December 2014 - Season 1
FIFA 15 (PS4)
Copa Del Rey - Round of 32 (1st Leg)
Cordoba CF 0 - 2 CA Osasuna
OSA: Torres 73' Onwu 86'
COR: Crespo RED CARD 14'
Osasuna's biggest challenge of the season so far finally came and it began just as expected, with Cordoba pushing high up the pitch and Osasuna defending for their lives. The Basques tried to get the ball forward and get some rest by holding possession with a slow build up play, but Cordoba were marking so tight that it was difficult for Osasuna to even get the ball past midfield. Because of Cadamuro's absence due to injury, Oier was moved back to LB and Camarasa took Oier's spot at RCM. Osasuna found a light in the 14th minute though, as Sisi controlled a pass at the midfield line with his back towards goal, and Cordoba's LB Crespo took him down with a slide tackle from behind just when the ball was reaching Sisi. The referee called the foul right away, but then took the extra step and also gave Crespo a direct red card. Even with one man down, Cordoba were still the most dangerous on the field and we couldn't even tell that Osasuna had an extra player as they held on for dear life. Riesgo showed his class again by making vital saves to keep his team in the match. It wasn't until the 73rd minute that Osasuna finally found their break through as Roberto Torres received a through ball into the box and took a first time shot that went past the goalkeeper. Finally, Osasuna had taken advantage of their extra man. Cordoba tried to push forward and equalize the match, but going all out attack is already risky enough not to mention they were a man down. The risk proved costly as Julian Luque, who had been substituted in during the second half, found space to run down the left flank and then crossed the ball into the box to find Manuel Onwu, also substituted in during the second half, who then sent a strong header past the goalkeeper to give his team the 2-0 lead, and a comfortable aggregate going into the 2nd leg. After the final whistle the Cordoba players complained to the referee as they felt he ultimately decided the match with the early red card.
CA Osasuna (B-Team) 0 - 0 FC Barcelona B
The Osasuna B team defended well but the attack wasn't able to put up their end of the bargain. The match was still entertaining though, especially as we saw the Barcelona B team playing long and fancy passes reflecting their parent club. We could definitely see some future stars on the field but the Osasuna players were able to hold them. Chavez dropped the 5-3-1-1 during the second half and instead switched to the 4-3-3 that is being used by the first team. The change didn't bring any immediate results and the Basques were still unable to get through the Catalan defense.
CA Osasuna 0 - 2 CD Mirandes
MIR: Pedro 7' Martinez PEN 90'
After a scoreless draw with Barcelona B, Osasuna get another bad result but this time at the hands of the team in 20th place, who defeated the league leaders by a decisive scoreline. Osasuna were victims of an early from which they couldn't recover from. Then in the final minutes of the match a penalty gets called against Osasuna after a pointless tackle by Cadamuro inside the box. Mirandes' Martinez sent the penalty shot straight down the middle while Osasuna's Riesgo dove to the left. The match ended 2-0 and Osasuna began to let their league leadership slip.
Copa Del Rey - Round of 32 (2nd Leg)
CA Osasuna 1(3) - 0(0) Cordoba CF
OSA: Guillermo 86'
This match was the complete opposite of the first leg, with Osasuna taking control of possession in front of their home fans. We expected Cordoba to make a comeback now that they will be playing 11 vs 11, especially since in the first leg they dominated the match before getting a red card, but Osasuna were much stronger at home and Cordoba never really looked like they were coming back. The match ended in the 86th minute when Guillermo gave Osasuna the 3-0 advantage on aggregate, ending any possibilities for Cordoba to get back into the game. Osasuna are through to the Copa Del Rey Round of 16!
Real Zaragoza 1 - 2 CA Osasuna (B-Team)
OSA: J. Garcia 2' Loe 45'
ZAR: Borja 33'
After getting only 1 point out of 6 in the league so far this month, Osasuna were able to end December with a win that keeps them in an automatic promotion spot on the table. Chavez didn't use the 5-3-1-1 formation with the B team anymore, and instead fielded a 4-1-3-2 with the CAM Jose Garcia moved up to left striker. We weren't sure how the move would work out for the young 17 year old who stands at 5'7", but he immediately proved he can handle it by scoring an early goal in barely the 2nd minute. Garcia received the ball at the edge of the box, and took a shot to the goalkeeper's far post and into the net. Real Zaragoza would equalize the match in the 33rd minute, but the Cameroon international Loe would put Osasuna back in the lead right before halftime. Loe is tasked with patrolling the area in front of the back line, but he is also very involved in the attacks. It may frustrate Chavez at times, given Loe's lack of speed to get back to his position, but Chavez can't complain this time as Loe powered a long shot into the back of the net to give his team the victory.
Liga Adelante League Table
1. Real Valladolid - 45 points
2.
CA Osasuna - 42 points
3. UD Las Palmas - 42 points
4. Real Betis - 39 points
5. Girona CF - 35 points
6. Deportivo Alaves - 35 points
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15. CD Lugo - 25 points
18. AD Alcorcon - 22 points
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20. RC Recreativo - 19 points
21. CD Leganes - 16 points
22. UE Llagostera - 12 points
Liga Adelante Top Scorer
1. Sanchon (Girona) - 13 Goals
2.
Guillermo (Osasuna) - 12 Goals
3. Castro (Betis) - 10 Goals
CA Osasuna Top Scorer
1. Guillermo - 13 Goals
2. Roberto Torres - 8 Goals
3. Manuel Onwu - 6 Goals
CA Osasuna Player of The Month
CM - Javad Nekounam (Iran) (74 OVR 34yrs)
The Iranian midfielder had a great month, effectively holding the midfield together allowing Roberto Torres to roam the pitch freely. Nekounam was a target for many European clubs after his performance at the 2006 World Cup with Iran, and he became the first Iranian player to join a Spanish club after signing with Osasuna. Nekounam would eventually leave Osasuna to return to Iran for a record fee, but then returned to Osasuna a few years later. Nekounam had a rough start to the season finding it difficult to adjust to Chavez's style of play, but this month he improved his form and helped intercept many attacking plays from the opponents.
Press Conference
Mr. Chavez, now that we are approaching the transfer window would you be able to share with us the players you have in mind to bring to Osasuna?
"Hi good morning. Unfortunately, no. I would prefer not to disclose anything yet due to my experience with the last transfer window here in Spain."
Could you elaborate, please?
"Well, Chico right?"
Yes.
"Before the last transfer window I mentioned that we would be going for Spanish players. Then, coincidentally, the value of all Spanish players increased when we approached them. For some clubs I understand that that's not a problem, but for us who are rebuilding at the moment we can't afford large prices especially when we know that the player isn't actually valued at that price. So this time, I'd rather not say too much about the players we intend to bring in."
You have drawn Getafe CF in the Copa del Rey Round of 16. How will you approach that match now that you have dropped down to 2nd place in the league?
"The same way we approached the match against Cordoba. We want to show that we have what it takes to compete in La Liga. Getafe will certainly be a difficult opponent, but I believe the match is winnable. The players are motivated and with that we are already on the right foot. We won't be losing focus on the league though. I'm positive we have the squad to compete in both tournaments."
Thank you Mr. Chavez.
December Headlines
Miguel De Las Cuevas' Form
The 28 year old CAM (72 OVR) has been disappointing so far this season, as he adjusts to playing as a LW. His role in the club is to cut into the box and take a shot, which he has done, but the Spanish midfielder has yet to find the net and has been unable to get his marker off him in more than a few matches. Going into the transfer window Cuevas must be worried that he may be replaced if he doesn't improve his form. The player has recently signed a new contract with the club and is one of the highest earners, so he needs to show why he earns that much if he wants to stay with Los Rojillos.
Javad Nekounam and Jordan Loties Transfer Listed
It is official, CA Osasuna have transfer listed the Iranian midfielder Nekounam (74 OVR 34yrs) and the French centre back Jordan Loties (71 OVR 30yrs). It is very surprising to see two definite starters from the club be transfer listed, but Chavez and his staff may be trying to free up some money, since Loties and Nekounam are two of the highest earning players at the club with wages of $25,000 and $35,000 respectively. The highest earning player at the club is the Algerian defender Llassine Cadamuro who earns $50,000 but he was brought in on loan from RCD Espanyol with no option to buy before Chavez was signed as manager. This transfer window already looks to be more productive for Osasuna than it was in the summer.
Conclusion
My current budget is only $490k after the cup prize money so I don't have much to work with in the transfer window. Not to mention I also have a 700k option to buy on Julian Luque that I still haven't decided if I will go through with, so I want to at least have that amount left in funds when the season ends. Going into the transfer window, I can already tell that it will be just as difficult to sign players as it was last time. I wasn't kidding when I mentioned that other teams are raising their prices. I think the most smooth transaction I've had was when I brought in Marcos Alonso but that was from an Italian club not a Spanish club. Even the pre-contract expiry players want more money! It makes sense though as I'm sure players would want at least a pay raise if they are going to a Liga Adelante club. It disappoints me that I haven't been able to get a youth academy up and running, but I just can't afford it. After the transfer window I might check out how much a 1 star scout charges so I could at least bring in that to get it started.
We are ready to get the transfer window started. I hope you enjoyed the update, any feedback is appreciated of course.
Thanks For Reading!