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[vrabbit]

Dorados de Sinaloa
'16-'17 July/August Update

After winning the Clausura 2016, the board awarded us a whooping $108K. That's not a typo. Our budgets for the new season are $1.7 million for transfers and $8K for wages.

TRANSFERS

OUT: Jesus Garcia (GK, 56 OVR, sold to Cork City FC for $110K. Javier Salas (LM, 59 OVR), sold to Daejeon Citizen for $250K. Diego Mejia (CDM, 61 OVR), sold to Doncaster Rovers for $180K. See IN section.

IN: Juan Jose Calero (ST, 61 OVR), purchased from Pachuca for $275K. Nicolas Delgadillo (LM, 63 OVR), purchased from Velez Sarfield for $750K + Sonny Guadarrama. Felix Passlack (RB, 65 OVR), signed to a two-year loan from Borussia Dortmund. Antonio Barreca (LB, 65 OVR), signed to a two-year loan from Torino. Anthony Maisonnial (GK, 66 OVR), signed to a two-year loan from AS Saint-Étienne. Romulo Otero (CAM, 69 OVR), purchased from CD Huachipato for $500K + Mathias Cardacio. Elias (ST, 67 OVR), arrived on pre-contract from Busan IPark.

The Roster

Spoiler

Goalkeepers: Anthony Maisonnial* (66 OVR), Alfredo Frausto (66 OVR).
Fullbacks: Antonio Barreca* (65 OVR), Felix Passlack* (65 OVR), Carlos Pinto (64 OVR), Jairo Gonzalez (64 OVR), Sebastian Sorsa (58 OVR).
Centre-backs: Jonathan Lacerda (67 OVR), Heriberto Aguayo (65 OVR), Leonardo Bedolla (63 OVR), Themis Tzimopoulos (60 OVR).
Midfielders/Wingers: Romulo Otero (69 OVR), Liu Binbin (69 OVR), Anthony Caceres (67 OVR), Julian De Guzmán** (64 OVR), Nicolas Delgadillo (63 OVR), Hector Velazquez (62 OVR), Guillermo Rojas (61 OVR).
Strikers: Elias (67 OVR), Freddy Martin (67 OVR), Juan Jose Calero (61 OVR).
* On loan
** Retiring at end of season.

Starting XI (4-4-2 Diamond Wide)

Maisonnial

Passlack/Aguayo/Lacerda/Barreca

Caceres

Liu Binbin---------Delgadillo

Otero

Martin-------Elias
___________________________________

In preseason, we agreed to be part of the Invitational Cup and were placed in Group A with Orlando City, Chicago Fire, and Chiapas.

Invitational Cup - Group Game 1
Dorados - Orlando City (1-2)
Winter 20'
Rochez 45'
Liu Binbin 75' (Caceres)

Poor start to the pre-season against an OCSC club that looked strong and at times even levels better than what we showed. Liu Binbin's score (a beauty BTW) made it look close at the end but this game was all Orlando and I'll definitely be looking for everyone to step their game up the next time out.

Invitational Cup - Group Game 2
Chicago Fire - Dorados
Elias 34' (Caceres)
Akindele 39'
Elias 78' (pen)

The team responded and bounced back in this game, putting us back on track for a spot in the semi-finals. It was nice to see Elias, recently arrived on pre-contract, get started on a scoring spree while Caceres keeps showing that a move further back from the opponent's goal won't necessarily keep him from continuing to be an asset in our attack, as he notched an assist for the second consecutive game.

Invitational Cup - Group Game 3
Dorados - Chiapas (2-2)
Hurtado 9' (pen)
Elias 21' (pen)
Silva 35'
Guadarrama 37'

A tuneup game against a Mexican league foe proved entertaining, but our failure to win the game also cost us an opportunity to move on in the tournament. We showed better things in the last two games than the first one so hopefully the squad is ready for the season, although transfer moves are still taking place.

Invitational Cup
Group A
1. Orlando City - 5 pts
2. Chicago Fire - 4pts (+1 GD)
3. Dorados - 4pts (0 GD)
4. Chiapas - 2pts

___________________________________

Apertura 2016 - Game 1
Dorados - Pachuca (2-0)
Martin 19' (Caceres)
Martin 83' (Caceres)

A successful season/home opener thanks to very opportunistic Martin-Caceres combo. We had 2 shots, both on goal, and scored both times. On the pitch Pachuca was at times the better squad finishing with a small edge in possession to go with their 8 shots (5 on goal) but Frausto (Maisonnial had not arrived yet) had a very good showing as well.

Apertura 2016 - Game 2
Atlas - Dorados (2-0)
Gonzalez 32'
Hernandez 41'

Not good. The outcome of the game was fair as Atlas clearly outplayed us throughout 90 minutes and, on the pitch, it hasn't been a good start to the season.

Apertura 2016 - Game 3
Dorados - Pumas (3-2)
Caceres 8' (Liu Binbin)
Quiñones 45'
Martin 48' (Otero)
Liu Binbin 77' (Martin)
Quiñones 88'
Otero 20'
Aguayo 54'
Otero 65' (double yellow)

Wildly entertaining game. Obviously the result is the most important aspect so it was good to come out with the W. The performance on the picth also improved, and it was definitely special to score what would prove to be the go-ahead goal already down one man. The feisty aspect of the game wasn't something I'm a fan of but on the other hand I enjoyed watching the guys not let the opponent bully them around, especially on their own turf. Overall more of a step in the right direction.

Apertura 2016 - Game 4
Puebla - Dorados (0-3)
Campestrini 49' (OG)
Martin 61'
Martin 90+' (Rojas)

Now we're talking. After a challenging first half it seems like the own goal finally broke Puebla down and we finished the match with a convincing victory in which we held the home squad without a shot on goal.

Apertura 2016 - Game 5
Dorados - Queretaro (0-3)
Camilo 45+'
Benitez 63'
Camilo 83'

Oy, so much for figuring things out. Queretaro beat us using the same formula we used against Pachuca in the season opener, scoring in all 3 of the shots they got off while none of our 10 shots (4 on goal) yielded any results. Overall it was a poor showing by the defense where I'm recognizing some moves need to be made.

Apertura 2016 - Game 6
Tijuana - Dorados (0-2)
Caceres 22' (Elias)
Elias 66' (Otero)

Elias' breakout game. While he had had a nice pre-season he had yet to do much for us in the Aperture and the media had started to point it out. Luckily the Brazilian broke out of his slump at a very good time for us to put us back on the winning column.



Top Scorers
T1 - Dempsey (Tigres) - 5
T1 - Quiñones (Pumas) - 5
T1 - Romero (Chiapas) - 5
T1 - Martin (Dorados) - 5

Assists
T1 - Boselli (Santos Laguna) - 3
T1 - Vidangossy (Chiapas) - 3
T1 - Cardona (Monterrey) - 3
+ 3 others
...
T2 - Caceres (Dorados) - 2

Clean Sheets
1 - Yarbrough (Pachuca) - 3
T2 - Hernandez (Veracruz) - 2
T2 - Maisonnial (Dorados) - 2

Review: Still trying to achieve consistency as a club. Some really good results but the losses have been hard-hitting ones and unlike most soccer season these short tournaments come at your quick - we're already one third into it. But all things considered, solidly placed in a playoff spot at the moment and our roster is still not on par with what the best in the Mexican league offer.

I must say the transfer window was highly frustrating. Even after our title in the most recent tournament the board didn't really give us a very good budget and we were able to get some more funds from them but not a whole lot. We had some transactions lined up but they didn't get done for one reason or another. We had agreements with multiple clubs for sales of multiple players but the players wouldn't agree to join the prospective new clubs. Velazquez rejected offers from clubs offering to double and triple his wages here, same for Bedolla. We received and agreed to over 10 offers for Martin but he refused to agree to join any other club, noting he's really enjoying his time in Sinaloa and wants to continue to ride that success here. Neither MLS nor Real Zaragoza were enticing enough for him despite those clubs offering to nearly quadruple his wages here. Caceres was another shocker, Houston Dynamo offered him wages 5 times greater than what we're paying him but he turned it down. The loyalty from the players has definitely been underwhelming.

But on to the moves we did make, the departures weren't really shocking as none of Garcia/Salas/Mejia were going to get any significant PT for us. With a limited budget I had to get creative to get deals done and while Cardacio and Guadarrama definitely would had played for us this season I feel good about what we got in return. Otero is that must-have Venezuelan on the team, taking over at CAM as well as on all set plays. He has yet to reach his ceiling and I hope we'll help him continue to improve. Delgadillo also offers a lot of potential and he's extremely young, and once I figured out I'd be able to play him as a starter it was a no-brainer as a long-term move for the club. All the loan agreements don't need much explanation, and Calero's acquisition is underrated since he also offers good potential for a teenager.

As far as our academy is concerned, we've added a 3rd scout. Before the end of last season we used all of our remaining funds to hire George Speas (2* EXP/JUD) from the U.S., who joins fellow American Tony Davies (3/2) and local scout Pablo Ramos (2/3). Speas was sent to Brazil on a 9-month trip so he'll be there for a while (and good luck with the Zika virus). Here's what the youth squad looks like at this point:

- Victor Alonso (CB, 64 OVR, 85-94 POT): Scouts and coaches unanimously agree Alonso will be a young star as soon as he joins the senior squad. The 17-year old from Mexico stands at 6'0", 165lbs and has often been described as ELITE. This is a position of need for the team so the physically strong youngster could get a call up soon.
- Julio Moyano (CM, 53 OVR, 73-91): 16-year old from Venezuela standing at just 5'2", 132lbs but we expect some growth out of him both physical and skill-wise. He shows flashes of being a playmaker.
- Kofi Allen (RW, 63 OVR, 71-87): This 16-year old Yankee is a true left-footed winger with devilish speed, which makes you forget he's just 5'2", 139lbs. We expect him to physically grow and he's probably the second most ready prospect in the academy behind Alonso.
- Jimmy Porter (CM, 51 OVR, 71-87): This 15-year old from the U.S. is a very similar-looking prospect to Moyano but we're not in a position to pass up talent. He's very small (4'9", 119lbs) but also very young and should grow some more these next few seasons.
- Victor Soriano (LW, 47 OVR, 71-91: 17-year old from Venezuela who is raw but offers good potential. We hope to develop him quickly before he'd need to be promoted so that he can at least be of use off the bench.
- Silvio Navarrete (RW, 52 OVR, 66-84): This 17-year old Venezuelan is a bit more polished than his countryman Soriano but doesn't have as a high a potential. He's been working hard in practice.

What's next

- 9/3/16: at Ecuador
- 9/6/16: vs Colombia
- 9/11/16: vs Tigres
- 9/16/16: at Cruz Azul
- 9/24/16: vs Chiapas
- 9/28/16: vs Chivas

- 10/2/16: at Morelia
- 10/7/16: at Chile
- 10/11/16: at Peru
- 10/15/16: vs Santos Laguna
- 10/22/16: at Monterrey
- 10/26/16: vs Veracruz
- 10/30/16: at Leon

One worthy piece of news is that, regardless of us winning the Clausura, we are no in the Copa Libertadores (America's version of the CL). I can only assume this is due to being dead last in the Clausura, so I guess we'll see about that after this season. I'm both disappointed and relieved to not be in it.

And that's it for the first update of the season. There no games with the FVF so stay tuned for the next update!

[Keano16]

Rabbit: Dorados first, you've improved the squad quite a bit although maybe not as much as you would have liked considering the little budget you had. The season started a bit up and down but with a win in your game in hand you can move up to third which would be a solid position.
Newport now, sickening to lose in the playoff final after coming so far. Arteaga and Gardner were massive parts of the team and contributed alot to the season you had. My two youth players to watch (one from each career) are Victor Alonso, can almost slot in now and has incredible potential, and Bondz Moore, again can nearly slot into the team and has big potential.

Simp: Congrats on the Cup and CL double! Amazing achievement to win the CL. Kalou had a big season so it must have been hard to lose him to injury. Any reason why Jarstein starts ahead of Kraft? Looking forward to seeing who you sign.

SMH: Another dominant month, dodged a bullet coming back from behind to beat Athletic Bilbao II but you had a great win against Malaga in the cup. Can you become the Invincibles of the Liga Adelante?

Moose & Aquaman: I'll try to watch your vids today and comment on them!

Cabee: Come on, you know you want to post Exeter again.

[Simppu12]

Quote: Originally Posted by Keano16

Simp: Congrats on the Cup and CL double! Amazing achievement to win the CL. Kalou had a big season so it must have been hard to lose him to injury. Any reason why Jarstein starts ahead of Kraft? Looking forward to seeing who you sign.

Thanks! Yes, the Kalou injury was a kick in the stomach. Fortunately we managed well without him and were able to left the cup double at the end of the season. He will be missed next season, too, but I may or may not have sold a starting striker and replaced him with someone big (since that is how the polls stand at the moment). I will probably leave the polls going for a day or so.

The reason behind Jarstein being the starter ahead of Kraft is simple: I prefer Jarstein over Kraft in-game. Both are capable of making great saves but both are also capable of letting some very easy goals in. As a whole I find Jarstein to be better and I also happen to prefer him in real life. Funnily enough, my real life preferences affect the squad selection at times.

[Keano16]

Quote: Originally Posted by moose141

Simp: Thanks for watching, I see you got ahead of my posting as that's coming up right now! Also, I voted in your poll and will make sure to be fully caught up in the Hertha goings on! Episode #33: STOKE UN-BOGEYED

Dybala's early missed chances came back to haunt you with that late Colback winner. Good to bounce back with a win, especially against your bogey team. Carillo really should have buried that chance while Ceballos made good on his chance. Question for the next video, does Dybala's wastefulness in front of goal concern you? He's getting enough chances at the minute but in tighter games he might not have that luxury. Maybe he just needs to be more composed, which I'm sure will come in time.

[Keano16]

Quote: Originally Posted by Simppu12

Thanks! Yes, the Kalou injury was a kick in the stomach. Fortunately we managed well without him and were able to left the cup double at the end of the season. He will be missed next season, too, but I may or may not have sold a starting striker and replaced him with someone big (since that is how the polls stand at the moment). I will probably leave the polls going for a day or so. The reason behind Jarstein being the starter ahead of Kraft is simple: I prefer Jarstein over Kraft in-game. Both are capable of making great saves but both are also capable of letting some very easy goals in. As a whole I find Jarstein to be better and I also happen to prefer him in real life. Funnily enough, my real life preferences affect the squad selection at times.

It's gonna be interesting to see who comes in now. I suppose that's what happens when your a supporter! Bit of favoritism slips in! Speaking of Hertha IRL, I see that they are sitting third! Good bit off Bayern and Dortmund but I suppose third is what most teams in Germany aim for so it's good going and you must be pleased!

[Simppu12]

Quote: Originally Posted by Keano16

It's gonna be interesting to see who comes in now. I suppose that's what happens when your a supporter! Bit of favoritism slips in! Speaking of Hertha IRL, I see that they are sitting third! Good bit off Bayern and Dortmund but I suppose third is what most teams in Germany aim for so it's good going and you must be pleased!

Oh yes, the team is doing an amazing job this season and being third is almost unbelievably good! Only a year ago we were third-bottom and fighting against relegation and now we are challenging for Champions League places. I really hope we manage to stay in the top four at the end of the season but I can't see it happening with games against Mönchengladbach, Schalke and Leverkusen still ahead and with the gap being only three points at the moment.

The work the coach Dardai has done is fantastic, though, especially with the signing of runs-up-and-down-and-gets-everything-done Vladimir Darida. The whole squad has been very good this season, e.g. Kalou has already netted 11 in the league while he managed to score only six last season. Additionally, the team will play their first cup semi final in 35 years in just a month and a half.

[Keano16]

Quote: Originally Posted by Simppu12

Oh yes, the team is doing an amazing job this season and being third is almost unbelievably good! Only a year ago we were third-bottom and fighting against relegation and now we are challenging for Champions League places. I really hope we manage to stay in the top four at the end of the season but I can't see it happening with games against Mönchengladbach, Schalke and Leverkusen still ahead and with the gap being only three points at the moment. The work the coach Dardai has done is fantastic, though, especially with the signing of runs-up-and-down-and-gets-everything-done Vladimir Darida. The whole squad has been very good this season, e.g. Kalou has already netted 11 in the league while he managed to score only six last season. Additionally, the team will play their first cup semi final in 35 years in just a month and a half.

So you're like Germany's Leicester!

[JHedges2]

Alright--I'm going to a new approach to career mode. I'll be starting a thread and hope to not get burned out, but I really want to try to get 5+ years into a career.

I'm going to be using Leyton Orient. I will be playing 1 match, and simulating the next 4 games, no matter the competition, unless/until I get to the quarterfinals of any league competitions, or promotion playoffs, in which case I will modify as necessary.

I know next to nothing about League 2, but per wikipedia (LOL), Dagenham & Redbridge are a big rival to Orient, so I will play all fixtures vs them.

As I hopefully am promoted, I will be decreasing the amount of sim by 1, per level (i.e. league 1 = play 1, sim 3; Champ = play 1, sim 2; etc.). Again, my goal is to get 5+ seasons into this, and really build the club from the ground up, and my hopes are that by simulating such a significant amount, I will be able to get deep into this without getting burned out. I'll be creating a thread, and posting photos and some videos (I am currently learning how to use Share Factory--so bear with me).

I hope this garners some interest, as I've been running a page over at DN (see signature) that I really love, but there just isn't a lot of feedback over there, as opposed to having a thread here.