How's Your FIFA Career Mode Going?

[indiblue]

Re: How's Your FIFA Career Mode Going?

Cuadrado signing just announced on Chelsea TV. Signed a mighty fine winger and stiffed those b*stards at Sky in the process. YUSSS!

[Keano16]

Re: How's Your FIFA Career Mode Going?

Cuadrado signing just announced on Chelsea TV. Signed a mighty fine winger and stiffed those b*stards at Sky in the process. YUSSS!

We got rid of Schurrle and Salah in the process though so we are down a winger. Personally I would've kept Schurrle as we only have 3 wingers now, Hazard, Willian and Cuadrado.

[jamiec47]

Re: How's Your FIFA Career Mode Going?

We got rid of Schurrle and Salah in the process though so we are down a winger. Personally I would've kept Schurrle as we only have 3 wingers now, Hazard, Willian and Cuadrado.

However Oscar and Ramires can both play on the wing as well. Plus, the amount of money you got for a bench player in Schurrle is ridiculous.

[Keano16]

Re: How's Your FIFA Career Mode Going?

However Oscar and Ramires can both play on the wing as well. Plus, the amount of money you got for a bench player in Schurrle is ridiculous.

Oscar maybe but Ramires isn't a natural winger. Schurrle is a quality player, he just didn't get much opportunities here.

[indiblue]

Re: How's Your FIFA Career Mode Going?

I think our negotiation team (Emenalo, Granovskaia, etc.) deserve a huge round of applause for getting us such amazing fees on these players. Forget the £22 million for Schurrle, they got us £10m for Bertrand, who I'm sad has left the club. Also love how so many Arsenal and Liverpool fans are getting wound up over it. Cry when we spend money, cry when we make money! Children, don't cry because your boards are too cr*p to make you any money.

FFP was created because the old powers of world football weren't too happy that a couple of new clubs showed up and robbed them of their dominance. What I'm saying is FFP was intended to destroy Chelsea and City more than it was meant to help any other club. I don't know about City, but we've managed to adhere strictly to what was supposed to be our downfall. And we get chastised for it! I prefer being hated. Makes the success even sweeter.

As for the squad itself, I think this opens the door to the likes of Boga and Solanke to get a bit more game time. I can also see Piazon being recalled from loan in a pinch, and I think he offers much more going forward than Salah, whose signing I never really understood. But we have enough depth to content with the rest of the season. I have great faith in our medical and sports science staff, and with good reason.

Bit disappointed to see Schurrle go, to be honest. Don't know if he couldn't reach Jose's standards or if Jose couldn't get the best out of him, but he has so much to offer. Hope he does well for Wolfsburg, who are increasingly becoming our partner club of choice in Germany. Salah, can't say the same. Though I do wish him luck. Cuadrado will give us the width we desperately need. We haven't stretched a defence well and good since we had Malouda making those wide runs, and having a player of Cuadrado's calibre doing that will be so fruitful. His pace is going to be a blessing on transitions, too. Think he can be as good as Malouda in 09/10. Even better, actually.

[indiblue]

Re: How's Your FIFA Career Mode Going?

@Rabbit Excellent start to the season with Alcorcon! Very early days still, but if you can sustain even a good portion of this form, you should be able to go quite far. That team is just packed with stars, and many of them are the result of the hard work you and your scouts have put in over the years. Well done!

@Keano Very interesting signings. Centurion was quite fun to play with in FIFA 14, but I haven't used him in this game. Koulibaly is also a curious signing, as I generally dislike centre backs with H/M work rates. Let me know how he does for you. Oh, and congrats on topping the table!

Indi: Two months into the season and you're still going strong. I think direct promotion is a logical goal seeing the way your squad has been playing. I wasn't able to reply to your last update but my favorite signing was Alex Smithies. Back in 13 I had a 3 season long career with Leeds and he was my starting goalkeeper almost the entire career. I haven't looked him up on 15 since I'm not using an English club, but I hope he can become the future of Sheffield Wednesday! Also, making Tom Lees captain was a great choice. I've used him with Leeds on 13 and Wimbledon on 14, and in both he's been a solid defender and in fact a captain as well. Although with Wimbledon he was the B Team's captain, not the first team's. Looking forward to seeing how your battle with Fulham develops!

As you'll see in my next update, which should be up in 20 minutes, our goals are looking very reachable. In fact, I'd say overachieving them is where we're headed. The question is if we do get promoted this season, will we have the ability to get the players in who can make a difference? I still have my entire budget at my disposal, about £2.7 million and £35k in wages. Bit of a twist coming with that, too.

Indi: Some quality updates, honestly, while I enjoy the first person recaps, I also enjoy the regular style writing because it really keeps things fresh not having one set style. Also, great results, hopefully you can keep the form up, although I don't know how keen you are on going up to the Prem in season 1 as opposed to having some time to build a squad.

Cheers, Moose. Thanks, I do want to keep the form going. I'd like to get into the Premier League right away because many of the players I want to bring in won't join a second-division club. Even short-term solutions aren't willing to make the drop for a season, so being in the Premier League will help drastically in team building. We can focus on finishing between 10 and 15 for a few seasons if we need to, but we need to be up there while we consolidate and build.

[indiblue]

Re: How's Your FIFA Career Mode Going?

The Wednesday: October 2014



October 4, Hillsborough Stadium


FL Championship: Matchday 9
SHW 1-1 BRE
90' May
87' Betinho
MotM: K. Westwood (SHW)

It seems we have a bit of the Chelsea syndrome, where teams at the bottom of the table raise their game against us. At times, it felt like Brentford had three or four extra men on the pitch. There were long periods of possession for us where we could not break them down no matter what we tried. It was a bit frustrating, but my boys deserve credit for not giving in to that and doing anything foolish. The final five minutes plus stoppage time were frantic, and I would say we were ultimately fortunate to come away with a point.

October 11, Madejski Stadium


FL Championship: Matchday 10
RDG 0-0 SHW
MotM: M. Andersen (RDG)

This is the second consecutive match where we've been forced to circulate the ball without really penetrating too far into the opposition half. We were marginally better defensively, if only that we didn't concede at all, but we still lacked ferocity and intent going forward. The 4-1-4-1 we've been using has served us well until now, but perhaps it's time to reconsider our tactical plan. For the last 180 minutes, our lone forward has been isolated far too often. That's not something we can afford to persist with.

October 18, Hillsborough Stadium


FL Championship: Matchday 11
SHW 3-1 IPS
67' 75' Drenthe, 77' May
11' Berra
MotM: R. Drenthe (SHW)

I was quite upset to concede such a poor goal from a set piece, especially with so many of our defenders remaining static. However, we more than atoned for that with the 10-minute surge towards the end, during which we go all three of our goals. The move to a new formation really helped us achieve that. Our new 5-2-3, which plays like a 4-3-3 as we push forward, is extremely good at solving the two major problems of the 4-1-4-1. First, it doesn't isolate the striker. In fact, it gives him two forwards to play off. The second solution it provides is allowing Sam Hutchinson, who fills the boots of both defensive midfielder and third centre back, to be in the right place at the right time during both defensive and offensive phases.

October 25, City Ground


FL Championship: Matchday 12
NFO 0-2 SHW
46' Drenthe, 83' (OG) Fox
MotM: K. Westwood (SHW)

I honestly thought Forest would give us more of a fight considering they've won six of their last eight games, but we were able to play our game without much interference. Our first goal was a real peach. I thought the second should have gone to our boy Donsah, who came on late and made a huge difference, but the referee saw fit to award an own goal for a minor deflection, which I think is unfair on our player. Nonetheless, we are happy to come away with all three points in such a big game.

Automatic Promotion

28
28

Play-off Spots

25
23
23
20

Relegation Zone

7
6
3

[indiblue]

Re: How's Your FIFA Career Mode Going?

May called up to Scotland



It's a happy day at Middlewood, as in-form Sheffield Wednesday striker Stevie May has been called up to the Scotland national team after a gap of more than a year since earning his first cap. The 21-year-old played in his country's high-profile game against England at Celtic Park, which took place in the final months of 2013. Since then, he has been a regular part of Scotland U21 while working on a return to the senior side.

"It's a fantastic feeling to be called up again," May said from his club's training complex. "I know the manager will be upset not to have me for a few games since the international calendar overlaps with league fixtures, but he's had nothing but praise and encouragement for me. My teammates have also been very supportive, so it feels absolutely amazing that I've been asked to play for my country once again."

"There's no doubt in my mind that Stevie has earned this. I always see him giving it 100% in training, and no doubt the Scotland coaches see that same level of discipline and dedication," Sheffield Wednesday head coach Indi Blue said. "We'll miss him when he's off playing during our club games, but I have a squad full of talent. One or two of these players will be eager to have a crack at Stevie's spot, and Stevie himself will be keen on winning it back when he returns from national duty. I think that's the magic of this team, where we have such fierce competition for spots that everyone goes above and beyond to prove themselves. That's why we're doing so well in the league."

"Stevie's got the ability to play off the shoulder of the lead striker, to partner with a target man or poacher, and to drop back and link the play," said Scotland manager Gordon Strachan. "He's good in the middle, and he's good out wide. That versatility is important, because at his age, he'll want to be playing all over the pitch to develop himself as completely as possible. It's hard to grasp that he's 21, because he displays a maturity and level head that older, more experienced lads sometimes fail to attain."

May has a fantastic opportunity ahead of him to be a vital cog of the Scotland team for years to come. If he works as hard for his country as he does for his club, there is no reason why one can't expect his star to keep rising. Keep your eyes on Stevie May.

Drenthe ankle fracture puts future in doubt



As the Championship moves into November with Sheffield Wednesday second on the table, level on points with Norwich City but behind on goal difference, the club's head coach has refused to deny that on-loan Netherlands winger Royston Drenthe will return to Wednesday after receiving treatment from his parent club. The former Real Madrid player suffered a fractured ankle towards the end of Wednesday's most recent league encounter at Nottingham Forest, ruling him out of action for a minimum of 12 weeks.

During the pre-match conference ahead of Bolton's trip to Hillsborough, Indi Blue was asked if the player would return after recovering at Reading, and the head coach was not dismissive of the possibility that his club would need to consider other options.

"The situation is quite clear. Drenthe's fracture means he's out for at least the next three months, during which time we find ourselves short a winger. With the transfer window set to open in a few weeks, it makes sense to consider our options. We don't want to find ourselves in a situation where we need to call on a fresh player but none are available. We don't want to be empty-handed when we need someone to step in and do a job," Indi said upon being asked if he would make any moves in January.

"What's important is that we respect the agreement we have with Drenthe and with Reading. Any course of action has to first be discussed with the player and his parent club, and only then can we consider making any moves to rectify the situation. From financial and footballing perspectives, we have to consider that this is not an ideal situation for us to be in, and we need to take the steps to fix it as soon as possible."

It is believed that Drenthe's loan agreement with Wednesday includes a termination clause. This would allow Wedneday to pay a fee to send Drenthe back to Reading for good, freeing them from the obligation of paying his wages of nearly £25,000. The termination fee is thought to be around £300,000, a relatively low figure for a club of Wednesday's resources. In fact, the South Yorkshire side may even be able to pay for this by offloading some of their spare players in the upcoming winter transfer window.

Among those likely to leave are Slovenian centre back Dejan Kelhar, midfielders Jose Semedo and Kieran Lee, and forwards Adthe Nuhiu and Gary Madine. Combined, their sales are expected to generate upwards of £2 million. This would then allow Indi to terminate Drenthe's loan agreement with the club and pursue a replacement. Thought to be on the coach's shortlist is Arsenal winger Serge Gnabry, who would arrive on a loan with the option to buy. Nottingham Forest forward Jamie Paterson and Leicester City counterpart Jamie Vardy are also potential targets, though either signing would be on a permanent basis. Joel Campbell, the Costa Rica wide man who impressed at the World Cup and is out of contract with Arsenal in the summer, was originally to be Wednesday's chief target, but his wages have effectively ruled him out of the race.

On the radar of several Premier League clubs is Perth native Stevie May. The Scot has scored 5 goals in 12 league games for Wednesday since signing from boyhood club St. Johnstone in the summer for £3.7 million. It is thought that following his call-up to the Scotland national team, Wednesday value their star player at close to £10 million. However, they are reportedly reluctant to sell until the summer, when they expect to be in the Premier League and in a position to spend the windfall on better players.

[SHoward19]

Re: How's Your FIFA Career Mode Going?

Very long post. This is just a GK / DEF / CDM update the rest will come tomorrow or so

Spoiler

Chicago Fire

The Fire Always Burns

*MLS Draft not disbanded just not in the game so for my writing purposes I have said they disbanded the draft in the coming seasons of this MLS career.

Roster Overview Origin

Sean Johnson

Height: 6' 3"
Weight: 217 lbs
Number: 25
Birth Date: 05-31-1989
Birthplace: Atlanta, GA

Sean Johnson was selected by the Chicago Fire in the 2010 MLS Superdraft, 4th round, 51st overall. He is going into his 6th season with the club, 5th as a starter. He has also represented the United States of America at multiple national levels including a call to the USMT for the January training camp for Brazil 2014. He starts the season as the Fire number 1.

Career Reg. Season Record: Games Played / Wins / Losses / Draws / Clean Sheets
2010 - 13 / 4 / 6 / 3 / 3
2011 - 28 / 9 / 7 / 12 / 7
2012 - 31 / 16 / 10 / 5 / 5
2013 - 28 / 12 / 10 / 6 / 6
2014 - 33 / 6 / 9 / 18 / 6
Totals - 133 / 47 / 42 / 44 / 27

Career Playoff Recrod: Games Played / Wins / Losses / Draws / Clean Sheets

2012 - 1 / 0 / 1 / 0 / 0
Totals - 1 / 0 / 1 / 0 / 0

Kyle Reynish

Height: 6' 3"
Weight: 193 lbs
Number: 30
Birth Date: 11-03-1983
Birthplace: Valencia, CA

Kyle Reynish was selected by Real Salt Lake in the Supplemental Draft, 4th Round, 43rd overall. He spent 6 seasons in Real Salt Lake making just 8 starts. In 2013 he signed with the New York Cosmos of the NASL where he started 13 games going 8-4-1 while leading the team to the top of the Fall standings. He won the Golden Glove and the Cosmos also won the 2013 Soccer Bowl. This lead to the Fire signing him for the 2014 season where he made 1 start while backing up Sean Johnson, a role which he will again do this season. He also has no games played in the Playoffs.

Career Reg. Season Record: Games Played / Wins / Losses / Draws / Clean Sheets

2007 - 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0
2008 - 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0
2009 - 1 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0
2010 - 3 / 0 / 0 / 3 / 1
2011 - 1 / 1 / 0 / 0 / 1
2012 - 3 / 1 / 0 / 2 / 2
2014 - 1 / 0 / 1 / 0 / 0
Totals - 9 / 2 / 1 / 5 / 4

Alec Kann

Height: 6' 4"
Weight: 190 lbs
Number: 1
Birth Date: 08-08-1990
Birthplace: Decatur, Georgia

Alec Kann signed as a free agent with the Chicago Fire after a standout 4 year career with the Furman Paladins in College. After his college career he went onto the NASL side Charleston Battery before signing in 2013 with the Fire. After signing he was loaned out to the Charlotte Eagles of the NASL. He has made no career starts for the Fire.

Lovel Palmer

Height: 5' 10"
Weight: 160 lbs
Number: 5
Birth Date: 08-30-1984
Birthplace: Mandeville, Jamaica

Lovel Palmer started playing soccer in the Jamaican First Division with the Harbour View FC. He enjoyed a 7 year career winning multiple championships. He signed with the Houston Dynamo in 2010. He would spend 1 1/2 seasons in Houston before being traded to the Portland Timbers, halfway between 2011. Palmer would play 2 seasons in a Timber uniform before the Timbers elected not to offer him a new contract. This would be he was eligible for the Re-Entry Draft where he was selected in Stage 2 by Real Salt Lake. He played a season in RSL before he missed a PK in the final against Sporting KC. Days later he was traded to the Chicago Fire for allocation money. He expects to be the starter here in Chicago.

Career Reg. Season Stats: Games Played / Goals / Assists / Yellow Cards / Red Cards

2010 - 26 / 2 / 1 / 4 / 2
2011 - 19 / 1 / 0 / 4 / 1 (HOU)
2011 - 15 / 0 / 1 / 2 / 0 (POR)
2012 - 19 / 0 / 0 / 4 / 1
2013 - 17 / 0 / 1 / 4 / 1
2014 - 30 / 1 / 1 / 7 / 0
Totals - 126 / 4 / 4 / 25 / 5

Career Playoff Stats: Games Played / Goals / Assists / Yellow Cards / Red Cards

2013 - 3 / 0 / 0 / 1 / 0
Totals - 3 / 0 / 0 / 1 / 0

Steven Kinney

Height: 6'
Weight: 183 lbs
Number: 18
Birth Date: 10-28-1987
Birthplace: Norcross, GA

Steven Kinney was selected in the 2010 MLS Superdraft, 3rd round, 45th overall by the Chicago Fire. Steven Kinney played soccer all his life starting in HS where he would win a 2005 Disney Showcase, Region III Premier League Titles and a USYSA Regional finals appearance. He would commit to Elon College where he would play 4 years. He made multiple All-Teams won multiple team MVP's and was the first Elon player selected in the MLS. He started on a 2010 Fire team which was depleted due to injuries and made quite the impression. He would miss most of the 2011 and 2012 season because of a ruptured Achilles. He has battled back to a backup role for the last two seasons. He has not made a playoff start.

Career Reg. Season Stats: Games Played / Goals / Assists / Yellow Cards / Red Cards

2010 - 13 / 1 / 1 / 2 / 0
2013 - 2 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0
2014 - 2 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0
Totals - 17 / 1 / 1 / 2 / 0

Bakary Soumare

Height: 6' 4"
Weight: 190 lbs.
Birth Date: 11-09-1985
Birthplace: Bamako, Mali

Bakary Soumare was drafted by the Chicago Fire in the 2007 MLS SuperDraft, 1st round, 2nd overall after he spent 4 years at the University of Virginia. Bakary soon made he professional debut with the Fire that same season. He played sparingly during his first season before finally making the transition to full time starter in 2008. In the seasons that followed Bakary Soumare was drawing attention internationally. He moved halfway through the 2009 season to US Boulogne for a reported fee of $2,200,000 USD. He would play the better part of 3 years for Boulogne making 67 career starts before going out on loan to Karlsruher of the 2.Bundesliga. His season was cut short and Karlsruher was relegated to the 3rd German division. This meant the end of his time in Europe as he returned to the MLS after signing with the Philadelphia Union. After not getting as much playing time with the Union he asked for a trade. Fate had it as he returned to the Fire for the 2014 season. He expects to be a starter this season.

Career Reg. Season Stats: Games Played / Goals / Assists / Yellow Cards / Red Cards
2007 - 19 / 0 / 0 / 6 / 1
2008 - 28 / 0 / 1 / 10 / 0
2009 - 16 / 0 / 1 / 5 / 1
2010 - 19 / 0 / NA / 1 / 1
2011 - 31 / 2 / NA / 0 / 0
2012 - 16 / 0 / NA / 0 / 0 (FRA)
2012 - 7 / 0 / NA / 0 / 0 (GER)
2012 - 1 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0 (PHI)
2013 - 3 / 0 / 0 / 1 / 0 (PHI)
2013 - 22 / 1 / 0 / 4 / 2 (CHI)
2014 - 26 / 0 / 0 / 5 / 0
Totals - 485 / 3 / 2 / 32 / 5

Career Playoff Stats: Games Played / Goals / Assists / Yellow Cards / Red Cards
2007 - 1 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0
2008 - 3 / 0 / 0 / 2 / 0
Totals - 4 / 0 / 0 / 2 / 0

Patrick Ianni

Height: 6' 1"
Weight: 175 lbs.
Birth Date: 06-15-1985
Birthplace: Lodi, CA

Patrick Ianni was selected by the Houston Dynamo in the 2006 MLS SuperDraft where he was selected in the 1st round, 8th overall. He played parts of 3 seasons in Houston before being traded to the Seattle Sounders. He would go on to play 5 seasons in Seattle before being traded again by this time to the Chicago Fire. He would play sparingly in 2014 after breaking his foot in preseason. He expects to play off the bench now.

Career Reg. Season Stats: Games Played / Goals / Assists / Yellow Cards / Red Cards
2006 - 2 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0
2007 - 16 / 1 / 0 / 3 / 0
2008 - 17 / 0 / 1 / 2 / 0
2009 - 17 / 1 / 2 / 3 / 0
2010 - 25 / 0 / 0 / 2 / 0
2011 - 16 / 1 / 0 / 2 / 0
2012 - 16 / 1 / 0 / 1 / 0
2013 - 9 / 0 / 0 / 1 / 0
2014 - 12 / 0 / 0 / 3 / 0
Totals - 120 / 4 / 4 / 17 / 0

Career Playoff Stats: Games Played / Goals / Assists / Yellow Cards / Red Cards
2009 - 1 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0
2010 - 2 / 0 / 0 / 1 / 0
Totals - 3 / 0 / 0 / 1 / 0

Gonzalo Segares

Height: 5' 11"
Weight: 170 lbs
Number: 13
Birth Date: 10-13-1982
Birthplace: San Jose, Costa Rica

Gonzalo Segares was selected by the Chicago Fire in the 2005 MLS SuperDraft in the 3rd round. He is entering his 10th season with the club. He has played his whole life in the MLS except for in 2009/2010 when he played in for the Greek Cypriot Club, Apollon Limassol. His starting job will be up for grabs as he is 31 years old. I won't sell him though has he has been with the club for going on 10 years.

Career Reg. Season: Games Played / Goals / Assists / Yellow Cards / Red Cards
2005 - 21 / 3 / 2 / 5 / 0
2006 - 25 / 1 / 1 / 8 / 0
2007 - 27 / 1 / 1 / 6 / 1
2008 - 23 / 2 / 2 / 8 / 0
2009 - 12 / 1 / 1 / 4 / 0
2010 - 6 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 1 (CHI)
2010 - 12 / 0 / NA / NA / NA (GRE)
2011 - 33 / 0 / 5 / 8 / 0
2012 - 31 / 3 / 1 / 5 / 2
2013 - 32 / 0 / 1 / 8 / 0
2014 - 21 / 0 / 0 / 6 / 0
Totals - 243 / 11 / 14 / 58 / 4

Career Playoff Stats: Games Played / Goals / Assists / Yellow Cards / Red Cards
2005 - 3 / 0 / 0 / 2 / 0
2006 - 2 / 0 / 0 / 1 / 0
2007 - 3 / 0 / 0 / 1 / 0
2008 - 3 / 1 / 0 / 1 / 0
2009 - 1 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0
2012 - 1 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0
Totals - 13 / 1 / 0 / 5 / 0

Greg Cochrane

Current Club: Chicago Fire
Height: 5' 8"
Weight: 140 lbs
Number: 16
Birth Date: 11-01-1990
Birthplace: Holland, PA

Greg Cochrane was selected by the Los Angeles Galaxy in the 2nd round of the 2013 MLS SuperDraft. He played 2 years at the University of Louisville. He started all games in a LSU uniform. He made just 12 appearances in 2013 with the Galaxy. In the offseason he was traded from the Galaxy to the Fire in exchange for a conditional 2016 SuperDraft Pick (null and void now that the MLS disbanded the SuperDraft). He will battle for playing time at the LB position. He has made no playoff appearances.

Career Reg. Season Stats: Games Played / Goals / Assists / Yellow Cards / Red Cards
2013 - 12 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0
2014 - 12 / 0 / 2 / 2 / 0
Totals - 24 / 0 / 2 / 2 / 0

Hunter Jumper

Height: 6' 2"
Weight: 173 lbs.
Birth Date: 02-28-1989
Birthplace: Plano, TX

Hunter Jumper was selected by the Chicago Fire in the 2012 MLS SuperDraft, 2nd Round, 28th Overall. He has not played that much since his draft year as he backs up longtime Fire LB Gonzalo Segares and that he suffered an Achilles injury that sidelined him for 2014. He figures to fight for his future at the club this year. He has not started a playoff game in his career.

Career Reg. Season Stats: Games Played / Goals / Assists / Yellow Cards / Red Cards
2012 - 5 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0
2013 - 2 / 1 / 1 / 1 / 0
Totals - 7 / 1 / 1 / 1 / 0

Jeff Larentowicz

Height: 6' 1"
Weight: 175 lbs
Number: 20
Birth Date: 08-05-1983
Birthplace: Pasadena, CA

Jeff Larentowicz was drafted by the New England Revolution in the 2005 MLS SuperDraft in the 4th Round, 45th Overall. He served 4 years at Brown University before turning pro in 2005 with the Revs. He played off the bench/reserve team his first year before making an impact in his 2nd year coming in for injuries. He played for New England until a trade that sent him to the Colorado Rapids happened in January 2010. While with the Rapids he realized his dream as he won the MLS Cup that very same year. In November of 2011, it was announced that Jeff was to tryout for the Bolton Wanderers of the Barclays Premier League. He didn't make the team and he returned to Colorado. After 3 years at Colorado he was traded to the Chicago Fire in 2013 and he has been there ever since. He figures to be in most of the starting 11 either at CB or at CDM because of his high stamina.

Career Reg. Season Stats: Games Played / Goals / Assists / Yellow Cards / Red Cards
2005 - 1 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0
2006 - 26 / 1 / 1 / 4 / 0
2007 - 28 / 3 / 4 / 5 / 0
2008 - 28 / 4 / 2 / 5 / 1
2009 - 28 / 1 / 2 / 4 / 0
2010 - 30 / 4 / 1 / 4 / 0
2011 - 34 / 7 / 1 / 5 / 0
2012 - 32 / 3 / 0 / 8 / 1
2013 - 32 / 2 / 4 / 6 / 1
2014 - 33 / 6 / 2 / 4 / 0
Totals - 272 / 31 / 18 / 43 / 3

Career Playoff Stats: Games Played / Goals / Assists / Yellow Cards / Red Cards
2006 - 4 / 0 / 0 / 1 / 0
2007 - 4 / 0 / 0 / 1 / 0
2008 - 2 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0
2009 - 2 / 0 / 1 / 0 / 0
2010 - 4 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0
2011 - 3 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0
Totals - 19 / 0 / 1 / 2 / 0

Razvan Cocis

Height: 5' 11"
Weight: 161 lbs
Number: 30
Birth Date: 02-19-1983
Birthplace: Slatina, Romania

Razvan Cocis is an interesting player. I have not really found much useful information. He is from Romania and started his career playing for Universititea Cluj of Romania. After 4 years there he moved to FC Sheriff Tiraspol of Moldova where he won 2 titles in 3 years at the club. After his tenure at Tiraspol he moved to Russia when he signed a contract with Lokomotiv Moscow. While in Lokomotiv he amassed 4 goals in 54 appearances. After his Lokomotiv contract expired he returned home for the summer signing with Politehnica Timisoara where he scored 3 goals in 9 games. After that he decided he didn't want to play at home so he moved to Saudi Arabia when he signed a deal with Al-Nassr. It wasn't a good time as he lasted only a year before being sent out on loan to Ukraine in the form of Karpaty Lviv. After the Ukraine experience he moved back to Russia for 3 years signing with FC Rostov. He scored 4 goals in 40 games. After his Rostov contract expired he moved back to Ukraine to play for FC Hoverla Uzhhorod. That lasted a year and a half before he moved to North America to ply his trade with the Chicago Fire. He played in 10 games last year with no goals. He will be fighting for playing time this year. *no stats available

Matt Watson

Height: 6'
Weight: 170 lbs
Number: 8
Birth Date: 01-01-1985
Birthplace: Bromsgrove, England

Matt is another interesting case with his journey to the MLS. He skipped out on England and went to the University Maryland. He played 2 years there before turning pro and joining a USL-2 side. He played 2 years with the Richmond Kickers before agreeing to join the USL-1 side Carolina Railhawks. After his stints in the USL-2 and USL-1 he joined up with th Vancouver Whitecaps in 2011. He played 2 years in Vancouver before being traded to the Chicago Fire in 2014 offseason.

Career Reg. Season Stats: Games Played / Goals / Assists / Yellow Cards / Red Cards
2011 - 15 / 0 / 0 / 1 / 0
2012 - 21 / 0 / 1 / 1 / 0
2013 - 27 / 1 / 1 / 4 / 0
Totals - 63 / 1 / 2 / 6 / 0

Career Playoff Stats: Games Played / Goals / Assists / Yellow Cards / Red Cards
2012 - 1 / 0 / 1 / 0 / 0
Totals - 1 / 0 / 1 / 0 / 0

Logan Pause

Height: 5' 10"
Weight: 158 lbs
Birth Date: 08-22-1981
Birthplace: Hillsborough, NC

Logan Pause was selected by the Chicago Fire back in the 2003 MLS SuperDraft in the 3rd Round, 24th Overall. He was a University of North Carolina product who turned pro before he finished school. After being drafted he immediately saw playing time with the Fire. He has played his full 12 year career with the club and will retire at the club and will not be sold.

Career Reg. Season Stats: Games Played / Goals / Assists / Yellow Cards / Red Cards
2003 - 23 / 0 / 0 / 3 / 0
2004 - 21 / 0 / 2 / 2 / 1
2005 - 27 / 0 / 2 / 2 / 0
2006 - 25 / 0 / 1 / 5 / 1
2007 - 23 / 1 / 0 / 1 / 0
2008 - 27 / 0 / 0 / 1 / 0
2009 - 26 / 0 / 3 / 2 / 0
2010 - 26 / 1 / 3 / 2 / 0
2011 - 29 / 0 / 0 / 3 / 0
2012 - 32 / 1 / 0 / 0 / 0
2013 - 15 / 0 / 0 / 1 / 0
2014 - 12 / 0 / 0 / 1 / 0
Totals - 286 / 3 / 11 / 23 / 2

Career Playoff Stats: Games Played / Goals / Assists / Yellow Cards / Red Cards
2003 - 1 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0
2005 - 3 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0
2007 - 3 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0
2008 - 3 / 0 / 0 / 1 / 0
2009 - 3 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0
2012 - 1 / 0 / 0 / 0 / 0
Totals - 14 / 0 / 0 / 1 / 0

Chris Ritter

Height: 6' 2"
Weight: 190 lbs
Number: 21
Birth Date: 10-29-1990
Birthplace: Winnetka, IL

Chris Ritter starred in 5 years of College Soccer at Northwestern University. In January of 2014 he signed with the Chicago Fire as one of its first homegrown players as be bypassed the whole MLS SuperDraft. The Fire have not made the playoffs in his career.

Career Reg. Season Stats: Games Played / Goals / Assists / Yellow Cards / Red Cards
2014 - 10 / 0 / 0 / 4 / 0
Totals - 10 / 0 / 0 / 4 / 0

[texasbum06]

Re: How's Your FIFA Career Mode Going?

Okay so I am starting back on page 927 and working forward while commenting. So it may be a little weird in comments since I may have multiple updates per person that I will be commenting on.

@Simppu: Nice touch on your transfer window update, and great signings. Especially Modric and Neuer. Finally Benzema woke up! It was so hard to believe he went silent for so long after the success you had already had with him. Also good to see Lacazette and Bale stay in top form for you.

@10Cabee: Shame to go out in the Capital One Cup, but no shame in losing to a Premier League side. Good to see you still going strong in the F.A. Cup and the J. Paint Trophy though. You're really tearing apart the league competition, and have pretty much all but secured promotion already.

@Cruzerr: Haha, nice back and forth with the special one, give him a taste of his own medicine. Good to see you leading both the league table and your Champions League group!

@Kenny: Eric Dier and Danny Ings are solid signings to bring in and should be able to contribute right away. Ryan Gauld is a nice loan signing to bring in, and seems like something Everton would do. Looking forward to how they all shape out this season.

@Chico: Great run in league play to wind down the season. It looks like you really found out how to get the most out of your squad. Shame about the Copa Del Rey Final, but Real are a super team. I remember when neither of us could beat them in European competitions for the longest time in our Morecambe and Wimbledon careers! Happy to see Guillermo win the golden boot, and your other players were close in the assists and clean sheets.

@Vrabbit: Looking at Dagenham right now. Shame to lose the community shield on PK's, but you'll get your chance at revenge this season! 2 early draws, could have been better, but you are only 2 points behind the top of the table so it's not a bad start. Victor Andrade should be fantastic for you, a very dynamic player. On to your Alcorcon now, and couldn't ask for a better start scoring 3 goals in all 3 matches. Not a bad Champions League group, should be a challenge, but one you can handle with how well you play with that squad

@Keano: Shame to see you drop down to 5th, I though you were going to be moving up after that great win over Chelsea, but back to back draws hurt a little. You've got a close fight in the Europa League with Standard Liege for that last spot to advance. Well so much for that, just saw the 6-0 win over them! Also happy to see you move back up into 3rd.

@Jamie: Surprised to see you draw against Northern Ireland, but you finished off the rest easily in group play. Really unfortunate to get knocked off by Denmark. They do have some great players though and are one of those teams that can really surprise people. I love the signings with Newcastle. Enzo Perez and Schurrle are both great players.

@Indi: Good to see you finally getting a chance to lead your team out on the pitch. Still loving the commentary, and you have tied it into the match results really well.

@Sportsfreak: Good start with Monaco, they have a solid squad and money to burn. Can't wait to see what you can turn this club into a couple seasons down the road.

@Falaph: Great season, the highest point total I've ever seen for sure. Didn't lose a match all season in league play if I'm not mistaken? Çiftçi was unbelievable as expected

@Moose: Wow, what a win against FC Twente. Two 90' goals to win by one. They are a tough team to beat, I've drawn them in my Europa League group as well and they aren't easy to take down.


Okay sorry not all of the comments are completely up to date, but I have read each of your updates through current! Love this thread and all the variety we have here!

[jamiec47]

Re: How's Your FIFA Career Mode Going?

I think our negotiation team (Emenalo, Granovskaia, etc.) deserve a huge round of applause for getting us such amazing fees on these players. Forget the £22 million for Schurrle, they got us £10m for Bertrand, who I'm sad has left the club. Also love how so many Arsenal and Liverpool fans are getting wound up over it. Cry when we spend money, cry when we make money! Children, don't cry because your boards are too cr*p to make you any money.

FFP was created because the old powers of world football weren't too happy that a couple of new clubs showed up and robbed them of their dominance. What I'm saying is FFP was intended to destroy Chelsea and City more than it was meant to help any other club. I don't know about City, but we've managed to adhere strictly to what was supposed to be our downfall. And we get chastised for it! I prefer being hated. Makes the success even sweeter.

As for the squad itself, I think this opens the door to the likes of Boga and Solanke to get a bit more game time. I can also see Piazon being recalled from loan in a pinch, and I think he offers much more going forward than Salah, whose signing I never really understood. But we have enough depth to content with the rest of the season. I have great faith in our medical and sports science staff, and with good reason.

Bit disappointed to see Schurrle go, to be honest. Don't know if he couldn't reach Jose's standards or if Jose couldn't get the best out of him, but he has so much to offer. Hope he does well for Wolfsburg, who are increasingly becoming our partner club of choice in Germany. Salah, can't say the same. Though I do wish him luck. Cuadrado will give us the width we desperately need. We haven't stretched a defence well and good since we had Malouda making those wide runs, and having a player of Cuadrado's calibre doing that will be so fruitful. His pace is going to be a blessing on transitions, too. Think he can be as good as Malouda in 09/10. Even better, actually.

You couldn't be more wrong there. I have spent a long time, far too long, of my 15 year life reading football books, articles and magazines. Heck, I've even read the rule book and extensively read through every introduction FIFA and UEFA have made.

FFP was introduced to help teams trying to get into Europe, the newer, more average teams such as Krasnodar in Russia, and the teams trying to re-reach their glory days, Inter, Roma, Liverpool, Monaco. It would do this by restricting the spending of teams.

However, it has done completely the opposite. With football being a financial game, teams have to spend a lot of money to break into the European elite and end up breaking FFP trying to get into the elite. Meanwhile, the teams like Chelsea and Manchester City get away scot free after creating a market for themselves due to their over the top spending and completely stocking up on the best in the world before the FFP was introduced.

Fair play to you for doing good business since FFP was introduced but it is one of the most unfair systems in place and you would be kidding yourself if you thought Chelsea would be in the top 4 and title race if FFP had been around before Abramovic.

[Keano16]

Re: How's Your FIFA Career Mode Going?

@Keano: Shame to see you drop down to 5th, I though you were going to be moving up after that great win over Chelsea, but back to back draws hurt a little. You've got a close fight in the Europa League with Standard Liege for that last spot to advance. Well so much for that, just saw the 6-0 win over them! Also happy to see you move back up into 3rd.

Haha Thanks! That Liege game was really fun and I'm happy to qualify in first for the Round of 32, all be it on goals scored! That's how tight it was. Also I think you have another update to read!

[indiblue]

Re: How's Your FIFA Career Mode Going?

You couldn't be more wrong there. I have spent a long time, far too long, of my 15 year life reading football books, articles and magazines. Heck, I've even read the rule book and extensively read through every introduction FIFA and UEFA have made.

FFP was introduced to help teams trying to get into Europe, the newer, more average teams such as Krasnodar in Russia, and the teams trying to re-reach their glory days, Inter, Roma, Liverpool, Monaco. It would do this by restricting the spending of teams.

However, it has done completely the opposite. With football being a financial game, teams have to spend a lot of money to break into the European elite and end up breaking FFP trying to get into the elite. Meanwhile, the teams like Chelsea and Manchester City get away scot free after creating a market for themselves due to their over the top spending and completely stocking up on the best in the world before the FFP was introduced.

Fair play to you for doing good business since FFP was introduced but it is one of the most unfair systems in place and you would be kidding yourself if you thought Chelsea would be in the top 4 and title race if FFP had been around before Abramovic.

Financial Fair Play is tied directly to income. You can't spend more on players than you can make. And who makes the most income in European football? Oh yes... Arsenal, Man United, Liverpool, Madrid, Barcelona, Valencia, Marseille, Juventus, Milan... all the old powers. Oh, and three young radicals named Chelsea, Man City and PSG. Recommend these articles.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/foo...gue-elite.html

http://www.mishcongraduates.com/lewis-cohen-impact-financial-fair-play-rules-uk-football/

http://www.academia.edu/8105062/The_impact_of_UEFAs_Financial_Fair_Play_regulation_A_Case_Study_analysis_of_FC_Porto_Chelsea_FC_and_Real_Madrid_CF

http://www.independent.co.uk/sport/football/news-and-comment/financial-fair-play-policy-unfair-on-smaller-clubs-claim-chairmen-of-chelsea-and-southampton-8872161.html

By the way, our business model is nothing new. It's essentially the same as any club's internal academy structure, except we don't source the product from in and around our home parish.

EDIT: Another aspect you failed to recognise is TV broadcasting revenue, which aside from the PL which splits it 20 ways, is negotiated by individual clubs. You know the story in Spain/Italy. And barely anything goes to clubs in France, Ukraine, Hungary, etc.

[moose141]

Re: How's Your FIFA Career Mode Going?

@Moose: Wow, what a win against FC Twente. Two 90' goals to win by one. They are a tough team to beat, I've drawn them in my Europa League group as well and they aren't easy to take down.

Thanks, it really was tough sledding, the Europa League has turned out to be such a grind so far.

[moose141]

Re: How's Your FIFA Career Mode Going?

West Ham United - Episode #40: Death of the Diamond

In this episode, we host Derby County in the Capital One Cup Round of 16 which gives a few squad players a chance to prove their worth, before heading to Stamford Bridge for a huge 3rd vs. 4th clash of London rivals.

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/p7BA_Svn5xw" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>