How's Your FIFA Career Mode Going?

[vrabbit]

Re: How's Your FIFA Career Mode Going?

Moose - As I understand it the situation with Ceballos is fluid. He's got a TON of potential so you could just commit to him or otherwise maybe loan him? If you're not totally set on Ceballos I'd definitely move Payet back to CAM, maybe look into Rodrigo Moreno Machado as a winger. At CB I'd recommend Aleksandar Dragović or Papadopoulos who is a BEAST.

Simp - A dominant though not complete consistent run, but you're in the lead in both your CL group and Bundesliga so it's hard to complain really. Great job, the destruction of Bayern was especially impressive. Obviously your acquisition of Aubameyang is an outstanding one and he's been producing for you. You're on your way to a treble.

Keano - Cardiff City sucks obviously so there's nothing else I need to say.

Spoiler

DON'T SHOW THIS TO ANYONE!

I'm actually impressed that you're 3rd in the BPL considering your struggles in the Euro. That Lazio game is BIG for you, must-win otherwise jsut play the B squad in the next two games and try to keep your form in the BPL.

10cabee Congrats on the long-running CM. Even a 35-year old Cristiano should be a real player for you so congrats for that signing. You also had an incredible January and are in good position for a run at the title, remind me as to whether you've won the BPL yet in this CM? Oh, and I like McMananam from your youth squad, plus it's an awesome name.

Cruzerr - Good September, it was hard schedule in the beginning but you still managed to go undefeated and 7th place 7 games in is definitely something to build on.

[moose141]

Re: How's Your FIFA Career Mode Going?

Episode #36: BRICK WALL BUTLAND

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[indiblue]

Re: How's Your FIFA Career Mode Going?

Actually I was under the impressions their budget is a lot bigger than it actually is, so nevermind that

I actually had a look at their squad and they've got a ton of young talent on the books. They're just on loan elsewhere. Scuffet, Nico Lopez, Hallberg and a few more. Plus enough big wages to offload that I'd be able to sign Di Natale's successor in Sau, Insigne or Giovinco quite easily. Might have to pass on Udinese after all.

[Simppu12]

Re: How's Your FIFA Career Mode Going?

Moose - I think you absolutely deserved to beat Hull and you got very unlucky with the finishing but my God, what a way to bounce back against Man United! Butland is the reason why you were able to beat them, no doubt. He had a great performance in goal. Speaking of great performances, holy sh*t, that Noble longshot was gorgeous! Easily the goal of the season so far! Btw, how are your holding midfielders doing as a whole?

Aquaman - Well done against Everton to progress in the cup! I was a bit worried that all the wasted chances would come back to haunt you but luckily that didn't happen. That match really did make me wonder if you are happy with your strikers, though. After that Spurs destroyed you but I'd still say it was a reasonable result. Then you got a real shock win against Manchester City which will be very valuable!

Keano - Amazing job in the Premier League so far with you sitting in third! The top 10 is looking really tight so dropping a couple of places wouldn't surprise me. Then again, you just got promoted so I bet you are very happy with your results so far... in the Premier League. The Europa League... well, the results have been dreadful. With a bit of luck you could still bounce back and I'm keeping my fingers crossed for you!

Cabee - First of all, is your username pronounced as "CAH-bee" (with the 'a' pronouced like in 'Arsena') or "Ca-bee" (with the 'a' pronounced like in 'say')? Now, to the updates themselves. Your last couple of months have been simply amazing with you smashing almost everyone and almost not letting any goals in. I counted two goals against you in December and January which is just unbelievable. Compton, Lukaku, Barkley and Ward-Prowse seem to be doing very well for you and I see them quite often on the scoreboard. Second in the table is also great and you could overtake Chelsea in the next few weeks.

Transfers! Jesus Christ, Cristiano Ronaldo?!?! That is so amazing! A few people have already asked this, but what is his rating (I'm sorry if I missed the answer)? He will certainly help you lift titles and even though he is 35 he can still score a ton of goals for you. Also, seeing Appiah return would be great!

Rabbit - September and October were good months for you in league play and you are in first (frankly, I'd be shocked if you weren't there). Now you just need to continue winning games. Sucks to see you go out in the J. Paint trophy but at least you are in the Capital One Cup quarter finals which is a great achievement in itself! Good luck against Stoke!

[Matty Aqua]

Re: How's Your FIFA Career Mode Going?

Aquaman - Well done against Everton to progress in the cup! I was a bit worried that all the wasted chances would come back to haunt you but luckily that didn't happen. That match really did make me wonder if you are happy with your strikers, though. After that Spurs destroyed you but I'd still say it was a reasonable result. Then you got a real shock win against Manchester City which will be very valuable!

Thanks I was very happy to progress in the Capitol One Cup, we are having a great run!, we've continually been dismantled in away matches against big clubs!...Jordan Ayew being injured for 90% of my time as manager so far hasn't helped us, I'm pleased with Libor Kozak and Rudy Gusted but they aren't top class strikers, and Gabriel Agnonlahor has just been frustrating. Harry Kane was just on fire with a hat trick, and we were absolutely lucky to come away with a win against Manchester City...The last 20 minutes of that match was super intense!.

[10cabee]

Re: How's Your FIFA Career Mode Going?

10cabee - We have to get a screenshot of Ronaldo playing for Exeter City!.... Oxlade-Chamberlain, Lukaku, Cristiano Ronaldo what a team!

I actually do have a couple of screenshots I took:

Spoiler

Good old Cristiano interacting with the Exeter fans

Spoiler

The man demonstrating his dribbling skills

Spoiler

Some other screenies here. This is Mbakogu's last goal for us!

Spoiler

Mr. Compton scoring a contender for goal of the season.

Spoiler

Une Larsson's been playing well behind Lukaku.

@Cabee: You had a decent run of games in September and October, the Chelsea game aside but you really came into your own after the formation change. Well done in getting through your CL group and you're not too far off Chelsea in the league. Sad to see Sercombe leave but he just couldn't keep up I suppose. What a coup getting Ronaldo! I know he's 35 but what is his rating now? Appiah! Again what's his rating now? You sold him to PSG IIRC?

Thanks! The formation change has been a real help to keep us on Chelsea's tail because they have really stepped it up a notch this season.

The Sercombe story was a little disappointing actually. He told me that he didn't want to be at the club anymore and wanted to go to a team that would give him more first team football. Bolton offered something like £250k and I came back with a counter offer of £400k. A day or two later, Liam told me that he'd had a think and decided that he still wanted to stay at the club but it was too late because Bolton ended up accepting my counter offer. Liam'll go down in my list of the few Exeter City career legends.

Although he'll be retiring soon, I reckon Cristiano could probably be one of the best captures i've made in my career with Exeter! He's rated 89 overall still too! And yeah, I sold Appiah to PSG for something like £5-6m with was waaay more than his actual value. I'm not totally sure about his overall but my scout's on it. I expect low to mid seventies for his overall but he's a club legend and I really wanna bring him back to the club even though he'd have to compete with the likes of Compton, Barkley, Lukaku and Ronaldo.

10cabee Congrats on the long-running CM. Even a 35-year old Cristiano should be a real player for you so congrats for that signing. You also had an incredible January and are in good position for a run at the title, remind me as to whether you've won the BPL yet in this CM? Oh, and I like McMananam from your youth squad, plus it's an awesome name.

Thanks! Yeah, I won the BPL in the season before so we're trying to retain the title but with Chelsea on such great form, it has been difficult to keep up with 'em but we'll never give up and the aquisition of Ronaldo has strengthened our claim for the top spot significantly! Aha, McManaman could be another mis-labeled winger like Compton but it would be handy having another full-back in the team soon and a youth graduate makes it even cooler.

Cabee - First of all, is your username pronounced as "CAH-bee" (with the 'a' pronouced like in 'Arsena') or "Ca-bee" (with the 'a' pronounced like in 'say')? Now, to the updates themselves. Your last couple of months have been simply amazing with you smashing almost everyone and almost not letting any goals in. I counted two goals against you in December and January which is just unbelievable. Compton, Lukaku, Barkley and Ward-Prowse seem to be doing very well for you and I see them quite often on the scoreboard. Second in the table is also great and you could overtake Chelsea in the next few weeks.

Transfers! Jesus Christ, Cristiano Ronaldo?!?! That is so amazing! A few people have already asked this, but what is his rating (I'm sorry if I missed the answer)? He will certainly help you lift titles and even though he is 35 he can still score a ton of goals for you. Also, seeing Appiah return would be great!

Aha thank you! My username was intended to be prenounced CAH-bee but i don't mind just being called Bee if people want.

The defensive part of my teams in previous careers has never been as good as it has now and our results really have been showing that. I have confidence in my centre backs to make a huge contribution now we'll be playing a three at the back system and im really hoping we'll be this solid at the back for the rest of the season and also the seasons to come. It's really nice to see the gap between us and Chelsea grow narrower by each game; I expect they'll really be feeling the pressure now!

I knew I needed to make a statement and I managed to do just that for only £12m! Absolute steal in my opinion for an 89-rated player whose stats haven't declined very much despite being a 35-year-old winger/forward. He still has nearly 90 acceleration and sprint speed and none of his other stats have taken much of a hit, not even his stamina and definitely not his technical skills; he definitely still has it! Cristiano will play in the Left Forward position behind Lukaku with Compton on his right side, Ward-Prowse behind him and Grimaldo to the left; it's gunna be sooo fun!

Now i have one less striker at the club with Mbakogu gone, it'd be a nice addition for a legend like Appiah to re-join the club! He can be usuful in many other positions on the pitch though as he is extremely versatile so i'll be looking to make a bid for him in the next transfer window.

[vrabbit]

Re: How's Your FIFA Career Mode Going?

Episode #36: BRICK WALL BUTLAND

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this was me at 11:21



I know what games like the one vs Hull City feel like so I know it was very rewarding to have the kind of performance you had at Old Trafford. I think Antonio earned another start don't you?

[Keano16]

Re: How's Your FIFA Career Mode Going?

[vrabbit]

Re: How's Your FIFA Career Mode Going?

massive Dorados update in the works, FYI. I apologize in advance for cramming 4 months into it.

[TheYanks]

Re: How's Your FIFA Career Mode Going?

Hi everyone I recently stumbled upon this forum where you guys are sharing your career modes and I think it's really cool and would like to join in! I'm not sure what team that I want to manage though so I am going to let you all decide.

I would make this a straw poll but I just made my account and have not posted the 5 times you need to post a link so I guess just comment letting me know.

What team should I use? (Pick one)

1. Manchester United (Premier League)
2. Newcastle (Premier League)
3. Fulham (Championship)
4. Lazio (Serie A)
5. Real Sociedad (La Liga)
6. Toulouse (Ligue 1)

[Keano16]

Re: How's Your FIFA Career Mode Going?

Hi everyone I recently stumbled upon this forum where you guys are sharing your career modes and I think it's really cool and would like to join in! I'm not sure what team that I want to manage though so I am going to let you all decide.

I would make this a straw poll but I just made my account and have not posted the 5 times you need to post a link so I guess just comment letting me know.

What team should I use? (Pick one)

1. Manchester United (Premier League)
2. Newcastle (Premier League)
3. Fulham (Championship)
4. Lazio (Serie A)
5. Real Sociedad (La Liga)
6. Toulouse (Ligue 1)

Newcastle is my vote. Decent base to build on, real stadium, funds and a good foundation for a storyline if you like to incorporate one with the fans, area etc.

Wouldn't mind seeing Sociedad if there's a tie.

[10cabee]

Re: How's Your FIFA Career Mode Going?

Hi everyone I recently stumbled upon this forum where you guys are sharing your career modes and I think it's really cool and would like to join in! I'm not sure what team that I want to manage though so I am going to let you all decide.

I would make this a straw poll but I just made my account and have not posted the 5 times you need to post a link so I guess just comment letting me know.

What team should I use? (Pick one)

1. Manchester United (Premier League)
2. Newcastle (Premier League)
3. Fulham (Championship)
4. Lazio (Serie A)
5. Real Sociedad (La Liga)
6. Toulouse (Ligue 1)

Hello there! It's nice to know that people are stumbling across our careers and they're even inspiring people to join this thread (like what happened to me) which is a very nice one if I may say so myself I'd choose Newcastle too; they have a good foundation on which to build on which I like to see in other people's career modes and it would also be an instant challenge. I wouldn't mind seeing any of the options to be honest though.

[Matty Aqua]

Re: How's Your FIFA Career Mode Going?

Hi everyone I recently stumbled upon this forum where you guys are sharing your career modes and I think it's really cool and would like to join in! I'm not sure what team that I want to manage though so I am going to let you all decide.

I would make this a straw poll but I just made my account and have not posted the 5 times you need to post a link so I guess just comment letting me know.

What team should I use? (Pick one)

1. Manchester United (Premier League)
2. Newcastle (Premier League)
3. Fulham (Championship)
4. Lazio (Serie A)
5. Real Sociedad (La Liga)
6. Toulouse (Ligue 1)

For me, ill vote for Fulham because I like there kits!, and Toulouse for something different!...Welcome aboard sir!

[Keano16]

Re: How's Your FIFA Career Mode Going?

Gonna try and get an update out on Cardiff this weekend. I'm up to the middle of January now and I think there's still November and December to post so it'll either be one big update or spread out over a few hours/days. Stay tuned!

[vrabbit]

Re: How's Your FIFA Career Mode Going?

Spoiler

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!

Dorados de Sinaloa
'16-'17 SEP through DEC Update

The Roster

Spoiler

Goalkeepers: Anthony Maisonnial* (68 OVR), Alfredo Frausto (66 OVR).
Fullbacks: Antonio Barreca* (66 OVR), Felix Passlack* (66 OVR), Jairo Gonzalez (64 OVR), , Carlos Pinto (63 OVR)Sebastian Sorsa (57 OVR).
Centre-backs: Victor Alonso (69 OVR), Jonathan Lacerda (67 OVR), Heriberto Aguayo (66 OVR), Leonardo Bedolla (63 OVR), Themis Tzimopoulos (60 OVR).
Midfielders/Wingers: Romulo Otero (71 OVR), Liu Binbin (71 OVR), Anthony Caceres (68 OVR), Kofi Allen (66 OVR), Nicolas Delgadillo (65 OVR), Julian De Guzmán** (64 OVR), Hector Velazquez (62 OVR), Guillermo Rojas (61 OVR), Victor Soriano (51 OVR).
Strikers: Elias (69 OVR), Freddy Martin (68 OVR), Juan Jose Calero (62 OVR), Lobo (50 OVR)
* On loan
** Retiring at end of season.

Starting XI (4-4-2 Diamond Wide)

Maisonnial

Passlack/Alonso/Lacerda/Barreca

Caceres

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

Otero

Martin-------Elias
___________________________________

Apertura 2016 - Game 7
Dorados - Tigres (2-1)
Liu Binbin 17' (Elias)
Sobs 45+'
Otero 84' (Martin)

There is little doubt Tigres owns one of the best roster in the league, yet they have not been able to beat us since I arrived here. Every game is a grind though, and this was no exception as neither team was able to establish possession and we both took a similar number of shots. In the end, a sweet find from Martin put Otero in position to score the game-winner and the Venezuelan didn't; miss it.

Apertura 2016 - Game 8
Cruz Azul - Dorados (2-1)
Elias 33' (Delgadillo)
Scocco 53'
Belluschi 65'

Unfortunately our inconsistencies showed yet again in this game although in all fairness a lot of credit needs to be given to the home squad who stuffed many of our attempts to create scoring opportunities. They were also able to gain an edge in possession after their go-ahead score, so all in all it was a greatly executed game by them and a not so great one by us.

Apertura 2016 - Game 9
Dorados - Chiapas (3-1)
Otero 6'
Vidangossy 72'
Elias 77' (Martin)
Delgadillo 83' (Otero)

I was sure Otero's goal inside 10 minutes will lead us to a comfortable victory but we struggled to build on the lead and didn't snap out of it till Chiapas equalized with less than 20 minutes left. We got the victory and that's what matters, but we're still far from playing at the level we need to be.

Apertura 2016 - Game 10
Dorados - Chivas (3-0)
Martin 45+' (Elias)
Liu Binbin 78' (Otero)
Liu Binbin 88' (De Guzman)
Passlack 75'

Now we're talking. Chivas was a pain in our behind in Clausura '16 and we went into this game with a lot of focus. The result speaks for itself and I was definitely pleased with what we showed on the pitch. I gotta say Liu is doing a great job for us, especially when you consider he's replacing an explosive player (Yimmy Chara).

Apertura 2016 - Game 11
Morelia - Dorados (0-3)
Otero 47' (Passlack)
Martin 81' (Elias)
Elias 90+' (Martin)

Back-to-back 3-0 wins will make a coach happy. It was an evenly matched game in the first half but after Otero's score early into the second half our flow was a lot more open and we finally sealed the deal with a couple of scores in the last 10 minutes. Of note here is that Elias has now scored in 3 of the last 4 games (and 4 of the last 6).

Apertura 2016 - Game 12
Dorados - Santos Laguna (3-1)
Aguayo 36' (OG)
Elias 54' (Barreca)
Martin 73' (De Guzman)
Liu Binbin 86' (Otero)

A four-game winning streak AND four games in a row of scoring three goals? Oh yeah, we've found our groove. Aguayo's own goal in the first half was scary and we definitely weren't feeling too hot about ourselves at the half but the lads did a great job of shrugging that off in she second half and connecting for three scores to get us the W. This win put us firmly in first place.

Apertura 2016 - Game 13
Monterrey - Dorados (0-2)
Martin 53' (Otero)
Elias 89' (Delgadillo)

FIVE-game winning streak. It's not a coincidence that Elias continues to be hot and now Martin has joined him with a four-game scoring streak. Our defense is playing outstanding as well and Alonso has not been promoted yet at this point.

Apertura 2016 - Game 14
Dorados - Veracruz (0-3)
Quiñones 6'
Villalba 33'
Albin 90'

I guess the winning had to end at some point but this was a cold shower. Veracruz played an excellent game, taking advantage of the early lead and then doubling it up inside 35 minutes to put us in a spot we hadn't been in since the fifth game of the season (down a couple of scores). We tried our best to cut the lead, firing 11 shots (6 on goal), but our desperate attempts to make something out of this only ended on giving up a third goal near the end of the game.

Apertura 2016 - Game 15
Leon - Dorados (1-0)
Montes 71'

Hard to explain but this defeat was actually more frustrating than the previous week vs Veracruz. For one, this is a rivalry game. For two, the matchup was promoted as a battle between the top scoring team (us) and the best defense in the league (Leon's). We wanted to shut down that dialogue and show our offense can offset any defense but I have to give Leon a lot of credit because their defense was indeed suffocating and they did a great job of intercepting a lot of balls to interrupt our flow. We were only able to take two shots, neither of them on goal, while Leon took 10 (four on goal). It'll be interesting to see if we will meet in the playoffs and, for now, Leon takes over the top spot in the standings.

Apertura 2016 - Game 16
Dorados - America (2-0)
Delgadillo 45+' (Otero)
Martin 49'

Delgadillo's score at the end of the first half may have taken the life out of Las Aguilas. We played as a bad a first half as you could imagina and yet America wasn't able to turn that into any scores for them, instead conceding a score to us on a late counter attack. I ripped the guys a new one at the half and they came out more focused, then Martin earned his score a few minutes in to seal the win for us as our defense took care of the rest. I hope the sloppy play from the first half doesn't show up for us ever again.

Apertura 2016 - Game 17
Toluca - Dorados (1-5)
Lacerda 4' (OG)
Martin 30'
Liu Binbin 39' (Otero)
Liu Binbin 42' (Caceres)
Caceres 66'
Martin 90' (Pinto)

This is EXACTLY how I wanted the team to roll into the playoffs. First of all, this W clinched first place for us going into the playoffs. Second, it was a dominant performance against a team that was in the semi-finals in the most recent Clausura and needed a win in this game to clinch a playoff spot. To top it off, Caceres scored on this beauty ...

<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/bwv8heVMtVM" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>



Quarter-Finals - Leg 1
America - Dorados (1-3)
Otero 17' (Martin)
Martin 61' (Barreca)
Otero 82' (Elias)
Peralta 90'

It was a nice to draw a team that we had recently played during the regular season and we got off to a nearly perfect start on the road thanks to Otero leading the charge. However, Peralta's score there at the end will make the second leg more interesting and I really wish we hadn't lost focus at the end.

Quarter-Finals - Leg 2
Dorados - America (3-3)
Martin 17' (Caceres)
Quintero 21'
Benedetto 33'
Liu Binbin 54' (Otero)
Quintero 61'
Liu Binbin 90+' (Calero)

What. A. GAME! America wouldn't quit even after we should had taken the life out of them with the early goal from Martin. But just 15 minutes later they had cut a three-goal lead in the aggregate score to just one and they never stopped giving it their all in their attempt to at least force the game into ET, so you know the whole squad jumped over Liu Binbin after the Chinese international booked our place in semis in added time.

Semi-Finals - Leg 1
Pumas - Dorados (2-6)
Calero 23' (Delgadillo)
Martin 30' (pen)
Quiñones 40'
Martin 62'
Calero 66' (Otero)
Martin 77' (Otero)
Martin 82' (Calero)
Herrera 88'

I mean ...

Spoiler

Never in my wildest dreams. Some of you may remember the interesting game we had against Pumas during the regular season (if not, click the spoiler at the top of this update to get an idea) and so we were really looking forward to this one (as if a semi final isn't reason alone to get pumped up). Everything went right for us, EVERYTHING, and Pumas had a good number of chances (8 shots, 5 on goal) but our keeper and defense didn't let them keep up with Martin and our offense in this game. Speaking of Martin, he had a lead for the scoring title coming in and I don't think he's going to lose that race now.

Semi-Finals - Leg 2
Dorados - Pumas (1-2)
Velazquez 40' (De Guzman)
Izazola 58'
Herrera 74'
Calero 25' (Sprained ankle, out 4 weeks)

I respect the hell out of every opponent but I went deep into our bench for this one, not really sweating it with a four-goal lead. Velazquez's goal in the first half confirm that it was impossible for Pumas to make any kind of comeback. Calero's injury is a shame as he's really worked hard to earn PT and had finally gotten it but he should be ready to go for the Clausura. Back-to-back appearances in the final, can we take back-to-back titles?

Finals - Leg 1
Santos Laguna - Dorados (0-1)
Delgadillo 26' (Barreca)

We had easily taken care of SL in the regular season but with high stakes they brought their A-game, earning an edge in possession (54%) and frustrating our offense holding us to just three shots on goal (eight shots total). But our defense was better, keeping a clean sheet, and we'll take the minimal advantage into the second leg, at home, for the title ...

Finals - Leg 2
Santos Laguna - Dorados

Spoiler

(2-0)

Spoiler

Orozco 65'
Bernal 83'

Sigh ... it's difficult to pinpoint exactly what went wrong. The reality is that over 180 minutes SL's defense just did a good job of not letting us establish a rhythm offensively and when we finally did get clean looks we were missing shots we had been turning into goals all season. And then they scored, and the aggregate score was even, and you'd think we still had the edge because we were at home but anxiety started to kick in as the minutes ticked, we couldn't score, again just netting three shots on goal on eight total shots. We took the edge in possession this time (53%) and our defense played really well, SL was only able to get three shots off ... but the two of them that were on goal turned into scores, the last one off a corner kick in the 83rd minute that weirdly sealed the game. We lost the title at home, this is going to sting for a bit and I'll try to turn this into some kick-*** motivation for the Clausura and the second half of the season

Top Scorers
1 - Martin (Dorados) - 18
T2 - Herrera (Pumas) - 9
T2 - Camilo (Queretaro) - 9
3 others with 9

Assists
1 - Otero (Dorados) - 11
T2 - Martin (Dorados) - 5
T2 - Elias (Dorados) - 5
T2 - Caceres (Dorados) - 5

Clean Sheets
1 - Maisonnial (Dorados) - 7
2 - Saldivar (Pumas) - 6
T3 - Yarbrough (Pachuca) -5
3 others with 5

Goalkeeper of the Tournament
Anthony Maisonnial (Dorados)

Golden Boot
Freddy Martin (Dorados)

Mexico Apertura 2016 - Starting XI

GK - Anthony Maisonnial (Dorados)
RB - Carlos Pinto (Dorados)
CB - Hugo Ayala (Tigres)
CB - Jonathan Lacerda (Dorados)
LB - Antonio Barreca (Dorados)
RM - Liu Binbin (Dorados)
LM - Nicolas Delgadillo (Dorados)
CAM - Anthony Caceres (Dorados)
CAM - Romulo Otero (Dorados)
ST - Freddy Martin (Dorados)
ST - Elias C. Pereira Filho (Dorados)

Mexico Apertura 2016 - MVP
In a stunning upset, Anthony Maisonnial was voted as the Player of the Competition over Freddy Martin.

_____________________________________

Review: Short because this post is extensive. It's really difficult to enjoy all the accolades that the club received individually when as a team we weren't able to achieve our goal. It's pretty clear that we were the best team all tournament long yet we don't have the hardware to show for it at the end of it all. Whether this will result in massive changes in the upcoming transfer window ... remains to be seen.

Quickly on our academy, other than our scout in Brazil since early in the summer we didn't send anyone else out this first half of the season. We'll wait until after the transfer window closes to assess our budget for youth scouting. Here's our youth squad right now:

- Julio Moyano (CM, 56 OVR, 80-86): 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 and most recently we've started to work with him as a defender since he might fit the mold of a CDM once he's fully grown.
- Jimmy Porter (CM, 53 OVR, 77837): Our only remaining American prospect in the academy recently turned 16 years old, growing to 5'0" (from 4'9") and 124lbs (from 119). He needs to continue to work hard in the academy for now.
- Silvio Navarrete (RW, 54 OVR, 73-79): This 17-year old Venezuelan has shown some flashes for us but needs to continue to develop his game for now.
- Martim Nogueira (CM, 48 OVR, 74-82)*: This 17-year old Brazilian prospect is the most recent addition to the academy, although he projects as more of a role player early in his career.
* Recent addition.

Followers of this career may have noticed that Victor Alonso was finally promoted up to the senior squad and has rightfully been inserted into the starting line-up, already our highest-rated defender. 16-year old Yankee, Kofi Allen, has also been promoted and is a super sub for us at the moment. Another promotion from the academy happened to a youngster from Brazil that never even got a chance to be listed on the youth squad - striker Lobo (whose first name escapes me at the moment) requested to be promoted near the end of the tournament and we granted his request. He understands he will need to earn every single minute he's given.

The last part of the update is the development with Venezuela in CONMEBOL qualifiers. Click on the spoiler for that info as I don't want this to take any more space than it already has.

Spoiler

2018 WC Qualifiers - Match 7
Ecuador - Venezuela (2-2)
E. Valencia 18'
Santos 37' (Martinez)
Del Valle 51' (Santos)
Martinez 83'

Ecuador has been struggling in this qualifiers but they're always a tough opponent, and road games in CONMEBOL are really difficult, but we should had come away with the 3 points if not for a fatal error from our goalkeeper, Dani Hernandez, who weakly kicked off in the 83rd minute right to Fidel Martinez who didn't miss the chance to score the equalizer. I hope losing those 2 points won't cost us at the end of the qualifiers.

2018 WC Qualifiers - Match 8
Venezuela - Colombia (1-2)
Santos 26' (Martinez)
Martinez 45+'
James 83'

Losing rivalry games at home is never a good look but Colombia over-powered us with their speed at the end of each half to steal this game from us and seriously damage the good start we had had in the qualifiers.

2018 WC Qualifiers - Match 9
Chile - Venezuela (4-1)
Canales 5'
Martinez 27' (Rincon)
Roco 57'
Aranguiz 75'
Aranguiz 81'

I'm in trouble. The team is a downward spiral and Chile embarrassed us, giving us and the fan base flashbacks of the days when we were the Cinderella of the tournament. We need to do something, and we need to do it soon.

2018 WC Qualifiers - Match 10
Peru - Venezuela (1-3)
Del Valle 19' (Santos)
Farfan 54'
Rincon 69' (M. Rondon)
Del Valle 84' (Rivas)

No better time to face Peru, a team we beat with ease earlier in the qualifiers, than right after a few tough games. We put together somewhat of a complete game earning the edge in possession (56%) while out-shooting the Peruvians 9 to 3 (5 to 1 on goal)

2018 WC Qualifiers - Match 11
Venezuela - Uruguay) (1-2)
Cristoforo 5'
Suarez 25'
Miku 72' (Del Valle)

The Uruguayans earned their revenge from our victory on their tuff earlies this year (by the same score) putting us back in a really tough spot at the edge to fall out of the top 5, nearly negating the excellent start we had. Once ahead by a couple of goals they were more than happy to allow us an edge in possession (57%) but clamped down on defense pretty well and we were unable to score an equalizer at the end.

2018 WC Qualifiers - Match 12
Colombia - Venezuela (2-2)
Bacca 22' (pen)
S. Rondon 44' (M. Rondon)
Lerma 58'
Murillo 88'

I am lucky to be getting some love from the local press after this game, although it is definitely deserved. Colombia's speed was once again creating problems for us, especially on defense were our strikers were failing to get past them. To counter this, near the end of game I subbed in one of our younger talents, Jhon Murillo who is a winger with decent attacking skills, and he was able to get past Colombia's last line of defense just enough to score an equalizer at the end that allowed us to steal a point and remain in contention for a ticket to Russia 2018.


Just 6 games left, each one of them will be do or die.

Thanks for reading!