From Big Zero to Big Four: Sporting Reclaimed (FM2014)

[Abe Sargent]

Today, June 1, 2020 is the darkest hour in the history in my favorite football club. Growing up in Lisbon as the child of a lawyer and a talent agent for modeling, my parents certainly didn’t see football as my future career. They never went to the local games of Sporting and never encouraged me to play much. Sure, if someone asked, their favorite club was Sporting, but they never showed it. I did not grow up with football.


Then, at the age of 8, I was abandoned after school when an important client delayed arrival with my father. So I decided to play football with the other kids after school. None of us really knew anything about tactics, so I just headed out and kicked the ball. And I can still remember that day, that hour, that minute, that second. I hit the ball for the first time, and something in me changed. I found myself. I found football.

I played incessantly. I was never as good as anybody else. I began a lot later than others. So I put in more hours playing, shooting the ball, and joining pickup games. I devoured the shows on TV and even drug my mother to the occasional Sporting game. That first game was magical, as I watched players whose names I barely knew playing a game I barely understood – but it was as magical to me as Middle Earth.


And I kept working. And I kept my one-track mind focused on my goal – football, professionally. And slowly, I began to catch up with my peers. It took years. But at the age of 15 I received the best news of my life. Sporting had agreed to host me and almost 100 other local Lisbon youth players for a short training session with their backroom staff, in order for them to see what they had. I was coached by someone professionally. I was managed. Tactics were real in the scrimmages that followed. I worked out on real equipment.

I vowed then that I would never let go. I stayed until the facility was closed every day. I worked harder than anyone else. My life was football. My life was Sporting.

A few months later Sporting, recognizing my drive, if not my talent, agreed to bring me onto their youth squad. It was the greatest day of my life. It still is. I was a footballer.

And in a few short weeks I learned a very important lesson.

I’m not a very good footballer. Sure, I had the drive, and the work ethic. I put in more time than anyone else, guaranteed. I was eager. But I suspected I was there more to give the good players the right ideas on dedication to the game and push them. My technique was poor. My skills were worse. The only skill I was on even footing with the best of the class was speed. I could pace the best of them.

After all, Sporting was a major team. The best of Portugal were here. I was never the biggest frog in my small pond, and now the pond had gotten a lot bigger.

A few months in, I was picking up tactics and positioning quite well. The mental part of the game came to me quickly under professional tutelage. I was handed my first mentor, with the hope that I would learn better technique from him. He wasn’t even a senior quad starter, just a backup middle - Wilson Bruno Naval da Costa Eduardo.

But to me, Wilson was the best opportunity for me to show myself to everyone. Again, I think they hoped my speed, work ethic, and mental acuity would translate into better skills. But despite the extra training and oversight from Wilson Eduardo, it wasn’t to be.

I was never offered a professional contract when I turned 17. And my youth contract was allowed to expire. I was not the person I wanted to be.

A few teams brought me in for trials, and I played in a few trial games. Belenenses kicked my tires by signing me to a six month deal. So I headed out and joined them as a professional footballer on a decent young player concept.

And again, no one put in the hours I did. I learned the game more and more. But my technical skills would not improve – I never was better than I was when I was 16. I couldn’t shoot better, pass better, or anything. Now, due to my enhanced knowledge of the ball I could find better positions on the pitch to intercept the ball or tackle, but I’d swing just as much as hit.

The writing was on the wall. Football was not to be my future.

One of the scouts who had worked at Belenenses had been hired for Celta de Vigo, a Spanish club often in La Liga just north of Portugal. However, Celta de Vigo had just been relegated to the Secunda Division. They were hemorrhaging talent as staff and players jumped ship. So I was brought in as a interesting prospect.

And I found a home. A nest. At first I was sent to the B squad in the Tercera Division. I quickly established myself as the captain of a team that needed a presence on the field. I was always the worst player on the pitch, but as a middie, I gave them strong leadership and work and helped my fellow teammates. Sure, it wasn’t Sporting, but it was football. It counted!

As I aged I was ineligible for the team and moved back to the club for the reserves. I continued to develop in savvy, but again, even here, my skills just weren’t at the snuff to play in the main team. Still, I spent many years in Celta de Vigo as a strong youth player, and quickly took up the mantle of helping other youth players. And at the age of 23, I was hired as a youth coach.

That was my destiny. Not to play. But to teach. To lead.

I spent years there, and the team was promoted again, and I got a pay raise. Then a disappointing season arose and Manager Paco Herrera was fired. I was let go when Abel Resino arrived and wanted his own staff even on the youth team.

I developed enough of a reputation that I received a few job offers in Portugal and Spain. After considering them, I decided to head home to Portugal and arrived at Estoril, but their manager was also fired at the end of the year, and again, I was let go.

It was June 2015, and I received a phone call from a new manager at Nacional out in Madeira, which had just finished 4th in La Liga. I was invited to apply for a job in his expanding youth squad. He had some great youth prospects coming out of his ranks and wanted to expand the youth couches significantly to handle them.


I accepted, and began to help train a youth intake that included defender Hernani Costa. Soon my training would include more and more major names. Other U19 coaches included Titus Bramble, Ruud van Nisterrooij (who would be moved to the senior squad later), Rudimar and Dario. I was the token Portuguese coach, helping locals understand the roles Essex had for them.

The successes that our team were responsible for – Jorge Agra, Rodrigues, Costa, Joaquim Sousa, Jose Moreira, and many more were massive. There were times when half of the U19 squad of Portugal came from our team. And that was an awesome feeling, let me tell you.

And history will be talking about Essex for a long time. He pushed Portugal. He became the Big Four and took over the top of the charts year after year. He turned down job offers in Spain a few times to keep his people in line. He forced other teams to adapt and strengthen or wither and die. Porto and Benfica took up the clarion call, and Porto won the Champions League in 2019 and made it to the Semis the next year to lose to Benfica, who lost to Nacional. We crushed Benfica 5-0.

A few days ago, after being inducted into the Portuguese Hall of Fame in Lisbon and leaving for Bayern Munchen, the board of Nacional began a job search. Several names (Mario Rondon, Ruud Van Nistelrooij, Dario Veron, Rodolfo Bodipo and other staff were suggested as potential replacements in order to keep some consistency).

And while Nacional tries to figure out who should replace the best Manager of all time in Portuguese Football History, the opposite has happened to Sporting.


They refused to make the changes necessary. And each year, they fell a little bit more on the charts, thinking they could continue. Last year they finished 10th, but that was not the wake up call it should have been. And this year the unthinkable happened. Sporting, a team that has never been relegated hit 15th, and was relegated officially a month ago.


In Portugal, we had three teams that were like marble. You could rely on them. Sporting, Porto, and Benfica. No other team had won the league, other than flash-in-the-pan-fall-from-grace-like-Leeds-did-Boavista and once, back int eh 1940s, Belenenses. (Which trust me, they never let you forget . Other teams rarely cracked the top three spots in the league. Sporting won, did some damage in Europe, and were a Big Three team. Never relegated from the top flight.

Now sure, they were always the junior partner in that relationship. Sporting had fewer league titles and European cups. But hey, they were a Três Grandes. And that all changed.

Sporting has fallen.

There is a great deal of justice, irony, and perhaps poetry in the fact that as Nacional rose in Portuguese football and European play that Sporting fell. In the year that Nacional won the Champions league, Sporting was finally relegated.

Sporting has fallen.


And their Manager resigned a few days ago – their fourth one in 20 months Not seeing managerial consistency as perhaps a factor in returning to the glory days, the board refused to accept the fault as their own and change and push Nacional. In a division that was strengthening on all sides, from Gil Vicente and Tondela to Vitoria Guimaraes, Sporting was sluggish. And now they have fallen.

Sporting is manager poison. Their board has unfair demands, they are expected to bounce back by the media. And yet they have serious financial issues having not gotten the sweet European cash for quite some time, losing sponsors, and now getting sent down. Most of the senior squad was loaned, demanding a transfer, or gone.

Good manages are heading elsewhere.

But Sporting has improved in one key way. They now understand that to succeed, they need to alter their way of doing things, and embrace some of the way that Essex did things.

And that’s why I’ve been appointed the new Manager of Sporting.

- No one else wanted it
- The situation is rough
- I was a long time staff member under Essex
- I know Sporting. Lisbon is my home. I came up through this team. I know Sporting.



Marquin Sousa, Portuguese/Spanish, 31, favorite club - Sporting, from Lisbon

[Abe Sargent]

Game Stuff:

What is this dynasty?

It is a sequel, sort of, to events in my recent FM2014 Dynasty where I took over Clube Desportivo Nacional da Madeira and took them to the top of the Liga in Portugal. Meanwhile, Sporting was relegated.


I finished that dynasty officially a few weeks ago.



Reading it is certainly not required to read this one. I put the highlights in Marquin Sousa's bio.

But why not?

From Madeira With Love (FM2014 Dynasty) Finished!!! Check out stats and final stuff!! - Front Office Football Central (http://www.operationsports.com/fofc/showthread.php?t=88678)


Some game stuff


That dynasty ended with some fluff about Mario Rondon taking over and which players were sold and what happened the next season. Obviously, that was just a fun plotline. Now, we'll continue the game. I would expect much (all) of that stuff to change. Just happens.

[britrock88]

Excellent start.

[Abe Sargent]

Thanks thanks!

[bbgunn]

A sequel! A nice surprise and something to enjoy my coffee with on this Saturday morning (Japan time).

[Abe Sargent]

Thanks for your kind comments!

I hope to please!

[Abe Sargent]

Here's how bad the squad is...


Here is a look at our current senior squad:


On loan, returning soon:

Marco Calabretta
Alpha Sane
Paolo Luminoso
Antonello Braglia
Giorgio Baldo
Paolo Verdi
Vincent Gay
Giuseppe Marrazzo
Alessandro Trotta
Fernando Coletti
Maurizio Defilippi
Tsvetelin Georgiev
Stefano Primavera

Most of these come from AC Milan, our Parent Club.


These players demanded transfers. We have already sold:

Jeferson, 21 year old Brazilian who plays MC and DMC for 300k
Luiz Henrique, to 21 year old Brazilians who plays MC, DMC and ML, for 875k to Tondela
Maicon, 18 year old Brazilian, who plays DR and WB R. Sold to Internacional for 700k
Alexander Vagher, 19 year old Italian ST and AMR. Sold for 350k to Cremonense.
Bruno Wilson, 23 year old Portuguese DC and ST solid for 675k to FC Vaslui.

These two players are being brought in on youth contracts in 2021,

GK Jorge Alberto Meza, currently 17, for 155k, Colombian
GK Sandro, currently 17, for 150k, from Figueirense


The following players are unhappy, and have been transfer listed by request:

GK Vladimir Stojkovic, Serbia, 23, leaving on a free transfer here shortly
DR Bernardo Carlos, 24, Portuguese
AMR, ST, Valentin Viola, 28, Argentina, has been with us for years and years, star of the club
MC Americo Ferreira, 20, Portugese
DC Ruben Semedo, 26, Cape Verde
MC/DMC Zezinho, 27., Guinea-Bissau
DMC, MC William Carvalho, 28, Portuguese
ST Fredy Monterio 32, Colombian
DC/SW/DR Wallace, 32, Brazilian


These people are not unhappy or transfer listed:


GK Marcelo Boeck, 35, Brazilian


And that’s it!

[Brian Swartz]

Piece of cake :P

[Abe Sargent]

As you can see, that’s a lot of problems.

Right now, before everyone leaves, here is our budget:


166k/weekly

We are spending that after I moved some transfer budget to cover.

That’s a problem. You know, players like Viola are making 18k a week. That can’t fly.

Now there is a core here. If I could manage to keep Viola, Carvalho and Semedo, I could have a strong nucleus to build around.

As I am sure you can imagine, none of them want to enter into new negotiations right now.

We were good to barter in some reductions in wages for a drop in league. But still…

I pull all of my transfer money off to give myself another 8k in budget room. Let’s see if we can grab someone prior to the end of the month, when things start happening.


I fire a few coaches today too, such as a U19 GK coach making 3k a year. I also let go of some overly expensive scouts. And an extra physio goes too.

I look for some new scouts.


I make offers to:

Argentine, Dario Salomon, 375/week
Italian Swann Velli, 300/week
Brazilian Ze Roberto, 700/week
Uruguayan Robert Flores, 575/week


All four sign.

We are scouting Eastern, Southern, Central Europe, Scandinavia and South America. I kept one on our roster, Paulo Menezes. So we have 5 scouts.

[Abe Sargent]

Steve Komphela was named the new Manager of South Africa. He was a capped player., is now 52, and done well managing national teams.

Tel-Aviv made an offer of 1.3 Mill for Americo Ferreira. This is a personal offer to me. Americo Fereira came though our youth ranks in Nacional and we let him go, not realizing the potential he had. Sporting did and signed him. We dicker them up to 1.7m. I’d like to keep him, but…

FC Utrecht made a bid for Viola. We agree to sell him for 2.4 mill.


Making a boring decision, Nacional have hired the Braga manager, Domingos Paciencia for the role. Roberto Mancini was a finalist too.


South Africa defeated Comoros 3-0.

We have sold Viola.

[Abe Sargent]

Lots of teams are sniffing the panties of Carvalho, Semedi and others.

The coach of Tel-Aviv, Paulo Sousa, took over at Braga, but the Americo transfer still goes through.

Our initial budget next year?

100k/week and 100k transfer…

Ugh

Our new sponsor deals come through, much lowered. For example, one fell from 210k a year to 65k.

We are still at 142k budget. Still have to cut a lot of players before I can sign cheap ones.
 
I accept offers for Zezinho and Carvalho.

We sell Zezinho for 100k

Carvalho for 675k

Nacional poached one of our coaches and we made 35k.

Budget is down to 125k

Wilson leaves (its the 15th of June)

Hernani Costa is now considering an offer by Man City and Man Utd

OGC Nice made an offer for Ruben Semedo but its much lower than his value. Hmmm. We get them to 1.9 mill, just 100k less than his value of 2 mill.

[Abe Sargent]

The new manager screwed up negotiations with Stefan Strandberg to retain him at Nacional. Idiot.

Jeferson heads out (June 20th)

South Africa defeated Benin 4-0 and are 7-0 in two games in World Cup Qualifying.

We sell ST Fredy Montero to AELK in Greece. For nothing. He was worth little, we needed to clear out salary.

The first of the major players for Nacional leaves as Man City completes the 43.5 Mill offer to Nacional. Something that should never have happened for that price….in the opinion of the guy who helped coach him up!

Ruben Semedo heads out.

Now our salary had dropped to 90k. We have 536k in the kitty. Time to make an offer to an unusual, maybe player.

I make an offer to unsigned ST Joaquim Sousa. Yes, that Sousa.

The same Sousa that came through our Nacional youth ranks in the 2013 era. Capped 5 times for the senior squad and 25 for the youth one, he never really hit it big, but this is an opportunity for redemption. For both of us.


He agrees to sign with us for 6.5k per week through 2022.

I get a presser. Sousa introduces Sousa. Our first official signing!



Now we're ready for what's ahead...

[Abe Sargent]

Nacional also screw over Marcio Sousa’s deal for them.


Because we are Sporting, we have some quality youth. Perhaps we’ll be forced to turn to them.


Who strikes my curiosity?

AMC/MC Paulo Simoes, 16 years old, not good now, but perhaps some potential later on for us.
AML/ML Pedro Quaresma, 16 too, Strong now. I move him to our senior squad.
AMR/MR Marco Silva, 15, good potential we think 3.5 star scout potential. Not good now though.

Our head physio retired


Alright, welcome to June 29

Our minimum expectation this year is to win the Second league.


We get 88.73k in tv stuff this season.

After contract clauses hit, our salary dropped to 88k.

I want to pull DC Cleison off the transfer list, he’s 19 and hits my various needs. But I can’t, stupid requested transfer list junk!

[Abe Sargent]

The 30th is here

Our loans are up and since we were paying for some, our salary drops to just 49.4k. And we’ll lose some tomorrow when several players are sold and move on.

Time to look for some shopping opportunities.

I basically don’t even have a team. I have just a ST, ML, and GK. And it’s not like he’s a quality GK.

This is the most important time of the year. Can I craft a winning squad? I have the cash, perhaps.


I do something…desperate. I call up James Essex to talk shop. Any ideas? Any thoughts? Obviously, I need a formation, but if I can sign great players, I’ll fit the formation to the first few folks.

He sends me one name. One recommendation. A young 19 year old South African youth player capped for the youth team, DMC, playing for FC Twente right here in Europe.


Mandla Khumalo, DMC


I order a scouting. But he does look to have some value. Could we sign him?

Essex mentioned that Khumalo was on their short list as a potential starter down the road for South Africa in a Hojbjerg-esque manner like he was for Denmark, but not as good Essex says. But that’s the only favor he’ll send our way. That’s it. He’s done with Portugal.

Our scouts think he’d be really interested in joining us. Can we sign him? He’s worth 200k.

Essex kept a giant printed red folder in the office that included a detailed scout report done by his staff on over a thousand players. Every time he had a new report filed, he read it, talked with the scout at length, and added it to the folder. It’s extensive. I’m sure it went to Bayern with him.

I send out an enquiry on Khumalo. We’ll just see, I suppose.

[Abe Sargent]

Meanwhile, who else entrances me?

So, before that…

What tactics do I want to consider?

We were previously employing a 4-5-1, and my board wants good quality defensive football. We could certainly run that. Perhaps the only luxury I have in this setting is that I can sign players to fit the right tactic, rather than finding the right tactic for my players. I explore some of our competition in the 2nd league. Here are the guesses as to what teams will be playing based either on what they played last year, or changes and personnel and managers.

4-4-1-1
4-5-1
4-4-2 Diamond
3-4-2-1
4-5-1
4-5-1
4-4-2
4-5-1
4-4-2 Diamond
4-5-1
4-5-1
3-5-2
4-5-1
4-5-1
4-4-2 Diamond
4-5-1
4-5-1
4-5-1
4-5-1
4-4-2 Diamond

So, it’s important to understand that in a division with 22 teams there are a lot of 4-5-1 formations.

What works against a 4-5-1?

4-1-4-1 (4-4-2 with a DMC instead of a STC) is pretty useful
4-3-3 has had some success.

I think perhaps a 4-1-3-1-1 might be nice (not a real tactic, obviously). It’s just a 4-1-4-1 with a central middie put into an AMC role. You could also run a solid 4-5-1 yourself. Fire fights fire.

There were a lot of 4-5-1s in the Liga too, and Essex broke them with his 4-4-2 Diamond. No surprise that more teams have copied that here. So you can break the bank with lots of formations.

I don’t want a formation so defensive that we don’t win enough games to win the division. I’d rather win 3-2 than 1-0.

I could do the V version of the 4-5-1 with a DMC or the W Version with an AMC. Joaquim Sousa is a good, well rounded ST. He can be a decent target guy for us in the attacking 4-5-1 spot.

But at the same time, I really want that DMC playmaker.

I could do this…

4, 1, 2, 2, 1 (or 1-2 at the end). That’s with a full 4 in the back, a DMC, two MR/L, 2 AMC and a ST< sort of like a 4-4-2 Diamond with a ST pulled into a 2nd AMC.

I could pull fullbacks completely and run a 3 back set. The problem that has against so many 4-5-1s is that most 4-5-1s run AML/Rs that attack down the sides. However, there are fewer attackers to cross into, so that weapon is easier to shut down with the extra Defender.

So we could do this:

3-1-3-1-2. I like it. But you have just one pair wide. Need to play narrower. Like the 4-4-2 Diamond it concedes part of the field to dominate the other (sides). I don’t think we can find the midfielders with enough quality to play the sides by themselves.

So, for now, this season, we’ll be 4-1 something.

Hmmm…

Alright, 4-1-3-1-1 it is. I think we can do that. But, let’s leave open other possibilities in case I come across an amazing player for us that breaks that concept.

Playez!

[JonInMiddleGA]

Alright, 4-1-3-1-1 it is.

Okay, teach me something here if you please.

I'm a 4-4-2 Diamond guy (or at least by preference) until it stops working.

While 442D is a handy shorthand for it, my limited understanding of it is that it could also be called a 4-1-2-1-2 (except perhaps with a bit more fluidity in roles as a 4-4-2?)

Your chosen formation is then, basically, the 4-4-2 Diamond but with a one striker replaced by a CM?

[Abe Sargent]

Okay, teach me something here if you please.

I'm a 4-4-2 Diamond guy (or at least by preference) until it stops working.

While 442D is a handy shorthand for it, my limited understanding of it is that it could also be called a 4-1-2-1-2 (except perhaps with a bit more fluidity in roles as a 4-4-2?)

Your chosen formation is then, basically, the 4-4-2 Diamond but with a one striker replaced by a CM?

Precisely.

[Abe Sargent]

Let me tell you the story of 22 year old Vinny Cutchey. This powerful midfielder on the left side was one of England’s bright new stars, coming through the Chelsea ranks. He had 33 youth caps for England, and even 1 senior squad cap. He’s a future star for them. But then, more than 24 months ago, he had a severe career-altering injury. He was out for 11 months with a damaged, fractured skull. This injury appeared to prevent him from playing football again.

Cutchey was let go by Chelsea at the end of his contract, and finished up getting healthy personally. Then after a few months of working out, he got himself into playing condition again. Now, his skills have dropped in some areas, and he has not been on a team for 11 months. He has considered retirement, since no one wants to take a chance on him.

But I do. This could be the signing of signings. This could be the guy who puts us over the top. The stud. The one person willing to come to a newly relegated Sporting that would otherwise skip us.

Now, our scout report was that he’s injury prone. No duh. But he is worth the risk.


I make him an offer. He’s my #1 target. No one else is chasing him.

I send out a lot of scouts and move ahead a day.

[Abe Sargent]

Because they spent 250k to sign him, FC Twente force me to pay 425k to purchase him, so they make some money off the deal. But, they agree, and we get to a deal with him. We have some extra transfer money from the deals we’ve been doing.

We sign our guy. Thank’s James Essex!

We’ll look at him later. But we have a ST, DMC, and ML of quality in each spot. Now to some of that scouting we just ran.

Top targets I like –

DR Mario Noguera, 22, Colombian/Argentine
AML, MLR Filip Kostic, 27. Croatian
AMR/STC Javier Cabrera, 28, Uruguay
D RC Ruben Romero, 24, Argentine
DC Francesco Procentese, 22, Italy

I scout lots more. If I could bring in just one or two of that five though, I’d be really happy.

[Abe Sargent]

I have a GK issue. What to do with that?

I have a few possibilities, but we’re screwed here for the nonce. This is a need we have to address.

GK Ruben Mino doesn’t want to sign with us (31, Spanish)


I offer a backup, youth prospect guy a deal for 2k/week. And then another. Both attackers that are young. Hopefully we can bring in both as rotation and youth options along with Joaquim Sousa.




Since I’m familiar with them, I make a few loan offers. We’ll see if any of the three players on our targeted list come in for the year…

I dispatch more and more scouts.


I use the rest of the transfer income to massage my salary up to 120k.

Let’s see who I can bring in from that big five.

I make some offers.

I also arrange some friendlies.

I agree to head to Trial Day for some Portuguese players.

I eventually unlock a youth guy recommended to me from Paraguay, and I agree to a 29k offer for him from San Lorenzo.

[Abe Sargent]

So I have offers to some loanees from Nacional da Madeira, three youth players of value, and my 5 major targets.

What else? Who else?

I make an offer to another scout – I can have up to 6, and I’m currently rocking 5.

I make an offer to Nigerian scout Karimu Shuaibu, for 600/week, 35 years old.


GK Merab Totladze, Georgian 19 year old of Nacional renown is rejected to loan with us, they want him to play with better players. Grrr… That was my ace in the hole! I know him, and helped to develop him!

Any other good GKs for loan anywhere? I make three offers for folks I really like.

I also had a loan offer for Mozambique youther Sergio da Sousa Ines, from Nacional, rejected.


The first of my youth offers has agreed to deal with us,

Sergio Correa, ST, AMLC, MC, Argeninian, 3.5 star report. We’ll look at all of our singings at once laters.

Our second youther joins our ranks on July 3. Meet 21 year old Ignacio Raul Salinas, USA, ST, AML,

Vinny Cutchey also arrives. This is a big risk, and a big reward.


Four of my top five targets have signed elsewhere just TWO days after offering them deals. The only one still mulling our offer is the 28 year old Uruguayan. The rest all are off the market.


Not as easy to restock the cupboard as I had hoped….

Getting loans and offers rejected all over the place.

[Abe Sargent]

Our latest scout joins us and I send him to western Africa, land of many opportunities. I hope.

He has a bunch of Nigerians on his shortlist that I scout out to get full reports.

In fact, after scouting one, I make an offer to an unsigned one. Come play for me, Francis Williams! With your 5 star scouting report! He could lock up our AMC spot.


One of the star GKs I offered a loan came back requiring a 10% of wages, and I agre.e The others were rejected.


Our bid to loan Rolf Worthington from Nacional was rejected. I expected that a lot, he’s one of the stars of the team. Teams fighting for the young Irishman for loan include Man City.


We have officially signed Javier Cabrera, the Uruguayan attacker. That will basically seal up our attacking, with the youthers, middies, and such. If we bring in Francis Williams, that’s not a bad result.

Meanwhile, we have’t signed any defense minded folks Time to get that on…

After a lot of failure, I finally find a guy who can suffice, 30 year old Carlos Rodriguez, of Uruguay at the DC spot. But I need a lot more!


I make a couple more loan offers for folks.

Trial Game time.

I make offers to two youthers who played in the general Portugal trial game.


One came through our youth ranks in Nacional a long time ago, Domingos Cunha.

I do sign Arturo Villasanti from Paraguay, he’ll arrive next year when he turns 18. Cost me just 29k. He’ll be worth it.

[Abe Sargent]

My GK loanee eventually refused to head here, and I still need a GK dude. A few faxes come in on players around the globe offered for loans (happens regularly) and I grab a few to look them over. I scout a few that look decent. One catches my eye and I make another loan offer, a younger Bulgarian playing in Greece.


On the 6th, Sporting announce that they have extended the credit facilities to ensure the club’s future.

Today, we are worth 36.5Mill and have 17 mill in debt.

Francis Williams has joined us!

I hold my team meeting and then decide to keep the pitch dimensions.


Cunha signs with us, another youther/rotaition guy, and this time at fullback. The other youth/rotation FB arrives. Neither of these guys are that sterling.

Carlos Rodrigues will be a decent guy for me for now at the DC and brings me some experience.



I pull Wallace off the transfer list. He plays DC and DR. We need the depth.

I also pull a player off Sporting B just as he is about to get offers from clubs ,so that we’ll get the money….

[Abe Sargent]

More scouts, and more and more and more! It feels like we are scouting the whole world. This last group, about 12 players currently unsigned – none were interested.

I’m trying to find that needle in the haystack.


More loanee options decline or fall through.

It’s now the 11th of July.

I start browsing the AC Milan lists. Maybe I can find a good loanee on their team for me

I make a few offers.

I also found my GK. Finally.

But he’s Romanian. I make him an offer, Silviu Lung Jr. I should look for another Romanian to help out. He showed up in our search online and then we scouted him all out. Offer is made!


I look for other Romanians. Found my guy. He’s perfect. 19 year old Claudio Neacsu, a Romanian/Portuguese guy. I offer him a hot prospect deal.


Uh oh. My final GK offer, which I thought was rejected by AS Monaco was in fact accepted, so I can accept a GK loan if I want. USA guy, 20 years old, hot prospect, Ben Johnson. Nah, I’d rather have the guy on my team for two years. I delay it to make sure that Lung signs. When he does, then I’ll cancel this deal.

[Abe Sargent]

We are 1-5 favorites to advance.

We finally sell Bernardo Carlos for 195k to P. Ferreira. He spent his whole career here, and it’s sad to see him leave under these circumstances. I would have been happy to have kept him.

Spain just defeated Wales to win the 2-2- European Championship. Yup. Wales.

I take a look at the Welsh team. There are some unsigned folks who just went deep on this roster, who started. Like DC Joel Lynch. Or, whoa, Jon Williams is unsigned. He’s go perfectly in my MC spot too. Too bad he’s way out of my price range and Leicester is chasing him too.

Lung Jr has agreed. I sign him for 6k/week and let go of the loan.

Now I’ve got my GK. We are getting closer to a first 11.


After our latest signing, here on July 15th, we have spent 80k. There’s a lot left in the till.

[Abe Sargent]

Our first friendly is on the 18th, vs Sporting B

Somebody just offered to loan Marcelo Boeck, my 35 year old GK, for the season and they’ll pay his wages. Um….okay?


We are in Group B of the first Phase of the Taca da Liga.


Athletico CP
Fatima
Trofense
Olieveirense
Sporting




Neascu signs with us.

I offer a hot prospect deal to one of my youthers who turned 17.

My player, Mandla Khumalo is on the South African Olympics squad, along with players like Cyril Mzizi, Lucas Khosa, and others.

I scout a few players on their team that are not currently with squads. Maybe there’ll be another Mzizi/Khumalo on here!


ST Tokelo Rantie is unsigned! But he won’t touch us.


Nacional made their first major move – signing 24 year old DC Antonio Marin from Barcelona for 6.75 mill. Just Costa has left, no one else has moved away. Only unhappy guy is Omar Montesi, DLC who wants an improved contract. Give it to him! Montesi is a stud!

Boeck’s move is confirmed.

[Abe Sargent]

I need a backup/younger rotational type GK. I make an offer to 24 year old Portuguese guy Joao Costa to be our backup guy.


And we can use the GK for Sporting B as our 3rd backup in times of crisis. Barring a good youth prospect, I don’t need to pay for three.

Speaking of which…

I remember our look over the best Portugese recruits this past year. There was a solid GK one out playing for Estrela Amadora, in a lower league. I order my scouts to check out Rogerio Herlein. Nacional had a bunch extra, perhaps they’d part with the worst of the lot, Rui Ressureicao, for us?


To fight the friendly, I have a bunch of youth players on the squad. Impress me! Quick summary, goal from Williams to Sousa, 25th. Cabrera to Sousa to Cutchey for a score in the 48th. Williams to Salinas in the 66th. Gomes with a deep ball to Salinas for a score in the 74th. We win 4-0. Good job! MOM is Salinas

The loanees I wanted from AC Milan decided to head elsewhere

Nacional accepted an offer, 3.7m to purchase Sergio de Sousa Ines by Siena. I remember when Essex signed him just to develop him with loyalty to his fellow countryman from Mozambique. He told me, develop him the best way you know how - and now look at him!


We negotiate the offer with GK Herlein and hope to hear back in a day or two.

[Abe Sargent]

Rui Res is not interested in all in coming here.

A lot of our matches are getting picked for TV and that is upping the money we are making from them.

It’s 65k. To cover the deal I drop our salary a bit.

Time to add some more staff.


I make on offer to Romanian Costin Curelea, a 36 year old Fitness Coach with a cap for Romania.

English coach Paul Foster


French coach Dorian Andrieux, U19 coach

Mali coach Mohamed Fall, U19 Coach


We begin the season with the four games in the Group of the Taca da Liga and I’m using them as our friendlies. Our first is on the 26th. We have another on the 29th.

The schedule back here in the 2nd Liga is grueling. 42 games. Then add in Taca games, and we could easily have 50 games in a season. I need more depth than I have.

I have some good set piece takers. In particular, Javier Cabrera has a 14 in corners, 17 free kicks, 17 long throws, with 12 pass, and 13 cross. Vinny Cutchey, on the left side, has a 17 corners with an 18 cross and 13 pass. Good stuff there.

Cleison, 19 year old defender, and D C/R Wallace are the only guys on my team that were with Sporting last year on the Senior Squad.

I take a look at all of the Olympics squads to see if someone jumps out at us.

I send out a few scouts to check and see on players with Australia, Ivory Coast, Cameroon, to see if these unsigned guys are any good.


Joao Costa agrees to be my backup/rotation GK.

We finalize the deal for GK Herlein to be our 3rd guy, developmental GK.

[Abe Sargent]

I make Wallace our Captain and GK Lung Jr our vice. I have 11 people happy with those choices – they were not the recommended ones. Our coaches suggested DR Cunha and Wallace, and had Lung as the 4th best option behind DL Diogo. But Cunha and Diogo are just bodies right now for me.

We still need a strong DL option. Diogo is very weak. In fact, he seems like more like a DC but was never trained there. A mistake I seek to rectify. But he has like 2 jumping reach, 5 cross, stuff like that that makes me wince.

So I make an offer to a guy to come in and do a lot better. Another Uruguayan, 28 year old Maximiliano Olivera. He’s a better DL option by far.

Cleison has requested that he be pulled off the transfer list. I agree.

Some of my managerial targets arrive.

Coach Curelea heads elsewhere and does not sign with us.

Nacional and Mozambique Sergio De Sousa Ines agreed to the deal with Siena, but then the deal fell through – they can only sign two non-EU folks a year. Meanwhile, a German club made an offer of 12.5 mill to Nacional for GK Henry Castellon, their backup GK from Honduras. In other Nacional news, they spent 9.75 Mill for 21 year old Galego, from Santos. He’s worth a lot more both major singings have been of players worth more than the asking fee.

Signing people is not about making money. It’s about fit. Now, Galego is good, he’s on the Brazilian Olympic squad. I’d spit in my water for a guy like him. But I couldn’t even tell you what role they expect him to play.

I make an offer to Joep van den Ouweland to be our Fitness Coach instead. 34 year old Dutch guy,

GK Herlein arrives and I have Wallace welcome him to everyone.

The guy I moved over from Sporting B has just signed with PSV for 400k. Good luck!

I’ll take some of that cash, too…

[Abe Sargent]

Welcome Olivera to Sporting Clube de Portugal in Lisbon!

Our Dutch coach arrives as well.

Our youth training is actually better than our senior squad, so I hop a few folks over there from the senior squad.

All three of our Uruguayan signings – Olivera, DC Carlos Rodriguez, Javier Cabrera, have never left Uruguay and played all of their football in their home nation. So this is a nice change for all three to come together on our team. Welcome to Portugal!

Here’s my current ideal starting 11:

GK Silvio Lung Jr
DC Wallace
DC Carlos Rodriguez
DL Maximiliano Olivera
DR Domingos Cunha
DM Mandla Khumalo
MR Javier Cabrera
ML Vinny Cutchey
MC ???
AMC Francis Williams
ST Joaquim Sousa

Now that squad has a lot of flexibility in some places. I could run Cabrera in the ST spot (although he’s weak in finishing). Of that list, I think ML Cutchey is a super star for this league, and Lung, Cabrera and Sousa are high quality. Meanwhile, I’m excited at the opportunity the two young Africans can bring – Williams and Khumalo. We have high expectations for both.

On our bench, we have:

MC/DM/ML Marcos Molina, 17 year old I promoted from the youth squad. Started the friendly in the DM spot.
MC Vasco Gomes, 17 year old promoted as well. Started in the MC spot for the friendly.
ST, AMRL Ignacio Raul Salinas, 21
ST, AMLC, MC Sergio Correa, 20
ML, AML Pedro Quaresma, 16
DL Fernando Diogo, 20
AM LC, M LC Claudio Neacsu, 19
GK Joao Costa, 24
D RLC Cleison, 19

Now, ideally, I need another DC backup guy and I could use a stud MC.

So I sort of see Correra as a sub for either Williams or Sousa, Salinas for Sousa, Quaresma for Cutchey, Molina for Cutchey, MC role, or Khumalo, and so forth. Now, I do think that Molina is the best MC I have, so once Khumalo returns from the Olympics in a month or so, he’d move there.

Place of worry – DR, MC.

Wallace agrees to mentor Cleison.

Cleison is a youth/rotational guy already. He’s not ready to be pushed into a starting role in case of injury or tiredness. Does anyone else jump out at me?

What about someone who can play both DC and DR respectfully? A few more scouting reports are demanded.

There are some I like that aren’t interested, like 30 year old Chilean international Sebastian Toro.

[Abe Sargent]

Meanwhile, we move to begin the match vs Oliveirense. We are here at home. Pick up where you left off!!! A Cabrera Sousa goal is called offsides. It was badly. We have some chances, but no score at the half. I’m far from pleased! Our next game is in a few days, so I pull out Williams early for Sergio Correra and ML Quaresma heads in for Cutchey. Correra is pushed early on just outside the box and slides the ball to Cabrera and heads in and Cabrera hits it back to him for a score in the 66th minute. Cleison subs in for Rodriguez late. Then they score a late goal in the 88th to tie it up and we tie 1-1. We should have won that match!!! MOM was Javier Cabrera.


I make an offer to an MC. One of the unsigned Ivorians I liked should be a nice guy for us. We need a bit more. A bit more grace, and power, and skill. So I made an offer to 20 year old Kouassi Diallo, who I think can help.


There’s another unsigned Ivorian that tickled my fancy, but he’s a Striker, the one place I am safely content. Otherwise I would have made a play. The last one was a DR that didn’t come back nice. If he was a DRC and better, I might have made him an offer too.

Anyway, still looking for that D RC. The best of those I’ve looked at is also an Ivorian, 29 though, named Kevin Boli. I’m looking and scouting to see if I can find younger/better. If not, he works. There’s also a 4th Uruguayan option named Nicholas Rodriguez, but he can’t play DC very well. I really like D/WB/M/AM R Andy Najar, a Honduran international, 27 years old. But he won’t touch me.


I like Rodrigues better. But he’s not as versatile as Boli. It would be nice to give us another Ivorian, in case Diallo signs for us for the midfield. That way he has a buddy. Two clubs have Boli on their radar. One has Rodriguez.

I’ll wait a bit and see what Diallo does. No sense bringing in Boli if that doesn’t work out.

[Abe Sargent]

Diallo signs. Now he is away for a while. Won’t play for a bit since he’s with the Olympics.

Today we head to face Athletico CP. for the next game in the Group for the Taca. I start out countering. We are looking sexy early on. Cutchey slides the ball to Sousa for a score in the 28th after it was in the box a bit. Williams is looking up for it – he stole the ball and found Cabrera for a nice shot buth it wouldn’t sink. Half. You aren’t sucking! We force a corner in the 49th of Athletico and then head it away to stall an attack. Cutchey is banged up – in heads Quaresma. I also sub in Fernando Diogo at DL for Olivera. Corner kick by Cabrera finds Wallace for a score in the 70th minute and our DC Captain scores. I sub out a tired Williams for Corera. We win 2-0. MOM is Wallace. Good win.

I hand out some rests to prepare for the next game in a few days on the 2nd of August.

Meanwhile, I need to make a DR vs DRC decision. The better DR or the DRC?

The better one. His stats are just so much better in areas that I care about. I make Rodriguez an offer, and he agrees in principle to a cheap one for us. He’s thousands cheaper than Boli too!

He would be the last piece of the puzzle, I think. From here, it’s finding backups or young talent.

[Abe Sargent]

I make some enquiries to my first youth targets.

We made an offer to a stud DC prospect who doesn’t want to come to us, 16 year old Scottish guy. Liverpool had made an offer, it was leaked to the press, and that put him on our radar. But not to be.

Anyone else?


I scout some folks out. I don’t know how, but a lesser French team – Havre, just signed a huge GK talent from Malaysia. How they even knew about him is beyond me.

One of the smart things Manager Essex did a Nacional was to collect major youth talent, much like big name clubs do – your Real Madrid or Juventus or Bayern. It worked – lower level teams can seek the advantage that way.

So I am trying that now. I can grow our studs and stars, or earn a lot of dollars. And I have a B team, Sporting B, to move them too to give them staring spots if I want.

[Abe Sargent]

August, 2020

2nd – Home vs Trofense, Taca da Liga
5th – Away vs Fatima, Taca da Liga
9th –Home vs Penafiel
16th – Away vs Espinho
19th – Home vs Fatima
23rd –Away vs Varzim

17 year old Marcos Molina was good in training, but Sousa and Quaresma weren’t.

The club is now required to make monthly payments of 50k each month to pay for the 12.75M Director loan taken out earlier.

I make an offer to bring in Adolfo Serron, a Uruguayan middie, but it would take the rest of my transfer kitty. I make an offer of 125k for Michael Frimpong of Ghana.

Nicholas Rodriguez signs with us. That gives us 3 Uruguayans in defense, and another in attack.

Frimpong agrees in deal to the contract we offered.

We have sold 30k season tickets this year, a drop from the 37k last year.

I bring DC Wallace and DC Claison together for a mentor/mentee matchup. Also, Javier Cabrera with Pedro Quaresma, GK Lung Jr with GK Herlein, DC Maximiliano Olivera with DL Diogo, DR Carlos Rodriguez with DR Cunha.

[Brian Swartz]

I dream of the day where I have to worry about my season tickets declining to 30k. I'm looking forward to seeing how this first year goes, quite the shakeup and I'm wondering how long it'll take to form chemistry in the squad.

[Abe Sargent]

I think the good thing is that we are so far above the talent level of the league that we'll blow people out of the water quickly enough to get chemistry automatically, if that makes sense. Plus I have a lot of groups - 4 Uruguayans, people from Nacional that played there together, the young African stars in the middle, all roughly the same age, playing in the Olympics. Even the Romanian duo. I think we'll be fine. But one bad apple, eh?

I tried to steer clear of any players with bad personalities or scouting reports for things like being problems with the squad or professionalism or red cards and such. The one exception is the injury problems of Vinny Cutchey.

For example, my worst starter, DC Wallace, who I inherited and made captain, is still better than most DCs in the Seconda Liga. My Uruguayan defenders are solid, and could be there for my team in the next level up and be a bot better than the Belenenses or Vitoria Setubal like teams. And I have players with upsides that resemble Lucas Castro coming in next year (that Paraguyan is sexy, you'll love him) or great contributors. Cutchey is as good now as Marin Komorski was for me (er...Essex...) with Nacional - although Komorski had room to grow. And my three middle Africans all have strong room to grow - I'm particularly excited to see Khumalo develop at the DM role. Diallo and Williams both offer nice stuff.

Because of the talent level being so much higher (we were rejected by tons of players, but I still found enough with our reputation and, to be fair, our wallet - we spend more on salary than anyone else in this league by far) we're dangerious.


And I think that will lead to being successful immediately, which int run will keep everyone happy.

[Abe Sargent]

I just looked it up and we are spending roughly FOUR TIMES as much on salary as the next team, Olhanense.

We are spending roughly FIFTEEN TIMES as much as the salary of the lowest team, Real.

[Abe Sargent]

Now it’s time to look at my (final?) squad!


I spent days to assemble this. Here are my results:


GK Silviu Lung Jr, 31, Ambitious, Romania, 5 caps, speaks Romanian, French, Hungarian, English. Played for a lot of clubs in his day, mostly in Romania, save for a two year stint in Austria. Signed for 2 years, at 6k/month, worth 325k. Vice-captain. He is a very strong GK For this level.

Some of his key stats include 14 aerial, 20 command of area, 15 communication, 14 reflexes and 13 one on ones. His ball distribution is adequate – 11 kick, 14 throw, with a 8 eccentricity, 13 handling, and such. Good technical GK skills.

And for physical, about as good as you’d expect for the age. 9, 14, 11, 17, 15, 10, 11, 17 Keys there are a very high jumping reach and strength, plus a solid agility.

Mental?? 16 anticipation, 15 decisions, 14 leadership, composure, 13 concentration, teamwork, etc.

Silviu Lung Jr is a good, solid, reliable GK, who I can take with me up to the next level if needed, without any regret.

Welcome to Lisbon!!!

http://estv.ro/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/1367-314921-silviu_lung_jr.jpg

[Abe Sargent]

GK Joao Costa, 24, Portugal, Balanced, speaks Portuguese, Spanish. Came through Porto’s youth ranks. Then placed for Gil Vicente as a backup, youth guy. Never left Portugal, not even on a loan, and he still won’t! Signed for two years, rotation, 1.2k, worth 29k. Decent enough backup for us.


Some of his key GK stats include 15 Command and Communication, 12 Reflexes, Aeriel, 10 one one ones, and 14 handling throwing. Just a 5 eccentricity. Worst stat on GK side of things? 10 1:1s.

For physical, he’s 10, 14, 12, 14, 12, 5, 5, 11. Yup, just a 4 in pace and stamina. Not that important here though. 14 Agi and J Reach are solid enough though.

Mentals are poor. 13 brave, 12 position, determination, 11 concentration, and everything else is in the single digits!

You can so a nice job just by being an emergency dinghy, pulled only when absolutely necessary.

http://www.zerozero.pt/img/jogadores/30/167630_andorinha.jpg

[Abe Sargent]

D RC Carlos Rodriguez, 30, Balanced, Uruguay, Speaks Spanish. 2.6k/week, for 2 years, 61k value, key player. Came through the Danubio ranks in Uruguay, and then spent 10 seasons at Miramar Misiones there, and was just allowed to leave. Uruguay’s loss is our gain!

Technical? How about a 17 heading, 12 mark, 11 tack and 11 pass? That’s with a 12 technique, and 17 first touch. 9 cross if I want to slide him there. Not too bad.

Physical? 9, 15, 17, 14, 14, 13, 8, 11. So he has a 14 jump and a 9/13 speed (acceleration/pace). That’s with an 11 strength, which is a bit light for me.

Mental? That’s good. 17 aggression, 14 anticipation, and then a bunch of 13s and 12s. 11 is off the Ball, Decisions, and that’s in in stats that matter (I assume Flair, for example, does not matter – it’s a 7 if you care…).

So he‘s learned from the game, and has great heading capability. The rest is suitable for this level. He’ll drop off quickly, and he’s really just a short team answer for me.

The Uruguayan Invasion has Begun!

http://static.transfermarkt.net/bilder/spielerfotos/s_125510_1306_2009_1.jpg

[Abe Sargent]

D R (CL a bit too) Nicolas Rodriguez, 28, Determined, Uruguay, Speaks Spanish. Came through the Wanderers club in Uruguay and moved to Cerro Largo FC where he’s been ever since as well. 3.7k/week, 165k value, 2 year deal, key player.


Here’s why I like Nick. Let’s do the technical attributes, in order, from corners to technique:

13, 14, 14, 11, 14, 15, 18, 13, 15, 12, 13, 11, 12, 14 – This includes a 14 cross and a 13 pass, an 18 heading, 12 mark and 12 tackle. That’s pretty well rounded technically!

Mental?

13, 12, 11, 11, 12, 13, 13, 18, 12, 3, 14, 13, 13, 12 – The 3 is in leadership. Everything else is at least an 11. Good solid stuff.

Physical?

12, 14, 12, 11, 15, 14, 14, 12

Again, not that bad. 12/14 speed, 11 jump reach, and so forth. There’s a lot here to recommend – he has no weak spots at all. Just one skill, leadership, is below an 11.

I think you can see why I decided to grab him. He is very consistent. If needed, I can keep him longer, and I can also upend him too, based on what happens if we get promoted. I’m already beginning training for the DC role.

Join your fellow Rodriguez!

http://www.tenfield.com.uy/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Rodriguez-Nicolas.jpg

[Abe Sargent]

D LC Maximiliano Olivera, 28, Uruguay, Ambitious, Speaks Spanish. 7.25k/week, key player. 2 years, 185k. Played for Wanderers his whole life. He came through that club in the 2008-2009 season, and Nicholas Rodriguez came through a season later in 2009-2010. They were on the youth squad together! Welcome back to Lisbon!

Technique – 15, 13, 14, 8, 14, 12, 14, 11, 13, 14, 14, 7, 13, 15 – Low ratings in finishing and set pieces. Strong elsewhere.

Mental -- 14, 12, 12, 12, 12, 12, 13, 15, 13, 13, 14, 14, 15, 13 – Everything at 12+ - I’m a fan!

Physical – 13, 14, 14, 13, 5, 14, 15, 13 – Just a 5 fitness, but 13 everywhere include and a 13/14 speed.


Again, we have a solid, well rounded guy securing the fullback spot for me, and can slide over to DC if needed. He could also prove solid if needed in the next level, but is not so good that I have to p;lay him – I’m not wedded to him one way or the other.


Join your countrymen!

http://www.tenfield.com.uy/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/Olivera-Maximiliano3.jpg

[Abe Sargent]

DR Domingos Cunha. 19, Portugal, Speaks Portuguese, Spanish, basic Romanian, , Fairly Professional. Hot prospect, 2 years, 1.7k/week, 35.5k value. Came through 2014-2015 class at Nacional da Madeira. We let him go, and he traveled all around, including a spell in Romania. We picked him up at the trial day. That was the same class as Joao Luis Rodrigues came through, a guy who is now the best player in Europe. When your competition is the best player in Europe, and is also a fullback, it’s hard to shine. It’s no surprise that Cunha didn’t flag us there. This is an opportunity to help out, and I trained him a lot, so we know each other. He’s just a youth guy, just a sub guy, but he’s my guy.

The good stuff? 13 marking, 14 tackling, 12/14 speed, 16 stamina, work rate, and leadership, 14 anticipation, 13 position.

Now, the many bad things? 7 cross, 7 pass. 9 heading. 7 jumping reach. 7 dribbling. 9 technique. 6 determination. So, he’s very hot and cold, well, rather warm and cold. But, he gives us depth and someone I know.

So let’s give you another spell!



DL Fernando Diogo, 20, Portugal, Balanced, Speaks Portuguese. 1.1k/week, 2 years, 42k, hot prospect. Was a player here at Sporting for a while, and is from Lisbon. He was allowed to leave a month ago from the Sporting B team, played in the trial day, and I liked him enough to sign him under me. So he’s been with us forever.

Now, he’s not a very good player. In fact, he’s worse than Cunha. Here I’ll show you.

Strengths? 14 tack, 12 mark, 11 head, 13 anticipation, determination, 12 position, 11 work rate, and every physical state is a 10, 12, 13 or 14, save for jumping at 2.

Weaknesses? 5 cross. 9 pass. 7 decisions. 5 dribble. 7 technique.

So yeah, not a good player. But when in need…


Rejoin us!

[Abe Sargent]

DM , MC Mandla Khumalo, 19, South Africa, Fairly Professional, Speaks English. We purchased him for 425k from FC Twente. Worth 725k, 7k/week, for two years. He was originally in the Jomo Cosmos club in South Africa, then signed by the Dutch team, who loaned him to Siena, when James Essex gave me this tip, and said the South African side thought he might be a starter in a few years.

You’ll see why he impressed here in a moment…

Technique –

10, 11, 9, 9, 15, 7, 13, 9, 5, 12, 13, 11, 14, 16 – So that’s a nice 16 technique and 15 first touch. 13 pass with 13 head, 14 tack, and 12 mark. Good stuff for a guy this young.


Mental –

14, 14, 6, 9, 12, 9, 14, 13, 5, 11, 11, 13, 10, 13 – Again, not that bad at all, and with a lot of room to grow.


Physical – 14, 16, 16, 11, 12, 15, 16, 12 – 16 stamina is useful for this role, and the rest is strong. 14/15 speed is great here.


With room to grow, Khumalo clocks in with a 4.5 star review. This player has the best chance to be with us five years from now hitting the top of the Liga each year, at least of those signed.

[Abe Sargent]

AMC/ MC Francis Williams, 20, Ambitious, Nigeria, Speaks English. 1.6k/week, first team, 2 years, 65k. Spent whole career at Kwara United, then allowed to leave.

Technique – 13, 12, 15, 13, 14, 12, 11, 14, 8, 9, 13, 12, 6, 16 – The low numbers are defensive ones. 13 pass, 16 technique, 15 dribble, 13 finish, 14 long shots, 14 1st touch, and so forth.

Mental – 13, 9, 8, 12, 13, 8, 10, 16, 14, 14, 10, 14 – 16 determination, 14 in goods like flair, work rate, off the ball and positioning,


Physical – 17, 16, 11, 12, 11, 16, 12, 15 – Yes, that’s a 17/16 speed, baby!

With his speed, agility, strength, and technical skills and mental acuity, this could be a really great AMC
for us, even at the next level as he grows. He’s good now though! My staff recommend a shadow striker role.

[Abe Sargent]

MC, AMC Kouassi Diallo, 20, Ivory Coast, Fairly Ambitious, Speaks French, English. 7.25k/week, 2 years, 210k value, 2 caps at senior level. Played at Stade d’Abidjan and then Aalesund in Norway found him and brought him in two years ago. They let his contract expire. I brought him in after scouting players on Olympic rosters that were unsigned. He’s good quality stuff with an amazing stat.

Tech?

14, 11, 12, 11, 16, 10, 13, 11, 5, 12, 18, 14, 12, 16 – That is not a typo – 18 passing. 16 first touch and technique too. Good stuff for the middle guy.


Mental?

5, 13, 13, 14, 14, 14, 12, 13, 13, 12, 10, 12, 15 – Yup, that’s a 5 aggression, but it’s all uphill from there.

Physical –

13, 14, 15, 8, 11, 13, 16, 12 – 8 jumping,other than that, he’s fine.

So, in summation, we have another strong player, and someone with a 4 star scout rating that already is in a good place. My staff suggest a box-to-box role or a deep lying role, but they think an advanced playmaker is the best.

[Abe Sargent]

ML, AML – Vinny Cutchey, 22, England, Driven, Speaks English. 1 cap. Get ready to hold onto your butts. 8k/week, for two years, key player, currently worth, 11.5 MILLION EUROs. Not a typo. This was my dues ex Cutchey, if, he stays healthy. If. Get ready.


Technical?

17, 19, 18, 7, 14, 11, 6, 9, 10, 11, 14, 10, 8, 17 – Oh baby! 19 crossing? 18 dribbling? 14 passing? 14 first touch? 17 technique? This guy is zounds crazy! He could start on any squad in Portugal and you’d be happy with him.

Mental?

8, 13, 10, 15, 11, 14, 13, 20, 14, 3, 14, 13, 10, 17 – And here is the sheer work ethic and determination of a guy who played his way back into football after th severe skull injury he sustained. 15 composure, 14 flair, creativity, off the ball, yada yada.

Physical?

18, 15, 13, 2, 16, 16, 13, 11 – 18/16 speed? 16 fitness? 15 agility? Good stuff!


The only holes he has is his relative lack of defensive (although not bad for an attacker), and that fearsome injury bug. If he doesn’t get injured? Holy crap!

Two major long terms questions. Can we keep him? If he stays injury free, I’m sure someone will swoop down and grab him for a ton of money. We just have him for 2 years – I didn’t want to commit more to a guy with a injury history like his. Huge fan of Chelsea and was with them his whole career until let go almost a year ago, and has been away from football since.

He has a 5 star ranking. Can he up his game another level?

[Abe Sargent]

M R, AM RL, ST Javier Cabrera, 28, Uruguay, Fairly Ambitious, Speaks Spanish. 6.5k/week, key player, 2 years, 325k value. Played his whole career for Wanderers too, and also in the 2008-2009 class! So two guys in the same class are with me now, and a third was on their team a year later. Lots of irony there!

I began the campaign with 5 players on my radar. True star potential folks. Only Cabrera signed with me, I lost out on all of the others.

Let’s see why I liked him as an early grab.

Tech – 14, 13, 14, 9, 14, 17, 15, 15, 17, 10, 13, 11, 16, 15

Mental – 10, 16, 9, 9, 9, 11, 11, 12, 13, 4, 15, 15, 13, 11

Physical – 17, 16, 7, 8, 17, 14, 15, 8


Fast, great agility and fitness and stamina. Includes strong technical skills with good defensive ones too (16 tackling, 10 mark), good to great set pieces, 13/13 cross/pass is fine on the wing, and so forth. Now, he can finish well (just a 9) and his mental stats aren’t perfect, but he’s a strong contender.


Join the ex-Wanderer party right here in Lisbon.

http://www.tenfield.com.uy/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/Cabrera-camiseta.jpg

[Abe Sargent]

I’m getting tired of these write ups (about 6-10 minutes each one – takes a long time) so I;’m skipping players already on my team I was expecting to do too – Wallace, Cleison, Vasco Gomes, Pedro Quaresma, and Marcos Molina.


ST Joaquim Sousa, 23, Portugal, Speaks basic English, Greek, Portuguese, Fairly Professional. 6.5k/week, first team, 2 years, 475k value. 5 caps.

In 2013-2014, Joaquim Sousa was a youth player who joined the Nacional ranks under then Manager Essex who signed him soon after to a professional deal. He was in the same class as DC Hernani Costa, one of the stud players we had there. I coached him then extensively, and Essex gave him some early games, at the age of 15. After two years with us, he was sold for 1 mill to Olympiakos, where he played for several years, and was loaned out to clubs in Cyprus. Last summer, Sousa’s contract elapsed, and no one picked him up, and for 11 months he’s been free and unsigned. That was wrong. So I signed him.

Now, he’s totally developed. Sousa is as good as it gets. So get ready for the fully developed player I saw very raw, long long ago.


Phys – 17, 16, 16, 13, 14, 16, 11, 15

Mental – 12, 16, 4, 12, 12, 10, 11, 14, 13, 3, 13, 8, 10, 14

Tech – 15, 7, 14, 15, 11, 10, 12, 11, 10, 9, 12, 13, 5, 12

Fast – 17/16, decently smart, good in front of goal (15) and with some strong skills elsewhere. He;’s not brilliant, blows your eyes out good. But he’s good enough.


Welcome back to Portugal, baby!

[Abe Sargent]

ST / AM RL Ignacio Raul Salinas, 21, USA, Resolute, Speaks English, Spanish. 1.8k/year, rotation, 1 year, 85k. Played his whole life for Columbus in USA, and then was let go. We signed him for a year, and can extend it if needed.


Tech – 6, 9, 13, 12, 12, 5, 13, 10, 7, 3, 8, 4, 6, 12

Mental – 9, 10, 8, 12, 8, 11, 10, 16, 14, 3, 13, 6, 8, 12

Physical – 14, 14, 15, 6, 16, 15,10, 9


Very one dimensional, and needs some development. He’ll have a chanc eot do here ot reach his 4 star potential.



ST / AM LC Sergio Correa, 20, Argentina, Jovial, Speaks Spanish. Signed for rotation, 2k/week, 1 year, 30k value. Played for Nueva Chicago and then was purchased but Estudiantes, and then loaned around Argentina and finally let go, to us. Never played outside of his native country.


Technical – 8, 10, 12, 13, 10, 8, 5, 7, 8, 2, 9, 5, 4, 8

Mental – 14, 8, 8, 8, 6, 10, 8, 15, 11, 12, 8, ,3, 15, 13

Physical – 15, 12, 10, 7, 12, 12, , 8


So, umm…..not amazing or anything. Very, very raw. But this is a level with a lot of games and a lot of chances to play in the Senior Squad. Perhaps Correra can unlock, like a leaf! I have him work on MC, since he can play it, just competently.



And those are our major signings!

[Abe Sargent]

Almost everyone speaks English, Spanish, or Portuguese.

Our wage budget is 96k/week right now.


Now I was expecting a lot of loaners this season to help out, but it wasn’t necessary. We have a team!


Again, for the next month, when I still have a window to sign folks, expect us to bring in some folks here and there on youth contracts. And I’m still offering a deal to Ghanian Michael Frimpong, who would be here after he turns 18. Meanwhile, July 1, expect Arturo Vissasanti, the Paraguyan I signed, to arrive. That’s a year from now, but I wanted to remind you now. He’s a solid MC/DM/MR guy. I see him as a better long term MC for me than the Kouassi Diallo, who is more of an attacking presence, where Villasanti is more well rounded. Perhaps even a future box-to-box guy. Villasanti also has a 5 star scout review. So we’re looking forward to him joining us next year!

In fact, our scout in Paraguay has found another, unsigned guy. I take a closer look. Carlos Centurion, 18, plays MR, not a bad guy either. I may bring him in too. Great name too!


The Trofense game is here. The next game in the Taca da Liga group. Gomes finds Williams for goal in the 33rd. Half time. I sub in Cleison and Correa early on. Fullback Nicholas Rodriguez finds MR Cabrera down the box and Cabrera shoots, pushed aside, and shoots again and puts it away in the 75th. Quaresma heads in. Cabrera crosses to Sousa for a goal late in the 87th. We win 3-0. MoM is Javier Cabrera. Good win!

[Abe Sargent]

There’s a USA player at the AMC, MC, MR spots, Steve Taylor, 18, not bad and with a 4.5 star potential. I make him an offer to come back to a club.

I hand out rests to prepare for the Fatima Taca match.

Ghanaian Michael Frimpong joins us, and will arrive in July 1, 2021. Meanwhile, Steve Taylor joins us…


MRC, AMC Steve Taylor, 18, USA, Fairly Loyal, Speaks Spanish, English. Was a youth player for Portland, and contract expired, and he was sitting all nice and free. We found him when one of my coaches, in our biweekly meeting a few days ago, listed him as a way to add depth to the squad in the midfield. I scouted him and liked the result. 2.5k/week, 80k value, 2 year deal, rotation (we’ll move to hot prospect soon). 4.5 star scouting review.

Tech – 11, 11, 10, 8, 12, 9, 8, 23, 7, 10, 13, 11, 8, 16

Mental – 13, 11, 8, 12, 11, 13, 13, 14, 9, 13, 13, 7, 11, 13

Physical – 12, 13, 14, 10, 10, 11, 17, 13

So some weaknesses – just 12/11 speed, and such, and some strengths too. We’ll work him in occasionally into the lineup. I want to solidfy him as a AMC so I have him work on that spot for now. I want him as an ML eventually, to flesh out the places we can roll with him on the pitch.

[Abe Sargent]

The Fatima match is here, and we have arrives in our away kits, all striped with green. My team is getting tired quickly, so I edge back to counter. Cabrera grabs a booking in the 31st. Olivera does in the 35th too. We play some aggressive ball late, and….no score. Then they grab a goal in injury time and we are down 1-0 at the half. Then we give away a PK a few seconds later and in a flash we are down 2-0. Half time. Where is your passion??? Nathan Rodriguez grabs a booking early in the 2nd. Gomes is rocked, physically, and I pull him for Claudiu Neacsu. They say Gomes gave away a penalty before he comes off off a corner. They miss that PK as GK Lung Jr pushes it aside. Still 0-2 them. I sub in FB Cunha for Olivera, and order us to push forward hard. Control, higher tempo, etc. Cabrera lofts a corner to Carlos Rodrigues who heads it in the 68th. Yes. That;s our path back in. I move Neacsu to an AMC role to give us more attackers. I move Williams to a shadow striker. Cleison heads in for Wallace. Sousa gets the ball from Neacsu, holds it while Williams attacks, and hits him for a score in the 86th. Full time, tie 2-2. That’s the sort of match we should be winning, but congrats on your qualification.


Vitoria Guimaraes have made an enquiry to transfer in 15 year old GK Renato Amado. Ok, let’s see what you are willing to pay… 115k? Sold.


Nacional da Madeira won the Supertaca with a 1-0 victory over Porto. Their 4th victory in a row. This idiot of a manager put Driussi on the MC spot, and moved to a 4-5-1 formation, with striker Junior Barrios on the AML spot? Odd. There is no excuse for ever not having Rocker in the starting 11 if healthy and in a Cup sort of play.


Amado leaves and we are 115k richer.

[Abe Sargent]

Hmmm….

Did you know?

Nacional GK Fabian Ruiz is now Portuguese

Luis Carlos, who was once offered 5m to head to Man Utd (but couldn’t agree to a deal) is now for sale for just 190k from Nacional? I

I order a scout to check him out – would he be willing to come here? What for?

I have some shopping cash after selling Amado.


In the meantime, let’s open the season against Penafiel. I begin standard with no changes, since we’re here in Lisbon in front of 30,000 screaming fans. Football the way it was meant to be played in Portugal!!! Cabrera finds Wallace for a corner goal score. Considering the lethality of my corner takers, expect that a lot. They equalize a handful of minutes later. Williams intercepts the ball to jumpstart a counter, hits Sousa and Sousa scores in the 27th. Then Sousa is injured and I sent in ST Ignacio Raul Salinas. Named after St. Ignatius. Cutchery hits the good Saint for a score in the 33rd. Nice cross and nice movement to spring open past the defense. Cutchery picks up a knock. I pull him due to injury concerns. Quaresma heads in. There’s some heavy irony in pulling him in the first league game! 3-1 at the half. Retain possession, work ball into box. I sub in Neacsu for Gomes. Cabrera to Marcos Molina, at the DM spot, for a score off a corner in the 81st. We win 4-1. A nice cruise. MOM is Javier Cabrera. Very pleased!

Injuries after?

Vinny Cutchey has a bruised shin and is out for 5-6 days

Sousa injured his arm and will be out 10 days.

I’ll start Inacio Raul Salinas and either Quaresma or Steve Taylor or someone.

Unfortunately, Luis Carlos is not interested in joining us. I make an offer anyway, just to make sure.

Our attendance today broke the 2nd league record. Get ready for a lot of that!

[Abe Sargent]

Nah, the Luis Carlos thing falls through – Nacional accepted our offer, but nope. Sometimes they say no, but you can convince them with cash. No option here though…


In a Testimonial match for a famous Porto player (Maicon) who also played for Nacional, Nacional won 2-0.

The South Africa Olympics squad qualified for the Quarter Finals,, with victories over the USA – 3-1, Qatar, 3-0, and loss to Japan 1-2, USA also got out of the group, but RSA won it.

Ivory Coast made in through too, and they play South Africa, so one of my senior squad players will make it to the Semis!

A 3.4 Mill offer to Nacional player Sergio de Sousa Ines is accepted from Athletico Mineiro. Accepted and he agrees.

I loan a few of our youth folks.

South Africa cruised to a 3-0 victory over the Ivorians. Diallo played the whole game and had a good game in the loss. He’ll return and needs a big ol’ rest. I order a week for him of resting.


Cutchey just got back from his injury, but I keep him out of the lineup for today’s game against Espinho. Quaresma starts instead. I begin with counter since I have 4 players in my starting line up not on the pitch (Sousa, Diallo, Cutchey, Khumalo). It takes a while, but Salinas finds Cabrera on the right wing and then attacks, is given the ball back from a nice cross, and scores in the 36th. Half. DO even better!!! I sub in new US signee Steve Taylor for Willaims, and then I swap him with Javier Cabrera. ST/AMC Correa heads in for Gomes and DL Diogo for DL Olivera. We win, MOM is Salinas. I’ll take a 1-0 win on the road any time.

[Abe Sargent]

GK Henry Castellon, Honduras, now formerly of Nacional, signed for 15.25 mill to Napoli.

South Africa play against Mexico in the Olympics Semi Final. They just win, 2-1 in extra time. It was a very close match.

The Final is in three days against…gulp…Argentina. Argentina took out USA and Brazil to make the finals.


Cutchey is starting for our Fatima match. Neacsu is starting in the middle for a tired Gomes. We are here in Lisbon, so let’s not get too crazy with the mentality or instructions. We’re fine for now. Salinas almost has a counter score in the 4th. Marcos Molina, at the DM, gets a booking. I ease to tighter marking and working the ball into the box in the 30s. Half time of a quiet 0-0. I pull Molina in the 60th after an attacking 15 minutes he didn’t play any part in. Gomes heads in for him. Correa heads in for an underperforming Salinas. Cunha in for N Rodriguez at the DR< and I tell my folks to push forward a bit in the last 10 minutes. Carlos Rod gets a card. Boring 0-0 draw. That wasn;t good enough!!!


South Africa lost to Argentina 3-1 to get the Silver in the 2020 Olympics.

I ask that Khumalo be just played for 45 minutes a game in the next three games they have for the U20 squad.


Diallo will begin in the middle for us today. Sousa is back from injury too, and starts in our away match at Varzim. Sousa score sin the 15th after DR Nicholas Rodriguez crosses it into the box for him. I ease to countering. Cabrera crosses the ball, its tipped up by the Gk and Williams hits the rebound, in the 43rd. 2-0 at the half. I sub in – Gomes for Molina, Cleison for Carlos Rod. Cabrera hits a DFK into the net 73rd. I sub in Steve Taylor for him. N Rodriguez gives away possession too easily and a counter hits and beats Jung Jr for a consolation goal in the 89th. Game -= 3-1 us. MOM is Javier Cabrera. Good win.


Cabrera keeps showing his talent.

[Abe Sargent]

Did you know that?

Real Madrid fell a bit on the Spanish league charts last year and finished one spot out of the Champions Cup. And now 35 year old Cristiano Ronaldo is transfer listed by request to play with a team that is in the Cup.


Transfer deadline in a week. Anyone I want to sign?

I take one more look around unsigned folks. Sometimes you can find some talent that originally ignored you but now is interested since they went unsigned for a while. (I once brought Michael Owens onto my Crewe team that way.)

Nah, we look good.

Any more solid youthers to bring in?

An agent offered us a player, Czech, 18, without a club the next day. Vit Dudka. Now others clubs want him too. Played for Slavia and then Sparta Prague. 4 star future 3.5 star current. Plays ML and AML. He has some amazing mental stats – 20 teamwork, 17 work rate, determination, flair, 16 composure. Slower, needs some development, not a star. He also can’t speak any of my three major languages (English, Portuguese, Spanish) or even French or Romanian. Czech and Slovak. If I made him an offer, could I find someone else to help, language wise? What is nice is he can play ML for when I have an injured Cutchey. I can development him on my youth squad elsewise.

Yup, 19 year old Slovakian unsigned youth Karol Dobias, who can also speak Czech, English and Croatian. He’s got a a solid scout report, weak now but 4.5 stars future. I make both an offer.


Dudka signs. I’ll show you him after I sign Dobias too.



Nacional da Madeira won the European Super Cup after defeating Hamburger SV 2-0. Joao Luis Rodrigues, the best player in Europe, was MOM with a goal.

We get Aves in to the next round of the Taca da Liga

[Abe Sargent]

For today’s match against Naval I have put Vit Dudka on the bench to come in if needed instead of Quaresma. Naval have green stripes, so we have purple/lilac-y kits. Because he fouled a defender, a goal by Williams is called off in the 25th. Cutchey lofts a brilliantly nasty ball to Williams, who is tackled right in front of the GK. Sousa puts it away. Another Cutchey cross to Sousa is shot and pushed aside barely a few minutes later. Cutchey is taking over this match – he just did it again in the 38th. Does it again in the 39th and hits Williams for a score. Reminds of how sometimes Joao Luis Rodrigues just sometimes got the ball and the rest of the pitch would just freeze while he moved around. Same thing. Keep it going! I pull back to counter, and retain possession. In the MC role, Diallo intercepts the ball, flings it to Sousa on an attacking run, slide sit to Williams for a goal in the 52nd. I sub in Vit Dudka for Cutchey and Salinas for Sousa. Cabrera sinks a DFK in the 65th. In the 68th minute, an odd duck of a cross for Vit Dudka is weirdly on target and the GK is out of position and he scores on his debut. Molina intercepts the ball, finds Williams, who shoots but the ball recoils off the bar right to Salinas who finishes oit in the 69th. Disallowed for offsides. After Carlos Rod gets a yellow, I yank him for Cleison. They get a DFK too in the 81st. Cabrera crosses to Salinas, the defense gets in the way but Salinas gets on it anyway and scores. We win 6-1. MOM is AMC Francis Williams.


Dobias signs with us.

[Abe Sargent]

Let’s look at these two folks:

AMR, MRL Karol Dobias, 19, Slovakia, Speaks Czech, Slovak, Croatian, basic English, 4.5 star review, Balanced. Joined Kosice as a youth player, and then moved to Dinamo for a 475k deal, and then loaned to Sparta Prague for a few months, was never played, and returned to Dinamo, and again, never played. Just let go from Dinamo, and just turned 19 two weeks ago. Very raw:


Technical – 9, 14, 12, 12, 17, 11, 11, 12, 8, 6, 8, 7, 6, 12

Mental – 9, 11, 10, 12, 10, 12, 8, 9, 12, 7, 13, 7, 14, 16

Physical – 11, 8, 8, 6, 13, 12, 13, 9


Not exactly commanding here. 14 cross is adequate, but just an 8 passing? I wouldn’t have signed him unless he was here for Dudka.


1.8k/week for 2 years



AM L, ML Vit Dudka, 18, Czech, Fairly Determined, 2k/week, 2 year deal, Speaks Czech, Slovak. Supporter of Sparta Prague but was not brought into their system – came in through in city rival Slavia Prague instead, and played a bit here and there – 20 league games in a few years. Then brought to Sparta on a Trial a few weeks ago, but Sparta didn’t; like him enough to keep him. So we brought him in here. Get ready for the best mental youth player I’ve ever seen this early on…

Technical – 11, 13, 11, 15, 14, 16, 9, 13, 8, 9, 10, 11, 14 – So, 13/10 cross pass, and wastes that 16 in a set piece. 15 finishing and 13 long shots is interesting. I’m working on training him as a MR too.

Physical – 10, 12, 13, 11, 14, 12, 18, 12 – Yep, not that fast – just 10/12 speed. That’s alright….

Mental – 9, 15, 13, 16, 14, 13, 14, 17, 17, 13, 13, 13, 20, 17

That’s just crazy. He’ll be an amazing captain someday. At 18, he’s that good Mentally? That’s better, already, that some of the best players in the game at their best. If he gets better, watch out. Except for a 9 in aggression, he’s 13 in everything at least. 20 team work? 17 flair, determination, work rate? 16 composure? 15 anticipation? This guy has a great understanding of the game. If we can get that technical/physical up, and he naturally gets better

I have him working on his passing.


Nacional da Madeira purchased some more players on Aug 31st, and then sold DC Stefan Strandberg for 4.8 Mill to Real Betis. The Norweigan international was with us for 5 of Essex’s 7 seasons in Madeira and seeing him leave is sad after 5 straight years of amazing performances being vice captain, and 7.00+ ratings every season. (7.05, 7.16, 7.25, 7.56 and 7.75 in order, and a 7.35 so far this year).

[Abe Sargent]

September, 2020

6th – Home vs Uniao Madeira
13th – Home vs Trofense
16th – Away vs Real
20th – Away vs Boavista
23rd – Home vs Aves, Taca da Liga
27th – Home vs Olhanense
30th – Home vs Beira-Mar


Good training – Khumalo, Correra, Williams. Bad? Wallace and Oliveera

Joao Luis Rodrigues won Liga Player of the Month, fyi

Javier Cabrera came in 2nd for 2nd League Player of the Month

I won Manager of the Month – in my first month ever as a Manager!


Cabrera was the only one of my Big Five targets we brought in, but he’s been good for us so far!


We draw Amora for the Taca da Portugal and we will play on the 20th of September against them


South Africa defeated Niger in a closer game than anticipated 1-0 for the first game in their African Cup of Nations Qualification campaign.


For today’s match against Uniao da Madeira, Sousa, Dudka, Taylor, Khumalo, Quaresma, Dobias and Neascu are all out in international matches. Salinas starts. Here we go!!! Wallace with an early yellow. We get pressure in the rain in the late 20s and early 30s. But alas, no scores. Half. Another rgreat attack in the 48th turned aside. Finally, Carlos Rod scores in the 50th when Salinas collects the ball after bouncing out in a corner kick and feeds the in the box Rodriguez. I pull Wallace for DL Diogo and then swap him with Olivera. Correa heads in for an underwhelming Williams. Then Gomes for Diallo. They score in the 83rd but it was offside. Salinas gets a huge goal kick in the 88th and scores. Assist to Lung Jr baby! We win 2-0, MOM is Salinas with an assist and a goal.

[Abe Sargent]

Joaquim Sousa was on the Portuguese squad today, in their 6-3 clobbering of Bulgaria in WC QUals, and starters included Rui Pereira, Hernani Costa, Joao Luis Rodrigues, and Joao Aurelio, all players for Nacional. Marico Sousa, another youth prospect, was on the sub list too.


South Africa defeated The Congo for the 2nd game of the Cup of Nations Q;s 1-0 as well. It’s a tougher group with DRC< C, and Niger in it.

Wallace is injured in training for a month.


The Trofense game is here. Cleison starts for Wallace. Sousa is back in front. For the first time, ever, Khumalo will be in the DM spot for us. I move Vasco Gomes down to the U19 squad. I don’t expect him for a bit. They score in the first 25 seconds. Annoying. Half. I slide to controlling. I sub in Taylor and Cunha for Cleison and Williams. Cabrera finds Sousa in the 66th. Khumalo steals the ball from an opponents, finds Sousa with a nasty ball behind the defense, the GK comes out and Sousa loops the ball over the GK and into goal. 69th minute score baby. Back to standard. Final sub – Dudka in for Cutchey. Sousa finds Diallo for a score in the 83rd. We win 3-1, MOM is Joaquim Sousa. Good come back!

Khumalo had a strong performance too. Very Hojbjerg ish, for this level of course.

[Abe Sargent]

Away against Real. We are on the road, so let’s not suck folks! No early goals this time, so that’s a start. Cabrera crosses to Sousa for a score in the 23rd, and they counter for a score in the 33rd. Nicholas Rodriguez finds Sousa for another score in the 36th. Half. Capable of even better! Sousa nets hit hat trick in the 50th from a Diallo pass lifted after a goal kick arrived at him. I pull Sousa for Correra. Next swap is Karol Dobias, our Slovakian signee for Cabrera. Two minutes later Cutchey gets injured and I send in Steve Taylor and just swap him and Dobias on the pitch. We win 3-1. Again. Mom is Sousa. Again.


I love headlines with both Sousas involved my star Striker and myself, such as “Sousa pleased with the Sousa Show!”


Salinas gets food poisoning and will miss the Taca match on the 20th. Lung Jr does too.


Joao Costa will start in the goal today. I begin countering since we are on the road without my normal GK. Cutchey launches a corner, Carlos Rodriguez is tackled, and Cabrera takes out the trash for a goal. Sousa with a spectacular effort in the 43rd! Are you kidding me? Picks up a Cabrera pass just past the half mark, jukes backwards and around two defenders, spins, drives, and scores a goal all by hi lonesome. Nasty stuff! Half. Keep it up! And retain possession too…. They foul Williams hard and Cabrera sinks the DFK. I have to pull Williams and send in Neacsu. Cutchey with a lovely cross to Sousa and we are 4-0. Korel Dobias in for Cutchey. Cabrera shot another on target DFK but it was blocked, preventing his hat trick! They get a lovely counter attack in the 70th and score. Our final sub is Correra for Sousa – want to rest him for the next game. Nick Rod hit Cabrera for a nice shot in the 83rd but it was off target. We win 4-1 on the road. MOM is Cabrera.

[Abe Sargent]

Home against Aves, this is the first time this season our team has not been favorites in any match. I think we can beat the Liga club in the Taca match. Aves isn’t exactly a powerhouse of Portuguese football. Lung Jr is back. Cunha starts in the DR spot and Cleison is on the bench – Nicky Rod is in the DC spot. They push forward a lot early, so I slide to counter. Olivera gives away a penalty in the 5th minute and they score. Then Carlos Rod hits paydirt a few minutes later off a Cabreran corner. Cutchey finds Williams, who slides the ball to an attacking Diallo who scores in the 45th. 2-1 us at the half. Cutchey kicks a corner to Khumalo in the 59th for a score. Lung Jr got a yellow? I sub in Marcos Molina for Williams and swap him with Diallo. Cutchey scores after the ball falls loose in a bus y corner kick to him. I sub him out for Dudka. Correa heads in for Diallo. Before his leaves, Diallo finds Molina for a final score in the 82nd They notch another goal in injury time. We win 5-2. MOM is Cutchey.


We have a second leg at Aves late,r but that sets us up nicely.

[Abe Sargent]

ML/AML for Nacional Luis Carlos agrees to a three year deal.


For today’s match vs Olhanense, Cleison is back in the DC spot. Cabrera’s corner is an OG for their GK in the 4th. Cutchey picks up a knock in the 10th and I sub in Quaresma. Olhanense have picked this thing up. Lots of pressure for a while now. They finally break us open in the 42nd, but it was called offisdes, but suspicion that was a false call. Room for improvement! I ease back to counter. Blast our attacks are getting pushed away from all over! They score in the 69th. Alright, I’m done protecting a goal I didn’t even score. I push. HARD. I sub in Dudka and Diogo. Olivera gets a yellow. Nothing. Tie 1-1. Tha wasn’t good enough!!!


Cutchey is out for a week with a bruised shin. Vit Dudka will start for him today against Beira-Mar, which is one of the top teams in the division. Cabrera finds AMC Francis Williams who dodges a tackler and shots from the line and gets a score in the 30s. Nicky Rod crosses to Williams for a score in stoppage time. 2-0 us at the half. Lung Jr pushes away show shots early on. Quaresma for Dudka. Diogo in for Carlos Rod. Salinas in for Sousa. They score in the 88th. Poor GK pass led to it. We win 2-1. Francis Williams is MOM. Bit of a let off!

[Abe Sargent]

October

4th – Away at Chaves
7th – Away at Boavista
11th – Home vs Estoril
14th – Away vs Freamunde
18th – Away vs Mirandela, Taca da Portugal
21st – Home vs Atletico CP
25th – Away vs Oliveirense
28th – Away vs Aves, Taca da Liga, 2nd Leg

Good training? Quaresma, Molina, Tayler. Bad? Williams, Lung Jr and Dobias

Andreas Rocker was Player of the Month for Nacional in Liga

I won Manager of the Month


Wallace has returned from his injury and is just ready for today’s match, but he’s knackered, so I’ll rest him for this game and leave in Cleison. This is also the last game Cutchey should miss. And he’ll make the Boavista match in a triad of days. Lung Jr breaks up a few early shots. I slide to counter to prepare to face a bit more pressure. Quiet half after that – 0-0. We can still win this!!! Sousa hits Dudka on a counter attack for a goal at the 47:05 mark. Taylor heads in for Diallo. Correa in for Williams. We’ve had two goals waved offside in the 60s. Salinas finds a place to come in for Sousa. Game. We win 1-0. MOM is Vit Dudka.

With 11 games, and a 9-2-0 record we are in first place of the Secunda Liga.

The league had about 3 or 4 teams that dominate each year and have chances to get promoted. They dominate with better players, tactics, and money.

[Abe Sargent]

I keep bringing in a few youthers on trails as their agents bring them to my attention.

I make an offer for 875k for Cristiano Ronaldo, which is accepted, but he doesn’t; want to sign with us.


We arrive at Boavista. Jung Jr launches a deep GK and Williams heads it in for a goal in the 5th. Sousa nails paydirt two minutes later with a lovely assist by Diallo to spring him. They hit a DFK in the 36th to scratch one back. Then again in the 38th. They turn aside a few of our attacks. Then Cutchey hits Carlos Rodriguez on a corner kick in stoppage time. 3-2 half, us. Played well, but room to get better! Cabrera shot deadly, stopped, and before Williams pounces on it a DC accidentally falls on the ball and it rolls in for an OG> I sub in Cunha for Carlos Rod and Neacsu for Francis Williams. They hit with suspicions of offside in the 77th. Marcos Molina heads in for Khumalo. Neascu picked up a knock late but I can’t sub him out – just have to hope he’ll be alright. We hold and win 4-3. Close. MOM was Williams.

Neascu is just out for a few days with a dead leg.

Khumalo and Diallo are jaded and in need of some resting. I order both to get a week of resting.

[Abe Sargent]

Our 18 games without a loss is a new record for Sporting. The 14 assists for Javier Cabrera is too. Get ready for a lot more records falling this season!

South Africa won 2-0 against Dem. Rep of Congo in Cup Quals.

Albania beat Portugal in World Cup Quals. Joao Luis Rodrigues was still MOM though.


For salary, we are currently at 103k out of 116k. With 272k in my kitty.

One of my trialists is solid and I was to make him an offer but he wants way too much cash.


Neascu and Molina are starting for Diallo and Khumalo in today’s match vs Estoril. For international stuff, Sousa is out for Ignacio Salinas too. Quiet half and then they foul Cutchey in the box and Williams steps up and sinks the PK. Goal in the 28th. 1-0 at the half. Not bad thus far. Williams has an amazing pass to spring open Salinas in the box but he can’t keep the shot from going in. I sub in Diogo for a tired Olivera on the DL side of thangs. I sub in Correra for Neacsu, and then swap him with Willaims on the pitch. Cabera launches a corner which s tackled, and bounces into an OG. They bang up Lung Jr so I sub him out for Joao Costa in the 84th. I ease back to counter to protect him. Game – we win 2-0.MOM is Carlos Rodriguez - Good win!!

[Abe Sargent]

South Africa crush Niger 5-1 in Cup Quals


I am rotating in Cunha at DR today for Nicholas Rodriguez to spell him for a game. Freamunde is #2 in the league, so I respect Freamunde to begin countering this match. They get two bookings early on. Neascu feeds Salinas a ball for a score in the 36th after Willaims backpassed him from a lot of pressure around him. Cutchey with a great cross to Salina so make it 2-0 in the 37th. Javier Cabrera nails a DFK in the 39th. 3 goals in four minutes baby!!! Keep it up!!! They score back in the 49th. I sub in Diogo for Olivera, and Dobias for Cabrera. Two nice attacks driven back by Freamunde. Cutchey sets u p an OG in the 83rd and I sub in Correa for Neacsu. Lung Jr pushes away a few attacks late. We win 4-1. MOM is Vinny Cutchey.

Great match, away, against tough competition.


I start Joao Costa for today’s Taca match at Mirandela. Steve Taylor begins in the middle. Quaremsa on the ML. Korel Dobias in for Javier Cabrera on the MR. Here we go! Salinas score sin the 1st minute from a Dobias cross. Williams heads a lovely goal kick to Salinas behind the defense for a score. Carlos Rod picks up a knock and I send in Cleison. One American finds another as Steve Taylor hits Salinas for his hat trick. They bang around Quaresma and I send out Dudka for him a the half. Taylor to Salinas again in the 77th. Correa replaces Salinas. Dobias hits goal in the 86th from a seeking assist by Williams. Correa hits Williams on the counter for a score in the 89th. We win 6-0. Zang! MOM is ST Ignacio Raul Salinas.

[Abe Sargent]

Carlos Rodriguez is out for 10 days with a thigh strain. Cleison starts the next game.

Another trailist I liked won’t sign for cheap enough on a hot prospect deal.

We are matched with Belenenses for the Taca da Portugal 4th Round.


Everyone is back for the match vs Atletico CP (4th in the league) save for Williams, who is resting, and Diallo is rocking the AMC spot with Steve Taylor remaining in the MC. Sousa pounces on a week back-pass to the Gk and scores in the 7th. And that’s our only goal at the half. I sub in Dobias when Cabrera ges a bit banged up. Cunha heads in. Finally, Molina replaces Khumalo. Nicolas Rodriguez gets his first goal of the season when Sousa slides the ball out from the box to him and he strikes the long shot. We win 2-0. MOM is Nick Rod. Good win!

During training Quaresma injured his groin and is out for 2-3 weeks.

[Abe Sargent]

For today’s match against Oliveirense, we are running Marcos Molina at DM. Williams is back to AMC and Cleison is still in DC for the injured Carlos Rod. Williams find Sousa in the 34th. Cabrera is given a lovely deep pass by Nathan Rod that he uses to position himself to assist Sousa for another goal. Keep it up! Cutchey with some lovely runs and balls, but Sousa’s header is off the bar, and they recover the bounced ball and sink a counter in the 45:49. Suddenly this is a game. Use tighter marking, counter, hassle some. They score against in the 52nd. Uh oh. Lung Jr was all he could do to stop a DFK in the 57th. I move Molina to a Defending DM role. I sub in Steve Taylor for Diallo since he;’s a bit more defensive skilled. Another Sousa shot turned aside in the 70th. I sub in Cunha for a banged up and poorly performing Wallace. Game – 2-2 tie/ MOM is Sousa. Not good enough!!


Our final game in October is the away match against Aves in the Taca da Liga. Khumalo starts at DMC, Carlos Rod got back from his injury today, and we’ll keep him out and slide in Cunha and slide Nick Rod over to cover. We have a huge GD so I begin countering. They hit two goals fast and its 0-2 at the half and I get pissed. Then Cabrera launches a long IFK to Sousa who scores, and Cabreera shoots, its pushed back, and shoots again for a score. Aves hits a corner ion the 70s, Then Diallo hits Sousa late in the 89th. And the game is a 3-3 tie. We win 8-5 aggregate.

[Abe Sargent]

November 2020

1st – Home vs Leira
4th – Away vs Porto B Squad
7th – Home vs Belenenses, Taca da Portugal
11th – Away vs Moreirensa
15th – Away at Leixoes
22nd – Home vs Feirense
25th – Away vs Penafiel
29th – Home vs Espinho

Waaaay too many league games.


Good training reports came in from Carlos Rod, Marcos Molina and Claudiu Neacsu.

Francis Williams Goal vs Boavista was Goal of the Month for the Secunda Liga

I won Manager of the Month

I offer a deal to Salinas to extend his contract by a year.


To give some rests out, Carlos Rodriguez is back today, Diogo starts for Olivera, and Tayler for Diallo. It’s 1-1 early on, and then Francis Williams hits Nick Rod on a corner to make it 2-1 late in the 70s. We win 2-1. MOM is Cabrera.

[Abe Sargent]

Salinas reups his deal with us for another year.

For the Porto B game, Salinas is in for Sousa and Steve Taylor for Cabrera, Salinas and Williams have early cores and Porto responds early on. In the 2nd, Carlos Rod is injured and I sub in Cleison. Molina then heads in and Dudka follows. Williams is injured late and I’m playing 10 men. We win 2-1, MOM is Salinas.

Rodriguez is going to be out for 8-10 days with a gashed leg. Williams is not injured, luckily.

Nacional, with two games left, qualified out of the Champions Group Stage.



For today’s Belenenses match, Lung Jr is away on international duty with the Romanian national squad. Due to massive call ups I requested the match on Nov 15 vs Leixoes be rescheduled to Dec 2. The game is underway! Lots of pressure I the 8-12 minute by us, but no score. Diallo lifts it to Cutchey, who shoots on a break away, bu the ball is stopped by the GK and falls to Cabrera attacking on the right flank who finishes it. They foul Cabrera in the 32nd and Sousa steps up and puts away the PK. A counter hits back in the 38th and its 2-1 at the half. Lots of pressure ensued at the end, but Costa stood up. I sub in Sergio Correa for Williams. Cunha in for Nick Rod. Cabrera puts this thang away with a DFK score in the 75th. I send in Dobias. A lot of our shots are turned away in the late 70s. We win 3-1, MOM Is Cabrera.

[Abe Sargent]

My board wants to see us hit the Semi Final of the Taca da Portugal.

For the 5th round of it, we get Chaves

I bring in a Trialist I actually like enough to make an offer to and we agree to a deal. Let’s see if he takes it.

For today’s match against Moreirense, we are staring DM Marcos Molina, MC Steve Taylor, AMC Sergio Correa and both Lung Jr and DC Carlos Rod are back. Molina finds Correa on an attacking run for a score in the 18th. Cutchey picks up a knock and I sub in Quaresma, in his first game back since injury. They score on an IFK in the 3rd, but it was called offside. 1-0 at the half. Cunha spells Olivera at the DL and I swap him and Nicky Rod. Cabera lofts a DFK into goal at the 67th. Salinas replaces Sousa. Correa picks up a knock late. We’ll have to keep just playing him. We win 2-0. MOM is Cabrera.

Correa is out for a week with a bruised shin.

Cutchey is out for a week with a gashed arm

On international duty, Korel Dobias is injured for a week

After losing to Belgium, Portugal have dropped to THIRD PLACE in the World Cup Qualification Section behind Belgium and Israel. That’s with 5 games played.

Meanwhile, South Africa continues to cruise in its Cup of Nations Quals and defeats the DRC again 1-0 on the road.

Our new signee will be joining us on Jan 1. Argentine hot prospect Tomas Cristaldo

[Abe Sargent]

The Fierense match on the 22nd is going to be a Fan Day!

South Africa clean up The Congo 3-0 and sweep the quals for the African Cup of Nations

Group A:

Gambia
Morocco
Senegal
South Africa

That’s doable for the reigning Cup Champions.


Welcome to Fan day! Because of the long hold over, Cutchey is back to healthyness ,and is Correa and Dobias. Pick up where you left off! Which is apparently conceding an OG on a corner kick by Khumalo! Okay, that’s not what I meant… And then we allow a 2nd goal in the 28th. They foul Cutchey in the 45th (it was likely a dive) but Sousa sinks it and its 2-1 at the half, us down by a goal. DO you even want to win this match!! It’s FAN DAY!!! I up our tempo and control. And they score again in the 52nd and its 3-1. Yuck. In heads Diogo for Olivera and Cunha for Nick Rod, because our fullbacks have been bad. Khumalo has been pissed off and is now the 2nd best player on the pitch despite the OG early. Cabrera to Williams in the 63rd. VERY HIGH TEMPO. I sub in Taylor for Diallo. Williams finds Sousa in the 85th to TIE THIS THING UP BABY!!! Now let’s WIN for Fan Day! Well, not any more pressure by each group, but we came back from 0-2 and then 3-1 to tie 3-3.

But we had 6000 more folks, so hey! Lots of entertainment and goals help.

[Abe Sargent]

Today we head to Penafiel. This is our 21st league game of the season, and the 22nd of most everyone else – so it’s our halfway mark. We currently have 52 points and 8 on Freamunde in 2nd. Sousa breaks out in the 8th on a counter fed by Diallo. I ease back to counter. Williams crosses to Sousa in the 44th. Half. Keep it up! I send in Dobias for Cabrera and Cleison for Wallace. Then Cunha for a bruised Carl Rod. Cutchey crosses over everyone to an attacking Dobias who puts it in in the 87th. We win 3-0. MOM is Joaquim Sousa baby!


Diallo is jaded, I rest him a week.


Taylor starts in the middle today for Diallo against Espinho. Khumalo intercepts the ball, hits it deep to Sousa, who holds it up and fees an attacking Williams for a score in the 20th. They hit a strong counter in the 30th. Maybe we’ll score in the 40th? Nope - half. You can still win! Cutchey’s corner for Carlos Rod in the 53rd gets us up again. Dudka in for Cutchey. Then Salinas for Sousa. Williams is injured and I sub in Correa for him. Then Olivera goes down and I’m down a man. They equalize against us late in the 93rd. We tie 2-2. MOM is Cutchey.


And yet, no major bad news – both players are fine, banged up, but fine. Whew!

[Abe Sargent]

December, 2020

2nd – Away at Leixoes
6th – Home vs Varzim
9th – Away at Fatima
12th – Away at Uniao Madeira
20th – Home vs Naval
26th – Home vs Real

Training of worth? Quaresma, Cleison and Khumalo! Bad? Molina

Andreas Rocker won Player of the Month for the Liga for Nacional

I came in 2nd in Manager of the Month voting

WHOA!

“Due to deterioration in the club’s financial position, the wage budget has been altered from 116k to 86k.”

DANG!!!

The club lost 1.5 mill last month and are keen to see some extra income being brought in via player sales in the near future to help ease financial pressures at the club.

Cutchey has learned to hug the line regularly


Diallo starts for Williams today and Diogo is in for Olivera. This is the match we pushed back to due international callups. Cutchey crosses to Sousa in the rain for a score in the 11th. Then Cabrera does the same in the 13th. Diallo almost got him his hat trick but he missed. Half. Keep it up! Diogo collects a booking. Cutchey’s corner kick turns into a PK and Sousa sinks it in the 58th. In heads Salinas. I also pull Diogo for Cunha while I’m at it. They hit us on a counter after Khumalo is tackled after refusing to pass from pressure by two people. I sub in Marcos Molina for him. Cutchey nabs a goal in the 77th. Game, we win 4-1. MOM is Sousa.

[Abe Sargent]

Nacional won their group with 16 points in 6 games in the Champions Cup with Stuttgart, Fiorentina and FC Kobenhavn those punished.


Sousa’s 26 goals sets a Sporting record. Get ready for more!


Diallo is back at the MC spot, Williams at the AMC, and Olivera in the DL. I sub in no one – Varzim is in 3rd. I want all of our peoples up and running. Even if we are at home, I still have to be careful. Nicky Rod hit Sousa who was driving for a while and triple teamed on the right flank, which opened up some lanes. He passes to Diallo who just first touches to Cabrera and he moves the ball to Williams, who is all free and scores in the 10th. Lung Jr stops like 18 shots in the next 2 minutes. Or 4. I tell my lads to hassle more and tighter mark. I want to push Varzim off their game. They continue to push and have a few attacks. 1-0 at the half. Cabrera lofts in a corner which turns into a Sousa PK and that gives us a 2-0 lead. I send in Salinas. Dobias replaces Cutchey. Dudka heads in for Cabrera and I swap him and Dobias on the pitch. Dudka crosses to Salinas who puts it away on the 86th. We win 3-0. MOM is Francis Williams.


The Fatima match arrives. Sooner or later, we are going to drop a game and lose. Maybe today? Fatima push early so I slide to counter. Quiet half ensues. 0-0 half. We can still win! No one is stepping up until Cabrera;s corner finds Carlos Rod for a goal in the 63rd. Then Cabrera hits goal himself 3 minutes later. I sub in Correa and Cunha. Then they fire a nasty shot into the next in the 73rd. I sub in Molina for a knackered Khumalo. We win 2-1. Cabrera is MOM.

[Abe Sargent]

Today’s match in Funchal, Madeira is my first time back in a football capacity since I left Nacional to take the Sporting job. Keep the run going!!! Rain is pouring, but that doesn’t stop Cutchey from a beautiful cross to Sousa for a score in the 6th. We injure two of their players in the next 15 minutes. Cutchey almost got Williams in, but Francis hit the next Then Diallo hits goal in the 23rd from a Cabrera IFK to him. Half time. I edge ot countering and retaining possession in the next half. Williams misses another opportunity, this time fed by Diallo. Wallace gets a yellow. Then finally Williams finishes in the 61st. I was about to pull him too! Cleison spells Wallace. Dudka heads in for Cutchey. Dobias in for Cabrera. They hit a goal in the 86th off a corner. We win 3-1 here in balmy Funchal Madeira. MOM is Diallo.

Did you know? There was a movement to combine Uniao, Maritimo and Nacional into one club to give Madeira and Funchal a team that could legitimately compete for the Big Three?

I massage by budget by removing most of my transfer money into budget. With this horrible budget restriction, I’m not sure how good I can get signing future players for next year. I may have to wait.

Sporting B have won the first phase of the qualification in National Championship H with two games to go.

The Sporting vs Naval match on Dec 20 has also been chosen as a Fan Day! Season ticket holders can bring a friend for half price baby!


Khumalo has learned to knock balls past the opponent.

Nacional made it through the Semi Final of the Club Championship against Monterrey. The final is against Corinthians.

Khumalo was called up for the RSA squad, and got some critics for that.

Corinthians falls and Nacional won 3-1. Andreas Rocker was MOM with 2 goals, Driussi had the other.

[Abe Sargent]

We get our Group for the Taca da Liga:

Group C:

Belenenses
Nacional da Madeira
Sporting
Tondela


Uh oh…..


Today we face Naval. 15th in the Secunda Liga. I put in youth prospect ML Quaresma for Cutchey for today’s match. Here we go! They get a booking for a foul in Williams outside the box. Cabrera’s DFK is on target, but gathered by the GK. They score on a corner in the 33rd. We are down 1-0. Alright, can we stop scheduling Fan Days now! Williams hits them on a counter a few minutes later. Quaremsa is knocked and I send in Dudka. Half. Sousa finds Williams and we are up 2-1. Then they hit goal in the 66th 2-2. An attack is pushed aside a few minutes later. Cleison heads in for Carlos Rod. Higher tempo. Control. Hassle. Dudka scores! Williams hits Sousa, who passes the ball to his left as people close him down. 3-2 us. Wallace grabs a booking. Sousa feeds an attacking Williams for a score and William’s hat trick in the 74th. Back to standard and regular tempo. Retain possession! Taylor in for Cabrera. We win 4-2. MOM is AMC Francis Williams. Sousa had a hat trick of assists.

Diallo is a bit jaded and needs some rest. I give it to him.

Pedro Quaresma is out for 2-3 weeks for a groin strain.

[Abe Sargent]

A new fixture against Belenenses on the 27th away for the Taca da Liga is on schedule. Then we have a game moved to the 30th against Real in the league.

Andreas Rocker just signed a deal for 5 years more with Nacional da Madeira. Then Michael Schaap does so as well.

We still have gone 36 games without a loss with Sporting. Can we make it 37 today vs Belenenses? Neacsu is starting in the center for us today. Since we are both from Lisbon, we are serious rivals. We begin countering, and Khumalo intercepts a ball, hits Sousa who’s shot on goal is knocked aside – all in the first two minutes. Corner is knocked aside. Olivera grabs a yellow card. Then Olivera gets a second yellow card and is booted. Crap! I move Nick Rod over to the DL< and sub in Cunha for Neascu, and drop him to DR< and then I turn Khumalo into a defending role Retain possession, work ball into box, defensive, all ordered. Cutchey lofts a nasty corner in the 30s, but nothing happens. They manage to find the extra man and score in the 44th minute. 1-0 them at the half. A few minutes after half time, they score again. We are pushing aside many attacks. Salinas head in for an exhausted Sousa. Cunha picks up a knock. They score in the 70s. Correa replaces Williams. They score again in the 88th. We lose 4-0.

Olivera is banned for a match in Cups. Khumalo is jaded. Cunha is out for a few days with a bruised rib

[Abe Sargent]

Players currently slated to leave in 6 months:

DC Wallace
ST Correa
DC Cleison
MC Neascu
MC Marcos Molina


Yup, my board won’t let me make any major offers to players coming free in 6 months time. Which is a problem. Nacional left GK Merab Totladze available and exposed, and I can’t offer him anything.


The final game of 202 begins here against Real. Williams takes a throw in and bounce sit to Sousa in an incredibly nasty position for a goal in the 5th. They score when they shoot a nasty shot from range, and Lung Jr can just tip it away and they hit the rebound. Half. ZANG Marcos Molina just sunk a ball from Egypt into that net. They score back a few minutes later. Then late Cutchey crosses to Williams for a goal. We win 3-2. MOM is Francis Williams.


South Africa is heading to the Confederations Cup, and p[aired with Qatar, USA, and Italy in Group A.

End of 2020

[Abe Sargent]

January, 2021

3rd = Away vs Chaves, Taca da Portugal
10th – Away at Trofense
13th – Away at Nacional, Taca da Liga
20th – Away at Olhanense
23rd – Home vs Tondela, Taca da Liga
27th – Away vs Beira-Mar

Training Report?

Good – Quaresma, Digo and Molina
Bad – Cabrera and carlos Rod

Francis Williams adapts his game to get forward more often

Messi won World Golden Ball; Eden Hazard notched 2nd.

Meanwhile, Hazard won World Player of the Year

Sebatian Driussi won Argentinean World Player of the Year again


Francis Williams won Player of the Month

I won Manager of the Month

I congratulate Williams

I’m not sure how much my salary will increase next year if we end up back in the Liga. It’s not like we’d get a lot of TV money or something. I’m worried that our financial issues will continue until the European cash arrives.

[Abe Sargent]

Say hello to our new folks!

One of the GK I didn’t sign. 18 year old Jorge Alberto Meza, from Colombia. He’s not that good. My predecessor spent 145k for him.


Here’s my guy:

DC/DM Tomas Cristaldo, Argentine, 18, Speaks Spanish, Balanced. Youth guy we brought in for a trial and then I liked. Paying him 875/week, for six months, and he’s coming in at 10k value. Been at Lanus his whole life.

Quality Stuff - `14 head/17 jump, 11 mar, 12 pass, 13 tack, 10technique, 15/12 speed, 16 stamina, 13 work rate, 13 strength, 18 bravery.

Worrisome? 8 position, 7 agility, 8 balance, 5 concentration, 8 decisions,

So he’s raw. But cheap and on a hot prospect contract.

Our board lost 1 million last month in cash.

For today’s game I will run Salinas at ST, Cleison at DC for Carlos Rod, Diallo for Williams at the AMC spot, and Dudka in the middle. Keep up your run! Cabrera sets up Salinas on a counter and he scores in the 25th. Cleison picks up a knock and I sub in Cunha. Diallo gets a lovely ball to the right by Dudka, dribbles a bit, and sets up Salinas for a score in the 43rd/ 2-0 at the half. Keep it up! Steve Taylor heads in for Cabrera. Cutchey feeds Dudka for a score in the 64th. I move to counter and look to retain possession They knock a lovely ball into the net in the 74th. Tomas heads in for a tired Marcos Molina. Diallo grabs a booking late. We win 3-1. MOM is Salinas.

[Abe Sargent]

We make it to the next round of the Taca de Portugal.

Cleison is out for a week with a gashed leg


We made it to the Quarter Finals of the Taca, and now our next opponent is Oriental, in the 3rd level of Portuguese football. Other matches see Benfica and porto, Nacional and Beira-Mar and Tondela and Oliveirense.

Paris Saint-Germain just purchased Nacional player Michael Schaap for 35 million.

More of the James Essex team is getting broken. In just a few months, three starters are gone. (DC Hernani Costa, MR Michael Schaap, and DC Stefan Strandberg)

I decide to accept a 100% wages offer to loan Diogo to Rio Ave. I also loan my new GK signee as well for 100% wages. Awesome!

Joaquim Sousa is now capable of knocking the ball past the opponent.

I get an offer for one of my better youth potential folks – MC AMC Paulo Simoes, from Gladbach. He’s not super hot or anything, and we need ht cash. I deck them to 425k and 30% of their profit from next sale. They accept

Sousa, Williams, Khumalo, Carlos Rod, all are back. I sub out Cutchey for Quaresma om the ML and Taylor for Cabrera on the MR. Pick up where we left off against Trofense. We’ve had several shots on target early but no score arose from them. More pressure ensues and we can’t break their bubble. Carlos Rod grabs a booking. We finally score in the 33rd on an OG started by an IFK. Diallo feeds a corner, foul. Sousa heads up and sinks the PK. 2-0 at the half. Cleison heads in to spell Carlos. Korel Dobias heads in for Quaresma. Salinas for Sousa late. Wallace on a Corner gets goal in the 85th. We win 3-0. MOM is Olivera. Good win.

[Greyfriars Bobby]

Just stopping by to let you know I've enjoyed following both of your recent Football Manager stories. Looks like you've assembled quite a side. Good luck with the remainder of your season!

[Tellistto]

This is a bit like when Juventus was relegated to Serie B, except they kept many of their players unlike Sporting in this universe.

Just goes to show how important that Champions League money is to making a successful club.

Still, you'll be back in Liga 1 soon enough, and from there it's just going to be about getting the finances back into order. Sign cheap, sell high, don't get attached too much. Think it'll be an even longer process than Madeira was.

Good luck! Following along!

Tell

[Abe Sargent]

Thanks to both!


Yup, it's an odd, empty cupboard thing, but I think a 3 year goal of being top 6 and getting to at least Euro is reasonable, especially given how powerful we bagan here in Secunda. .

[Abe Sargent]

We have officially sold Simoes

For today’s Nacional match, Olivera is banned, and Cunha will start instead. I have everyone else on. We are on the road, but you never know, right? They say you can never go home again… LOL – they are not respecting us at all. They are starting Merab Totladze, Davit Kurdadze, Leandro Casal, Jorge Agra, Vitor Barreto and Junior Barreto – all lower folks on the club’s radar. No Ruiz, Rosano, Stepinksi, Driussi, Komorski, etc. The only major forces are Rocker, Rodrigues, and Montesi. We have a chance, because some of their players (Kurdadze, for example) are weaker than someone like Joaquim Sousa. I begin countering, hassling, and marking tightly. At the 1:31 mark, Cutchey’s corner kick hits Carlos Rodriguez and we SCORE!!! That’s right folks! Sporting is here in Madeira, and I know this team. We almost score again when Cutchey, who is obviously very up for this game, drives down, jukes past, I’m not kidding you JOAO LUIS RODRIGUES and almost gets Sousa a score. Hey look, Agra is better than Sousa, and Rocker is nasty, and Rodrigues, Rocker and Montesi are enough to win the game. But right now, in the 30th, we’ve been in control of this game. Yup, it had to happen. The Rock strikes and hits goal just before half. 1-1. Keep it up!!! Cabrera and Williams pass back and forth to get into a scoring position and Cabrera is fouled in the box in the 48:02 mark. PK opportunity to Sousa against his former club. Nacional feel the Pk is harsh. Sousa outsteps Merab. Then Cabrera’s corner finds Carlos Rod for another score in the 51st and suddenly we are ahead 3-1. Holy crap set pieces! (I worked on attacking set pieces this week, just in case, and zang, has that worked). Do I pull back to defensive? Umm…yeah, I do. Can I protect two goals? They sub in Stepinski and he scores on a corner in the 62nd. I sub in Cleison for Cunha. I swap in Diallo to be my AMC and sub in Dudka at the MC spot. Then Correa heads in for Diallo late. Rocker gets booked. Lower tempo. 3 minutes of extra time. Can I pull off a mega 3-2 upset? I moved my wingers to wide middies with a defend and Khumalo moved to defend too. And we hold on. We win Three-Two. MOM is Carlos Rodriguez. That was Special!!!


Diallo is jaded and I rest him.

Nacional – NEVER TAKE ME FOR GRANTED!!!

[Abe Sargent]

Cabrera now has 8 assists, a Taca da Liga record.


The African Cup of Nations, 2021 has arrived.

South Africa defeats Senegal 3-1 in Group A


We start Korel Dobias at MC today for a traveling Diallo with the Ivory Coast. Khumalo was not brought into the final RSA squad. Carlos Rod scores in the 22nd off a Cabrera corner. Sousa and Cutchey just blow down the left side massively and then Sousa, double teamed in the box deep, finds Francis Williams for a goal. Half. Keep it going! Cutchey crosses to an attacking Cabrera for a score in the 48th. I send in Neascu for Cutchey. I move to counter and retaining possession. I sub in Vit Dudka. I pull Francis Williams and then swap up Cabrera to that spot. They score in the 68th. Tomas spells Khumalo. We win 3-1. MOM is Cabrera.


South Africa defeat Morocco 2-1.

DC Omar Montesi signed a 4 year deal with Nacional to extend his contract.

[Abe Sargent]

Every team in the Group C has won a game, Tondela beat Belenenses, we beat Nacional, Belenenses beat us and Nacional beat Tondela. We might still make it out!

If we can beat Tondela today, and if Nacional beats Belenenses, then it comes down to GD – both of us are tied right now. Or if we win and they tie, we are out. Sergio Correa is in the MC spot. Everyone else is our normal starters – I need to win to move on, and I need goals in case of a Nacional win. Pick up where you left off! This is our only match of the three here at home. Cutchey is given a lovely deep ball and Nick Rod and turns it into a deep cross for Williams and goal in the 15th. Lung Jr has picked up a knock. I’ll keep him in through. Cutchey crosses to Cabrera for a score in the 27th. Cutchey crosses to Williams for another goal -0 waved offside. Tondela outpace Olivera strongly and get a nice cross for a score. I swap the positions of my FBs to help answer that. 2-1 half. Cutchey finds Sousa for a score in the 49th. Cutchey is up for it today too. I think someone has a high rating in big games… And then he scores, which he never does. In the 52nd. Khumalo the architect. Tomas heads in for Khumalo. Taylor spells Williams. I send in Cleison in late. We win 4-1. Will it be enough? MOM is obviously Vinny Cutchey.

Nacional demolished Belenenses 5-0. So we lose on GD. Sad. If it hadn’t been for that red card….


Sigh


We set a record for goals in a season with 23 for the Taca da Liga.

We made 100k though for making it that far.

South Africa defeated The Gambia and won their Group.

[Abe Sargent]

The Beira-Mar match has arrived. Williams intercepts the ball, drives, finds Sousa, and gets a score. They equalize in the 17th. Olivera gives up a foul in the box for a PK. Sousa restores after the Pk is in and its 2-2. Then they score late and its 3-2, before Cabrera gets in a shot in extra time and its 3-3 at the half. Cleison heads in for Olivera. You can still win!!! Cutchey’s corner finds Carlos Rod for a score in the 54th. 4-3 us. Cleison intercepts the ball, jumps a counter attack that winds up with Williams finding Sousa for a score in the 56th. 5-3 us. Retaining possession and edge to counter. Marcos Molina heads in for MC and spells Correa. Cutchey drives the length of the field and finds Williams for a score called offside. This time Williams score is not offside as Molina hit him in the 77th – four attackers in the box finished that. I sub n Tomas Cristaldo for Khumalo. We win 6-3, MOM is Sousa with the hat trick.


At 85, we have already set a record for goals in the league.

We get back some tutoring results:

GK Herlein benefitted from Lung Jr. Great link up.
MR Pedro Quaresma really benefitted from Javier Cabrera . Great link up.
DC Cleison learned from DC Wallace. Not super great, but it worked.
DL Cunha gained a but from Carlos Rod, just a bit.


I hand Herlein to Joao Costa


Neascu starts in the MC for us. Diallo is back, but I’m resting him for a while. Neacsu sets up Cutchey on the side who drives, then crosses to Sousa for a goal in the 7th. Chaves equalizes in the 18th. Correa finds Sousa in the 60th. We hold on and win 2-1. MOM is Sousa.

South Africa defeats Algeria in the Quarter Final of the Africa Cup of Nations. Next up - Ghana

[Abe Sargent]

February

6th – Away vs Oriental, Taca da Portugal QF
10th Home vs Boavista
14th – Away vs Estoril
20th – Home vs Freamunde


Good training – Salinas, Molina, Neacsu, and bad – Sousa, Williams

I win Manager of the Month

The club only lost 840k last month…

South Africa defeat Ghana late 3-2. They have made it to the Finals.

Nigeria defeated Morocco 1-0 in extra time. They’ll play South Africa in the final.


Our Oriental match is here. This is the last game I intend to keep Diallo out of. Same as before – Neascu in the middle. Quiet first half ends with a Cabrera DFK for a goal in the 42nd. Then Khumalo finds Neacsu on the attack and he scores. Half time 2-0. I sub in Cunha. Neascu scores again on an IFK that falls and is tackled a bit in the box and picked up by him. Salinas heads in. Then he scores in the 73rd as Cabrera finds him. Dudka in for Cutchey. Dudka picks up a knock late. We win 4-0, and MOM is obv Neascu.

Dudka pulled his hammy is is out 2-3 weeks

[Abe Sargent]

In the Final of the African Cup of Nations, South Africa loses 1-0 over Nigeria. MOM is Cyril Mzizi. They got second place – not bad after winning last time.


Ah crap. We drew Nacional again for the Semi Final of the Taca da Portugal. We have to play them twice, and no more chances for a surprise this time…


Diallo is back in MC for us today. Khumalo is benched for Marcos Molina. Cutchey hits Sousa for a score in the 0:20 mark. Zang! If we win today we get promoted. Cabrera for a corner kick to Carlos Rod for a score in the 4th minute. Another nasty corner-shot from Cutchey-Sousa, but it was just stopped. Then after the corner bounces out, Cutchey finds Williams after resetting the formations and Williams scores in the 13th. Another pair of great attacks ensue in the 20s. Javier Cabrera is injured and I sub in Steve Taylor for him. Half. Keep it up! Willaims is booked. Then injured. I sub in Dobias. I swap him with Diallo, and then with Taylor. This could be an expensive win. Salinas subs in for Cutchey. We win 3-0. MOM is C. Rod. Good win!

We have officially secured promotion. With 9 games left (we played 33 of 42) and we are rocking 89 points – 26 more than Estoril.

Bad news – Francis Williams is out for 3-4 weeks for some broken ribs. I’ll move Diallo to that spot for now.

ML Pedro Quaresma turned a professional today!

Nacional superstar Joao Luis Rodrigues signed a 4 year extension with them.

[Abe Sargent]

As a reminder, today’s match against Estoril is against th e2nd best club in the league. Neascu will start for us in the MC. Sousa gets a lovely ball from Cutchey, gives it back and Cutchey scores in the 12th. They foul Khumalo in the box. Sousa sinks the PK. Cabrera’s Corner kick also sinks after leading to an OG. Cunha subs in Wallace. DFK from Cabrera sinks. Dobias replaces him. Goal Kick from Lung Jr finds an on side and attacking Sousa for a score in the 70th minute. And, by the way, is Sousa’s 40th goal of the season for us. They score off a corner kick too. Cleison heads in and replaces Carlos Rod. We win 5-1. MOM is Cabrera.

With that win, we have won the Secunda Liga.

Whoa! We have more people in this game in Freamunde, to see the newly crowned winners. 39.9k folks! Quiet 1st half, blows by quickly 0-0. Then Sousa scores in the 60th, and pressure comes and comes and comes. We manage to hold them off 1-0. They had more shots, and 3x as many on target as us.

That blew out the best record for a game in the Secunda Liga by…well…us 12 games won in a row is the most Sporting has ever gotten.

Benfica knocked Nacional out of the Taca da Liga in the Semi Finals.

[Abe Sargent]

March

7th – Away vs Atletico CP
14th – Home vs Oliveirense
24th – Away vs Nacional, Taca da Portugal, Semis Leg 1
28th – Away vs Leiria

Good train – Lung Jr, Molina, Quaresma – Bad – Carlos Rod


Tomas Cristaldo starts today in the MC spot. Dudka is back from injury. This is a quiet game, with no scores for long, longer and longest. It’s not until the 87th minute when Cabrera crosses to Sousa for a score. Then Sousa jumps on backpass to the GK and score sin the 89th, just to secure the game. We end up winning 2-0. Sousa is MOM.

[Abe Sargent]

While Benfica and Porto were both taken out in the First Knock out League of the Champions Cup, but Nacional crushed 6-1 aggregate over Shakhtar. Next up – Liverpool


Francis Williams is back at the AMC. He is spelling Diallo. Cabrera finds Sousa in the 7th. Called off side though. Cabrera crosses over everyone to Cutchey and he scores in the 13th. Cutchey lobs a corner to Carlos Rod who puts it in in the 23rd. Another Cutchey – Carlos score on a corner. 3-0 at the half. A nasty on target long shot hits the goal. Carlos gets a yellow. They knock in a corner in extra time. We win 3-2. MOM is Cutchey.

[Abe Sargent]

The 18th has arrived, and brought with it our youth intake. I take a quick gander. Anyone appeal to us? We have a good recruiting ranks, because we are one of the Big Three, and hopefully we’ve re-energized folks with the good season we’ve had.


Our entire 7 years with Nacional we had precisely one 5 star player come through our ranks, but a few 4.5 stars. Get ready!

Several I like:


4.5 star – AMC/MC Joao Borges, 15, looks really nice. Could be the next “Paulo Bento”

Physical – 15, 12, 9, 7, 8, 14, 10, 6

Mental – 6, 11, 10, 8, 8, 11, 10, 19, 13, 12, 12, 6, 10, 13

Technical – 8, 12, 9, 8, 10, 7, 12, 11, 3, 9, 11, 9, 7, 14

Great stuff to begin with, and looks to have strong potential. But, is the high rating due to us being in a lower league? (What might be a 3 or 3.5 star recruit in the Liga could be a 4 or 4.5 star one here, perhaps..)

And then…


4 star – DC Huga Araujo, 16, looks good too.

Physical – 10, 10, 11, 14, 8, 9, 10, 11

Mental – 6, 10, 12, 7, 8, 7, 12, 4, 7, 3, 10, 13, 14

Technical – 5, 5, 2, 3, 9, 2, 13, 5 ,3, 14, 7, 3, 10, 9

Again, strong stuff.

4 Star – ST Pedro Santos, 15, Sporting Supporter, has some decent stuff too:

Physical – 15, 10, 10, 13, 17, 14, 8, 9

Mental - 7, 8, 6, 13, 3, 6, 8, 12, 16, 9, 11, 2, 12, 12

Technical – 5, 2, 9, 11, 11, 7, 11, 4, 3, 1, 6, 7, 7, 9

Some potential there too I suppose.


But they are not all.

3 star Colombian recruit, MC Elkin Granados, 15

3 star recruit DM Roberto Gomes, Take a look at his mentals – 20 determination, 17 bravery, 15 work rate, 14 leadership, etc.

3.5 star recruit, AML/ ML Ashley Solomons, South African and Portuguese


3.5 star recruit – DL Paulo Baltazar


So that’s 7 recruits with a 3 star ranking or better.

[Abe Sargent]

Now, as someone who came through Sporting and their youth group myself, and saw several classes, I can tell you that there tends to be some strong quality – particularly since Lisbon is the biggest city, and Sporting therefore, is a big three club with the biggest city and urban are to draw from. 9 of our youth candidates are Sporting supporters, and 6 are from Lisbon proper.

Since my professional career has been working with youth in this area, I know youth coaches and scouts brag. Any major Portugal youth players that are tweaking folks?

There’s a a youth Honduras player I like. I make him an offer.

Nothing else too special though – players at Rio Ave and Estoril are the best prospects that aren’t ours.

There are currently 9 teams chasing Pedro Quaresma. I give him an asking price of 1.2 mill


Dobias injured his ankle on international duty with his youth club, and he’s out for a few weeks.

M y Honduras player chose to head elsewhere.

South Africa crushes Benin 5-1 in World Cup Quals

The game against Nacional is here. Again . Neither Khumalo nor Diallo are available (international play). Molina and Neacsu are in instead. Are they taking us seriously this time? Still not as much – Merab Totladze is there, along with fellow Georgian Davit Kurdadze. They have a youther at DMC. They are running Luis Carlos, Leandro Casal, Junior Barrios. They still have David Rosano (on the DL), Rodrigues, Montesi and Rocker – so there’s huge power on the pitch. But again, not as much respect. No Ruiz, Stepinski, Driussi, Rui Pereira, Agra, Mzizi, Komorski, and such. I begin countering, hassling,m and tightly marking. Again, we worked on attacking set pieces. They score in the 45th minute. We are down 1-0 at the half. This time, they assigned Rodrigues to Cutchey and have shut him down. Unlucky! Wallace grabs a card. I send in Cleison for him. They subbed in Stepinski. And he scores. We injure two of their players. Cutchey picks up a knock – in heads Dudka. Salninas heads in. Game, we lose 2-0. Can’t fault you for effort!


Cutchey has a gashed leg and is out for 6-9 days.

[Abe Sargent]

Israel defeat Portugal in the World Cup Quals Group 1


Quaresma starts for us in the ML spot. Sousa scores in the 30th after Quaresma shot was pushed aside. I move forward to attacking in the 2nd half after they equalize later. Finally, they foul us in the 87th and Sousa sinks the PK. They almost hit us back a minute later. We win 2-1, MOM is Sousa.

[Abe Sargent]

April, 2021

3rd – Home vs Porto B
18th – Home vs Moreirense
21st – Home vs Nacional, Taca da Portugal, 2nd Leg, Semi Final
25th – Home vs Leixoes


Good training – Pedro Quaresma, Joao Costa, Tomas Cristaldo – Bad – Diallo, Taylor

Andrea Rocker won Player of the Month for Nacional in the Liga; their manager won MOM.

Joaquim Sousa won Player of the Month for us

I won Boss of the Month

We lost 938k last month


Dudka is on the edge today vs Porto’ B team. Keep the run going! Sousa finds Khumalo for a score in the 11th. Khumalo intercepts the ball, staring a counter and finds Williams who runs and shoots a lovely long shot into the upper right corner of the net. Diallo finds an attacking run by Dudka for a score in the 24th. Half. Salinas heads in. Steve Taylor replace Williams. They get a goal called off for handball. I sub in Sergio Correa for Cabrera. Dudka is injured late and taken off the pitch. We win 3-0. MOM is Williams.

[Abe Sargent]

Dudka’s out for a week with a gashed leg

Lung Jr is out with the flu for a few days. He should be okay by the 18th though.


Nacional is out of Champions Play, losing to Liverpool 4-3 on aggregate.


The 18th is here. Cutchey is back, as is Lung Jr. We host Moreirense. Keep our run going! We still haven’t lost a league game. We’ve had some very close calls though. Cutchey scores in the 12th. Williams springs Sousa loose in the 74th. We win 2-0. MOM is Cutchey.


The 2nd Nacional game arrives. They get a 1:1 opportunity due to speed and score in the 25th. They have all of their starters today. Olivera grabs a booking just before the half. Unlucky!!! Rocker scores in the 54th. Cleison replaces Olivera. Taylor and Salinas also head in. Rocker hits the goal again in the 85th. Game. We lose 3-0 here, 5-0 on aggregate.

[Abe Sargent]

Benfica defeats Vit. Gui to win the League Cup (Taca da Liga) 2-0.


Well, we can hammer Leixoes today to get over that loss. No scores in the first half. I get pissed off. Then Khumalo hits Sousa for a score in the 55th. Then again no one can score for a long time. Finally, in extra time, Williams lifts the ball over a defender to Sousa for a goal. We win 2-0, and Sousa is MOM.

[Abe Sargent]

May, 2021

8th – Away vs Feirense


Khumalo, Williams, Molina look good; Lung Jr not so much

I won Manager of the Month. Again.

I now speak English too.


Our final games arrives and Cutchey is up for it. He hits Sousa in the 10th minute and Williams in the 19th. 2-0 at the half. Keep it going! Williams picks up a knock and I sub in Salinas for him. They score in the 50th but it was just a hair offside. Steve Taylor heads in for Cabrera. Correa heads in too. We win 2-0. MOM is Cutchey. Good win boys!

[Abe Sargent]

Here’s the important parts of the Secunda Liga Table:

1st, Sporting, 37-5-0, 116 points, +76 GD
2nd Beira-Mar, 25-6-11, 81 points, +26

The two of us are promoted to the next level.

We made 780k and paid out 425k

Premier Liga?

1st – Porto
2nd Nacional
3rd Benfica
4th – Vit Gui
5th – Belenenses
6th – Vit Setubal


So, we can see Nacional, Benfica and Porto continuing as the Big Three.

We will be there again. Soon.

Very soon…

[Tellistto]

Nice work getting back to the top division. Not that we ever had any doubts, eh?

Tell

[Abe Sargent]

Stats!

Goals – 1st, Joaquim Sousa, 40; 5th, Francis Williams, 19

Assists – 2nd – Javier Cabrera, 19; 4th Vinny Cutchey. 18 – Williams and Sousa each had 11

MOM – 1st – Sousa, 10; tied for 3rd is Williams and Cabrera with 7 each

Khumalo had the 4thbest Pass Completion; Diallo 7th

Cutchey – 1st with 4.43 dirbbles/game; Cabrera 2nd with 3.55/game.

Lung Jr led with 17 clean sheets

Sousa 1st in average rating- 7.69; Cabrera 2nd with 7.40


We set a huge average for attendance in the league, 32k.

Joao Rodrigues won Best National Player of the year for the Liga – Rocker won Player of the Year; Montesi won Young Player of the year

Maritimo were again relegated – as was a surprising Gil Vicente.


Joaquim Sousa won Player of the Year in the Secunda Liga

Vinny Cutchey won Young Player of the year for it

Francis Williams’ goal against Boavista in October ended up in 2nd place

Lung Jr won GK of the Year

I didn’t even get top three fo manager of the Year though

6 players in Team of the Year – Lung Jr, Wallac,e Carlos Rod, Nick Rod, Frnacis Williams, Sousa.

Mid Table finish for next year folks! My squad buy into it…

Training Summary –

Good – Khumalo, Saliunas, Neacsu, Quaresma, Molina

[Abe Sargent]

Nice work getting back to the top division. Not that we ever had any doubts, eh?

Tell

Yeah, it was one of those, obvious things, as long as I could bring in any talent at all. Even down, Sporting have a high caliber reputation and can refill with a huge comparative salary too. It was just a question of who and how. Remember we were 5-1 favs to win it all, (not the opposite, 1 in 5) and outspent the competition massively.

[Abe Sargent]

Sporting B were also promoted.

Porto and Nacional are in the Taca da Portugal Final. Nacional steam-hammer Porto 5-0. Same and the Benfica score in the Champions final last year.

Vinny Cutchey has finished adapting his game to the left wing. He should be even better now.

We made 162k today from AC Milan.

I extend Claudiu Neascu’s deal by 2 years.

We lost 1.09 M last month (May)

I extend some scout contracts

South Africa blow past Comoros in World Cup QUals – with a game to go they have won their group with 5 wins.

Portugal is knocked out in the 2nd round of the U20 World Cup. South Africa won 3-1 against Poland to make it to the Quarter Finals, where they play Argentina’s U20 squad.

[Abe Sargent]

South African begin their Confederations Cup campaign poorly with a 1-2 loss to Qatar.

It’s June 14 and I may have just gotten a game changing message. Olympique Lyonnais is enquiring for how much I’d be willing to sell Vinny Cutchey for He’s still worth 11.25 mill. If I can get a windfall of cash, it could really alter our fortunes. We agree to 16.5 Million dollars.

South Africa edges Argentina 3-2 in the U20 WC.

We moved up 40 spots to 119th in the new club rankings.

The South Africa beats USA in the Confederations Cup 1-0. Mzizi was MOM

Then South Africa win against 3-3 against Mexico in the Semi Final, and win on penalties!

The U20 South African squad have made it to the Finals, where they will play England.

Cutchey has been solid for 16.5 Million dollars!!!

That get’s me out of debt in terms of my salary, and I make some changes, and go shopping…

[Abe Sargent]

I make offers to extend Marcos Molina and Tomas Cristaldo


I begin by looking for a DC to replace Wallace, who is leaving. My defense was the weakest part of my team, and was just adequate. So I want to focus on that first.

I find a guy who’s not bad – DCL Arne Degryse, 19, from Anderlecht, Belgium player. He accepts my offer. That story leaked to the press though, probably Arne trying to find more cash or a better landing pad.


I also make an offer to 22 year old DC Dutch Paul Kersten, for a ton of money.


Molina & Cristaldo extend their deals. I also do so with GK Herlein


After drawing 1-1 vs Italy, South Africa don’t advance from their Group in the Confederations Cup (Mzizi was MOM)

I convince my board to agree to more scouts. Yay!

I get….one more…sigh…

I make an offer to 35 year old Romanian international (68 caps, 22 goals) Ciprian Marica, to help our eastern Europe scouting.

South Africa lost 2-1 in the U20 WC to England.

Marica signs with us. I scout some of the youth players that got awards and such from the U20 WC.

I was already doing Eastern Europe, so I send him to the Middle East.

Degryse re-signs with Anderlecht.

[Abe Sargent]

My scout came in with some ideas for players for DC since that was a need and he suggested Park Seong-Bin, a S. Korean player playing in Saudi Arabia. I scouted him and he came back nice. Like, studly nice. He has 15 caps already for South Korea, and would only take around 250-400k to dislodge and 18-25k in salary. I don’t have the cash for that, but he’s good. His contract currently runs out in December 31 of this year. If we could sign him for the January opening, that’d be awesome. But I’d need more money to bring him in.

What about ML? Someone to replace our guy? Well, we have Dudka/Quaresma, but my youth players who really worked in the Secunda Liga are up against another level of talent here. Dudka is fine. Quaresma has matured enough to be okay as a sub too. So I could start Dudka and be okay. I’d like to be more than okay though.


Joao Aurelio, now 32 years old, is available for free after his 5 years with Galatasaray are coming to an end in a week. I could sign him. That has several benefits – older person to mentor folks, sign someone I know can produce at this level, and give me a Portuguese person, when most of my singings have not been – which helps my squad and such.

I have made an offer for Joao Aurelio

We have signed Joao Aurelio!!!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joao_Aurelio

[Abe Sargent]

How about a fullback? WHOA! Hello Russell Kelly, from Manchester United. I make him an offer right now. He’s strong with a FIVE STAR future rating (current is just 2.5)

DC Kersten joins us from Paris Saint-Germain.


So what I’d like to do is build up around my current defenders that are returning, moving some to backup/rotation roles (such as 31 year old Carlos Rodriguez or at least one of Olivera or Nick Rod.)

Let’s go ahead and move up a few days and close on the 30th. Then I can see where we are.

FB Russell Kelly joins us. He’s not a dues ex machina, there are reasons why Man Utd have let him go, but he could work out for us.

GK Fabian Ruiz is now the captain of the USA squad.

Joaquim Sousa was named Fans Player of the Year

[Abe Sargent]

June30 arrives

A few players had contracts increase.

Our season expectations are to get a top half table finish.

We got 3.4 Mill for TV rights for the next year

Many of our coaches and staff leave, and this is an attempt to bring in better folks (and perhaps cheaper in the case of a GK coach).

Lets chase some more…

I offer Faryd Mandragon a GK Coaching gig with us

I make an offer to German Christian Jeske to be our U19 Assist manager and Serbian international Milan Smiljanic to be the Manager.

[Abe Sargent]

July 1


We sign:

Joao Aurelio
Paul Kersten
Russell Kelly
Michael Frimpong
Arturo Villasanti
GK Sandro (signed by someone before me)


Let’s take a look at my squad before bringing in anybody else.

Gk Silviu Lung Jr, backup Joao Costa, youthers Sandro, Meza and Herlein

Result – No need for a GK unless he’s such a great one or prospect that he unseats Lung Jr

ST Joaquim Sousa, can also use Michael Frimpong, Salinas, Javier Cabrera and youther Pedro Santos

Result – Again, unless we can find someone who pushes Sousa out, no need for an upgrade – note that Sousa is not a top flight centre forward for this league, and eventually we should look to upgrade here. Not a priority right now.

DC Carlos Rodriguez, Nicholas Rodriguez, Olivera, Paul Kersten, Tomas Cristaldo, and youthers Sergio Jardim, Joaquim Coelho and Jose Matos

Result – Strong, but we lack a true stud, but we are fine here.


Fullbacks – Cunha, Carlos Rod, Nick Rod, Olivera, Russell Kelly, Joao Aurelio, and youther Paulo Baltazar, Diogo

Result – Again, we have a lot of depth here, because most of my DCs can swing over. No more concerns after bringing in Kelly for now. Watch this space for a place for improvement next.


DM – Mandla Khumalo, Marcos Molina, Tomas Cristaldo, Arturo Villasanti, Roberto Gomes from my youth squad.

Result – Deepest spot on the roster


AMC – Francis Williams, Diallo, Neacsu, Steve Taylor, youther Joao Borges


Result – No major concerns. Williams grew some. Again, unless we can stab a great deal here, no sense having problems playing everyone.

MC – Arturo Villasanti, Marcos Molina, Mandla Khumalo, Steve Taylor, CNeacsu, Diallo, Williams, youther Joao Borges

Result - Again, for one starting spot, we have a ton of depth.


ML – Joao Aurelio, Pedro Quaresma, Vit Dudka, Karol Dobias

Result – Three strong candidates and a adequate backup. We’re fine here.


MR – Joao Aurelio, Javer Cabrera, Steve Taylor, Karol Dobias, Pedro Quaresma, Michael Frimpong

Result – With Cabrera playing so well last year, this is his spot to lose. Everyone else will just spell him.


I don’t have any needs. In fact, I’m a bit too deep in youth in a lot of areas. I’m unsure I’ll have enough games to get everyone enough to play.

[Abe Sargent]

I offer GK Sandro for a loan. Even with him and Meza out, I currently have…26 players on my Senior squad. That includes some youthers (Pedro Santos, Quaresma) as well as backups and rotational folks (Costa, Diogo, Cunha) and new signees without spots yet (Frimpong, Villasanti) and rotational development folks I had last year (Salinas, Taylor, Dudka, Dobias, Neacsu, etc).

The best way to manage my senior squad might be to loan out the occasional Diogo or Neacsu to clear out some dead weight.


Nacional could run this big of a squad because they had such great players you could run a few youthers in there and still win, and they had tons more games. We don’t.

So I head into “free agency” with one agenda. Is there anyone out there that is so good I have to sign him?

Yup, but he won’t sign with me. Mexican stud Striker Javier Hernandez is free. But that’s it.

Nope. Nothing.

I check out youthers from Paraguay, Ghana and Holland.

I get am increase to coaches after I ask for some.

I offer a coaching gig to South Korean Seol Ki-Hyeon

I get an offer for Pedro Quaresma. I stall it for a week.

Meanwhile, I brought in a janky 19 year old dutch youth guy for little money. Teun van der Vlugt. I put him on our loan list for later.See also 18 year old Ghanian Bayan Kwofie – moved to the youth squad. AS well as 18 year old GK Juan Carlos Gomez, Paraguayan.

Our Korean coach arrives.

[Abe Sargent]

I reject an offer by a team in our league for Nicolas Rodriguez (Vit Setubal)

I get some others offers – another for Franny Williams and one for GK Costa. Nah.

There are teams interested in Carlos Rod, Nic Rod, and Olivera. Interesting. Moving a few of these would open up spots for others. I would be particularly interested in moving 31 year old Carlos Rod. He’s also the worst of the Uruguayan Triad of Defense we brought in. In fact, that might open up enough salary to bring in a certain studly South Korean I am eyeing.


I loan out Neacsu, Tomas Cristialdo and Diogo

I get a few offers for Carlos Rod. I accept them.

I reject the offer for Quaresma after consideration.

Omar Montesi leaves Nacional for 25.5 Mill to Paris Saint-Germain

I reject an offer for Vit Dudka.


Carlos is sold.

[Abe Sargent]

This is a bit like when Juventus was relegated to Serie B, except they kept many of their players unlike Sporting in this universe.

Just goes to show how important that Champions League money is to making a successful club.

Still, you'll be back in Liga 1 soon enough, and from there it's just going to be about getting the finances back into order. Sign cheap, sell high, don't get attached too much. Think it'll be an even longer process than Madeira was.

Good luck! Following along!

Tell


I definitely did that with Cutchey!

[Abe Sargent]

Alright, time to talk money with my guy.

I make an offer to Park Seong-Bin.

We have arranged to bring him in January 1, 2022

One of the best Korean players plays for Porto here in Portugal. So grabbing someone who has been out of his country for years is not unusual.

I look for some decent Korean youther to join us. I can only see about 10 or 12 18 or younger when I search the world. So I scout those! Maybe one will work.

We rock the first friendly. Who scores the first goal of the new team? Obviously, Joao Aurelio. I should have scripted that. Paul Kersten next. Half. We win 2-0. MOM is Kersten.

[Abe Sargent]

I get transfer offers for Korel Dobias and Vit Dudka.

In the next friendly, we have a literal scrum via Rugby in their box once, where every player was trying to kick the ball in a gigantic huddle that lasted at last ten seconds. It was hilarious!!! (The first time I have, literally, laughed at what was happening on the pitch in FM). 2-0 too. MOM was Steve Taylor.

I reject the offer for Dudka, but the Dobias intrigues me…

525k from Genk. That’s something worth considering. Guy could never hold down a starting job for me – has just a 7 passing.

I have submitted an offer of 250k for Shin Hyun-Ho from Pohang. I make DC Hyun-Ho an offer.

Uh oh. Porto made an offer of 2 million for Quaresma. I negotiate. Nacional da Madeira also make an offer. I accept.

Welcome Shin Hyun-Ho!

He’s just a rotation/project type player to help out.

[Abe Sargent]

Now, let’s figure out the Dobias thing.

I accept the offer for 25% of next sale and 650k.

Porto withdrew their offer for Quaresma.

Right now, we are 40k ish under the salary requirement and have around 800k in transfer money.

If I move Dobias and Pedro Q. I’ll look for another winger to be a back up for me.

Seoul have offered to loan Shin Hyun-Ho. For the rest of the season, at 100% of his wages. I’ll consider it.

I reject the offer – I want to get Shin in for a few months until my studly guy arrives.

Dobias signs for Genk.

HAHAHA. One of the best candidates I’ve found to replace Dobias/Quaresma thus far is a Uruguayan….


We have signed Franco Manzzi, 19 year old Uruguayan middle who can play both ends.

There’s also a starter quality guy in ML Jonathan Gordon, USA, but I didn’t want too much competition to start against Aurelio or Dudka in the ML and I wanted the flexibility to be played at MR and I wanted a cheaper option.

[Abe Sargent]

GK Rogerio Herlein benefited from from the link up with Costa.

Another friendly arrives on the 31st of July. We win 3-1. MOM is Cabrera.


August, 2021

4th – Friendly at Louletano
15th – Away at Aves
22nd – Home vs Tondela
29th – Away at Belenenses

Good train – Pedro Q, Mandla K, Javier C


More and more offers for Q come in from all over, Man Utd and now Roma.

I select Lung Jr to be my captain, and Joao Aurelio Vice

The 4th is here and our final? Friendly. (I could add another if I feel my team needs it, or I get a good offer with the requisite cash attached). 1-1 tie. MOM is Cabrera

Quaresma chooses Nacional and heads to Funchal.