delivering the ball to Haaland for an easy finish.
The play and finish were identical to Maximo Perrone’s goal against Celtic, but once again, Bobb orchestrated the move, even though Haaland received the applause. It seemed like a certain goal as Bobb navigated through the midfield, linked up with a one-two, and aimed for the bottom corner, but for the first time this summer, his aim was slightly off.
In just 113 minutes, the Haaland-Bobb combination has contributed to four of City’s five preseason goals, showing a strong understanding between them. This synergy is crucial, especially since most of Guardiola’s top attackers are still on vacation.
Soon after, Guardiola was seen making frantic gestures at his inexperienced full-backs on the field. His frustration was evident when Celtic scored three consecutive goals in North Carolina, leading to Kalvin Phillips being dropped. In this match, Ederson let the ball slip through his hands twice, Lorenzo Colombo had two chances at the back post, and Samuel Chukwueze successfully delivered crosses past Rico Lewis and Callum Doyle on two occasions. Regardless of the quality of play, the management was clearly dissatisfied.
Recalled after Guardiola emphasized the need for his goalkeeper to stay focused, Ederson has been unsettled during the tour, partly due to rumors about his attitude at the end of the previous season. Although he claimed to be “focused on the season’s preparation,” he seemed disengaged in the Bronx. Before his errors, he had made two crucial saves as the night’s captain.
Despite being able to handle Colombo’s attempts, Ederson was clearly frustrated with himself. He remained for the second half to reinforce his position as the starting goalkeeper and improved somewhat after the break, but he still limped off after conceding a third goal, with Scott Carson happily taking his place.
Micah Hamilton, who came on in the second half, assisted McAtee in equalizing the score. Like Bobb, Hamilton stands to benefit from scoring more goals this month and supports Guardiola’s transfer strategy.
Despite New York’s large Italian community, the majority of the 46,000-strong crowd backed City. The scene was notable but not ideal for football, with baseball mounds taking up a quarter of the field. Before the game, Pep Guardiola had an extended discussion with Milan manager Paolo Fonseca and a brief conversation with Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Zlatan may have been next on Guardiola’s agenda, as he had met with Andre Agassi in New York the previous Friday.
Ibrahimovic was once the main draw at events in venues like Yankee Stadium. Nowadays, Haaland is the big commercial attraction, and he seems to be performing well, having taken a break in New York at halftime.
However, it’s Bobb who is currently making the biggest impact whenever he plays in the US.
