“But I think…” – Levi Colwill teases Reece James for one moment against Benfica | OneFootball

Levi Colwill has been a first choice player for Enzo Maresca since day one, and is gradually emerging as a leader too. He always speaks well to the press, and it was interesting to hear his thoughts on Saturday’s win.

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Emerging leader Colwill on “crazy” Benfica game

“It was a crazy game, to be honest. I think we were in control but then we went in for the storm break and we were just waiting and waiting. But we knew what we had to do: we had to come out and win,” Colwill said to the club’s official website.

“We knew they were going to come back out with energy, and they had time to have a team talk and get themselves started again. We came back out, and I thought we were doing well, keeping the ball and creating chances.”

“Then the referee gave a free-kick and they got the penalty and were back in it. But we kept on going. We are winners, we had no choice but to win that game. We all believed in that, even when they scored. Our heads didn’t drop and we continued to create chances. Now we move on to the next one.”

Colwill jokes about captain’s free kick effort

Reece James celebrates with fans in Charlotte. (Photo by Buda Mendes/Getty Images)

Up until the Nkunku goal broke the deadlock, the finest moment of quality in the game had come from Colwill’s fellow academy graduate Reece James. He had spotted Benfica keeper Anatoliy Trubin off his line when taking a free kick from out wide, and cleverly whipped a surprise shot in at the near post to give his team the lead.

Colwill joked that his captain had “scuffed” the effort, when it fact it was a very precise shot into the one spot the goalie couldn’t reach:

“We know he can take free-kicks; I think everyone saw his England free-kick earlier in the season,” Colwill said.

“We all know how good he is, but I think today he might’ve scuffed this one!”