Saturday November 8 in Troyes, ASSE achieved a feat: beating the undisputed leader of Ligue 2 on the Stade de l’Aube pitch (3-2). A victory which gives some fresh air to Eirik Horneland, while the pressure was maximum on his shoulders. But beyond the result, an individual performance emerged from this match: that of a young central defender who played with impressive confidence. Nobody expected him. Nobody really knew him. And yet, he was among the best on Saturday.
Kévin Pedro, 19-year-old central defender from the Saint-Etienne training center, delivered a defensive masterclass against leader Troyes during his very first start in Ligue 2. The figures tell the story of an extraordinary performance: 83% of successful passes, 11 clearances, 5 recoveries, 0 decisive errors. For a young person with no experience, this is exceptional. But what stands out more is his authority, his impeccable positioning and his reading of the game in the face of a French attack in distress.
Lack of luck becomes opportunity
The context of this tenure is revealing. Horneland had to improvise: without Lamba, Bernauer and Batubinsika at his disposal, the Norwegian coach resigned himself to giving a starting place to a kid who had not trained much with the group this season. Pedro was playing in reserve (National 3) and had not participated in any collective training before Saturday.
Even Tardieu, the captain, had reservations before the match. But he changes his mind after the final whistle. “I’m very happy for him,” confides the playmaker. “We gave him confidence but I’m not surprised by his performance, I was very calm. »
Horneland gets carried away (rare thing)
The coach himself, usually measured in his praise, lets his admiration shine through. At a press conference, Horneland voluntarily tips his hat to the defender: “I would like to take my hat off to Kévin Pedro who played his first match with us. This year, he didn’t train much with us, he started from the start. He played a match with great authority. »
The coach goes further, pointing out the effectiveness of the training center: “It’s really very good for him, and at the same time, for the entire training center which manages to offer us players of this level. »
An unexpected symbol
Pedro embodies exactly what ASSE was looking for: an injection of youth, determination, and above all proof that the training center is still working. At only 19 years old, this local product has demonstrated that in the event of a crisis, ASSE is not helpless.
On Saturday, it was a kid who came out of nowhere who taught the Ligue 2 leader a lesson. The question now: will Horneland give him another chance, or was it a tactical flash in the pan?
