Re: How's Your FIFA Career Mode Going?
February 2018 - Season 5
Leicester City 0 - 5 AFC Wimbledon
WIM: Murphy 6' 45' Gornell 50' Clayton 81' 90'
Wimbledon faced relegation candidates Leicester City as they continue to fight for a European spot on the league table. Leicester had a competitive squad at the beginning of the season, but after selling their star goalkeeper Schmeichel they quickly fell to the bottom of the table and have struggled getting out of the relegation zone. Wimbledon exposed their weakness between the posts and obtained a much needed win.
Europa League - Round of 32
AFC Wimbledon 1 - 1 Borussia Mönchengladbach
WIM: Gornell 14'
MON: De Jong 90'
The Dons were so close to ending the first leg with an advantage on the aggregate scoreline but the Germans were able to grab a very important away goal right before the final whistle. The English side will now have to travel to Germany with the aggregate against their favor.
FA Cup - Round 5
AFC Wimbledon 4 - 0 Brentford
WIM: May 8' Harvey 15' L. Moore 30' Clayton 79'
The team from League 1 were no match for the Premier League side and have been eliminated with a painful scoreline after getting so far in the tournament. Youth academy graduate Craig May has proven to be very dangerous with his 6'5" height in corner kicks, while Max Clayton continues to be an impact sub even when his team is already winning when he is subbed in.
Europa League - Round of 32
Borussia Mönchengladbach 0(1) - 1(2) AFC Wimbledon
WIM: Clayton 90'
A back and forth match where Wimbledon needed a goal to void the Germans' away goal while their rivals tried to extend their lead. Chavez made a very risky decision to use his B team tonight and it almost cost him the Europa League. They alternative squad did not play bad at all, but they just couldn't score, until Max Clayton came on to the field in the second half and scored the goal to put them through to the next round. Wimbledon had a goal kick in stoppage time, youth goalkeeper Adam Cowie was instructed to send it high up the pitch and he did immediately. The ball flew towards Mönchengladbach's defensive half where Sam Vokes used the top of his head to just head it forward towards Max Clayton who then used his speed to get to it before his marker and defeat Ter Stegen in the 1 on 1.
AFC Wimbledon 4 - 0 West Ham
WIM: Gornell 28' 40' James 68' Clayton 89'
Wimbledon returned to London with a big win against West Ham and took a big step towards the top of the table. West Ham were completely outplayed by the Wombles and barely managed to get 2 shots on goal and 39% possession. The Player of The Month award was announced a few days after this match and it was awarded to Wimbledon's own Terry Gornell!
Barclay's Premier League Table
1. Manchester United - 62 points
2. Arsenal - 59 points
3. Tottenham - 57 points
4. Chelsea - 51 points
5. AFC Wimbledon - 50 points
6. Manchester City - 48 points
7. Newcastle United - 48 points
8. Liverpool - 47 points
----------
18. Middlesbrough - 16 points
19. Norwich City - 13 points
20. Leicester City - 10 points
BPL Top Scorer
1. Gornell (Wimbledon) - 21 Goals
2. Cavani (M. United) - 17 Goals
3. Montero (Everton) - 14 Goals
Notable Youth Academy Players
Chris McGinn - DEF/MID (43-53, 82-94):
The 16 year old from Northern Ireland has recently joined the Wimbledon academy but we can already see that this young player has a great future ahead of him.
Conor Marsden - ST (50-54, 73-77): This 17 year old from England may not have much potential, but he is a an exciting player due to his height: 6'4". Chavez is anxious to bring him up as he can fill in the target man position Hanson left behind, but he wants to wait at least one more season before calling him up.
Dean Rhodes - LB (60-64, 86-92): We thought Chavez would call this 16 year old from Scotland to the senior team but it looks like Chavez wants him to spend one more season with the U-17.
Jamie Mannus - CDM (49-51, 82-88): This 15 year old from Northern Ireland has a bright future ahead of him. He stands at 6'5" and prefers playing as a defensive midfielder. Competition between him and Sean Archer in the U-17 is very close, with Mannus being more defensive minded. We expect great things from these two players.
Mark Watt - GK (56-60, 79-85): The 17 year old from Scotland looked set to be promoted last season, but Chavez decided to give him one more season with the U-17. He may be promoted next May.
Matt Cameron - CAM (50-56, 77-85): The 15 year old from England is one of the most recent signings to the youth academy and we're still learning from the attacking midfielder.
Michael Thompson - CAM/CF (48-50, 82-88): The 16 year old from Northern Ireland has been impressing with the U-17 this year, particularly with his strength. He is hard to push off the ball, but he may not be promoted until next season.
Scott Stewart - LB (59-63, 80-86): The 16 year old from Scotland shows a lot of promise but may be used as a CB by Chavez due to his defensive mentality. There's a high chance he'll be promoted next season.
Sean Archer - CDM (50-54, 85-91): The 15 year old from Scotland is an incredible playmaker who prefers to stay in the defensive half and analyze the game from there. He's one of the most exciting players in the U-17 but he will not be eligible to be registered with the senior squad until next season.
Press Conference
Q: Good evening Mr. Chavez, Chico Bass from HYFCMG here. You've recorded some big wins this month and returned to a European spot on the league table after falling to 8th place last month. What have you done differently to achieve this?
A: "Hi, good evening. Well we all know that we need to take advantage of these matches before we face the big teams. We step onto the pitch with the 3 points in mind and don't accept anything less. The players play their heart out each week and that's what has helped us reach our position on the table."
Q: You decided to use the B team for the 2nd leg against Borussia Mönchengladbach and you were very close to being eliminated from the competition as a result. Why did you choose not to field your starting eleven for such an important match?
A: "I didn't see a reason not to use the B team. We know Mönchengladbach has talented players and De Jong is one of the cup's top scorers, but I just didn't see anything in the 1st leg that the B team wouldn't be able to handle and they proved that they are capable by keeping a clean sheet. Adam Cowie has been in great form since his return from loan and the new signings Wilson and Stephens have been vital in the back 3. I'm impressed by Craig May too. Another thing to consider was the fact that we had the West Ham game scheduled just two days after the Mönchengladbach game."
Q: How are you preparing for your upcoming cup matches against Aston Villa in the FA Cup and LOSC Lille in the Europa League?
A: "Same as every match: with the win in mind. We had a big win against Villa earlier this year but in football anything can happen especially in cup matches. Lille are currently in 2nd place in the French Ligue 1 so we know we're going to have to play two great matches in order to reach the quarter finals. Jwetson did an outstanding job with Lille when he was manager and left behind a strong core with the French side. This will certainly be a difficult match for us.
International Friendlies
Belgium 2 - 1 Scotland
SCO: Russell 10'
BEL: De Bruyne 63' Dembele 90'
Chavez used the 4-3-3 Attack for the first time with Scotland and started the match playing really well, but in the second half their offensive kick died down and Belgium were able to take the win.
Brazil 3 - 2 Scotland
SCO: Armstrong 11' Rhodes 45'
BRA: Oscar 58' Pato 82' 86'
Again, Scotland began the match well and had a 2-0 lead going into halftime, but Brazil and Alexander Pato were able to flip the scoreline and took the win. Jason Cummings from Reading, made his international debut with Scotland and made several impressive saves, but was not able to cope with Pato's long shots. Chavez also tried out more players in this match, like Halliday as RB, Ryan Jack as LDM, and Jordan Rhodes as ST. Each competing with Shinnie, Bridcutt, and Russell respectively for a World Cup starting spot.
Press Conference
Q: Hello again Mr. Chavez. Two defeats in this month's friendlies, and only two more friendlies left before the World Cup. In both of these matches you started off winning but lost the lead. There are a lot of worried faces in the stadium, are you worried?
A: "No, not worried at all. I think we played great matches actually. Belgium was a tough one simply because it is always hard playing against a team that has all eleven of their players in their defensive half. Brazil was tough to take in because of the fact we gave up a 2-0 lead but it helped us find the areas we need to make changes in. I think we'll be ready for the World Cup."
Q: In the World Cup qualifiers, Scotland was a team to be feared. Everybody knew that your weak point was the defense, but your powerful attack made it difficult to expose the defense. That was achieved with a 4-3-3 False 9 and Ross McCormack as the leading top scorer. After the qualifiers both the False 9 formation and McCormack are gone and Scotland doesn't have that offensive power it used to.
A: "Yes I'm well aware of all of that and believe me we are working to return to those heights, but we are not planning on returning to the False 9 formation. McCormack (74) is extremely talented but so is Johnny Russell (78) and Jordan Rhodes (76). McCormack is perfect for the CF position but right now we are going for a more natural striker."
Q: With all the formation changes this season, have you considered using the 3-5-2 formation that you use with AFC Wimbledon?
A: "It has been brought it up during staff meetings, but we haven't gave it much thought. We do have the players to play with a backline of 3, but I don't think it is the right playing style for Scotland. We tried a 4-2-3-1 earlier this year to try and fix our defensive struggles, but we are pretty set on returning to a 4-3-3 which I believe fits the Scottish players' style perfectly."
Upcoming Friendlies: Republic of Ireland & France
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
*I'm expecting McCormack to have another stat decline the May before the World Cup so that's why I keep trying different strikers. The False 9 was perfect but unfortunately age has caught up to my star player. I would have loved to have Steven Fletcher in the squad as well as he could fit nicely in a 4-3-3 Holding like I used in the Euros, but he retired early from Sunderland.
That's all I have this time.
Thanks for reading!
February 2018 - Season 5
Leicester City 0 - 5 AFC Wimbledon
WIM: Murphy 6' 45' Gornell 50' Clayton 81' 90'
Wimbledon faced relegation candidates Leicester City as they continue to fight for a European spot on the league table. Leicester had a competitive squad at the beginning of the season, but after selling their star goalkeeper Schmeichel they quickly fell to the bottom of the table and have struggled getting out of the relegation zone. Wimbledon exposed their weakness between the posts and obtained a much needed win.
Europa League - Round of 32
AFC Wimbledon 1 - 1 Borussia Mönchengladbach
WIM: Gornell 14'
MON: De Jong 90'
The Dons were so close to ending the first leg with an advantage on the aggregate scoreline but the Germans were able to grab a very important away goal right before the final whistle. The English side will now have to travel to Germany with the aggregate against their favor.
FA Cup - Round 5
AFC Wimbledon 4 - 0 Brentford
WIM: May 8' Harvey 15' L. Moore 30' Clayton 79'
The team from League 1 were no match for the Premier League side and have been eliminated with a painful scoreline after getting so far in the tournament. Youth academy graduate Craig May has proven to be very dangerous with his 6'5" height in corner kicks, while Max Clayton continues to be an impact sub even when his team is already winning when he is subbed in.
Europa League - Round of 32
Borussia Mönchengladbach 0(1) - 1(2) AFC Wimbledon
WIM: Clayton 90'
A back and forth match where Wimbledon needed a goal to void the Germans' away goal while their rivals tried to extend their lead. Chavez made a very risky decision to use his B team tonight and it almost cost him the Europa League. They alternative squad did not play bad at all, but they just couldn't score, until Max Clayton came on to the field in the second half and scored the goal to put them through to the next round. Wimbledon had a goal kick in stoppage time, youth goalkeeper Adam Cowie was instructed to send it high up the pitch and he did immediately. The ball flew towards Mönchengladbach's defensive half where Sam Vokes used the top of his head to just head it forward towards Max Clayton who then used his speed to get to it before his marker and defeat Ter Stegen in the 1 on 1.
AFC Wimbledon 4 - 0 West Ham
WIM: Gornell 28' 40' James 68' Clayton 89'
Wimbledon returned to London with a big win against West Ham and took a big step towards the top of the table. West Ham were completely outplayed by the Wombles and barely managed to get 2 shots on goal and 39% possession. The Player of The Month award was announced a few days after this match and it was awarded to Wimbledon's own Terry Gornell!
Barclay's Premier League Table
1. Manchester United - 62 points
2. Arsenal - 59 points
3. Tottenham - 57 points
4. Chelsea - 51 points
5. AFC Wimbledon - 50 points
6. Manchester City - 48 points
7. Newcastle United - 48 points
8. Liverpool - 47 points
----------
18. Middlesbrough - 16 points
19. Norwich City - 13 points
20. Leicester City - 10 points
BPL Top Scorer
1. Gornell (Wimbledon) - 21 Goals
2. Cavani (M. United) - 17 Goals
3. Montero (Everton) - 14 Goals
Notable Youth Academy Players
Chris McGinn - DEF/MID (43-53, 82-94):
The 16 year old from Northern Ireland has recently joined the Wimbledon academy but we can already see that this young player has a great future ahead of him.
Conor Marsden - ST (50-54, 73-77): This 17 year old from England may not have much potential, but he is a an exciting player due to his height: 6'4". Chavez is anxious to bring him up as he can fill in the target man position Hanson left behind, but he wants to wait at least one more season before calling him up.
Dean Rhodes - LB (60-64, 86-92): We thought Chavez would call this 16 year old from Scotland to the senior team but it looks like Chavez wants him to spend one more season with the U-17.
Jamie Mannus - CDM (49-51, 82-88): This 15 year old from Northern Ireland has a bright future ahead of him. He stands at 6'5" and prefers playing as a defensive midfielder. Competition between him and Sean Archer in the U-17 is very close, with Mannus being more defensive minded. We expect great things from these two players.
Mark Watt - GK (56-60, 79-85): The 17 year old from Scotland looked set to be promoted last season, but Chavez decided to give him one more season with the U-17. He may be promoted next May.
Matt Cameron - CAM (50-56, 77-85): The 15 year old from England is one of the most recent signings to the youth academy and we're still learning from the attacking midfielder.
Michael Thompson - CAM/CF (48-50, 82-88): The 16 year old from Northern Ireland has been impressing with the U-17 this year, particularly with his strength. He is hard to push off the ball, but he may not be promoted until next season.
Scott Stewart - LB (59-63, 80-86): The 16 year old from Scotland shows a lot of promise but may be used as a CB by Chavez due to his defensive mentality. There's a high chance he'll be promoted next season.
Sean Archer - CDM (50-54, 85-91): The 15 year old from Scotland is an incredible playmaker who prefers to stay in the defensive half and analyze the game from there. He's one of the most exciting players in the U-17 but he will not be eligible to be registered with the senior squad until next season.
Press Conference
Q: Good evening Mr. Chavez, Chico Bass from HYFCMG here. You've recorded some big wins this month and returned to a European spot on the league table after falling to 8th place last month. What have you done differently to achieve this?
A: "Hi, good evening. Well we all know that we need to take advantage of these matches before we face the big teams. We step onto the pitch with the 3 points in mind and don't accept anything less. The players play their heart out each week and that's what has helped us reach our position on the table."
Q: You decided to use the B team for the 2nd leg against Borussia Mönchengladbach and you were very close to being eliminated from the competition as a result. Why did you choose not to field your starting eleven for such an important match?
A: "I didn't see a reason not to use the B team. We know Mönchengladbach has talented players and De Jong is one of the cup's top scorers, but I just didn't see anything in the 1st leg that the B team wouldn't be able to handle and they proved that they are capable by keeping a clean sheet. Adam Cowie has been in great form since his return from loan and the new signings Wilson and Stephens have been vital in the back 3. I'm impressed by Craig May too. Another thing to consider was the fact that we had the West Ham game scheduled just two days after the Mönchengladbach game."
Q: How are you preparing for your upcoming cup matches against Aston Villa in the FA Cup and LOSC Lille in the Europa League?
A: "Same as every match: with the win in mind. We had a big win against Villa earlier this year but in football anything can happen especially in cup matches. Lille are currently in 2nd place in the French Ligue 1 so we know we're going to have to play two great matches in order to reach the quarter finals. Jwetson did an outstanding job with Lille when he was manager and left behind a strong core with the French side. This will certainly be a difficult match for us.
International Friendlies
Belgium 2 - 1 Scotland
SCO: Russell 10'
BEL: De Bruyne 63' Dembele 90'
Chavez used the 4-3-3 Attack for the first time with Scotland and started the match playing really well, but in the second half their offensive kick died down and Belgium were able to take the win.
Brazil 3 - 2 Scotland
SCO: Armstrong 11' Rhodes 45'
BRA: Oscar 58' Pato 82' 86'
Again, Scotland began the match well and had a 2-0 lead going into halftime, but Brazil and Alexander Pato were able to flip the scoreline and took the win. Jason Cummings from Reading, made his international debut with Scotland and made several impressive saves, but was not able to cope with Pato's long shots. Chavez also tried out more players in this match, like Halliday as RB, Ryan Jack as LDM, and Jordan Rhodes as ST. Each competing with Shinnie, Bridcutt, and Russell respectively for a World Cup starting spot.
Press Conference
Q: Hello again Mr. Chavez. Two defeats in this month's friendlies, and only two more friendlies left before the World Cup. In both of these matches you started off winning but lost the lead. There are a lot of worried faces in the stadium, are you worried?
A: "No, not worried at all. I think we played great matches actually. Belgium was a tough one simply because it is always hard playing against a team that has all eleven of their players in their defensive half. Brazil was tough to take in because of the fact we gave up a 2-0 lead but it helped us find the areas we need to make changes in. I think we'll be ready for the World Cup."
Q: In the World Cup qualifiers, Scotland was a team to be feared. Everybody knew that your weak point was the defense, but your powerful attack made it difficult to expose the defense. That was achieved with a 4-3-3 False 9 and Ross McCormack as the leading top scorer. After the qualifiers both the False 9 formation and McCormack are gone and Scotland doesn't have that offensive power it used to.
A: "Yes I'm well aware of all of that and believe me we are working to return to those heights, but we are not planning on returning to the False 9 formation. McCormack (74) is extremely talented but so is Johnny Russell (78) and Jordan Rhodes (76). McCormack is perfect for the CF position but right now we are going for a more natural striker."
Q: With all the formation changes this season, have you considered using the 3-5-2 formation that you use with AFC Wimbledon?
A: "It has been brought it up during staff meetings, but we haven't gave it much thought. We do have the players to play with a backline of 3, but I don't think it is the right playing style for Scotland. We tried a 4-2-3-1 earlier this year to try and fix our defensive struggles, but we are pretty set on returning to a 4-3-3 which I believe fits the Scottish players' style perfectly."
Upcoming Friendlies: Republic of Ireland & France
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
*I'm expecting McCormack to have another stat decline the May before the World Cup so that's why I keep trying different strikers. The False 9 was perfect but unfortunately age has caught up to my star player. I would have loved to have Steven Fletcher in the squad as well as he could fit nicely in a 4-3-3 Holding like I used in the Euros, but he retired early from Sunderland.
That's all I have this time.
Thanks for reading!
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