A lighthearted and enjoyable party provided the Leicester City players with a much-needed break.
Except for a few players with minor injuries, the rest of the team had adjusted their mindset to peak performance.
As for their physical condition, players tend to gain a little weight after each holiday.
Fortunately, after more than ten days of intensive training, they had fully transitioned from vacation mode back to competition mode.
Although their physical condition was not yet at its peak, they were ready to start tactical training, preparing for the upcoming friendly matches.
Their physical condition would gradually improve in the coming days.
In late July 2013, Leicester City scheduled three consecutive friendly matches at home.
The opponents in these three games were not particularly strong, the main goal was to help the players regain the feeling of winning.
Another crucial objective before the start of the Championship was to quickly integrate the new lineup.
Time flew by, and in a blink of an eye, the match day arrived.
On July 23rd, the King Power Stadium buzzed with excitement, as if preparing for a formal game rather than a friendly.
Speaking of the King Power Stadium, with a capacity of 32,500 fans, it is a renowned stadium in England, a dream for every player and fan.
After months of silence, it was finally coming back to life, and the vibrant atmosphere it generated was no less intense than a formal game.
The King Power Stadium truly deserves its reputation as one of the famous stadiums in England.
Every seat is unobstructed, offering exceptional comfort. It is the 19th largest sports stadium in England, surpassing even some Premier League teams' home stadiums.
Today, Leicester City's opponent was York City, a weak team from League Two.
Pearson chose them as Leicester City's friendly opponent mainly to test the team's attacking power.
As a Championship contender that narrowly missed out on promotion last season, Leicester City's strength far surpassed York City.
This was evident simply by looking at the tenfold difference in player valuations.
York City clearly wasn't foolish either. Knowing their strength was inferior to Leicester City, they opted for a counter-attacking strategy, especially deploying a significant number of players in their defense.
Their carefully chosen 5-4-1 formation demonstrated this strategy. If Leicester City's attack wasn't strong enough, they could face a real upset.
Lin Dong, the agent, was naturally present at the King Power Stadium today.
Lin Dong was also hoping to witness Wang Chu's debut. However, he was surprised to find that...
There were more fans than he expected. Indeed, the English football atmosphere was something else.
Compared to York City's defensive 5-4-1 formation, Leicester City lined up with their usual 4-4-2 system.
Leicester City's starting lineup:
Goalkeeper: Schmeichel.
Four defenders: De Laet, Konchesky, Wes Morgan, Liam Moore.
Four midfielders: Lloyd Dyer, Andy King, Drinkwater, Matthew James.
Two strikers: Vardy, Chris Wood.
The substitutes included Konnokaite, Nugent, Tyler Fletcher, Schlupp, Hammond, Whitbread, Vasiljevski, Saint Ledger, and Wang Chu.
From the first minute of the game, Leicester City demonstrated their formidable strength.
Their defense was exceptional, pinning York City back in their own half from the very beginning.
Andy King, a typical number ten, displayed his distinctive characteristics. He possessed excellent passing and organizing abilities.
Drinkwater, the midfield anchor, was also one of Leicester City's most important players.
His technical skills were considered top-tier in the Championship. He was a classic B2B player, capable of both offense and defense.
His tackling and ball control were top-notch.
Several Premier League teams had expressed interest in him last season.
Unfortunately, the teams interested couldn't guarantee him a regular starting position. Otherwise, he would have already been a Premier League player by now.
As for Leicester City's two wingers, Dyer and James, they were quintessential English wingers. They were fast, skillful dribblers, and the two sharp blades of Leicester City's fast-paced attack.
Whenever the team faced a deadlock, they became Leicester City's side-attacking spearhead.
The four-man midfield combination was a force to be reckoned with, even in the Premier League. In the Championship, they were undoubtedly top-class.
The back four was also a crucial factor in Leicester City's success last season.
The two full-backs, De Laet and Liam Moore, were promising young talents with excellent stamina and impressive passing skills.
The center-back partnership consisted of Captain Morgan and Konchesky, two strong, tough defenders like an iron gate, firmly guarding Leicester City's penalty area. Their defense was rock-solid.
However, Leicester City's current attack was a bit underwhelming.
Despite having a certain amount of ability, Leicester City's two starting strikers failed to show the offensive threat they should have, which was a disappointment.
Especially against a tight formation like York City's, they couldn't even get the ball for a long time.
Last season, Leicester City finished sixth in the intensely competitive league, unfortunately losing in the playoffs, missing out on promotion.
This was largely due to their lack of finishing ability in the attack.
The number of goals they scored was not insignificant, but the credit for it really went to Leicester City's ability to create opportunities.
If Leicester City's defense hadn't provided enough support, it would have been difficult for them to achieve that performance last season.
However, when it came to the starting attacking duo from last season, their performance was undeniably disappointing.
In the league's goalscoring table for last season, only Nugent barely made it into the top eight. The team's second and third highest goalscorers, Konnokaite and Andy King, only scored 8 and 7 goals respectively.
This result was significantly behind Glenn Murray, who topped the chart.
Therefore, this new season, Head Coach Pearson began experimenting with new lineup configurations, particularly reforming the attack, starting Vardy and Chris Wood as a duo.
Right from the start of the match, Leicester City exhibited a ferocious attacking style.
Dyer and James, the two wingers, displayed their exceptional skills, quickly breaking through the opponent's defense and creating numerous threats.
They caused chaos on the flanks for York City, earning the enthusiastic applause of the fans. The atmosphere in the stadium was exhilarating.
Meanwhile, Andy King, utilizing his versatile abilities, controlled the rhythm of the game. Passing, ball control, shielding, he constantly created chances.
However, despite their efforts, these opportunities unfortunately failed to translate into goals.
Vardy's attempt to force a shot in the penalty area was blocked by York City's defender, the ball deflecting off the defender and going wide of the goal. Chris Wood's two header attempts were also saved by the goalkeeper due to their central position.
Within the first fifteen minutes of the match, Leicester City had an impressive ten shots, but they still couldn't find the back of the net.
Despite their inability to break the deadlock, the atmosphere within the stadium was incredibly lively.
Watching Leicester City repeatedly attack York City's defense, the fans were fully engaged.
However, Pearson, sitting on the sidelines, furrowed his brows, as if noticing flaws in the game.
While the fans saw goal-scoring opportunities arising frequently, the experienced Leicester City coach keenly observed the wasted attacks.
The wingers' breakthroughs were like a sharp blade out of its sheath, but the passing lanes seemed insufficient.
Wood, the 191cm tall midfield powerhouse, failed to capitalize on his header opportunities due to the opponent's tight defense.
Against the opponent's compact defense, Vardy's fast-attacking style was effectively suppressed. This defensive strategy rendered the player, known for his attacking prowess, like a boxer stuck in the mud, unable to unleash his punches.
Seeing his team struggling, Pearson decisively called out, demanding his defenders to press forward, giving the attack more opportunities.
He knew that the full-backs pressing forward could create more chances.
This brief adjustment undoubtedly set the tone for the second half.
Soon, the first half ended, with the two teams drawing 0-0.
As the second half began, the team immediately made a substitution, replacing right winger Matthew James with Wang Chu.
Matthew James hung his head, patted Wang Chu's hand, and dejectedly returned to the bench, as if lamenting his own inefficiencies.
Last season, Matthew James only recorded 3 assists in the league, but his sharp dribbling and breakthroughs always created opportunities for the team.
However, today, he seemed out of sorts, with his crosses consistently going astray.
Meanwhile, Lin Dong, watching from the stands, saw Wang Chu come on and his eyes lit up.