Mr. Second Place: An Autobiographical Tale of Alvin Allen (Fifa 13)

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Re: Mr. Second Place: An Autobiographical Tale of Alvin Allen (Fifa 13)

“It’s a girl, Alvin, our beautiful girl.”
I cried tears of joy as I sat in my new apartment over looking the River Thames in London. I was on the phone, many miles away from Gabby and my daughter who had moved back to the United States. I should have been there with her, but circumstances had changed over the course of the last few months.
Me falling back in with the same crew as before had not done our relationship any favors. As close as Gabby and I had become, it seemed that ever since Taisia had come into the picture it drove a wedge between our relationship. We argued a lot over where my future was heading and where Gabby and our baby belonged in it. I framed the entire situation as if I had no choice, but I knew all along that the reason I was going along with this whole plan is because I really wanted it.
My transfer request was sent in to Milan and I was promptly sold to Taisia’s club. I moved on to England and Gabby moved back home to Chicago. We still spoke often, but usually the conversation devolved into regrets or promises or bad arguments. But that couldn’t happen today, right? Not today. Today my daughter was born.
“What should we name her?” I asked into the phone.
“Hope,” Gabby responded quietly.
“I like it, but usually my family prefers names that start with A. Hope Allen has a nice ring to it though.”
Gabby paused for a long while. “Actually, it’s going to be Hope Anthony.”
“Oh, right, of course,” I responded sadly. “Yeah, I…”
“Yeah, Alvin, I’ve got to go,” Gabby whispered abruptly before hanging up the phone.
I sighed and got up to look out the window. There was a late afternoon rain coming down. The drops beaded down by apartment window like tears, the perfect reflection for the pain of not having my new family by my side. Just then there was an audible knock at my door. I opened it to find Taisia in a beautiful dress.
“Don’t you look handsome?” she smiled at me.
I looked down to see the tuxedo that I had completely forgotten I had on. “Uh, you look nice too,” I responded.
“I should, I own the team,” she laughed. “You ready to meet the board members?”
“As ready as I’ll ever be,” I replied quietly.
“Well then, let’s go reintroduce the world to Alvin Allen.”

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Re: Mr. Second Place: An Autobiographical Tale of Alvin Allen (Fifa 13)

So who is Taisia Kosaryov? I had thought about that question a lot ever since I had first met her and even more so as I sat and pretended to listen to her small talk on the way to the board member introductory meeting. The typical internet search on her would show the basics that everyone knew. She was the daughter of the billionaire investor Matvei Kosaryov of Russia, and had lived the life of a princess. Their company was Zvezda Industries, and the closest thing I could compare it to would be a venture capitalist company in the United States. They would buy and sell businesses at will, making a substantial profit along the way.
That wasn’t the life that Taisia had wanted though. She wanted to be a professional athlete, and in that she excelled. Her passion was football, and as she had indeed told me, she was on her way to being a pretty good player when her career was cut short due to knee injuries. With her sporting career over, daddy’s little girl had come full circle and took her competitive spirit to the business world. She had made herself into a worldwide phenomenon, gracing covers of Forbes and Business Week countless times. It probably didn’t hurt that she wasn’t hard on the eyes either. Her hobby, as it turned out, was to buy minority stakes in football teams, until one day, she decided that if she was going to do it, she might as well go all in and become a majority owner in one, and indeed she had done just that.

“Well Alvin, we’re here.”
We walked inside a beautiful building in downtown London where they had staged the lunch meeting with the members of the board room. We took an elevator to a top level floor and walked into a room with humongous windows letting in the amazing sight of the city. There were tables covered with appetizers and drinks and many people were dressed nicely and conversing with one another. Once they caught a glimpse of Taisia and I, they all began to clap.
“Oh thank you, but you really should be clapping for Alvin,” Taisia joked to the gathered guests. They chuckled in unison and began to come over to make small talk with Taisia and I about my career and how my knee was holding up, and every other worthless piece of information you could think of.
Honestly my heart just wasn’t in it. I couldn’t stop thinking about my new baby girl and how I wanted to be there with her and Gabby right at that moment. Taisia noticed my withdrawal.
“Alvin, are you okay?” she asked worriedly.
“Yeah, I’m just going to head outside to the balcony,” I replied.
“Well it is raining so…”
I didn’t hear the last bit as I left the room and went out to the balcony. I stood there breathing in the city and letting the drizzle of rain wet my hair. I do not know how long I stood there, but when I opened my eyes I noticed someone standing next to me. I am a pretty tall man, but I had to look up to meet his eyes. He was an imposing figure, standing at about 6’4” and broad of chest. He had tree trunks for arms and legs, and his grey eyes and blonde hair with streaks of grey marked him as my cohort’s father. I was standing in the presence of Matvei Kosaryov.
“Alvin,” his voice boomed in a thick Russian accent.
“Mr. Kosaryov,” I answered back.
He frowned down at me.
“I did not need you as part of this deal with Leo Valente and Madame Apuzzo, but my daughter insisted for this detestable hobby of hers.”
I didn’t know how to answer him so I remained silent and looked up at him quizzically.
“Well then, let’s make one thing clear. I do not want or need you in any of my business dealings. There will be no partnership with me as you had with Valente. You stick to football, and I’ll handle everything with my other transaction,” he finished.
“Fine with me,” I mumbled back.
He nodded his head in satisfaction and turned to walk away, but before he went back inside he turned and frowned at me.
“I almost forgot, my daughter wanted me to tell you this personally as the co-owner of the team.”
“What’s that, Mr. Kosaryov?” I asked.
“Welcome to the Queens Park Rangers Football Club.”

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Re: Mr. Second Place: An Autobiographical Tale of Alvin Allen (Fifa 13)

Name: Alvin Allen
Hometown: Chicago, IL
Current Team: QPR
Position: Striker
Specialty: Finisher
Height: 6'1"
Weight: 174 lbs.
Age: 22
Skin: Brown
Hair: Brown, Short, now w/Beard
Eyes: Brown

Difficulty: World Class (Now on FIFA 14!)
Half Length: 6 min

Notable Career Statistics:
Played for 4 teams (Chicago Fire, Reggina, AC Milan, QPR)
162 career goals
45 career assists
23 International Caps

Individual awards:
MLS Most Valuable Player 2012
Serie B Player of the Year 2013-2014
Serie A Player of the Year 2014-2015

Silverware:
2014-2015 Serie A Champions
2014-2015 Copa Italia Champions
2014-2015 UEFA Europa League Champions
2015-2016 Serie A Champions

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Re: Mr. Second Place: An Autobiographical Tale of Alvin Allen (Fifa 13)

In a Stunning Move, Alvin Allen goes to QPR
by Dave Seville


Why would a top player like Allen head to struggling QPR?

In an upset of dramatic proportions, American star striker Alvin Allen has signed a contract with the Queens Park Rangers of the Barclays Premier League. Allen is quoted as saying, "This move is the right move for myself at this time. I appreciate the chance that the Koralyov's are giving me, and I will do my best to bring back a title to this proud club." As excited as Allen sounds, this stunning move seems to not make sense for a number of reasons.
The move does not make sense for the player. Even though Allen is coming back off of a knee injury, before he was injured he was having a career year in Serie A. He also was playing very well in the Champions League, and QPR has not even sniffed the Champions League in decades. Top players play with top teams, and Champions League players only join Champions League teams. The other thing is that the reported money that QPR gave Allen very well could have been gotten at any other top club such as Barcelona or Chelsea, who were both rumored to have a substantial interest in the player.
The move also does not make sense for the club. QPR paid AC Milan roughly 40 million dollars for Allen. If QPR had that kind of money laying around, they could have spend it on two to three marquee players, none of which would be coming off a knee injury. QPR finished last year just above the relegation zone and look poised to do the same. How does signing a 40 million dollar player do anything for the team? At best, they will be a mid table side. It would be better to spend the money on youth players and infrastructure so they do not find themselves in the English Championship division like they were a couple years ago.
Look, I understand that Alvin Allen is great player, but should the best hope for American soccer be playing for a fledgling side in the BPL? Alvin Allen needs to realize that his career is bigger than that, his responsibilities to US Soccer are bigger than that, and that his skill level is superior to that of the Queens Park Rangers. Have your fun for now, Allen, but please leave as soon as you can.

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Re: Mr. Second Place: An Autobiographical Tale of Alvin Allen (Fifa 13)

QPR Depth Chart - 2016
	STARTER	2ND	3RD	4TH
GK	Vorm	Ospina	Room
RB	Simpson	Harriman	Cornwall
RCB	Ehmer	Jerome	Lowe
LCB	Onuoha	Sendles-White
LB	Roussillon	Traore	Suk-Young
CDM	Faurlin	Derry
RM	Phillips	Wright-Phillips
RCM	M'Bia	Doughty
LCM	Granero	Jenas
LM	Hoilett	Taarabt	Andrade
ST	Allen	Austin	Ramos

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Re: Mr. Second Place: An Autobiographical Tale of Alvin Allen (Fifa 13)

Preseason Results

Jul 23, 2016 - Hamburg vs QPR
TEAM	1	2	SCORE
Hamburg (-)	0	0	0
QPR (-)	0	0	0

Jul 28, 2016 - QPR vs Schalke
TEAM	1	2	SCORE
QPR (-)	1	0	1
Schalke (-)	0	0	0

Goals:
4' Allen

Aug 2, 2016 - Almeria vs QPR
TEAM	1	2	SCORE
Almeria (-)	0	0	0
QPR (-)	1	1	2

Goals:
3' Doughty
47' Doughty

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Re: Mr. Second Place: An Autobiographical Tale of Alvin Allen (Fifa 13)

Manchester City Stunned at Home by QPR


Man City was clearly stunned by Allen's late game winner

Manchester City dominated QPR from the opening whistle of the match. They controlled possession for 61% of the game. They dominated shot attempts by taking 10 more than their opponent. Man City played professional, organized, surgical football all match. On the other side, QPR played poorly. They played like a team that was always on the chase, barely keeping up with their opponent all match.
Their were two reasons why QPR won this game. The first was the excellent play of the QPR goalkeeper Vorm. The saves that he made kept his team alive. The key play for him was just before the end of the half as Jovetic broke free for the one on one with Vorm. Vorm took a step up, and Jovetic tried to chip the ball over the top of the charging keeper, but Vorm didn't bite, instead jumping up and getting a piece of the ball, pushing it up and over the crossbar and preventing the goal.
The second reason why QPR won the game was set pieces. As unorganized as QPR looked on the pitch during the match, on their set pieces they looked like a world class team. Two early attempts off a free kick and corner kick looked well taken by Hoilett, and it ultimately set up the game winner for Allen. In the 76', QPR found themselves with another corner attempt. Allen was marked well by Man City, but Allen was just too big and too strong as the ball arched downward. Allen got his head on the ball and put it near post past the outstretched arms of the keeper. QPR would hold on to win, hushing the normally vibrant Etihad Stadium.

Aug 20, 2016 - QPR vs Manchester City
TEAM	1	2	SCORE
QPR (0-0-0)	0	1	1
Manchester City (0-0-0)	0	0	0

Team Stats Comparison
QPR		Manchester City
1	Goals	0
2	Shots	12
2	Shots on Target	6
8	Tackles	12
3	Fouls	2
1	Yellow Cards	1
0	Red Cards	0
0	Injuries	0
100%	Shot Accuracy	50%
75%	Passing Percentage	85%

Allen Rating: 6.3/Goals: 76'/2 shots on target

[bhurst99]

Re: Mr. Second Place: An Autobiographical Tale of Alvin Allen (Fifa 13)

Nice start

How did you make the transition to FIFA 14? Does he have the same ratings he did at the end of the previous season

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Re: Mr. Second Place: An Autobiographical Tale of Alvin Allen (Fifa 13)

Nice start

How did you make the transition to FIFA 14? Does he have the same ratings he did at the end of the previous season

No he doesn't. I ended FIFA 13 with Allen at a 83 overall rating. This one isn't close to being as good as the other one.

I started this Allen from scratch on FIFA 14. I played through 1 year and bought as many boosts as I could to try to get him as close as I could to the other Allen, and then I simulated to the year 2016.

It's not ideal, but its good to be on the new game!

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Re: Mr. Second Place: An Autobiographical Tale of Alvin Allen (Fifa 13)

Bad Weather Affects Gameplay in Everton v. QPR Draw


The clouds rolled in just before the match

The Everton faithful came out to see their Toffees face off against a Queens Park Rangers squad that was still riding the high of beating Manchester City just 5 days prior. Unfortunately for both teams, the rains also came to watch the match. The torrent of rain made the beautiful grass of Goodison Park nothing more that a slippery green slide for the players, and the quality of play was greatly affected by it. Sloppy play means sloppy goals, and QPR would do just that, scoring on a pass by Faurin in the box on the ground across the face of the keeper to a sliding Phillips who cut just in front of Baines at the last second for the goal. QPR seemed content with their early goal and dropped everyone back, playing possession football for the rest of the match. It almost worked, but in the 86’ after Everton dominated play for the match, Barkley would finally break through on a header from a Vellios cross. Vorm just could not find his footing to move laterally in time, and the slow, rolling headed ball got just across the line before he could get to it. The match would end in a well fought draw, with both teams thankful for the point in a sloppy showdown.

Aug 20, 2016 - QPR vs Everton
TEAM	1	2	SCORE
QPR (1-0-0)	1	0	1
Everton (0-0-1)	0	1	1

Team Stats Comparison
QPR		Everton
1	Goals	1
3	Shots	4
1	Shots on Target	3
7	Tackles	8
2	Fouls	1
1	Yellow Cards	0
0	Red Cards	0
0	Injuries	0
33%	Shot Accuracy	75%
81%	Passing Percentage	89%

Allen Rating: 6.2/0 shots/2 Key Passes

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Re: Mr. Second Place: An Autobiographical Tale of Alvin Allen (Fifa 13)

QPR Explodes for Six Goals Over Hapless Swansea


QPR celebrates their blowout victory over Swansea

An back and forth battle turned ugly as Swansea fell apart against QPR. The match actually began somewhat even, as neither team could get much offense going in a clogged midfield. QPR caught a break in the 23' as a pass back to the keeper by Swansea went awry and the ball ended up crossing the end line for the corner kick. Granero would take the kick, curling a nice box to the far post. Allen would find the ball and put the header into the back of the net for the early lead. Then just off the restart, Allen would steal the ball and send a lob pass over the back line of the Swansea defense to a wide open Phillips. He would put the easy shot away and then the rout was on. QPR would score goals in the 36', 51', 57', and 68'. Allen would get a hat trick, and Granero would provide 2 goals and 3 assists himself to earn player of the match. An embarrassed Swansea City would need to forget about this awful loss quickly, while QPR is quietly performing well in this early Premier League season.

Aug 27, 2016 - Swansea City vs QPR
TEAM	1	2	SCORE
Swansea City (1-1-0)	0	0	0
QPR (1-1-0)	3	3	6

Team Stats Comparison
Swansea City		QPR
0	Goals	6
1	Shots	15
0	Shots on Target	10
10	Tackles	13
2	Fouls	2
0	Yellow Cards	1
0	Red Cards	0
0	Injuries	0
0%	Shot Accuracy	66%
91%	Passing Percentage	89%

Allen Rating: 9.8/Goals: 23', 51', 68'/6 shots on target/1 assist/1 Key Pass

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Re: Mr. Second Place: An Autobiographical Tale of Alvin Allen (Fifa 13)

Transfer Deadline Day Shockers Abound Throughout the Premier League
by David Sevilleton


Ozil forced his way out of Arsenal with a late transfer demand

Well a quiet transfer deadline day turned crazy late as several major moves were made. Mehmet Ozil left Arsenal fans heartbroken as he submitted his transfer request and forced his way away from the team. Manchester City paid a reported 21 million pounds for the services of Ozil and he will join an already deep squad that is primed for a run at the Premier League title.
Not to be outdone by Manchester City, Manchester United followed up this major deal by stealing away Luis Suarez from Liverpool for a massive 34 million pounds. The news came out of nowhere as Liverpool had previously denied any rumors about Suarez's possible transfer away from the club, but United's large sum proved to be such a large amount for the 29 year old forward.
These two moves overshadowed most of the action on the day, but plenty of other teams in the Premier League made moves as well. Brazilian midfielder Elber moved to Aston Villa for a cool 10 million, boosting an already good squad with some new young talent. Another Brazilian, veteran midfielder Ederson, also found himself leaving Lazio for Newcastle for 7 million, giving some depth to the surprising Champions League participants. Also, Alvin Allen was not the only American to find a new team, as striker Jozy Altidore moved on from a struggling Sunderland to become Everton's new offensive threat for a bargain at 6 million pounds. Transfer deadline day is now at a close, and this day could be remembered as the making or breaking point for a lot of teams this season.

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Re: Mr. Second Place: An Autobiographical Tale of Alvin Allen (Fifa 13)

A Bad Day for Krul Seals Another Blowout Win for QPR


Krul looks on upset after giving up another goal to QPR

It was a tough day at the office for Tim Krul, as the Newcastle keeper could do nothing against a suddenly potent QPR offensive attack. It was Phillips who starting things off with a goal that was never supposed to go in. Phillips crossed the ball in, but as Krul came out to punch the ball away he ran into his defender Taylor and fell down, allowing the cross to roll into the net for a goal in the 10'. Krul would follow it up with another mistake, badly clearing a ball that would end right at the feet of M'Bia. M'Bia would put the ball one timed into the back of the net. Honestly, the bad clearance looked like the perfect pass. Alvin Allen would finish the win off with two goals of his own, while the newly signed Ederson and star winger Ben Arfa could not find any semblance of offense on the day. Newcaslte has a long way to go if they are going to figure out this team chemistry, but on the other side, QPR continues to roll with their third win of the season.

Sep 11, 2016 - QPR vs Newcastle
TEAM	1	2	SCORE
QPR (2-1-0)	3	1	4
Newcastle (1-0-2)	0	0	0

Team Stats Comparison
QPR		Newcastle
4	Goals	0
7	Shots	0
7	Shots on Target	0
9	Tackles	6
0	Fouls	1
0	Yellow Cards	0
0	Red Cards	0
0	Injuries	0
100%	Shot Accuracy	0%
87%	Passing Percentage	78%

Allen Rating: 9.8/Goals: 45', 90'/4 shots on target/2 Key Passes

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Re: Mr. Second Place: An Autobiographical Tale of Alvin Allen (Fifa 13)

West Ham and QPR Put Together a Stinker


Allen looks on in disgust as he misses a late chance at the win

Sometimes a scoreless draw could he hailed as a tremendous battle between two tough opponents. This match was no where close to that, as these two teams bumbled through the finish as neither could get much going. Turnovers were rampant, as neither midfield could force their way into the opponents territory. The few chances that did come came from QPR's Granero, who was able to create a bit up front, but once he would give the ball to Allen it would be immediately taken away by the Hammers defense led by Tompkins in the middle. That was probably the one bright spot for the away team, as their defense gave QPR all sorts of fits when they did get close, and even the shots on target are a bit deceiving as most of them were easily caught by Adrian. The entire narrative of this match could have changed on a crucial play from Allen late in the game. Granero sent a lob pass over the top on a counter attack by QPR. Allen was able to get to it in stride, but instead of advancing the ball closer, he took the shot from deep with his right foot. The ball sailed just wide of the post, prompting a show of frustration by the young forward. The match would end soon after. West Ham United and Queens Park Rangers will want to forget this one as they both move forward with one point gained.

Sep 17, 2016 - West Ham vs QPR
TEAM	1	2	SCORE
West Ham (2-0-2)	0	0	0
QPR (3-1-0)	0	0	0

Team Stats Comparison
West Ham		QPR
0	Goals	0
1	Shots	6
0	Shots on Target	3
8	Tackles	8
0	Fouls	0
0	Yellow Cards	0
0	Red Cards	0
0	Injuries	0
0%	Shot Accuracy	50%
74%	Passing Percentage	78%

Allen Rating: 5.5/1 shot on target

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Re: Mr. Second Place: An Autobiographical Tale of Alvin Allen (Fifa 13)

Capital One Cup- "...when I lay My vengeance upon thee!"

Hull City Plays Tough But Victory Belongs to Austin and QPR


Austin celebrates his extra time winner

Hull City and QPR share a parallel recent history. Both teams have moved between the Premier League and Championship divisions and both have fought hard against relegation or to get promotion dependent upon the situation. Both teams would showcase that tenacity against each other in a Capital One cup match up.
The match was even throughout as both teams played an excellent brand of ball control football. When they did get shots the two goalkeepers were there to shield their respective nets. Goalkeeper Diego Silva was brilliant for Hull City, denying some great attempts by QPR. One of these came early in the second half as Hoilett got free in the middle after a counter switch with Allen on the wing. Allen would send in the cross into the box as Hoilett backed up and struck a volley towards goal. Diego Silva dove and knocked the ball away with cat-like reflexes, making the split second decision and saving the game. Vorm would make a few good saves of his own, denying both Sagbo his initial attempt and Boyd his rebound shot late before the end of regulation.
Redknapp had to make a decision on his tactics for the second half, and he made a bold one by switching his 4-1-4-1 formation to a traditional 4-4-2 and subbing in Austin to be paired with Allen up front. The tactic worked wonders, as the two strikers and two center midfielders marched their way downfield and controlled a long build up on the Hull City half of the pitch. QPR would finally have their breakthrough as Austin would pass the ball back to Taarabt who cut up the wing. Taarabt would get inside and give right back to Austin, who would turn and fire quickly, catching the keeper off guard. The ball sailed crisply into the back of the net for the game winner. QPR would hold on against one last gasp by Hull City to advance to the next round of the Capital One Cup.

Sep 20, 2016 - Hull City vs QPR
TEAM	1	2	ET	SCORE
Hull City (-)	0	0	0	0
QPR (-)	0	0	1	1

Team Stats Comparison
Hull City		QPR
0	Goals	1
4	Shots	7
2	Shots on Target	4
10	Tackles	14
1	Fouls	2
1	Yellow Cards	0
0	Red Cards	0
0	Injuries	0
50%	Shot Accuracy	33%
87%	Passing Percentage	83%

Allen Rating: 6.0/2 shot on target/1 Key Pass