This season's Copa Libertadores final saw the birth of a hero: Fluminense and Boca Juniors drew 1-1 in 90 minutes of normal time, when 21-year-old Fluminense striker John Kennydy scored with a brilliant volley from the edge of the box in extra-time to help Fluminense become the "King of South America" this season. Kenedy scored again in yesterday's Club World Cup semi-final, scoring with a left-footed shot from just before goal to seal the win for Fluminense as they face European champions Manchester City in the final.
After scoring in the Copa Libertadores final, Kenedy crossed the pitch and rushed to the stands to celebrate passionately with Fluminense's supporters, and the referee sent him off with a red card after asking for help from the VAR, but this did not affect the good mood of Kenedy and Fluminense at all. In the knockout stage of the Copa Libertadores, Kenedy scored in the 1 8 finals, 1 4 finals, semifinals and finals, and deserved to be the number one contributor to Fluminense's crowning of the Copa Libertadores.
In the dressing room, Kenedy was known as the "Wonder Boy" – Fluminense now has veterans such as Melo, Marcelo and Ganso, and Kenedy is often supported by his juniors, especially Marcelo, who burst into tears after Kenedy's goal in the Copa Libertadores final and hugged him, thanking him for helping him win the first Copa Libertadores title of his career.
Many people believe that Kennedy was by no means a flash in the pan. His goal in the final was truly spectacular, and after coming off the bench in the 80th minute, it took him less than 20 minutes to change everythingBut beyond that, Kenedy's performances throughout the Copa Libertadores were extraordinary, especially in the knockout stages, where Kenedy played a key role in proving that coach Fernando Dinis was right to trust him.
From the showdown against the Argentine youth in the 1 8 final of the Copa Libertadores, Kennedy began his own performance. He didn't get playing time in the first leg as Fluminense went into the second leg with a 1-1 aggregate win over the Argentines, but at the Maracana Stadium, Kenedy was the hero: after coming on as a 72nd-minute substitute, Kenedy set up team-mate Samuel Xavier to equalise before scoring the winning goal in the 90+7th minute of extra time.
1 In the 4-final match against Olimpia Paraguay, Kenedy was the main attacker, and he scored one goal in the second leg to help Fluminense eliminate their opponents 5-1 on aggregate;In the semi-finals, he provided an assist for team-mate Kano in the first leg, and in the second leg, when Fluminense were 3-2 down on aggregate, Kenedy scored an equaliser in the 81st minute to give his team a chance to reverse progression. Combined with his priceless goal in the final and his goal in the semi-finals of the Club World Cup, Kenedy's recent performances can be described as "incredible".
However, despite Kennedy's recent boom, the start of his career was complicated, fraught with controversy and uncertainty, and even brought him close to retiring from professional football.
John F. Kennedy was born on May 18, 2002 in Minas Gerais, a land that saw the birth and growth of Pele. Kenedy came through the Fluminense academy and was a great goalkeeper and helped him in first-team training and later games, making his debut in 2021 at the age of 19.
However, the lack of timely guidance and advice at his disposal left the skilled no.9 disoriented: Kenedy was criticised within Fluminense for being late to training shortly after joining the first teamTo make matters worse, in May 2021, he was indirectly involved in an incident in which Kennedy lent his car to a friend, but found drugs in the car and confiscated JFK's car.
Kenedy was not penalised for the incident, but it was a big blow to his playing career: his first two seasons at Fluminense were unsuccessful and he was loaned to Ferroviaria at the beginning of 2023 – and he will need to go through setbacks to get back on track, find a feel for the game and develop his own style of play.
However, Kenedy seized the opportunity perfectly, scoring six goals in two months at Ferroviaria, and in March this year, Kenedy was able to return to Fluminense under the augment of Dinis, and Kenedy's performances so far have undoubtedly exceeded expectations: he has made 40 appearances for the team, including 17 starts, and has scored a total of 12 goals for the team, including six in the Brazilian Liga and four in the Copa Libertadores. Fluminense's main striker is the 35-year-old veteran Cano, who has scored 40 goals this season with a long history of playing in Argentina, Colombia and Brazil, but Kenedy's presence does not seem to be weaker than that of Kano, and his energy and aggressive personality on the pitch have caused headaches for opposition defenders.
In terms of playing habits, although Kenedy can also play as a forward arrow, he is more accustomed to moving behind the center, and sometimes Dinis will also arrange for him and Kano to play as a double striker. If it is against a strong opponent like Boca Juniors, Dinis will not put Kenedy as a starter to maintain a better balance of attack and defence, but even so, Kenedy will definitely be a super substitute in Dinis's hands, his speed and explosiveness are excellent, and he is also very responsive in front of goal, and can often score beautiful goals with counter-attacking opportunities;In addition to this, Kennedy also likes to make a gesture of celebration with open hands after scoring a goal, which has become one of his hallmarks.
Although off-the-field factors have affected Kennedy's development for a while, his potential is recognized - as early as October last year, Fluminense renewed his contract with Kennedy until 2026, and Fluminense believes that Kennedy can be sold to Europe in the future to borrow a large amount of money. One of the European clubs most interested in Kenedy is Arsenal, who sent scouts to scout Kenedy a long time ago, and Kenedy is currently a player closely watched by most of Europe's top clubs. According to the data before the German transfer, Kenedy is worth about $4 million or more, but due to his recent outstanding performance in the Copa Libertadores, Kenedy's value is expected to increase significantly, and he is the kind of passionate and non-relenting striker that Brazilian fans expect to see.
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