FM2014: The Big Three In Portugal (community)

[SirFozzie]

Since I'm laid up for at least a few more days (I tried to take the laundry basket downstairs and had to catch my breath for several minutes due to coughing).. I decided to do this dynasty.

The Portugese Primeira Liga (known as the Liga ZON Sagres for sponsorship reasons) is, depending on who you ask, the fifth or sixth biggest league in Europe (behind England, Italy, Spain, Germany and arguably France). However, this league is not exactly a bastion of parity. The Big Three (Os Três Grandes in Portugese) are responsible for SEVENTY THREE of the 75 titles awarded since 1938 (Only Belenses in 45-46 and Boavista in 2000-01 have broken the big three's domination). None of the big three have ever been relegated

And that's where we step in.

Here's how it breaks down:

The game has the following leagues active:

Argentina (down to 2nd Division)
Australia (A-League)
Brazil (down to 2nd division)
England (Down to Skrill Premier)
France (down to National)
Germany (Down to 2nd division)
Holland (Down to Juliper League)
Italy (Down to C1)
Japan (Mod) (Down to regional League 1)
Mexico (First Division)
PORTUGAL (Down to Second Division)
Russia (Down to First Division)
Scotland (Down to Scotland League 2)
South Korea (Down to KLEAGUE CHALLENGE)
Spain (Down to Liga Adelante)
USA (MLS)

It's using fake players, so there's no history for any of us to know, no hidden gems we all know about (since we're taking one of the big three, it's already easy enough for us).

Here are the teams:



Benfica

Entering it's 110th year, this multi-sport club has won the Liga title a record 32 times. This club has a fierce rivalry with Sporting Lisbon (it seems like the club's first field was very rough, and this led 8 players to leave the club to go to Sporting in 1907.. a slight that's never been forgotten.. or apparently forgiven.

Home of the late Eusebio (The Black Panther), Benfica won the European Cup (the forerunner of today's Champions League) back to back in 1960-61, and came very close to winning the Europa League in 2012-13 (falling in the Final)

Stadium: Estadio de Luz (65,647 all-seater)
Estimated value: 371 Million Euros
Training Facilities: Excellent
Youth Facilities: Superb




FC Porto

A grand 120 years old (Formed in 1893 by a wine merchant), FC Porto was the only one of the Big Three not to have European honors, but that changed in 1987, when they won the European Cup, and then a brash newcomer by the name of Jose Mourinho (who sadly does not exist in this fake world), lead them to the UEFA Cup in 2002-03, and then the Champions League title the very next year. They added to the trophy case with a Europa League title in 2010-11. They've won the league 27 times, and as the game starts, have won the title seven out of the last eight years.

Stadium: Estadio de Drago (The Dragon Stadium) (50,948 all seater)
Training: Excellent
Youth: Excellent
Value: 201 Million Euros



Just up the road from their neighbors Benfica, Sporting Lisbon, nicknamed Leões (the Lions).. They have been champions 17 times, but in recent years, have finished second a large amount of times (usually behind Porto but ahead of Benfica). Of particular note is the Sporting Lisbon family of teams, they field a team in very many sports, of which soccer of course is the main one, but they also support teams in Archery, Handball, Chess(!), and Full Contact Kickboxing(!!!).

Stadium: Estadio Jose Alvade Seculo XXI (50,080 all Seater)
Estimated Value: 144 million Euros
Training: Top Facilities
Youth Facilities: Excellent



So now, the question is yours, where do we start? I won't start the game and select a team until.. let's say 24 hours at least, as long as we get votes. The poll will be coming up shortly:

[Grover]

Love the idea, but I'm fairly sure the random players is all the same players on the same teams with different names and the stats distributed a bit differently.

[SirFozzie]

Well, one of the things I was going to ask about is our club's direction:

(This is just a off-the cuff thing)

Rank in Priorities

A) Try to develop young players in house
B) Sign Young players from abroad to develop under the top team's facilities
C) Sign players we can sell on for a profit (usually from Brazil, since there's no work permit like rules, Portugese teams are a destination for Brazilian good players who may not yet qualify for a work permit or for a big two league.)
D) Sign Big Name Players

[Grover]

I think that regardless of who you are, you should go with a combination of A & C. Porto's worked it to wonders the past 15 years. Developing their own and signing South Americans on the cheap and turning a massive profit down the road. As long as you've got that cycle going you should be an absolute cash cow in Portugal.

[SirFozzie]

Definitely.. whichever team I find, I'll have to identify some candidates for the community to decide if we purchase.

[SirFozzie]

Alright, we seem to have topped out on votes, so I'm going to break the tie, and take.. Benfica (the one time I saw Sporting Lisbon play in person, it was at Gillette Stadium against the Revolution and there was plenty of bad blood )

We have a one year deal to start, earning 28,500 Euros a week.

Minimum Expectation: Win the League
Our wage budget: 650K Euros/Week
Transfer Budget: 18 Million Euros

[SirFozzie]

Here's our breakdown at positions: It looks like we're going to have to make at least one purchase, but we have good depth at several positions:

Goalkeeper:

Anselmo Pott (Brazillian): Age 32, 3.5 Stars, Valued at 3.2 Million. Strong Point: Reflexes. Weak Point: Rushing Out. Wage: 19K per week (8.25K/Week after taxes). Contract Expiry: 2017

Bojan Kercmar (Slovenia) Age 19, 2.5 Stars (4.5 Star Potential). Valued at 550K. Strong Point: Reflexes. Weak Point: Positioning. Wage: 9.5K/Week (4.2 after taxes), Contract Expiry: 2015.

Jorge Almeda (Portugal) Age 34, 1.25 Stars, Strong Point: Reflexes, Weak Point: Rushing Out, Wage:3.6K (1.8K), Contract Expiry: End of Season (TRANSFER LISTED)

And boom, we have our possible first decision point. Pott is in the prime years for a Keeper (32), and is better than Kercmar. Now, at least. Kercmar is not that far behind Pott...



However, he's only 19. Obviously, no matter what we need to get Kercmar on a longer contract, but that raises the question: Do we attempt to move Pott on to develop Kercmar that much quicker, keep Pott and try to work Kercmar in on a rotation basis, or even look to move Kercmar on loan to get him playing time?

[SirFozzie]

Defenders:

We are set for three of the four positions:

Starters

DC: Gabriel Santamarina (Argentina) Age 26, Rated 4 stars, Wage 32K/14K, Expiration 2017, Value 11 Million
DC: Bugrao (Brazilian) Age 32, Rated 4 Stars, Wage 18.5K/8K, Expiration 2017, Value 975K
DR: Pablo Ledesma (Uruguay) Age 29, Rated 3.25 Stars, Wage 20K/8.75K, Expiration 2017, Value 6.25 Million
DL: By default currently, Alejandro Parra (Rated 2.5/4 at DC, Rated 1 star at DL), 11.25K/5K, Expiration 2017, Value 1.3 Million

So, Parra is merely competent at DL, we'll see if we can train him up to get better, and look for a DL in the transfer market.

[SirFozzie]

We have two targets in the Transfer market for the DL position. If you ask me, the price is right for both of them, I'm going for both of them. One's brazilian, which is good to try to get the money making machine going, and the other is a good Portugese youngster.



Garrincha, according to my scouts, looks to go for a mere 3.3 Million, and is rated at 2.5/4.5 stars.



Alves is rated at 3/4 stars, and is available for a paltry 1.1 million. Tasty. So we have our left back of now and the future, and the next one behind him for about a third of our transferkitty.

[SirFozzie]

Midfield:

Again, our left side is unsettled (I think I'm going to run a bog standard 4-5 (DM/3MC/AMC)-1 to start, and my attacking formation will be 4-2 MC-2AML/R-2 ST)

DM: Milos Andrisic (Serbia), rated 3.5 stars, Wage 26K/11.5K, Expires2017, Value 9.75 Million
MC: Carlos Fernandes (Portugal), Rated 3 stars, Wage 16.5K/7.25K, Expires 2017, Value 1.5 Million
MC: Frederico Foglia (Argentina) Rated 3.5 Stars
MR: Pablo Ledesma (Uruguay), rated 3.5 stars at native WB R, 2.5 at MR, Wage 20k/8.75K, Expiration 2017, Value, 6.25 Million
ML: (By default) Sebastian Arraubuena (Argentina), 3 Stars at native AML, 1 Star at ML, Wage 18.75K/8.25K, Value: 1 Million, TRANSFER LISTED, LOAN LISTED

Backup:
Michael Martins (Portugal) (DR/DMC/MC main positions, can pull three-four other positions in a pinch), 2.5 Stars, Wage 11k/4.9K, (2016), 750K Value

[SirFozzie]

There's no obvious players to replace Arrabuena, but we have several players scouted. Nothing to report yet.