香港三级片

It was eight months in the making, but during the California leg of St. 香港三级片 City SC鈥檚 training camp, it finally clicked for midfielder Celio Pompeu.

鈥淔inally, I felt like me, like normal,鈥� he said. 鈥淏oth feet moving fast.鈥�

It was June 19 when Pompeu suffered a dislocated ankle and a fractured fibula after a horrific play in a match with Dallas that brought what had been a breakthrough season for the Brazilian to an instant stop and sent him down a long road back, which meant some tough times for the team鈥檚 happiest player.

鈥淓ight months out,鈥� he said. 鈥淥h, my God, it was so annoying.鈥�

That鈥檚 in the past now. Pompeu was working himself back into shape when the team was in Florida, but in California, he was able to get on the field and get in games. He did that in the three matches and one closed-door scrimmage in Indio, California, and now thinks he鈥檒l be ready for the team鈥檚 season opener Saturday night at Energizer Park against the Colorado Rapids.

He鈥檚 not sure if he鈥檚 ready for a full 90 minutes, but he鈥檚 ready to play.

鈥淚 think I鈥檓 game ready,鈥� he said. 鈥淚鈥檒l say, like I鈥檓 99%, the 1% I will save for game time.鈥�

And his level of apprehension about getting back on the field?

鈥淶ero,鈥� he said. 鈥淚 did all the tackles; I played all the games. So it felt very good, like I wasn鈥檛 even thinking about the ankle. Now, it鈥檚 just about getting game-fit. But like, about the injury, like it鈥檚 normal. It鈥檚 actually 100%. I鈥檓 playing like normal myself again 鈥� better, because I鈥檓 mentally better.

鈥淭he first game I was a little excited, but then the second game we played, I was already feeling normal again. In the second game against Austin, I got a hockey assist. Third game, I got an assist against New York City, and I played very good. So it felt very good. It was just like a very positive preseason for myself and for the team too.鈥�

Pompeu鈥檚 injury was one of many that contributed to City SC鈥檚 midseason collapse that led to the firing of coach Bradley Carnell. Now, Pompeu is getting another chance 鈥� and with a new coach and lots of new players who weren鈥檛 there when he last played.

At the time of the injury, Pompeu had started 15 of City SC鈥檚 17 games, was second on the team in goals with three, was tied for first in assists with three and led the team in key passes. His strong play to start the 2024 season earned him a two-year contract extension, running through 2026, with an option for 2027.

While the injury was harrowing, the kind they don鈥檛 show replays of, the aftermath was also tough for Pompeu.

鈥淚t was terrible to be honest,鈥� he said, 鈥渂ecause my whole life, since I鈥檓 like 4 years old, I play soccer almost every day. Then to go months without touching a ball was terrible. The mental part was even worse than the physical because the physical part, the medical said, 鈥極h, Celio, you鈥檙e going to be back stronger, your bone鈥檚 going to actually be stronger than it was before.鈥� So physical-wise, I鈥檓 good. It was just bones. So it was just my head. When I was in the beginning, I was in a terrible spot.

鈥淏ut then, thankfully, I have good family, nice girlfriend that supported me in this journey. Because it was very, very tough in the beginning, but then you just try to learn and navigate very well and, and it was very good later. In the end, I was already touching the ball, running. It felt better when, like, you鈥檙e on the field doing something. I hate to be just laying down on the couch watching movies. And I think I watched all the shows on Netflix, Apple TV.鈥�

While it was bad for the team, it was good for Pompeu that while he was going through his rehab, so was midfielder Tomas Ostrak, who had injured his ankle three weeks before and was also done for the season. The two have been teammates since the 2022 season with City2. Ostrak鈥檚 return has paralleled Pompeu鈥檚, almost down the minutes played in preseason matches.

鈥淚t was actually good,鈥� Pompeu said. 鈥淚t helps you have somebody with if you because working out alone is so boring, and then you have somebody kind of in the same boat. It helps you navigate a little bit, talk, talk, like about your frustrations, helps mentally and, of course, to work out with somebody is better.鈥�

Pompeu returns to a new team. In addition to the coaching change, Cedric Teuchert, Marcel Hartel, Simon Becher and Jannes Horn joined the team in the summer transfer window, all offensive-minded players who until this training camp had never been on the field with Pompeu. But this is where Pompeu thinks the coaching change works to his advantage.

鈥淔or me, I don鈥檛 mind, because everybody鈥檚 starting to zero,鈥� he said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 0-0 for everybody. So everybody got to compete for a spot. And we have a lot of competition. I think it鈥檚 a win-win competition. More players fighting for starting spots. So this is good, makes everybody better, and it gives a headache to the coach 鈥� and a good headache I feel like because I felt like last year when I got injured, coach didn鈥檛 have options. He was always bringing young guys in, and now we have a lot of players. So I think this is a great team.鈥�

City SC coach Olof Mellberg has moved Pompeu around in the preseason, using him as both an attacking midfielder and a striker and in a variety of formations.

鈥淲e like to be versatile,鈥� Pompeu said, 鈥渁nd we like to do it whatever the coach wants us to do. So I鈥檓 pretty happy.鈥�

Happy that he鈥檒l play just about anywhere.

鈥淲hatever he wants to play,鈥� Pompeu said. 鈥淗e likes to sometimes play three in the back. I鈥檒l play as a left wing back or the second striker. It鈥檚 anything he wants. Only not keeper because we have Roman (Burki) there, so I don鈥檛 want to take his spot.鈥�