(FM 18) Blue's Saves

[Guest]

So this thread will keep my saves. Hopefully not too many on this FM 

Right now I'm managing Santos and have done quite well. Early on, I won the Sao Paulo state which is arguably the hardest state championship to win in Brazil. I beat Sao Paulo in the final and Palmeiras in the semi's.

In the Copa Libertadores, I have Colo Colo in the second round after scraping 2nd in a group of Botafogo, Lanus and Club Libertad.

As for the league, its going a bit like this:

Proper battle with Fluminense but I won't sleep on Palmeiras either. They have the quality to catch up. Not too concerned with Bahia or the other 2 Sao Paulo sides. Bahia don't have the quality and the 2 are on 15 so if we keep consistency then I reckon they won't be a problem.

We are such a plucky side though. We have gotten 4 late winners this season and have gotten lucky, but long may it continue if it will win me the title. We have been decent but we could be playing a lot better.

Here are the tactics

My only signing is Walter Gonzalez from Olimpia. Canny striker who has done a proper job so far. The idea is to get the 2 wingers into the box and get them creating goals. Its worked excellently so far as both have been very effective. Lucas Lima staying as a creator more in the middle while the fullbacks go up when needed.

My main problem is the middle (typical Brazilian CM problems). I have very few natural central midfielders and that is something I will need to invest in when Zeca goes.

That's my next topic. Zeca is going to China for 6M. Couldn't turn that down, so I will use that money to reinvest in the missing positions.

[Guest]

2 new signings. Gabriel Suazo and Paulo Da Silva.

Not sure if Gabriel Suazo is related to that pig Chile had as a striker in the 2010 World Cup, but he's a 19 year old defensive midfielder and a decent one for his age. My plan is to develop him as much as possible before he hits 22. For now, he's going straight into the first team. I actually just debuted him and he was brilliant despite losing 1-0 to Sport Recife.

Paulo Da Silva was my main transfer target in the summer window (Brazilian summer). He didn't want to join then, but I've managed to convince him and he's joining mid year. He is a brilliant captain having done it with La Albiroja many years and I like experienced defenders.

[Guest]

These clubs can fuck off. Add Real Sociedad onto that as well.

.... Sorry, I meant Real San Sebastian. FFS 

[Guest Cannabis]

How come you aren't using the real badges @Blue? Good luck with Santos, keeping Lucas Lima happy (and at the team) will prove crucial.

[Guest]

29 minutes ago, Cannabis said:

How come you aren't using the real badges @Blue? Good luck with Santos, keeping Lucas Lima happy (and at the team) will prove crucial.

Couldn't be arsed to get the badges until full release.

Thanks, I doubt I'll be able to keep Lucas Lima for long but if I can win a trophy this year then I wouldn't mind letting him go with a proper replacement in line.

[Guest]

On course for a quadruple. I'll do more of a detailed post later.

[Guest]

Just got a massive win.

Broke my 3 match winless run with a win away to first placed team Fluminense. I tied them up on goal difference and on points. The result was 2-0. Walter Gonzalez scored his brace and with my tactical masterclass, we are now joint first.

[Guest]

I'm in the Brazilian cup final which is up next.

 

I'll update by post. Its against Atletico Mineiro.

[Guest]

Fuck off. First leg of the final, a 1-0 loss at home.

Looks like I have to go all out in Belo Horizonte  

[Guest]

Just had a cracking quarter final tie vs Atletico Nacional.

First half of the first leg at home, I get run over. Its 2-1 for them at the break but some clever subs from my side helped me turn it around and win 3-2.

Second leg was mad. I was 1-0 up, but they turn it around and in the 85th minute they score the second. I was out. 89th minute, Paulo Da Silva wins a header on a corner and finds Verissimo completlely open. 2-2 and I'm into the semi's.

[Guest]

Well, no quadruple. Lost to Atletico Mineiro in the Copa do Brasil final. 0-1 first leg, 1-1 second.

Hopefully we don't bottle the league now.

[Guest]

Think we've sadly conceded the title. Just lost vs Fluminense at home and conceded first. Still a few games left but we're in terrible form.

[Guest]

Lost to River Plate in the semi finals of the Copa Libertadores 4-3 on aggregate. Now it's on the league. So much for that "quadruple". We're the South American Leverkusen 

on a brighter note, I've got Lucas Lima to renew his contract  

[Stan]

17 minutes ago, Blue said:

Lost to River Plate in the semi finals of the Copa Libertadores 4-3 on aggregate. Now it's on the league. So much for that "quadruple". We're the South American Leverkusen 

on a brighter note, I've got Lucas Lima to renew his contract  

more like South American Arsenal. 

[Guest]

Just drew 0-0 away to Palmeiras, while Fluminense gets a 2-1 away win to Flamengo. Its over I think. 2 games left and 3 points behind. Fluminense have Bahia at home and Vasco da Gama away. They'll win at least 1 game.

[Guest]

We have a final day. I got within 3 goals on the goal difference. As long as Fluminense don't batter Bahia, we might be OK.

... and they won 1-0 meaning if we win by 2 and they lose by 2, then the title is ours.

[Guest]

Final Day Updates below

 

I will update every 15 minutes game time.

[Guest]

The match begins.

Why we aren't playing at the same hour, fuck knows.

[Guest]

39th minute, 1-0. Vladimir Hernandez scores from a free kick. I've been outplayed so far though.

[Guest]

87th minute, 2-0. Bruno Henrique keeps the hope alive.

The ideal thing would be to score one more. However, 2-0 might be enough. We just can't concede.

[Guest]

Full time: Ponte Preta 0-2 Santos.

Vasco need to beat Fluminense at least 2-0. Anything below and they are champions.

[Guest]

So, here are the final results.

 

Yep, its over. It was a good first year but it would be fair to give us the title: bottlers. We bottled every tournament this year bar the Sao Paulo state which we won. Going to do some reinvesting and replanning to win everything next season.

[ /spoiler] 

[Guest]

Going to promote him to the indispensable first team player role.

[Guest]

Bruno Henrique won the ballon d'or 

[Guest]

So far that is my progress. Made it through my Libertadores group but got knocked out in the Sao Paulo state semi's. Bugger. We've been somewhat unimpressive so far and have been extremely jammy. A bit like last year but this time our luck has not gone our way. Tupi in the next round of the Brazilian Cup. My main focus though is the league.

I've made 2 new signings. Marllon and Edison Flores. The former will work well as a rotation option, the latter is an important first team player. Edison Flores I still haven't decided if I should play him on the wing or in the middle as an advanced playmaker (personalised tactical role)

Nevertheless, he's the one position I really needed. If things don't start out well in the Brasilerao, then I'll sign someone else in the winter window.