The Life of a Young Canadian

[HerefordMgr]

This is a GREAT piece of work. I'm actually working on one currently. It's much more autobiographical than yours is, at least now. I'm just reviewing the first few years of my career, at this point. I'll have something to post in a day or two.

[HerefordMgr]

...let me clarify.. LOL. I don't use the same "diary entry" format that you do. At least, not yet.

[vitamincmos]

Thanks HerefordMgr...Glad you are enjoying it. Looking forward to seeing yours up and running

Media Release – November 1, 2005

Player of the Month awards have been handed out today, and Pampilhosa central defender Luis Miguel has been awarded the honor for the Second Division. In five league matches, Miguel was a rock for the defense, winning an astounding 88% of the balls in the air that were directed in his area. Not only was Miguel solid through the air, he was great on the ground, averaging five tackles per game during the month of October. Miguel also added two goals, an uncommon occurrence for a player in a defensive position. These solid lines all contributed to the deserved award of Player of the Month for Luis Miguel in October.

Diary Entry – November 2, 2005

A couple bits of good news to pass on. Of course, Luis Miguel earning the player of the month honors is fantastic. He has been solid for us all year long, and having his sureness on the penalty spot is an added bonus. I’m hoping this is the type of honor that is going to lead him to dedicating more effort into the squad, and being a leader for the squad.

The other good news is that of the U-19’s. They are following our footsteps in cup play, as they won their 3rd round match in the U-19 cup. They beat Casa Pia 1-0 in what looked to be a pretty boring affair, but what matters is they did enough to win. Rossi has been doing a good job with those boys, and while they are struggling somewhat in their group, they are mixed in with teams from the top flight as well, so they are playing quite respectable. In any case, the experience is good for these youngsters and will only help in their development.

Now lets just hope these bits of good news help inspire the club to turn things around for us this weekend.

[vitamincmos]

Pampilhosa vs. U. Coimbra (Second Division – Group C) – November 6, 2005

We went back to our usual 4-4-2 attacking formation for this match, as my experiment with the counter attacking formation didn’t go so well. I also gave the reigns back to Marafona between the posts. He showed some determination in training this week, and I rewarded him with the start. Here is the starting eleven:

GK – Marafona

DR – Vinagre

DL – Ricardo Correia

DC – Luis Miguel

DC – Marco Bras

MR – Pazito I

ML – Riccardo Perreira

MC – Miguel Tomas

MC – Vitor Corvilha

ST – David

ST – Toninho

This had the makings of a very frustrating game for our team, as we absolutely dominated straight from the opening whistle. Constant pressure was rewarded with numerous opportunities, through much of the first half, they went wasted as we couldn’t hit the target. It however was that pressure that led to the first goal of the match. Corvilha placed a fine cross into Perreira, but he was shoved in the area trying to head it home, and the referee rewarded a penalty. True to form, Luis Miguel converted the penalty, and we were ahead 1-0 in the 42nd minute. Obtaining the lead was big for the club, and it was evident that they were back on track. Though we couldn’t add another before the half, we went in to the break a confident bunch.

We came out flying in the second half, and it took only two minutes for us to strike. Pazito I sent a cross into Perreira, and he flicked it on to David who outjumped the defender, and headed it into the back of the net for a 2-0 lead in the 47th minute. Confidence was in full force again, and we took possession a couple minutes later, and moved the ball around nicely before netting our third. A corner kick from Corvilha found Toninho, and his shot deflected of a defender and found its way to Miguel Tomas, who buried the easy chance, and we lead 3-0 after 52 minutes. We were really looking smooth out there, and continued to pressure U. Coimbra every chance we had. We were rewarded one last time in the 75th minute, as a great tic-tac-toe play started by Corvilha was finished by Toninho, as he took a feed from David and knocked it past the helpless keeper to get us to 4-0. I elected to change the mentality to a more defensive minded system the rest of the way. While I would welcome further goals, I know we lost 2 straight after a blowout win, so I kept things in check this time around. The final whistle blew, and we were deserved runaway winners 4-0.

This was a game we really needed. The fans left the game very happy today, and that should bode well for future matches in the attendance.

Pampilhosa – 4 (L. Miguel pen 42, David 47, Tomas 52, Toninho 75)

U. Coimbra – 0

MOM – Pazito I (Pampilhosa)

Attendance – 1888

Diary Entry – November 6, 2005

Fantastic result today. Everyone contributed on the pitch, and I thought it was rather nice to see Pazito I earn man of the match honors despite not being on the scoresheet. That is an indication of the kind of team game we played today. The thing I am happiest about is that we had another good fan turnout. Just short of 2000, and a result like this should further cement a solid fan base. Now we just need to follow this up with some consistency and string together a few more wins. We have a couple weeks before the next game, so I’m going to give the players a couple days off before we resume training, but when we return, I am going to be sure to stress the importance of consistency to this squad. We need to follow up this game with another solid performance.

Chairman Duarte was at the game today, and he came over and congratulated me personally on the fine performance, and came into the locker room to congratulate the players. They really appreciated it, and I’m hoping that this is a sign of optimism from the board. I don’t expect to see additional funding tomorrow, but I do think we are gaining some support from the board.

Well, time to relax for a couple days before we get back to the grind.

[vitamincmos]

European Update – Early November 2005

Given the two week break between our games, I took some time to look at the situation among Portuguese clubs in the major European competitions, as well as the situation for Europe within the World Cup Qualifications.

In the Euro Cup, only Sporting CP has made it to the group stages of the competition, after being eliminated from the 3rd qualifying stage of the Champions League. Still early in the stage, they are sitting in a dominant position, having earned the maximum points from their first two matches. With three games to be played, they look likely to move into the knockout stages of the competition.

In the Champions League, Portugal has two teams representing the nation. Benfica and Porto are both in the group stages, and both are in a real dogfight to get through to the round of 16. Benfica currently sits at 7 points through 4 matches, tied with Anderlecht while Bayern Munich sits atop the group with 8 points. Meanwhile, Porto sit tied with Betis at 5 points through 4 matches, while Liverpool leads the group with 8 points. With only two matches remaining for each club, winning is a must if they want to progress any further.

In World Cup Qualifications, the group stage is complete, but the second place playoff has yet to occur. There were a few notables left out of the mix as European Cup Champions Greece will not be attending the World Cup, nor will Russia. As far as the Portuguese team goes, they were dominant throughout qualifying winning ten matches and drawing two. Only Holland and England were better in the qualifying stage. The list of teams to qualify are as follows: Holland, Ukraine, Portugal, France, Italy, England, Spain, Sweden, Poland and Slovakia. Croatia, Norway, Serbia & Montenegro, Turkey, Czech Republic and Ireland will be involved in the second place playoff, with three teams advancing to the World Cup.

Diary Entry – November 13, 2005

One week until our next fixture, and the boys are preparing well. Training has been fairly light, but we are concentrating on a few of the intricacies of the game. Set pieces have been focused on, and more importantly dead-ball situations. Free kicks are something I’d like to see a little more success in, both offensively and defensively, so hopefully some good comes out of these training sessions.

Rossi has brought to my attention the growing concern of central defender Taio’s lack of playing time. It’s frustrating for me, because my central defenders have all been playing extremely well, I just haven’t been able to get him into the lineup. While he probably deserves to play somewhere, I’d like to try and hold on to him as it is inevitable that at some point this season, one of those defenders will get injured, and he will be called upon. I’ll wait it out for now, but if he demands a transfer, I don’t see any choice but to grant it.

With only ten days to go until the league cup match, I’ll have some decisions to make in terms of who to start. While I will likely field our top lineup, I want to make sure that we can put forth a solid team for the cup clash as well. Decisions, decisions……

[vitamincmos]

Pampilhosa vs. Sp. Pombal (Second Division – Group C) – November 20, 2005

Match day has arrived, and with the team well rested, they were eager to try and duplicate last match’s performance. We are sticking with our 4-4-2 for likely the rest of the season, as I don’t want to alter something that has been working so well. Here is the starting lineup:

GK – Marafona

DR – Vinagre

DL – Ricardo Correia

DC – Luis Miguel

DC – Marco Bras

MR – Bebe

ML – Pazito I

MC – Miguel Tomas

MC – Vitor Corvilha

ST – David

ST – Toninho

Another solid crowd was out to watch this match, and they were very well entertained in the early going. Both keepers were stealing the show, as both sides had a number of quality chances, only to be turned away by the goalies. After such a strong defensive game last match, I was a little concerned to see the chances we were giving up, but Marafona stood tall in goal, and kept things scoreless at the half. I encouraged the boys at the half, telling them that all we needed was a goal and the match was ours.

The second half started with cause for concern as after only 4 minutes, David picked up a knock, and I forced to take him out of the game. It didn’t seem very serious, but I didn’t want to take any chances. As the match resumed, we continued creating chances, and in the 62nd minute, while we didn’t score, we did catch a bit of a break as Rui Vale, Sp. Pombal’s keeper sustained an apparent injury and had to leave the game. With the backup keeper in net, we went on the offensive. In the 73rd minute, Toninho made a brilliant individual effort, splitting the defense on his way to scoring a beautiful goal, top corner. We were up 1-0. Just four minutes later, we were at it again. This time, Miguel Tomas made a solid run upfield and got the ball to Corvilha. He played a great through ball to Helder Garcia, and in the clear, he fired it into the back of the net. 2-0 Pampilhosa in the 77th minute. The final minutes of the match were bittersweet as we continued to pressure, and Toninho picked out Pazito I with a great pass, but Pazito I was laid out with a hard tackle, prompting the referee to point to the spot. Pazito I however was injured on the play, and was forced out of the game. Luis Miguel, as he has done all season, converted the penalty, and we led 3-0 into injury time. The remaining time ticked away, and we left with another convincing victory.

Thankfully, the injuries to both David and Pazito I were very minor. Nothing more than bruises, and they would both be fit in a week or less.

Pampilhosa – 3 (Toninho 73, H. Garcia 77, Luis Miguel pen 90, Pazito I inj 90)

Sp. Pombal – 0 (Rui Vale inj 64)

MOM – Pazito I (Pampilhosa)

Attendance – 1569

Diary Entry – November 20, 2005

Another solid performance by the boys, but we look to be a little shorthanded for the next match. With a couple injured players, and some tired boys as well, we will be looking at a slightly different lineup for the cup tie. I’m happy with the effort throughout the game, but we were a little leaky on the defensive side in the first half. Hopefully we can play an all around solid game for 90 minutes next match and come out with the win.

Back to back wins have helped forget the previous two losses, but we need to keep this streak going if we want to contend for the title. Rossi suggested that four losses is all we could afford, and we are already there. We have to make sure we win the games we should win, and if we can pull out a win against a division leader or two, we can still make a game of this.

The draw for the 5th round has already taken place, despite the 4th round matches not being complete. We are likely to face a much stiffer test next round as we will play the winner of non-league minnows M. Cavaleiros and top flight team Nacional da Madeira. It is an away draw, so at least with a good crowd we can expect a nice bit of revenue from gate receipts.

Well, only two training days to take advantage of, so better get prepared.

[vitamincmos]

Pampilhosa vs. R. Agueda (Portuguese Cup – 4th Round) – November 23, 2005)

A short break and we were back in action. With the injuries and weariness issues, there were a few changes to the starting eleven, but the tactics remained the same. Here is the lineup:

GK – Marafona

DR – Vinagre

DL – Ricardo Correia

DC – Luis Miguel

DC – Vicente

MR – Bebe

ML – Riccardo Perreira

MC – Carlos Miguel

MC – Vitor Corvilha

ST – Miguel Tomas

ST – Toninho

The opening whistle went, and we went out looking for an early strike to try and take control of the match right away. We were able to do that, and off a corner kick no less as Perreira’s corner was flicked on by Bebe to a waiting Vicente. He rifled it towards the top corner, and the ball glanced off a defender just enough to fool the keeper, and it found the back of the net. We were up 1-0 just 4 minutes in. With the early goal, we were able to apply constant pressure to R. Agueda, and ten minutes later, we struck again. After a free kick was awarded for a push on Miguel Tomas, Corvilha stepped up and drilled a laser from 25 yards out, bulging the back of the net. We now lead 2-0 with 14 minutes elapsed. At that point, things began to get chippy, as R. Agueda were guilty of numerous fouls, some uglier than other. After a freekick was awarded for a push on Bebe in the 32nd minute, R. Agueda’s Carlos walked up to Corvilha and shoved him hard to the ground. The referee saw the incident and made no hesitation of pulling out the red card, and Carlos was done for the day. While I was considering trying to make this match a complete blowout, I realized that saving stamina would be in our best interests, so I pulled the boys back a bit, and played a more defensive 4-4-2. We went into the break up by 2, and I urged the team to not get carried away out there. We had the lead we needed, and we were up a man the rest of the way, so don’t get careless.

The second half was a sound defensive display on our part. While we still generated scoring chances, we never overpursued leaving opportunity for a counter attack. R. Agueda still continued to foul quite frequently, and I was a little disappointed that more cards weren’t making their way out. Nonetheless, having shut down any chance of a comeback, we coasted to a 2-0 victory, and a date in the 5th round of cup play.

Pampilhosa – 2 (Vicente 4, V. Corvilha 14)

R. Agueda – 0 (Carlos sent off 32)

MOM – V. Corvilha (Pampilhosa)

Attendance – 1699

Diary Entry – November 23, 2005

What a chippy game that was. I really wanted to run up the score against those guys, but my wiser side took control and realized the need to maintain fitness as much as possible. Great to see our set pieces be the cause of both goals. First the corner, then the free kick. This is definitely an area we need to continue to get scoring from, and this is definitely a good sign.

After our match was done, I checked some updates from other games in the 4th round, and imagine my shock as I realized we will not be playing Nacional da Medeira in the 5th round. They were upset by the non-league team M. Calveiros 1-0. I checked some highlights from that game, and both teams seemed to be brutally unfit, and the result was some terrible soccer. While I am thrilled with the chance to move on to the 6th round, I was looking forward to that potential revenue from a larger stadium. Nonetheless, I have to fancy our chances of moving even further into cup competition.

Another short break until our next league game. I hope these guys can withstand 3 games in a week. We really need a win to keep any hopes of a division title in sight.

[vitamincmos]

Portomosense vs. Pampilhosa (Second Division – Group C) – November 27, 2005

Our third game in a week, I was hoping to escape with a victory today, and look forward to a few extra days between our next match. The lineup was a little different again, as David and Pazito I were not yet ready to return to action. The usual 4-4-2, here is how we lined up:

GK – Marafona

DR – Vinagre

DL – Ricardo Correia

DC – Luis Miguel

DC – Marco Bras

MR – Bebe

ML – Riccardo Perreira

MC – Miguel Tomas

MC – Vitor Corvilha

ST – Helder Garcia

ST – Toninho

We got the game started, and it was evident that we were going to have our hands full. Portomosense looked very lively out there, and they were quick to react to our early ball movement. Portomosense opened up the scoring after a questionable foul call set up a free kick. While we cleared the initial scoring attempt, they sent another ball in Baica got around Correia and struck a beauty past a helpless Marafona. Portomosense led 1-0 18 minutes in. Instead of getting nervous, our boys showed great composure in pushing for the equalizer. Garcia was stoned in the 31st, then clipped the crossbar in the 39th. Just minutes later he missed a wide open net, and you could see the disgust in his face for missing that chance. We looked to be headed into the half down a goal, but in injury time, Garcia, instead of shooting, passed it off beautifully to Toninho, and he made no mistake, tying the score at 1-1. The whistle blew for halftime shortly after, and we were even heading into the break.

The second half started much more brightly, and we were rewarded by some solid ball movement as Vinagre sent Toninho clear in on goal. He made no mistake, scoring the brace, and giving us a 2-1 lead in the 51st minute. We were challenged to hold onto the lead, and Correia made a huge intervention in the 67th minute to keep us ahead. That seemed to ignite our squad again, as we came back strong with Toninho narrowly missing his hat-trick, skimming the bar on the way over the goal. In the 71st minute however, we earned a penalty, as Portomosense’s defender was called for pushing Toninho in the area was Toninho went up for a header. Luis Miguel converted yet another penalty, and we led 3-1. Our two goal lead was short-lived however, as Portomosense struck back quickly. After a foul by Marco Bras, their free-kick was picked up by Alberto, and he blasted it to the net. The shot glanced off Hugo Paulo and past Marafona to cut the lead to 3-2 in the 77th minute. From that point on, our squad showed great determination in thwarting any further attacks from Portomosense, and when the final whistle blew, we had our 3rd consecutive league victory, with a hard earned 3-2 result.

It was unfortunate we had given up two goals, but both were of no fault of Marafona’s, and the fact that we bent but didn’t break was a testament to the team game the squad is playing right now.

Portomosense – 2 (Baica 18, P. Alberto 77)

Pampilhosa – 3 (Toninho 45, 51 L. Miguel 71)

MOM – Toninho (Pampilhosa)

Attendance – 966

Diary Entry – November 27, 2005

That was a rather tense game. I was concerned when we gave up the first goal, but the boys responded incredibly. I don’t know what else to say about Toninho. It seems that any time we need a push, he provides it. He has been spectacular all season, and when David is healthy and back in the lineup, those two are a lethal combination. I was initially a little steamed at Marafona for giving up two goals, but he didn’t stand a chance in either goal, and played a solid game outside of that. He definitely seems to show more confidence after he was benched.

Haven’t heard anything from the board about this game, even though it was big for us. We are now in the upper half of the league table, but still a good distance away from the front runners. Still, it is a positive sign and one we have to continue building on. A brief conversation with the staff definitely displayed their optimism about the way we are playing. They are an upbeat bunch, and that can only benefit the players when we return to training.

[vitamincmos]

European Update – Late November 2005

A quick update on the progress of European competitions saw Sporting earn a draw in their Euro Cup group stage match, putting them on 7 points through 3 matches. This has earned them qualification into the knockout stages of the event.

In Champions League action, Porto earned a draw in their match with Liverpool and now sits 3rd with 6 points. They are two points behind Betis and three behind Liverpool. They will need a win against Bremen in their final match, and at best, a draw for Betis in their final match against Liverpool. In group C, Benfica earned a highly entertaining 4-3 victory against CSKA (Sofia), clinching them a birth into the round of 16. While they are unlikely to clinch first place in the group, it is still possible.

In World Cup Qualifications, the second place playoff took place, and saw the Czech Republic defeat Ireland 4-2 on aggregate, Turkey got past Serbia and Montenegro 4-1 on aggregate, while Croatia edged Norway 2-1. With a couple playoffs still to be decided, the draw for the group stages will take place December 9, 2005, and many interested eyes will be watching the developments.

Media Release – December 1, 2005

Pampilhosa was well represented in November as the monthly awards were handed out for the Second Division teams. Player of the Month honors went to 23 year old striker, Toninho. Toninho played three league games for Pampilhosa in November, scoring four goals, and assisting on two others. He also completed a number of key passes, which led to numerous opportunities for Pampilosa. Toninho is very deserving of the award of Player of the Month for November.

The other award recipient from Pampilhosa was Geoff Chomos. He was given Manager of the Month in the Second Division for the month of November. Chomos lead the club to three wins out of three matches in league play, outscoring their opponents by a very impressive margin of 10-2. They have been steadily climbing up the standings en route to their three straight victories, and have Geoff Chomos to thank for the current streak.

Diary Entry – December 1, 2005

More glory for the club as the monthly awards were handed out. Toninho was extremely deserving of his award, and I am sure that it is going to spur him on to work even harder out there. He has all the talent and skills to lead this league in scoring, and I hope he can pull it off.

More shockingly though, was the announcement of me winning the manager of the month. It’s a pretty awesome feeling, and I can’t help letting it get to my head a little bit. I would like to think that I am somewhat responsible for the team’s successful play this past month, but its also probably fair to say that the rest of the staff is equally deserving to share this honor. In any case, it has warranted some excellent media coverage for me and the team. After this week’s match, I have an interview with the local paper. I’m quite looking forward to it, and think it will be a good opportunity to get a little more personal with our fans as well.

Chairman Duarte was quick to offer his congratulations on behalf of the board. He has mentioned how pleased they are with the current winning streak, and hopes we can continue to climb up the table. I still get the feeling expectations are low, but there is a little more optimism than there was when I was hired.

I noticed that there is a three week break in the schedule over Christmas time, so I’m going to head back to Canada and visit the family. I think I’ll have deserved the break at that point, and I’ll leave operation of the club up to Rossi for a week or so. Speaking of Rossi, he has the U-19’s ready for their 3rd round match in the Under-19 Cup. I’m hoping our cup success filters down to the young squad. It would be great to see them progress far into the competition.

Well, three days until the next match, and it is against Abrantes. They look to be a solid team, and are sitting at the top of the table right now. This is one of those games where we could really cause a commotion at the top if we could pick up three points on the leaders. I’m pretty sure the team won’t be needing any inspiration, but I’ll remind them nonetheless of the importance of the upcoming match.

[HerefordMgr]

Welcome to the "Manager of The Month" club, sir! Here's hoping you win a bunch more of those, as well as a Portugese Cup Championship. Best of luck.

[vitamincmos]

Thanks HerefordMgr...Considering we are still in the middle of table, it was an award unsuspected, but I'll take it...let's just hope the streak continues!

Pampilhosa vs. Abrantes (Second Division – Group C) – December 4, 2005

Match day has arrived, and a quick glance at the stadium sees it nearly full. I was desperately hoping for three points from this match, and was sure to start a lineup that was working very well for us:

GK – Marafona

DR – Vinagre

DL – Ricardo Correia

DC – Vicente

DC – Marco Bras

MR – Bebe

ML – Pazito I

MC – Miguel Tomas

MC – Vitor Corvilha

ST – Helder Garcia

ST – Toninho

Abrantes started the match, and they looked quite tentative on the pitch. A crowd of this size was rarely seen in this division, and maybe they got a little nervous playing infront of such a number of fans. Our players thrived on it however, and we were dominant throughout the early going, only to see countless chances turned away by Abrantes keeper. Corvilha had a fantastic chance in the 25th minute, only to see it hit the woodwork and bounce clear away. Undaunted however, we continued to pile on the pressure. Our hard work was rewarded in the 37th minute, with a play that will stick in my mind for quite some time. Bebe played a great ball into Helder Garcia, who was in alone with the keeper. He held the ball longer than I expected, and appeared to have missed his opportunity to score, but just when it appeared that the opportunity had passed, he dished it off to an unmarked Toninho. He applied the finish, and we were up 1-0. The fans went into a frenzy, and the players looked absolutely determined to continue their domination. In the 42nd minute, Toninho somewhat returned the favor. He took a great shot only to see it turned away by Abrantes’ keeper, but the rebound fell right in front of Helder Garcia, and he tapped in the rebound for a 2-0 lead. Two goals in 5 minutes, and we were looking good heading into the half.

The second half saw a couple chances for Abrantes early on, but they were not able to get their shots on target. While we continued to pressure, we made sure we were sound in the defensive end, and rarely gave up a quality scoring opportunity. Offensively, I got a little concerned in the 69th minute as Toninho needed treatment for an apparent injury. I think he was just winded, and he shook it off fairly quickly. Still, I elected not to take any chances, and David began his warmup. Not much else took place until injury time, where Helder Garcia was at it again. This time he read the play perfectly, and jumped an attempted back pass to the Abrantes keeper, and upon picking up the loose ball, flipped it into the back of the net and we led 3-0. The final whistle blew shortly after, and we had put together an outstanding performance, and a very deserved 3-0 victory.

A fantastic all around effort from our boys today, and we gained a valuable three points on the division leader. The crowd was absolutely delighted with the result, and it was evident that soccer had caught on in a big way in Pampilhosa.

Pampilhosa - 3 (Toninho 37, H. Garcia 42, 90)

Abrantes – 0

MOM – Marco Bras (Pampilhosa)

Attendance – 2390

Diary Entry – December 4, 2005

Well what can I say about this match!?!? Despite it not being our largest victory of the year, this was by far our best performance of the season. And look at the fans!!!! There were hardly any empty seats to be found. I think they definitely had an impact on the outcome, as the boys were so inspired after seeing that kind of turnout. Toninho played another fantastic game, but I was incredibly impressed with Helder Garcia. He made what is in my mind, the play of the year, when he had a prime scoring chance, but knew something better would develop, and he outwaited the keeper and flipped it over to Toninho. Fantastic stuff! Maybe most impressive, which doesn’t really get noticed in the match, was the play of the back four…especially Marco Bras. He earned man of the match honors for simply winning every 50/50 ball that came at him. It was impressive stuff.

I’m just thrilled about this…giggly in fact. It was just an amazing game. This is exactly the kind of game we needed as we look ahead to the Portuguese Cup 5th round. With this kind of momentum, we stand a solid chance of moving into the 6th round, which is just phenomenal.

Rossi pointed out to me before the match today that we have to start looking at contracts with our existing players. Most of the players are signed to one-year part-time deals, which will expire at the end of June ’06. That leaves me a little less than a month to work things out with the players I want to keep. I am going to have a quick talk with the three players I have on the transfer list, as I plan on just releasing them. Their wages are taking up a key bit of the budget. But all this can wait until tomorrow, as I wish to revel in this great victory.

[vitamincmos]

Time to Look Beyond this Season – Early December 2005

One of the tricks to being a good manager is not getting caught up in the current run of form, and still looking ahead to the future. It’s easy for the team to look at our results and think we don’t need improvement, but until we have a team like Chelsea’s, there is always room for improvement. There were a number of areas that I was focusing on.

Most players had signed on to one year contracts that were set to expire soon. I had to go through the lineup and determine who was essential to the future of the team. I looked to re-sign the majority of the team. Most players agreed to wages equal to their previous contracts, but there were some that have played a big role in the team, and demanded an increase. In most cases, we managed a compromise. When all was said and done, we were sitting very well for the upcoming season, but we were now over the wage budget set out by the board. I was fairly confident I could trim the budget down, but I thought I might wait things out and see if the board gave me a little increase. It was doubtful, but worth a try.

We are still looking for additional players as well, keeping in mind that a second keeper Sven van Ommermen will be joining us in January of ’06. That might be why I wasn’t overly concerned when I received the news that Bruno Sousa had torn his shoulder during training. He was going to be out at least two months, so we elected to terminate his loan as he would be of no further service to us. He did well, but it was clear that Marafona was the man when he arrived, and Sousa was a more than capable backup. While we are now without a regular backup, I will utilize the U-19 squad keepers in an emergency role for our final two games of ’05. In terms of searching for other players, I am focusing on youth players. Our U-19 squad is a great opportunity to develop skills, and I would love to have some more players for Rossi to work with. While I have been unable to find anyone at the current time, we are always looking, and in the event a player comes along in my absence, I have given Rossi my permission to make the proper judgment on the player, and sign him if he is worthy.

I was also looking at my staff. When I made my initial hirings, they were all improvements over what I started with. Now that some of my staff’s contracts are starting to approach expiration, I have some decisions to make. I am pretty sure I can improve the quality of staff on the squad, but I am very gracious to all the help I was given when I first came to the team. Their patience and understanding of my learning curve was very much noted, and should be taken into consideration when time to either renew or terminate their contracts. No decisions in that area have been made at this time, but they will need to be addressed soon.

[vitamincmos]

Bonus Coverage – Early December 2005

As we had some extra time off between games, I elected to give the squad a day off from training, but we instead took a little field trip to watch the U-19 squad take on the U. Micaelense U-19 squad in the Under-19 Cup 4th round. I thought it would be a nice lift for the young men playing today to have a solid cheering section of players they looked up to. Rossi unselfishly offered me the reigns for the game, but I quickly refused the offer. Rossi had done a great job guiding the team this far, so it was his the rest of the way.

Both teams came out quite nervously to start the game. As they were both U-19 teams from minnow clubs, this was uncharted water for both clubs, and it showed in their play. Chances were few and far between, in the early going. We did hit the scoreboard first though on the 31st minute as Careca applied the finish. It was a nice goal, and I took note that we may see this player again in the future. I noticed Rossi immediately switch to a more defensive style. He was quite content on holding on to a 1-0 lead if the game would permit it. I found it quite interesting analyzing the tactics of my assistant manager, and comparing his preferences to mine. The biggest difference I noticed in the quality of play between the senior squad and the U-19’s was the conditioning. Players seemed to tire quite quickly, and the pace of the game was not very good. Still, it was good to see our young guns playing well. We added to the scoresheet in the 2nd half with a very fortunate own goal, and cruised to a 2-0 victory. Our senior squad was very supportive of the U-19’s and I was very happy to see that team morale still riding high.

After looking at the U-19’s future fixtures, I noticed that this win got them into the quarterfinals of the cup competition. I was very impressed that these boys were able to make it this far, and was quite excited about the next match. If our schedule permitted, I was going to make sure our senior squad was in attendance.

World Cup Draw Announced – December 9, 2005

The anxiously anticipated groupings for the 2006 World Cup have been announced today, and it should provide some intriguing matchups this summer.

Group A sees defending champions Brazil joined by Angola, Czech Republic and Trinidad & Tobago. Group B features Portugal and Mexico as the favorites, and they are joined by Croatia and Tunisia. Group C sees Holland as the clear favorite, and also includes Iran, Paraguay and Sweden. Italy will be tested in Group D as they are joined by Ghana, Slovakia and U.S.A. Group E consists of France, Ivory Coast, Poland and Saudi Arabia. Hosts Germany will play in Group F, and are joined by Ecuador, England and South Korea. Group G sees Oceania’s lone entry, Australia face an uphill battle against Argentina, Japan and Turkey. Finally, Group H sees Spain and Ukraine as the likely qualifiers, as they are joined by Costa Rica and Togo.

Trinidad & Tobago will open the tournament against Champions Brazil on June 7th, 2006. This leaves the countries roughly six months to make their final preparations to hoist arguably the world’s most coveted trophy.

[vitamincmos]

Diary Entry – December 12, 2005

We’ve had a very enjoyable week leading up to our big cup tie. Taking the time to watch the U-19 squad I think was a very good idea for everyone involved. Not only does it show great team morale, it was an opportunity for me to see my assistant manager in action. He was very well composed, and did a great job out there. Tactically, he seems to prefer a defensive style of play, choking any opportunities for the opposition before they can develop. I like this approach for young players, as defensive responsibility must be instilled in their minds. I truly believe that good defense leads to good offense.

I finally got some word about a player we should take a look at. An 18 year old defender, Daniel is being touted by our scouts as a player with some potential. He is currently without a club, so it won’t cost us anything. I don’t see any harm in offering him a contract, so I’ll be drafting something up and sending it his way. He won’t be involved in the first team, but could be a prospect for the future.

While I have signed the majority of players I was hoping to, Diogo is giving me major headaches. He wants to feature in the first team, and frankly, he just isn’t ready for that right now. He has potential, and I can see it, but I can’t see him doing enough to supplant Vinagre on the right side. I’m offering him quite a reasonable wage, but with a team status as a prospect for the future. That is where we can not agree. Rossi has suggested that there is no point continuing negotiations until his contract is nearer to expiry. I just don’t want to risk him getting snapped up in the six months before his contract expires. I will not however meet his demands of first team football.

Other than that, things are going very well, and I’m looking forward to the 5th round matchup.

[vitamincmos]

M. Cavaleiros vs. Pampilhosa (Portuguese Cup – 5th Round) – December 14, 2005

We’ve known who our opponent would be for what seemed like an eternity, and we were very eager to show them a thing or two on the fundamentals of the game. Little did we know what kind of match we were in for. As usual, our 4-4-2 was our tactical choice, and the starting eleven was as follows:

GK – Marafona

DR – Vinagre

DL – Ricardo Correia

DC – Luis Miguel

DC – Marco Bras

MR – Bebe

ML – Pazito I

MC – Miguel Tomas

MC – Vitor Corvilha

ST – Helder Garcia

ST – Toninho

I think it is fair to say we were caught sleeping in this one. In only the 6th minute, we were guilty of some sloppy defensive play, and a turnover led to a quick strike by Alex and we were down 1-0. The referee asserted himself very early as well, as we awarded a trifecta of yellow cards in only six minutes of play. Not even a quarter of the way through the match, and we had three players on yellows. It greatly affected the way we could pressure and attack, as a hard foul could result in a player being sent off. Still, we managed to begin to take the game to them, and had a few chances that didn’t find the goal. We had yet to test their keeper by halftime, and found ourselves trailing 1-0. I told the boys to get into the game and start finishing some of these chances.

The second half was more of the same early on though as Bebe rifled a great opportunity over the bar. It seemed that we just trying too hard, and we were overhitting many of our quality chances. One player though, who has contributed consistently to the club, yet had nothing on the scoresheet to show for it, made his presence felt in the 62nd minute. Pazito I was the recipient of a perfect pass from Luis Miguel, and he knocked it past the keeper for his first goal with the club, and more importantly, tied the score at 1-1. We continued to pressure, hoping to get hold of the lead, but our aggressiveness nearly cost us on the counter attack in the 80th minute, only to see Marafona bail us out. We became a little more cautious at that point, and injury time played out, and the game was still deadlocked 1-1. We were going to extra time.

Extra time consisted of two 15 minute halves, no golden goal rule in effect. I was very fortunate that I had not yet burned a sub, so all three were at my disposal. M. Cavaleiros however used all three by the 72nd minute, and they were tired. I saw this as an opportunity for us to really take it to them, and urged the players to really push forward. I brought on David to replace Helder Garcia, as I felt the fresh legs would really benefit us, and I was rewarded very quickly. In the 94th minute, David and his fresh legs burned right through the defense, and he went one-on-one with the keeper. He was calm and cool, and slotted it past the keeper. We now led 2-1. I was confident at this point that we could hold the fort, as M. Cavaleiros no longer had the stamina to mount any kind of offensive attack. We continued to pass the ball around and completely dictated play in the first half of extra time.

The second half was identical to the first. Possession was greatly in our favor, and M. Cavaleiros looked about ready to quit. While they pushed forward to try and find the equalizer, we were always there for the counter attack, further tiring the opposition. In the 119th minute, Toninho ended any doubt to our victory by taking a good pass from David, outrunning the defense, and burying it past the keeper. We were up 3-1, and almost immediately after our kickoff, the referee blew for the final whistle. We were through to the 6th round!

Perseverance sums up this match. Despite going down a goal early, we fought back, and just overpowered them in extra time. A fantastic result!

M. Cavaleiros – 1 (Alex 6)

Pampilhosa – 3 (Pazito I 62, David 94, Toninho 119)

MOM – Vitor Corvilha (Pampilhosa)

Attendance – 2253

Diary Entry – December 14, 2005

…And we can all breathe a big sigh of relief. I expected a tightly contested match, but this was a closer than I would have liked. We did outplay them, and were just the victim of some poor finishing. While I am ecstatic about this result, and the fact that we are on to the 6th round, I am concerned what effect the extra 30 minutes will have heading into our final game before the extended break. Although the guys are on an emotional high, I think tomorrow is going to really set in on how tired they are from this demanding match. We only have four days before the next game, and it might be a depleted lineup on the pitch, but I’ll worry about that when the time comes. In any case, the boys will be off tomorrow. I don’t intend on working them at all…they have earned the rest.

Chairman Duarte phoned me after the game, and offered congratulations. He was genuinely ecstatic on the other end of the phone, and I think he and the board have just realized that this team can go places. He asked me if I would have time to meet with him when we got back. He wouldn’t say what it was for, but I expected it to be about reconsidering my stance on division title or bust. Due to my planned trip back to Canada, and his business schedule we weren’t going to be able to get together until the new year, but he said if he could change his business plans, he would meet me before I left. Well, it definitely appears that there is some purpose behind this meeting, so hopefully we can get together as I am quite curious as to what Duarte wants to talk to me about.

I am meeting with Rossi tomorrow as well just to go over management of the club while I am away. I know he is more than capable, but I just want to make sure he is not going to be afraid to make any decisions without my approval. He is the assistant, and that is his job…I want to make sure he is aware of that.

Well, long day, long game. Time to get some sleep.

[vitamincmos]

Diary Entry – December 17, 2005

A couple things to note on the player front. First off, Taio has been transfer listed. I just don’t have room for him on the current roster, and its unfair for him not to be playing somewhere, so we’ll see what kind of offers trickle in. Secondly, I have sent an offer to

Daniel. It is modest, and won’t affect us really in the wage budget, so its definitely a move we can afford.

I’ll be leaving back for Canada after the game tomorrow, so I left instruction with Rossi to attempt to continue contract negotiations with Diogo, should he be willing to move on his current demands. Beyond that, if he sees anyone worth signing, I gave him the go ahead.

The best, and most interesting news was the discussion I was to have with Duarte. He was held up on other business and couldn’t make it in, so he simply sent me a fax. It was sitting on my desk when I went in to clean a few things up. It simply read:

Sorry I couldn’t be there to discuss this with you, but the board and I felt that a little Christmas bonus was in order for you. While it isn’t much, it may help in signing one or two key players for the big run to the division title.

Your wage budget has been increased 1.5K per month. Merry Christmas.

Chairman Duarte

I couldn’t help but smile, not just because we now had a larger wage budget, but because the board is starting to believe in this team. It was great to see, and it left me in a great mood heading into our final match before the break.

[vitamincmos]

Rio Major vs. Pampilhosa (Second Division – Group C) – December 18, 2005

Our final game before the break, and the players definitely could use the time off. I was hoping they had recovered enough from Wednesday’s extra time cup match to come out with a full head of steam. I did need to make a couple changes to the starting eleven, but was able to maintain a strong lineup:

GK – Marafona

DR – Vinagre

DL – Ricardo Correia

DC – Luis Miguel

DC – Vicente

MR – Sergio Grilo

ML – Riccardo Perreira

MC – Miguel Tomas

MC – Vitor Corvilha

ST – Helder Garcia

ST – David

We opened very strong, and with the first decent chance of the game, we capitalized. Rio Major was forced back very defensively and could only manage to clear the ball back out to center, where we would push it right back in. In the 4th minute, Luis Miguel played a nice ball in the Helder Garcia, and he did a great job to send David in behind the last defender, and he finished the job with a good shot to the bottom left. We struck early to take a 1-0 lead. We got sloppy though, and that lead didn’t last long. After a foul was awarded to Rio Major, they quickly set up the free kick, and Quim Ze curled a beautiful shot into the net from 30 yards out. Marafona looked stunned as he clearly didn’t expect it, and after 14 minutes, we were tied at 1-1. That goal fired up Rui Major, and they kept coming right at us. We were on the defensive, and couldn't effectively clear the pressure, and in the 18th minute, Rui lofted a nice ball to Evaldo, who had beaten the offside trap. He knocked it past Marafona, and we were very quickly down 2-1. This looked like it was going to be an ol’ fashioned shootout. We continued to weather the storm as Marafona was forced to bail us out a couple times and we were fortunate as two shots hit the bar and off to safety. We were being badly outplayed at this point, and I just hoped we could make it into the half still in the game. Marafona did his job, and we hit the break at that very score, trailing 2-1. I let the team have it at the break. This wasn’t the squad I was becoming used to seeing out there, and told them to kick it into high gear.

The second half began, and they took my words to heart, coming out very strong. We immediately barraged Rio Major with scoring opportunities, but their keeper turned away three excellent chances in the first ten minutes of the half. They couldn’t stop them all though, and in the 59th minute, Vicente showed some great skill getting past a couple of defenders, drawing the last defender to him, and leaving David unmarked. Vicente got the pass over to him, and David scored his 2nd goal of the game, and 10th of the season. But more importantly, he evened the match at 2-2. We continued the assault and launched a fantastic counter attack, just when we looked very vulnerable. Sergio Grilo made a fantastic run down the majority of the field, and got a great ball in to David. David should have had his hat trick, but hit the post. Helder Garcia was the opportunist, being the right place and tapped in the rebound to give us a 3-2 in the 65th minute. Two quick strikes saw us with the lead, and we continued to pressure them. More chances came our way, but we weren’t quite able to get quality shots on the goal. Rio Major had really dropped back defensively, and looked to just weather the storm while looking for a counter attack. They found that opportunity in the 84th minute. Travassos got it started with a long ball into Evaldo. Instead of shooting, he managed to get the ball over to Pedro Fonseca who made no mistake, drilling it past a helpless Marafona. We had gotten a little lazy, and let them tie it up 3-3. While I was still happy with a draw, the boys seemed to have other ideas. They had fire in their eyes, and were playing very hard, looking to get the late goal back. After a cross by Perreira was blocked, we had earned a corner kick. Perreira took the corner deep to the back of the 18 yard box. Grilo headed the ball into the area, where Helder Garcia showed great strength outjumping the defender, and headed it past the keeper. Garcia had also scored a brace, and his 10th of the season. We had struck back in the 88th minute, to lead 4-3. Rio Major looked devastated, and couldn’t muster a final rally, and we walked out with yet another win.

Great heart. Great determination. Great result. We head into the Christmas break with a five match winning streak in the league, and the leaders in our sights.

Rio Major – 3 (Q. Ze 14, Evaldo 18, P. Fonseca 84)

Pampilhosa – 4 (David 4, 59, H. Garcia 65, 88)

MOM – Helder Garcia (Pampilhosa)

Attendance – 250

Diary Entry – December 18, 2005

What a way to finish out the year. The guys never gave up fighting, and we came out with a deserving three points. Everyone on the team believes now, and I think that the rest of the league is starting to serve notice to our skills. Counting our cup wins, we have won seven straight games, and it is an unbelievable feeling. I’m looking forward to getting back home and telling all my friends and family about the success we are having.

I bid my goodbyes to the team and staff, and headed home for a well deserved holiday.

[HerefordMgr]

Congratulations on the win. Appropriate that you should win your last match before Christmas on my birthday..Ha :-).

[Spav]

What an extremely well-written story - this has been a top effort so far. KUTGW vitamincmos

[vitamincmos]

Thanks Spav and HerefordMgr (glad I could bring home a win on your b-day)! While I am really enjoying finally writing a story, knowing the readers are enjoying it make it that much more enjoyable for me.

Diary Entry – December 22, 2005

Happy birthday to me…happy birthday to me…unlike many birthdays gone past, I didn’t get completely wasted and forget the day away. I got together with friends and family, and told them of the makings of a great season we are having in Pampilhosa. I’m kind of feeling like a local celebrity, as many people in the soccer community have been somewhat following the progress the club is making. Quite the marvel this internet can be.

The day after I got back, I got a phone call from The Leader Post, the local newspaper back in my hometown. They had asked if they could do a write-up about me and the club. I of course accepted the offer, and sat down to discuss my job, and the season we have been having. It was quite enjoyable, and was really quite an honor to be recognized for the successes we are having this season.

The time away has been great, but truth be told, I can’t stop thinking about the run we’ve been having, and what is still left to do. I haven’t talked to anyone back in Portugal, so I don’t know if anything has happened regarding the club, but I am already anxious to get back and resume business. I’m going to return back on Boxing Day, and prepare for the push for the title.

Canadian Connection to Portugal – Late December 2005

Leader Post (Regina) – Talk about Portugal is starting to become a reoccurring thing around this city. Not for the fantastic holiday destination that it is, but for the latest connection a small town has with Regina. It is a story of unexpected success, but one that shows anything is possible.

Geoff Chomos, born and raised in Regina, was a soccer fanatic growing up. As he entered his teenage years, he showed quite a bit of potential as a player, and one who had dreams of traveling abroad to play among the world’s greatest players. All those dreams came to a crashing halt when an injury ended his playing career, robbing him of the inevitable success which was awaiting him. Instead of giving up on soccer altogether, he decided to shift his focus to instruction. It began with young players in the city, and as he discovered this new found ability to motivate children to play, he pursued FIFA accreditation.

That is where we stand today. Chomos has been coaching a lower division club in Portugal, by the name of Pampilhosa. The team, largely expected to struggle, has been a pleasant surprise in the Second Division, and are currently sitting in the upper half of the division standings. The team however has put a string of seven straight wins together, and is mounting a strong challenge for the division title. Much of this success is credited to Chomos and his tactical prowess. Coaches here in Regina have all pointed towards his youth coaching in the city as an indication of the great understanding he has of the game, and how he has a knack for developing tactics that an opposing team does not know how to defend. They are not surprised that he has found success, and expect it to continue.

While Chomos is enjoying his first experience as a club manager, he has pointed out that at some point in his future, he would love to return to North America to manage a pro team. He realizes that first he must pay his dues, and bring success to clubs otherwise expected to contend in their respective leagues.

Given Canada’s lack of major representation on a international level in the sport of soccer, Chomos’ accomplishments are even more impressive. He will undoubtedly be in the public eye in this city, even the province for the next significant while, and everyone will be hoping he can continue his success. Who knows…maybe one day he will even be the manager of our national team.

[Guest The Force]

KUTGW top story. The board have to give you more cash to complete the job :-)

[vitamincmos]

Thanks Force!!! Yeah...money is pretty tight, as I'm sure it is with every lower division club. I'd imagine the only way to really make any money is to sell off the top players and hope you can fill them in with enough quality replacements to not miss them.

Winding Up the Year – Late December 2005

After my pleasant visit home, I returned to the club to take care of some business. First of all, Daniel agreed to terms with the club. As an 18 year old, he will immediately head down to the U-19 squad, and hopefully get good experience. I have also placed him on loan in the hopes that someone is looking for a player to step in for a few games. I’m doubtful we will receive a loan offer, but it doesn’t hurt to try.

No other players were signed, and no further contracts renewed. All in all a fairly boring end to 2005.

Media Release – January 1, 2006

Pampilhosa has rung in the New Year with a new signing. Sven van Ommeren, a 21 year old Dutch goalkeeper has joined the club from Holland amateur team Groene Star. Pampilhosa is believed to have paid 5K for his services, and he will be likely to slide into the lineup on a squad rotation status as he familiarizes himself with the style of football in Portugal. Chomos is very optimistic that he will be a mainstay in the organization for many years to come.

Ringing in the New Year – Early January 2006

A few events transpired at the start of the new year, the first being the drawing of the 6th round of the Portuguese Cup. For the first time in the competition, we drew a team in a higher division than we were, and it turned out to be Leiria of the top flight. The match was scheduled for January 25, 2006 and we were playing in their stadium. While Leiria was sitting in the lower half of the table, they were still a considerably more talented team than we were, so we would definitely have our hands full.

As we were now half way through our season, I elected to release Rui Almedia, Joao Pinto and Felix on free transfer. It did involve some contract buy-outs, but the money we will save in the long run will be worth it. They had not been able to crack the starting lineups, and really didn’t have an opportunity coming any time soon. While it lessened our squad numbers, it also freed up more of our wage budget, which was very important.

Other news of interest was the sale of Taio. I had put him on the transfer block before Christmas, and it wasn’t long before offers came rolling in. While I had accepted more than one offer from clubs around Portugal, he agreed to terms with Vizela, and I sold him to the Second League club for 5K. I don’t know if I could have gotten more, but I decided that was a worthy price, and it was better than losing him on Bosman.

[vitamincmos]

Bonus Coverage – January 7, 2006

After a lengthy break, it was only fitting that I bring the squad together again to cheer on our Under-19 squad. They are back in action today, as they play are playing in the quarter-finals of the U-19 Cup. Their opponents were the U-19 squad from Ferense. Again, Rossi offered me the sideline seat to manage the club, and again I refused. He got them this far, it was his the rest of the way. I was intent on sitting back and enjoying some soccer…

…and enjoy it we did. Right from the opening whistle there was confidence beaming throughout the Pampilhosa team. Immediately, opportunities were developing, and we looked to be in control. The pressure was too much for Ferense, and in the 13th minute, we caught a good bit of luck, as an attempt to clear by one of their defenders ended up going right into their own goal. You take them as they come, and we led 1-0. The game resumed, as did the pressure from our squad. They continued to force the issue, and in the 38th minute, they added to the lead. An excellent corner from Carvalho found the head of Nuno, and he powered it past the keeper. We led 2-0. We saw the defensive gameplan of Rossi begin to unfold though, as he brought back his forwards, and moved more into a defensive scheme. The whistle blew for the half, and the lead was looking quite comfortable.

The second half saw numerous chances for our boys, but the lack of finishing expected from a young squad. Countless shots went over the bar or wide of the goal, but while they weren’t going in, Ferense was doing nothing to get the ball into our end. With no real attack to fear, we maintained possession for much of the half and coasted to an easy 2-0 victory.

A fantastic win again for the young squad, and it sees them through to the semi-final of the U-19 Cup.

Diary Entry – January 7, 2006

Well, the day before we resume league play, and I think the boys are all well rested. All the players are well aware of the importance to resume where we left off, and I am confident that we can continue this run of good results. Our opponent is Oliveirense, a team we played in cup competition and edged 3-2 away from home. I credit that game for really making the team believe in themselves, and turning us into a contender. I really hope that we can use them as further momentum builders. They are top of the division right now, and a win would be a huge boost for the club.

Great result for the U-19 squad. I am so proud of what Rossi has been able to do with those kids, and they are amazingly just one win away from reaching the final. I’m really hoping that this result inspires our senior squad to keep up their winning ways. It was great to see them very much involved in cheering on the U-19’s, and their team spirit is at an all-time high. It’s a very satisfying thing to see.

Two new players in, four players out. Not exactly what I had in mind for strengthening the squad, but there just doesn’t seem to be a lot of players out there sitting on free transfer. We addressed the departure of Bruno Sousa though, and that was important. The other players to leave really had no place on the team anyway, so we won’t miss them much. I do need to start thinking about the squad for next season though, and really look for those players out of a job right now. Ommeren has had a week of training now, and I’m thinking of giving him the start. He has looked very good in goal, and is transitioning very nicely to becoming a solid part of the team. That will be a gameday decision though.

[vitamincmos]

Pampilhosa vs. Oliveirense (Second Division – Group C) – January 8, 2006

We are back in action, and couldn’t be more ready. As usual, we rolled out our familiar 4-4-2. It was working splendidly for us, and I didn’t have any intentions of changing that. I elected to go with van Ommeren in the keeper position, and give him a chance to prove his worth. Here is the starting eleven:

GK – Sven van Ommeren

DR – Vinagre

DL – Ricardo Correia

DC – Luis Miguel

DC – Marco Bras

MR – Bebe

ML – Pazito I

MC – Miguel Tomas

MC – Vitor Corvilha

ST – Toninho

ST – David

Starting strong was the key to victory in this match, and we didn’t disappoint, as we came at them very hard. After a great chance in only the 2nd minute by Toninho, we followed up that pressure and struck gold. Pazito I played a great ball into Toninho, and he fired on goal. The shot was blocked, but had forced a dive by the keeper. David pounced on the loose ball, and lobbed it into the net, behind an out of position keeper, and we lead 1-0 only 5 minutes in. We weren’t done there though. A few minutes later, Toninho got the ball on a rush, and sent it in to Bebe. The defender marking him was holding Bebe’s shirt as he tried to go past him, and the referee pointed to the spot. Luis Miguel, confident as always, knocked the penalty past the keeper, and we lead 2-0 only 10 minutes into the game! It was the dream start we were hoping for. Oliveirense came back fighting, but having our players drop back a little further stifled any major offensive threats. While Oliveirense was getting shots at the goal, they were of very poor quality, and the majority missed the net completely. As we withstood their attempts, we were always looking for that quick break back, and we found it in the 37th minute. Vinagre started it off with a fine run before getting the ball ahead to Miguel Tomas. Tomas quickly touched it on to Toninho, who was clear of the last defender. With only the keeper to beat, he made no mistake, and we now led 3-0. We withstood the remaining pressure before the half, and had a comfortable 3-0 lead going into the break.

The second half started with us on our heels. I had switched to a defensive style of play, as I knew Oliveirense would be throwing everything at us. I was content for us to clear away opportunities and eat up precious time. Sven van Ommeren was doing a fine job on his debut, making a few saves to preserve the three goal lead, but he was denied his clean sheet bid in the 63rd minute. Oliveirense was putting on relentless pressure in our end, and while we were repeatedly clearing the ball to safety, they would jump on it and bring it back in. After a great shot and subsequent save by van Ommeren, Dionisio jumped on a rebound, and drilled it into the open net. Our lead was cut to 3-1. Our squad did not seem phased at all by the goal and looked to continue their strong play. Both teams shared good chances in the 30 minutes to follow, but neither good solve the keeper from that point on. We had held our own, and came out with a 3-1 victory.

This victory was thanks largely to our explosive start, but much credit must also be given to our new signing, Sven van Ommeren. He was solid in goal, and showed the promise that he could become an excellent keeper in the years to come.

Pampilhosa – 3 (David 5, L. Miguel 10, Toninho 37)

Oliveirense -1 (Dionisio 63)

MOM – Sven van Ommeren (Pampilhosa)

Attendance – 2385

Post-Game Comments – January 8, 2006

After the match, reporters caught up with the manager of Oliveirense, Pedro Miguel, to get his thoughts and reactions to the game played this afternoon.

“Frankly, I thought the scoreline was a complete reversal of what it should have been. We outplayed them from start to finish, and really, they are lucky to have even got the three points out of this game, let alone one. They should be very grateful for this result. They can be sure that when we meet again, they won’t be so lucky.â€

Reporters a short time later came to our locker room, and looked for a reaction from me to these comments. While there were no direct comments made towards me, I was not going to let these comments go without a response.

“Tactically superior. Plain and simple. The funny thing is, we beat them on their turf in cup competition, came back here, and beat them again. Lucky? I think that proves a little more than luck. Perhaps Miguel should just admit to the fact that he was tactically outclassed in this match, and he should look at figuring out a way to beat us the next time we line up against each other.â€

Potential to start a war, but I didn’t care. Give credit where credit is due…and that is to Pampilhosa.

Diary Entry – January 8, 2006

I’m really fuming right now. I wouldn’t know Pedro Miguel from a hole in the ground, yet he has the nerve to say we got lucky. It’s not my fault if his squad can’t hit the net when a little pressure is thrown their way, nor is it my fault if his goalkeeper can’t stop a shot. My response was maybe a little harsh, but I don’t care. Be gracious in defeat. Regardless of whether or not he was “tactically outclassedâ€, I felt it necessary to get a shot in there. I am quite curious to see how and if he will respond to that one.

The win puts us only five points back of Oliveirense for the division lead, and we keep on rolling along, steadily climbing up the standings. We still sit fourth in the table, as a real logjam is starting to develop at the top. With this many teams in contention, picking up three points in each of our games will continue to be a must.

On a side, I haven’t mentioned much about the attendance lately, which was the main reason I promised our division title, or I would resign. We have been very near capacity the past few games, and by far lead the division in attendance. I can’t say the same for many of our opponents. We are seeing a lot of 250, 300, kind of turnouts, and I must say that I really feel for those clubs. Playing for fans is what it is all about for these players, and to see these teams playing their hearts out for such a small fan base is very disheartening. I am just thrilled that we have the opportunity to play for such crowds, and I can just imagine what it will be like for our cup tie in a stadium that holds around 25,000 people. I can’t wait!

[vitamincmos]

Diary Entry – January 9, 2006

Ha ha ha ha…I awaited a response from Pedro Miguel after my little attack back at him and his club, and received no response. When asked about my comments, he apparently refused to being drawn into my comments. I think he just realized that I was right and he was wrong. In any case, I know that he will be very motivated to get the team up for the challenge of playing us again. I looked at the schedule, and we meet on the final match of the season. Wouldn’t that be something if it was for the division crown…

I’ve been trying to do a little bit of deepening to the squad, and have been in negotiations with a 20 year old central defender by the name of Helder Goncalves. He wants to be a part of the first team immediately, and I can’t commit to that. That is the same reason we had to let Vaio go, and I’m not about to give in to Goncalves’ demands. I will continue to negotiate and hope we can reach on a deal.

And finally, while reading the paper, I noticed that the World Footballer of Year award was handed out, and it went to Inter’s Adriano. Ruud Van Nistelrooy was second, while Michael Ballack finished third. If only I could be at the helm coaching some of those players…someday perhaps.

Pampilhosa vs. Penalva Castelo (Second Division – Group C) – January 15, 2006

The oddsmakers have us the favorites, paying out at evens. Penalva Castelo, sitting at 12th in the division have a tall task ahead of them. We continue to use the 4-4-2 that is working so well, and I have no intentions of changing that. Our starting eleven is as follows:

GK – Sven van Ommeren

DR – Vinagre

DL – Ricardo Correia

DC – Luis Miguel

DC – Marco Bras

MR – Bebe

ML – Pazito I

MC – Miguel Tomas

MC – Vitor Corvilha

ST – Toninho

ST – Helder Garcia

If ever the team consisted of a one-man show, this was the game it showed. It took only 9 minutes for the clinic to begin. A free kick started by Correia began some pinpoint passing to get it into their end, and after Helder Garcia won a ball in the air from the defender he got it to Toninho, and he struck it on the volley and into the net for a 1-0 lead early in the game. We continued to pressure and saw good chances from Corvilha and Toninho sail wide of the net. However, Toninho got it right in the 29th minute as he picked off an attempted back pass, and broke clear in on goal. He made no mistake shelving it past the keeper, and we were up 2-0, both goals to Toninho. Opportunities were at a premium the rest of the half, as neither side could muster up much offense, but when the whistle blew, we were happy with a comfortable lead.

The second half opened with Toninho asserting himself once more. In the 48th minute he broke clear of the defense after a nice long ball by Corvilha, and played a low shot to the right corner. The keeper couldn’t stop it, and Toninho had his hat-trick, but more importantly, we led 3-0. We pulled back somewhat at that point, and focused on preserving the clean sheet. Penalva Castelo had a few chances, but couldn’t get a shot on target, thanks to our pressuring defense. The game carried on without any further incident, and when the final whistle blew, we won 3-0.

This win stretched our winning streak in the league to seven games, and more importantly, kept us on pace with the frontrunners. Toninho was unstoppable today, which seems to be happening more and more all the time. He is simply amazing out there, and we are very fortunate to have him on the squad.

Pampilhosa – 3 (Toninho 9, 29, 48)

Penalva Castelo – 0

MOM – Toninho (Pampilhosa)

Attendance – 2396

Diary Entry – January 15, 2006

Another fantastic result for the boys. While Toninho’s achievement was mighty impressive, one stat I noticed from the game was one I was really impressed with. We committed only four fouls the entire match. We had played a physical game out there, but the boys really understand when to challenge and when to lay off. As a result, we are smarter on the pitch, and it shows in the scoreline.

What I was even happier about was the post-game comments that Toninho had for the press. While he was being praised with compliments for his performance, he took time out of the focus on him to point out how well the team is playing, and how happy he is playing for Pampilhosa. It’s great to recognize individual achievements, but it makes me even happier when I see that player recognize the team and involve them in those achievements.

I had a good laugh after the game though, when Rossi deemed it necessary to pull me aside to provide a report on Toninho. He just felt it necessary to tell me that he was a key player of the squad, and that we should do everything we can to see him sustain his form. Tell me something I don’t know! I don’t have any plans of cutting his playing time, or moving him off of the club, so he will have every opportunity to maintain that form.

Much to my disappointment, the media seem content on considering a run of seven consecutive victories to be mainly attributable to luck. They continue to point out that we were predicted for relegation battles this season, and that it would be a shock to still see us in the title hunt at the end of the year. This is all the fuel I need to continue pushing the boys to winning.

[vitamincmos]

Lead Up to the Cup – Mid January 2006

Looking ahead to the 6th round cup tie, there was much going on in the world of soccer. From a local standpoint, Goran Blomqvist, one of my physios, informed me that Vicente was fighting a nasty cold. I elected to send him home for up to a week to recover, as I couldn’t afford to see a cold virus spread around to the team before the biggest match in the club’s history. There was a chance he would be recovered in time for the match, but I had good depth to handle it if he was unavailable.

In international news, two more awards were handed out. FC Bayern Munchen’s Lucio was awarded the World Footballer of the Year award. Thierry Henry was second, while John Terry finished 3rd in voting. The other award handed out was the World Player of the Year. I’m not really sure what the difference is between the two, but in any case, FC Bayern Munchen’s Roy Makaay won the award, with Ronaldinho finishing 2nd, and Joaquin finishing 3rd.

It was brought to my attention as well that the transfer deadline is at the end of the month. While adding players would be nice, I only have 10K left in transfer funds, and the quality of players that will bring in will not do much to bolster the squad. I will continue to focus on out of contract players, or those whose contracts are near expiration.

Diary Entry – January 24, 2006

Well, to say I’m nervous is an understatement. We are here in Leiria, the night before our big match, and it is pretty surreal. I don’t think the magnitude of who and where we are playing had really hit until we arrived here and saw the stadium. It’s huge! I know there are bigger than this, but considering what we are used to playing in, there is really no comparison to this. The players are quite awestruck as well, and given the atmosphere that comes in this stadium, you can already see they have doubts that we can compete with this club. A few of the guys took a look at the lineup sheets, and Leiria has a few capped players on the squad, and the talent is quite evident. I just want for us to give them a good match, and let the result be the result.

I was quite disappointed with the expected ticket sales. They are really slow right now. I guess the supporters see this as an easy win and aren’t going to spend the money to see a one-sided affair. I guess we can hope for a good walk-up crowd, but I’m quite disappointed we won’t be playing to a large crowd. Vicente seems to have recovered from his cold, but is still a little lacking in the fitness department. He will dress, but will start on the bench. Fortunately, nobody else on the squad caught the cold from him, so he was our only casualty from the slight illness.

Well…time to get some sleep I guess. Not much else I can do but hope that the game goes well tomorrow.

[vitamincmos]

Leiria vs. Pampilhosa (Portuguese Cup 6th Round) – January 25, 2006

The day had arrived, and we had a very nervous bunch awaiting the opening kickoff. The oddsmakers showed their confidence in the expected result by making us a 50-1 underdog. We had to go with the formation that was going to give us the best chance of winning, and that was our usual 4-4-2. I had toyed with playing something more defensive, but I thought that the unfamiliarity with the tactical change would prove to hinder us rather than help. When we came out from the locker room to the field, it was thoroughly disappointing to see such a small crowd out for the game. There was maybe 1500 people in the stands, and our dreams of a big gate receipt payday went out the window. Our starting eleven was as follows:

GK – Sven van Ommeren

DR – Vinagre

DL – Ricardo Correia

DC – Luis Miguel

DC – Marco Bras

MR – Bebe

ML – Pazito I

MC – Miguel Tomas

MC – Vitor Corvilha

ST – Toninho

ST – David

Our squad got the game underway, and actually set up a decent chance early. David looked like he had room to maneuver into a scoring position, but had the ball stripped from him at the last second. Leiria immediately countered, and had a good chance negated by a foul just outside the area. Luis Miguel was given a yellow card, and it was at this point that I could see we were clearly overmatched. The mismatch became evident on the scoresheet in the 10th minute, after a beautiful long ball from 50 yards out found Brazilian international Leandro Amaral. He pounded it past van Ommeren, and we were down 1-0 early in the game. They continued to pour on the pressure, and totally dominated us. The 24th minute saw us take another hit, this time on the injury front, as Luis Miguel went down with an apparent neck injury. We all thought the worst and took good care to get him off the field, and I subbed Vicente in. Leiria were quick to strike while we were still recovering from the injury. Again, it was Amaral who beat the offside trap, and with nobody but the keeper to beat, he easily put it home for a 2-0 lead in the 29th minute. They didn’t let up, and just 5 minutes later, they struck again. After an incredible display of ball control, they slowly moved forward and got the ball into N’Gal, who had just enough room to get away a clear shot, which beat a tired van Ommeren. We were now 3-0 down, 34 minutes in. It wasn’t that we were necessarily playing poorly…we were just so heavily overmatched that we didn’t have the speed and skill to compete. After the 3rd goal, Leiria switched to a more conservative style, content to let things play out to the half.

The second half started much like the first. For the 3rd time in the match, Amaral broke the offside trap, and for the 3rd time, scored an easy goal to give him the hat-trick and Leiria a 4-0 lead on the 50th minute. While we were clearly down and out of this match, we still showed fight, and in the 57th minute, sustained a bit of pressure which resulted in a corner kick. Bebe sent the ball in, and Marco Bras made a great diving header with enough zip to get past a sprawling keeper. We had clawed one back to make it 4-1. Was this the start of a comeback? No. Leiria really closed things down defensively at that point. I would expect they could’ve netted a couple more, but they were keeping the ball in possession and making few efforts to push forward. They were unfortunate to see Nunes go down to an injury in the late stages, but it didn’t appear to be too serious. Leiria ran out the clock by keeping the ball away from us, and when the dust settled, we had been brought back to reality with a thorough 4-1 beating at the hands of Leiria.

Nothing really to complain about, or wish we had done differently. We were simply overmatched, and while we did our best, they were playing great football as well. We have to look at the run we made, and feel proud of what we accomplished.

Leiria – 4 (Amaral 10, 29, 50, N’Gal 34, Nunes inj 72)

Pampilhosa – 1 (Bras 57, L. Miguel inj 26)

MOM – Amaral (Leiria)

Attendance – 1520

Diary Entry – January 25, 2006

I guess it had to come to an end eventually. Overmatched and outplayed, we couldn’t have expected anything less. I guess I should take some satisfaction in the fact that the few who came out to watch the game left feeling disappointed in Leiria for not putting up an even better result. I kind of thought 4-1 was bad enough, but it would appear these fans have very high expectations of their club. While I expected a result like this all along, there is still disappointment that the amazing cup run we had is over, but I don’t want the players dwelling on this one. Winning the Portuguese Cup was never a realistic target…in fact, making it to the 6th round wasn’t a realistic target, and we got that far, so they need to view this as a success.

We were a little fortunate with the injury to Luis Miguel. It turns out that it is only a strained neck, and he should be back to match fitness as early as a week. A much better prognosis than we originally expected.

We only have four days to the next game, and from this point on, good league form is critical. We are only three points back of the Oliveirense right now, so with a little luck, we could be ahead of them in a week or two. I just need to keep the team positive.

[HerefordMgr]

Yikes. Tough loss - but you did well, and you have the rest of the league year to look forward to. I'm guessing you'll be hearing from the board on a contract extension before long, but don't let that get in the way of winning the league. Good luck the rest of the way.

[vitamincmos]

Thanks HerefordMgr...one thing thats nice (or not, depending how much you like the cup competitions) is this is the only cup there is, so it doesn't clutter the schedule. I would've liked to have moved on though, but yeah, that game wasn't even close. Still in the hunt in the league though, so still plenty to play for!

Deadline Deals – Late January 2006

As always, a flurry of activity was taking place for teams to make their final transfers for players before the January 31st deadline. Unfortunately, Pampilhosa was not one of those clubs able to make any improvements to the squad. We were receiving inquiries though on Sergio Grilo and most of them in the neighborhood of 2K-5K. We politely turned them down saying he is definitely worth more than that, and no further negotiation took place.

We re-entered contract negotiations with Diogo as well, but he continues to be a rebel, demanding more than we are willing to offer. Should he remain insistent on a place in the first team, we are going to have a difficult time keeping him on. It is more a battle of wits right now, and a waiting game to see who is going to give in first. I am still confident that he will come down to a more respectable position, but should he continue to overprice himself, then he won’t be playing for Pampilhosa come July.

Beyond the transfer deadline, perhaps the biggest news to report was out of Betis, where Lorenzo Serra Ferrer was sacked as the manager. No manager had been named as of the announcement, so a number of applications were expected to be on the way. Mine would not be one of them.

Pampilhosa vs. Tourizense (Second Division – Group C) – January 29, 2006

We returned to league play, and were in a match where we considered solid favorites. The oddsmakers had us at evens, and considering we were facing a team sitting 12th in the standings, we expected a solid result. Tactics remain as they have been in many games past, and our starting eleven is as follows:

GK – Marafona

DR – Vinagre

DL – Ricardo Correia

DC – Vicente

DC – Marco Bras

MR – Bebe

ML – Pazito I

MC – Miguel Tomas

MC – Vitor Corvilha

ST – Toninho

ST – Helder Garcia

Tourizense kicked off to open the match, and almost immediately after play got underway, we were looking to be in trouble. Helder Garcia was struggling on the field after a tough tackle from the Tourizense defender. He managed to shake it off, but he looked to be in pain. Meanwhile, the rest of the team was fired up, and had a barrage of chances in the first ten minutes, only to be repeatedly denied by the Tourizense keeper. It was a very impressive display, and it was beginning to frustrate our players. After about the first 15 minutes, it was obvious that Tourizense was pulling everyone back to defend, and just try to maintain a goalless draw. We had great possession, but couldn’t penetrate close enough to get a scoring opportunity. We went into the half in a scoreless draw.

The second half saw more of the same. The occasional chance surfaced for our squad, but we were turned away or missed the net. Their defenders were doing a great job of clearing our crosses, and seemed to always be in the right place at the right time. It was frustrating for our players, as was evident by the looks on their faces when the final whistle blew, and neither side had gotten a real quality chance to score. It ended in a scoreless draw, and we were quite unhappy, but also unlucky to only come away with a single point.

A very disappointing performance to say the least, but at least we earned one point out of the match. It ended our seven game winning streak, but kept us unbeaten in eight league games.

Pampilhosa – 0

Tourizense – 0

MOM – Goncalo (Tourizense)

Attendance – 2405

Diary Entry – January 29, 2006

Our biggest crowd of the year, and we turn in a performance like that. It wasn’t like we played overly terrible, as we didn’t allow them a shot on goal, but this was a match we really should have earned three points from. The good news though is that we did pick up one point on Oliveirense as they were handed a loss to Rio Major. We now sit two points back in a very cluttered top of the table.

We still have eleven league matches left to play, so there is a lot of football left to go, but if we can keep the wins coming, it will be very hard for the competition to maintain pace.

I’m quite disappointed that we can’t get anything going on the transfer deadline. Our funds are limited, but there are still quality players out there. They still don’t seem to be interested in coming to Pampilhosa. It looks like they still are in doubt that we can maintain our form, and that we are headed for middle to bottom of the table come season’s end. I can’t wait to show them otherwise.

[vitamincmos]

Diary Entry – February 1, 2006

A few things worth noting as we head into a new month. First of all, I had a little meeting with my staff to get a squad assessment. It is quite amusing how the staff’s thoughts on our current players have changed so dramatically since the start of the season. All things considered, we haven’t done much to improve the squad, yet what started as a dismal bunch with not enough depth to challenge has turned into a well tuned group that has all the ability to make a run for the title, and has the depth behind them that should injuries affect the squad, we have adequate replacements. I just shook my head at them, and they were all half-smiling. They know I told them this at the start of the season, and they brushed it off as a comment from a wet behind the ears manager. I’ll make sure they don’t hear the end of it.

After the meeting, Rossi pulled me aside to discuss some of the training with our younger squad. He was very pleased with how Daniel and Caraca were doing, and suggested I might want to start taking a closer look at them. As much as I would like to see these boys get some first team football, I don’t want to risk inexperience in the lineup while we are right in the thick of a division title. Should the league not become so tight a race down the stretch, I will look at getting them into the lineup and give them some first team experience.

And finally, Chairman Duarte paid me a little visit. He just wanted to extend congratulations from the board for a job well done thus far, and that they are behind me 100%. I find it interesting how he waited until the transfer deadline had passed to come by. Transfer funds won’t do me much good now, so there is no point in asking for them. He pointed out that the club turned a sizeable profit last month, and would like to see that trend continue. Typical chairman…only concerned about the almighty dollar. At least it seems the board is behind me, and I can’t really ask for much more than that at this point.

[vitamincmos]

Nelas vs. Pampilhosa (Second Division – Group C) – February 5, 2006

After a disappointing draw, we were looking to rebound against 11th placed Nelas. Apparently, the oddsmakers believed we would have no trouble getting back on track, as they had us pegged as 1-33 favorites! This was a must win game if we wanted to at least stay level with the front runners, and we were determined to pick up the three points. Here is the starting eleven:

GK – Sven van Ommeren

DR – Vinagre

DL – Ricardo Correia

DC – Vicente

DC – Marco Bras

MR – Sergio Grilo

ML – Riccardo Perreira

MC – Miguel Tomas

MC – Vitor Corvilha

ST – Toninho

ST – David

I’m not sure what Nelas’ was hoping to accomplish in this game, but playing soccer wasn’t one of them. In the opening minute, Alemao received a yellow card for an unnecessary push. Just three minutes later, Araujo followed him into the book for a late tackle on Correia. We didn’t mind seeing the cards come out, as it gave us the ability to challenge them a little more directly, but we had to be concerned about our players’ safety. This had the makings of something that could turn ugly. We shook off the early fouls against us though, and after yet another foul, Vitor Corvilha stepped up to take the free kick from 25 yards out. The kick took a slight deflection off the wall, but still had enough pace and line to get past the keeper. We were up 1-0 only 6 minutes in. We went right back to work after the ensuing kickoff, and in the 9th minute, Perreira was brought down in the area by Alemao. While the referee could have pulled out a 2nd yellow for the foul, he felt that the penalty was justice enough, and Corvilha stepped up to the spot, and drilled in past the keeper for a 2-0 lead. The foul-fest continued as another yellow was handed out in the 15th minute, and the game looked to be completely out of hand. To make matters worse, we added to the scoreline in that same minute, as an ill-advised backpass was attempted by their defender. David intercepted it as the keeper was running out to get it, and was caught well out of his goal. David lobbed the ball from 35 yards out into the open net, and it was 3-0 only 15 minutes in. Things did settle down a little bit after that, and maybe just to even things out, Miguel Tomas was given a yellow card for a foul on their midfielder. Both teams managed to get through the rest of the opening half without further incident, and we coasting, leading 3-0.

Nelas really came out to start the 2nd half, and had a number of half-chances early on, only to see them sail off target. Frustration must have set in then, as another yellow was given for an unnecessary shirt pull. This time it was Joao Pedro I. Just one minute later, in the 61st, he was guilty again, this time for a trip, and was lucky to escape a second booking. Corvilha lined up the free kick and sent an absolute screamer into the corner of the net from 30 yards out. It was his hat-trick, and without question, the goal of the year for this club thus far…and it gave us a 4-0 lead! With any chance of a comeback now out of the question, Nelas resorted back to fouling our players, and they received another yellow in the 69th minute. I pulled the guys back, and subbed out players who seemed to be targets of the opposition. We made it through almost to the end before one more card was handed out…another yellow…again to Nelas. We managed to get off the field without any further incident, and more importantly, a dominating 4-0 win.

Nelas’ tactics and gamesmanship were despicable, and one would hope they receive a warning from the powers that be for their antics in this match. After the victory, we have moved into a three way tie for 1st spot with B.C. Branco and Oliveirense. B.C. Branco currently holds the tie-breaker, so we really sit in 2nd, but we are very happy with where we stand.

Nelas – 0

Pampilhosa – 4 (V. Corvilha 6, 9, 61, David 15)

MOM – V. Corvilha (Pampilhosa)

Attendance – 225

Diary Entry – February 5, 2006

Awesome result, but I’m pretty choked right now. There was a point where I had considered pulling the players off the pitch. Yeah, the referee was handing out cards, but it was clear that Nelas didn’t really care about the final result. I really hope that they receive a fine or some sort of punishment for their antics today. In any case, I gave their manager, Carlos Agostinho, an earful after the match, and through the media. Considering their current position, I just made mention that it was no surprise that they were battling relegation. I’m sure it will likely be poorly received by Duarte and the board, but I couldn’t help it. He deserved the comment as far as I am concerned.

Corvilha stepped up and showed some brilliant set piece abilities. I knew he was capable of a performance like this, but while he has been solid, he had yet to be spectacular. Lets hope that this is a coming out game for him, and he can put in games like this a little more regularly. Now sitting tied for first, I can’t be happier. While one would expect that a loss at some point is inevitable, we just aren’t showing any cracks in the armor right now, and I have no reason to expect the results to drop off.

Well, I guess we’ll wait and see what kind of response I get from their manager, if any, and perhaps set the stage for a real war of words.

[HerefordMgr]

A bit of advice, from one manager to another. Do your talking on the pitch. Score eight on him next time instead of four. That'll shut him up.

[vitamincmos]

Injury News in Pampilhosa – Early February 2006

oran Blomqvist informed me that our recent U-19 signing Daniel sustained broken ribs during a rather robust challenge during training. It is quite unfortunate because the U-19 Cup Semi-Final is right around the corner, and given the fact the Blomqvist expects the injury to take 3 weeks to a month to fully heal, his services will definitely be lost for that game. Not only that, he was a player that Rossi was quite positive about during training sessions, and was someone I was considering giving a closer look on the senior squad. All those plans will have to wait now, and it is rather unfortunate.

We also received some good news on the injury front though, as Luis Miguel has resumed full training after recovering from his neck injury. While the injury was a concern at the time, Marco Bras and Vicente have done a wonderful job of filling in during his absence. His penalty taking skills will be nice to have back on the pitch though, and another healthy body is always a welcome addition.

Bonus Coverage – February 11, 2006

The day has arrived for the semi-final match in the U-19 Cup. Pampilhosa is taking on the Aves U-19 squad. Aves currently sit in the Second League (not to be confused with the Second Division) and should provide a solid challenge. Rossi knew better than to ask me if I wanted to manage the team, as I would have quickly refused, and our senior squad filed into the stands to offer our support to the youngsters.

It was a dream start for Pampilhosa in this one, as in only the 4th minute, a handball was called just outside the penalty area. Luis Carvalho scorched the free kick into the back of the net from 20 yards out, and we jumped out to a quick lead. That happiness would quickly turn to concern though as Carvalho suffered an injury in the 12th minute due to a reckless challenge. Our goalscorer was out of the game, and Rossi was forced to use a sub very early in the match. That seemed to deflate the squad somewhat, as Aves came back on the offensive and thanks to some fantastic goalkeeping by Carlos, he held them off the scoresheet. However, just before the half, he contorted oddly to make yet another stop, and it was evident he was in pain. He managed to shake it off and stay in the game though. Pampilhosa, inspired by his will to stay in the game, rewarded him in injury time. Filipe played a great ball into Careca, and he made no doubt on the finish, giving Pampilhosa a commanding 2-0 lead heading into the break.

The second half saw Rossi forced into making another sub. Carlos couldn’t shake off his injury and was forced to leave the game. Fortunately for Pampilhosa, that second goal took a lot of life out of Aves, and they struggled to muster any sustained attack. Meanwhile, their keeper was strong in turning aside a couple great counterattack opportunities to still give Aves a slim hope of coming back. However, the defensive tactics employed by Rossi for the second half proved to be too stifling, and Aves couldn’t put the ball in the back of the net. The final whistle blew, and Pampilhosa U-19 was through to the cup final!

[vitamincmos]

Diary Entry – February 11, 2006

What a game! What a result! I’m absolutely thrilled for Rossi and the boys for this incredible achievement! He has an incredible knack for drawing the best out of those players, and if ever there was a time where I questioned his signing, this has erased any questions regarding his abilities. The other semi-final was played at the same time as this one, and wouldn’t you know it, but Leiria’s U-19’s are going to be our opponent. While it wouldn’t be complete retribution for the shellacking they handed us in the 6th round of the Portuguese Cup, it would be sweet revenge to deny their U-19’s the cup title. The match is to be played March 22, so that gives Rossi and the boys a lot of time to prepare.

I never did get a response from the Nelas manager. Maybe he didn’t hear about it, or maybe he has to agree with my statement, but in any case, at appears to be a dead matter. Too bad though…I was hoping to get into a little war of words with Agostinho. It would have been fun. I did check out the newspaper, and noticed the standings. I decided to clip them out and include in here for reference:

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">| Pos | Inf | Team | | Pld | Won | Drn | Lst | For | Ag | G.D. | Pts |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 1st | | B. C. Branco | | 16 | 10 | 4 | 2 | 29 | 16 | +13 | 34 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 2nd | | Pampilhosa | | 16 | 11 | 1 | 4 | 44 | 17 | +27 | 34 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 3rd | | Oliveirense | | 16 | 11 | 1 | 4 | 26 | 13 | +13 | 34 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 4th | | Abrantes | | 16 | 9 | 4 | 3 | 27 | 17 | +10 | 31 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 5th | | Sp. Pombal | | 16 | 8 | 1 | 7 | 24 | 20 | +4 | 25 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 6th | | Portomosense | | 16 | 7 | 2 | 7 | 22 | 26 | -4 | 23 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 7th | | Rio Maior | | 16 | 6 | 4 | 6 | 22 | 20 | +2 | 22 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 8th | | O. Hospital | | 16 | 6 | 3 | 7 | 23 | 19 | +4 | 21 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 9th | | O. Bairro | | 16 | 7 | 0 | 9 | 21 | 31 | -10 | 21 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 10th | | Fátima | | 16 | 6 | 2 | 8 | 16 | 16 | 0 | 20 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 11th | | Tourizense | | 16 | 5 | 3 | 8 | 16 | 19 | -3 | 18 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 12th | | Nelas | | 16 | 4 | 3 | 9 | 12 | 31 | -19 | 15 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 13th | | Penalva Castelo | | 16 | 4 | 2 | 10 | 17 | 32 | -15 | 14 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|

| 14th | | U. Coimbra | | 16 | 2 | 2 | 12 | 11 | 33 | -22 | 8 |

| --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|</pre>

Scanning other headlines around the world of soccer, I noticed that Vanderley Luxemburgo has just been fired by Real Madrid. I’m thinking of applying…ha ha ha.

We’ve had a pretty nice break, with a chance for some players to heal any minor injuries they’ve had. Training has been going very well, and I would expect we will be at 100% fitness come the next match. We are up against Fatima, another lower half of the division team. Again, it’s a must win…we just don’t have any other options at this point.

I sent the scouts out again on another search for players. This time, I’ve expanded the horizons past only Portugal. Paul Sharp is headed back to the UK to see what he can find on his native soil, while I have Campkin scouring central Europe. If I could manage finding one or two players to add to the squad, I would consider it a success. There are a couple teams sniffing around asking about Miguel Tomas. While I haven’t received any formal offers, I have boosted up his asking price. While I don’t intend to move him out, if the price is right, it will be hard to pass up. We will let that sort itself out though if the time comes. For now, all focus is on Fatima, and earning another three points.

[vitamincmos]

Fatima vs. Pampilhosa (Second Division – Group C) – February 19, 2006

After a 14 day layoff, we were back in action, and again in a match that three points would be crucial from. With only three points separating the top four teams, any slip up could be costly. We knew what we had to do. The oddsmakers surprisingly had us as 10-1 underdogs, despite our considerably better record. Our starting eleven was as follows:

GK – Sven van Ommeren

DR – Vinagre

DL – Ricardo Correia

DC – Vicente

DC – Marco Bras

MR – Sergio Grilo

ML – Riccardo Perreira

MC – Miguel Tomas

MC – Vitor Corvilha

ST – Toninho

ST – David

To say we came out flat in this game is an understatement. The players were struggling to find their legs, and they were scrambling right from the get go. van Ommeren bailed us out early and often as we were lucky to get the ball past half in the opening thirty minutes. We were playing very poorly out there, but were fortunate that our keeper was keeping us in this one. We managed to scrape our way into the half holding the score at 0-0, but we were being badly outplayed. I told the team to wake up out there, hoping to get them a little fired up for the second half.

It didn’t work. Poor ball movement, poor reactions, poor decisions. The chances kept coming for Fatima, but we kept denying them that elusive first goal. We made a couple subs in the 60th minute, hoping it would bring a little life to the team, but we continued to struggle. Finally, in the 77th minute, we paid for our poor play. With pressure still mounting against us, Fatima chipped a ball into the 6 yard box. Van Ommeren did a great job to knock it away, only to see our defender, Vicente, try to coral the rebound, and knock it into our own goal. It was devastating to see us trail in such a way, but it was 1-0 Fatima. With barely a sniff in the entire game, we were fortunate that it was only 1-0, and we still had a chance. Whether Fatima backed off after the goal, or we finally started playing like we could, we began getting opportunities for an equalizer. After seeing a couple chances get stopped by the keeper, we were the beneficiaries of a fortunate bounce. In the 84th minute, Helder Garcia, subbed in for David, read the Fatima defense perfectly, and intercepted a back pass intended for the keeper. With the keeper out of position, Garcia was able to chip it in from 25 yards out, we were undeservedly level at 1-1. With only minutes to play, we were looked likely to eke out a draw. In the 88th minute though, we were dealt a blow much worse than a goal against us. Vitor Corvilha was injured, and it appeared to be serious. It was foot related, and he hobbled off the field in definite pain. While it was too early to tell, this had potential to be devastating to the club. The final whistle blew, and we had gotten the draw, but the last thing on our minds was the point we picked up.

A shameful result considering just how big this game was. We were flat, executed very poorly, and lost perhaps the most important player in our midfield. After the game, Blomqvist informed us that he suffered a broken toe, and would likely be out between four to eight weeks. Terrible news.

Fatima – 1 (Vicente og 77, P. Fonseca inj 71)

Pampilhosa – 1 (H. Garcia 84, V. Corvilha inj 90)

MOM – H. Garcia (Pampilhosa)

Attendance – 231

Diary Entry – February 19, 2006

That was pathetic. We were absolutely dominated out there today. I don’t know what was wrong with the team. It would be one thing if we just came up against a solid keeper, or had chances but couldn’t finish, but we were worked over in every aspect of the game. We are extremely lucky to come away with a point from this one. These players are going to get worked hard this week. I checked the results, and both B.C. Branco and Oliveirense won their matches, so we’re now two points back of both clubs. We really couldn’t afford to give up these points. We better be back on track next match, or we can kiss the division goodbye.

The scouts have been busy sending me faxes on potential players. Most of them I have been throwing in the garbage, because they won’t help any, but there was one I had to act on. Nelas have a left defender by the name of Joao Morais that they have on loan from top-flight club Naval. I figure he’s worth placing an offer for, because he doesn’t seem to be in Naval’s plans at the current time. I offered 4K for him, and much to my surprise they accepted. As a result, I have sent out a contract offer immediately. If he accepts, he can’t join the club until the summer, but there is no doubt that he will be a great improvement to the club. Let’s just hope I’m still here to manage him next season. I’ve decided that regardless of the way the season end up, I may as well start loading up the squad for next season, so I’ll be looking for as many players as I think can help the squad for next year, and get them signed for when the transfer window opens. At that point, I’ll worry about wage issues, but only when the time comes.

[vitamincmos]

Media Release – February 21, 2006

Pampilhosa manager, Geoff Chomos, has announced the signing of 22 year old defender, Joao Morais today to a full-time contract. Morais, currently playing with Naval in the top flight, has been on loan to Nalas for much of the season, playing in 16 games for the Second Division club.

“This is the biggest signing for the club this season,“ said Chomos. “It is unfortunate that we won’t be able to utilize him until the next season, but he will undoubtedly improve our squad. He is an all-around solid defender with no evident weaknesses, and quite frankly, I am looking forward to big things when he arrives.â€

The fee owing to Naval for Morais’ transfer was negotiated at 4K.

Diary Entry – February 21, 2006

Awesome signing that one is. Morais has had a few discipline problems this season, but that can be straightened out very quickly. He’s going to be a great player for this club. There are a lot of other players still coming in on the faxes, and chances are I’ll be offering contracts to a few more, but I don’t want to overdo it. Some players in the upper flights, or in our division may have release clauses that take effect if the get relegated or don’t get promotion. I’m hoping to bank in on a few of those as well. Again, that is going to depend on where we finish. I really hope we can pull this division title off.

Training has been grueling this week. I’ve made it very clear that I was not impressed with the result of the last match, and this is my way of making them atone for their poor play. I’ve been trying to determine what to do with the absence of Corvilha. Tomas will be a mainstay in that position, but trying to decide who my second central midfielder is going to be will be difficult. I’ll likely go on a rotation system until somebody steps up to claim the job on a regular basis.

[Guest]

I have just read all this and I'm liking what I've read.

keep up the good work and up the pampilhosa!

[Pedrobluetwo]

wooo! fantastic story! hope you take the title and wipe it in the face of them Oliveirense scum! Long live Chomos and long live Pampilhosa! ha! Fickle me.

[vitamincmos]

Pampilhosa vs. O. Bairro (Second Division – Group C) – February 26, 2006

At home for our next match, and we were desperate for the three points. The players were looking to atone for last week’s poor performance, and I felt quite confident that our preparation leading up to the game would produce the win. The oddsmakers felt differently though, putting us at 10-1 odds. If I was a gambling man, I would have bet the farm. The starting eleven was as follows:

GK – Sven van Ommeren

DR – Vinagre

DL – Ricardo Correia

DC – Luis Miguel

DC – Marco Bras

MR – Sergio Grilo

ML – Riccardo Perreira

MC – Miguel Tomas

MC – Bebe

ST – Toninho

ST – David

When the game kicked off, it was evident that we had our ‘A’ game back, and that we would be the aggressors in this match. Toninho and David traded chances in the early going, but weren’t able to get the finish to go. We continued to push forward, and even our defenders were getting opportunities, but just couldn’t find the back of the net. While we continued to dominate the game, concern was mounting that we wouldn’t get the finish we needed to go up a goal. Finally, in injury time of the 1st half, a poor clearing attempt by O. Bairro’s defense led to David picking up the ball, dribbling around the last defender, and firing it home for a 1-0 lead. I was encouraged by the first half performance, but did not want to see the intensity drop for the second half.

Our boys didn’t disappoint, as they came out with even more conviction in the 2nd half. Our constant pressure became too much in the 53rd minute, as Perreira as taken down in the area, and we were awarded a penalty. As has happened so often this season, Luis Miguel stepped up and buried it to make it 2-0. We continued to take the game to O. Bairro, and after a couple close calls by Toninho, he did a great job sending a ball through to David. It was an easy finish for David, and in the 72nd minute, we now led 3-0. I brought in some subs at that point, looking to get some of our lesser fit players some playing time. It paid off in the final minutes of the match as Ricardo Queiros was pushed down in the penalty area, and we were awarded another penalty. Luis Miguel stepped up again, and knocked it home for a 4-0 lead in injury time. The final whistle blew shortly after, and we cruised to a comfortable win.

An excellent result, and one to hopefully get us back on track. We couldn’t gain any ground on the two teams we are chasing, as they both won their matches.

Pampilhosa – 4 (David 45, 72, L. Miguel 53, 90)

O. Bairro – 0

MOM – Luis Miguel (Pampilhosa)

Attendance - 2368

Diary Entry – February 26, 2006

Back on track. I’m still shaking my head at the match before this one and not being able to pick up the three points, but I’m glad we got them today. I was quite concerned as to how we were going to deal with the centre midfield position, and the lack of Corvilha in the lineup. I elected to try out Bebe in the position today, and he did a great job. When the subs came on, I had to do a little shifting of positions, but I was generally happy with his play. I found it interesting that as soon as I got Luis Miguel back in the lineup, he scored two penalties. He has nine goals this season, all of them from the spot. It is very comforting to know that we have a sure fire penalty taker, and I’m hoping those opportunities keep coming.

I’m expecting to start hearing from the scouts on their latest journeys. Still hoping for free transfer players to be on their lists, but I’m always willing to sign a player and wait until July for his arrival if it is going to help the team. Let’s just hope they find a couple “can’t miss†players to help the squad.

Still two points back of B.C. Branco and Oliveirense. We have two weeks between matches, but the next is away to B.C. Branco. That match could be the difference maker this season. A win would be awesome, but we need at least a draw to not lose anymore ground. I will make sure the players are prepared as best as can be. This next match could determine our fate in the division.

[vitamincmos]

Thanks Idrizaj and Pedrobluetwo! The way the season started I didn't expect we would turn it around, but I have to say that this is a most enjoyable stretch run to the end of the season. Let's just hope things all fall into place by the end of the season...

Wrapping up the Month – Late February 2006

The headline of the month was definitely a shocking one, and it came out of England. The final of the League Cup had been played, and it featured Arsenal against second tier club Leicester City. Arsenal, an overwhelming favorite did not disappoint early on with a goal on the 26th minute to take a 1-0 lead, but from that point on, Leicester City stole the show. Second half goals in the 53th and 80th minutes led them to a stunning 2-1 victory, and the League Cup title. While it is the less prestigious of the cup competitions, it is still a fantastic win for the club, and a great confidence booster in their bid to return the Premiership.

In European cup news, the EURO Cup saw Portugal’s lone representative, Sporting, bow out to Roma 1-0 on aggregate. A missed penalty by Edson on the return tie ended any chances of Sporting moving on, and they will likely be disappointed with their early exit. In Champions League, Benfica lost their home tie 1-0 to Inter, leaving them a tall task to move into the next round, while Porto was hammered at home by Manchester United 4-0, all but eliminating them from the competition. It looks likely that Portugal will have to wait another year for a European cup competition title.

Nobody Likes Us – Early March 2006

The common theme at the beginning of March was attempted player movement. Rob Campkin was sending me non-stop faxes on players worth looking at. Every time we arranged a transfer fee with their club, the players rejected a move. It was unfortunate, but not totally unexpected. The majority of the players being suggested were French, and a move to a unknown lower tier team was not worth the move to a foreign country. We just kept looking, and hoped that a gem would be hiding in obscurity and welcome the chance to play for the club.

Rossi stopped by with a training update, and pointed out that our youth players were doing very well in the past month. I’m still hoping that an opportunity presents itself to get these players into the first team, but at this stage of the season, I can’t risk putting inexperienced players on the pitch. Rossi understands completely, and is continuing to prepare the club for the U-19 Cup final later this month. A game of that importance will be a great experience for those players, and will help them along greatly in their development.

The newspaper had a little blurb on the Russian Super Cup Final, which was played this week. CSKA Moscow took on Lokomotiv Moscow, and CSKA came out 2-1 winners. There were very few details on the specifics of the match, other than CSKA were deserved winners. And finally, Portugal’s Champions League hopes were officially ended, as both Porto and Benfica were eliminated in their 2nd leg matches. Benfica went out 4-0 on aggregate after a 2nd leg loss of 3-0 to Inter, while Porto put up a good fight winning the 2nd leg at Old Trafford 2-0, but still fell 4-2 on aggregate.

[vitamincmos]

B.C. Branco vs. Pampilhosa (Second Division – Group C) – March 12, 2006

A tall task ahead of us as we faced the division leaders in a crucial game. A loss would leave us five points back, and make it incredibly difficult to claim the division. The oddsmakers had very little faith in our chances they put us as 20-1 underdogs in this one. The starting eleven was as follows:

GK – Sven van Ommeren

DR – Vinagre

DL – Ricardo Correia

DC – Luis Miguel

DC – Marco Bras

MR – Bebe

ML – Pazito I

MC – Miguel Tomas

MC – Sergio Grilo

ST – Toninho

ST – David

The opening whistle sounded, and we were immediately under siege. It seemed that every second minute resulted in a good scoring opportunity for B.C. Branco, but van Ommeren held his ground, and turned aside numerous opportunities for almost the first 30 minutes of the game. We couldn’t handle the speed and ball control of this team, and things were looking very bleak. We managed to gather ourselves towards the end of the first half, and managed a couple chances on goal, but couldn’t get the scoring started. Luis Miguel was a rock in back, and made a couple key interventions right before the close of the half, keeping us scoreless, and still in the game. I didn’t know what to say to the club at the break. We were clearly overmatched, and they knew it as well as I did. I just tried to encourage them, and told them to just try and hold them off as best they could.

It didn’t work. The second half started much as the first did, and we were reeling from the impressive attack of B.C. Branco. Van Ommeren was called upon to make a big stop just two minutes in, and Marco Bras cleared a shot off the line immediately after. The pressure became too much though, as in the 49th minute, van Ommermen made a great stop on the initial shot, but couldn’t hold possession, and the rebound fell to Carrapito, who tapped it into the open net for 1-0 Branco lead. Whether B.C. Branco let up after that goal, or we increased our intensity, we came back pretty strong, and generated some decent offensive opportunities. Our determination paid off in the 61st minute, when we scored a virtual copy of Branco’s goal. David pounced on a rebound that their keeper couldn’t handle, and got around a defender and knocked it into the open net. Amazingly, we were back to level terms at 1-1. Both teams erred on caution at that point. We had got ourselves in a position to earn an undeserving point, and we didn’t want to lose that opportunity, so we didn’t push forward very often. Branco didn’t want to see us pick up a clean three points on them and move into top spot, so they made sure they were sound defensively. The result was very little offensive play, and no further scoring. The final whistle blew, and we escaped with a 1-1 draw and a single point.

We were very fortunate to earn a point from this game, as we were clearly outplayed right from the opening whistle. Nonetheless, the result is a great one to keep us within two points of Branco. Even better news was that Oliveirense lost 2-0 to Fatima, so we only sat one point back of them for 2nd.

B.C. Branco – 1 (Carrapito 49)

Pampilhosa – 1 (David 61)

MOM – Luis Miguel (Pampilhosa)

Attendance - 1497

Diary Entry – March 12, 2006

That was painful to watch. What a team they are! Truthfully, I didn’t see much difference in the caliber of that squad from the Leiria squad we played in the 6th round of the cup. They were fast, strong, great with the ball, and owned us throughout the match. While Luis Miguel was worthy of man of the match, I felt Sven van Ommeren deserved it. He made a number of big stops to keep us in the game, and he is a major reason we got the draw. After seeing this match though, I don’t know if we are going to be able to catch them for the division. I would be shocked to see them lose a match the rest of the way, and unless they can draw a couple and we pick up wins, that’s the only way we will catch them. I know there is still a lot of football left to be played, but this game took almost all the wind out of my sails. Still, I’m going to see this thing through to the end, and hope we can pull off the unlikely. Seeing Oliveirense lose was a relief. That leaves us only one point behind them for 2nd, and if they can somehow overtake Branco for 1st place, that match at the end of the season could still give us a chance. On a positive side, we still haven’t lost a league game in twelve matches now…very impressive if you ask me.

In transfer news, I made an offer to non-league club Oeiras for 29 year old defensive midfielder Diogo. While that could leave us two players by the same name on the team, he looked to impressive to pass up. I have offered a contract and hopefully he will sign and join us in the summer.

[vitamincmos]

Contract Negotiations – Mid March 2006

The contract I offered Diogo wasn’t enough to entice him to sign with us, but he is willing to negotiate further. I would like for him to sign a full-time deal, and that seems to be the sticking point. I am hoping the attraction of playing up one division (hopefuly) will get him to overlook that request, but we’ll see. I sweetened the pot a little bit by offering a larger wage, but still as a full-time player. I’m hoping to hear back from him before our next match.

No other players have stood out with signing potential, but the searches continue. Paul Sharp has been very quiet with news out of England which is quite surprising, but I’m hoping he comes through with some players with potential.

Media Release – March 18, 2006

Pampilhosa has just signed 29 year old midfielder Diogo to a full-time contract. Diogo is currently under contract with non-league club Oeiras, and will join the team July 1. In 17 appearances for the non-league club, Diogo has amassed two goals and seven assists. Upon his arrival, he is expected to immediately compete for a spot in the starting eleven.

“This is another great signing for the club. Diogo brings a wealth of experience to the club, having played in both the top flight, and second division," Chomos stated. "This should provide him an opportunity to return to competitive football, and hopefully, lead the club to success in the future. We are very excited to have him joining the club.â€

While the signing is good news for the club, many are wondering if Chomos will have the opportunity to manage him next season, as the club is facing the tall task of climbing back up the standings to win the division.

[vitamincmos]

Pampilhosa vs. O. Hospital (Second Division – Group C) – March 19, 2006

We enter match day facing a team who has been playing very well as of late. O. Hospital has won 4 of their last 5, the only loss coming to B.C. Branco. Given this fact, the oddsmakers have pinned us as the underdog at 10-1. Needing to bring our top game, we started with the following lineup:

GK – Sven van Ommeren

DR – Vinagre

DL – Ricardo Correia

DC – Vicente

DC – Marco Bras

MR – Sergio Grilo

ML – Riccardo Perreira

MC – Miguel Tomas

MC – Bebe

ST – Toninho

ST – David

I didn’t need to pump up the players for this game, as they knew what was at stake, and they came out very determined to get us three points. In only the 10th minute, we had struck. With relentless pressure we pushed the ball into the 6 yard box where David forced a save off a header by the keeper. Perreira was johnny on the spot to knock in the rebound, and we were up 1-0…or so I thought. The assistant was waving is flag, calling an offside on Perreira. The goal had been disallowed. It was a very questionable call at best, as the players were so close to the goal line that there was hardly any room to even be offside. Still, we carried on, looking unphased by the assistant’s decision. As the half wore on, the disallowed goal was looking like it might haunt us, and we were struggling to finish our chances. 18th minute…David’s shot is stopped. 19th minute…Bebe knocks it over the bar. 40th minute…Toninho mishits. The whistle blew for half-time, and we were still scoreless. I begged the team to pull it together and get that ball into the back of the net. During the speech, I noticed both David and Grilo seeming to be in discomfort. They had picked up minor knocks that they played through in the first half, but didn’t look like they had shaken off, so I replaced them for the 2nd half.

We came out strong again, but the results were similar to the first half. 46th minute…Perreira’s header is saved. 47th minute…Garcia into the side netting. 55th minute…Garcia’s shot is saved. We just couldn’t score. Full credit to their keeper, as we was really keeping them in the game. We continued to pressure, and continued to have chances, but continued to misfire, or see them stopped by the keeper. As the minutes ticked away, so did the opportunity for a win, and when the final whistle blew, we were robbed of three points, having to settle for one in a goalless draw.

We were on the other end of a draw this game, as we completely deserved the three points, but couldn’t capitalize on our opportunities. The disallowed goal was the difference in this one, and this result will greatly affect our chances at a division title. Both B.C. Branco and Oliveirense won their matches, so we now sit 4 points back of 1st and 3 points back of 2nd with 6 league matches remaining.

Pampilhosa – 0

O. Hospital – 0

MOM – R. Correia (Pampilhosa)

Attendance – 2385

Diary Entry – March 19, 2006

Crushed. That is the feeling right now among every member of this team. I can’t fault them for the effort they put out, but the result absolutely stinks. Add to the fact that the other two teams ahead of us won, and we are sitting in pretty rough shape right now. Not to single anyone out, but I have to say that I’m a little disappointed with Toninho’s play in the past few games. He hasn’t been very noticeable out there, and his lack of production is a direct result of our current struggles. Draws just aren’t good enough, and we should have won today. I’m very frustrated right now.

Trying to look on some positive things within the club, we are going to travel to Leiria to watch the U-19 Cup final this week. It would be an incredible achievement if they can pull off the win, and I’m hoping that it can act as motivation for the senior squad to see the U-19’s defying the odds, and winning the cup title.

And finally, I knew it was inevitable, but the media has been hounding me to say a few words about the season, so I have set up a little press conference tomorrow. I know they will be focusing on my guarantee at the start of the season, and I still stand behind it. I can’t back down now. The fact of the matter is, I’ve grown somewhat attached to the club, and the players…not to mention the additional bodies that are going to be coming in for the next season. While I don’t want to give up hope on the season quite yet, I do kind of wish I had kept my mouth shut. I’m sure the results would have spoken for themselves, and eventually, the fans would have come as they are now. Still, I guess there is no way of knowing, and if we don’t win the division, I just hope that the team can find success down the road. In the meantime, I should probably prepare myself for the barrage of questions which is likely to occur.

[vitamincmos]

Pampilhosa Press Conference – March 20, 2006

Chomos: “Thank you all for coming. I know you probably have a lot of questions, so I will open the floor immediately, and try to answer those questions the best that I can.â€

Reporter: “Mr. Chomos. With only six games remaining, what chance do you give your club of winning the division?â€

Chomos: “I think it’s fair to say that we need to win our final six games to have any chance of winning the division. B.C. Branco has an unbelievable team, and frankly, to see us still hanging around this close to them is an impressive achievement. They made good use of the loan system, and have brought in four outstanding players to really bolster their squad. Given our relative obscurity, we weren’t able to cash in on the same opportunities, but I still think we have done well. But yes…we definitely will need to win the rest of the way.â€

Reporter: “Given your guarantee at the start of the season, do you still plan on following through if the club doesn’t achieve promotion?â€

Chomos: “I am a man of my word, but at this point, we are still in the hunt, so I am not even thinking about that scenario. There are a total of 18 points up for grabs, and we need B.C. Branco to get 13 of a possible 18. Two losses, and that is done. I will honor my statement from the start of the year, but I don’t intend on worrying about if, and I stress if, the time arises.â€

Reporter: “Rumor has it that the board would like to keep you on regardless of the outcome to the season. Can you place any accuracy towards these rumors?â€

Chomos: “I’ve heard nothing of the sort. In fact, I haven’t talked with the Chairman for quite some time, so I would have to say that those rumors have no substance to them.â€

Reporter: “If the opportunity to stay would come about, would you take it?â€

Chomos: “I really enjoy it here. The players are great, the staff is exceptional, and now, we have a strong fan base. Truthfully, I never envisioned things to go as they are this season, but we have accomplished a lot this year. Would I like to stay? Absolutely. There are a few things I have put in place that I would like to see through to the end, but as I said earlier, I am a man of my word, and I honor my word. With that, I would like to conclude the questions and comments. I have a team to ready for the next match. Thank you all for attending today, and I hope to read a wonderful story from you about our next match.â€

Diary Entry – March 20, 2006

A short entry, but one that I wanted to comment briefly about. The press conference went about as could be expected except for one thing. The apparent rumor of the board requesting me to stay. I know Duarte and I talked about it a long time ago, but nothing has been mentioned about it since. In fact, I haven’t talked to Duarte for quite some time. I don’t even know where he has been. That’s a decision that would definitely tear me apart. I would love to stay, but I’m not one to go back on my word…something to sleep on I guess.