Little Devil Echeverri made his Manchester City debut: excitement, chances, and a promising future.

Claudio "Diablito" Echeverri made his long-awaited debut for Manchester City , but it wasn't what he had hoped for: his team lost 1-0 to Crystal Palace in the FA Cup final at Wembley . The young Argentine came on in the 76th minute, with the Skyblues already trailing, missed two clear scoring opportunities, was booked, and ended up in tears after the final whistle. Pep Guardiola consoled him on the pitch.

The 19-year-old former River Plate player replaced Omar Marmoush and tried to turn the game around. However, his first contact with the ball was unfortunate: he slipped while trying to control it, in a move that reflected the nerves and pressure of the moment.

Five minutes after coming on, he had his first big chance. After an assist from Kevin De Bruyne inside the box, Echeverri shot with his left foot, but his effort was saved by Dean Henderson, the star of the match. He tried again on the rebound, but his shot was blocked by Jefferson Lerma.

Already in extra time, and with City focused on attacking, he received a yellow card for a harsh foul on Eberechi Eze, who had scored the only goal of the match . In the 51st minute of the second half, with the clock ticking down, he again came close to equalizing: after Jeremy Doku broke down the left, he connected with a first-time low cross, but Henderson again thwarted his chance at goal. In the same play, after a cross from Manuel Akanji, he volleyed the ball into Daniel Muñóz's body. The Chaco native called for a penalty for an alleged handball, but referee Stuart Attwell dismissed it.

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Gentleness

With the final whistle, disappointment set in. Echeverri burst into tears, visibly affected by the result and by not having been able to score on his debut. Guardiola went over to console him, at the end of an inconsistent season for City, who only managed to win the Community Shield after beating Manchester United.

Days before the match, journalist Sam Lee, Manchester City correspondent for The Athletic , had caused controversy by stating that Echeverri was “very green” and that “he was never in the plans to play this season,” even suggesting that fans “put him out of their minds.”

Despite the blow, City still have important commitments ahead: they have two Premier League matches remaining against Bournemouth and Fulham (key in the fight to qualify for next season's UEFA Champions League) and, in June, they will compete in the Club World Cup, where they will share Group G with Al-Ain, Juventus and Wydad Casablanca.