They like to sing Celtic. Before kicking on Wednesday night, the old stadium soaked music and green gentle, while 60,000 provided a decisive adjustment in the Champions League. The living position with sound and vision.
Favourites from the past were heard, but it was simply too loud — at least at first — to hear if a fresh addition to the Celtic songbook was being given an outing. It is an unexpected, original take on a modern pop song and if there is some shoe-horning lyrically, American center-back pairing Cameron Carter-Vickers and Auston Trusty, do not mind.
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The followers of Celtic’s green brigade continued and the success of Estelle in 2008 “American Boy” and made him “American Bhoys”. (“Bhoys” with an “H” is a spelling of “boy” used for a long time through Celtic).
To Estelle’s song, they sing:
This is different. This is the only novelty.
For the first time in more than a decade, Celtic find themselves in the last 16 of the Champions League and with a game to play.
It was 9.56pm local time on Wednesday and Celtic Park was still trying to digest the last hectic few minutes of a testing, compelling match that grew ever more tense with each stray pass and each goalless minute. The final whistle had blown, signaling a 1-0 victory over Swiss champions Young Boys of Bern and a release of green joy; but there was also green stress still racing around the ground. It had been one of those nights: points and palpitations.
Then a voice in the speaker cuts all the emotion to announce: “We are classified in phase. “
With that, coming after results elsewhere had been confirmed, Celtic fans erupted afresh and the players in green-and-white hoops still out on the pitch breathed again. It was over.
However, it is not over.
The club had only one purpose when the festival moved to a new format of 36 teams, 8 matches and 24 qualifiers. That is. It’s done.
“There’s a bit of history being created,” Celtic manager Brendan Rodgers said cheerfully. “It’s been a long time since we’ve been in the round of 16. “
It is not an undeniable campaign. Celtic won a 5-1 victory (Slovan Bratislava) and a 7-1 defeat (Borussia Dortmund). But the classification after seven games shows them in 18th place, and whatever arrives at Aston Villa next Wednesday, Celtic knows that his call will be in the hat for direct elimination next month. It is enough.
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Around the 80th minute, with the game locked at 0-0 and Young Boys proving considerably more durable than many had foreseen, Celtic’s fans had summoned a wall of noise. There was tension needling the east end of Glasgow. No one wanted to go to Villa Park requiring a point or three.
Six minutes later, substitute Adam Idah collected Reo Hatate’s sweet pass. It was purposely transparent, but young Young Boys goalkeeper Marvin Keller blocked, only for the ball to bounce back and forth toward the retreating Loris Benito. The ball slipped into the net when Benito fell. It was an unfortunate own goal for the visitors, but a joy for Celtic.
Downstairs, while the fans’ choruses can still be heard, Rodgers answered questions about the game, the season and what it all meant. He spoke of the likes of goalkeeper Kasper Schmeichel, 38, of playmaker Daizen Maeda, who was sent off with a red card, and he may have spoken of the excellence of his captain, Callum McGregor. In the first half, Japanese striker Kyogo Furuhashi scored an unusual hat-trick and had three goals disallowed, narrowly but correctly.
These players are well -known components of this team. Less recognized, even beyond Glasgow, are two other key figures that have driven the team to “the highest point in European football,” as Rodgers says. These are the American International Carter-Vickers. and reliable.
Neither is Christian Pulisic or Timothy Weah in terms of profile – in Europe or the U.S. – but Carter-Vickers and Trusty have helped pull Celtic through. At least Mauricio Pochettino knows.
“I have an idea that any of the children were colossal, I did,” Rodgers said.
He then explained that, although he had not spoken with Pochettino, the USMNT assistant, Miguel D’Agostino, had just visited him in Scotland.
“I still haven’t spoken to Mauricio, his assistant, Miguel, with me a few weeks ago,” Rodgers said. “He came here and we would have a smart conversation. We cross the boys and their qualities.
“But, listen, if you’re playing at the very highest level in European football, then those two guys can play internationally. Obviously (the U.S.) have got Tim Ream there, but they really rate our two guys highly.
“And you can see why: rhythm, power, strength and keep the leaves clean. Very good. “
The nod to the blank leaves is appropriate, since this is a third of the last five games of the Celtic and Truy Champions League gave that impression on all three. The 26 -year -old player of Pennsylvania played peacefully in front of the NBA youth offensive units. His header, which crashed in the crossbar in the 55th minute, would have been the reason for the special birthday party if it had been fifteen centimeters lower.
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In fact, while Rodgers called Trusty a colossus here last week, he singled out the American for his fragile appearance on Scotland’s east coast in Dundee.
Trusty is a last intelligent call for a defender, however, the central half of 6 feet 3 reached and surpassed through a smaller player when Dundee led the due due and seemed ready for a primary disappointed in Scottish domestic football, before that Celtic would match at the last minute.
“He’s got to deal with that better,” Rodgers said of Trusty. “You’ve got to stay on your feet. He’s 6’4 (sic).”
Rodgers praised Trusty at times, referring to his Champions League performance against RB Leipzig and Atalanta as colossal, stating that he didn’t need whether his defender is “booming or broke. “
On Wednesday night Rodgers did not use the word “Dundee” but he did refer to it: “You know you have to defend well at this level. That’s why the other day you have to give a little poke to your centre-halves, because you know what you’re going to go into. Auston was outstanding tonight, as was Cam.”
Having completed his career with Bethlehem Steel and moved from Colorado Rapids to Arsenal, Trusty’s season began at Sheffield United in the English Championship before moving at the end of August to Celtic. That’s why he knows the ups and downs well.
Carter-Vickers has 8 more months, he has much more Celtic and European experience. He has been at the club, first on loan, then permanently, since 2021.
He also had an awkward night in Dundee and (harshly) credited with scoring a goal of his own. It is a deviation.
Less excusable, the “CCV” scored its own objective of its own manufacturing against the Brugge Club. Celtic tied 1-1 again, a giant result. Your spouse temporarily after offering you public support. “I went to him and made sure he had my head instead,” Fulity said.
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It was Rodgers’ predecessor, Ange Postcoglou, who brought Carter’s victors to Celtic. He was from Tottenham through loan stops at clubs in the English Championship. Last January, under Rodgers, Carter-Vickers signed a new contract that kept him at Parkhead until 2029.
He was born in Southend on the Essex coast in England to an English mother and a Louisiana father, Howard Carter. Carter, elite basketball player: In the early 1980s, he played on the same American representative team that traveled to Europe as Michael Jordan.
Seen in Southend through Spurs Andydly 10, Carter-Vickers made his first-team debut at the age of 18. Tottenham manager Pochettino.
While confidence has been called in Pochettino’s two groups since September, Carter-Vickers has been omitted. He treated a toe injury more painful than it turns out to be than the fall.
But clearly he and Pochettino know each other. Seventeen months out from the World Cup, what is also clear is that Carter-Vickers and Trusty are “evolving”, as Rodgers said of the squad overall. This time next year both should be better players for their Champions League experiences.
Carter-Vickers has 18 Americans since 2017, Trusty now has four. Trusty spoke of the duo’s “chemistry” last month and his hope that they can play in the World Cup together.
Ream, who is now 37, and Chris Richards of Crystal Palace will actually have something to say about it. However, in a position where Pochettino doesn’t have any genuine world-class characteristics and is unlikely to discover a short-lived family mix with others (Carter-Vickers on the right, unflinching on the left) who have teamed up at Europe’s toughest festival, you offer them as an option.
There will be a lot through then. In particular, for the American duo of Celtic, a serious control in Villa next week that reveals a lot about capabilities and resistance, then an eighth final of the Champions League.
(Top photo: Paul Ellis/AFP Getty Images)