Youngblood FC hope to root out inconsistency with exuberance of youth
Youngblood FC had a rather curious debut season in Season 3 of ACES Football League. One of the youngest teams last season, they performed exceedingly well in patches, giving the established sides in their group a run for their money. But they were unable to maintain that form for the entirety of the season as they eventually finished in the bottom half of the table.
To rectify those inconsistencies, Youngblood have expanded their ownership core. Alongside Karm Mulchandani, they now have Neil Thakkar, Reza Nekooi, Krish Kohal, and Awnan Khan join in as well.
Now the question will obviously arise as to these many owners in a team is bound to bring a level of discord. However, Reza straightaway denies that this will be the case. In a conversation with Reza earlier on, he said that the main reason for these many owners is that everyone wanted to have an additional level of responsibility coming into Season 4.
“After taking in the ACES Football League experience last season, we all figured that Youngblood is something that we love, and it is something that we want to grow together, so we all decided that now is the time to take that added level of responsibility, and that will take this team to the next level in this season.
“With all of us taking leadership roles this season, we are very clear that we do not want to take this year for granted.”
When asked about taking things for granted, Reza admitted that there was a phase in the league where they all got complacent, and that is something they do not want a repeat of this time around.
Youngblood were among the earliest teams to set and complete their core group of players, showing that they mean business this season. Karm, Awnan, and Kohal are the ones in the core. Abhedya Gupte comes in for his debut season. Daivik Shah will be between the sticks. Navjot Pable comes back in the heart of defense, while Shanay Jariwala and Rian are the other new reinforcements for this side.
However, there are departures too. Manav Manshani and Tilak Patel, two players who played for YB last season, have gone their own way and have created a team of their own, Hybec Hydras. However, Reza makes it very clear that there is no animosity and they still remain friends.
Unfortunately, much to Reza and the rest of YB’s displeasure, they will not be able to play the Hydras given they both are in different pools. It was a fixture that both sides were eagerly looking forward to, with a majority of the league also expecting them to be pooled together. “It’s a disgrace”, says Reza with a mild chuckle.
Youngblood have been putting in the hard yards, with multiple pre-season practice games, and also playing in a tournament where they finished third, with Daivik winning the Best Keeper Award in that tournament. A similar performance through the season here and maybe Youngblood will be a force to be reckoned with.
With that being said, Youngblood will have their task cut out for them. Finding themselves in Pool A, they will have to face Trana United and Casuals FC, along with Cathect FC, Wasted Potential, and Bluelock FC. With all the teams in their group formidable opposition in their own right, YB will have to get their acts right from the get go.
Youngblood was inconsistent last season. With the exuberance of youth and the added onus of leadership, they will look to root out the inconsistency and make their presence felt in Season 4 of ACES Football League.
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