FM - Rise of Slovakia - Nitra's Power - COMPLETE?

[Abe Sargent]

What do the following nations have in common?

England
England
England
England
England
Germany
Ukraine
Belgium
Greece
Czech Republic
Portugal
Spain
Spain
England
Romania
England


Don’t know?

They are my dynasties in FM in order.

Ipswich
Bolton
Yeovil Town
Wrexham
Carlisle
Kaiserslautern (K-Town)
Metalurg ZP
Cercle Brugge
Diagoras
Slavia Prague
Nacional de Madeira
Melilla
Bilbao
Crewe Alexandria
Sepsi
Poole Town


Obviously I’ve played three styles of dynasties:

Style #1 – Lower level English club, get it promoted to the big leagues
Style #2 – Big name flight like the EPL with Ipswich and Bolton, Spain with Bilbao, Germany’s KTown and Portugal with Nacional. But take a smaller level team with low expectations and get them into title contention.
Style #3 – A lesser level top flight, Eastern European, with a lesser talent with low levels of expectations. Turn them into a regional EE Power like Shakhtar or CSKA Moscow.


Exceptions – Melilla a lower level Spanish club in Africa was promoted to the top flight and then won it all; Belgium’s Brugge campaign. That’s it!

What do I want to embrace this time?

My favorite FM Dynasties are, in order:

1. Melilla
2. Nacional
3. Sepsi
4. Metalurg Zp
5. Wrexham (My first EPL Promotion in the English dynasties)


What did they have in common? Not much!

2 EE, 2 promotions, 1 top flight

Now I never want to do another nation again, save for England.

What do I wanna do?

[Abe Sargent]

Let’s look for another Eastern European top flight with a lower level power.

Which flight?

What I like are the following


1. Smaller number of teams, not too many games. Some nations play almost twice as many games, so that means I can get in a lot more digging with a smaller league that’s not playing each other four times.
2. Lots of international options. Outside of the EU, loose international options. Inside I can dig into Contonu nations.
3. Enough prestige that finishing 3rd or 4th can still warrant a spot in European play.


Which ones?

Without looking at them, here are my first top choices:

Slovakia – I’ve done the Czech Republic!
Croatia – One of the bigger names in the area.
Slovenia – Another former Yugoslavia nation
Turkey – Another bigger name
Austria – Another bigger name


Let’s compare those five leagues…


Austria – Teams – 12; Games – 22; EU, 7 non-EU on match squad,

Croatia – Teams – 10, Games – 36; no more than 6 non EU, and must have 6 players trained in Croatia

Slovakia – Teams – 12, 32 games, no more than 5 non EUs,

Slovenia – 10 teams, 36 games, no more than 3 non EUs

Turkey – 18 teams, 34 games, no more than 12 foreign players, 1 domestic GK,

Hmm.. nothing jumps out at me. I look at Serbia and Hungary. Nah. How about Poland? Poland has interesting match squads but may be doable. There are no limits on foreign players as long as your squad has 3 players trained at your squad for three years U21 and 8 more trained in Poland and your gameday one U22 Polish player. Those are all easily done I think.

Let me ponder my choices…

Let’s hold off


I have another question...

[Abe Sargent]

I figured this would be FM20 and I purchased it just now and played with it but I don’t enjoy the UI and I didn’t like FM19 all that much either. Poole Town with Fm19 was my shortest FM dynasty ever at just two years as I wasn’t into the game as much as I was hoping. Should I try this on an older game? I own FM 18, FM16 and then most before that.

Let’s look at my previous dynasties.

Sepsi was one of my longest. It was on…Fm18. Let’s download that and see if that calls to me


I also used FM 16 twice. Maybe I could move to that if FM18 doesn’t seem to work?

Alright let’s give FM18 a spin!

Now which group?

[Abe Sargent]

Austria seems to have everything I want. Low number of games, smaller group, higher prestige, large number of non-EU at 7. Seems like that’s what I want to do!

However, do I?

Or do I want a real challenge and go for Slovakia or something.


Let’s commit to Austria for a moment and consider potential teams.

I want a newly promoted team.

I load up Austria and take a looksee


Uh oh, here its 10 teams and they play 36 times!

I load up some other nations in FM18 to see what sells me

Hungary? 12 teams, 33 games, 5 non EU

Slovakia – 12 teams, 32 games (they split like Romania into halves at the halfway point and then just play that half for relegation or for Euro play), 5 non-EU

Serbia – 16 teams,30 games, no more than 4 foreign player. Yuck

Croatia – 10 teams, 8 non eu, 36 games

Slovenia – 10 teams, 36 games, 3 non eu

Bulgaria – 14 teams, 26 games, 5 non eu – Bulgaria?

Poland – 16 teams, 30 games, 2 non eu starting 11,

Belarus – I’ll skip it given the current political stuff happening there

How about we try Bulgaria? Just 26 games, a bigger league at 14,

Actually looks like Bulgaria has the same divide into two after 26 games. Identical to Romania so it’s really 36 games.


You know what?

Screw it!

I;m doing Slovakia which I was leaning towards as I did the Czech Republic already – Im familiar with the divide at the halfway point into two parts in my Sepsi run.

[Abe Sargent]

Who will I be playing

In the 2017 – 2018 year there was one team newly promoted to the Slovak Fortuna Liga (Fortuna for short).

FC Nitra

Let’s run with Nitra!

Who is FC Nitra?

FC Nitra - Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/FC_Nitra)

As you can see they were founded in 1907, were an inaugural member of the Fortuna, and then have regularly been a submarine team winning or getting out of the second team only to fade away again from the top shelf.

This is the 25th year of the Fortuna! We intend to stay up and remain up and show our quality.

It’s never won the Slovak Pohar, their Cup.

Here are my TEN goals for FC Nitra

1. Year 1 - Establish a youth squad. Nitra has very little
2. Stay up this year
3. Get a mid-table finish comfortably
4. Year 2 - Next year get to the top half of the league and begin to play for EURO play in the playoffs
5. Turn Nitra into a power that can rival the major team in this league – Slovan Bratislava
6. Win a Slovak Pohar
7. Win the Fortuna
8. Qualify for Champions play.
9. Turn Nitra into an Eastern European heavyweight on the level of a Sparta Prague or CSKA Moscow.
10. Secure Nitra well enough that it’ll survive after the manager leaves

[Abe Sargent]

Meet:

Rev. Pavol Masaryk, 36 years old.

Born in Nitra, Pavol was a third generation minister in a local Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession in Slovakia. This Lutheran church body is the largest Protestant faith in a majority catholic nation, and most Slovaks follow a Judeo-Christian faith.

His father was Jan Masaryk, the second generation pastor of a polity of more than 300. He inherited his church from his father and was considered a great mind. Jan was born the golden child of a golden child and much was expected of him. He behaved well as a child, and was always seen as the community’s pride and joy. Jan was the top of his class, studied and read a lot, and went to a local seminary. He embraced his father’s values.

Not so with Pavol. Like Jan, he was seen as the golden child, and yet he didn’t live up to it. From a misbehaving child to someone who always cared about friends and people more than studying. He was smart enough to luck into Bs without ever studying for a test, which was enough to soothe his parent’s ire at his behaver. Or lack thereof. Pavol’s only passion was people and football. He was one the top youth projects in the FC Nitra youth academy.

Pavol never studied. He invested in people, despite his obvious mental talents and gifts. In church his father would be embarrassed as his questions would challenge pre-existing and held views of God such as the accepted canon of the Trinity. “How do we know God can only exist three forms? Doesn’t that limit him? Can’t he take more?”


When Pavol was 16, his mother died in a nasty car crash. As she did, Pavol’s views could be seen as real and not just a phase as he questioned this whole idea of “Good took her” or “She is looking down on you now,” when the Bible clearly discusses a physical a resurrection rather than a spiritual one. It created a rift between the two that still lasts today.

Inspired by her death, Pavol pushed himself spiritually and mentally. He turned to works both canon and literary. He pushed himself into other realms. He enters a local Seminary at the Maly Seminar. He graduated and was ordained and started his own church in Nitra geared towards his own generation. He encourages intellectual curiosity as a key bedrock of the church, and it has more than 250 members. Pavol is still the teaching pastor of the church although he has given up all other duties due to other professional demands.

His people first nature has drawn many into the church. But his passion has always been people and football.


He was the 2nd rated 15 year old coming into the academy of FC Nitra. He was signed to a youth contract, loaned out a few places, but never caught on. At the age of 18 he was not signed as a professional contract by Nitra. No one else offered him a full time contract either, and instead, he finished seminary. Then at the age of 21 he was spotted by a scout at Nitra coaching a small group of assembled kids spontaneously. The scout saw the level of professionalism that Pavol Masaryk brought to the role and was recommended for a staff role. He was brought in a month later as a youth coach, where he worked for five years.

At the age of 26, he was promoted to the role of Assistant Manager of the youth team, and then they did well in play for three years. Then he was promoted to Manager of the youth team and success followed. Two years later he was brought in as the Assistant Manager of the main team which he held for five years.

After it’s recent promotion back to the top flight, current manager of Nitra has left and headed to another team. The board wanted to push themselves to remain in the top flight and end . Rather than circulate just another Manager, they sought the new blood of Pavol Masaryk and gave him his first role as Manger.

They loved him. He never worked for another club. He has never moved out of Nitra other than loans. He is an accomplished manager with all of the tests passed many times in his career and he has Continental pro licensure. He knows Greek and Hebrew from his Seminary. He is one of the best mental training coaches in region. He has great strengths in man management, determination and motivation. The squad already like him. They got their guy!

[Abe Sargent]

Nitra



https://cdn.thecrazytourist.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/02/ccimage-shutterstock_326430605.jpg

https://sacr3-files.s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/_processed_/csm_NT.kalvaria%2520%25282%2529%2520%25283%2529_e2b0371c6d.jpg

https://sacr3-files.s3-eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/objects/1508/Bug_Nitra_jpg%255B1%255D.jpg

https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5d/Nitra_view_from_above.jpg

[Abe Sargent]

FC Nitra


https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/b/be/FC_Nitra.png

https://secure.cache.images.core.optasports.com/soccer/venues/600x450/316.jpg

https://i.ytimg.com/vi/qOHZmu4tQcs/maxresdefault.jpg

https://live.staticflickr.com/4312/35301438523_8e704d3c8a_b.jpg


https://www.hockeynitra.com/files/nr/article-images/201809/parking.jpg

https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/proxy/GK-JB6Hem3DV4Y2s9CI_W_ZgZ2eEQlEPfKIoUFcCSL7sroybbVJID2vjbRCwQRW71Umoulru1T3DoUUiOV3FVQCAafUMm1rlUu4yVbwazXxJZhtmJIQmgqrod8bIfZ4wjVzIpzKLcChojEiecQ3MWR5h6cCnUJe6Ng

[Abe Sargent]

The Fortuna Rules:


Match Squad – No more than 5 non EUs, 7 subs, 3 used; no trialists

Relegation – Bottom team in relegation group heads out. The 11th team plays the 2nd team in the lower division and the winner gets to the Fortuna

Euro – 1 Champion, 3 EURO

5 yellows for match ban

I don’t see Contonu Pact listed as counting as EU, so I’ll want to steer clear of Africa


https://i.ibb.co/3Yncr4y/Nitra-1.png


Here are the 12 teams in the Fortuna. Learn them and love them!

[Abe Sargent]

https://i.ibb.co/74m476L/Nitra-2.png

Here’s our quick scouting report

[Abe Sargent]

Squad?

All players are Slovakian unless I tell you otherwise

Defense

GK Lukas Hrasso – Starter, 4,5 star ranking, very eccentric, key stats: 13 hand, 15 ref, aeriel, punch, throw; 16 jump, 11 teamwork, decisions

GK David Sipos – Backup, 18, very very young, 1.5 star current rating, not great at all.



DRC Richard Krisan – hot prospect, 19 years old , 14, 13, 7 in key def stats. 2.5 rating

DC Macdonald Ngwa Niba, Cameroon and counts as foreign, 22 yeas old 1st team, 12/14/14 key def stats, (Head, mark, tack) 3.5 stars

DRLC Ondrej Vencl, 23 yers old, Czech, 11/13/12 in stats, just a 5 passing, backup role, 2.5 stars

DLC Pavol Grman, 25 years old, Transfer Listed, wanted, 10/14/15. 7 pass, backup role, 2 star rating

DLC Samuel Durek, 20 years old, hot prospect, 13/7/13 key stats, 8 pass, 2.5 current ability

D, D, M C – Milos Simoncic - 30 years, 1st team, 10 passing, 12 first touch,11/14 speed, 4.0 current ability

DLC, WB L – Jaroslav Machovec, 1st team, 30 years, 3.0 current rating, 7/11/11, 9 pass, 15 free kick

[Abe Sargent]

Middies and Offense


D, Wb, M RL – Matus Kunik, 20 years, hot stuff, 3.0 current ability, 11 pass, tack, technique, dribb, 12 first touch, 12/14 speed. I like him as a winger.

Dm/M C – Tobas Kuna, key player , 33 years, 4.5 stars, 15 pass, 13 mark, tech, 14 finish, 12 dribb, 8/10 speed, I like him a lot, he’s very savvy as well

WB/M L – Jan Chovanec, 33, 1st team, 3.5 current ability, 13 pas,s cross, 12 first touch, dribb, 13/14 speed, another solid middie

WB, M, AM L – Patrik Abraham – 25 years, 2.5 stars, backup, 13 first touc, 8 pass, nope

MR Andrej Ivancik – 27 years, backup, 2.5 stars, 12 first touch, 11 cross, 8 pass, nope

M/Am RC – Marius Charizopolous - 26 years old, backup, 3 stars, 14 technique, 12 first touch, 11 cross, 8 pass, 14/14 speed. Okay as a backup

M/AM C – Rene Kotrick – 21 years, hot prospect, 14 1st touch, dribb, techn, 8 pass, 14/14 speed, okay as a backup.

MC/ AMR – Andrej Fabry – 2.5 stars, 20, hot prospect, 11 pass, tech, 10 1st touch. Not really.

M/AM RC – Aurelien Ngeyitala , Congolese, backup, 23 years, transfer listed, wanted, 2.5 rating, 13 techn, 12 1st touch, 11 long shots, 10 dribb, 9 pass. Not that much I’ll let him get sold.


AMC Christian Steinhubel - 22 years old, backup, 2.5 current ability, 14 tech, 1st touch, dribb, 13 pass, 10 finish, 11/10 speed, I like his technical prowess

AM RL, ST – Robert Valenta – 27 years, backup, 2.5 current ability, 13 finish, 11 1st touch, techn, 13/13 speed. Not really

ST Tomas Vestinicky – On loan, 21 years old, 1st team, 3.0 ability, 12 first touch and drib, 11 finish, tech, 14/13 speed.Meh.

ST Adam Dunda – 21 years old, hot prospect, 2.0 current ability, 13 first touch, 12 head, 11 finish, drib, 13.13 speed. No thanks

ST Vahagn Militosyan – 1st team, Armenian, 23 years old, 3.0 current ability, 14 tech, 13 drib, head, finishing, 13/12 speed. Meh.

And there we are!

[Abe Sargent]

Tactics?

Here are the 11 tactics used in the league:

3-5-2x2
4-3-2-1x6
4-2-3-1x2
4-5-1

So what do I want to run?


3-5-2? 3 central defenders can be good up the middle but the lack of fullbacks is attackable wide. You need good positioning, jumping and heading to make that work. Another option is to run a similar tactic. I could run any of the 4-5-1 styles that are out there.

I am going to run a 3-5-2 after sleeping on it.

Here are my reasons why:

1. I have an emphasized midfield just like the common variants of a 4-5-1. We each have five middies.
2. A traditional 4-5-1 typically attacks the sides or the front, and often lacks options up front and works the ball in more slowly. 3 defensive backs allow me to easily cover that.
3. A 3-5-2 can stab fast and quickly offensively as well as play possession ball.
4. The 3-5-2 is weak to the cross. I know how to target and answer that.
5. It’s stronger against a 4-3-2-1 than a 4-2-3-1 that can help fight against that with four attackers to three DCs.
6. In order to mitigate that weakness I will assign one of my middles to a DMC role thus giving me three DCs and one DMC against 3 AMs and one ST.
7. In order to emphasize attacking and creativity I will assign one of my MCs to an AMC role. Therefore we will be looking at a 3-1-3-1-2 style set up.

[Abe Sargent]

Who would be my starters in this 3-5-2 variant right now. And how comfortable m I with them on a scale of 0 (needs replaced now) to 3 (committed to him for a while not looking to upgrade)

Gk Hrasso, my best player, 3

DC Krizan – 0 - nope
DC Niba – 1, my best DC not great
DC Grman – 0 nope

DMC Simoncic 1, adequate at best

ML Abraham – 2 – My 3rd best player
MR Kunik – 1 – Solid but nothing writable
MC Kuna, 2 = my 2nd best player, but he’s 33 years old.

AMC Kotrik – 1 very replaceable
ST Ventinicky – 1 – not loanee
ST Militocyan – 1 – not comfortable

And that’s it!

[Abe Sargent]

Staff look?

I only have four coaches, one fitness, one Gk. Me and the new AssMan.

I have room for two more coaches. I make an offer to Spaniard Alvaro Arbeloa and German Dominik Abt

I have no scouts.

I offer to…

Italian Antonio Cassano
German Josef Dommer

Jan Rybar, Slovakian, for Head of Sports Science

Players?

I start adding players to my shortlist.

I have 50k in transfer money

My budget is 17k per week and I am at 11k.

[Abe Sargent]

I decide to bring in one player from my Romanian days. Traore?

No!

The unsigned18 year old ST Gabriel Dodoi who is interested in coming here.

He’ll be my first signing!


St Gabriel Dodoi, 18, hot prospect, Romanian, 450/week, three star rating, 2 years, 13/13 speed, 12 finish, 13 flair, off the ball, 12 position, 11 pks, heading, first touch, 10 dribb, techn,


https://i.ytimg.com/vi/5aGKShQHQ8g/maxresdefault.jpg

[Abe Sargent]

I sign two other free agents within a day but that’ll be it for now. Most of the agents aren’t any better for my squad than they are.

https://www4.pictures.zimbio.com/gi/Steffen+Wohlfarth+zKNZxO5uqEvm.jpg

ST Steffen Wohlfarth, 32 years old, German, key player, 1.9k, three years, four star rating, 11/11 speed, 13 long shots, finishing, head, dribb, 12 pass, technique, 11 first touch, older, but is the best player interested in coming here.

In order to come to a club like Nitra you typically need to be in one of two archetypes

1. Young, with chip on shoulder, looking for opportunity to start and prove himself.
2. Older past the age of value, looking for an opportunity to start and prove himself.

As you can see both Dodoi and Wohlfarth play into those archetypes. Our third and last signee for now on the other hand doesn.t My hope is that these two can create an effective striker tandem as each brings something different to the fray.


Now my other new player!

[Abe Sargent]

Meet DMC/MC Ederson – 28 years old, Brazilian, Italian, key player, 1.8k/week, fully developed, four star, 10/11 speed, 15 head, 14 tack, pass, 13 technique, 12 1st touch, mark.

https://omunicipio.com.br/wp-content/uploads/2017/11/ex-jogador-profissional-que-atuou-por-10-anos-na-europa-disputa-o-campeonato-municipal-de-futebol-de-guabiruba-eder-tormena-1.jpg

I see Ederson as my new DMC as an immediate replacement for Simoncic who I’ll likely drop to DC.

And those will be my major moves for now!

I list fullback first teamer Machovec for transfer and list as not needed

It’s June 5 and I use my next few weeks to develop a scouting list, and more.

My goal is to head to July 1st and then see who has come free and then may want to come our way.

I start training Ederson as a DC, whom he is already competent in.

[Abe Sargent]

I need two good DCs. And a decent or better AMC.

I slowly move forward.





I ask my AssMan to run friendlies but I’ll schedule them.

Do I want to make an offer for Michal Pinter at DC?

Sure. I need bodies an he’s solid in some areas not named passing.

https://www.asymptotejournal.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/new.jpg

Someone is happy to join us!

DC/L Michal Pinter, on a free, Slovakian, Rotation, 23 years old, 350 cash, 3 years, three and a half stars, 11 jump/13 head, 14/13 speed, 11 position, 14 tack and mark, 9 pass

The fact that I grabbed the young guy on rotation means I can add in folks above him. He’s young, he’s cheap, he’s domestic, and he’s an improvement on my current squad. Welcome Pinter!

[Abe Sargent]

Alright that’s solid stuff!

I make some offers to a few minor youthers that I seek to develop on my lower squad.

I sign these youth for the U19 squad

AMC Pedro Colina
AMC Alexandr Kozlov
AM/M RL Ronaldo Brown
GK Vladislav Kuzhal
MR Eduard Kondratenko
ST Luka Begovac

I sign my staff targets

My board expects a mid table finish and I agree.

I talk to my lads after they return from break and give them my thoughts.

I invest time into my tactics. I assign roles and such and set pieces.

June 17th, Friendly #1 vs Ojijek in the Croatian First League. My AssMan is running it. We win 3-1. MOM is Gabriel Dodoi with hos hattrick of goals. Not bad Dodoi! That’s hopefully an auspicious start!

I hook up my goalkeepers in an mentorship.


I make no changes to my pitch

Robert Valeta is injured for a few weeks in training

June 28th – Friendly #2 – Away vs BSk in Croatia. – We win 1-0, MOM is Dodoi with our lone goal.


The World Cup is moved to Australia from Qatar

[Abe Sargent]

June 30th

Contracts Leaving in 12 months

Milos Simoncic
Jan Chovanec
Jaroslav Machovec
Lukas Hrasso
Andrej Fabry
Robert Valenta
Ondrej Vencl
Christian Steinhubel
David Sipos
Aurelien Ngeyita



Gk Lukas Hrasso’s contract is up in 12 months. I offer him an extension

I offer him with a 950/week key player deal for two more years

I make no other offers at this time. Jan is 33 and currently not starting

July

July 1st – Friendly vs Ozdi
July 5th – Friendly vs Mladost
July 10th – Friendly vs Bekskeba
July 22nd – Fortuna Begins. Game #1 vs Podbrezova
July 29th – Fortuna #2 – Away vs Ruzomberok

[Abe Sargent]

July 1st arrives. I sim to noon and then look at who is now free.

I get a transfer offer for Grman which I accept

I have a 30 year old Czech AMC that I am considering making a move on.

Let’s do it.

https://alchetron.com/cdn/marek-jungr-12e94774-e241-4155-8b4c-16284859e8a-resize-750.jpeg

A few hours later he signs!

M/AM C Marek Jungr – Czech, key player, 3 years, 1.5k/week, 3.5 stars, 12/13 speed, 15 flair, 14 pass, dribb, first touch, tech, 13 bravery, work rate – not a bad addition and an immediate tag team partner with my two new STs. I hand him an advanced playmaker role in tactics.

And that will likely be it for now


I go ahead and get him ready for today’s game

[Abe Sargent]

Friendly #3 vs Ozdi – We win 2-0 with goals by Wohlworth and Wohlworth.

Hrasso pens a new deal!

I confirm our bonuses

Friendly #4 vs Mladost – We win 4-0 Dodoi is MOM with a goal. They had an OG, goal by Wohlworth and Jungr.

Militosyan is injured for a few weeks with a concussion

I have a loan offer for Andrej Fabry which I accept

We have 5-1 odds of going down.

I assign squad numbers

My captain is DC Niba and my vice is GK Hrasso

Friendly #5 – vs Bekskeba – We win 5-0! Wohlfarth is MOM

That’s our last friendly!

[Abe Sargent]

Robert Valenta is back from injury

Fabry heads out on loan. I cancel my ST Loaner and send him home.

I view the draw of the first round of the cup. We get Bardejov


I sell Pavol Grman.

Kotrik is injured for a few days in training. He’ll miss our opening.

We have sold 2065 season tix thus far

I loan Ondrej Vencl.

Fortuna Game #1 – vs Podbrezova – I begin controlling. At the 5:57 mark Jungr intercept the ball and feeds Dodoi for a score. Our foes pull back from defensive ball. They get a card. And then another. We injure one of their folks. Ederson is carded. We have a great 1:1 chance by Dodoi their GK saves. Half. We have 9 shots 5 on target to their 4 and 1. Don’t get complacent! Ederson collects another yellow in the 48th minute. I move AMC to DMC and then pull Jungr for Simoncic. Abraham feeds Wohlfarth for goal in the 66th. I send in Ivancik for Kubik. Penalty given on a dfk. They block it. I send in Charizopolous for Kona at MC. 4 minutes time and… that;s it! We win 2-0. MOM id DC Richard Krizan.

Well done, good win!

[Abe Sargent]

We’ll start Simoncic next game. I change my DMC role to deep laying playmaker.

My triangle of Jungr, Dodoi, and Wohlfarth looked good today!

I found another DC scouting but he’s 33 and not good in a 3-5-2 but is more of a 4-4-2 role.

I loan out ST Adam Dunda

Fortuna Game #2 - Away vs Ruzomberok – I begin countering. At the 2:38 mark they score. A nice long shot. They get a card and an injury. Half, They have 14 shots and 3 on target to our 4 and 0. Give me a much better showing! Abraham carded. I pull him for Jan Chovanec. They score again in the 66th. 2 minutes later, Dodoi with a beautiful strike claws one back. Set up by Jungr off a pass by Woohlfarth. I send in Charizopolous again for Kona. Durek for Krizan my final sub. The score holds and we lose 2-1. MOM is Dodoi.


Simoncic is out in training for 3-6 weeks, Ederson returns from his suspension

[Abe Sargent]

August

5th – v Home vs Michalovce
12th – Away vs Vrable
19th – Home vs Dunajska
26th – Away vs Trnava

Good training by GK Sipos.

Dodoi named in Team of the Week and he wins player of the Month! I congratulate him

I reject a loan offer for Dodoi.

Machovec is injured for a few weeks.


Fortuna Game #3 - Home vs Michalovce – I begin standard as I am not sure how the game will go. This game starts boring. Injury on them they’ll play through it. In the 30s we have some weaving and movement. Half. Boring. Keep working! We take charge and push forward. Will a goal result? Nope. Militosyan for Dodoi. Ngeyitala for Jungr. Kunik out for Ivanick. 4 minutes injury time and…game. MOM is Ederson.I’m not happy!

[Abe Sargent]

A Belarusian DC I was considering signed elsewhere

Ederson and Wohlfarth in Team of Week.

I have a thought…

Could I bring in a great DMC and drop Edelson to DC instead of signing another?

What about Jurgen Saumel?

I make him an offer.

Two days later he signs!

https://www3.pictures.zimbio.com/gi/Brescia+Calcio+v+Reggina+Calcio+Serie+B+MVqIydc1Qvzl.jpg

M RC, AMRC. DMC Jurgen Saumel, 32 years old, 2 year deal, 1st team, 1.2k.week, 4 star rating, 11/11 speed, 14 pass, 13 mark, tack, tech, 1st touch, 12 head, 11 drib, long shots, 20 caps from Austria.


I’ll start him now and drop Ederson to my DC spot to see what he can do there. He’s my best DC even if his skills are DMC quality. Saumel is better as a deep lying playmaker than Ederson was.

That will likely be my last major signing of the Summer window.

I loan Samuel Durek.

[Abe Sargent]

Fortuna Game #4 - Away vs Vrable. I begin countering. In the 26th we injure one of their players and they are subbed. On a counter Kunik crosses to Dodoi for a score in the 28th minute. Half. That strike the lone score in the game. Don’t get complacent! In the 49th they have a professional foul on Dodoi and get a red card. I move to controlling. Abraham to Ederson for goal off a Indirect free kick. In the 63rd, Jungr is injured and I send in Kotrik. Ngeyitela for Kona. My final sub is sending in ST Militosyan. We hold and win 2-0 and MOM is Edelson with a score. Good job!


That was my third shutout in four games. Good job D! Seven points in four games is pretty solid as well.

Jungr will miss the next game but will return in two weeks. Kotrik will start in his place.

Ederson looks like my best singing of the Jungr, Ederson, Dodoi, Saumel, Pinter, and Wohlfarth group.

My scouts found a potential 15 year old Czech boy named Michal Kamenik who appears to have a lot of potential. He may be a wonderkid. I make him an offer. I can see at least 30 or 40 younger unsigned Czechs and I begin to scout them.

[Abe Sargent]

Fortuna Game #5 - Home vs Dunajska. I begin controlling. We each get early momentum but ours is lasting longer. Time melts quickly, half. Show me something else! They cross for a header goal in the 51st. They score again in the 63rd. I send in Jan and Marius, and then Kirzan. We lose 0-2 but won stats wise, we had 13 shots and 7 on target to their 6 and 3. We had 64% of possession. Disappointing!

Jungr will be back from his injury in time for the next game.

Kamenik arrives with a 4 star future eval, but just 1.5 star now. I send him to our youth squad.

Simoncic is back from injury

I have 5 players called up for duty.

I loan backup Ivanik

[Abe Sargent]

Fortuna Game #6 – Away vs Trnava -This is a big ask and I’ll begin defensive. Kona hasn’t done much for me and I have changed his role to Box to Box to see if that helps. Light drizzle today. Abraham lightly injured and I keep him out for now. Dodoi’s goal in the 28th is waived off. Ederson feeds Dodoi and he jukes past the Gk and feeds an open net in the 43rd. Half. Don’t get complacent! We have 12 shots and 3 on target so we have a solid offensive situation today. I send in Jan for a wounded Abraham. In the 54th they sink the ball. Jungr feeds Wohlfarth for goal in the 57th. That puts us back up. Krizan for Niba. They collect two yellows later. I send in Ngeyitala for Kunik. Wohlfarth feeds Dodoi for goal in the 82nd minute! That likely puts this away. Two minutes later and there is Dodoi;s hattrick! Another assist by Wohlfarth. In extra time our foe crawls back one. We win 4-2, mom is Dodoi. Obviously. Good job! We finished with 22 shots.


Abraham is out for a few days


I make offers to a few other Czech youth that I find. If they sign I’ll let you know.



I sign AML 15 year old Jan Kucera and DC Stepen Smekel.

I am butting up against my salary so I cannot add any more talent right now.

Michal Kamenik was capped at the U19 level by the Czech Republic

[Abe Sargent]

September

9th – Away vs Senica
13th – CUP – Away vs Bardejov
16th – Home vs Presov
20th – Home vs Trencin
23rd – Away vs Slovan Bratislava
30th – Away vs Zilina


Good training Dodoi, Jan, and Ederson

Dodoi was 2nd for player of the month

Wohlfarth vs Trnava was the Goal of the Month

Ederson is injured in training and will miss the next match. I start Krisan.

Fortuna Game #7 – Away vs Senica – I begin countering. This is Hrasso’s 150th appearance for us. We injure one of their players in the 8th and they come off. Two minutes later DC Pinter is injured and I’ll keep him in for now. This game has been going their way in everyway,. And now a poor clearance by Abraham gives them goal in the 43rd. Half. Show me something else! They score off a corner in the 54th. I pull Abraham. They score again. I pull Pinter. 66th, Dodoi nabs an assist for Wohlfarth. I pull Kona. Off a indirect free kick they hit Wohlfarth who feed Dodoi for goal in the 81st. Am I going to tie this? 5 minutes….. game. We lose 3-2.

[Abe Sargent]

Ederson is back from injury

Cup Match #1 - Away vs Bardejov – Ready? I open standard. Starting Militosyan for Wohlfarth today. Abraham to Jungr, goal, 16th minute. 31st, pk, sunk by Kona, 2-0 us. Half. Don’t get complacent. I send in Krizan. Valenta for Dodoi. Simoncic for Saumel. Ederson goes for a pick and fails and gives up the ball deep for goal in the 79th. We win 2-1. MOM is Abraham.

I cut my transfer budget to allow me to chase a great Serbian DC

He’s free and he is finally returning my call. Milan Milanovic. 26. Looks like a rock, and might be my best player…


https://www3.pictures.zimbio.com/gi/Citta+di+Palermo+Training+Session+hzVFSZSs3Sjl.jpg

I bring him in on a trial and love him

He’s rated 4.5 stars. I make him an offer.

Milanovic – 26, Serbian, 3 years if he signs, 1.7k/week, 16 jump, head 15 str, mark, 14 tack, 12/11 speed, 14 position, 13 teamwork, work rate, and so forth. No weakness for just a 12 pass which is still great.

[Abe Sargent]

Fortuna Game #8 - Home vs Presov – I begin controlling. We get a pk but miss it in the 17th. Two minutes slater Wohlfarth intercepts the ball and scores. Dodoi booked. Wohlfarth to Dodi goal in the 28th. Three minutes later Wohlfarth to Dodoi another strike goal. Jungr to Wohlfarth, goal. Half, 4-0. Good job! Our foes are booked twice. We only have four shots on target. We give up a pk they sink in the 58th. I pull the card-ed Dodoi for Militosyan. Valenta for Kunik. They sink a nasty cross in the 77th. Krizan for Niba. Krizan with a card. Game. We win 4-2, MOM is Wohlfarth with 2 assists and 2 goals.


I congratulate my MOM

[Abe Sargent]

The transfer deadline is today Sept 20th

We loan Ngeyitala

We also loan Machovec

We sign Milan Milanovic

I pause on deadline day to look at my Eastern European nations on my first team:

Slovakia
Czech Republic
Serbia
Romania
Armenia
Austria


Serbia counts as foreign so Milanovic is a foreign player on my squad.



I also signed players for my youth squad from Belarus, Turkey, and Ukraine.


Fortuna Game #9 – Home vs Trencin - Ederson is tired and I’ll start Milanovic in his spot. I begin standard against a heavyweight at home. They score in the 14th. Dodoi answers in the 20th. Pretty quiet for a while. Things slow down after a fast start. Half. We have 14 shots to their 5. I keep our tactics. Krizan for Niba. Abraham to Wohlfarth in the 61st goal! Militosyan for Dodoi. He was banged up. Kona to Wohlfarth, goal in the 77th. Valenta for Kunik. We finish 19 and 9 to their 8 and 3. We had more shots on target then they had shots and it showed. A great game against a class team. MOM is Wohlfarth

[Abe Sargent]

Dodoi is injured for a week.

Back to my transfer day

No additional movement

We have finished

We draw Haniska for the next round of the Cup.

I search for a Chief Scout. I make an offer to Polish scout Dariusz Powszuk to join us.

Fortuna Game #10 Slovan Bratislava - Ready for the big heavy? Militosyan is starting for the injured Dodoi. I begin defensively. Saumel is tired and I move Ederson to start at DMC. This is woodshed time. Pick up where you left off!!! They come… hard. In the first 20 minutes 7 shots, 4 on target. GK Hrasso is up for the challenge so far. Then we seem to get the pace of things and it slows. Half 0-0. Ten minutes roll off the clock. Then another ten. I make a sub – Marius Chari… for Jungr. Pinter a card and I pull him for Krizan. They score in the 73rd. I pull Abraham for Jan Chovonec. They score again in the 89th. We lose 0-2.

[Abe Sargent]

Dodoi and Saumel will return for next game.

Here’s the league table

https://i.ibb.co/7jRyKj3/nitra-3.png

As you can see we are sitting in 3rd after ten games, very respectable. Those two wins really helped before my loss. You can see Dodoi as the league leader in form and in goals. Wohlfarth is 3rd in for and tied for 2nd in goals and 2nd in assists. Both are looking like powerful strike mates.

Powszuk joins us!
There is a guy on a free, Davit Targamadze, from Georgia who would be a big addition to my wing. I bring him in on a trial. It worked with my Serbian, maybe it’d work here too? He turns us down. Ah well. Dude’s a stud and would dominate my wing. He wants more money than we’d give him.

What about Bulgarian international Alexandar Tonev? Not a good career move.

Cup Round Two – Away vs Haniska – Ready for Cup Fun Times? Our foe is not in the 2nd division but a lower tier so I will be starting Militosyan for Wohlfarth to give the old man a break. I start Marius Chari at MR too. Goal in the 3rd Saumel to Jungr. Corner, Kona to Ederson, goal. Kona to Saumel goal. Half. Good job! Valenta for Abraham. Hrasso on a goal kick to Militosyan for goal. They nail a dfk in the 69th. Krizan for Pinter. Simoncic for Saumel. Jungr goal in extra time from Chari. We win 5-2. Jungr was MOM

[Abe Sargent]

I’ll leave Marius Chari. in for a game or two at MR as he had a good one.

We draw Dun Steda in the Cup for the next round.

Fortuna Match #11 – Away vs Zilina - They won last year by the by. I begin defensive. They score in the 8th. Again in the 16th. Another in the 26th. Kona to Wohlfarth in the 39th. We won’t be shut out. Jungr to Wohlfarth in the 44th. Half 3-2. Crazy! They score in the 48th. Kotrik for Chari. Niba for Ederson. Militosyan for Dodoi. We lose 4-2.

We aren’t showing up in the big matches against the top talent.

[Abe Sargent]

October

14th – Away vs Podbrezova
17th – Cup Home vs Streda
21st Away vs Michalovce
28th – Home vs Ruzomberok

Good training Dodoi, Sipos, Kunik

Wohlfarth wins Player of the Month

Militosyan was capped by Armenia

Fortuna Game #12 – Away vs Podbrezova – I’ll begin standard. I leave Chari in. They get booked early. We both have some drive,s we are winning possession. Half. Show me something else! They score in the 51st. I sent in Niba. Another booking. Now Kotrik. They score in the 81st. We lose 0-2.

That was a team that hadn’t won in 9 games. It was at the bottom of the league. That should have been ours.

[Abe Sargent]

I hold a team meeting.

Cup Round #3 – Home vs Streda – I begin controlling. Kotrik is back in the lineup. I start Jan Chovanec at ML for Abraham and that will last a bit I want to give them some time to shine. They turn our early offensive moves aside. Chovanec has been playing better than Abraham so far. Half. We have 10 shots to their 4. In Simoncic. They get carded. Militosyan heads in. He hits Wohlfarth for goal in the 77th. Niba heads in. They get a red card. After the card, Militosyan scores. We hold and win 2-0. Good win! MOM is Militosyan.


Marek Jungr is injured and will miss the next game – I’ll start Simoncic for him, well for Kona who’ll start for AMC.

We draw Mesto in the Cup.

[Abe Sargent]

Fortuna Game #13 - Away vs Michalovce – No other changes save Jungr. I begin Standarding. They score in the 24th. We injure one of their players. Half. Yuck. Krizan for Ederson after a card to him. They have a goal waived off for being offsides. Michael Pinter with a goal in the 63rd minute. Chovanec to Wohlfarth a few minutes later and we pull ahead! I pull Dodoi for Militosyan. Chari for Kotrik. 4 extra minutes, can we hold? Game. Great comeback! We win 2-1.

Noice!

I make an offer to a Bosnian hot prospect.

[Abe Sargent]

Fortuna Game #14 - Home vs Ruzomberok – Our foes are #2 right now so I respect them. I begin standard. Jungr is back from his injury. Let’s get this thang started! They get an early booking. A quiet early game, but then they score in the 27th. They score again. They collect another yellow. Half. Show me something else! I pull Jungr after his card. Chovanec to Dodoi in the 61st. After Dodoi gets a card I send in Militosyan. On a IFK Kona feeds Milanovic for goal in the 66th. We have tied it up. They score a few minutes later to retake the lead. We injure one of their players. Niba for Ederson. 5 minutes. They score in extra time to put the game away. We lose 4-2.

[Abe Sargent]

November

4th – Home vs Vrable
18th – Away vs Streda
25th – Home vs Senica

Good Training – Kunik and Chovanec.

Pinter is injured and will miss the next game.

Fortuna Game #15 – Home vs Vrable. I begin controlling. I start Krizan today for Pinter. In the 3rd minute, Jan Chovanec to Wohlfarth for goal. They hit us back in the 26th. Half. Keep working and t’ll come! Abraham heads in on the MR spot. Wohlfarth to Dodoi for goal in the 70th. I send in Simoncic for Kona. Niba for Kirzan. At the 85:22 minute Jungr gets a red card. Can we survive? I pull back to defensive. 4 minutes. We hold on and win 2-1. MOM is Wohlfarth. Bit of a let off there.

I warn Jungr. I’ll start Simoncic for the next game. Pinter will be back as well.

[Abe Sargent]

Fortune Game #16 – Away vs Streda which is currently 4th. I begin defensive. This is Kona’s 125th appearance for the club. Chovanec to Wohlfarth for goal in the 14th minute. They score back in the 20th. They sink an ifk a few minutes later. Half. They are beating us badly on the scoreboard. We have two shots, one on target to their 12 and 6. They get a card. I send in Niba. Then Militosyan. Then Kunik. We give up a pk with a handball in the 83rd but we snuff out the pk. 3 minutes. Game, we lose 1-2. Ah well. Unlucky!

I hook up Marek Jungr and wonderkid Michal Kamenik

We have dropped to 7th which means if the season ends now we would be in the bottom half of the league’s challenge for relegation.

Jan has been playing very well and I’m not looking for a replacement there at the break anymore.

[Abe Sargent]

Fortuna Game #17 - Home vs Senica – Jungr is back! I begin standard to get a feel for the game as they are 5th. I have all of the early momentum but they hold us scoreless. At the half I have 14 shots to their 4. We just need to score. I send in Militosyan. Niba too. Then Chari. Jungr feeds Milanovic for goal in the 78th minute off a corner kick. Then their GK gifts us an own goal. Jungr to Dodoi in extra time and then Jan gives away a pk and they sink it and is carded. we win 3-1. Nice! MOM is Jungr.

Nice win! Hopefully that’ll get us back to our winning ways.

That win rises us to 4th

[Abe Sargent]

December

2nd – Home vs Trnava
9th – Away vs Presov

Good training – Kotrik, Dodoi, Pinter

Ederson is injured for a week and I’ll start Niba

Fortuna Game #18 – Home vs Trnava currently 5th. Standard as well. Off a corner Milanovic finds Pinter for score in the 9th. Dodoi to Wohlfarth for goal in the 19th. Nice start! They are booked. Kotrik to Dodoi, goal in the 37th. Half. Don’t get complacent! They get another booking. Simoncic for Kona. And then another card for them. They must be off their game today. I pull Jungr for Christian Steinhubel after he’s carded. We injure one of their players. They score in the 73rd. Kunik for Jan. 4 minutes and… we win 3-1 MOM is Kotrik. Good job!

Good two wins in a row...

Did we get our mojo back?

The board approach me to extend my deal. We add another year to it

[Abe Sargent]

Fortuna Game #19 – Away vs Presov – 11th in the league. I’ll begin standard. This is our final match before the Winter Break. Ready? We have a lot of momentum for the first 18 minutes but they keep us from the score box. Then they get their sea legs and slow us down. We injure one of their players. They return and knock Wohlfarth out of the game and I send in Militosyan. Half. We have to turn our dominance into goals. Dodoi to Militosyan for goal in the 51st. In the 63rd, Jungr to Militosyan for goal. Dodoi seeds the machine again and he scores in the 66th. A hattrick in 15 minutes of play! Crazy! Steinhubel for Kona. Then Krizan heads in as well. We hold and win 3-0 and MOM is Militosyan!

Wohlfarth is out for 5 weeks. Fortuitous timing due to break coming up. Militosyan will start until he returns.

[Abe Sargent]

Winter Break!

I set up friendlies in January with Slavia Prague, Wisla Krakow, Brno and Zlin.

GK Sipos really got on well with GK Hrasso

It’s December 29th. I slow down and do some looking.

Who am I losing?

Who am I losing and how do I feel?

Simoncic – Okay
Jan Chovanec – Meh.
Machovec – Okay
Vencl – Okay
Valenta – Okay
Sheinhubel – Okay
Andrej Fabry – Youth
Sipos – Hmmm
Ngeyitala – Fine
Abraham…… Okay I think
Dunda – Youth


I make hot prospect offers to Sipos and Fabry and Dunda.

I offer each a 3 year deal.

Do I wanna extend 33 year old Chovanec who is playing well? For now? No. I want to leave that spot open for a new player but I’ll keep it in mind. I doubt anyone is sniffing his panties.

Do we have anyone coming free in the next few days that would wanna come to us in January? I don’t have the cash for any more salary. But maybe? Nope.

I set that aside.

Who is coming free in 6 months that may wanna bring their game our way? Like a stud MR or ML?

I scout about 6 players on the wings.

I don’t need an AMC, ST, DC, DMC, or GK. But I may want a new MC to replace Kuna who’s not played as well as I was hoping for.

I push forward a few days into January…

I win the Slovakian Head Coach of the Year Award!!!

Wohlfarth got 3rd in First Division Best Player

[Abe Sargent]

January

6th – Friendly vs Wisla Krakow
13th – Friendly vs Slavia Prague
20th – Friendly vs Zlin
27th – Friendly vs Brno

Good training – Kona, Dodoi, Saumel.

January 1st

Any new players free that may wanna come my way?

I offer trials to some senior squad players we may wanna look at.

I massage my board expectations and I get more transfer. I sign a guy I just brought in on a trial:

https://www.playmakerstats.com/img/jogadores/37/249537_ori_ognjen_krasic.jpg

Ognjen Krasic, 29, Serbian, D/WB/M/AM RL. 12/12 speed, 14 cross, 14 pass, 13 first touch, technique, 12 drib, I offer him a 2.5 year first team deal for 1.3k/week. I need a better winger on the end and he’ll do nicely

I will be starting Krasic at MR during our friendlies. Everyone is back from injury save for Wohlfarth. As a reminder, my AssMan runs my friendlies.

My three hot prospects have all reupped for me.

I sign a Hungarian youth adding another E. European on my U19 squad.

I sign Krasic officially a few days into January!

Friendly vs Krakaw – We lose 0-2. They are a pretty good team by the by.

[Abe Sargent]

Simoncic wants first team play and I can’t give it to him and I offer to let him move on at the end of the season.

The transfer window opens on the 10th

Friendly vs Slavia Prague – Wohlfarth is back. This is a home game for us maybe that’ll help! We tied 0-0

Jungr si injured during training for 6-7 weeks. I’ll be starting Simoncic in the middle and Kona up top

I hand my new guy the Winger role

I have an offer to Sell Mariuz Chari and I take it.

I loan out Rene Kotrik

[Abe Sargent]

Friendly vs Ziln – we win 2-1, MOM is theirs. Goals by Dodoi and Militosyan

I reject offers for Dodoi.

Simoncic signs a deal with another.


Kona injured for a week and will miss the Brno friendly

Friendly vs Brno – We lose 1-3.


Pinter has learned a new skill.

I want to give my wonderkid Michal Kamenik some games in friendlies

I hook up some folks

I am rejecting more offers for Dodoi but he has a minimum release fee of 3.1 mill. Someone will eventually hit that.

[Abe Sargent]

February –

3rd – Friendly vs Videoton
11th – Friendly vs Hradec Kralove
17th – Home vs Slovan Bratislava
24th – Away vs Trencin

We have two hitters back to back.

Good training – Kamenik

Ngeyitala is heading out after this year.

Friendly vs Videoton - We start Kamenik for Videoton at MR. Videoton is 5th in the Hungarian Top Flight. This should be a rough match but again I wanna be an Eastern European power hence my friendlies. We lose 0-1 in a close game.


Final Friendly Home vs Hradec Kralove – I leave in Kamenik. We tie them 2-2. I move my starter Krasic back to starting.

[Abe Sargent]

Fortuna Game #20 – Home vs Sloan Bratislava. The heavy. I begin countering. Let’s see what we can do. Will I show up? They are playing with an injured player. Early on this game has been theirs. Krasic feeds Dodoi nasty, turned aside, Dodoi pounces on the rebounds and finishes it in the 11th. A few minutes later we injure one of their players and they head off. Another of theirs is injured in the 37th. In the 43rd they claw back. Half 1-1. They have been the better side. They have twice as many shots as us. I send in Militosyan for Wohlfarth. Niba for Ederson. Steinhubel for Kona. In the 84th Chovanec feeds Dodoi for goal! Nice! 4 minutes of time. Can we hold on? Nope! They score in extra time and we tie 2-2. MOM is Dodoi. Here is how unfair that result was for us:

Shots by us? 7
Shots on target by us? 3

Shots by them? 22
Shots on target by them? 10

Three times as much as us! We just showed up. Krasic was 7.8 in his debut. Against the heavy of the league!

We are currently 5th. I’ll show you the full Fortuna after two more games

Jungr is back from his long injury

[Abe Sargent]

Fortuna Game #21 – Way vs Trencin – I begin defensive. I wished we played in this cool yellow kits more! They sink a corner in the 12th. First shot of the game by either team. Quiet and then they score in the 28th. Chovanec to Jungr, goal, 43rd. Welcome back Jungr! I think you missed us! Half. Stats aren’t that out of whack. We only have 2 fewer shots. I make no major adjustments. We’ve seemed to clam down. I meant “calm down” but clam down sounds funnier. Krasic crosses nastily to Dodoi for goal in the 47th to tie it. Wohlfarth feeds Dodoi for goal in the 55th to put us up! Nicer!

https://i.ibb.co/4gDCCt8/Nitra-4.png

I doubt that score stands but it’s nice to be in matches against the big guys now. Here comes Trencin. Marius Chari for Kona. They get two bookings fast. Niba for Milanovic. Steinhubel for a tired Jungr. 5 minutes. Can we hold on and defeat a major powerhouse at their spot? We do! MOM is Dodoi. Nice! Krasic with a 8.1 rating. Dude looks good.


Feb 28 – Transfer deadline for Slovak clubs

Deadline passes quietly for us

[Abe Sargent]

March –

3rd – Final Fortuna Match Home vs #2 Zilina
10th – Match Reserved
14th – Cup Quarter Final vs Nove Mesto
17th – Match Reserved

Good training – Saumel, Kona

Dodoi Player of the Month

Steinhubel injured for two months

Final Fortuna Game #22 – Home vs Zilina – I begin standard. I make no changes to my lineup. Can we get a result here? Right now we are 5th and tied with Trnava with 35 points. We need to win to stay in 5th, but it’s unlikely we’ll rise above 5th even with a loss at #4 by Streda. This is not a game I wanna spend time with. We lose 0-2. We had twice their shots, and four times as many on target, and 10% more possession but we couldn’t sink anything.

Niba was injured in the game for 2-3 weeks

https://i.ibb.co/HqnpWm9/nitra-5.png


We finish 6th!

We have to do very well in the Euro Qual Group from this spot. In real life Nitra finished this season at 7th so we are right around there.

[Abe Sargent]

We have a new intake of youth players!

https://i.ibb.co/BgVYVF5/nitra-6.png

I have to admit that several of these do look good and Slavik could do very well for us. Any others I wanna scout? I look for a few.


Euro Quals Game #1 Home vs Streda. I begin controlling In the 5th minute, Chovanec feeds Milanovic on a IFK and then….that’s it. Quiet half. 1-0 us. Don’t get complacent! They begin to take control of the game and in the 60th score. Militosyan heads in. Chari for Kona. Krizan for Ederson. They score in the 89th. Can we tie things up? 4 minutes. They collect a card for frequent fouls. We lose 1-2.


Not the way I wanna start my EURO Quals campaign from the 6 spot!

[Abe Sargent]

We sign a number of youthers

Cup Match, QF -Away vs Nove mesto – I begin standard. It’s all us so far. Then they push us back. Dodoi to Wohlfarth for goal in the 23rd after a nasty ball by Ederson in the box. Quiet rest of the half until extra time when everyone is running around all over the magazine. Half we are up 1-0. Don’t get complacent! You did last time! They foul Dodoi in the box. Here comes Wohlfarth’s PK and…Sunk. Kunik for Chovanec. They net a card. I send in Krizan for Milanovic. Kunik to Dodoi for goal in the 80th. I send in Abraham for Krasic. An own goal by Krizan. Wohlfarth to Dodoi for goal in the 87th. We hold and win 4-1. MOM is Dodoi.

We make it to the Semis!

We face Ruzomberok in the semi final.

Zilina got two amazing Slovakian youth. Like really amazing. I'd swap youths with them if I could whole sale.

[Abe Sargent]

Euro Quals Game #2 - Home vs Trnava – I hands out rests and begin controlling. Our keeper goes walkabout they score in the 8th. Eccentricity? They have all of the early momentum so I ease to counter. Then things might change. In the 24th we injure their GK. They collect a yellow, probably angry. Half. Show me something else! Wohlfarth to Dodoi for goal in the 49th, and we are level. Krizan for an underperforming Milanovic. Simoncic for Jungr. Dodoi to Wohlfarth for goal in the 78th!!! I send in Kunik for Jan. Can we hold on? 4 minutes of added time and? We do! We win 2-1. Good job! MOM is Dodoi with a goal and an assist.



Niba is back from his injury

Dodoi never played this well for me at Sepsi!

I go to my board to see if they’ll let me have more coaches. They agree!

I look for another coach…

I make an offer to 35 year old Azeri (from Azerbaijan) international Branimir Subasic.

Our head of youth development is offered a head coach role

Our new coach arrives! He is an attacking coach stud.

I search for a new Head of Youth Development – I find my guy Slovakian Martin Jakubo.

Militosyan just scored his first goal for Armenia! I congratulate him!

Jakubo heads elsewhere to be a coach. Hmm…


I place an advert

[Abe Sargent]

Euro Quals Game #3 – Away vs Zilina – I begin defensive. We injure a player at the 1:51 mark of the game, but that doesn’t stop them from scoring in the 6th. And then in the 33rd. We score in the 28th off a corner Saumel to Jan! Then they answer a few minutes later. Half. Show me something else! They don’t. They do the exact same thing. Literally. We lose 6-2. Exactly the same 3-1 at the half.

We had 53% possession and 15 shots with 8 on target to their 21 and 10. Not that different.

[Abe Sargent]

April

4th – Cup Semi vs Ruzomberok
7th – Ruzomberok
14th – Away vs Streda
18th – Cup Semi vs Ruzomberok
21st – Home vs Slovan Bratislava
28th – Away vs Trnava

Good training Dodoi and Kona

Cup Leg, Semi, #1 – Home vs Ruzomberok – I begin standard, as I am not sure what to expect. Steinhubel is back from injury and in my subs. I want to have him out there if needed. In the 13th Krasic gets our first ball after a cross from the other side Jan. Good job! And then….that’s it. We win 1-0. The rest of the game has no more than 10 shots between us. It was one of those quiet deals. Krasic is Mom. Good job!

I hand out rests for the same match in a few days

[Abe Sargent]

EURO Qual Game #4 – Home vs Ruzomberok – I am Standard again! Watch I’ll probably lose today 0-1. I seem to do much better in my Cup games this season. Jan to Jungr, goal, 1:45 mark. Okay maybe we’ll be better outside of the Cup match! Dodoi feeds Wohlfarth for goal at the 6:01 mark. They intercept a backpass and score on an empty goal in the 11th. This is a much busier game. Like night and day. They tie it in the 24th. In the 32nd, Wohlfarth feeds Jan for goal. 3-2 us. Half. Don’t get complacent! How could two teams playing in the same place at the same week have such different results? Ah football. Krasic to Dodoi, goal, 51st. 4-2 us. Looks like they didn’t get complacent. At least yet. Jungr to Wohlfarth, goal, 55th minute. Militosyan for a tired Wohlfarth. Simoncic for a tired Saumel. Niba for a tired Pinter. Krasic to Miliosyan for goal in the 85th. We win 6-2 the opposite score of one we had a few games ago. I wish these two ratings were reversed. MOM is Jungr.

Wow hello two games.

I take a look at my posting for our open spot. I make an offer to Czech Ludek Zajic

After working with him Steinhubel has learned the MC spot and we’ll begin to give him subs for Kona here and there to solidify it.

[Abe Sargent]

EURO Qual Game #5 – Away vs Streda – I begin defensive. We give away a PK in the 10th and they sink it. They score again a few minutes later. Is this another 2-6 game? I hope not! Krasic to Ederson, goal in the 32nd. Half. Show me something else. And actually do it! I send in Niba and Militosyan. I sendin Steinhubal later. Just three minutes of time. We lose 2-1 but we were dominated statically more than that.

I hand out rests

We sign Zajic!

[Abe Sargent]

Cup Leg Semis Two Away vs Ruzomberok. I’m countering today. This is my real match. Which team will show up? The one goal one or the dominant six star one? We have the early momentum. They score off a counter in the 6th. Tha’ll be their last goal this game.

Scores for us:

Wohlfarth, 44th minute
Dodoi – 45th minute
Militosyan – 63rd minute
Wohlfarth – 77th minute

Pinter is injured for a few days and will miss the next game, Niba will start for him

Our six wins in a row is a Cup record for us.

We are playing Podbrezova in the finals.

[Abe Sargent]

EURO Qual Game #6 – Home vs Slovan Bratislava – Get ready for the woodshedding. I stick to standard. Twenty minutes melt away. Ten minutes of back and forth follows. Half. 6 shots and 2 on target for us, 5 and 2 them, 50% possession. Boring. Close. Keep playing your game! It’ll come! Steinhubel for an underperforming Jungr. Pinter for Ederson. They score in the 81st. I send in Militosyan. Can I get a tying score in extra time? Nope. We lose 1-0.

[Abe Sargent]

EURO Qual Game #7 – Away vs Trnava – We are defensive. Pinter is back starting. We have the early momentum but no goals come of it. I need to get shots on target so I make changes to reflect that. Chovanec is booked, I tell him to ease off tackles. Momentum has swapped. In the 42nd I finally get a shot on target. Half. 0-0. Sink those balls! Our foe with a card as well. Dodoi feeds Jungr and he…gets the ball on target for goal in the 55th. That’s how you do it! I pull Chovanec for Kunik. No cards now! Saumel with a card. Simoncic has no more cards. Jungr to Krasic for goal in the 59th. I have two goals in three shots on target. In the 66th they score and claw one back. They get another card. They score again in the 73rd. Right now we both have 11 shots but we have 3 on target to their 7. Niba for Ederson. 5 minutes of added time. Wohlfarth scores in the 94:23 mark! Nice! We win 3-2 MOM is on their team.

Nice!

I hand out many rests for the Finals of the Cup!

[Abe Sargent]

May

1st – Finals of the Cup vs Podbrezova, the Pohar
5th – Home vs Zilina
12th – Away vs Ruzomberok
19th – Away vs Slovan Bratislava

Good Training. Dodoi.

The Finals!

This is the first final in the Pohar for both of us! Neither has one it before. I will begin today controlling. Our foe is locked deep in a relegation battle and is currently sitting at 10th with just 21 points in 29 games.

Get Ready Football Fans and Welcome to Bratislava, home of the Neutral Site!

The game kicks off and we are in our awesome yellow kits. I love these so much!

Kona to Wohlfarth in at the 3:20 mark! Nice start!

Here let me show you and you can see the kits as well…

https://i.ibb.co/L0Tvy4q/Nitra-7.png

As you can see we scored very early. That will hopefully stamp out an auspicious beginning to the whole thing. Ten minutes melts away. Then Krasic feeds Dodoi for goal at the 17th minute! We have some advantage and force some corners but no more goals come from it. Our foes get some push but nothing. On a counter in the 37th minute Ederson feeds Dodoi for a goal. Half. Don’t. Get. Complacent. Please. Kona to Dodoi in the 56th called offsides. Kunik for Jan Chovanec. They score in the 68th. Niba for Pinter. Simoncic for Jungr and I swap him and Kona. 3 minutes of stoppage.

https://i.ibb.co/xFH7cdP/Nitra-8.png

We hold and win 3-1!!! MOM is Dodoi with two scores.

Good everyone! We have made it to the EURO next year!

[Abe Sargent]

I hand out rests

EURO Qual #8 – Home vs Zilina – I rest Kona he’s too tired. Steinhebel starts for him. I begin countering. Ederson to Chovanec off a counter in the 18th. Awesome! Own goal by Hrasso in 24th. Sigh. Hrasso. We injure one o’ their players. Chovanec with another goal in the 36th! Awesome! Half. 2-1 us. We have two shots on target but they are both scoring. Don’t get complacent! I injure another player. They equalize in the 56th. Simoncic and Militosyan head in. Then Niba. 4 minutes of extra time. They get a late booking and then another. Jungr to Wohlfarth for goal at the 94:06 mark! We win 3-2. Whew! MOM is Chovanec.


That wins puts us in 4th.

[Abe Sargent]

EURO Qual #9 - Away vs Ruzomberok – I doubt we handle them as easily this time either. I begin countering. They are #6 right now in our old spot. Kona is back. They have the early momentum.They are playing an injured player in the rain. I hope he doesn’t slip and hurt himself. At the 7:56 mark they score. They score again in the 24th. Their injured guy got a booking. Half. We’ve barely been in this game. This is going very differently than the games last month. I need that team to show up here pleas.e Thanks! We’re finally showing up to the game. It’s like we arrived in a velvet aeroplane and it took the half to dry off. Then a bad clearance leads to another goal by our foes. Pinter to Chovanec goal, 58th. Niba for Milanovic, the bad clearance guy. Dodoi out for Militosyan. Krizan for a lightly injured Pinter. They score again in the 88th. This time we lose 1-4 here rather than win by that score. We are the hot and cold team.

That dropped us down to 5th. Pinter is only injured for three days and will play the final game away vs the big bad wolf

[Abe Sargent]

EURO Qual #10 – Away vs Slovan Bratislava. Ready? Defensive. This is not how you wanna wind up things! This is the 175th match for our club for Hrasso. We are in our pretty yellow kits again! They score off a nasty cross in the 5th. Minute. Of the game.Wohlfarth is a bit banged up but we’ll leave him in to run it off. The 20th minute sees another score by them. We haven’t shown up to this game either. An own goal by them brings the score to 2-1. Kona to Wohlfarth in the 43rd. Welcome to the game! Glad we left him in. Half tied. Good score! Vengeance after out last match! They score off a counter in the 59th. Kiba for Pinter. Kunik for Krasic. Simoncic for Saumel. Jungr collects a card. Another counter score in the 87th. We lose 2-4.

[Chas in Cinti]

I know you probably don't want to hear this, but I'm sort of glad you're struggling a bit at least... Seems like often these dynasties at the non-power countries are pretty successful pretty quickly. Will be fun to watch the growth...

[Abe Sargent]

I know you probably don't want to hear this, but I'm sort of glad you're struggling a bit at least... Seems like often these dynasties at the non-power countries are pretty successful pretty quickly. Will be fun to watch the growth...

Sure thing!

[Abe Sargent]

Here’s the final table:

https://i.ibb.co/nQ5RV7H/Nitra-9.png

As you can see we finished in 5th tired with Trnava with points but with a better head to head rating. Dodoi lead the Fortuna with 22 goals and Wohlfarth was tied for 2nd with 20. I thought those two would work well together and was glad to see them! You can see Dodoi 3rd in rating and Jungr tied for 2nd with 12 assists. Good job everyone!


EDIT - I didn't notice this until now but we were a .500 team last year. 15 wins, 15 losses, 2 ties.

[JonInMiddleGA]

Maybe I missed the explanation earlier but ... what's the deal with Trencin in 9th despite having the 4th-most points in the league table?

[Abe Sargent]

Maybe I missed the explanation earlier but ... what's the deal with Trencin in 9th despite having the 4th-most points in the league table?

When teams are divided into two halves they can move around from one half to the next but they can't cross over.

[Abe Sargent]

Here was the actual table after 22 this year.

https://i.ibb.co/mcr3vDD/Nitra-10.png

We came in 6th in FM and just one more than without it.

After 32 here is teh Qual half.

https://i.ibb.co/JRqH0jy/Nitra-11.png

And here is the Relegation half.

https://i.ibb.co/93Lv4R8/Nitra-12.png

See how Nitra finished with 45 points but was locked into 7th?

Consider this, after 32 games, we only had two more points than Nitra in real life...

EDIT - Also note that Nitra had a winning record despite fewer points in real life as well.

Our offensive was awesome but our defense just wasn't where it needed to be. Speaking of which...

[Abe Sargent]

Stats:

GK Hrasso – 65 goals allowed, worst in the league, 4 shutouts, the lowest in the league. That’s crazy bad. Tied for 3rd in saves held with 61, and led in saves parried with 50. Not bad at all. Good shot stopper! Hrasso is a better player than the best ranked GK in the league.

Defense:

Key Tackles – Pinter was 4th best with 25; Milanovic 7th best with 19.

Key Headers – Ederson 4th best with 50; Milanovic 7th best with 43; Pinter had 38

Interceptions – Milanovic – 5th with 110; Pinter with 89

Headers Won % - Milanovic 5 with 88%; Ederson was 85%

Shots Blocked – Milanovic led the league with 11.


Offense:

Assists – Jungr with 12; Chovanec and Wohlfarth with 10; Dodoi with 6

Key Passes – Jungr, 4th place; 48; Wohlfarth in 5th place with 43; Chovanec with 33.

Chances Created – Jungr 4th with 23; Wohlfarth 9th with 19; Chovanec has 14

Pass Completion – Saumel – 90% 2nd place;

Cross Completion Ratio – Chovanec 4th with 23%


Not a bad year everything in consideration!

[Abe Sargent]

I make an offer to extend Chovanec by a single year to backup for 1 year at 500/week.

I want to keep him around in case I don’t find a new hot body.

I hand the captaincy to Saumel from Niba.

Here are my goals for the team:

1. Year 1 - Establish a youth squad. Nitra has very little – CHECK!
2. Stay up this year – CHECK!
3. Get a mid-table finish comfortably - CHECK
4. Year 2 - Next year get to the top half of the league and begin to play for EURO play in the playoffs – CHECK ONE YEAR EARLY.
5. Turn Nitra into a power that can rival the major team in this league – Slovan Bratislava
6. Win a Slovak Pohar – CHECK EARLIER THAN I THOUGHT.
7. Win the Fortuna
8. Qualify for Champions play.
9. Turn Nitra into an Eastern European heavyweight on the level of a Sparta Prague or CSKA Moscow.
10. Secure Nitra well enough that it’ll survive after the manager leaves

[Abe Sargent]

Alright! We finished the Pohar win earlier than I thought and the top half earlier than I thought to. That gives us a springboard of success for next year.

Here’s what I’m looking for:

1. Secure a new Dodoi to use as a rotational young option. Wohlfarth isn’t getting any younger and Dodoi will be signed away sooner or later.
2. Secure a new ML that can play as well as Krasic did at MR.
3. Bring in a new MC for Kona. Kona has lost a step this year.
4. Bring in a new DC to start over Pinter.
5. Bring in depth.

We were the hot and cold team. We only tied TWICE. We win big or lose big and that needs to change.

My ST needs to be a hot prospect 4th in line for the throne I can grow

I need the studiest DC I can find, as well as ML and MC

Saumel announces his retirement and we’ll have that DMC spot open too.

I ask him to reconsider.

[Abe Sargent]

Roster Eval

GK Hrasso – 2. He’s one of the best players on my team and best GKs in the league, but he also allowed too many goals, although he was fine statistically. I could see myself replacing him.

DC Milanovic – 3 My best DC by rating, stats, and look. Locked into his starting job

DC Ederson – 2 Ederson was a better DMC than DC but he’s better than the others. I move him to First team from key player.

DC Pinter – 2. He was a rotational guy who had some good stats. Younger, and I see him as my future role for Niba taking starts where injury needs, and subbing him in during the game regularly.

DMC Saumel – 1, 33 years old, captain, played alright, announced his retirement. If he retires, I’ll need to grab a new DMC.

MC Kona – 1 - -Was my 2nd best player player but form and age have hit him hard. He needs to be replaced. I drop him to first team as well.

MR Krasic – 3 – Like fellow Serbian Milanovic, he is locked in for now. He’s strong.

ML Chovanec – 0 – Chovanec played well and I extended him for a year, but he’s 34 and dropping in ability. He plays better than he looks. I signed him with a backup role and expect to see that happen.

AMC Jungr – 2 – 31 now, injury prone, he’s fine. I drop him to first team as well. I have him as a starter this year and it’s not on my hit list, but if I uncover a better player I wouldn’t be shocked.

ST Wohlfarth – 2 - I drop him to first team. This 33 year old finished 3rd in the Fortuna in goals and was great in ratings, assists, and more. He performed a great strike partnership with Dodoi, but his age will drop him in quality and in performance, so this is, I suspect, his last year starting for me.

ST Dodoi – 2- Dodoi led the goals and was our most in form player. He’s young and getting better. We’ll hold onto him for about another six months or so and then someone will pay his minimum release fee of 3.1 mill and he’ll head out then.

I need more younger folks like Dodoi or 20s rocks like Krasic and Milanovic, but my preference is the hot prospect deal of a Dodoi.

[Abe Sargent]

The Fans Player of the Year was Wohlfarth followed by Jungr and Chovanec

Their goal of the season was Saumel vs Haniska

Their Young Player of the Season was Dodoi and their choice for signing of the year was Wohlfarth

I hold my end of the season team meeting and tell them I want to do this again.

My board agree to increase our training facilities – it’ll finish in October.

Our squad head out for break

I make offers to extend much of my staff.

Jan Chovanec won Player of the Month and I congratulate him!

Chovanec and Dodoi are in Team of the Year for the division.

[Abe Sargent]

Welcome to June

Alrigh let’s find myself a new striker first.

But first is he already on my team?

It’s not Adam Dunda or anyone else.

Alright let’s scout around…

I find a 16 year old South African who isn’t developed enough and I’ve tried to keep myself only in EE, but I make Manqoba Ngubane a deal. I found him by scouting youth on U19 and U21 squads that look good on first sight.

Hmmm….

I think I found ymy first Wonderkid who might be interested in coming here

Jack Bruno, 16, already develop,d ST, Australia

Now he’s not interested in a hot prospect deal so instead I offer a rotational deal.

I also move to sign another Australian player for him

What about AMRC Damien Beaton? He’s 18 and unsigned. I also make an offer to unsigned mc Duncan Duggan.

Sounds good! Let’s bring in Australia and then we’ll see.

[Abe Sargent]

Now what?

Let’s look at ML.

I make a trial offer for Serbian Zoran Milovac

I make an offer to MC and DMC 32 year old Damir Vrancic. He can be my Kona in the middle or my Saumel at DMC. He’ll join us when he contract ends.

What about DC?

My favorite unsigned is stud DC Bogdan Mitrea of Romanian fame. I offer him a trial.

That gives me targets at ST, MC/DMC, DC and ML. Let’s move on and see what happens.

 
I agree tentatively to a rotation deal with Zoran Milovac.

The first to sign is ST Jack Bruno!

https://i.ibb.co/hKjV5Lp/Nitra-10.png

Here’s Jack. As you can see he’s a new-gen. We are paying him 550/week. Now I had to make him a rotational offer to bring him in but at 16 he’s better than Militosyan. I move him to backup role. This is a very developed 16 year old Striker, and again, I suspect he’s a wonderkid as he’s acting like it.

[Abe Sargent]

https://ssl.c.photoshelter.com/img-get/I0000kxxHCvWkZKc/s/850/850/SISIC-MIRNEZ-07.jpg

The next to arrive is Zoran Milovac. Three and a half stars, 29, Serbian, 11/12 speed, 13 cross, 14 pass, 13 drib, 1st touch, tech, 11 finish, and he’s good at set pieces.

[Abe Sargent]

I decline a job interview for Sheff. Wed. And then one for Cluj.

I make an offer for stud Mitrea. Key player, 2.5k/week, 3 years. He;s 30 and Romanian.

Ngubane signs with me.

Saumel will retire.

I sign some more Australians to play with Jack Bruno.

https://alchetron.com/cdn/bogdan-mitrea-8d107f99-c744-4d98-8bd0-1034d8367e4-resize-750.jpeg

Mitrea signs! 15 tack, mark, head, 12 pass, 11/12 speed, 13 jump, 14 str, 12 position, he has a 4 star rating.

[Abe Sargent]

https://media.gettyimages.com/photos/damir-vrancic-picture-id551475629


I sign Damir Vrancic! He’ll arrive on July 1st. 2.7k, 2 years, key player. I’ll start him for either Kona at MC or at DMC.

[Abe Sargent]

Right now with Saumel I have a hole. Here’s one way around said hole:

DC – Mitrea, Pinter, Milanovic
DMC – Ederson
MC – Vrancic

Here’s another:

DC - Mitrea, Milanovic, Ederson
DMC – Vrancic
MC – Kona

I prefer the first. I move Kona to rotation

We are playing Slavia Prague in the Super Cup!

[Abe Sargent]

June 11 – Preseason begins!

I massage my tactics to get ready for the preseason.

I’m getting loads of job opportunities but no thanks

I accept a transfer offer for Marius Chari.

I view the draw for the EURO.

We get Lokomotiv Plovdiv from Bulgaria.

Saumel retires. His cup with us is the only title he ever won!

Chari signs and heads elsewhere.

Friendly vs Skalica – We win 3-1, goals by Milanovic, Wohlfarth and Dodoi.

[Abe Sargent]

Ready for the Czech-Slovak Super cup?

Slavia Prague

Vs

Nitra


Ready for the Super Cup!

I begin defensively. They begin with the early initiative and then score in the 15th and then things slow down. We injure one of their players. Half 1-0. Quiet game. Jungr with a card. I pull a tired Milovac for Kunik. They score again in the 63rd. Steinhubel for Jungr. Jungr to Wohlfarth for goal before he heads out. Militosyan for Dodoi. Milanovic with a late card. We lose 2-1.

[Abe Sargent]

I confirm my budget and I get about 8k more in budget.

June 30th

I lose Vencl, Steinhubel,

I have these deals up coming in a year;


https://i.ibb.co/3YSqdzN/Nitra-11.png



As of right now I make no new offers to any of them

[Abe Sargent]

July

12th – Home vs Lokomotiv
19th – Away vs Lokomotiv
28th – Away vs Trencin

Good training – Kunik, Dodoi, Begovac

I lose three players to other teams and I gain Mgubane, Vrancic, Duggan and Pop.

I make no changes to my pitch

Here’s Vrancic:

https://i.ibb.co/ZLc4tFn/Nitra-12.png

He’s solid and well rounded and can play a few different roles for me.

[Abe Sargent]

Now I have some cash to use.

What am I interested in? A stud MC to knock Vrancic to DMC? A stud DC to move Ederson off the bad parts of this team? Another wonderkid? An AMC that’ll embarrass Jungr?

Let’s look at who just got released

Here are my current starters to help with this conversation:

GK Hrasso

DC Milanovic, Mitrea, Pinter

DMC Ederson

MC Vranic

MR Krasic

ML Milovac

AMC Jungr

ST Dodoi, Wohlfarth

I see Pinter or Ederson as replaceable.

Can I find another stout DC?

I hand Niba a backup role.

Here are my ideal 7 subs with a new DC

DC Pinter, Niba
ST Militosyan, Bruno
MC/DMC/AMC Kona
Two middles from the various groups I might rotate in like Kubik, Chovanec, and more.

That works for me.

What DC?

[Abe Sargent]

My ideal preference is to get a younger hot prospect I can rotate in, but that might be too hard to find right now. I don’t see anyone in that region that is returning my calls. Next up a studly Mitrea or Milanovic?

My best choice is probably Daniel Pudil, 32 years old, Czech, DC, well rounded, 33 caps. I check to see if his is interested in joining fellow Czech Jungr on my best 11. Nope, we lack the financial resources he is looking for. Ah well, I offer him a trial to see if he’ll join and then stay.

Who else? Pudil was my favorite choice among local options. Could I follow Ederson and Wohlfarth and Bruno and move for a player not from Eastern Europe? Hm… let’s look.

I found someone, Spaniard Unai Bilbao. Do I wanna gofer?

Let’s wait to see if Pudil comes on a trial first. He doesn’t. I make an offer to Unai.


He joins us!

https://www2.pictures.zimbio.com/gi/Borussia+Monchengladbach+II+v+Athletic+Club+Eyg0FW3MYvkx.jpg

Welcome to the club!

https://i.ibb.co/hBgkPS0/Nitra-13.png

Here you go. As you can see he’s strong with heading and jumping, marking and tackling, and more. He’s is strong. We have him for a while and at 2.5k/week on a key player deal. I’ll start him in the back with my Serbian and my Romanian. These additions should help to shore up my team a lot.

[Abe Sargent]

Alright let’s get to the EUROS!

I transfer list Patrik Abraham

Niba wants to move and not be my backup and I’ve agreed to let him go for a certain price

I confirm my squad for the EUROs

I do another friendly

I accept an offer for Niba

I make an offer to extend Richard Krizan’s hot prospect deal by a few years

I name Wohlfarth the team captain and leave Hrasso as vice

I promote our raw Czech potential stud Michal Kamenik to the main roster.

Wanna see him?


https://i.ibb.co/bFFFbJB/Nitra-15.png

Okay!

Of course you do! Here is Kamenik after a lot of growing and he’s been with us almost a year. I want to start giving him the occasional stat. He’s rawer than my other guy the young Australian striker, but he’s getting better. I also gave him a mentorship with fellow Czech Jungr. He’s growing and should prove to be a nice addition to my squad as a sub right now. I make him eligible for my B team games as well.

[Abe Sargent]

I connect Jungr with Duggan.

EURO Match at Home – vs Lokomotiv Plovdiv – I begin standard to get a feel for the game. Quiet match early, they get a card in the 12th. At the 20th minute I have 5 shots to their 0. Quiet 10 minutes. Dodoi set up by Jungr deep in the box feeds Wohlfarth and we go up 1-0 at the 30th minute. Two minutes later Wohlfarth returns the favor and feeds Dodoi for goal. By the 40th we have 10 shots. Half. Don’t get complacent! They injure Vrancic lightly and I send in Kona for him. Pinter for Bilbao who’s nervous. Dodoi feeds Krasic for goal in the 63rd . Chovanec heads in for a tired Milovac.


Here wanna see my game results?

https://i.ibb.co/6Zpf1CC/Nitra-16.png

We dominated them in our first EURO Game! We had loads of shots, goals, etc. Wohlfarth the MOM.

[Abe Sargent]

Vrancic is out for a week and will miss the next game, I’ll start Kona.

We have 7-1 odds of winning the Fortuna!

I make a trial offer to 19 year old Bosnian Milan Miric who might be my new Niba. He arrives and I like him and make him a hot prospect offer for 250/week for three years.

I submit my squad numbers

Friendly vs Znojmo – We draw 0-0

[Abe Sargent]

https://i.ibb.co/k4V5wY9/Nitra-17.png

Miric has signed with us! He’ll be my 5th DC after Pinter and my new Kiba. He’s also not the worst emergency starter I’ve seen, and with three years of hot prospect coming he won’t be demanding. You’ll also note that I already have a Bosnian new player on my squad so they can hang.

[Abe Sargent]

We draw Bernolakovo in the Cup.

EURO Match Away vs Lokomotiv Plovdiv – We come in with a comfortable 0-3. I begin countering. We are in our pretty yellows! They have the early momentum. At the 28th mark we’ve each had longer shots, we have 5 shots and 1 on target to their 5 shots and 1 on target. 54% possession to them. Hrasso gives up a pk in the 33rd and they sink it. Hrasso. Ederson to Dodoi gets the ball after it falls to him in a corner kick and Dodoi finishes. We have tied it at the 38th minute. Half. 1-1. That away goal was precious. Now they need to score FOUR in order to beat us 5-4 on aggregate. They collect a card early in the half. They have subbed all three of their players by the 53rd minute mark. Odd. I tell my folks to tackle hard. They score off a nice cross in the 57th. Pinter for Milanovic. Jack Bruno for a tired Wohlfarth. They score in the 78th. I send in Chovanec. They score again in the 90th minute. Can we hold on for the win? Four extra minutes. We hold on and lose 1-4 and tie 4-4 and make it though on away goal.

We can’t keep being this team!

[Abe Sargent]

Hrasso allowed three non-penalties on 7 shots. We have to do better.

We draw Hapeol in Israel for the next EURO round.

I have sold Niba

We have sold 2118 season tix


EURO Leg #1 – Home vs Hapeol – We are moving Kona back to the subs. Standard worked well in the first game so I use it here as well. We have the early initiative and we actually manage to make it count this time. Dodoi to Ederson at the 1:03 mark. They are coming at us and we’ve turned away three shots by the tenth minute. It appears things are under our control as the next ten minutes melt away. Around the 30s we have five minutes of dominance but nothing comes of it. They have a shot in the 43r that appears offsides but it is not waived off that ties the match. Half 1-1. We each have 10 shots 4 on target. They score again in the 53rd. I pull Milanovic after he collects a card for Pinter. Bruno for Dodoi. They score in the 74th. I send in Kona for Vrassic. We injure one of their players in extra time. Time. We lose 1-3. I was hoping for a better EURO campaign than that!

[Abe Sargent]

Fortuna Game #1 – Away vs Trencin – Trencin are a respectable team and I begin countering. I make no changes to my side. Yay for yellow kits. They score in the 2nd minute. Krasic to Wohlfarth for goal in the 24th minute to tie it. They score again in the 45th. Half 2-1 them. They have three shots on target. They score again in the 47th minute. Pinter for Milanovic. Dodoi’s score called offsides. Kona for Ederson after he gets a card. They score again in the 73rd. On 7 shots on target we have 4 goals allowed. They score again in the 88th. 8 shots on target, five goals.

It’s time.

[Abe Sargent]

It’s really time.

Losses of 5-1, 3-1 at home, 6-2, and 4-1 cannot continue when I am playing defensively.

I need a new goalkeeper.

Hrasso looks good but isn’t playing it.

I had kept my salary with enough to bring in one more big player and I was looking to do so in January to help out the team. No longer. I make an offer to 31 year old Spaniard Javi Jiminez

https://i.ibb.co/VqCDk1z/Nitra-20.png

Two days later him joins us!

Welcome to the club! As you can see he’s good aerially, reflexes, one on ones, and loads more. Now he;s not the fastest keeper in the world and I’d prefer a stonger keeper as well, but he’ll do! He’s also not eccentric either.

I mark Hrasso as not needed and I transfer list him

I get a transfer offer for Hrasso. His last game will be in the EURO.

Kona is injured for a month in training

[Abe Sargent]

August

2nd – Away vs Hapoel
5th – Home vs Zdana that was promoted
11th – Away vs Michalovce
18th – Away vs Slovan Bratislava
25th – Home vs Zilina

Rough opening to the Fortuna with Zilina, Slovan Bratislava and Trencin all in the opening few matches.

Good training – Kirzan, Kamenik, Mitrea

Away vs Hapoel, EURO 2nd Leg – I begin countering. Back to our cool yellows. My prediction? Shut out by Hrasso just to rub my face in it! Krasic to Dodoi, score 6th minute. Here comes Hapoel. They score in the 13th. Their one shot on target of course sinks. wohlfarth to Dodoi, goal, 21st. Ederson with an early card. I swap him and Vrancic on the pitch and then pull him for… no one. Hopefully he’ll have fewer tackle opportunities for now. Half, 2-1 us. Vengeance! Krasic to Dodoi, goal, 47th. Now that’s interesting. That’s puts us at 3-1. And we are tied. One more goal… We injure one of their players. They sink goal in the 66th. Nevermind. I send in Chovanec and Pinter. Vrasic to Dodoi, goal, 72nd. We are now tied at 5-5 and we have the away goal. Am I getting through? Our foes come forward hard. Hard. We bang up another player. Miric for a tired Mitrea. Chovanec to Dodoi, goal, 80th. Krasic to Dodoi, goal, 89th. Game, we win 6-2. Wow. MOM is Dodoi. Here!

https://i.ibb.co/6n26QRC/Nitra-21.png

Dodoi scored SIX AWAY GOALs. That’s crazy sauce. If I told you ‘d come back from a home game giving up 1-3 on the road that would have been crazy but like this?

MAN!


Hopefully my new GK will get me away from the cardiac kings.

That set a record for us for most goals in a single game by a player.

[Abe Sargent]

We draw Belenenses for our next match. A Portuguese team may be too hard to overcome and we may have done our last dance. I register Javi as a new player.


Fortuna Game #2 – Home vs Zdana. I give Javi his first start. I also start Kamenik for Krasic. I begin controlling. No yellows, so sad. Our foes are in yellow. Weird. It’s hard to know who to root for. Dodoi picks up an early injury and I pull him for Bruno. They are dominating this game. I slide back to counter. Our GK has stopped the first three on target shots. Half 0-0. 2 shots by us, 7 by them. Do you even want to win this game? Krasic for Kamenik, this game is too competitive. Pinter for Milanovic. Wohlfarth to Milovac, goal, 83rd minute. Am I going to steal this? Four minutes added time. Bruno to Wohlfarth for goal in the 92nd minute. We win 2-0, MOM was Wohlfarth. Not bad a debut for my GK. They had twice as many shots as us and we shut them down.


Dodoi is out for a week. Bruno will start until his return.

I have sold Hrasso

I name Bogden Mitrea as my vice captain

[Abe Sargent]

EURO Leg #1 – Home vs Belenenses – I begin standard. I have Dodoi on the bench in case I need two St. We begin ambitiously an then they give us a PK at the 1:55 mark. Up steps Mitrea who is a stud a PKs and…he sinks it! Good job Mitrea! That’s his first goal for us. 15 minutes melt away. They sink a 1:1Counter in the 16th to tie us. Milovac to Wohlfarth nasty cross, goal, 32nd and we are back up to 2-1. In the 44th Milovac feeds Bruno and he’s scored his first goal for us. Half 3-1 us. We have 6 shots, 4 on target to their 12 and 6. This would likely have been 3-3 with Hrasso in. They’ve out played. I just realized In left in Kamenik so I pull the wonderkid for Krasic. Don’t get complacent, we don’t want to give away away goals. They score off a corner kick in the 52nd. Bruno to Wohlfarth for goal in the 56th. Pinter for Bilbao. They give away another penalty. Wohlfarth sinks it. That’s his hattrick! Miric for Milanovic. Game, we win 5-2, MOM is Wohlfarth.

https://i.ibb.co/grPFbx6/Nitra-22.png


I know!

I am shocked at how dominant some of these EURO games are being for us. 6-2 and 5-2 in back to back matches.

[Abe Sargent]

Fortuna Game #3 – Away vs Michalovce. I have Dodoi and Krasic back at starting role for me. I begin standard. I have the early momentum and then Bilbao feeds Dodoi for goal in the 11th minute. They press forward. Near the end of a quiet half Wohlfarth feeds Dodoi for another goal. Half. Don’t get complacent! They cross and score in the 56th. They have taken over the game this half. Jungr feeds Dodoi nastily and he finds Wohlfarth for goal in the 61st. They get a card. They score again a few minutes later to make it 3-2. Foul against Dodoi in the box with a card. Dodoi sinks it and that’s his hattrick and we are up 4-2. I send in Pinter and Chovanec. Kunik heads in as well. Pinter with a late card. Four minutes of time and… we hold and win 4-2 on the road, and MOM is Dodoi’s hattrick.

We offer a First Team Deal for Dodoi for four years.

[Abe Sargent]

EURO Leg #2 Away vs Belenenses – Can we win? I begin defensive today. Kona is back from his injury and in our squad. Here we go! It’s all us in the first few minutes but no scores comes of it. We hold scoreless their momentum as well. Vrancic with a card in the 33rd minute. Half 0-0. That could not have gone better for us. It’ll be much harder for them to crack our score deferential in 45 minutes. But it could happen. Don’t get complacent. I send in Kona for Vrancic this is the wrong time to get a double yellow. In the 63rd Mitrea gives away a pk and they step up and…Javi saves! I sent in Pinter for Mitrea. A nasty cross and they score goal in the 71st. Jungr with a card, I send in Chovanec. 3 minutes added time and… we hold and lose 0-1. They had 24 shots today and we only lost 0-1. That was due to Javi!


We are through to the next round with a 5-3 aggregate score!

I need one more guy for squad depth. I need a guy who, like Kona, can play DM, M and AM c. Ideally a hot prospect who won’t hurt my bank that much, I don’t want to sub in people like Chovanec for Jungr anymore.

No youth for free. What about a loaner? Yup!

Macedonian 20 year old Petar Krstic.

We draw SK Rapid Wien for the next round of the EURO

[Abe Sargent]

Fortuna Match #4 – Away vs Slovan Bratislava. This is where we’ll find out how good Javi our new GK actually is as away vs the big bad is the hardest match on your slate. Can we show up as good as we did against Belenenses? I’ll be playing defensively today. I had 9 shots on the last game just none sunk. So I hope to have a better outcome today. If I can tie or even have a narrow loss rather than the typical 6-2 stuff I’m doing I’d be happy. Slovan have the first 15 minutes and then ease up. 30 minutes in we have 1 shot to their 8. Half 0-0. I send in Chovanec. Pinter for Bilbao. They steal the ball for Krasic and drive and score on a counter in the 77th. Militosyan for a tired Wohlfarth. Milanovic has a card. Dodoi drives on a counter, jukes past a defender is loose in the box with a 1:1 On the keeper and unselfishlessly feeds Jungr for score in the 85th. 5 extra minutes. Can we weather the tide? We had one shot on target and it was a break away by Dodoi. We steal a tie! I’ll take it!


That was the first time I’ve felt like I belong with the big boys. A tie on the road? Nice!
 
We have loaned Petar Krstic.

[Abe Sargent]

EURO Leg #1 Home vs Rapid Wien – I begin standard. We injure one of their players lightly in the first 5 minutes. They get a card in the 6th. The game is quiet early. And then longer. And longer. They get another yellow in the 31st minute and Mitrea sets up to shoot a DFk and…he sinks it! We are up 1-0. Mitrea is a set piece star. They grab goal in the 43rd to equalize. Half. Mostly equal stats. 9 shots to 7, each 4 shots on target, 51% possession. Krasic with a card. Pinter for Bilbao. Jungr to Krasic for goal in he 63rd. Glad I didn’t pull him. Jungr with a card and I send in Kona for him. Kamenik for Krasic. They score in the 83rd off an IFK. They get another score late and we finish losing 2-3. They outplayed us in the second half and finished with many more shots than us. Mitrea is MOM and we lose 2-3

Barring another 6-2 away devastation that’s as far as we are going this year.

Jungr has reached his yellow cards limit and will be suspended for the 2nd leg and Kona will start for him. That’s a downgrade.

Dodoi has signed his new deal!

[Abe Sargent]

Fortuna Game #5 – Home vs Zilina – We begin standard. I respect this heavy hitter too much. I give Ederson a rest today, and Kona is starting in the middle and Vracic is at DMC. Quiet. Very quiet. We have a small offensive movement turned aside. On a 23rd minute IFK Mitrea feeds Dodoi who kicks it back to an open Mitrea who scores. Nice! Vrancic with a card a few minutes later. I swap him and Kuna. Krasic recovers a shot by Dodoi that rifles off the goal and sinks it. Half, we are up 2-0. Don’t get complacent! Krstic for Vrancic. They score off a corner in the 59th. They get two yellows. Jungr to Wohlfarth, goal, 6 minutes later and we are up 3-1. Pinter for Milanovic. They get a red card for a nasty foul on Jungr. Jan Chovanec heads in. We hold and win 3-1. MOM is Krasic.

We’ve beaten our nemesis!

[Izulde]

Were you able to raise the minimum release clause on Dodoi's new deal?

[Abe Sargent]

EURO 2nd Leg Away vs Rapid Wien – I begin countering and Jungr is out for Kona. Wohlfarth to Dodoi, goal, 3:44 mark! That’s a good way to start because I need to RAIN goals. We are now tied 3-3 but losing on away goals. Milovac is banged up but I’ll keep him in. I need quality and my backup is Chovanec. They score in the 16th and even things up. By the 30th minute they have 13 shots to our 3. I doubt we are winning this. I doubt we are trying this. Milanovic finds Wohlfarth on a break for goal in the 38th and we are ahead 2-1. We are tied again but losing on away goals. Another goal? That’d be fun. Half. Don’t get complacent! I send in Chovanec for Milovac. Pinter for Bilbao. I need to get another goal. There it is!!! In the 77th minute Ederson pounces on a tackled ball from a deep indirect free kick and scores. We are now up 3-1 and 5-4 aggregate. If they score in the next fifteen minutes then we are tied on away goals and we’ll head to extra time. One more goal solidifies it. Right now we have 6 shots to their 22 so I doubt another goal is happening. I hold onto my 3rd sub as everyone is playing well and I want to save it for extra time if needed. 3 minutes of injury time. Can we hold?

We do!!!

https://i.ibb.co/64vFxs1/Nitra-23.png

A 28 shot game by my foe held to 1 goal. Nice job Gk Javi! We are through! MOM is Wohlfarth.

Milovac is out for 2 weeks and Chovanec will start for him.

We made an impressive 2.6 million for making it to the Group Stage!

Our group

EURO Group E

Dynamo Kiev - Ukraine
BATE - Belarus
Nitra – Slovakia, Us
Torino - Italy

That could have been worse. We have one major club and two other Eastern European folks. After getting through a heavyweight of the region with Rapid Wien, we shouldn’t be looking askance at BATE or Dynamo Kiev. I could come out 2nd.

[Abe Sargent]

Were you able to raise the minimum release clause on Dodoi's new deal?

Nope I left it as is. That fee would change the club.

[Abe Sargent]

September

2nd – Home vs Trnava
15th – Home vs Streda
20th – Away vs Dynamo Kiev – We start with a rough ask
23rd – Away vs Ruzomberok
26th – Away vs Bernolakovo, Cup Match
29th – Home vs Vrable

Good training –

Dodoi wins Goal of the Month, and Wohlfarth and Krasic were in the running for player of the month

Fortuna Match #6 – Home vs Trnava. I begin controlling. Jungr is back and in my AMC spot. Bilbao is tired and Pinter starts. The first ten minutes is all them and I ease back to standard. We injure one of their players lightly. Wohlfarth is injured in the 28th minute. I send in Militosyan. Ederson with a card. 0-0 at the half. Kona for Ederson. They get a card. Bilbao for Pinter. 5 minutes of added time. 0-0 tie.

Wohlfarth is injured for a week, but we enough of a break that he’ll be back for the Streda match.

[Abe Sargent]

Fortuna Match #7 – Home vs Streda, who won the Fortuna last year. I have Milovac and Bilbao back in the starting zone. I begin standard. They are starting three lightly injured players. Quiet 15 minutes rolls by. We injure another of their players. Half, Another 0-0. I send in Pinter. They score in the 63rd. Then in the 65th, they hit a Pk. I send in Militosyan. Wohlfarth feeds Militosyan for goal in the 75th. Kona heads in. We lose 1-2. MOM is Militosyan.

[Abe Sargent]

EURO GROUP E Game #1 – Away vs Dynamo Kiev – I begin defensive. They are dominating the early game. They score in the 13:47 mark. They collect a card. They score again in the 29th. They had 21 shots in the first half. Jungr to Dodoi, goal, in the 59th minute. Pinter for Bilbao. Wohlfarth to Dodoi and we are suddenly tied in the 68th minute…

Here let me show you!

https://i.ibb.co/G0kf9Z0/Nitra-24.png

I doubt the score lasts, but it’s nice right now. Two minutes later they hit goal again. It didn;t last. Chovanec for Milovac. Kona for Ederson. They score again in the 78th. Wohlfarth to Dodoi a minute later. Now that gives us a way back into the match. 5 minutes of injury time. I had a great shot on target at the 92:26 mark by Wohlfarth but they stopped it. We lose 4-3. Respectable. Dodoi was MOM

The transfer deadline passes

[Abe Sargent]

Fortuna Match #8 – Away vs Ruzomberok – I begin countering. Dodoi feeds Jungr for goal in the 13th minute after some early dominance by them. Then on a counter Krasic feeds a nasty cross to Dodoi for goal. They claw one back in the 23rd. Ederson with a card. Jungr to Dodoi, score, 43rd. Half we are up 3-1. Don’t get complacent! Card for Milanovic and I spell him for Pinter. Kona for Ederson.They have two yellows as well. Militosyan for Wohlfarth. They score on a corner in the 85th. 5 minutes. That’s a lot of time, can I hold. We hold and win 3-2. MOM is Dodoi.

[Abe Sargent]

Cup – Away vs vs Bernolakovo, I start Kamenik, Pinter, and Bruno. I begin standard. We have the early power. In the 18th, Milovac feeds Wohlfarth for score. Bruno scores a few minutes later. Wohlfarth feeds Bruno a pass for goal in the 32nd. Then in the 38th, Bruno this paydirt and that’s his hattrick. Wohlfarth scores a few minutes later. Half 5-0 us. Keep it going! I send in early Miric for Milanovic and Chovanec. Jungr to Wohlfarth, goal, 51st minute. I send in Militosyan for Wohlfarth now that he’s scored three. Miric to Mitrea for goal in the 71st off a corner kick. We win 7-0 MO m was Wohlfarth!


I’ll leave Bruno in at ST with his hot leg. I’ll pull Pinter and Kamenik though.

That was our biggest ever win! Of course it was against a lower level club.

Last year was all about my mighty offense and my weak defense. I finished with a goal differential of 0 and had the most goals scored against and the most scored. But now? My defense is playing much better after adding in GK Javi Jimenez as well as Mitrea and Bilbao. But where has my offense been? With a game in hand I am currently 6th although if I win my game in hand that’ll help and it’s home against the #10 team in the league, but I had home games recently where I didn’t dominate like I did last year.

I need to.

[Abe Sargent]

Fortuna Match #9 – Home vs Moravce, another of our promotions and currently 10th in the league of 12. If I win today I’ll jump up to 4th. Hopefully the great cup match will carry over into this one. I begin controlling. Two of their players begin lightly injured. Ederson to Bruno goal, 2:51 mark. We’ve had the early game. Vrancic feeds Bruno on an attack run in the 8:51 mark and scores. By the 20th minute I have 8 shots to their 0. Milovec with a nasty whipped cross to Wohlfarth for goal in the 42:47 mark. Half 3-0 us. Keep it up! They make two subs at the half. They finally get their first shot on the 53rd minute. Welcome to the game Moravce! Kona for a tired Ederson. Wohlfarth to Bruno, goal, 61:02 mark. There’s his hattrick. Dude is clearly good. Pinter for Mitrea. Militosyan for a tired Wohlfarth. On a corner kick in the 89th minute our foes finally had a shot on target. We stopped it. Krasic to Jungr, score, 91:19 mark. We hold and win 5-0. MOM is Bruno.

We have 12-0 in the last two games, albeit against less than powerful teams.

Have we gotten our mojo back?

I’ll start Bruno in the next game too. Dude has six goals in two games. I’ll start Dodoi for a tired Wohlfarth. Nevermind I had out lots of rests. Our next match is against BATE.

[Abe Sargent]

October

4th – Home vs BATE, EURO Group E, Game 2
7th – Home vs Senica
10th Away vs Gabsik, Cup Round 2
20th – Away vs Zdana
25th – Home vs Torina, EURO Group E, Game 3
28th – Home vs Trencin
31st – Away vs Podbrezova

That’s a big month. We’ll have chances to show quality in Group E at home against foes. Was our narrow loss on the road vs Dynamo Kiev something we can better at home against Torino and BATE?

Good training – Bruno, Kamenik, Ederson

Our training facilities are upgraded!

Jungr wins player of the month. I congratulate him!

NINE of my players were announced in Team of the Week.



Home vs BATE, EURO Group E Game 2 – I leave in the hot leg of Bruno. I thought about going back to Dodoi but this match is too important. Hot leg matters. Jungr gets loose and drives the box juking past a defender and slides the ball for Wohlfarth for goal in the7th. Not a bad start! After we push aside two of their attacks, we score off a built up, Krasic slides to Vrancic for goal in the 25th. Good cause so far they have out played us . Except on the score board. Half 2-0. I am shocked that with their 10 and 5 on target we are blanking them as they have had some great shots. They weren’t just long shots on target or something. Don’t get complacent! BATE hit paydirt in the 53rd. Yeah I didn’t think that would last long. Jungr to Wohlfarth, goal, two minutes later! Good. Our vaunted offense is not letting us down. Pinter for Bilbao and Kona for Ederson. They score in the 75th and claw one back and it’s 3-2 now. Closer than I wanna be. Dodoi for Bruno. Wohlfarth to Jungr, goal, 85th. Whew. 4 minutes of extra time.


https://i.ibb.co/vkF3X3n/Nitra-25.png

We hold and win 4-2. Nice! MOM is Wohlfarth. But that was our easiest match. The rest could be rough.


I will move Dodoi back to the starting role for the next game or two.

[Abe Sargent]

Fortuna Match #10 – Home vs Senica – They are currently first in the Fortuna so I begin standard. I respect them. It’s driving rain today and they have an injured player starting. They have the early momentum but we push them aside and quiet follows. They get a yellow. Half. We don’t even have 10 shots between us. Do you even wanna win this game! Milovac is injured and I send in Chovanec. Kona for Jungr. Militosyan for Wohlfarth. They have been parking the bus hard. I go attacking and speed up. Then it happens. At the 89:44 mark, Vrancic feeds Militosyan for goal. I pull back to counter. Here they come. We hold and win 1-0. MOM is Vrancic. Nice!

Milovac is out for a month. Chovanec will start for him.

[Abe Sargent]

Here is the table after most teams have 11 games but we are just 10

https://i.ibb.co/MN1PhVW/Nitra-26.png

As you can see we don’t have the dominant goals or assists. But 6-2-2 is a strong record and we have a game in hand to try and move up. It’s tight from 5th to 1st. A win in our extra game would vault us to 1st.

[Abe Sargent]

Away vs Gabsik, Cup Round 2 – I’ll be starting Bruno and Pinter and Kamenik for this game. Actually Kamenik is away on international duty and won’t be starting. I move Krasic back. I begin standard. We have the early momentum but they push it aside without a score. They collect a card. They push aside two of our moves. Quiet. Half. We have 12 shots to their 0. I send in Kona for Jungr when he gets a card. Krstic for Ederson. Bilbao for Milanovic. Then in the 78th Wohlfarth feeds Bruno for goal and we’ve broken the rough ask. Six minutes of added time. Bruno pounces on a deflection and scores in extra time. We hold and win 2-0 ,MOM I Bruno. We made that harder than it needed to be.

We draw Inter Bratislava in the 2nd division for the next round

Our six games won in a row is a new Nitra record!

[Abe Sargent]

Fortuna Game #11 – Away vs Zdana. I begin countering. Dodoi, Bilbo are back and Chovanec is still starting for us. Pretty yellows! Hopefully the kits will be a good luck charm against the 10th ranked foe. They have the early and middle momentum. They score in the 34th. Half 1-0 them. They dominated us. Where is your passion? Bruno for Dodoi. Pinter for Mitrea. At the 70th minute they have 15 shots to our 4. We are being dominated. Can we steal a goal and get a tie we didn’t earn? Maybe! In the 76th off a corner Milanovic scores! 1-1 us. I send in Kona for Vrancic. 4 minutes. Can we hold them? Yes we can! 1-1 tie. MOM is Milanovic.

That would have been a 3-1 loss with Hrasso.

Milovac is back from injury for the next match,

[Abe Sargent]

EURO Group E Match #3 – Home vs Torino – If I want to get out of this Group I need to get points from Torino and/or Dynamo Kiev. We hung 4 on BATE at home earlier this month. Even a tie here would be helpful, but a win… that’d be huge. We have 7 goals in two games against BATE and Dynamo Kiev. Can we also score well today? We’ll find out! I begin standard. They are staring with a injured player.

Here!

https://i.ibb.co/JxTk62T/Nitra-27.png

I know this score won’t last, but I’ll take it. Our guys have really been playing up to the EURO games. We each have opportunities turned aside. They score in the 24th. Like I said, it wouldn’t last. They hit us on a counter for a goal in the 33rd. half 2-1. Show me something else! They have 13 shots to our 4. They score in the 54th. Then again a few minutes later. Then again in a few minutes later. Militosyan and Pinter head in. They score again. Kamenik heads in. Might as well give him experience. Game. We lose 1-6. Nasty.

Well we clearly don’t belong yet. If we are going to get out it’s through Dynamo Kiev. We have to defeat them when we host them.

At the halfway mark here is Group E

Torino – 9 points
Dynamo Kiev – 6 points
Nitra – 3 points
BATE – 0 points

If I finish with wins over Dynamo and Kiev and BATE I could still lose if Dynamo Kiev defeats BATE. We won’t make it out with a tie on GD. That loss is probably it.

[Abe Sargent]

Fortuna Game #12 – Home vs Trencin – We lost 1-5 to them when we had Hrasso. Will my new GK keep us in this game? I hope so! I begin standard. They have the early momentum and three shots on target are stopped. By the 20th we have half the shots they did. We injure one of their players lightly. Half. We have 5 shots to their 12. Wohlfarth is injured and I send in Militosyan. Handball in the box in the 56th minute, Mitrea steps up for a PK. Nasty sink. We are up 1-0. Bruno for an underperforming Dodoi. They score off a corner in the 72nd. Set piece goals by each of us. Krstic for Jungr. They score again in the 84th. I come forward. 5 minutes. Can we tie? Nope. We lose 1-2. At home. Trencin just have our number.


Wohlfarth is out for 2-3 weeks, Militosyan will start for him.

[Abe Sargent]

Cup Round #3 – Away vs Inter Bratislava – Militosyan and Bruno are starting, as is Kona at DMC and Kamenik. Krstic for Jungr. I need to rest some players. I begin countering as they are a good 2nd division team. They have actually won the Fortuna. Multiple times. They are in our pretty yellows, it’s hard to figure out who I am supposed to root for. They collect a card in the 21st. They are playing very defensively. It’s hard to crack them. 0-0 half. We have 9 shots but just one on target. They score off a DFK in the 49th. Kona booked. They score again a few minutes later. I send in Dodoi and Ederson. We need to come back. Pinter for Bilbao. Milanovic gets a card. 4 minutes. And with that we are out of the Cup with a 0-2 loss on the road.

Unai Bilbao is jaded and I’ll start Pinter for a bit.

[Abe Sargent]

November

2nd – Home vs Michalovce
8th – Away vs Torino
11th – Away vs Zilina
24th – Home vs Slovan Bratislava
29th – Home vs Dynamo Kiev

Good Training – Miric, Kamenik, Dodoi


Fortuna Game #13 – Home vs Michalovce – I begin controlling. Militosyan and Pinter are starting as a reminder. Let’s do it! At the 2:46 mark Vrancic leaps on the intercepted ball and scores a long shot. On a corner, Milovec to Mitrea for goal, 7th minute. I am so glad I brought those set pieces on. They figure us out a few minutes later and quiet returns to the game. Krasic nice cross to Militosyan, goal, 30th. By the 37th minute we have 9 shots to their 0. We injure one of their players. Half. We are up 3-0. Keep it going!!! Bruno for Dodoi. Kunik for Milanovic. Kona for Jungr. We hold and win 3-0. MOM is Krasic. A good solid win.


Now it’s time for the big one.

Jack Bruno was called up for the Australian squad.

[Abe Sargent]

EURO Group E Game #4 – Away vs Torino. There is a roughly 5% chance we’ll tie, a 2% chance of weird win, and a 93% chance of losing today. We’ll see what happens. As I’ve discussed, even with a win over BATE and Dynamo Kiev, we’ll likely tie and lose to DK, so we’ll need to get a point or have DK drop points to BATE today. We’ll get a better knowledge of that today. I begin defensive. Mitrea sinks a DFK in the 6th minute.

Again here

https://i.ibb.co/TWzFstx/Nitra-30.png

It won’t last, but I’ll take it! Mitrea is the gift that keeps on giving. Quiet after we push away two thrusts. At the 25th minute they have 5 shots to our 4. We lightly injure one of their players. 37th minute they score. Militosyan to Dodoi, goal, 41st minute!

https://i.ibb.co/3Wbwk5F/Nitra-28.png

Woot! If you thought starting Militosyan was a potential loss over Wohlfarth he has given. Half, 2-1 us. Don’t. Get. Complacent. They make a sub at the half. They get a card. They score doesn’t last long they score in the 51st. They score off a corner kick in the 57th. Bilbao for Pinter. Kona for Jungr. Yellow for Milovac. I send in Chovanec. They score again in the 83rd. I was hoping to steal a late goal. They get another late score a few minutes later. We lose 2-5.

Now I have good news for you…

BATE defeated DK.

That means here is the Group E right now after four games:

Torino – 12 points
Dynamo Kiev – 6 points
Nitra 3 points
BATE 3 points

If we defeat DK and if Torino defeats them, we have a chance if we win out. It’s a dim chance but I’ll take it.

[Abe Sargent]

Fortuna Game #14 – Away vs Zilina – I begin countering. No shots in the first ten minutes. They score in the 23rd. They score again in the 44th. 0-2 them at the half . Show us something us! The problem? They are lethal today. Only 8 shots but 7 on target. Bruno for Dodoi. They have two cards. They score again in the 66th. Kona for Vrancic. Ederson with a card. Bilbao for Mitrea. We lose 0-3.

We still aren’t showing up against the heavyweights at times.

Wohlfarth is back from injury,

[Abe Sargent]

Fortuna Game #15 – Home vs Slovan Bratislava. I begin standard. We have Bilbao and Wohlfarth starting for us. We each have attacks pushed aside. It’s mostly quiet. Half, 0-0, we each have 5 shots.

Then everything changes!

Wohlfarth with a goal in the 47th minute. They score back a few minutes later.

Mitrea gets goal off a penalty kick in the 57th. Now we are up 2-1.

I send in Bruno and he scores in the 79th. We are up 3-1.

In extra time Wohlfarth hits another goal. We win 4-1. Wohlfarth is MOM.

Is our offense back or are we just good at handling Slovan Bratislava?

The UK has left the EU and they have announced their new rules

[Abe Sargent]

EURO Group E Match #5 – Home vs Dynamo Kiev – We only lost on the road by a goal. Can we win by a goal at home? I begin countering. They are starting three players with minor injuries. They have the early initiative. They score in the 37th. Half. They have 16 shots to our…2. Mitrea’s DFK in the 49th is on target but blocked by the GK. They score off a corner in the 59th. Chovanec heads in. Bruno for Dodoi. They give aPK in the 76th. Up steps Mitrea. He misses…. And there goes any chance of coming back. Pinter heads in. 3 minutes. We lose 0-2 and there goes our EURO campaign

[Abe Sargent]

December

2nd – Away vs Streda
5th – Away vs Podbrezova
8th – Away vs Trnava
13th – Away vs BATE
16th – Home vs Ruzomberok

Good training – Begovac, Kamenik, Bruno

Mitrea 2nd in Player of the Month

Militosyan isn’t happy with his lack of play.


Fortuna Game #16 – Away vs Streda – I begin defensive. They won the Fortuna last year and are on a 10 game unbeaten streak. They get a card in the 3rd minute of the game. It’s driving rain today. We get an old goal at the 3:35 minute off an IFK. I’ll take it! They have the early initiative. A shot by them rebounds off the goal to another attacker and they sink it in the 15th. Now we score a goal! Krasic to Dodoi for goal in the 18th off a counter. They get another card in the 36th. We each have offenses turned aside. Half 2-1 us. We each have 10 shots but we have 5 on target to their 2. Don’t get complacent! 57th, Milanovic hits Jungr for a goal on a counter. Nice! They haven’t gotten complacent! Kona for Vrancic. Pinter for Bilbao. Militosyan for Wohlfarth. Here they come! 4 minutes. We hold and win 3-1. MOM is Milovac.

That win moved us from 6th to 3rd.

[Abe Sargent]

Fortuna Game #17 – Away vs Podbrezova – I begin countering. I start Kona for a tired Jungr. They have the early momentum. They get a card in the 6th. We injure one of their players slightly. They get a second yellow card in the 13th minute and that player is sent off! I make my 11 vs 10 tactics. Krasic to Milovac, score, 26th. Half. They make two subs. They score back off a long shot in the 59th. Bruno and Pinter head in. I send in Militosyan. I move to attacking from control. Nothing. Game, tie, 1-1. Horrible. We had moved to the top of the table with a win here.

[Abe Sargent]

Fortuna Game #18 – Away vs Trnava – We have Jungr back but Kona will spell Vrancic. I begin countering. We turn aside their first offensive impetus. We give up a pk in the 19th minute and they sink it. Half. Show me something else! Pinter for Bilbao. Miric for Milanovic. Kamenik for Krasic. 4 minutes. We give up another PK in the 89th and they sink it. We lose 0-2. That drops us to 4th.

[Abe Sargent]

EURO Group E Game #6 – Away vs BATE. I have my top XI back. I hope to win this as we get a lot of cash if we do! I begin defensive. They have the early offensive going. Marek Jungr gets a red card in the 16th minute. They score in the 19th. Again in the 40th. I’ll skip the rest of the game. We lose 4-2 with two late goals by Dodoi from Militosyan and Vrancic. That was an ignoble way to end our first EURO campaign

[Abe Sargent]

Fortuna Game #19 – Home vs Ruzomberok – I begin controlling. They have no manager and they have dropped to 11th. Bilbao to Wohlfarth for goal in the 14th. They get a card two minutes later. Dodoi to Wohlfarth goal in the 20th. We turn aside two major attacks. Half, 2-0. Don’t get complacent! We hurt one of their players. Pinter for Milanovic. Chovanec heads in. They score in the 69th. Kamenik for Krasic. They get another card. Can we hold on? 5 minutes of extra time. They score in extra time. Tie 2-2. MOM is Wohlfarth.

We are 3rd heading into Winter break

https://i.ibb.co/t4NzZb9/Nitra-31.png

Here I’ll show you. See how the tie gave us the one point needed to move above 4th – 6th? It’s close there. Getting a full game there would have been nice, but we’ll take it.

[Abe Sargent]

I set up friendlies with a number of Czech teams in January and February.


I’m saying no to around 10 clubs a week looking to interview me. Some are in top flights in western Europe like Nice.

December 29th arrives

Rumors in the media that a club in Poland are interested in Ederson. He’s been playing well for me with a 7.25 rating in the EURO and 6.99 in the Fortuna. He wants to leave. I tell him I will if they make an offer as soon as I sort out a replacement. I was looking at replacing Ederson next year and letting his contract run out.

I was just about to talk about my squad and look at potential replacements. I figured that I’d bring in one major player in winter, and going into the year I thought it was likely to be AMC and Jungr. I even moved Jungr from first team to rotation to plan around that. Jungr has been at 6.99 with 4 goals and 2 assists. That’s possible. I also figured I’d let Ederson play out his deal and then play on.


But let me look and see if I can find someone for DMC instead.

I move forward.

I am runner up for Manger of the Year.

Krasic won best player. I congratulate him!

[Abe Sargent]

January

19th – Friendly vs Dukla Prague
26th – Friendly vs Zlin

I turn down a Chinese offer for Bilbao.

Who is available on a free?

I may have found my Ederson replacement! Although he’s Ukrainian and he’d be foreign. I offer him a trial. I scout about 10 DMC on a free and a few AMs too. He arrives on a trial.

I get an offer for Dodoi and I tell them that I’ll release him for his min, release clause of 3.1 mill. We get an offer of 1.2 mill from Reading and our board accepts.

On January 4th my Ukrainian stud signs! Jungr is upset but I tell him I am not playing this guy in his position and he’s okay. Although I could!

Take a look at the best player on my team:

https://i.ibb.co/7gBjSC7/Nitra-32.png

I’ll be running him out there for Ederson at DMC right now, but he’s better than Vrancic at MC and better than Jungr at AMC so I could play him anywhere. He has a 4.5 start rating, and he’s young. We have Yurchenko signed for three years at a key player deal. Dude wanted first team play he wasn’t getting it. I also have Ukrainians in my youth squad so he has people to talk with. This guy will be worth my precious non-EU spot. He’s not slow for the DMC role and he’s very strong all across the board. I want someone faster at AMC but the rest he’s great for.

I make two moves to help with that.

First I remove Krstic’s from my main backups. This guy can play the positions he does, plus as a Macedonian he wasn’t EU either. I like Krstic and if he was EU I’d offer to keep him around with a transfer.


Second, I offer my Bosnian DC Miric, also a non-EU player, out for loan and remove from my subs as well.

That means my five non-Eus are these:

Jack Bruno
Vladlen Yurchenko
Milan Milanovic
Zoran Milovac
Ognjen Krasic

Basically Serbia, Serbia, Serbia, Ukraine, and Australia.


I need to find another Miric to be my 5th DC with a hot prospect deal.

I add Yurchenko into my tactics for set pieces.

[Abe Sargent]

Bilbao is upset that I blocked his transfer to China. To China, come on now. I told him we’ll sell him for his min release (3.5 mill) and nothing more.


We extend my deal here by two years

Alright now I need a new Miric. I may have him. English man named Anton Walkes, 21 years old.

I offer him a trial.

We have sold Dodoi. I will move Bruno to his spot.

https://i.ibb.co/fXgz29s/Nitra-33.png

We have signed Walkes. As you can see we have him on a hot prospect deal for a few years. I’ll rotate him into the lineup as a rotation when needed. He can also sub in at DMC as needed.

[Abe Sargent]

Now that we have the Dodoi money I head to my board. I ask for enhanced youth facilities. They agree. It’ll be finished in October.

I have a filthy transfer budget now. For the first time I am asking this question – is there anyone I wanna transfer?

I need a new Bruno. There is a 19 year old player who is both English and Australian I make a hot prospect offer to. Will he be my new Bruno?

I get an offer for some of my studly youth but I turn them all down.

Duggan and Jungr got along really well.

The transfer window rises.

Luke Cunningham arrives and the English/Australian youth and he’s not where I need to be for my 4th St. I offer to loan him out.

[Abe Sargent]

We have agreed to a 450k transfer of stud Slovakian youth from Zilina. I’ll let you know if we can bring him in. He is the Slovakian best youth right now and it’s not even close. He has all of the signs of a wonderkid.


We bring in the stud!


https://i.ibb.co/cc3jtRY/Nitra-34.png

Here take a look at Kotora. He’s 16 years old. He’s already my 6th best DC. Ideally in a year or three when Milanovic and or Mitrea retire or finish their contract he’ll be ready to step in.

Friendly vs Dukla Prague – We win 4-1. Goals by Wohlfarth, Jungr, Vrancic and Yurchenko.

I give Wohlfarth a leave of absence for a month as he is missing home. I wish he asked for it a month earlier.


Friendly vs Ziln - We lose 2-3.

We extend Mitrea by a year. He wanted 3.3k/week after I blocked a transfer to China.

I accept a 600k offer for one of my Australian youth by Udinese. Kona doesn’t like that we sold him but I explain that he wanted to leave.

[Abe Sargent]

February

2nd – Friendly vs Brno
9th – Friendly vs Opava
16th – Friendly vs Karvina
23rd – Home vs Podbrezova

Good training by Bruno, Miric, and Chovanec.

Friendly vs Brno - We win 1-0. Our lone score was by backup sub ST Adam Dunda in the 87th.

I link up Milanovic and my new stud prospect DC Kotora.

I extend Rene Kotrik by a year.

I get my first offer for Jack Bruno. It’s from my old club Slavia Prague. I reject it.

Friendly vs Opava – We crush them 4-0. Goals by Militosyan, Bruno, Militosyan, and Mitrea.

Friendly vs Karvina – We win 3-0. Goals by Luke Cunningham and two by Militosyan


Fortuna Game #20 - Home vs Podbrezova – Wohlfarth is back and I begin controlling. I have given Yurchenko a deep lying playmaker role. Quiet first 15 minutes. On an indirect free kick Mitrea feeds Jungr for goal in the 19th. Mitrea is the gift. Krasic crosses to Wohlfarth for goal in the 26th. In the 40th our foes finally have a shot on target. Vrancic to Bruno, goal, in the 44th. Milanovic goal in extra time off a corner is waived off due to a foul. They score off a counter a minute later. Half. 3-1 us. I send in Chovanec and Pinter. Ederson for a tired Vrancic. We hold and win 3-1. MOM is Bruno.

[Abe Sargent]

Chovanec has announced he’ll retire at the end of the season.

That win kept us at 3rd. Which is an auto EURO Spot if we finish there after the upcoming tumult.

Here’;s how it works:

1st – Champion
2nd – EURO
3rd – EURO
4-7 – Playoff for EURO

But that’s after then 10 game gauntlet.

Feb 28 arrives and it’s the end of the transfer market day. Anyone I wanna target? Nope

[Abe Sargent]

March

2nd – Away vs Moravce
9th – Home vs Senica

Then we play in whichever group we finish in our EURO Qual group

Good training – Kamenik

Bruno’s goal against Podbrezova was 2nd.

Fortuna Game #21 – Away vs Moravce – They are in 12th and only have 9 points in 20 games. I begin standard. At the 7:18 mark Bruno feeds Jungr for goal. They get momentum for around ten minutes but nothing comes from it. Half. 1-0 us. They have 11 shots to our 5. I slide to counter. They start to push forward around the 55th minute. On a corner in the 60th, Yurchenko feeds Wohlfarth for goal. They score 3 minutes later off a cross. I send in Pinter. Kona for Vrancic. Now Chovanec heads in. They are coming hard. 5 minutes. Can we hold on? We do! We win 2-1. Credit to them for making this hard, they had 19 shots on the day and 9 on target. MOM is Krasic

That win helps to solidify our 3rd spot.

Unai Bilbao is injured for a few days in training and will miss the next match. I’ll start Pinter.

[Abe Sargent]

https://i.ibb.co/gR5GpF1/Nitra-35.png


Our next intake of players has arrived! I take a look at Moravcik. He’s fine. I scout some other Slovakian youth to see if anyone else got some strong young bodies.

Trencin got a stud DMC

Our guy appears to be the 2nd best youther in this class.

[Abe Sargent]

Fortuna Game #22 – Away vs Senica. I begin countering. They just upset Slovan Bratislava so they are on a high. As are we. They score in the 9th off a header. Half. That was a quiet half. They have 3 shots to our 2. I send in Wilkes for an underperforming Pinter. They get a booking. Militosyan for Bruno. I pull Jungr for Kona after he gets a car.d They get another booking. 3 minutes. Can we score? We lose 0-1.

[Abe Sargent]

Well we backed into the 3rd spot after losing, but all credit to Senica for playing us hard.

https://i.ibb.co/L8y2m1L/Nitra-36.png

Here we are after the regular season. We rose from 6th after 22 last year to 3rd. We are tied with Streda on points. Now we have to run the gauntlet. That win sent Senica to 6th.

Now, how well will we do?

Kamenik came way very happy with his Krasic hookup.

[Abe Sargent]

EURO Qual Game #1 – Away vs Senica – Yes, it’s the same team in the same place. I begin countering. Again. Bilbao is back. We turn aside their early runs. They get a card in the 21st. half 0-0. We have 7 shots to their 5, We’re in this game. So far. They make a sub at the half. Then get another card and then Milanovic does. I send in Pinter for him. Chovanec heads in. Militosyan for Bruno. Can we break this tie? 5 minutes. We injure one of their players. Nope. 0-0 tie.

[Abe Sargent]

EURO Qual Game #2 – Home vs Streda – I begin standard. Bruno is out for international responsibilities and Militosyan is starting. We turn aside an attack by theirs and then they return the favor. And then……….nothing. Half 0-0. We haven’t scored in 5 halves. Show me something else! They get a card and then lightly injure Jungr. I send in Ederson and swap the DM and AMC. Pinter heads in. In the 66th, Vrancic scores off a long shot that was in the upper right corner. I send in Kamenik for a tired Krasic. Here they come! 4 minutes. We hold and win 1-0, MOM is Vrancic!

That win puts us over Streda in the rankings by a point and back into 3rd.

[Abe Sargent]

April

6th – Home vs Trnava
13th – Away vs Slovan Bratislava
20th – Home vs Zilina
27th – Home vs Senica

Good training – Cunningham, Kotora, Brown

Jack Bruno was capped by Australia.

EURO Qual Game #3 – Home vs Trnava – Bruno is back. I begin standard. Krasic with an early card. 3rd minute early. In the 12th I injure one of their players and they head out. Jungr to Bruno on a breakaway, goal in the 21st. They’ve had more momentum than us. Bruno to Wohlfarth, goal, 45th minute. Half. 2-0 us. Don’t get complacent lads! We have the same possession at 50% and have just one fewer shot than they do, it’s been back and forth. They can get back in this! We lightly injure another of their players. Jungr to Wohlfarth, goal, 56th minute. Wohlfarth to Bruno, goal, 58th. Kamenik for Krasic, no red card here. We always seem to play up to Trnava. Walkes for Bilbao, let’s give him a few minutes. Ederson for Yurchenko. They get a card. Bruno to Jungr, goal, 87th.. They score in extra time and we win 5-1. MOM is Bruno.

Here let’s brag

https://i.ibb.co/wpzvvPL/Nitra-37.png


We just always show up against Trnava. 7 shots on target for us but we sank FIVE.

That win moves us up to 2nd.

Ruzomberok defeated Zilina 2-1 to win the Cup.

[Abe Sargent]

EURO Qual Game #4 – Away vs Slovan Bratislava – I begin defensively against the big bad wolf. The just fired their manager and are manless. But I respect them too much. They just lost to Senica, so its not just us! I lightly injure one of their players. Bruno breaks away on a counter and feeds Wohlfarth for score at the 10:02 mark. They get a yellow a few minutes later. Krasic feeds Bruno on another counter and he scores at the 28:38 mark. They get another card a few minutes later again. Half, we are up 2-0. We have 5 shots to their 10. This could be the reverse score. Jungr to Krasic, goal, 47:26 mark. I have three shots on target so far. Pinter for Bilbao. Kona for Vrancic. Ederson heads in for Yurchenko. Here they come! Game, we win 3-0, MOM is Krasic.

https://i.ibb.co/gd1Pz2M/Nitra-38.png

Another dominant offensive game. We shut out a team with 19 shots and 8 on target.

That win keeps us in 1st, speaking of which…

[Abe Sargent]

EURO Qual Game #5 – Home vs Zilina, #1 in Group – I begin standard. They just thumped Senica 5-1. They score in the 3rd. At the 20 minute mark they have 5 shots to our 1. They grab a rebound in the 36th from a shot on target and finish to go up 2-0. So it’s going to be one of those games. Bruno breaks away and feeds Wohlfarth for goal in the 41st and we answer a few minutes later. Wohlfarth picked up a knock and I send in Militosyan in for him. Half. 1-2 them. Bruno with a card. We give away a PK in the 67th and they sink it. I send in Pinter. And then Kamenik for a tired Krasic. We injure one of their players in the 81st after their last sub and now have a 11 on 10 game. Can we get back into this match? Four minutes of extra time. We can’t. We lose 1-3.


Wohlfarth is injured for 2-4 days but he’ll be back.

We have 10 points in the first half of the Quals, not bad

[Abe Sargent]

https://i.ibb.co/cxYwWH8/Nitra-39.png


As you can see Streda is right behind us with one point in 3rd, Slvan two points in 4th and Zilina has basically won.

[Abe Sargent]

EURO Qual Game #6 – Home vs Senica – I begin standard. This time we have them at home, will it matter? Vrancic to Bruno, goal ,3rd minute. Looks like it might! They have a card a few minutes later. And then…. Nothing. Not until the late 30s. Half, we finish with 8 shots to their 3. Don’t get complacent. This is a team that beat us and tied us twice before. Don’t sleep on them. Pinter for Bilbao. Ederson for a poorly playing Jungr and I swap him and Yurchenko. Yurchenko with a card. I send in Kona for him I don’t wanna get two cards. This game is too tight as it is. 4 minutes. Can we hold? We do! Credit to them for playing so well. They have kept us to 1 goal in three games!

Streda lost to Slovan Bratislava

[Abe Sargent]

May

4th – Away vs Streda
11th – Away vs Trnava
18th – Away vs Zilina
25th – Home vs Slovan Bratislava

Good training – Bruno, Kamenik, Milic

That’s a rough ending to the quals.

Bruno was 2nd for Player of the Month

EURO Qual Game #7 – Away vs Streda. We begin defensive. We haven’t been in this game in the first 16 minutes but we’ve kept them from scoring. Jungr to Milovac for goal in the 17th. A few quiet minutes melt into the future. Jungr is booked. They get a card. I send in Ederson for Jungr. Krasic to Bruno, goal, extra time. We are up 2-0 at the half. Don’t get complacent! They get a 2nd yellow at the 62nd minute mark. I make my 11-10 changes. I send in Militosyan after Bruno gets a card. Ederson is injured and I send in Walkes. They get another card. We hold and win 2-0, MOM is Milovac.

That was a quality win!

Ederson is out for the rest of the season

We are now four points north of 3rd with that win and three games to go

[Abe Sargent]

EURO Qual Game #8 – Away vs Trnava. Can I get as good of a result away from home as I did previously at home? I begin countering. They push aside an early push by us. They score in the 17th. We lightly injure a Trnava player and then they get a card in the same minute. I put in Kona for an injured Jungr. Half, 1-0 them. They have 7 shots to our 8. Show me something else!!! We give away a PK in the 53rd and they sink in. Walkes for Vrancic. Walkes to Krasic for a goal in the 63rd and we are now down 1-2. Pinter for Bilbao who gave away the penalty. They get another card. In the 86th we give away another PK.


Well we didn’t have Trnava’s number that time! Well if you had told me we would get three points from our away matches against the tough Streda and Trnava, I would have guessed it, just the wrong results.

Zilina has won

What will they bring against us?

Jungr was only out for a few days.

[Abe Sargent]

EURO Qual Game #9 – Away vs Zilina – This is the rough one. I begin defensive. Can we steal any points today? It’d help! We didn’t get any points when we hosted them. A quiet early part of the game. They score in the 12th. They score in the 13th. It’s going to be one of those days. I pull an injured Jungr for Kona. Again. Krasic to Bruno, goal, 31st minute. We are massively outclassed today. In the first half they have 14 shots to our 1. We injure one of their players in the 55th. Pinter for Bilbao. I pull Milanovic after he gets a car.d. Walkes heads in for him. Bruno to Kona, goal, 73rd minute. That ties things up! Can we hold and steal a point? Right now #3 Slovan Bratislava are beating Trnava so we would be tied if we lost today. Here they come! They get a card. 5 minutes of extra time. They score in the 93rd minute. It’s not meant to be. Bruno to Krasic, goal in the 95th minute! It is to be!!!!!!

https://i.ibb.co/rGgqKXL/Nitra-40.png

Let me show you how crazy these stats are. 30 shots by them to 10 by us. Crazy.

Jungr will miss the final and we’ll start Kona at DMC and my stud Ukrainian at AMC.

We go into the final match being up by one point on Slovan Bratislava, so we can tie and get 2nd against them

[Abe Sargent]

EURO Qual Game #10 – Home vs Slovan Bratislava – I begin standard. Are you ready? Alons y! They get a card after tripping Wohlfarth at the 0:54 mark. We push aside their early momentum. Wohlfarth to Bruno on a nasty counter in the 21st. We each have drives that show nothing. Half 1-0 us. We have 8 shots, 5 on target to their 11 and 3. We have just 45% of the possession. Don’t. Get. Complacent. Pinter for an underperforming Mitrea. Kamenik for an underperforming Krasic. Walkes for Vrancic. Wohlfarth to Bruno, goal, 83rd. They score back in the 86th. That gives them a way back in. Five minutes of injury time.

https://i.ibb.co/5WwHWNs/Nitra-41.png

We hold and win 2-1!

[Abe Sargent]

We secure 2nd place.

https://i.ibb.co/HBk3RBz/Nitra-42.png

Here’s the table!

As you can see, Streda won their match and leapfrogged over Slovan Bratislava. We get another EURO qualification!

[Abe Sargent]

Here are my goals for the team:

1. Year 1 - Establish a youth squad. Nitra has very little – CHECK Year One!
2. Stay up this year – CHECK Year One!
3. Get a mid-table finish comfortably – CHECK Year One!
4. Year 2 - Next year get to the top half of the league and begin to play for EURO play in the playoffs – CHECK ONE YEAR EARLY!
5. Turn Nitra into a power that can rival the major team in this league – Slovan Bratislava, CHECK Year Two!!
6. Win a Slovak Pohar – CHECK Year One!
7. Win the Fortuna
8. Qualify for Champions play.
9. Turn Nitra into an Eastern European heavyweight on the level of a Sparta Prague or CSKA Moscow.
10. Secure Nitra well enough that it’ll survive after the manager leaves



We really pushed Slovan Bratislava around this year with three wins and one tie. We now can beat them reliably. I almost considered the EURO Heavyweight after our awesome EURO campaign but we need to win our division first.

[Abe Sargent]

Stats!

Keeping

GK Jimenez – 35 goals allowed, 5th best. 10 shutouts, 4th best. 66 saves held, 1st; 54 saves parried; 1st.

Good job Javi!


Defending

Tackles per Game – Ederson was 3rd with 4.87,,

Key tackles – Milanovic was 7th with 21; Bilbao 11th;

Key Headers – Mitrea 2nd with 61; Milanovic tied for 2nd with 61;

Interceptions Made- Milanovic 1st with 166; Mitrea was 4th with 140

Headers Won % - Milanovic – 5th with 92%

Shots Blocked – Milanovic 1st with 9; Bilbao 2nd with 7; Mitea 5th with 6


Offending

Goals – Bruno and Wohlfarth each had 14 and were tied for 5th; Jungr 7; Dodoi 6

Shots – Wohlfarth 8th with 75

Shots on Target – Wohlfarth 9th with 32

% Shots on target – Dodoi 13th with 50%

With 60 our team had the 2nd most goals

Asst -Krasic 2nd with 12, Wohlfarth 5th with 9, Bruno 10th with 7. Jungr had 6

Key passes – Krasic 11th with 37

Chances Created – Krasic 7th with 20

Pass Completion % - Yurchenko 2nd with 86%

Dribbles/Game – Krasic 9th with 2.37

[Abe Sargent]

Roster for Next Year Eval

GK Jimenez – 3 – He is locked in. He was my best acquisition this year,

DC Mitrea – 2 – Age keeps him at 2, but he’s a rock and was my 2nd best acquisition this year. I’m not looking to move him.

DC Milanovic – 3 – Late 20s rock. I have no desire to move from him,

DC Bilbao – 2- A full year of starts but never took over like his defensing partners.

DMC Yurchenko – 3 – A rock and super star.

MC Vrancic – 2 – Age at 33 means he is replaceable.

MR Krasic – 3 - Plays the game quite well

ML Milovac – 2 – Plays the game okay. I might move him to rotation, see below.

AMC Jungr – 1 – Actively looking to move on from Jungr

ST Wohlfarth – 1 – 34 years old, I move him to rotation. I don’t look to start him next year.

ST Bruno – 2 – We’ll be forced to sell him just like Dodoi and I need to have the next man up


We are losing:

Chovanec – retirement
Ederson – Contract end
Kona – Contract end

I will need these players:


1. A striker that looks like a good tag-team partner with Bruno.
2. An AMC strong enough to keep Jungr on the bench.
3. Either an ML good enough to bench Milovac or a young ML I can develop.
4. A player who can play all three inner center spots as Rotation good enough to start when needed.
5. A future MC for Vrancic I can learn.

I am set at GK, MR, DC, and DMC.

[Abe Sargent]

Bruno earned a salary hike to 850/week.

My budget next year is set at 65k/week and my transfer is 550k

Alright I take a look to see if any July folks are wanting to come our way.

I make offers to some young players that are scouting well. I’ll let you know if any are of a Kamenik or Bruno persuasion.

I am scouting some players coming free.

Tottenham 2-0 AC Milan for the EURO

Dodoi led the EURO with 15 goals.

I head to the board, I’d like more scouts and coaches. We get an extra scout and an extra coach!

Let’s find some good ones

I make an offer to Mathias Regal an Austrian scout

I make an offer to Serbian Fitness Coach Predrag Dodric


Bruno Scooped up Player of the Month

Man City won the Champions Cup

https://i.ibb.co/YDMS3gd/Nitra-43.png

Our end of the season awards.

I hold a team meeting. We can qualify for the EURO again! They all agree!

[Abe Sargent]

The board agree to improve their training facilities. It’ll finish mid November.

My new coach arrives. And then the scout as well

Whoa!

I might have found a Kamenik for the left side. Someone I can groom under Milovac. He’s on a free. Let’s see if he signs and looks as good in real life as he does

These players were in the Fortuna Best Xi –

GK Jimenez
DC Mitrea
MR Krasic

My club made 5 mill last year. Much of that was EURO cash.

https://i.ibb.co/NxDXSp9/Nitra-44.png


He signed! Say hello to Ross Ferguson, a 17 year old Scottish player on the ML side. Our scouts love his potential. You can see that he still need some work but I like him a lot as a future star on the left side of the pitch. I’ll give him the occasional game here and there to get him caught up. I also make him active for the youth matches.

[Abe Sargent]

https://i.ibb.co/yPvvxR1/Nitra-45.png

Yes we did!

Jungr is back from his injury

June 16 0 the squad is back!

We draw Fola Esch in the first round of the EURO, a team from Luxembourg.

We are now affiliated with Lech and they can send us loanees.

Kona has announced his retirement

Chovanec has retired

[Abe Sargent]

Wanna see Kamenik a year later?

https://i.ibb.co/tD6VFBT/Nitra-46.png

Dude’s good. I offer him a new deal. I’ve been working on his AMC spot. We extend him by two years increase his pay to 350 and increase his minimum release to the highest his agent will allow 1.1 mil.



Friendly vs Brno – We win 4-2. MOM is Jungr. Goals by Jungr, Krasic, Bruno and Wohlfarth

Kona retires

June 30th is here


I confirm my pitch size.

We lose a lot of talent that I inherited on the B squad and elsewhere.

[Abe Sargent]

July

4th – Home vs Ceske, Friendly
9th - Away vs Fola Esch
18th – Home vs Fola Esch
27th - Away vs Zdana


Good training – Begovac and Kamenik

I begin to hunt for new talent


My needs, once again, are:

ST
AMC
Sub that plays DM, M, and AM c.

Let’s do that in reverse order

I offer a trial to USA player Kyle Scott. I also offer a Trial to Azeri player Eddy as those can play all three spots

Now for a stud AMC. Or a wonderkid developing.

By comparison here is Jungr

https://i.ibb.co/9rD5tbX/Nitra-47.png


He’s losing a step as you can see.

I think I found my AMC – I make an offer to a guy who’s name I can’t spell. He’s a 24 year old Kosovo international who has German citizenship.

He joins me on July 2nd

https://i.ibb.co/DwcvP2c/Nitra-48.png

Here he is! Eroll Zejnullahu! We’ll call him Zej for short. As you can see he’s a 3.1k/week deal as a key player who just much better than Jungr and will be a big upgrade of quality. He was slumming in the 2nd German division and looking for a way to a bigger stage. I can run him out there in the EURO in a few days. He’s also young too. We have him with a 1.0 mill min release as that was the best I could do.

[Abe Sargent]

Jack Bruno wants a new deal after I deny a transfer and we agree with a 3 year 1.3k deal

https://i.ibb.co/2qyQvVt/Nitra-49.png

Who are we losing? I offer to extend Milanovic. And some youth as well.

[Abe Sargent]

I look for a ST that can suit as the target man and I may have found my guy.

We sign him on the 3rd.

https://i.ibb.co/yNXF3T0/Nitra-50.png

Here he is, Milan Djuric. Like Zej he plays for an international team and is German. He was the best heading and jumping that was feasible. He’s not fast but he can out jump defenders. I only signed him to two year deal so I won’t be forced to run him forever if he doesn’t work. He is older than I like but there isn’t much I can do about that. My options were limited.

[Abe Sargent]

Scott rejected the trial but Eddy is up for it so I let him join. I figured it would have been the opposite. We make him a rotation offer.


Friendly vs Ceske – We tie 2-2


Eddy signs for me!

https://i.ibb.co/f9CKcfg/Nitra-51.png

As you can see, Eddy is a very versatile player who is good in every center place on the pitch save for Striker. I can run him out there in a lot of places. He’s my new Kona.

Milanovic signs his new deal!

[Abe Sargent]

EURO Round 1 Leg #1 – Away vs Fola Esch – Jungr is suspended. I begin countering. Pretty yellows tonight! We lightly injure one of their players early. And then another. We have the early initiative but they stop us. We dominated in the first half but no scores. Show me something else! I send in Wohlfarth to find a spark and then Pinter. In the 67th we finally score, Mitrea on a throw in to Krasic. Kotora for Milanovic. Krasic to Wohlfarth, goal, 78th. They get a card. Bruno to Krasic, goal, 87th. We hold and win 3-0, MOM is Krasic. Good job!



Bruno signs his new deal

I set high bonuses

I add Eddy to m EURO squad.

A Serie A team offers me an interview. No thanks!

I move our captaincy from Wohlfarth to Mitrea.

[Abe Sargent]

EURO Round 1 Leg #2 – Home vs Fola Esch – I begin controlling. It’s all us. Vrancic to Bruno, goal, 4:06 mark. They turn aside a few of our subsequent attacks. They get a booking. Half. We re dominating this game and they are lucky to have allowed just one score. Mitrea DFK on target but stopped by the GK. Pinter spells Milanovic. They give a Pk and up steps Mitrea. In. Eddy for Zej. Kamenik for Vrasic. They get booked again. Game, we win 2-0 and 5-0 aggregate. MM is Bruno
 
We draw Malmo FF in the next round

We sold 2131 season tickets

[Abe Sargent]

EURO Round 2 Leg #1 – Home vs Malmo FF – I begin standard. They are playing two injured players. I was called away by an on call but I was playing the game while on call. I took a screenshot.

https://i.ibb.co/vLTvz6f/Nitra-52.png


We win 2-1 and MOM is Bruno.

[Abe Sargent]

Fortuna Game #1 – Away vs Pohronie – I begin countering. We are in our pretty yellows and they have a injury. They turn aside two major attacks by us but a pretty quiet first half overall. 0-0 half, we have 6 shots to their 3. Show me something else! I send in Wohlfarth and Pinter. Then in the 73d Milovac feeds Bruno for cross and he scores. Can we hold? We injure one of their players and we go up 11-10. Eddy for a banged up Vrancic. 3 minutes and….. they get a booking. We hold and win 1-0 MOM is Bruno.

[Abe Sargent]

August

1st – Away vs Malmo FF
4th – Home vs Kosice
10th – Away vs Trnava
17th – Home vs Streda
24th – Home vs Slovan Bratislava
31st – Away vs Senica

Good Training – Kotora, Durak, Salsic

This is a rough month. The last four games are all against teams that were in the top qualifying bracket.

Bruno won Goal of the Month and I congratulate him.

I accept an offer to loan my future stud Ferguson to a fellow Fortuna club to give him starts.

EURO 2nd Round Leg Two – Away vs Malmo FF – We beat them in a close match at home 2-1 but we allowed a precious away goal so we’ll need to do well today. I begin defensive. We have the initial initiative turned aside. Then they do and we turn them away as well. Maybe our pretty yellows will be good luck token! We won last week with them on. They get a booking in the 19th minute. They score two minutes later to go up 1-0. That ties us but we need that away goal. Then in the 31st Djuric feeds Bruno for goal and we tie it here and go back up. Bruno has wasted a few 1:1 break away shots against the keeper. They are coming hard. Bruno keeps wasting shots. Half 1-1 us. Don’t get complacent! In the 47th Djuric feeds Krasic for goal. They aren’t so far! That is a key away goal! Mitrea’s DFK is lethally on target but they push it aside. Eddy for Vrancic. We are coming alive in the 2nd half and have multiple offensive pushes. Pinter for Bilbao. Jungr for Zej. They are booked again. They are coming hard. Just two minutes for Malmo glory. We hold and win! MOM is Djuric with his two assits. Wanna see?

https://i.ibb.co/vQ0btjM/Nitra-53.png

We finish the aggregate 4-2. We only had 6 shots in the first half but finished with more on the day after an active 2nd half.

[Abe Sargent]

I was considering pulling Djuric for Wohlfarth since he was scoreless so far, but two assists in a key match like that is fine by me.


We draw Brondby IF in the next round. Apparently we are the anti-Scandinavia this time

A Danish team could prove harder than a Swedish one, but we’ll see. If we play like we have so far we’ll be fine. I need Bruno to stop wasting shots.

Speaking of which, wanna see him today?

https://i.ibb.co/gj0P1D5/Nitra-54.png


Here you are!

[Abe Sargent]

Fortuna Match #2 – Home vs Kosice. I begin controlling. No pretty yellows today. We have won six in a row, if we win today then we have broken last years 6 in a row. They get an early injury in the 5th minute. Bruno to Djuric, goal, 18th minute, and that’s his first goal for me! By the 30th minute we have 8 shots to their 1. We need to rain goals. Half 1-0. Don’t get complacent! They are booked. Pinter for Bilbao. Eddy for Vrancic. Walkes for Milanovic. I want fresh legs to hold onto the score as they are coming. Bruno to Djuric for goal in the 84th off a counter. We win 2-0 and MOM is Djuric.

Only us and Streda have won both of their first two matches.

Kotora finished his link up with Milanovic and really learned a lot.


https://i.ibb.co/s3Lk0tL/Nitra-55.png

Wanna see him today? Sure thing! Here’s my future DC for Mitrea (or maybe Bilbao)

[Abe Sargent]

Ferguson leaves on his loan.

https://i.ibb.co/ssP7TNd/Nitra-56.png

Who should be my #5 DC, Walkes or Kotora? At defending, aerial, and mental, Kotora is better. Walkes’s faster, and technically better. I move Kotora to my main squad and offer out Walkes for a loan.


EURO Round 3, Leg #1 – Away vs Brondby. I begin defensively. We defend well and get some counters of our own but nothing doing. Then in the 30th Zej feeds Djuric for goal and we are up 1-0. Half. Quiet we each have 4 shots. Don’t get complacent out there! They score in the 48th. They are booked. They score again in the 65th. I send in Pinter and Eddy. They score again 5 minutes later. I send in Jungr. In the 85th, Krasic feeds Bruno and we are now just down 3-2. Can we tie it? 5 minutes. Nope, we lose 3-2.

We’ll need a 1-0, 2-1, or two goal win at home to get out. Possible!

I hand out rests

[Abe Sargent]

Fortuna Game #3 – Away vs Trnava – I am starting Eddy in the MC spot, Vrancic has not been playing well. I begin countering. It’s raining today. Will we play up to them like normal? They score in the 14th off a nasty cross. We turn aside two attacks from them. They get a card. We have two counters turn to nothing. Half. They have 12 shots to our 3. Show me something else! I send in Wohlfarth for Djuric. Krasic is banged up and Kamenik heads in. I send in Pinter for Bilbao. Then in the 85th, Zej finds Bruno for goal and we’ve tied it! Can we steal a win? Nope we tie 1-1.

I was hoping to take away more points here going into a rough patch. However Streda lost to Slovan Bratislava and our 7 points puts us into first.

I loan Walkes for 1st team play.

[Abe Sargent]

EURO Round 3, Leg #2 – Home vs Brondby – I keep Eddy in the middle. I begin standard. Can we get the result today that gets us through? Let’s find out! Krasic to Eddy, goal, 00:21 mark! That’s awesome! That ties us on aggregate. We’ve owned the first ten minutes but no other score comes. They score in the 43rd after a quiet half. Half 1-1. We have 12 shots to their 6. Vengeance! They sub two at the half. In the 49th, Djruic to Bruno, goal. That ties us and we’ll win on away goals. Pinter for Bilbao. They gift us an own goal in he 67th. Thanks! Jungr for Zej. Kotora for a tired Milanovic. Here comes Brondby! Four minutes of stoppage time. Can we hold?

https://i.ibb.co/WDtzHcv/Nitra-57.png

We do! We win 3-1. We didn’t need the OG, a 2-1 would have gotten us though on away goals. MOM is Krasic.

Eddy’s goal was the fastest in Nitra history!

[Abe Sargent]

Leave Eddy in.

I hand Vrancic a rotation role.

Uh oh.

There goes our EURO campaign. What team would you fear more than any other considering our last EURO campaign in Group E?

Exactly

We drew TORINO!!!!!!!!!!!

I hand out rests.

Fortuna Game #4 – Home vs Streda – This is our chance to distance ourselves from our competition for the title. If we can pull away from Streda, I’ll be happy. I begin standard, I respect them to much not to. Bruno to Djuric, goal, 0:14 mark! That’s even faster! Man we are all about that fast score! They push aside one of our thrusts. Then quiet commences. They are booked in the 19th. By the 30th we have 7 shots to their 1. We lightly injure one of their players. Another booking for Streda. Half, 1-0 us. Don’t get complacent! I suspect they’ll wake up. They make two subs at the half. Mitrea’s DFK is on target but blocked. We give away a PK in the 57th and they sink it. I move to controlling. They foul Krasic in the box in the 62nd and Mitrea sinks the PK back and we are now up again by a goal. I send in Kamenik for an underperforming Milovac and swap him and Krasic on the pitch. Bruno to Djuric, goal, 69th. I send in Pinter for Milanovic who gave away the PK. Jungr heads in. Here comes Streda! We hold and win 3-1 and that’s a big win for us. MOM is Bruno.

[Abe Sargent]

EURO Round 4, Leg 1 – Away vs Torino. Okay let’s get spanked today! I begin defending. This is my 100th match for Nitra! Buy your woodshed while it’s on discount! I leave Eddy in. In the first 12 minutes they have 7 shots. We have 1!!! They score in the 13th. I’ll skip the recap. We lose 6-1. It’s not even close! They had more goals than we had shots.

[Abe Sargent]

Fortuna Game #5 – Home vs Slovan Bratislava. Can we get points from the heavy today? We beat them twice at home last year. I am starting Vrancic today. I begin standard. We lightly injure their player early. They score in the 12th minute off a shot that rifles into the net from the crossbar. Then in the 21st Bruno feeds Djuric and we are all tied. We push back another thrust, and they our counter. Half, 1-1. We have 7 shots to their 11 and only 46% possession. Bruno scores off a Vrancic assist in the 53rd to send us up. I send in Pinter for Bilbao. Jungr heads in as does Eddy for Yecvhecko. Can we hold on? 4 minutes of extra time and…. Nope! They score in the 93rd and tie it 2-2.

[Abe Sargent]

EURO Round 4, Leg 2 – Home vs Torino – Ready for woodshed part two? Hopefully we’ll be more respectful at home in the scoring. I begin standard. They score in the 2nd minute. We lightly injure a Torino player. We lose 0-1. Not that bad.

[Abe Sargent]

September

1st – Away vs Senica
15th - Home vs Zilina
18th – Away vs Kubin, Cup
21st – Away vs Dubnica
24th – Away vs Ruzomberok
28th – Home vs Podbrezova

Lots of away games this month!

Good training – Jungr ,Bruno, Vrancic

Djuric has goal of the Month and I congratulate him. He was also 2nd in Player of the Month

Fortuna Game #6 – Away vs Senica has been our kryptonite. I begin countering. No shots and nothing for 16 minutes. Then Senica has a moment but we stop them. Krasic with an early card. Bilbao an OG in the 27th. I send in Kamenik and Pinter now. Senica just play us so tough we can’t be gifting them goals. Half. Show me something else!!! Jungr for Zej. Vrancic is injured in the 82nd so we are down a man. They sink a DFK in the 88th. Bruno to Djuric for goal in extra time. We lose 1-2. That’s our first loss in the Fortuna. We just can’t get past Senica.

Vrancic is injured for 2-3 week with a concussion. Eddy will start. But most of that time is international play.

That loss drops us to 3rd.

Bruno scored his first goal for Australia and I congratulate him.

[Abe Sargent]

Tonight on HGTV at 11:30 is a house hunters international at Bratislava in case you wanted to see it.

HGTV TV & Show Schedule (https://www.hgtv.com/shows/tv-schedule-2020.09.02.EST)

[Chas in Cinti]

Still following... this has been fun...

[Abe Sargent]

Still following... this has been fun...

Awesome!

[Abe Sargent]

Fortuna Game #7 – Home vs Zilina – I begin standard against last year’s champion. I respect them too much. Back and forth in the first few minutes of the game and then we get a feel for each other. They get a card and an injury. Half 0-0, they have 5% more possession and 4 more shots. Card by Eddy. Card by Krasic. I send in Pinter for Bilbao and Wohlfarth for an underperforming Djuric. Then in the 77th Krasic gets another card and is sent off! We move to defensive. Then in the 89th Zej feeds Bruno on a counter and we score, and that’ll be the game’s lone score. MOM is Bruno

I will start Kamenik next week

[Abe Sargent]

Cup Round One, Away vs Kubin - I am starting Jungr, Wohlfarth, Kamenik and Pinter and Kotora too. I begin standard. Let’s do this differently.


Goals –

Kamenik to Bruno, 1st minute
Jungr to Wohlfarth, 16th minute
Own goal off Kamenik cross, 27th minute
Half
Them, 73rd
Militosyan to Wohlfarth, 79th
Game

We win 4-1 MOM is Wohlfarth

Deadline day passes and I loan 5 players

[Abe Sargent]

Fortuna Game #8 – Away against recently promoted Dubnica – We begin countering. Vrancic is back from his injury and is on the squad. I have Eddy starting. Krasic is back from his card. Who’s in their pretty yellows? Us! We push aside their first attack. They score in the 19th. We push back another attack. Then quiet. On a counter in the 39th Zej finds Bruno and that’s the score at the half. We have the same shots at 9 each. We head out. I send in Pinter for Bilbao. Then in the 59th Zej feeds Bruno for score again! I send in Kamenik for an underperforming Krasic. Vrancic for Eddy. In the 79th Milanovic scores off a corner to put us up 3-1. Here they come! They score in the 81st just two minutes later and now the game is in doubt. Can we hold? 3 minutes of injury time and…We hold o n and win 3-2. MOM is Bruno. Great comeback!

That win moves us to sole possession of 1st

[Abe Sargent]

Fortuna Game #9 – Away vs Ruzomberok, 3rd right now – I begin defending, and Vrancic is back. It’s the 25th minute before anything happens. They get a card. 1 shot by us, 2 by them. I’ll skip past the loss, we lose 1-3.

That loss drops us to 3rd

[Abe Sargent]

Fortuna Game #10 – Home vs Podbrezova – I begin controlling. I make no changes to my lineup. We have a lot of early initiatives but nothing more. Not enough shots on target. At the 25th minute we have 7 shots but none on target to their 2 and 1. We drive more. Bruno is wasting shots. Half 0-0. Show me something else! They don’t. I send in Pinter, Jungr, and Militosyan for an underperforming Bruno. And then in the 88th minute they give away a pk. Up steps Mitrea and… he sinks it. And…we hold and win 1-0. MOM is Krasic.

That…”win” moves us into the second place.

[Abe Sargent]

October

2nd – Away vs Trebisov, Cup
6th – Home vs Trencin
19th – Home vs Zdnana
26th – Home vs Trnava

Good training – Bruno, Kotora


2nd Round Cup Away vs Trebisov – I start Wohlfarth, Jungr, Pinter, Kamenik, Eddy, Kotora. I begin Standard. Let’s do the goals list again!

Goals

Bruno to Wohlfarth, 19th minute
Mitrea, 32nd, DFK
Them, 43rd
HALF
Nothing else

They finished with 13 shots to our 9. Not what I was expecting, but we made it through. MOM was on their side

[Abe Sargent]

Fortuna Game #11 – Home vs Trencin – This is the halfway of the preseason. I have all of my normal starters back, save for Jungr I wanna give him a start or two. I begin standard. I respect this good club too much not too. Trencin with early thrust but we turn it aside. Krasic to Djuric, goal, 9:07 mark on a counter. Krasic with an early card in the 22nd. By the 30th minute we have 9 shots to their 4. I send in Kamenik for Krasic, I can’t do the 10 man squad again. I’m not even waiting until half. Half 1-0 us. Don’t get complacent! Pinter spells Bilbao. Yurchenko leaps on an intercepted pass and feed the goal in the 79th. I send in Eddy. They get booked. We hold and win 2-0. MOM is Yurchenko.

https://i.ibb.co/7SyMTRY/Nitra-58.png

The division after 11. We are in 2nd one point behind Trnava. Slovan Bratislava are right behind us with 2 points and then #4 is back 5 points after 11. We have losses on the road again Senica and Ruzomberok.

[Abe Sargent]

Fortuna Game #12 – Home vs Pohronie - Jungr is starting today. I begin controlling. They have the early initiative on a counter but nothing happens on the scoreboard. Our first shot is in the 17th. And it’s on target. But that’s it. Quiet half, 0-0. Show me something else! They do! In the 59th Djuric to Jungr for a score. I send in Eddy. Kotora for Bilbao. Wohlfarth for a tired Djuric. Mitrea sinks a PK in the 84th to likely put the game away. We hold and win 2-0. MOM is Bruno


Trnava won and we are still 2nd

[Abe Sargent]

3rd Round Cup, Away vs Sobota – Starting are my Cup squad. I begin standard. Let’s try this again

Goals

Bruno to Wohlfarth, goal, 72nd minute
Milovac to Kotora on corner, 78th minute
Mitrea to Militosyan, IFK, 88th minute

We win 3-0. We made that harder than it needed to be. MOM is Kotora. That’s three shutouts in a row for Jimenez.

[Abe Sargent]

Fortuna Game #13 – Home vs Trnava – This is the big one. Win here and we move into first past Trnava. I begin standard. I have left Eddy in but no one else. Zej is back. In the 6th minute Mitrea finds Bilbao on a IFK for a goal! Good start. Mitrea. I love him so much! Zej lethally feeds Bruno a break in the 26th. I only have two shots on goal at the 30th but I’m looking good. Djuric gets a ball from a corner and slides it to Milanovic’s foot for goal in the 39th. Half 3-0 us. Again we just play up to Trnava! Don’t get complacent! They get two yellows very quickly. They turn aside a nasty attack. Kamenik for Krasic and Kotora for Bilbao. Jungr for Zej too. We hold and win 3-0. MOM is Mitrea. My defense all scored or has assists!

That’s our 4th shutout in a row!

That win lifts us to 1st

Streda defeated Slovan Bratislava to hurt our 3rd placed competition

[Abe Sargent]

November

2nd – Away vs Kosice
10th – Away vs Slovan Bratislava
23rd- Away vs Streda
30th – Home vs Senica

Three tight games there

Good training – Bruno, Kamenik, Milovac

Mitrea claimed Player of the Month! I congratulate him

Yurchenko won Goal of the Month, I congratulate him as well


Fortuna Game #14 – Away vs Kosice. – I make no changes to my roster and I begin standarding. Yay pretty yellows! They start with two injuries. They score off a counter in the 4th. There goes our shut out streak. Then in the 14th Djuric feeds a cross to Bruno and we tie.. And… that’ the half. We have 8 shots to their 9 and 54% possession. Show me something else! They do! In the 55th Mitrea feeds Bruno on a counter and we score. Mitrea! Then in the 63rd, Djuric feeds Milovac for goal and we are at 3-1. I send in Pinter and Kamenik. And then Vrancic. 5 minutes is a lot of minutes. We hold and win 3-1. Good job! MOM is Djuric.

Our youth facilities are upgraded!

[Abe Sargent]

Fortuna Game #15 – Away vs Slovan Bratislava – Can we get points today? I am starting Eddy. They are 2nd in the league right now. I begin defensively. Hm…….. that was the boringest half I’ve seen in a while. 0-0. We have a mighty three shots. They do to! In the second half it seems like both teams have decided to play. In the 50th Eddy scores off a assist by Yurchenko. Nice! I send in Pinter for an underperforming Bilbao. Kamenik for Milovac and I swap sides with Krasic. They score in the 78th. Wohlfarth for a underwhelming Djuric. 4 minutes. Who will win? Neither! We tie 1-1.

Trnava won so that brings us closer to them.

The international break happens

Training facilities are finished upgrading!

[Abe Sargent]

Fortuna Game #16 – Away vs Streda – I begin defensively. I start Eddy since he had a goal. They have a shot in the 7th! And that’s it for offensive maneuvers for a while. We push aside an attack in the 20th. They get a card in the 33th and Mitrea sinks the DFK. Mitrea. They get another card. Half, 1-0 us. Don’t get complacent! Djuric to Bruno goal in the 49th. They didn’t! Djuric with a card and I send in Wohlfarth for him. They get another card. Vrancic for Eddy. Wohlfarth a card and I send in Militosyan for him. Krasic a card. Milanovic a card. We hold and win 2-0. MOM is Mitrea.

Trnava tied and we gained on them

[Abe Sargent]

Fortuna Game #17 – Home vs Senica – We dropped points on the road and only beat them at home 1-0 last year. Can we get a result today? They are without a manager as they are in the middle of a job search. I begin standard and Vrancic is starting. A 3:13 goal is waived offisides. Sorry Bruno! They get a card. Djuric to Bruno, goal, 12th. Djuric to Bruno, goal, 13th minute. Nice! Go away Kryptonite! They get another card. Vrancic to Bruno, goal, 21st,. and there’s his hattrick! I tell my guys to stay on their feet I don’t want a card repeat from last game. They get another card. Half. Keep it going! Kotora for Bilbao. Kamenik for Milovac. Mitrea has a DFK on target stopped. Eddy for Yurchenko.

https://i.ibb.co/4jXqXrt/Nitra-59.png


We win 3-0! Getting a quality win against my tough ask each year is great! MOM is Bruno.

[Abe Sargent]

December

8th – Away vs Zilina
14th – Home vs Dubnica

Mitrea won goal of the month! It was the 32 yard DFK.

Good Training - Bruno, Kotora, Djuric

I set up friendlies with the Czech Republic for Jan and Feb

Fortuna Game #18 – Away vs Zilina – This is a big one! I begin defensively. We push aside their first advance, and then quiet follows. Then they score in the 17th. I rooted for them when they scored as they are in white I didn’t notice we are in our yellows. Then in the 28th, Mitrea sinks a PK they give and levels us. Mitrea. We injure one of their players. Zej hits Bruno on a counter in the 36th. Half. Don’t get complacent! We have 4 shots and 2 on target. Djuric to Bruno, goal, 52nd. They claw one back three minutes later. They rifle another home in the 65th. Tied. Pinter spells Milanovic. Eddy for Vrancic. Kamenik for Milovac. Zej to Bruno, goal, 87th! Can we hold? 5 minutes of extra time gives them a lot… they are coming hard. We hold!

https://i.ibb.co/YNbxBhp/Nitra-60.png


Good result! MOM is Bruno with the hattrick.

Back to back hattricks. Trnava lost so we gained points on them.

Lazio offers me an interview. No thanks! Now Leicester City.

[Abe Sargent]

Fortuna Game #19 – Home vs Dubica - I begin controlling. I make no changes to my lineup.

Goals:

Zej to Bruno, 21s minute that’s his 25th goal for us this season
HALF
Mitrea to Bruno, goal, 51st. Mitrea!
Wohlfarth to Zej, 84th minute

We win 3-0. MOM is Bruno

[Abe Sargent]

https://i.ibb.co/Fbw1CHN/Nitra-61.png

Here’s the Fortuna heading into Winter Break. As you can see we are currently in front by 5 points over the big bad Slovan Bratislava. Trnava haven’t kept up either like Slovan has.

Three games to go!

Winter fun times commence!

Now our biggest question…

Is someone going to poach Bruno during the Winter break?
Krasic has dropped in skill and ability and I move him to squad rotation. I swap in Kamenik. Krasic only has two assists in the Fortuna. He has dropped to a 2.5 rating vs Kamenik’s 3.5

This is ironic. Ready?

TORINO has fired their manager and invited me to apply.

No thanks!

[Abe Sargent]

December 29 arrives

I scout some folks coming free

https://i.ibb.co/YyhDXQT/Nitra-62.png

As a reminder these deals are coming up – Jungr, Wohlfarth, Vrancic, Milovec, Pinter, all major parts of my squad. I do not extend any of them. 1 is always a rotation, 3 were moved to rotation this year and the other is one of my weakest starters and it’s an EU person anyway.

Their rankings now after falls are listed.

Jack Bruno came in 2nd for Best Asian Footballer of the Year!

Bruno won the Fortuna Best Player!

[Abe Sargent]

January

18th – Friendly vs Inter Bratislava
25th – Friendly vs Teplice

Good training – Kamenik, Bruno, Jimenez


Bruno was Player of the Month

Zej was Goal of the Month

Which of my players will be forced to leave?

I get an offer for Yurchenko, he’s the first one to get an offer. I never pull him for Eddy or Vrancic as he’s always playing in the 7.0 or 7.2 range. Since I brought him in at DMC our goals have dropped and we’ve had more shut outs. I like him a lot. I don’t wanna lose him.

It’s another China team beating down my door. No thanks. He has a min release fee.

I figured they would be going for Bruno, Kamenik or Kotora first.

I have around 5k in cash free at salary. Anyone I wanna bring in now? Not really let’s see how things go over here with the transfer market. There is no young Bruno I can bring in now that will deflect losing him.

I reject an offer from China for Mitrea

Stop raiding my rosters China!

Neither have pushed back.

I turn down my first offer for Bruno, it’s a lowballed 350k from Braga

[Abe Sargent]

I find a solid Swedish youth and I sign another to join it.

https://i.ibb.co/RPsXFyK/Nitra-63.png

Here’s the good one I just signed. He’s too raw to start but check out his finishing!

I link Kjellberg and Djuric.

Here comes an 800k offer for Yurchenko. That’s big! But again, he has a minimum release fee. No thanks!

Again, no pushback from the player.

[Abe Sargent]

I get three real offers for Bruno, each 700k. No thanks!

Bruno wants to talk.

I need to finish my season. We’re in first. I can find a Bruno replacement then.

We agree to move on from Bruno at the end of the season

January 10th is here and with it the transfer window opening

Friendly vs Inter Bratislava – we win 5-2

I reject more offers for my folks. I got a million offer for Bruno. But my board didn’t auto accept. Thanks board!

Friendly vs Teplice – We win 2-0

My board accept a 1.5 mill offer for Bruno. Blast you board!

I ask the board to cancel…

AND THEY DO!

Wow

Let’s finish this thing.

I get my first offer for Kotora. No thanks!

No push back.

[Abe Sargent]

February

1st – Friendly vs Dukla Prague
8th – Friendly vs Zlin
15th – Friendly vs Brno
22nd- Home vs Ruzomberok
29th – Away vs Podrezova

Good training – Kotora


Friendly vs Dukla Prague – We tie 3-3

Kotora wants first team soccer and I agree. I sub out Bilbao for him.

Bilbao is injured in training and picked up a concussion

Friendly vs Zlin – We win 4-2

I get my first offer of a club in Liga 1 over in Spain.

Friendly vs Brno – We tie 2-2

[Abe Sargent]

Fortuna Game #20 – Home vs Ruzomberok. We lost to them earlier. What’ll happen now? I begin standard and we are starting Kotora and Kamenik as a reminder. We each have attacks deflected. After some quiet time Zej feeds Bruno for goal in the 23rd. They collect a card. We have the initiate and multiple offenses of ours are turned aside. They have some counters that amount to nothing too. Half don’t get complacent. Another card follows. Bruno on a break away drives the corner and crosses to Djuric for goal in the 56th. Eddy for Vrancic. Krasic for Milovac. I pull Djuric after he gets a card. Wohlfarth heads in. They get another card. 5 minutes and… we hold and win 2-0. MOM is Bruno

We have beaten the team that beat us!

We have not lost in 13 games!

Militosyan is out for a few weeks with an injury.

I decline Villareal

Bruno has tied the record for MOM in the Fortuna with 8.

The transfer deadline has passed.

[Abe Sargent]

Fortuna Game #21 – Away vs Podbrezova – I begin countering. I make no changes to my squad. Pretty yellows are my friend! Yurchenko to Djuric, goal, 6th minute. Kamenik attacks with wing crosses to Djuric for goal in the 9th. PK in the 15th by us stopped by Jimenez. At the 25th minute we have 5 shots but all are on target. We’ve been lethal. Half, 2-0 us. They had some pushes in the latter half. Don’t get complacent! Eddy for Vrancic. Zej to Kamenik, goal, 64th. Pinter for Kotora. Krasic for Milovac. Mitrea to Milanovic goal in he 79s off an IFK. Mitrea. Pinter is injured in the 89th. We win 4-0 MOM is Djuric.

Pinter is out for 3 weeks

[Abe Sargent]

March

7th – Away vs Trencin
18th – Quarter Final Away vs Martin

Good training – Yevchenko, Kotora

Djuric was 2nd for Player of the Month

https://i.ibb.co/Psyj5np/Nitra-64.png

Our youth arrive! I take alooksee. Dusan Horvath is a GK and our best young GK.

https://i.ibb.co/JjvsT3j/Nitra-65.png

He has the look of a Wonderkid potentially

[Abe Sargent]

Fortuna Game #22 – Away vs Trencin. They have not lost in ten games and are the 2nd best form after us. I begin defending. I make no changes to my roster.

We lose 0-2.

Ah well

[Abe Sargent]

https://i.ibb.co/j80Rk3p/Nitra-66.png

We have 1st over Trnava by 7 points and over Slovan Bratislava by 11.

Militosyan is back from injury

EURO Qual Game #1 – Home vs Zilina – I begin standard and I make no changes. We are playing against gK Hrasso. No shots in the first 13 and a half minutes. Kamenik to Bruno in the 17th called offsides. Half 0-0. We have 5 shots to their 3. Show me something else. In the 47th Yurchenko to Bruno, goal! Bilbao for Kotera. Eddy for Vrancic. Krasic for Milovac. They score in the 83rd. It’s also waived offsids.. We hold and win 1-0 and MOM is Yurchenko

Pinter’s injury is over.

[Abe Sargent]

Cup QF – Away vs Martin. I begin standard. I am not starting my Cup Team as this team made it this far.

Goals

Milanovic hits Mitrea,goal, 81st

Game, 1-0 us, MOM is Milanovic


I hand out rests

[Abe Sargent]

EURO Qual Game #2 – Away vs Trnava – This is a big game. I begin defensive. This was one of the most boring 0-0 ties I’ve ever seen.

[Abe Sargent]

April

4th – Away vs Slovan Bratislava
7th – Away vs Dubnica, Semis
11th – Home vs Ruzomberok
18th – Away vs Trencin
21st – Home vs Dubnica, Semis
25th – Away vs Zilina

Good Training – Djuric




EURO Qual Game #3 - Slovan Bratislava – I begin defensive. I make no changes to my roster. We tied them on the road earlier this year. That was one of the most boring 1-1 ties I’ve had as well. MOM was Milovac with a goal


Kotora is injured for 1-2 weeks and Bilbao will start.

[Abe Sargent]

Semi Final Leg #1 Away vs Dubnica – I begin countering.

Goals

Milovac to Djuric, goal, 51st
Mitrea to Bruno, 83rd. Mitrea
Them, 87th
Jimenez to Bruno, 92nd minute

We win 3-1. MOM is Bruno.

[Abe Sargent]

EURO Qual Game #4 – Home vs Ruzomberok. I begin standard. Quiet first 15 minutes and then we figure out their defense and begin to move forward. They turn aside a pair of attacks. In the 35th Djuric feeds Bruno for goal. In extra time we have a counter attack and Yurchenko scores a long shot in the 46th. Half, don’t get complacent. Here comes Ruzomberok. After Bruno collects a card I send in Militosyan. Then Pinter heads in for Bilbao. Eddy for Vrancic. They are coming and coming. 5 extra minutes which is a lot of minutes. We hold and win 2-0 and MOM is Milanovic.

Kotora is back from his injury.

[Abe Sargent]

EURO Qual Game #5 – Away vs Trencin – I begin defensively. I make no changes to my roster.

Goals –

Trencin 20th
Trencin 29th, called offsides
Trencin 31st
Trencin 34th
Trencin 44th
HALF

We lose 0-4.

That was a GK Hrasso Game!

We only have two wins in the last five games. That’s not going to cut it. Our great form isn’t.

Here’s the table half way through the QUAL

https://i.ibb.co/b3GrksK/Nitra-67.png

Luckily we are still in the lead by 8 points with 5 games to go, but that sort of form against the cream of the crop cannot continue if we want to win.

I hand out some rests

[Abe Sargent]

Semi Final Leg #2 – Home vs Martin – I begin controlling. Let’s rain down goals and put the past result behind us! We beat them 2-1 on the road with two critical away goals. I am starting Eddy. I hand him a box to box role. Let’s see what that’ll do as it’s his best in the middle.

Goals –

Own Goal by them off a Djuric cross to Bruno, 11th minute
Kamenik crosses to Bruno, 15th
Mitrea to Zej off a IFK, 27th MITREA!
Zej to Djuric, 38th
Eddy to Bruno, 43rd
HALF
Them, 67th


We hold and win 5-1. MOM is Bruno. We are through to the Finals!!!

We’ll be playing Trnava in the Finals!

Let’s see if we own them there!

[Abe Sargent]

EURO Qual Game #6 – Away vs Zilina – This is a big one! I keep Eddy in. We make no changes to our starting roster. Hello driving rain!

Goals

Them, 6th minute
Kamenik to Djuric, 36th off a nasty cross
HALF
Krasic to Djuric, 66th, off a nasty cross a minute after subbing him in for Milovac
Eddy in the 73rd after leaping on a blocked shot
Them in the 77th
Djuric to Bruno, in the 91st.

We win 4-2! MOM is Djuric. Bruno scored his 22nd goal for the Fortuna which ties the mark Dodoi has two years ago and is also the league top, so his next goal will create a new record.


Zej is jaded and in need of rest. I start Yurchenko in his spot and Vrancic in his.

[Abe Sargent]

EURO Qual Game #7 – Home vs Trnava. I begin standard. I make no changes to my roster save for the rotation mentioned above. If we win today then we win with results elsewhere. A quiet early 12 minutes. No shots by either club. They turn aside an attack of ours and us their counter. Mitrea lethal DFK in the 22nd but their GK stopped it. Mitrea! They score in the 22nd off a counter. In the 25th, Mitrea feeds Djuric on a counter for goal. Mitrea! A Mitrea IFK to Milanovic is on target but turned aside. Dude is awesome. Yurchenko intercepts the ball and drives for a score in the 34th. Wow that was awesome! Advanced playmaker role seems to be well with him today. They get a card. Djuric with a card. I send in Wohlfarth for him at the half. Half. 2-1 us. Don’t. Get. Complacent! They also make a sub here. Slovan Bratislava are up 3-0 over Trencin right now. Milovac crosses to Bruno for goal in the 59th, and that’s his 23rd goal! They claw one back in the 62nd. Pinter for Bilbao. Krasic for Kamenik. Here they come starting in the 80th. I ease back to counter. Yurchenko to Bruno, goal, 90th minute on a counter. Nice! We hold and win 4-2. MOM is Bruno.

https://i.ibb.co/YWYqStx/Nitra-68.png

We win the Fortuna!

Thanks Slovan Bratislava!

Now can we do the double and take out Trnava again?

[Abe Sargent]

I hand out MANY rests!

I activate from my youth squad Romanian Robert Pop, an 18 year old youth I signed two years ago who might have developed into the next Dodoi. Not Bruno, who’s grown into my best player, but Dodoi. I give him Militosyan’s spot on my squad and then I might run him out there now that we’ve won the Fortuna for some games to see if he’s my next leader.


The Pofar Finals


Your #1 Ranked Team FC Nitra

Vs

Your #3 Ranked Team Spartak Trnava

I begin standard, with no changes from the last game. Pick up where you left off! We turn aside an early Trnava offensive. By the 10th minute they have 4 shots. They tackle us hard in the box in the 18th minute. Mitrea steps up and… the GK reads his direction perfectly, but Mitrea’s hit powers through and scores. Mitrea! That’s his 10th goal of the season. They keep coming. I slide to countering. They have 11 shots to our 2 by the 25th. Yurchenko a card? That’s his first on the year! Dude does not get cards. They get a card as well. Half, 1-0 us. They have 17 shots on the day. I doubt this score stands. Don’t get complacent! Pinter for Bilbao. They score in the 72nd off a rebound off the crossbar. Krasic for Milovac. They score again in the 75th. Wohlfarth for a tired Djuric. They get a card. Can we score? 4 minutes of added time. Krasic a card.

Nope. We lose 1-2

Blast! I really thought we could.


Back to the Fortuna which we already won!

[Abe Sargent]

EURO Qual #8 – Home vs Slovan Bratislava – Zej is back! I begin standard. I was called away for duty. Here is a screenshot of our 3-2 victory instead!

https://i.ibb.co/Vw5fJxr/Nitra-69.png

Both with 23 shots and 8 on target. Could we BE any more tied? I gave Pop 20 minutes he had three shots two of which were on target. Bruno MOM with two goals, Kamenik the other.

Dubnica were relegated

[Abe Sargent]

EURO Qual Game #9 - Away vs Ruzomberok – I begin countering. We push aside their early attack. Then all quiet on the western front. Around the 23rd they pick up steam and we hold them off again. Light injury to one of their players. Now a major injury and they make a sub. Half, 0-0. Show me something else! Vrancic for a tired Zej. I swap him and Yurchenko. Yurchenko to Djuric, goal 63rd. Looks like we are coming alive in the 2nd half. We only had 1 shot in the first half. They score back a few minutes later. They score again a few minutes later. I send in Pinter for Bilbao. Krasic for Kamenik. They score again in the 81st. 4 minutes. Game, we lose 1-3

Zej is out for 2-3 days. He’ll be back for the final.

Shaktar defeat Everton 1-0 to win the EURO

[Abe Sargent]

EURO Qual Game #10 – Home vs Trencin. Vengeance! I begin standard. I start Pinter, Jungr, Wohlfarth and Milovac as this is their last game with me.

Goals

Wohlfarth to Mitrea, goal, 3rd. Mitrea!!!
HALF
Mitrea, PK, 47th. MITREA!!! Can he get a hattrick?
Yurchenko solo goal, 59th minute
Milovac cross into own goal for their, 77th
They score off a corner, 83rd

We win 4-1!

https://i.ibb.co/P4hnv0Y/Nitra-70.png

We finish on a high! MOM is Mitrea!

[Abe Sargent]

https://i.ibb.co/VJ2tTBc/Nitra-71.png

Here we are! As you can see we finished in first by 14 points over Trnava! We had 5 losses in 32 games.

Goals!

Here are my goals for the team:


1. Year 1 - Establish a youth squad. Nitra has very little – CHECK Year One!
2. Stay up this year – CHECK Year One!
3. Get a mid-table finish comfortably – CHECK Year One!
4. Year 2 - Next year get to the top half of the league and begin to play for EURO play in the playoffs – CHECK ONE YEAR EARLY!
5. Turn Nitra into a power that can rival the major team in this league – Slovan Bratislava, CHECK Year Two!!
6. Win a Slovak Pohar – CHECK Year One!
7. Win the Fortuna – CHECK Year Three!
8. Qualify for Champions play. CHECK Year Three!
9. Turn Nitra into an Eastern European heavyweight on the level of a Sparta Prague or CSKA Moscow.
10. Secure Nitra well enough that it’ll survive after the manager leaves

We are doing well! What’s next?

How will we do in the Champions League without Bruno? And what will happen next?

[Abe Sargent]

Stats

GK

GK Jimenez led the league in shutouts with 15; With 33 goals allowed 2nd best; 58 saves held – 4th; 38 saves parried, 1st.

Defending

Tackles/game – None
Key tackles – None
Key Headers – Milanovic 1st with 60; Mitrea 4th with 52. Djuric was 3rd with 55.
Interceptions Made – Milanovic – 1st with 209; Mitrea 10th with 111.
Headers Won % -Milanovic 3rd with 92%;
Shots Blocked – Bilbao 3rd with 8; Milanovic tied for 4th with 7


Attacking

Goals – Bruno, 1st, 26; Djuric, tied for 4th with 15;
Avg Minutes/Goal – Bruno 1st with 108.15, Djuric 6th with 176
Shots – Bruno 1st with 148; Djuric 4th with 98
On Target – Bruno, 1st with 66; Djuric 2nd with 49
% on Target – Djuric 8th with 50%
Assists – Djuric and Bruno tied with 12 assist for 2nd. Zej with 11 at 3rd.
Chances Created – Zej 3rd with 27; Bruno and Djuric with 25 tied for 4th
Key Passes – Bruno 3rd with 48; Zej 7th with 44; Djuric 11th with 37
Dribbles/game – 1st Bruno with 4.1/game





We scored 65 goals, the most in the Fortuna.


Well, our great offense of year one met our great defense of year two!

[Abe Sargent]

Roster:

GK Jimenez - 3. I might sign a young guy to develop into a starter in a year or three.

DC Mitrea – 3. He’s 32 but I love him. He scored 12 goals for me!

DC Milanovic – 3 – My best DC statistically each year as you can see.

DC Bilbao – 1 - I am replacing Bilbao next year and I will give him Pinter’s role. I hand him a rotation deal.

DMC Yurhcenko – 3 Locked in and loaded for bear if I don’t lose him in the offseason

MC Eddy – 1 – Finished with a 6.82 rating, one of my worst. Target for replacement

MR Kamenik – 3 locked in as a young person I’ve been developing.

ML Milovac – 0 – Position is expiring. I get the non EU slot back.

AMC Zej – 3 – Locked in

ST Bruno – 0 – I promised I’d let him go at the season’s end.

ST Djuric – 2. Played well for me as a target man


My Needs Next Year:

ST - 3 – I need three (maybe four) Strikers next year. Militosyan and Wohlfarth are leaving and I’m selling Bruno. Djuric has gotten some attention from bigger clubs like Slavia Prague and I cannot be sure he won’t be leaving either. I need at least three new Strikers, 1 backup targetman and 2 others.

GK – 1 prospect maybe. I have the one who came through my youth ranks and that one might be good enough.

DC – 1 – I need one backup 5th DC to be my Pinter.

MC – 2 – I need one starting level MC someone who can dominate. I also need another backup as we are losing Vrancic as well as Jungr. I’ll keep Eddy as rotation.

AMC – 1 – I need one backup AMC that can sub in.

ML – 1 – I need one new starter quality ML. ML Ferguson I picked up last year isn’t ready yet.


As of course I’ll be open to anything else that may come my way that excels us.

I didn’t add anyone major during Winter break as no major changes were needed we were in first and everyone was playing well.

[Abe Sargent]

Now I take a gander at my youth, anyone I already have I wanna promote?


I pencil in Robert Pop.

Actually, I can use Walkes as 5th DC. He has Irish nationality so he is still EU and not foreign. Awesome!

https://i.ibb.co/kQrz0j6/Nitra-72.png

What about Lukas? He is our youth guy from last year and was the 2nd best player in Slovakia in that class. I trained him to use MC and AMC he was naturally a DMC. He could be my backup. I promote him to my main squad

He also counts as homegrown and Nitra trained for purposes of European competition.

https://i.ibb.co/FX63Gvb/Nitra-73.png

This is my youth star from two years ago my first year. He can play AMC and MC and thus is more flexible than Jungr. I promote him to my main squad as well.

[Abe Sargent]

I start scouting some MCs that are coming free as well as some MLs.

Our initial budget for next year is 79k and 322k kitty

I give Jimenez a leave of absence

End of Season Award

https://i.ibb.co/5Y3Jh8f/Nitra-74.png

Bruno was the fans player of the year obviously.

I hold my team meeting! We’re going to win this again!

I offer Bruno for 2 mil.

I make an offer to an MC coming free named Paolo Farago.

I talk Yurchenko down from seeking to head elsewhere.

We sign Farago! I’ll show you him when he joins.

These players were named in Team of the Year:

Milanovic
Mitrea
Bruno
Djuric
Zej

I talk down Kotora after refusing a sale.

I get an offer for Djuric

No pushback, okay

Our South African youth Ngubane was capped, and I congradulate him!

Eddy gets his first goal for Azerbaijan

I reject an offer for Mitrea . MITREA!!!!

[Abe Sargent]

https://i.ibb.co/BsQXWXK/Nitra-75.png

We moved up another 55 spots!

June 16th is here and my team are back!

I am rejecting more offers

I forgot to show you Pop sorry

https://i.ibb.co/pQzMPRK/Nitra-76.png

There you go!

Friendly vs Inter Bratislava – 4-0 victory

We draw Aktobe in the 1st round of the Champion’s Cup

I still have Bruno, no one has made an offer more than 1 mill yet.

I make my pitch adjustments

Jimenez is back from his break

[Abe Sargent]

June 30th is here

I connect Kotora and Eddy

https://i.ibb.co/1vRLfTz/Nitra-77.png

Who is expiring in a year?

I offer a new contract to Kotora, Ross Ferguson, and a few other youth.

Who is free?

I need 2 ST, ML, and young GK project maybe that’s better

I make an offer to 29 year old middle named Samu who can play on the edge (OR AMC) nicely.

I look for another ST.

I find a Wohlfarth style older guy. 34 years old. But he’s still great. And he’s a Bosnian international and may like playing with Djuric. Name of Edin Dzeko. What else can I unearth?

I found a young 4th ST – 20 year old French ST Timothy Weah

I make Weah an offer.

[Chas in Cinti]

I believe Weah IRL has been capped by the US... still plays in France, though...

[Abe Sargent]

July

2nd – Friendly vs Haniska
8th – Away vs Aktobe
15th – Home vs Aktobe
25th – Away vs Trnava

Good training – Pop, Jimenez, Kamenik

There are SEVENTY FIVE CLUBS that want Bruno


Farago arrives!

https://i.ibb.co/tcGRs89/Nitra-78.png

Here we go! As you can see Farago is another well rounded player. I’ll be running this 27 year old in a Box to Box role. I have him for three years (he refused 2). Welcome to the club Farago!

[Abe Sargent]

I believe Weah IRL has been capped by the US... still plays in France, though...

Correct!

[Abe Sargent]

https://i.ibb.co/zb2RCjN/Nitra-80.png

Samu signs. Here he is! As you can see he’s proficient in loads of places, and well rounded. The one “Weakness” is the finishing of 11. He should prove to be a strong winger on the left flank. Also note that like Djuric I have only signed him to two years. I don’t want to commit too long to a 29 year old at attacking forward.


Weah joins us and has the stats but hasn’t been trained on the roles so I order a training on ST advanced forward. He’ll need to learn that role first. He my 4th Striker for now.

[Abe Sargent]

I find a young 20 year old developed GK

https://i.ibb.co/g9WPMMT/Nitra-81.png

Dario signs with us and becomes my main backup GK


As of right now Bruno is still on my team. Is he going to be upset at me not letting him go? I’ve been offering him but nothing is coming that’s even at a million anymore.

Are there any other major talent players at a position not of need? The best is a 33 year old stud DMC. No thanks.

Friendly vs Haniska – We win 5-0

Jack Bruno is in the Olympics, they will start the 9th of this month

We have sold 2509 season tickets.

I confirm my squad for the Champions League

[Abe Sargent]

1st round Champions League, 1st Leg Away vs Aktobe - -I begin countering. Bruno is starting. This is his last game before the Olympics. They are starting someone with a light injury and have two more on the bench. No real offense to speak of my either party until the 19th when we begin to push. Djuric to Samu, goal, he scored on his debut! 29th minute. Kamenik to Samu, goal, 35th. Wow Samu! Samu to Djuric, goal, 39th. Wow Samu. You are my new Mitrea! At the half I only have 8 shots to their 6. But they’ve been good shots. Keep it going! Milanovic to Bruno, 47th. Bruno to Zej, goal, 53rd. Kamenik to Djuric, goal, 57th. Bilbao for Kotora. Bruno to Djuric,goal, 67th, his hattrick. Pop for Bruno. Mitrea to Bilbao, IFK, 72nd. Mitrea! Ferguson for Samu. Zej a late card. Kamenik to Pop, goal, 91st. We hold and win 9-0. MOM is Djuric.

Wanna see our first Champions game recap?


https://i.ibb.co/v1yR6cv/Nitra-82.png

Enjoy that biggest win in club history!

[Abe Sargent]

If that offense shows up each week I think we’ll do pretty well in the Champions League.

Jack Bruno heads out to the Olympics

I get an offer for Yurchenko for 1 mill from Dinamo Moscow and my board accepts. Silly board!

I need to find a new DMC that’ll be as good as the 2nd best player on my squad after Bruno…

I don’t think that’s happening

I keep Mitrea as my captain

My B Team just won 8-1. Man we are hanging it on folks today!

I start searching for my new Yurchenko….

I am allowing myself to find someone who is not EU as I have some open slot and Yurchenko used one. I scout about 8 DMCs and I make a trial offer to Ghanian international footballer Ebenezer Ofori, 25 years old.

I make an offer to Okori

Champions 1st Round Leg #2 – Home vs Aktobe. I am starting Pop. Let’s begin controlling. They get an early yellow. Zej to Djuric, goal, 19th minute. I tell my lads to stay on their feet. No sense risking injuries or cards. Samu to Pop, goal, 24th minute. They get a red card in the 29th. I issue my 11 vs 10 instructions. Kamenik leaps on an interception and scores in the 35th. Pop to Samu goal, 39th. Half 4-0. Good job keep it up! Kamenik to Pop, goal, 48th. Yurchenko to Zej, goal, 53rd. Samu to Djuric, goal, 60th. I send in Ferguson for Samu and Bilbao for Kotora. Djuric solo goal in the 67th and that’s his hattrick! Weah for Pop. This is the French ST who needs to be trained. Can we tie the previous game? Nope. We win 8-0 MOM is Djuric.

[Abe Sargent]

We have Dinamo Bucharesti next. Can we show up that well against them?

Yurchenko has signed with Eibar for 1.4 mill.

https://i.ibb.co/9W4VZHV/Nitra-83.png

Ofori signs! Three years, key players, 4.1/week. We’ll be running him as a deep lying playmaker at DMC. Eddy will start for Okori until I can register him.


The Slovakian Football Association offer me the role of Team Manager! Normally in a FM league I would. I did Romania and Sepsi too, and I’ve done South Africa, France, Ukraine, USA, and many more.


But I’m not feeling it this time. Sorry.

I register Ofori

[Abe Sargent]

Champions League Round 2, 1st Leg – Away vs Dinamo Bucharesti – Ofori is starting. I begin defensively. Hello pretty yellows! Will you be a good luck token? They have a shot in the 1st minute on us, but then things settle. They get a card. And then another. Milanovic to Pop on a counter, 43rd. Half 1-0. I only have 4 shots but 3 are on target. Don’t get complacent! In the 58th something big happens. They finally have a shot on target. Maybe they’ve figured out my defense. Bilbao for Kotora. Samu with a card and I send in Ferguson. Here they come. Eddy for Farago. Djuric to Pop goal in the 76th. Milanovic intercepted and kicked it to Djuric. Can we hold? They get another card. 4 minutes.

https://i.ibb.co/Nj3YzTY/Nitra-84.png


We hold and win. Good win! MOM is Pop. Maybe he was up for it since they are a heavy from Romania?

We’ve had three shut outs in a row!


I hand out rests

[Abe Sargent]

Fortuna Game #1 – Away vs Trnava – This feels like a disappointing. I don’t want CLUB FOOTBALL, go away. I begin defensively and I make no changes to my squad. This team beat us ot win the Pohar. Vengeance! Djuric to Milanovic on a corner in the 11th, goal. Pop’s shot on target, blocked, jumped on by Djuric and goal in the 33rd. Half. Vengeance! It works twice. They hit us back in the 56th. Bilbao for Kotora. Weah for Pop. Eddy for Zej. 78th minute score by them. Eddy to Weah, goal, 82nd! That’s Weah’s first goal for us. Samu to Ofori, goal, 85th!!! That was off a corner kick. They injure Milanovic lightly. 5 minutes. Can we hold? They score in the 93rd. Weah to Djuric, goal, 93rd. We win 5-3, MOM is Djuric.

I hand out rests

Milanovic will miss the next game, Bilbao will start for him.

[Abe Sargent]

Champion Round 2, Leg #2 – Home vs Dinamo Bucharesti – I begin standard. They fire a nasty long shot from way outside that catches Jimenez out of his position in the 11th. Samu to Djuric, goal, 28th to tie it. Zej to Pop goal in the 30th. Nice! Kamenik intercepts the ball, drives the side, jukes past two defenses and feeds Pop goal in the 43rd. Nicer! Half. Keep it going! Walkes for Kotora. Miroslav Sabo for Zej. Let’s get the young guy some time. Krasic for Samu. Here they come! We win 3-1 and MOM is Pop.

https://i.ibb.co/t3YTZ7m/Nitra-85.png


Good job!

Next? Qarabag!

[Abe Sargent]

August

1st – Home vs Zdana
5th – Home vs Qarabag
9th – Away vs Slovan Bratislava
12th – Away vs Qarabag
15th – Home vs Michalovce
22nd – Home vs Kosice
29th – Away vs Zilina

Good training – Ferguson, Weah, and Pop

Ofori won Goal of the Month and I congratulate him

Bruno is back…

I drop my asking price on Bruno and offer him around. We should be fine Pop has looked at least Dodoi’ish.

I link Djuric and Weah

Fortuna Game #2 – Home vs Zdana. I begin standard. Bruno needs a rest so I leave him on the bench. I pull Kotora after an early card for Walkes. Pop intercepts a back pass for goal in the 27th. Half. 1-0 us. Don’t get complacent! Pop to Djuric, goal, 52nd. I have 9 shots to their 1. They are booked. Walkes a yellow and I send in Bilbao. They are booked again. Sabo for Zej. Djuric to Pop goal 76th. They get two more cards in back to back minutes. Mitrea’s on target DFK is turned aside. We win 3-0. MOM is Pop.

Good win!

[Abe Sargent]

We get offers for Bruno at 1 and 1.2 mill. I accept

I’ll start Bilbao for a game or two.

I have a job interview option from last year’s EURO winning Shaktar! No thanks! I’ve done Ukraine before and loved it, but no thanks!

I offer to extend Djuric’s contract by a year.

One of our scout’s left to join another club.I make an offer to a Belarusian scout

Champion Round 3 Leg #1 Home vs Qarabag – I begin standard. Mitrea to Farago goal in the 5th minute. MITREA!!! It was off a nasty throw in. By the tenth minute we have 6 shots to their 0. Zej to Pop goal in the 18th! Samu shoots a nasty long shot, rebounded, Farago leaps on the rebound and puts it away in the 28th. This team is nasty! Samu to Kamenik, goal, 32nd. This team is filthy! They are scoring ALL of the goals. Kamenik crosses to Djuric, goal, 41st. This team is wrong! They score off a corner in extra time. Half we are up 5-1. Good job keep it up!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Bilbao injured. I send in Kotora. Kamenik to Pop, goal, 58th. I have run out of phrases! Words elude me. Sabo for Kej. Let’s get him some games. They score in the 68th. They are carded. Krasic for a tired Samu.
 
https://i.ibb.co/FKp2Dfc/Nitra-86.png

Here! MOM is Kamenik. He is outplaying Krasic at his best in year one. Right now.

Bilbao is out for 2 weeks

[Abe Sargent]

We have set a record with 8 wins in a row!

Next up…

Away at Slovan Bratislava!

Can the run and the offending ways continue?

We sign our scout!

Djuric extends his deal!

Tottenham signs Bruno.
 
I speak with Zej as he’s sad to see Bruno leave. I promised him!

Fortuna Game #3 – Away vs Slovan Bratislava – We begin defensive. Will the filthy offense continue and show up? We have the early offensive but they stop us. Card. We hold them from scoring. Half. 0-0. We each have 8 shots. We have 54% of the possession. Quiet thus far. Samu with a yellow card and they sink the DFK. I send in Krasic. They get a double booking in the 61st. We have a 11-10 opportunity. Let’s push! Walkes for Kotora. Weah for an underperforming Pop. Maybe he’ll get some excitement from the bench. 5 minutes. Nope. We lose 0-1.

[Abe Sargent]

Champion Round 3, Leg #2 – Away vs Qarabag – I begin defensively. We lose 1-2. My subs are Krasic, Eddy, and Sabo.

We are through to the next round!

We are facing Red Star

[Abe Sargent]

Fortuna Game #4 – Home vs Moravce – I begin controlling.

Goals –

Zej to Djuric, 11th minute
Zej to Pop, 13th minutes
Djuric to Pop, 16th minute
HALF
Pop to Samu, 69th minute
Them 70th
Them 92nd


We win 4-2. MOM is Pop.

Bilbao is back from injury.

[Abe Sargent]

Champion Round 4, Leg #1 – Home vs Red Star - I begin standard. I respect this Serbian heavy too much to head to controlling. I am starting Bilbao for Kotora. It’s driving rain. We each do little with the ball. By 20 minutes in we have 5 shots between us. We injure one of their players in the 23rd. they have a shot in the 26th called offsides. I got called away, we won 1-0.

https://i.ibb.co/nPxKp5f/Nitra-87.png

It’s just a narrow one goal victory but they have no goals on the away match, and MOM is Pop.