[FM22] Braga: Enough with the Big 3

[Cathal321]

 

Braga: Enough with the Big 3

 

 

 

A background on Braga:

What do the years 1946 and 2001 have in common? They're the only years one of the big 3 hasn't won the title in Portugal. Benfica have 37, Porto 30, Sporting 19, Boavista 1, Belenenses 1, Braga....0. If history repeats itself Portugal will need to wait until 2056 for its next unique winner, a trend that I, (an extremely average manager) want to put a stop to. 

 

Honours:

Primeira Liga: Best Finish - 2nd in 2009/10

Taca de Portugal: Winners - 1965/66, 2015/16, 2020/21

Taca de Liga: Winners - 2012/13, 2019/20

UEFA Champions League: Best Finish - Group stage 2010/11 and 2012/13

UEFA Europa League: Best Finish - 2nd in 2010/11

UEFA Intertoto Cup: Winners in 2008 (I actually didn't realise the Intertoto was around this late, but turns out Braga were the last ever winners before it was rightfully abolished)

 

There actually has never been a league winner outside of Lisbon and Porto. And as Braga is Portugals's third largest city, it only made sense to take charge of the team that seem to be eternally knocking on the door of the big 3. For the past 15 years, Braga has consistently finished in a Europa league spot, with the occasional champions league adventure sprinkled in (and whatever the **** the Intertoto even was). Luckily a particularly talented group of Braga players have come through and it's time to strike while the iron is hot and finally turn the big 3 into a big 4.

 

Full name: Sporting Clube de Braga

Founded: 1921

Stadium: Estadio Municipal de Braga (30,360 capacity)

 

 

Main Rivals: Vitoria de Guimaraes (Derby Do Minho)

Nickname: Braguistas or Os Arsenalistas (due to their kit closely resembling Arsenal's)

Braga's members (socios) have own and operated the club throughout it's history and the club also has a reputation for developing young talent, something I wish to continue

Home Kit:

 

 

*Just a brief note on myself, I used to write little career updates on like fifa 15 and 16 back in the day. Well now since fifa has gone to crap, I might as well have some fun writing about football manager instead. After the first season my posts will likely be less frequent but focus on shorter periods of time as I don't play through seasons that fast. Also this is fm22 but it's been modded with all the transfer updates, player attributes etc. I'd actually say my save resembles fm23 more, as we all know how similar that game is to previous iterations. Unfortunately the save starts in 21/22 which while mildly annoying thankfully wasn't too impactful

Edited December 12, 2022 by Cathal321

[Cathal321]

Meet the Squad:

 

On first glance this is clearly a talented group of players. The media predicted us to finish 4th with 25/1 odds, which while not ideal isn't insurmountable. After scrolling through an in my opinion unnecessary amount of youth teams, some exciting talents caught my eye. Players such as Rodrigo Gomes, Hernani Infande, Roger Fernandes, Serdar Saatci, Jean-Baptise Gorby and Pierre Dwomah (on loan from Valencia) all look set to make breakthroughs in to the first team at some stage. Bringing through youngsters is one of my favourite parts of football manager and something I want to be a core part of Braga's success. Rodrigo Gomes in particular is someone I want to keep a close eye on

 

 

On to the 1st team itself I identified several key players who could carry Braga in to a new era. This is what I believe to be an extremely talented squad with some players who could go on to become world stars, Vitinha chief among them: 

 

The youngster has the finishing, fitness and aggression needed to lead my attack for years to come. Huge potential, well rounded and home grown, what's not to love. The system will largely be built around getting the best out of him. However, he'll still need support from another quality attacker, Ricardo Horta

 

 

 

Horta provides some more experience to a youthful team, his raw pace and dribbling will be invaluable and his player traits of cutting inside and playing one-tows perfectly fits the system I want to play. Every good side needs a base to build on which is where my 3rd key player comes in:

 

Tall, strong and with a decent passing range, Tormena should form a solid partnership with Paulo Olivera at the heart of the defence.

 

I'm keen to note that the first transfer window is off, but even if it wasn't I'm not sure if I would've made too many moves. This is a solid, well rounded team and Braga aren't particularly swimming in money. One thing I noticed is they have an awful lot of players out on loan, including Lucas Piazon of all people, and a lot in on loan too. A lot of them do have optional release clauses.  For example Pierre Dwomah for 1m could look like a bargain and Diego Lainez for 6.75m is one to consider as well later down the line. Also wanted to give a mention to Ali Al Mustrati, I'm a sucker for players from obscure countries and he's managed to rack up 36 caps for Libya.

 

Talking tactics:

 

 

As you can see, I'm not exactly reinventing the wheel here. I actually tried something much more adventurous in another save with Spurs and it ended in a disastrous season 1 sacking. So I thought to myself, let's just take it easy choose something solid and get the team established. To summarise how we play it's basically a high line with short, zippy passing in an attempt to bring the best out of speedy and technical attackers. I expect us to dominate the ball and to feed Vitinha as much as possible

Next time: As I'm trying to get my posts to catch up to where I am in the save, I'll let you know how the 1st season goes up until about January 

Edited December 13, 2022 by Cathal321

[Cathal321]

Going for a more story focused approach that develops the manager. It's a bit different than the other two posts but much more fun to write

 

Mid Season Musings:

 

It's a cold January morning and Mc Parland can put his feet up, many doubted his decision to take take the Braga job. You don't speak the language they said, you should stick to the English pyramid and work your way up. Gary Neville had called him and warned about his time at Valencia, but Mc Parland has something Neville never did: managerial ability. Braga were top of the table, holding a narrow lead over Sporting heading in to the second half of the season. For the first time in a long time the people were beginning to believe. Is this the end of the end of the big 3? Mc Parland started playing with his silky black hair and reflected on his first few months in the beautiful city of Braga

 

 

Pre season had been solid, the squad quickly bought in to his style of play and Mc Parland began to pick up some basic Portuguese, but then again football is a universal language anyway. At least that's what the translator keeps reminding him. The boys won every game in pre season. The only point of concern being the 1-1 draw against the second XI, although I suppose that shows the squads depth. A bizarre 6-4 against Genk raised a few eyebrows, but nothing extra defensive work on the training ground can't sort out. It is fair to note that these were weak opponents. Mc Parland had wondered why they were playing the B team of fierce rivals Vitoria de Guimaraes and where exactly the main team had gone. But pre season can be strange like that 

 

Going in to August the calendar had been kind with a very winable set of opening fixtures. The stand out being that away game to Vitoria de Guimaraes, the real one this time. Mc Parland thought back to the glory of that 2-0 win. It was the game that really got fans onside, beating a bitter rival in their own backyard. It was dominant too, with an xG of 3.27, things could've gone worse for the hosts. The key aspect of this run was the defence. Olivera and Tormena were simply too good for most of these sides and the midfield often prevented the opposition from getting anywhere in the first place.

 

 

 

September saw this trend continue, and also saw Mc Parland's first taste of European football. On paper an evenly matched group containing Sturm Graz, Nantes and Gent. Ricardo Horta announced himself to Europe with an incredible performance scoring 4 goals in what was at one point a very even game against Nantes. The month was capped off with an excellent 2-0 home win against Porto. The first battle against one of the big 3 that Braga were desperate to topple. 

 

Progress continued in to October and November, with the standout performance coming in an emphatic 4-0 win over rivals Benfica. This was Braga at their best, with the front 4 combining to great effect. They were creative and lethal when given the chance. At this stage of the season Braga were very much an unknown quantity, a team nobody expected to be performing at that level and it's clear sides such as Benfica were still underestimating them. They sat at the top of the table with just one draw. The defence was rock solid and star striker Vitinha averaged a goal a game. In Europe, progress to the knockout phase was secured with a chaotic 3-3 draw with Gent, before Sturm Graz handed Braga their first loss of the season

 

December had rolled around and that meant a more frantic schedule in the run up to Christmas. Mc Parland had settled in to a small house on the outskirts of Braga with his young family. As Christmas approached it really started to feel like home, although the warmer temperatures was still something to get used to. In England temperatures were below freezing for much of the month but in Portugal it was still mild, although often rainy. Christmas day itself was spent preparing for a home game against Famalicao, a sturdy side punching above their weight in 4th place. Vitinha struck twice in the second half to secure 3 points. Next was the big top of the table clash against Sporting Lisbon. A tense, even game that looked destined to end 0-0, a result that would keep Braga 5 points clear. However in the first major set back of the season, a controversial handball was awarded in the 92nd minute to break Braga's hearts. Mc Parland fumed that such fine margins would have such a drastic effect on the table. Ricardo Esgaio converted to narrow the gap to just 2 points

 

 

 

Of course that wasn't the only loss in December. Braga were extremely lucky to top their Europa League group after a 3-0 loss to Nantes on the final day. Luckily, runners up Sturm Graz lost 1-0 to Gent which meant Braga were able to secure a spot in the last 16 with a paltry 10 points 

 

 

Mc Parland certainly had cause for optimism, this could be an historic year for Braga. Wingers Ricardo Horta and Iuri Medeiros were in the form of their lives and star man Vitinha had just picked up the FIFA under 21 player of the year award. A deserved accolade as he continued his goal a game ratio. Going in to the window not much was planned. After all there wasn't any transfer budget and there certainly wasn't a need to sell anyone. Scouts were dispatched to South America with an eye on the summer window. The one issue was that Europe had taken notice of Braga's fine form and the vultures were circling on many key players. In fact most of the first team were drawing outside interest. But Mc Parland had no intention to sell and although many had releases clauses, surely nobody would leave mid way through an historic season. Many youngsters had also started to be eased in, with Rodrigo Gomes and Pierre Dwomah impressing heavily. Youngster Abel Ruiz had also shown himself to be valuable with 14 goals mostly off the bench already.

 

Next time: Snakes like to fly Emirates 

 

[AllezAFC]

I thing Braga is good enough to compete with the big 3 - should try someone like Maratimao that would be quite a challenge or B-SAD

Edited December 12, 2022 by AllezAFC

[Cathal321]

8 minutes ago, AllezAFC said:

I thing Braga is good enough to compete with the big 3 - should try someone like Maratimao that would be quite a challenge or B-SAD

Yeah I'm sure that would've been more challenging. I just like the idea of taking the team that was always on the edge of competing, but could never quite sustain it. What I might do is go to a smaller Portuguese club after Braga and try and turn the league in to a big 5 almost. But there's a long way to go before that

[wearesporting]

I did a save in Portugal on FM22 with a team from the bottom division and at around 2035 as I finally overhauled the big 3 Braga decided to go nuts, dominate and win 6 titles in a row. Never got to win the league as a result.

[Cathal321]

Snakes Like to Fly Emirates:

 

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN HE'S GONE?!". It was 7pm on transfer deadline day and Mc Parland stormed into Franclim Carvalho's office. "He's at the airport, there's nothing we can do", the director of football replied, the man looked like he hadn't taken a break all day. "Well send someone after him then". Mc Parland slumped in to a bean bag in the corner of the room and looked up at the clock. 5 hours remaining. He flicked through a news site on his phone. The tabloids had already picked up the story; Arsenal STUN Braga with deadline day GAZUMP for Portuguese ace Vitinha. The clock ticked and ticked before the news came in that the deal was done. 29.5m release clause triggered, 120k a week contract signed for the wonderkid.

This was the second time this week Braga had been screwed over like this. Just last Thursday the exact same thing had happened to Ricardo Horta. Arsenal came in with a 30m bid, the release clause triggered. At first, Mc Parland didn't mind that one as much. 30m was a lot of money and there was plenty of talented wingers already at the club who could replace him. But that was before Carvalho had informed him that Braga would barely receive any money from the deal. It turns out that a "third party agent" was owed a whopping 70% of the transfer fee, with a further 20% going to previous clubs. The sale had the dodgy dealings of Jorge Mendes written all over it and it began to feel like daylight robbery. Horta was sold against Braga's will and the club only received 3m of it. That money was reinvested in to Croatian teenager Lukas Kacavenda, a steal for just 4m from Lokomotiva. 

Mc Parland stayed on his bean bag, paralysed by a combination of shock and fury. How could he do this? It was one thing to leave in the summer, but to do it half way through an historic season like this one, on deadline day no less. Vitinha had abandoned his childhood club to join 6th placed Arsenal, now under the management of Tomas Tuchel. Release clauses had proved a huge issue. Mc Parland and Carvalho were tasked with replacing a man who scored 29 goals in 29 games and there were 4 hours left. The striker market looked bleak. The scouts in South America hadn't been there long enough to suggest any viable alternatives and nobody wanted to sell. "Funny that, teams don't want to lose their strikers on transfer deadline day, who would've thought", mumbled Mc Parland. He ran his finger up and down the hastily assembled shortlist. Tyrese Campell, Bamba Dieng, Uros Durdevic. "I hear Wolves want to get rid of Hwang" Carvalho suggested. Mc Parland shook his head, "you never buy a striker from Wolves". All of these options would be costly this late in the day, and surely that money could be more wisely spent in the summer. He closed his eyes and let out a deep sigh "call Fernando Llorente"

 

 

Llorente was strolling along his vineyard in Bilbao with his wife when the call came in. He was about ready to retire at this stage. A fine career that took him from Bilbao to Juventus, the premier league, THAT goal against City, 24 caps for Spain and a pleasant stint in Naples. The offers on the table from Birmingham and Hull weren't quite doing it for him. But Braga intrigued him, a team destined for the champions league. One last hurrah perhaps. Back in Portugal, Mc Parland sunk his head in to his hands. They'd replaced their two best players with an unproven teenager and a man who hadn't scored more than 3 goals in a season since 16/17. His legs were gone, he didn't fit the style of play but he was on a plane to Braga and an hour before the window shut, the deal was done. They also secured the signature of Eliquim Mangala on a free, but that did little to raise the deflated mood. Their crown jewels were gone, but Mc Parland vowed that he'd have his revenge on Arsenal, and Tuchel.

 

 (Vitinha)

 (Ricardo Horta)

 

Aside from the transfer drama, January was a busy month and easily the most difficult one both on and off the field. Players were being courted left and right and often had their heads turned by bigger names from elsewhere. Several agreed to stay, on the condition that champions league football is secured, something Braga were well on course for. The first bump in the road came against Maritimo who going in to the game had recently had a dramatic 4-4 draw with Sporting and a 5-5 draw with Casa Pia. And so the trend continued as Maritimo went hell for leather, Vitinha's hat trick not enough to secure all 3 points as Maritimo fought back from being 2 goals down within the first 7 minutes. Later, came an incredibly frustrating goalless draw against Braga's fierce rivals Vitoria de Guimaraes, who had actually gone down to 9 men for much of the game but still managed to hold out for a heroic draw. The month ended with back to back games against Porto. An away draw in the league was considered a solid point, before Porto ended any faint hopes of a quadruple by knocking Braga out of the Allianz Cup, the less important of the two cup competitions.

 

 (Truly FM'd)

 

Braga march on, a significantly weaker side than the one that started the season, but still very much in the title race. They end the month a point behind Sporting, with heavyweights Porto and Benfica straggling several points behind. The tactical set up remains largely the same but the attack has lost a lot of it's star power. Eduardo Teixera has risen from a fringe player to become a regular in the side, but is seen as just a temporary solution as Kacavenda recovers from injury and is eased in to the side. Castro, Racic and Al Mustrati frequently trade places in the middle of the park, while Iuri Medeiors has stepped up as Braga's new star man with a series of inspired performances (he unfortunately also has a 30m release clause and won't sign a new deal). Braga have also been drawn against PSV in the Europa league, and are on course to meet Sporting in the quarters and Arsenal in the semis.

 

 

Next Time: Can anyone here take a penalty?

[Cathal321]

Can anyone here take a penalty? (part 1)

 

It was a tense battle at the Estadio Municipal. Benfica needed a win to stay in the title race, while Braga were looking to capitalise on Sporting's loss to Porto a week prior. Top spot in the league was there for the taking, they just needed to find a way to finally put the ball in the back of the net. Mc Parland urged his team to push forward and go for the win, which is when Braga got their big break. Grimaldo slid in to the back of Medeiros. The referee pointed to the spot and brandished a second yellow card. This was it, with Benfica down to ten men a goal here would surely secure all 3 points. After the sales of Horta and Vitinha, Abel Ruiz was the man tasked with leading the attack and the responsibility fell on his shoulders to slot home from 12 yards. In the end, he produced a tame effort that was comfortably saved by the keeper. The game ended 0-0 

 

Narrow 1-0 wins against Rio Ave and Maritimo kept Braga level on points with Sporting at the end of March. The two going tit for tat for much of the second half of the season. This was very much a team that had to rely on defensive solidity to grind out results, rather than the free scoring side that could blow anyone out of the water during the opening months. That was a long time ago now, this team was tired, limping, but more determined than ever to make history 

 

 

The calendar reveals an obvious stand out fixture, a title showdown with Sporting at the Estadio Jose Alvalde on 23rd April. Braga know they'll likely need to win as Liga Portugal uses head to head as the main tiebreaker. Despite being in 2nd, it's in their hands, 7 wins and history is theirs

 

The duo are also battling it out in the Taca de Portugal, with the first leg of the semi final ending 1-1 at Sporting's ground. With the second leg just 3 days before their crunch league tie, it begs the question, does Mc Parland sacrifice the cup in pursuit of league glory? 

 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                     

Can anyone here take a penalty? (part 2: Europe)

 

Mc Parland sat watching Arsenal on the dressing room tv of the Estadio Municpial. "Do we know who came up with that kit first? It's identical to ours", he turned to face his assistant "I'm not sure boss". On the tv screen Arsenal were labouring to a 1-0 defeat to Bayer Leverkusen in the Europa League's early kick off. Vitinha popped up on the screen which forced a frown from the Braga manager "bet they stole it from us". The wounds had never quite healed after Arsenal triggered the release clauses for Vitinha and Ricardo Horta. "Tuchel isn't even that good, they should've kept Arteta. All that money and they have the same points as Leeds". Arsenal were sent packing and although Mc Parland celebrated, part of him wished they'd won as Braga were on course to meet them in the latter rounds. He turned the TV off, "right we have a job to do". They were trailing 2-0 on aggregate to PSV heading in to the 2nd leg, following their 2-0 loss in Eindhoven the week prior.

 

The atmosphere was electric at the Estadio Municipal. Flares emitted a red mist that covered the home crowd, and Mc Parland smiled to himself. Nights like these were the reason he took the job.

 

The team responded to the energy from the crowd. Andre Castro struck from outside the box just 3 minutes in to give a valuable early lead. The intensity continued all throughout the first half and PSV were stunned by Kacavenda's first Braga goal. 2-2 on aggregate. Braga continued the onslaught and centre back Paulo Olivera turned home a loose ball following a corner. It was 3-0 on the night and 3-2 on aggregate, in just one half all of PSV's progress had been wiped out, but they weren't ready to go home just yet. Mid way through the second half, Cody Gakpo snuck in behind Braga's high line to even things out at 3-3. Chances came and went for both sides, but nothing separated them. The game went to extra time. 

 

Both sides had ran out of gas and made several substitutions each, but they seemingly made little difference as the game slowed to a crawl. In the 99th minute, a lazy tackle from a PSV defender forced the referee to point to the spot. This was it, a spot in the quarter final awaited, where Braga would have yet another matchup against Sporting Lisbon. Following his miss against Benfica, Abel Ruiz had been taken off penalty duties. Eduardo Teixeira stepped up to the spot. The stadium collectively held its breath as Walter Benitez dived to his right....... and pushed the penalty behind for a corner. Mc Parland covered his face in horror. Did that really just happen again? The game laboured on and came to its inevitable conclusion, which was the last thing anyone at Braga wanted: a penalty shootout. 

 

Being half English, Mc Parland had never particularly liked shootouts. World cup 98 and 2006, as well as Euro 96, 2004, 2012 and of course the horrible 2021 final which had infected a new generation with England's penalty curse all came to mind. He forced himself to stop thinking about how much he hated shootouts and chose his 5 penalty takers, most of which weren't brimming with confidence. He briefly wondered if his own apprehension was rubbing off on them. "Pick your spot and stick to it, don't change your minds". Surprisingly, every single penalty was excellent from both sides. Ruiz and Teixeira had partially redeemed their previous misses and Medeiros and Racic netted to make it 4/4. Unfortunately PSV had been equally impressive. Antonisse scored to make it 5-4, Braga would have to score to force sudden death. Up next was Paulo Olivera. The man who had initially made it 3-0, which felt like ages ago. His run up was short and nervous, he mistimed the shot, causing his foot to get well underneath the ball, ballooning it over the bar. A proper centre back's clearance, the ball is likely still in orbit somewhere over Portugal. With that, Braga's European run ended prematurely.

 

 

All is not lost however, the fight for league and cup continues and the extra games in Sporting's legs will do no harm to Braga's cause. After all, this season is all about delivering that illusive first title. Conquering Europe can wait.

 

Next Time: 7 games from history 
 

Edited December 13, 2022 by Cathal321

[Cathal321]

7 games from history

 

The open top bus tour entered the city centre. It was a boiling hot day and the sun glistened against the beautiful, historical buildings in the centre of Braga. Adoring fans lined the streets singing and dancing and for a few hours everything seemed right in the world. Mc Parland held the Liga Portugal trophy aloft, slightly drunk from both the champagne and the adrenaline. It took 100 years to get this far, but Braga had finally added the elusive league trophy to their small cabinet. This felt like a beginning of sorts, a new era

In the end it hadn't even been close. For all the talk in the media hyping up the Sporting vs Braga showdown, the result didn't even matter. Sporting's Europa league run had gotten to them, the extra games ruined their chances and they dropped points, again and again. On the other hand, Braga won all their games except the 1-1 draw in the highly anticipated title showdown. Going in to the game 4 points clear, Mc Parland opted to shut up shop by starting a back 5 for the first time all season. Mangala was drafted in to a line up that involved 4 centre backs and a hard working midfield 3 that restricted space, wasted time and got the job done. The last 3 games felt more like a victory parade

 

 

Of course the end of the season wasn't all perfect. Braga fell late on in the semi final of the Taca de Portugal. Sporting and Braga were dead even over 180 minutes and it took away goals to separate the two. Sporting went on to lose the final to Benfica. By the end of the season Braga had played Sporting 4 times, with 3 draws and 1 loss. They were the only team to beat them in the league and also caused their cup exit. In some ways they were unlucky to finish 6 points off the champions, at least according to the xG table 

 

 

Braga outperformed their xG by an absurd 15 points, something Mc Parland knows won't be sustainable for much longer. However it's also worth noting that they won the league on just a quarter of the wage bill as the big 3. Goalkeeper Matheus was in fine form all season and lethal finishing helped sneak tight games. In fact Vitinha, who left in January still ended up as the 2nd top scorer in the league and also made the team of the season, averaging a goal every 74 minutes before his departure. 

 

Irui Medeiros stepped up in his absence with a remarkable 20 goals and 24 assists throughout the season with an average rating of 7.99 in the league. He picked up the player of the year award, Matheus won keeper of year and Mc Parland picked up manager of the year prize. All this was greatly pleasing to the club president and his immaculate moustache 

 

Braga now face an uphill battle to keep their star men. Champions league football should convince some to stay but a choice will likely need to made between renewing contracts to remove the release clauses, significantly increasing the wage bill in the process or revamping the squad. Will this Braga side have it in them to go again?

 

(Out of picture is Abel Ruiz who started up front following Vitinha's departure. Ruiz finished the season with 23 goals in 43 games and a 7.15 average rating)

Here's a brief look at the winners of the major leagues:

Champions league final: Man City 3-0 Barcelona

Europa league final: Man United 1-0 Bayer Leverkusen

Conference league final: Rennes 2-1 Nice (after extra time)

 

Premier league: 

1st: Liverpool (87), 2nd: Chelsea (86), 3rd: City (85)

In an insane final day, Liverpool actually started the day in 3rd. Man City then proceeded to draw 2-2 with Spurs (and 2-2 against Brentford on matchday 37) and Chelsea lost 2-1 to West Ham despite leading for over an hour. Southampton, Brentford and Forest went down, but Southampton will be playing Europa league football next season while playing in the Championship after beating Chelsea 2-1 in the FA Cup final. I don't envy that schedule. Arsenal came 6th but will play in the conference league, ruining any chance of me getting my revenge next season.

 

La Liga:

Winners: Real Madrid, Real Betis qualified for the champions league

 

Bundesliga and Ligue 1: No surprises

 

Serie A:

Winners: Inter, Monza made the conference league and Napoli finish 10th 

 

Salah wins the Ballon d'Or and in a bizarre turn of events Yaroslav Rakitskyi, a centre back for 2nd tier Turkish side Adana Demirspor has made it in to the FifPro team of the year. Not sure I can take that award seriously anymore, but good for him

 

Next Time: I'll be running through the team and discussing each player, where they fit in to my plans and how Braga are shaping up ahead of their first Champions league campaign in a decade

 

[Cathal321]

"I'm telling you Tomas this Endrick lad better be as good as you say he is". It was late July, and Mc Parland was watching Braga's final training session of pre season before their clash against Benfica in the supertaca. Some viewed the game as just another friendly, but it was still a trophy and one that Braga had never won. Alongside Mc Parland was his new director of football, Tomas Rosicky. He'd come in as part of a backroom staff revamp alongside the legendary Dennis Bergkamp as assistant manager. Mc Parland felt that they needed that little extra experience and class for the champions league and the duo were elite level operators. He'd played against Rosicky during his time as a premier league player and so he knew first hand how good his football IQ was. "I mean I just can't believe we spent 15m on a boy, a boy who won't even be here for two years", Rosicky turned to look at him and smiled, "trust me if you'd waited any longer Madrid would've bought him for 40m instead". Mc Parland laughed, "40m? That would be absurd. I better at least be around to see this guy, see what all the hype is about". He'd never been fully on board with the signing, he'd much rather buy someone for the here and now, but Rosicky was adamant and had backing from the board, so Mc Parland signed off on Braga's record purchase.

 

 

They watched on as Fernando Llorente chased after the ball at the pace of a turtle, "Fernando was in his 20s banging them in for Bilbao before Endrick was even born", Mc Parland remarked. There were a few other players brought in, but most of the money went towards contract renewals. Braga were desperate to avoid a repeat of last January, so new contracts were on the table for anyone with a release clause. By the end of summer, most of last season's starters had received new deals to reflect their status as Champions League footballers. This had the effect of significantly inflating their wage bill, from 8m a year to 16m, but it did keep the team together. Al Musrati was the only major sale, however 20m from Wolves was seen as fair compensation. Mc Parland was happy with pre season, but he couldn't help but worry they'd suffer from second season syndrome after the glory of that title win. He pushed the  thought to one side, maybe it was just the pessimist in him, the team certainly looked ready. 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          

Squad Analysis:

 

First of all, a look at the players who have left the club:

Ali Al Musrati:

Position: CM/DM

Age: 26

Appearances: 33(10)

Average rating: 7.11 

21/22 Grade (my opinion on their overall performance): B

Sold for: €20m to Wolves

Al Musrati was a solid operator who usually played a deep lying playmaker and started for much of the season. The Libyan became unsettled in January and his contract was up in 2024 so I decided the time was to cash in. He never let his desire to leave affect his performance and played a key role in the title run in

 

Other sales:

Simon Banza €275k to Angers. ST, 2(10) in 21/22 with 3 goals, 25y/o. From the DR Congo, Banza was a useful option off the bench at times, but became unsettled and rarely featured in the latter half of the season. Rating 5/10

Eduardo Teixeira: 

 

The following were all out on loan last season and deemed surplus to requirement upon their return to the club:

Mario Gonzalez €475k to Troyes, Lucas Mineiro €2.2m to Mallorca, Francisco Moura €1m to Mainz, Schettine €450k to Botafogo

Diego Lainez and Niakate have returned to their parent clubs after loan spells

 

Youth Prospects:

A number of talented youngsters came through the intake last season, and combined with the pre existing talent at the academy as well as the signing of Endrick, the future looks bright for Braga

 

Edgar Sisse:

 

Luis Souto:

 

Roger Fernandes:

 

As they're all still incredibly young, the first team breakthrough might not happen this season but the pathway is there for such talented players

 

Meet the team:

 

Matheus:

KEY PLAYER

Position: GK

Age: 30

Contract: €29.5k p/w until 2027

Appearances: 46, clean sheets: 26

Average rating: 7.21

21/22 rating: A

Matheus was a key reason that Braga had the league's best defence last season. They heavily outperformed their defensive xG and the keeper made several crucial saves, picking up the keeper of the year award in the process

 

Tiago Sa:

Position: GK

Age: 27

Contract: €3.6k p/w until 2025

Appearances: 5, clean sheets: 1

Average rating: 6.96

21/22 rating: C

Solid backup keeper who was only really used in the early cup rounds. This'll continue to be his role, he's been at Braga his whole career making him useful for registration purposes

 

Fabiano Souza:

Position: RB

Age: 22

Contract: €5.25k p/w until 2026

Appearances: 36(4)

Average rating: 7.04

21/22 rating: B-

Souza is a solid right back who just gets the job done. Received the most yellows last season (10)

 

Victor Gomez:

LOAN MADE PERMANENT 

Positon: RB

Age: 22

Contract: €9.75k p/w until 2025

Bought for: €2m from Espanyol

Appearances: 15(6) 

Average rating: 7.12

21/22 rating: B-

Brought in to compete with Souza, 2m seemed like a good deal to secure a backup

 

Tormena:

KEY PLAYER

Position: CB

Age: 26

Contract: €36.5k p/w until 2025

Appearances: 41(1), goals: 5

Average rating: 7.55

21/22 rating: A

A key defender last season, Tormena formed a solid partnership with Olivera. I renewed his contract to remove his 15m release clause amid interest from Real Madrid.

 

Paulo Oliveira:

Position: CB

Age: 30

Contract: €26.5k p/w until 2025

Appearances: 45, goals: 4

Average rating: 7.48

21/22 rating: A

The second highest appearance maker, narrowly behind Matheus, Olivera was solid all season and has grown in to his role as team leader and vice captain

 

Eliaquim Mangala:

Position: CB

Age: 31

Contract: €5.75k p/w until 2023

Appearances: 3(1)

Average Rating: 6.85

21/22 rating: C+

Brought in during January, Mangala didn't feature often but was used occasionally used as part of a back 5. He's still only 31 and could be an important player if he's able to regain some of the form that earned him a €52m move to Man City

 

Bruno Rodrigues

Position: CB

Age: 21

Contract: €4.95k p/w until 2026

Appearances: 11(5) 

Average Rating: 7.33

21/22 rating: B+

The youngsters size and marking ability makes him an exciting prospect, although his lack of pace could be an issue at the elite level. He should get plenty of game time in cup competitions

 

Nuno Sequira:

Position: LB

Age: 31

Contract: €6.95k p/w until 2024

Appearances: 41(3), assists: 7

Average rating: 7.04

21/22 rating: B

Sequira was the most advanced full back, pushing forward and providing 7 assists with his crossing ability. However he didn't have any real competition last season, which won't be the case from now on

 

Toni Lato:

NEW SIGNING

Position: LB

Age: 24

Contract: €9.25k p/w until 2025

Bought for: €3.5m from Valencia

Lato will likely start out as back up but the chance is there to break in to the team. He provides more athleticism but lacks Sequira's attacking ability

 

Khephren Thuram:

NEW SIGNING

Position: CM

Age: 21

Contract: €12.75k p/w until 2025

Bought for €3.8m from Nice

Could push for a starting spot early on, Thuram is a very well rounded midfielder who can play any role and could grow into a key cog in the midfield

 

Willot Swedberg:

NEW SIGNING

Position: CM

Age: 18

Contract: €7.5k p/w until 2026

Bought for: €5m from Celta Vigo

Outside Endrick, the most expensive signing of the window. Braga fought off interest from Man United for the teenager who's already been capped twice for Sweden. Much like Thuram, a well rounded midfielder who could be moulded in to any role

 

Andre Castro:

Position: CM

Age: 34

Contract: €8.25k p/w until 2024

Appearances: 32(8)

Average rating: 7.17

21/22 rating: B

The veteran will likely play a smaller role with the introduction of fresh blood into the midfield. He was key last season with this impressive engine and mental attributes

 

Uros Racic

LOAN MADE PERMANENT 

Position: CM

Age: 24

Contract: €18.5k p/w until 2024

Bought for: €5m from Valencia

Appearances: 31(14)

Average rating: 7.06

21/22 rating: B

Another loan with an option to buy, Racic soon became an important player with his ability to dictate play. 5m seemed like a no brainer and he goes in to the season as the only CM with a nailed down spot

 

Pierre Dwomoh:

LOAN MADE PERMANENT 

Position: AM

Age: 18

Contract: €8k p/w until 2025

Bought for: €1m from Antwerp

Appearances: 6(10)

Average rating: 7.07

21/22 rating: B--

After impressing during his loan spell, the youngster joined permanently in a cut price deal. He predominately got minutes in centre mid, but the plan is for him to grow in to a role as an attacking mid to compensate for his lackluster defending

 

Lukas Kacavenda

Position: AM

Age: 19

Contract: €15.75k p/w until 2026

Appearances: 9(1), assists: 4

Average rating: 7.21

21/22 rating: B+

Since joining in January the Croatian has gone from strength to strength and looks like one of the most talented prospects at the club. He'll be entrusted with a starting role and could become a star if he continues his previous form

 

Iuri Medeiros

KEY PLAYER

Position: RM

Age: 28

Contract: €38K p/w until 2027

Appearances: 37(4), goals: 20, assists: 24

Average rating: 7.63 (all comps)

21/22 rating: A+

Medeiros evolved from simply an important member of the attack to Braga's go to man in the second half of the season, however they'll need to avoid becoming over reliant on him. With 39 goal contributions in just 28 games, he was deservedly crowned the leagues MVP. He's adept at both crossing the ball and cutting inside to create chances or score himself

 

 

Lucas Piazon

BACK FROM LOAN

Position: RM

Age: 28

Contract: €5.75k p/w until 2025

Appearances: 19 (2) for Botafogo

Average rating: 7.20

In 2011/12 Piazon moved to Chelsea from his native Brazil, where he was subsequently farmed out on loan for close to a decade, making just a solitary league appearance and playing in 6/7 of Europe's top leagues. Although likely to stay a squad player, Piazon finally has a chance to turn his career around

 

Andre Horta

Position: LM

Age: 25

Contract: €24.5k p/w until 2027

Appearances: 36(6), assists: 10

Average rating: 7.05

21/22 rating: B

Horta initially started the season in attacking midfield but started playing more on the left following Ricardo Horta's departure. A silky player with excellent dribbling and passing, he'll be looking to add to his 10 assists from last season, however his return of just 3 goals last season will be a concern. A deeper midfield role could be a potential solution

 

Rodrigo Gomes

Position: LM

Age: 19

Contract: €3.2k p/w until 2027

Appearances: 6(8)

Average rating: 6.83

21/22 rating: C+

A very talented youngster, Gomes made his breakthrough in to the first team last season with his best performances coming in the cup. He'll continue to get minutes in the cup competitions and could push Horta for a starting role, although he can also play anywhere in the front 4

 

Hernani Infande 

Position: LM

Age: 21

Contract: €1.3k p/w until 2024

Appearances: 2(2)

Average rating: 6.88

21/22 rating: C

Although the youngster mostly played for Braga B last season, he'll likely have an increased role now that Lainez has finished his loan. Much like Gomes his versatility will be useful for depth, and the chance is there for more game time if he impresses when given the chance

 

Abel Ruiz

Position: ST 

Age: 22

Contract: €7.75 p/w until 2025

Appearances: 30(16), goals: 23

Average rating: 7.15

21/22 rating: A-

Ruiz started the season as back up to Ricardo Horta and Vitinha but was thrust into the limelight when the pair left in January. He quietly put together a run of very good form playing up front and ended the season as Braga's top scorer in all competitions. The question now is if the ex-Barca man can keep up this level and operate at a Champions league level

 

Fernando Llorente

Position: ST

Age: 38

Contract: €4.2k p/w until 2023

Appearances: 2(6)

Average rating: 6.74

21/22 rating: C-

A deadline day panic signing in January, Llorente is unlikely to get much game time and instead will serve as a mentor for the many young attackers in the squad. He's also one of the only players in the team with any experience at the game's highest level

 

Fer Nino

ON LOAN

Position: ST

Age: 21

Parent club: Villareal

Contract: €10.25k p/w (€17.25k unused)

After most of the budget was used up on Endrick, who won't arrive for two years, Fer Nino was brought in on loan from Villareal as a stopgap. However just calling him a stopgap would do the youngster a disservice as he brings genuine quality and could easily claim a starting place up front. He netted 12 goals in 7 games during under 21 internationals

 

Next Time: The Champions League awaits

Edited December 27, 2022 by Cathal321

[LazgoNNO2000]

7 hours ago, Cathal321 said:

"I'm telling you Tomas this Endrick lad better be as good as you say he is". It was late July, and Mc Parland was watching Braga's final training session of pre season before their clash against Benfica in the supertaca. Some viewed the game as just another friendly, but it was still a trophy and one that Braga had never won. Alongside Mc Parland was his new director of football, Tomas Rosicky. He'd come in as part of a backroom staff revamp alongside the legendary Dennis Bergkamp as assistant manager. Mc Parland felt that they needed that little extra experience and class for the champions league and the duo were elite level operators. He'd played against Rosicky during his time as a premier league player and so he knew first hand how good his football IQ was. "I mean I just can't believe we spent 15m on a boy, a boy who won't even be here for two years", Rosicky turned to look at him and smiled, "trust me if you'd waited any longer Madrid would've bought him for 40m instead". Mc Parland laughed, "40m? That would be absurd. I better at least be around to see this guy, see what all the hype is about". He'd never been fully on board with the signing, he'd much rather buy someone for the here and now, but Rosicky was adamant and had backing from the board, so Mc Parland signed off on Braga's record purchase.

 

 

They watched on as Fernando Llorente chased after the ball at the pace of a turtle, "Fernando was in his 20s banging them in for Bilbao before Endrick was even born", Mc Parland remarked. There were a few other players brought in, but most of the money went towards contract renewals. Braga were desperate to avoid a repeat of last January, so new contracts were on the table for anyone with a release clause. By the end of summer, most of last season's starters had received new deals to reflect their status as Champions League footballers. This had the effect of significantly inflating their wage bill, from 8m a year to 16m, but it did keep the team together. Al Musrati was the only major sale, however 20m from Wolves was seen as fair compensation. Mc Parland was happy with pre season, but he couldn't help but worry they'd suffer from second season syndrome after the glory of that title win. He pushed the  thought to one side, maybe it was just the pessimist in him, the team certainly looked ready. 

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          

Squad Analysis:

 

First of all, a look at the players who have left the club:

Ali Al Musrati:

Position: CM/DM

Age: 26

Appearances: 33(10)

Average rating: 7.11 

21/22 Grade (my opinion on their overall performance): B

Sold for: €20m to Wolves

Al Musrati was a solid operator who usually played a deep lying playmaker and started for much of the season. The Libyan became unsettled in January and his contract was up in 2024 so I decided the time was to cash in. He never let his desire to leave affect his performance and played a key role in the title run in

 

Other sales:

Simon Banza €275k to Angers. ST, 2(10) in 21/22 with 3 goals, 25y/o. From the DR Congo, Banza was a useful option off the bench at times, but became unsettled and rarely featured in the latter half of the season. Rating 5/10

Eduardo Teixeira: 

 

The following were all out on loan last season and deemed surplus to requirement upon their return to the club:

Mario Gonzalez €475k to Troyes, Lucas Mineiro €2.2m to Mallorca, Francisco Moura €1m to Mainz, Schettine €450k to Botafogo

Diego Lainez and Niakate have returned to their parent clubs after loan spells

 

Youth Prospects:

A number of talented youngsters came through the intake last season, and combined with the pre existing talent at the academy as well as the signing of Endrick, the future looks bright for Braga

 

Edgar Sisse:

 

Luis Souto:

 

Roger Fernandes:

 

As they're all still incredibly young, the first team breakthrough might not happen this season but the pathway is there for such talented players

 

Meet the team:

 

Matheus:

KEY PLAYER

Position: GK

Age: 30

Contract: €29.5k p/w until 2027

Appearances: 46, clean sheets: 26

Average rating: 7.21

21/22 rating: A

Matheus was a key reason that Braga had the league's best defence last season. They heavily outperformed their defensive xG and the keeper made several crucial saves, picking up the keeper of the year award in the process

 

Tiago Sa:

Position: GK

Age: 27

Contract: €3.6k p/w until 2025

Appearances: 5, clean sheets: 1

Average rating: 6.96

21/22 rating: C

Solid backup keeper who was only really used in the early cup rounds. This'll continue to be his role, he's been at Braga his whole career making him useful for registration purposes

 

Fabiano Souza:

Position: RB

Age: 22

Contract: €5.25k p/w until 2026

Appearances: 36(4)

Average rating: 7.04

21/22 rating: B-

Souza is a solid right back who just gets the job done. Received the most yellows last season (10)

 

Victor Gomez:

LOAN MADE PERMANENT 

Positon: RB

Age: 22

Contract: €9.75k p/w until 2025

Bought for: €2m from Espanyol

Appearances: 15(6) 

Average rating: 7.12

21/22 rating: B-

Brought in to compete with Souza, 2m seemed like a good deal to secure a backup

 

Tormena:

KEY PLAYER

Position: CB

Age: 26

Contract: €36.5k p/w until 2025

Appearances: 41(1), goals: 5

Average rating: 7.55

21/22 rating: A

A key defender last season, Tormena formed a solid partnership with Olivera. I renewed his contract to remove his 15m release clause amid interest from Real Madrid.

 

Paulo Oliveira:

Position: CB

Age: 30

Contract: €26.5k p/w until 2025

Appearances: 45, goals: 4

Average rating: 7.48

21/22 rating: A

The second highest appearance maker, narrowly behind Matheus, Olivera was solid all season and has grown in to his role as team leader and vice captain

 

Eliaquim Mangala:

Position: CB

Age: 31

Contract: €5.75k p/w until 2023

Appearances: 3(1)

Average Rating: 6.85

21/22 rating: C+

Brought in during January, Mangala didn't feature often but was used occasionally used as part of a back 5. He's still only 31 and could be an important player if he's able to regain some of the form that earned him a €52m move to Man City

 

Bruno Rodrigues

Position: CB

Age: 21

Contract: €4.95k p/w until 2026

Appearances: 11(5) 

Average Rating: 7.33

21/22 rating: B+

The youngsters size and marking ability makes him an exciting prospect, although his lack of pace could be an issue at the elite level. He should get plenty of game time in cup competitions

 

Nuno Sequira:

Position: LB

Age: 31

Contract: €6.95k p/w until 2024

Appearances: 41(3), assists: 7

Average rating: 7.04

21/22 rating: B

Sequira was the most advanced full back, pushing forward and providing 7 assists with his crossing ability. However he didn't have any real competition last season, which won't be the case from now on

 

Toni Lato:

NEW SIGNING

Position: LB

Age: 24

Contract: €9.25k p/w until 2025

Bought for: €3.5m from Valencia

Lato will likely start out as back up but the chance is there to break in to the team. He provides more athleticism but lacks Sequira's attacking ability

 

Khephren Thuram:

NEW SIGNING

Position: CM

Age: 21

Contract: €12.75k p/w until 2025

Bought for €3.8m from Nice

Could push for a starting spot early on, Thuram is a very well rounded midfielder who can play any role and could grow into a key cog in the midfield

 

Willot Swedberg:

NEW SIGNING

Position: CM

Age: 18

Contract: €7.5k p/w until 2026

Bought for: €5m from Celta Vigo

Outside Endrick, the most expensive signing of the window. Braga fought off interest from Man United for the teenager who's already been capped twice for Sweden. Much like Thuram, a well rounded midfielder who could be moulded in to any role

 

Andre Castro:

Position: CM

Age: 34

Contract: €8.25k p/w until 2024

Appearances: 32(8)

Average rating: 7.17

21/22 rating: B

The veteran will likely play a smaller role with the introduction of fresh blood into the midfield. He was key last season with this impressive engine and mental attributes

 

Uros Racic

LOAN MADE PERMANENT 

Position: CM

Age: 24

Contract: €18.5k p/w until 2024

Bought for: €5m from Valencia

Appearances: 31(14)

Average rating: 7.06

21/22 rating: B

Another loan with an option to buy, Racic soon became an important player with his ability to dictate play. 5m seemed like a no brainer and he goes in to the season as the only CM with a nailed down spot

 

Pierre Dwomoh:

LOAN MADE PERMANENT 

Position: AM

Age: 18

Contract: €8k p/w until 2025

Bought for: €1m from Antwerp

Appearances: 6(10)

Average rating: 7.07

21/22 rating: B--

After impressing during his loan spell, the youngster joined permanently in a cut price deal. He predominately got minutes in centre mid, but the plan is for him to grow in to a role as an attacking mid to compensate for his lackluster defending

 

Lukas Kacavenda

Position: AM

Age: 19

Contract: €15.75k p/w until 2026

Appearances: 9(1), assists: 4

Average rating: 7.21

21/22 rating: B+

Since joining in January the Croatian has gone from strength to strength and looks like one of the most talented prospects at the club. He'll be entrusted with a starting role and could become a star if he continues his previous form

 

Iuri Medeiros

KEY PLAYER

Position: RM

Age: 28

Contract: €38K p/w until 2027

Appearances: 37(4), goals: 20, assists: 24

Average rating: 7.63 (all comps)

21/22 rating: A+

Medeiros evolved from simply an important member of the attack to Braga's go to man in the second half of the season, however they'll need to avoid becoming over reliant on him. With 39 goal contributions in just 28 games, he was deservedly crowned the leagues MVP. He's adept at both crossing the ball and cutting inside to create chances or score himself

 

 

Lucas Piazon

BACK FROM LOAN

Position: RM

Age: 28

Contract: €5.75k p/w until 2025

Appearances: 19 (2) for Botafogo

Average rating: 7.20

In 2011/12 Piazon moved to Chelsea from his native Brazil, where he was subsequently farmed out on loan for close to a decade, making just a solitary league appearance and playing in 6/7 of Europe's top leagues. Although likely to stay a squad player, Piazon finally has a chance to turn his career around

 

Andre Horta

Position: LM

Age: 25

Contract: €24.5k p/w until 2027

Appearances: 36(6), assists: 10

Average rating: 7.05

21/22 rating: B

Horta initially started the season in attacking midfield but started playing more on the left following Ricardo Horta's departure. A silky player with excellent dribbling and passing, he'll be looking to add to his 10 assists from last season, however his return of just 3 goals last season will be a concern. A deeper midfield role could be a potential solution

 

Rodrigo Gomes

Position: LM

Age: 19

Contract: €3.2k p/w until 2027

Appearances: 6(8)

Average rating: 6.83

21/22 rating: C+

A very talented youngster, Gomes made his breakthrough in to the first team last season with his best performances coming in the cup. He'll continue to get minutes in the cup competitions and could push Horta for a starting role, although he can also play anywhere in the front 4

 

Hernani Infande 

Position: LM

Age: 21

Contract: €1.3k p/w until 2024

Appearances: 2(2)

Average rating: 6.88

21/22 rating: C

Although the youngster mostly played for Braga B last season, he'll likely have an increased role now that Lainez has finished his loan. Much like Gomes his versatility will be useful for depth, and the chance is there for more game time if he impresses when given the chance

 

Abel Ruiz

Position: ST 

Age: 22

Contract: €7.75 p/w until 2025

Appearances: 30(16), goals: 23

Average rating: 7.15

21/22 rating: A-

Ruiz started the season as back up to Ricardo Horta and Vitinha but was thrust into the limelight when the pair left in January. He quietly put together a run of very good form playing up front and ended the season as Braga's top scorer in all competitions. The question now is if the ex-Barca man can keep up this level and operate at a Champions league level

 

Fernando Llorente

Position: ST

Age: 38

Contract: €4.2k p/w until 2023

Appearances: 2(6)

Average rating: 6.74

21/22 rating: C-

A deadline day panic signing in January, Llorente is unlikely to get much game time and instead will serve as a mentor for the many young attackers in the squad. He's also one of the only players in the team with any experience at the game's highest level

 

Fer Nino

ON LOAN

Position: ST

Age: 21

Parent club: Villareal

Contract: €10.25k p/w (€17.25k unused)

After most of the budget was used up on Endrick, who won't arrive for two years, Fer Nino was brought in on loan from Villareal as a stopgap. However just calling him a stopgap would do the youngster a disservice as he brings genuine quality and could easily claim a starting place up front. He netted 12 goals in 7 games during under 21 internationals

 

Next Time: The Champions League awaits

wow you help Braga win the title well congrats

i cant wait from Braga to face Big Teams in CL Group Stage

[Cathal321]

Braga 22/23 (season 2):

 

Part 1: Europe

 

Starting out in pot 1, we were put in a group with Atletico, Leverkusen and Trabzonspor, which certainly felt like a winnable group that could be very tight

 

 

Unfortunately, our season got off to a terrible start with a 2-1 loss at home to Trabzonspor. Iuri Medeiros got himself sent off when the scores were tied 1-1 and the game certainly taught us not to disrespect the "smaller" teams in the champions league. It was a rude awakening about the level that would be required

 

 

A 1-0 away loss to Leverkusen followed as well as a 1-1 draw away to Atletico. These weren't bad results in of themselves but the loss to Trabzonspor left Braga with just a solitary point, knowing that 3 wins would likely be needed

 

The home game against Atletico dashed whatever hopes Braga had. Leading 1-0 going in to the closing minutes, Gimenez scored a header late on to level the game at 1-1.

 

This left us facing an early exit, however after a 2-0 win against group leaders Leverkusen a spot in the Europa league was still on the cards. All we had to do was draw against Trabzonspor in Turkey. 

 

 

It was a disaster. Hamsik and Maxi Gomez combined to put us 2-0 down within 10 minutes. After a tactical change, we got back in to the game through Abel Ruiz but were just never able to get the second goal before Trabzonspor finished things off with a late penalty. This left us bottom of the group, a heavily disappointing return to the champions league for a team who have never made it out of the group stages

 

 

Ultimately we just weren't good enough. There are certain players who were great in the league against weaker teams but just didn't have it against stronger opposition. It's also worth nothing that a win against Leverkusen and two draws against Atleti are solid results, it was the two losses to Trabzonspor that caused the issues. In fact 2 wins there would've put us top of the group

 

 

[Cathal321]

Braga 22/23 (season 2)

 

Part 2:

 

The idea of second season syndrome was on my mind going in to season 2. This team won the league as underdogs, outperforming xG and the narrative of getting Braga's first ever league title seemed to propel them towards glory. Despite going undefeated throughout August something seemed off early on

 

 

Two early draws instantly put us on the back foot before a very close call in the 4-3 win against Boavista, which was tied at 3-3 until Medeiros grabbed a late winner

 

 

Things stabilised before the world cup and Braga sat top of the table (albeit with others having games in hand) before heading in to a tough run of fixtures

 

Unfortunately, the good run of form was cut short by a dominant Porto side, now led by Marcello Galardo. This was then followed up by repeating the draws against Maritimo and Rio Ave from earlier in the season, two decent sides looking to make it in to Europe, but games that the reigning champions should be winning. Everything seemed to become a struggle, with the dominant wins seen last season a distant memory. Slender 1 goal wins became the norm and in February this lack of clinical finishing became a problem. Braga played out a frustrating 1-1 draw with Estoril Praia before their annual 0-0 draw against rivals Vitoria de Guimaraes. This left Braga adrift of Porto in the race for the title, although the messy schedule due to the world cup makes things hard to gauge

 

It's also important to note that Portugal dropped down in the league coefficient, meaning that only two teams would make the champions league for the 22/23 season, 3rd place would get Europa league and 4th and 5th the conference league playoffs. 

 

 

A change of tactics to a 4-3-3 produced more goals in the latter part of the season, however Braga still dropped points away to Benfica and Famalicao, leaving them a point behind Sporting with 2 games left. However, these games were against Porto and Benfica, and both ended as narrow losses as they once again flattered to deceive in the big moments. 

 

 

In the end it was a comfortable 4th place finish. An average season when taken on its own, but very disappointing when compared to the high of last season's title win. It was 13 points and 31 GD fewer than last season with largely the same team. A real regression to the mean and there's a lot of work ahead to not only crack the big 3, but make sure it permanently becomes a big 4

 

 

In the domestic cups, Braga had easy draws before facing one of the big 3 in both semi finals and getting knocked out.

 

 

Clearly something needs to change next year, whether it's tactically or rebuilding the team. In more promising news the B team were promoted to the second tier, a side that includes a lot of talented prospects. The under 19s won their domestic league and made it to the quarter finals of the UEFA Youth league before losing to Barcelona. It could be time for some of that young talent to make a breakthrough as Braga prepare to fight for their league title back and enter the conference league for the first time

[Cathal321]

22/23 Review:

 

I didn't write too much about this season because it was just rather average and uneventful. I'm hoping to go and win the conference league next year to add to Braga's trophy cabinet, it brings its own unique charm but it's also hopefully a competition we'll be able to avoid going forward.

 

Main issues:

 

1. Our performances against the big 3:

We've managed to beat every team who's finished in the bottom half of the league nearly every time both seasons, but this season in particular we've dropped too many points against the big 3, as shown by our head to head record. Just 1 win from 9 against them across the season

 

 

2. Too many draws against 5th-7th

This season we had a record of 1 win, 5 draws and 0 losses against Rio Ave, Maritimo and Vitoria de Guimaraes, the pack of sides who are a step below us. This is far too many dropped points and finding a way past them will be crucial. Even in our title winning season we were dropping points to these sides. Rio Ave in particular have produced a series of incredibly dull, low scoring games, just 3 goals in 4 matches

 

3. Recruitment

Although it could be too soon to say as a lot of the players brought in are very young, the squad is ultimately weaker than the one that started season 1. The new signings have failed to break in to the first team so far while other have regressed from season 1. Players like Vitinha, Ricardo Horta and Al Musrati were never fully replaced after big money sales. There's only an 8m budget for next season and it may be a case of needing to sell to buy to compete with the significantly higher wage bills of our rivals

 

 

The squad:

 

 

Matheus: GK, 30, B- 

Like most players, there was a drop off from last season. Towards the end of the season he started making uncharacteristic mistakes like missing the ball when going off his line, fluffing at corners etc. Will need to get back to his old form next year. Finished with 16 clean sheets, a drop off from last season's 26.

 

Tiago Sa: GK, 28, B+

I was impressed by Sa, who kept 6 clean sheets in his 8 appearances and did everything you'd want a back up keeper to do. He'll likely be given at least the early stages of the conference league next season so expect his game time to go up 

 

Fabiano Souza, RB, 23, B-

Continued the same level as last season, and wanted to leave at one point but eventually changed his mind. An ok player but definitely replaceable 

 

Victor Gomez, RB, 22, C+

At his best during cup competitions, Gomez was never really able to show his quality when it mattered most and was particularly poor in Europe. Decent back up option but unlikely to be much more

 

Tormena, CB, 27, A-

Braga's player of the year, Tormena was rock solid at the back again, providing Braga the platform to play attacking football

 

Paulo Olivera, CB, 31, A-

With the joint most appearances the experienced centre half formed a solid partnership with Tormena and was part of Portugal's world cup squad.

 

Bruno Rodrigues, CB, 22, A

The youngster finished the year with 18 league appearances and the highest average rating. Stepped up to the plate when Tormena was forced in to right back due to injuries and at times formed a solid back 3 off the bench to see games out

 

Elaquim Mangala, CB, 32, B+

Mangala would've likely seen the pitch more if not for the form of the other centre backs but he was reliable when required. Will leave the club to make way for younger players but he was serviceable and overall a solid free agent signing 

 

Nuno Sequeira, LB, 32, B

Almost identical stats to last season, he even matched his league tally of 1 goal and 5 assists. There's something to appreciate about that kind of consistency in a year that most players dropped off

 

Toni Lato, LB, 25, C-

A disappointing year for the new signing. The opportunity is certainly there to claim the starting spot from Sequeira, but he never really made the spot his own and needs to improve

 

Uros Swedberg, CM, 19, B

It was a solid year for the teenager. He didn't nail down a starting spot but has developed a lot and can expect increased playing time in the future

 

Khephren Thuram, CM, 22, B-

An alright start for the Italian who was mostly used off the bench, will be expected to step his performances up a level to be a regular starter 

 

Andre Castro, CM, 35, B+

Initially there were plans to phase out his involvement in the team, but he actually ended up playing more than last season and became the go-to partner for Racic. His 6 goals and 7 assists was a significant improvement on last season. Next season could be the last for the man who played for Porto all the way back in the early 2000s

 

Uros Racic, CM, 25, A-

Racic improved on last season and became a key player for Braga at the heart of the side. Capable of playing any role in midfield, Racic was capped several times for Serbia and will likely be an important player for the foreseeable future

 

Pierre Dwomah, CM/AM, 18, D+

Safe to say the experiment of moving him to attacking midfield didn't work, although he was just as ineffective as a CM. Unfortunately hasn't been able to regain the form that led us to buy him, a loan move could be on the cards for the youngster who still has plenty of time to develop

 

Lucas Piazon, AM/RM, 29, D

Perhaps predictably, this one will be chalked down as a failed experiment. Never really able to provide much value except against lower league cup opponents, Piazon is most certainly not up to the required and will be sent packing. A return to his native Brazil is most likely where he'll hopefully be able to finally settle down

 

Andre Horta, LM/AM, 26, D+

Horta dropped off from last season and wouldn't have played so many games if any of the alternatives were much better. At this stage it's clear he can't be relied upon to bring the team to the next level and will likely leave if the right offer comes in. However he's still played over 80 games across my two seasons here and will be remembered for being part of that title winning side

 

Lucas Kacavenda, AM, 20, C-

Another who's dropped off from last season, Kacavenda couldn't recapture his form from the back end of last season and was eventually dropped after the transition to 4-3-3. Still young with the potential to become an important player, he'll need to find a role in the new system and show improvement

 

Iuri Medeiros, RM, 29, B+

Although he couldn't replicate his form from last season, Medeiros still popped up with 15 goals and 15 assists and along with Ruiz was one of the only attackers who stood out. However his 2 red cards were costly which brings his rating down. Will continue to be a key player moving forward

 

Rodrigo Gomes, LM/RM, 20, C+

Saw a huge increase in playing time this season, and although he wasn't always consistent he showed glimpses of his potential. Also improved hugely attributes wise, but needs to up his performances to become a regular starter

 

Hernani Infande, LM/RM, 22, D

Never took his chances when given minutes and at 22, looks like his opportunity has come and gone. Eventually got sent to the B team and will either stay there or be sold

 

Abel Ruiz, ST, 23, A-

The top goalscorer, Ruiz settled in to his striker role with 26 goals in all competitions and tied with 3 others as the league's top scorer. The Spaniard will continue as the main man up front but does face interest from a number of premier league sides

 

Fer Nino, ST, 22, B+, (ON LOAN)

Although it took him a while to find his feet, Nino proved a useful option when Ruiz was injured and at time forced him to the left wing. Finished the season on 8 goals and it remains to be seen if he'll return on loan for another year

 

Fernando Llorente, ST, 38, A-

Retiring at the end of the season, Llorente became somewhat of a cult hero at Braga. Although he didn't quite have the legs to play stronger opposition he contributed 5 goals including the only goal against Faranese which was the 150th of his illustrious career. Can look back on an incredible career with pride

 

The journey continues in to 23/24 with the conference league 3rd round playoff. A far cry from the champions league which where we'll be aiming to get back to, but it offers a unique opportunity for silverwear and some European adventures. We'll be desperate to improve on 4th and also finally make it past the semis of a domestic cup

 

 

EDIT: Forgot to mention the other leagues, here's a quick roundup

 

World cup:

I didn't really get invested in this because it was never going to produce a story as compelling as the real world cup. in the end Belgium beat Uruguay in the final which just feels weird. Brazil and Spain exited at the group stage and most unrealistic of all Scotland qualified and beat Qatar in the opening game. Sweden beat France in the last 16 and Uruguay knocked out Argentina. Croatia finished 3rd and the Netherlands 4th 

 

Premier League:

As a United fan I was disgusted to find that Liverpool won the league with United finishing 14th (wtf?). Roberto Mancini now manages Arsenal and Luis Enrique Man United. Everton finished 7th and a West Brom side managed by Steve Bruce finished 20th on 20 points. Southampton successfully juggled their conference league campaign with the championship to regain promotion along with Blackburn and Forest. 

 

La Liga:

Barca win the league but shout-out to Osasuna who clinched 4th spot

 

Serie A:

Juventus win the league with Fiorentina 4th. Monza get relegated and lose to Southampton in the conference league knockouts

 

Ligue 1 and Bundesliga: Dull

 

Champions League: Liverpool beating City in the final made me feel sick, even worse they beat United in the quarters. I'm not a happy camper. Leverkusen beating Madrid the only big shock.

Europa: Dortmund beat Spurs in the final

Conference league: Galatasaray beat Arsenal in the final on penalties which is a nice result

 

 

Edited December 27, 2022 by Cathal321

[Cathal321]

Braga 23/24 review (season 3):

 

Going in to season 3 improvements were necessary after a disappointing second season. Getting back to competing for the title and a good run in Europe were my targets as we looked to regain some of the form that propelled us to a shock league title in season 1. Tactically the trusty 4-2-3-1 became more of a 4-3-3 which was similar tactically although slightly slower, aiming to retain possession more and gain more control. In the transfer market, things didn't start well with plenty of talented wonderkids opting for either flashier clubs or to stay put. After several weeks of searching however Maurtis Kjaergaard was bought in for €11.75m from RB Salzburg. The 20 year old is capable of playing anywhere across the front 3 and in midfield. He provided a direct replacement for Andre Horta who departed to Southampton for €6.25m. Victor Gomez, Lucas Piazon and Toni Lato also left the club. With the remaining budget, Alberto Moreno was brought in for €4.6m in a panicked attempt at finding a left back, and Fred joined on a free transfer to add competition in midfield. Youngsters Rodger Fernandes and Miguel Fale were promoted from the academy. Two right backs joined as Ivan Fresenda was bought from Real Valladolid for €1.7m and Yan Couto arrived from Man City on loan

 

Europe:

 

An absolute ****ing disaster. Before being able to play in the conference league proper, we first had to navigate a playoff game against Rosenborg. In Norway, what was a strong performance on paper led to a 1-0 loss thanks to a series of missed chances, most notably an Abel Ruiz missed penalty when the Norwegian side had gone down to 10 men

 

 

 

We went in to the home game at a disadvantage but knowing that we still had a good chance of progression. An early Rosenborg goal was cancelled out by Medeiros but after that came about 70 minutes of solid defending from the visitors who sat back and limited our chances. In the end the half chances we did get weren't converted and the night ended in tears and thrown bottles. The "European adventure" and "great chance for silverwear" was over... in August

 

 

The League:

Our league campaign in theory should've benefited from the lack of European football, but in reality it was a bit of a damp squib. Benfica led by Roger Schmidt took control of the league early on and never looked back, leading to a three way battle for 2nd which would provide a chance to return to the champions league. Porto lost Marcelo Gallardo mid season after he left to join Newcastle, he was replaced by Mauricio Pochettino who couldn't return Porto to last season's title winning form. They looked on course for 4th place for much of the latter part of the season. Sporting meanwhile started strong but dropped points constantly later down the line. We were comfortably 2nd for much of the run in, and although back to back defeats provided a brief scare, Sporting never had the consistency to capitalise

 

 

Second place is of course much better than last season's 4th. It provides a champions league spot if we can win our 2 playoff games and failing that it's at least guaranteed Europa League. However in saying that this was a frustrating season with little suspense and for most of it we looked stagnant. It was only 3 points better than season 2's total and our improved league position was really mostly down to Porto and Sporting's decline, something that we really shouldn't rely on. We finished with the same goal difference and less goals scored and left me thinking that big change is needed.

 

The Cups:

 

Our Taca de Portugal run lasted until just the 4th round with a penalty loss away to Arouca. I anticipated it being a tough game and fielded a strong team, and sure enough Arouca managed to match their 1-1 draw against us in the league from a week prior. Penalties were yet again our enemy and we went crashing out early on.

 

However the Allianz Cup was at least a bright spot in our season. We topped our group before defeating a struggling Porto side 2-0 in the semi final. This was a crucial game as Benfica and Sporting had both been knocked out at the group stage, and the semi final was always our ceiling in domestic cups before this season. The win felt almost cathartic, finally something promising

 

 

We faced Maritimo in the final just 4 days later. Heading in to the game we were on our strongest run of form all season and blew them away, a Ruiz hat trick wrapping the game up before the hour

 

 

It might've been deemed by the board as "not important" and only took 4 games to actually win the competition, but trophies always feel good and it really kept me going in a season that turned in to a bit of a slugfest. Finishing 2nd sets us up well for next year but also hammered home the point that a rebuild is needed to hit a new level, or even just to return to the level of season 1.

 

 

 

Edited January 18, 2023 by Cathal321

[Cathal321]

 

Player Reviews:

 

Matheus: GK, 31, B+

Matheus was much improved from last season's more shaky display. He reclaimed his title as the league's best keeper with the golden glove as well as being part of a defence that  conceded the fewest goals in the league

 

Tiago Sa: GK, 29, B

Not much to say with this one, he covered for Matheus's injury well and did general back up keeper things (like sitting on the bench for months at a time)

 

Fabiano Souza, RB, 24, D

Played badly, lost his place in the team before throwing a hissy fit and returning to Brazil in January for €1.2m. In truth it was only a matter of time before he got replaced 

 

Yan Couto, RB, 22, B+

He started a little slow but became a regular part of the back 4, chipping in with 6 assists. Man City demanded very low wages which makes this a shrewd bit of business and his loan has already been extended for next season

 

Ivan Fresenda, RB, 19, C

This signing was made deep in to the transfer window when I just couldn't find any full backs to save my life. He did a solid job when Couto disappeared for a month to play for Brazil's under 23s, but on the other hand the man is 5 foot 4 with a whopping 2 jumping reach and won't be a starter any time soon for that alone

 

Tormena, CB, 28, A-

Yet again our player of the year, Tormena was just rock solid all season and was rewarded with a spot in Portugal's Euros squad 

 

Paulo Olivera, CB, 32, A-

Olivera again finished the season with the most appearances and was one of our best players. He'll begin next season as a starter but his contract only has one more year and he currently doesn't want to renew, so he could be phased out of the side for a younger centre back

 

Bruno Rodrigues, CB, 23, B+

Had nowhere near the same amount of game time as last season, however he remains a useful back up option

 

Nuno Sequeira, LB, 33, B-

Any time Sequeira is meant to be replaced he regains his spot. On paper he should be no more than a back up but he simply out performs his competition and he also provided a handy 8 assists 

 

Alberto Moreno, LB, 31, C

Although he was supposed to come in and make the left back spot his own, he flattered to deceive despite a promising start. An offer has already been accepted from PSV for €8m, a tidy profit on a player who struggled to hold down a starting spot

 

Williot Swedberg, CM, 20, A

My personal pick for player of the season, Swedberg blossomed from simply a fringe player to one of the most important on the team. He changed roles from playmaker to mezalla which saw his return go from 0 goals and 1 assist to 17 goals and 8 assists. Huge breakout year for a player who'll be key to any system next season

 

Khephren Thuram, CM, 23, B+

Although he had his injury struggles, Thuram established himself as a key part of the midfield by the end of the season and was a solid presence in defensive midfield

 

Andre Castro, CM, 36, B

Castro was slowly phased out of the team in place of Swedberg and Thuram, however he performed reliably when called upon and maintained an impressive level for his age. He's leaving for CSKA Moscow on a free next season, a good servant to the club.

 

Uros Racic, CM, 26, B+

Racic played nearly every league game as a box to box midfielder. A reliable starter who does well in any role

 

Fred, CM, 31, C

Fred was available on a free for reasonable wages but lost his spot in the team and couldn't match the level of our other midfielders. I'd consider the transfer a success, but only because Besiktas bought him for a cool €9.5m in January

 

Lucas Kacavenda, LM, 21, C-

Time is very much running out for a player who I thought might've been part of the side long term. He's continued to be average in a number of roles with just enough flashes of quality to reel you back in to his trap. Could be sold to raise funds

 

Iuri Medeiros, RM, 30, D+

A sudden and dramatic loss of form over the course of 3 seasons, last season now seems less a blip and more the start of a downwards trajectory. Went from 20 goals and 24 assists in season 1 to just 6 goals and 7 assists this season which has massively contributed to our lack of goals. Will be sold for the right bid

 

Maurtis Kjaergaard, LM, 20, B

It was a mixed start to live in Portugal for the Dane but by the end of the season he'd firmly established himself as the go-to option at left wing. Ended the season in strong form and the potential is certainly there for him to push on

 

Rodrigo Gomes, LM/RM, 21, C-

A youngster with a lot of potential that I've been trying to ease in, Gomes simply hasn't backed up his game time with strong performances so far. Perhaps got more of a pass than Kacavenda because he's an academy product, he'll need to improve on his 5 goal return next season

 

Roger Fernandes, LM, 18, B-

Mostly involved off the bench, Fernandes showed promise but this season might've been a little too soon for the youngster to make a huge impact. He has big potential and I've been watching his development closely through the youth teams

 

Abel Ruiz, ST, 24, B

Ruiz's output slowed this year but he remains the team's top scorer on 19 goals and the focal point of the attack. He could be asked to play a more supporting role to Endrick next season

 

Miguel Fale, ST, 20, B-

After a strong year for the B team, Fale was given a chance as Ruiz's back up and chipped in with 6 goals mostly off the bench. A respectable return for a player who'll be looking to push on given that he's now 20

 

Next season will see a big tactical shake up as I attempt to freshen things up after 2 years that are really a far cry from what we accomplished in season 1. The current set up has most certainly been found out and some big players haven't been properly replaced. Next season will finally see the arrival of Endrick, our record signing. He'll likely start from the beginning in a 2 striker set up. It'll also see the arrival of young Egyptian Khaled Mohamed who's a CB/RB/CM/AM/RM, nobody's quite figured it out yet. He has 15 caps for Egypt as an 18 year old and I'll likely train him to be a RB because I have a thing for full backs. Youngsters Sisse and Costa will be promoted from a B team that finished 2nd in the second tier after only just gaining promotion. This'll continue our strong run of academy players being phased in to the first team, a trend that could continue for quite some time as both the under 23s and under 19s won their league title. I'll hopefully be back soon with good news from the transfer market and from our quest to return to the champions league group stages.

[Sonic Youth]

On 12/12/2022 at 10:26, Cathal321 said:

Braga's members (socios) have own and operated the club throughout it's history

Until Qatar came calling (from wiki):

OwnerQatar Sports Investments (21,67%) 
Sundown Investments Limited (17,04%)

Not sure who that Sundown Investments Limited group is.

[Cathal321]

3 hours ago, Sonic Youth said:

Until Qatar came calling (from wiki):

OwnerQatar Sports Investments (21,67%) 
Sundown Investments Limited (17,04%)

Not sure who that Sundown Investments Limited group is.

I looked into it and it's a minority stake, so I think it's still mostly fan owned. But still, it's uncomfortable that it seems to be following that model of owners buying up multiple clubs like the city group have done

[Sonic Youth]

14 hours ago, Cathal321 said:

I looked into it and it's a minority stake, so I think it's still mostly fan owned. But still, it's uncomfortable that it seems to be following that model of owners buying up multiple clubs like the city group have done

It surprised me too when I found out that they had bought a minority stake.

[Sonic Youth]

Benfica are tough! They don’t leave much room to drop points. You almost need a perfect season to win the league.

[Cathal321]

Braga 24/25 (season 4)

 

Can we get back to the champions league?

 

Our season started with the long awaited signing of Endrick, brought in for €16m from Palmerias. A club record signing, the plan is to start him up front alongside Abel Ruiz and hope he meets up to his massive potential.

 

Elsewhere, Iuri Medeiros became the latest of our players to move over to the premier league after we accepted a €17.75m offer from Fulham. This is a bid I would've automatically rejected in seasons gone by, as there was a point where he averaging close to an 8 each game. However his decline has been sudden and I decided to take the money instead of gambling on whether he'd regain form. His sale also allowed us to bring in a hatful of talented youngsters

 

 

Everyone we brought in is exactly 18 years old, aside from Axel Casas who's 20. Along with this we also promoted Edgar Sisse and Joao Costa from last season's very successful B team in order to give the team a much needed injection of new energy. My primary goal right now is to stop the stagnation of the last two seasons and to try and build a team that can grow together. I'm sure that at least some of these players will become world beaters, and either bring us glory or at the very least a healthy profit.

 

Along with a revamp of the playing squad, I've decided to change tactics. What does any proper English manager do when faced with adversity? 4-4-****ing 2.

 

 

The starting 11 is still very similar to last season's, a lot of the youngsters will get their chance to impress and could break in to the first team. In particular I'm looking for my back up full backs to step up. Casas should push the ageing Sequeira at left back whilst Mohamed and Fresenda will be eyeing up the right back spot considering that Couto is only here on loan. Mariano Suarez could be a long term solution at centre half. Tactically, the team will look to retain the defensive solidity that's been key throughout my time here, remaining compact and narrow if the counter press fails. The main change is in our attacking set up with the switch to 2 up front. There'll be less attention to slowly working the ball into the box and more on a higher tempo style that utilises the attack's natural fluidity and attacking talent. Swedberg will be looking to burst in to gaps left by the centre backs that are already occupied by Endrick and Ruiz. I want the attack to constantly be looking for space, both on the flanks and from runs in behind, with less focus on ball retention. 

 

The Qualifiers:

 

 

Last season in Norway we learned to never take qualifiers for granted. Realistically, these teams are much closer to us in budget than those in the group stage. We dealt with the qualifiers perfectly this time. Abel Ruiz picked up a 2 month injury but Endrick stepped up perfectly in his absence. We started the season in incredible form with the 7-1 win against Antwerp, Swedberg grabbing a hat trick and Endrick netting twice on his debut. The 4-1 loss was with an entirely rotated line up that at one point had me scared about a Barca-PSG type situation, but we made it through 8-5 on aggregate. The 5-1 against Kyiv was another fantastic win, although this time I limited the rotation in the second leg to send us through to the group stage. 

 

 

Unlike season 2, the draw wasn't kind to us. Setting us up with Bayern Munich, Chelsea and Shakhtar. After looking through the premier league I couldn't find a team that was anywhere close to our wage bill. In fact 9 championship teams pay more in wages than us. Going through the top 4 leagues, only 3 teams had a smaller wage bill, to really hammer home the point that we're still huge underdogs on the European stage.

 

 

In the league we've started off with 4 wins from 4, including a big 2-0 win over Sporting. Porto and Benfica dropped points multiple times which sets us up in 1st place early on

 

Next Time: The lads tour Munich and London

Edited February 6, 2023 by Cathal321

[Sonic Youth]

Top start making the group stages of ECL. Time to rattle Bayern Munich and Chelsea like you’re doing with the big three in Portugal 

[Cathal321]

Braga Season 4: Europe

 

We knew how hard it would be coming up against Chelsea and Bayern Munich with just a fraction of the budget, but I felt we held our own well. In the opening game at the Allianz Arena we took a 1-0 lead before a red card for Swedberg forced us in to a more defensive shape. Eventually we fell to a Sane winner in the 94th minute. Up next was a frustrating 0-0 with Shakhtar Donetsk, a game I felt we really needed to win, before a 4-0 loss away to Chelsea led to us facing an early exit. I learnt that you can't always play the way you want to against the big boys, and at home parked the bus so hard that Jose would be proud. By the end of the game we had 8 defenders in this monstrosity, but lost due to needlessly giving the ball away late on 

 

 

Up next was one of the most ridiculous games I've played in FM. A 10-0 (TEN!) win against Shakhtar. The only explanation I have for this is that they were forced to play an 18 year old with 5 jumping reach in defence and we spammed them with crosses all game. Still though, we come up against whole teams with players who are that level in the cup, and never get close to this kind of blowout. I believe this hame is actually a record for the biggest win in the Champions League, and against a team who'd only just held us to a 0-0 a few weeks prior

 

 

Our final game was a 2-2 draw with Bayern, a dead rubber at that stage, but we went toe to toe with them before falling to a 95th minute equaliser. This led the final group to look like this:

 

Off to the Europa it was where we easily made it past RB Salzburg 9-1 on aggregate. In the round of 16 we met one of the 5 English teams still somehow in the competition...Everton. Led by Frank Lampard and featuring Dele Alli. I must admit I underestimated them, and the FM version of Lampard's Everton quickly taught me how strong even mid table premier league teams are. They won 4-2 at our stadium with Alli dropping a masterclass performance. At Goodison Park we went all out to try and close the 2 goal deficit and managed to take a 3-1 lead thanks to 2 late goals. However, Gordon managed to grab the all important goal late on to send Everton through 6-5 on aggregate

 

The League:

 

Our league form was incredible for the majority of the season. All of the rest of the big 3 failed to really step up as challengers and it was clear that a low points tally would win us the league. We led by a whole 15 points by the time March came around and we looked unbeatable.

 

 

The key to our success was a deadly strike partnership between Abel Ruiz (33 goals) and Endrick (29 goals). Joao Costa also scored 14 goals as back up striker. The plan was to play the ball fast and in to space, causing a lot of 1v1s and goals from crosses. Left back Sequeira had his best season for us at age 34, providing 14 assists. Couto provided 12 assists from right back. It was also a breakout year for winger Rodrigo Gomes who had 17 assists, while Swedberg chipped in with 17 goals from midfield. We gained an ability to blow teams out of the water with that kind of power.

 

However, that form didn't last all the way through the season. By the time we faced Porto we were only 4 points ahead of them in a crucial title clash. A combination of injuries, fatigue and perhaps complacency led us to a very erratic run of games where we'd regularly flip from shock defeat to convincing win 

 

 

This run started with a 3-2 loss to Feriense despite being 2-0 up at one stage. They'd also held us to a 0-0 with 10 men earlier in the season. The 8-1 against Rio Ave was particularly notable because more goals were scored in that game then all our other league meetings combined over my 4 years as manager. Thankfully, we got the job done against Porto which stretched our lead to 7 points and saved me from a tense final 3 games. At this stage of the season Matheus and Tormena were both out injured leading to a makeshift looking backline, but 3 goals from our forward duo put us on course for a second league title

 

 

 

Unfortunately, both our run in both domestic cups ended early, with a 2-1 loss to Porto in the Taca de Portugal 5th round and a 2-1 loss to Sporting in the Allianz Cup semis. However, the blow was soften by Pacos de Ferreira beating Benfica in the final of the Taca. This has the knock on effect of leaving Benfica with Conference League football next season and knocking Sporting out of Europe altogether. Rio Ave were notably impressive this year, breaking up the usual top 4 finishers by finishing a whole 14 points ahead of a lackluster Sporting side.

 

 

Despite a bumpy end that had me worried about the world's biggest bottle job, it was still a dominant display with several standout performers. Abel Ruiz averaged nearly a goal a game and finished with a really impressive 7.79 average rating and is surely a shoe-in for player of the year. We took 1st place from the very first game and stayed there for the entire season. The question now is whether we can do what we never could back in season 1: retain the title and push on from here.