[FM21] South America Adventure (Step 4: Paraguay - Club Fernando de la Mora)

[DaNascimento]

South America Adventure

South America - a continent full of wonderkids and good footballers. But also a region with few financial ressources. I want to discover this a bit more, but not just on the sunny side of the successful teams like River Plate, Palmeiras or Flamengo, also in less good leagues like Venezuela or Bolivia. So let me introduce you to my South America Adventure.

The rules are easy: Win the championship in every nations of South America, if possible with a team, that never won it before. Playable are all the leagues in the above shown countries. The aim is to start in one of the worst-ranked leagues like bolivia, venezula or peru.

So let's jump into this!

 

Career

2020 - Trujillanos F.C. (Opening Stage: 7th / Playoffs: Final Runner-up) / (Closing Stage: 7th / Playoffs: Final Runner-up)

2021 -  Trujillanos F.C. (Opening Stage: 5th / Playoffs: Final Runner-up) / (Closing Stage: 3rd / Playoffs: Champion) 

2022 - Atlético River Plate (Opening Stage: 3rd) / (Closing Stage: 3rd) / (Overall Table: 2nd)

2023 -   Atlético River Plate (Opening Stage: 3rd) / (Closing Stage: 9th) / (Overall Table: 4rd)

2024 - Atlético River Plate (Opening Stage: 2nd) / (Closing Stage: 1st) (Playoff vs Penãrol: Champion)

2025 - ADFP Club Cienciano (Opening Stage: 3rd) / (Closing Stage: 2nd) (Playoff vs Cusco: Champion)

2026 - Club Fernando de la Mora (Opening Stage: 4th) / (Closing Stage: 2nd)

2027 - Club Fernando de la Mora (Opening Stage: 2nd)

 

Edited January 22, 2023 by DaNascimento

[DaNascimento]

Job-Hunt

We start the save at the beginning of 2020, because most of the leagues in south america is played from january till the end of the year. In order to the league ranking we should start in bolivia. But as long as there is no job avaiable, it looks like our journey leads us to peru or venezuela. Application for all jobs went out and the first club which will offer us a contract will be our starting point.

So it's FC Trujillanos from Venezuela. The only south american country, that never qualified for a world cup. Venezuela is economically probably the worst spot to start, but let's face this challenge.

Trujillanos F.C. has won twice the Copa Venezuela but never the championship. A pretty average club in a pretty average league. More to come.

[DaNascimento]

Trujillanos Fútbol Club is located in the nort-west of Venezuela. It was founded in 1981. In 1989 the club secured his first promotion to the Primera Division. The only successes of the club is the win of the Copa Venezuela in 1992 and 2010. 2008 Trujillanos was relegated to Segunda Division. Two years later they made it to the Primera Division again.

Our homebase is the Estadio José Alberto Pérez. A stadium built in 1976 and with a capacity of 30.000.

 

The Team

Pretty decent squad, i think i can work with that. A good amount of expierenced players and a bunch of young talents. Tactically we will start with a 4-2-3-1 formation.

 

The League

So here it gets interessant. Like most of the south american leagues, the Primera Division or in FM the Liga de Fútbol Profesional de Venezuela is splitted in an Opening an Closing Stage. In the Opening Stage between January and July we play every team once. After 18 games the best eight teams qualify for the playoffs, where the champion of the Opening Stage is crowned. Same thing in the Closing Stage between August and November. In the end the two champions play another two games against each other, to see who will be the champion. A bit a wild ride, but lets go!

[DaNascimento]

January - February 2020

Really good start with four wins in a row. Didn't expect that. Guerra looks like a pretty good scorer. Our aim is to get a playoff-spot.

[DaNascimento]

March - April 2020

After the fulminant start, we landed back in reality. Just two wins in the last seven games. Not what we want to achieve.

First four teams secured their playoff-spots. If we continue like in the last games, we could become some troubles.

[DaNascimento]

May - June 2020

So after another loss and a goalles draw, the team wanted a dreadful finish for a playoff-spot on the last gameday. Luckly Atlético Venezula was already qualified and didn't go all-in, so we could secure our place in the playoffs with a 2-0 victory!

 

Playoffs

We face Monagas SC, who ended the Opening Stage on the fourth place. 

 

Playoff-Quarterfinal

We started with the perfect away game. A 3-1 win is a good basis for the re-game.

Which we lost. But luckly we scored one goal more than our opponents and secured our spot in the semi-final!

 

Playoff-Semifinal

A late equalizier by Salcedo gave us a good position for the re-game.

No goals and we are in the Final of the Opening Stage. Don't know how we really did this, but thats why playoffs shouldn't be a way to crown a football-champion!

 

Playoff-Final

In the end Caracas is just a league above us. No chance and a 0-3 loss.

At least we could save our honour with a 2-2 draw. But the title goes to the capital city. 

Now we start the preparation for the closing stage.

 

Edited December 30, 2022 by DaNascimento

[willemvandoorn15]

Amazing to get thru to the final of the playoffs..

I hope u can give a good display in the closing stage!!

[DaNascimento]

vor 1 Stunde schrieb willemvandoorn15:

Amazing to get thru to the final of the playoffs..

I hope u can give a good display in the closing stage!!

thanks! was also surprised, that we did it. even if i want to finish venezuela as fast as possible, would it have been a bit too quick.

[DaNascimento]

July - August 2020

Through the transfer-window we didn't do much business. There is not much cash avaible here. Season started with a hauler against Lara and then a crucial defeat against Carabobo. Afterwards the team catch itself and found back to track. Highlight in August was the 4-1 victory over Táchira. 

[willemvandoorn15]

5 hours ago, DaNascimento said:

thanks! was also surprised, that we did it. even if i want to finish venezuela as fast as possible, would it have been a bit too quick.

Quick? how do u mean? Just let the simulation play out?

Sometimes FM is too easy and other times its too hard, C'est la vie.

[DaNascimento]

vor 46 Minuten schrieb willemvandoorn15:

Quick? how do u mean? Just let the simulation play out?

Sometimes FM is too easy and other times its too hard, C'est la vie.

sorry for the misunderstood. with quick i meant winning a title already after a half year and finish venezuela after the first season and rush to the next country  

[DaNascimento]

September - October 2020

Decent month. Out of the Copa Venezuela in the Eighth Final and a 1-6 loss against Caracas, that hurts. At the end of the closing stage, we're finding ourselves again in trouble for the Playoff-Qualification.

Youth Intake was also not the best. Maybe a future keeper, if he develops good. But we took all the players, to fill up our U20-Squad.

[DaNascimento]

November - December 2020

With two draws we end the Closing Stage on the 7th place and qualify again for the playoffs!

 

Playoffs

In the first round we face Guaros de Lara. Probably the weakest opponent we could get!

A tight win at home, even if Lara was the better team!

Same thing at the re-game. Lara was better, but we scored the goals. Up to the semifinals!

 

Playoff-Semifinal

Well, that's a statement! Away we win with 4-1 over Deportivo La Guaira!

And also in the re-match were scored many goals. In the end we win 3-2 and qualify again for the Playoff-Final!

 

Playoff-Final

Our win-strike continues in the final! A 3-1 win at home over Atlético Venezuela, is this the title?

Nope! In the re-game we experience a nightmare. Torrealba with a horrible game. He misses a penalty after half an hour and is later sent off. Atlético Venezuela is on this day simply more ready than us.

 

Season-End-Review

 

Overall-Table

We made it to the 7th place. But with two final-qualifications and one hand on the title, we can be happy with this season. There will be no relegation this season, because two teams will promote and next season there will be 21 teams in the Primera Division. Now on to another year in Venezuela.

[willemvandoorn15]

U narrowly missed the title that must sour, i hope u can still find the motivation to show something the 2nd year

[DaNascimento]

vor 7 Stunden schrieb willemvandoorn15:

U narrowly missed the title that must sour, i hope u can still find the motivation to show something the 2nd year

yeah, that one hurted. but we will come back stronger

[DaNascimento]

Transfers 2021

Not really much cash, but at least more than last year. Focus will be on free players.

So we brought in two new starters.

Spoiler

Mayer Vidal will be our new main striker. He comes with the big experience of two profi-games. But he's ability should be enough for venezuelan football.

Spoiler

The big sign is brazilian right back Valdir. Young and promising and Trujillanos will be probably just a small step in his career.

The Squad for the new season. We are more broadly positioned than last year, so hopefully we can be more competitive!

[DaNascimento]

January - February 2021

So the new season started, like the old one has ended: With a crucial 0-3 defeat. But for the team that was luckly a wake-up-call. Because afterwards we didn't lose a game yet. February was a solid month with five wins in a row. Especially our strikers are in a good form.

[DaNascimento]

March - April 2021

Mixed month. At the beginning we can continue our good strike. In the Copa Sudamericana Preliminiary Round we lost against Mérida - so no international football for us. But probably better, that we can focus on the league and don't have more fixtures in this thight calendar. At the end of April we faced Monagas and Caracas - two of our hardest opponents - and didn't had a chance. A small foretaste for the playoff-fights. But first we need to secure qualification in the last three games.

[DaNascimento]

May - June 2021

With one win and two draws in the last three games we qualify for the playoffs!

And there we face... Caracas! Probably the worst thing we could get..

 

Playoffs

Well, what a start into the thrilling phase of the season. With games like this probably everyone says yes to playoffs in football. Caracas was way the better team, but we somehow managed to score 5 goals.

Another crucial ending. We were as good as eliminated till José Parra scored the late equalizer and sent us through to the semifinals!

 

Playoff-Semifinal

An unspectacular draw in the homegame against Táchira.

And what a re-game. Fantastic performance from the team brings us to the final. Alexander Guerra scored a hattrick within three minutes!

 

Playoff-Final

The final gives us again a duell with Atlético Venezuela. In the homegame we get another draw. Painful is the late yellow card for Valdir. He's going to miss the final now due to a ban.

And history is repeating again... We did not start the game well and our goal came to late. So we have to congratulate Atlético Venezuela again and wait for our next chance.

[willemvandoorn15]

At least youre mounting promoting challenges already thats good.

Edited January 2, 2023 by willemvandoorn15

[DaNascimento]

vor 20 Minuten schrieb willemvandoorn15:

At least youre mounting promoting challenges already thats good.

haha thanks. the league and their rules are allready a huge challenge 

[DaNascimento]

July - August 2021

Another Closing Stage is starting. We didn't do any transfers in the summer window and it looks like the team has overcome the second crucial final defeat in a row mentally good. Especially José Parra, who was in the first year not a regular starter, turns out to be a secret weapon. Leading us to a 5-0 victory in the opener against Zamora, scoring four goals and setting a new club record for most goals in a game. Against Táchira the team again scored five goals.

At the end of August we're still unbeaten, won seven out of nine games and one name always appears on the scoreboard: José Parra. With 12 goals in the first 11 games the striker is on a brillant run and brings us almost single-handed to the top of the table! Don't want to imagine, what will be possible, if he continues like this.

[DaNascimento]

September - October 2021

In September, the Copa Venezuela started again. In the second round, we met FC Aragua, whom we narrowly defeated. In the league, we had a bit of a slump. Apart from the narrow win against Carabobo, we could only draw against weaker opponents. We also drew the first leg of the cup quarter-final. Not the best month.

October, on the other hand, was better again. First we beat FC Portuguesa twice. José Parra scored another hattrick in the Copa. In the league, an important win over Monagas and a draw against Caracas followed. In the Copa, we reached the semi-finals after two high-scoring games against Minerva de Guayana. The final game was a 6-1 victory over Lala, who had already been relegated. José Parra scored another hattrick. 

Two games to go and allready qualified for another Playoffs!

[DaNascimento]

November - December 2021

Terrible way to end the Closing Stage. In the Copa we are eliminated against Deportivo La Guaira. We also lose the last two league games. Luckily we were already qualified for the playoffs.

 

 

Playoffs

Of course, we will meet FC Caracas again right at the beginning.

Valdir could have been the hero. Unfortunately, he misses one of the two penalties and thus keeps the suspense alive for the second leg.

In the second leg, we take an early lead. After that, the team was probably a bit too confident. Caracas comes back into the game with a double strike. In the end, we keep the upper hand thanks to the away goal. A close thing...

 

Playoff-Semifinal

Aragua is the next opponent.

After the sending off against Andara we play for half an hour with a shorthanded team. Aragua is able to capitalise on this shortly before the end and we have a deficit to make up in the second leg.

With the fans behind us, we can turn things around at home. Sandrea with a late breakaway and a ticket to another final - the fourth in a row.

GV Maracay makes it to the final. A big surprise and maybe our chance to finally win a final?

 

Playoff-Final

A strong game from Joantony Carmona puts us in a good position. But we already had that in the previous two finals...

But this time we won't let anything go to waste. We come out of the half-time strong and overrun the opponent with three goals within nine minutes. So we finally win silverware! But there are still two games to go.

 

Liga FutVe Champions Playoff

In the last two games of the year, the champion of the Opening Stage and the champion of the Closing Stage duel it out to determine the champion of the year. We face Atlético Venezuela, with whom we have at least two scores to settle.

No goals in the first leg and the sending off for Valdir. Not a good omen for the second leg.

Another draw, but fortunately we scored the away goal. A close one, but now we can finally cheer.

Finally we have made it. Venezuela is now complete!

 

[DaNascimento]

Season-End-Review

Here they are, the champion team! The player of the season is clearly José Parra. 41 goals in 52 games - what a record! Even though he only scored one goal in the playoffs. His partner in attack Alexander Guerra was also convincing with 16 goals. Newcomer Mayer Vidal, on the other hand, was a disappointment. The injury-prone Colombian only scored eight goals. The signing of right-back Valdir was also a decisive factor. With ten goals and eight assists, the Brazilian contributed significantly to the title win.

 

Trujillanos have finally won a championship title. Our mission is therefore finished here.

First step accomplished.

 

 

bye bye venezuela and on to the next country!

 

Edited January 5, 2023 by DaNascimento

[DaNascimento]

Job-Hunt

there are not so many jobs available after the turn of the year. The three jobs in Brazil are already eliminated, as Brazil is in first place in the country ranking. Ecuador is also a bit too early. So it looks like our path leads to either Bolivia or Uruguay. The applications go out accordingly.

the first team to offer an interview is Atlético River Plate. So lets do that!

[DavidBeckham]

Congrats on completing Venezuela mate! Fantastic job so far! Good luck at Atlético River Plate

[DaNascimento]

vor 2 Stunden schrieb DavidBeckham:

Congrats on completing Venezuela mate! Fantastic job so far! Good luck at Atlético River Plate

thanks mate!

[DaNascimento]

So we have arrived in Uruguay, or rather in the capital Montevideo.Club Atlético River Plate was founded in 1932. The club has nothing to do with its Argentinian namesake, but was formed at that time from a merger of Olimpia FC and CA Capurro. The new club took the name River Plate from a successful club in the early days of Uruguayan football, the four-time champions River Plate Football Club, which was dissolved in 1929. Club Atlético River Plate was founded in 1932. The club has nothing to do with its Argentinian namesake, but was formed at that time from a merger of Olimpia FC and CA Capurro. The new club took the name River Plate from a successful club in the early days of Uruguayan football, the four-time champions River Plate Football Club, which was dissolved in 1929. In its long history, River Plate has never won a major national or international title, although it has spent 62 seasons (as of 2010) in Uruguay's top flight since the introduction of professional football. So it's time to change that! Last season, the club finished in 5th place.

The club's home is a little gem, because its located in a parque. We play our matches in the Estadio Parque Federico Omar Saroldi. 

 

The Team

A solid and young team, which has pletty of potential. I can work with that. The star of the team is striker Mauricio Affonso. We have to extend his expiring contract as soon as possible.

 

The League

As in Venezuela, the league will be divided into an opening and a closing stage. Logically, however, there is only one champion per year, as at the end of the year the winner of the Opening will compete against the winner of the Closing Stage to determine the champion. In the summer break between the two stages, there is a tournament called the Intermedio. At the end of the year, the three teams with the lowest average score are relegated.

 

Youth Intake

Shortly after my arrival, the Youth Intake took place in January. A nice inaugural gift, as we can take in some interesting talents.

[DaNascimento]

January - February 2022

Before we could start the season properly, we were overrun by a veritable wave of injuries. Thiago Borbas and Mateo Pereyra will be missing for several months. Our experienced goal scorer Mauricio Affonso will also be out for at least a month.

 

Despite the heavy absences, we manage a good start to the season. Borbas contributes two goals in the first two games, including the point win against Peñarol, before he signs off for three months due to injury. We then suffer our first major defeat away to Nacional. Fortunately, we recover quickly from that. Against Villa Teresa, who have almost the same logo as us, we win narrowly. Liverpool FC have a prestigious name but don't stand a chance against us on the pitch. We finish the month with a 4-0 win.

A good start to the season. We can build on this.

[DaNascimento]

March - April 2022

 

March left us with mixed feelings. We had convincing victories against Fénix and Bostón River. However, the draw against Atenas and the defeat against Progreso were actually avoidable losses of points.

Then, in April, we were hit by violent injuries again. Even though these were only rotation players, we are currently very unlucky with injuries.

In terms of play, however, things were better again. We were beaten by Montevideo City Torque at home, but after that the team delivered steadily. The last five games resulted in five victories. A run that almost put us in the running to win the Opening Stage. In the end, however, Peñarol and Nacional were four points ahead. Both finished the stage with 36 points. In the deciding duel, Peñarol won 2:0 and crowned itself the winner of the Opening Stage. But we can be more than satisfied with third place. 

In the qualifiers we had to play against league rivals Bóston River. We were able to win the duel by a narrow margin. Unfortunately, the draw resulted in a very difficult group. Recife and Vélez Sarsfield are clearly stronger than us and only the first-placed team qualifies for the next round.

Unfortunately, we also lost the opening match in Peru with 0:3. We improved against Sarsfield, but still had to admit defeat with 1:2. So after two games, our backs are already against the wall.

[DaNascimento]

May - June 2022

Passable but not a brilliant performance in the Copa Sudamericana. But advancing would have been premature. The team can't really keep up internationally yet. We were able to earn two draws against Recife. Especially the away game will be remembered because Nicolás Gonzalez equalised the 0:2 lead of the Brazilians in the 91st and 94th minute. At home against Sarsfield, on the other hand, we suffered the opposite fate. A hat-trick by Mauro Da Luz was not enough as the Argentines turned the game around in the 87th and 92nd minutes. At least we had a conciliatory ending with a brilliant 5:2 victory against Club Cienciano. However, the performance was not enough for more than the final rank.

 

Because league play in Uruguay is suspended between April and August and the Intermedio tournament does not start until July, we only played a few test matches against weaker teams in June. Not really meaningful games, but the high victories are at least good for morale.

 

Former Club

Trujillanos F.C. unfortunately couldn't build on their previous performances after my departure and missed the playoffs for the first time in two years. Without any major departures or additions, the team only finished the Opening Stage in 16th place under the new coach - a bitter disappointment for the reigning champions. Speaking of champions, the Opening Stage was won by UC de Venezuela, a newly promoted team. 

[DaNascimento]

July - August 2022

We are only bringing one new player into the team in the summer. In midfield we still had a bit few options, especially we needed a good ball-winning player. Fortunately, Santiago Martinez's contract with Cerro Largo expired. With him, we gain an experienced man for our midfield.

 

The Intermedio tournament gave us time to test the players with less playing time. Especially Thiago Borbas, who returned from a long injury, knew how to use his chance and convinced with 5 goals. In the end, however, Atlético Peñarol won the group and once again played the final against Club Nacional.

Somit sollten wir bereit sein für die Closing Stage, die mit einem Heimspiel gegen Sud América begann. Die Mechanismen funktionierten aber noch nicht so richtig und wir konnten einen knappen Sieg durch ein spätes Tor von Da Luz mitnehmen. Danach stand bereits der Kracher gegen Peñarol an. Dieser sollte aber im Debakel enden. Gleich mit 1:4 wurden wir aus dem Stadion geschossen. Immerhin nutzten wir die Wut über diese heftige Niederlage im Spiel gegen Nacional, wo wir uns zuhause mit einem 2:0 Sieg rehabilitieren konnten.

[DaNascimento]

September 2022

What a month. Four consecutive victories. We are playing better than ever before. We swept Villa Teresa 3-0 from the pitch. Liverpool are no match for us either, 4-2. At Fénix, the team shows morale and even turns the game around after conceding a late goal. And finally, against Atenas, we turn a 0:2 deficit into a 3:2 victory. So everything was perfect? Not at all!

After the win against Fénix, several players are suddenly standing in the office. First and foremost, captain Agustín Ale, who is unhappy with the depth of the squad and has goaded some of his teammates. I seem to have lost confidence in the team? For ****'s sake! We are playing the season of our lives right now and we are on record course and this is the thanks we get?! Let's see if we are still here in October or if another puppet will take over.

Offtopic: Unfortunately, I am currently struggling with the problem that the entire history of my coaching career has disappeared. Probably AntiVirus has deleted a corresponding file. Of course, I can continue to play the save without any problems, but this little flaw is really annoying me right now. With such a journeyman-career, I would like to have an overview of the career. But it looks like I'll have to live with the self-created history in the thread here.

Edited January 6, 2023 by DaNascimento

[DaNascimento]

October 2022

 

At the beginning we can keep our good form. We win 5:2 at Atlético Progreso, with Borbas scoring a hat-trick. Against Bostón River, we just managed a 1-0 win, but it was already noticeable that the team was slowly but surely taking its toll on the high tempo. The top match against Montevideo City Torque was a goalless draw, as was the match against Cerro Largo. We were beaten 1-0 by Wanderers before we managed two more 1-0 victories. In the final match against Club Plaza Colonia, the points were shared again. This meant that we slipped down to third place. The Closing Stage was won by Peñarol and City Torque. The latter won, relatively surprisingly, on penalties. The championship, however, went to Atlético Peñarol.

 

End of the year table

We finish our first year with River Plate in second place. We can definitely be satisfied with that. Let's see what will be possible next year. We finish our first year with River Plate in second place. We can definitely be satisfied with that. Let's see what will be possible next year. Atlético Atenas, Villa Teresa and Atlético Bostón River have the lowest average points and have to be relegated.

 

Former Club

Trujillanos F.C. was also unable to match the performances of previous years in the Closing Stage. With 13th place, they improved somewhat compared to the Opening Stage, but still missed the playoffs by a clear margin.

[DaNascimento]

Season-End-Review

 

Copa Libertadores

That was a pure Brazilian affair.

 

Copa Sudamericana

With Vasco wins a brazilian team too.

[DaNascimento]

January 2023

We do some business in january. The versatile Willean Lepo comes from Brazil. In the future, he will play on the right side of defence. So far, we only have one option there, Nahuel Furtado. Gonzalo Bueno is an experienced man for the left wing position. The former U20 international has already tried his hand in Europe without success. With Ayrton Cougo, we have already made an advance move. He will be our new left-back, as Facundo Bonifazi unfortunately decided against our contract offer and will move to RKC Waalwijk in Europe on a free transfer in the summer. Finally, we bring in Roland on loan from Chapecoense as an additional option for the central midfield.

Spoiler

Spoiler

Spoiler

Spoiler

 

Team

This is the team for the Opening Stage. I am very happy because we have a deep squad and adequate replacements for all positions. We play in a 4-2-4 system. Our number 1 remains Gastón Olveira. Ayrton Cougo will start at left back. With Mateo Pereyra and Lionel Viera, we have two talented alternatives. The four centre-back positions are occupied by captain Agustín Ale, Matías Peña, Federico Andueza and Jonathan Amorín. At right back, we have two equally talented options in Willean Lepo and Nahuel Furtado.

In central midfield, I'm hoping for a breakthrough from the talented Diego Ossola. Even if the trained attacking midfielder has to play one position further back. He will duel with Tiago Galletto, who earned himself a regular place last season, and loan player Roland. For the position of ball-winning midfielder, Santiago Martínez is the first option. Diego Vicente is his replacement.

We have a very wide range of players on the offensive. Gonzalo Bueno and Facundo Boné play on the left wing. On the right, Pablo Neris and Mauro Da Luz, both of whom can also play in the centre of attack, as well as Juan Pablo Plada and Luis Urruti. Mauricio Affonso and Nicolás González are the target players in the double forward line. Tiago Borbas and Pablo Neris and Mauro Da Luz will play as advanced forwards.

 

Youth Intake

The Youth Intake again brings us a bunch of talent into the academy. Goalkeeper Gabriel Vecino stands out in this year's crop.

Spoiler

 

Copa Libertadores

We qualified for the Copa Libertadores by finishing second last season. Thanks to a bit of luck of the draw, we got a slightly weaker group than last season in the Copa Sudamericana. Vasco Da Gama are certainly the favourites. But we can also duel with Sporting Cristal for second place. Blooming will be more of an outsider.

[DaNascimento]

February 2023

der saisonstart ist uns geglückt - und wie. Im Derby, dem sogenannten Clásico del Prado, gewinnen wir zum Auftakt mit 4:0 gegen die Montevideo Wanderers. Und das, obwohl uns in der Woche zuvor zwei Stammspieler ausfallen und im Spiel dann auch noch Pablo Neris verletzt ausgewechselt werden muss.

Doch das hält die Offensivmaschinere nicht auf. Aufsteiger Albion wird mit 5:0 abgefertigt. Da Luz steuert drei und Affonso zwei Tore bei. Nach zwei Spielen haben wir nun schon ein Torverhältnis von 9:0. So darf es gerne weitergehen.

[DaNascimento]

March 2023

After the furious start, we have to accept a small damper on the third matchday. At home against Maldonado we lose 1:2 after leading the game 1:0 until the 70th minute. It was particularly bitter that the 1:2 was scored in the 90th minute. But the football gods loved us again just one week later. In the top match against Peñarol, we fell behind after the break. Mauro Da Luz turned the game around and scored in the 95th minute to make it 3-2. Nicolás González then made his big appearance against Progreso. Four goals in the first half set a new league record! The 5:3 was also a new record high scoring game.

 

Of course, we had to deal with injuries again this month. Tiago Galletto is out for over a month and Tiago Borbas has had bad luck with injuries. The striker has barely recovered and is injured again.

Unfortunately we lost the top spot to Club Nacional.

One win, one loss and one draw. Especially the loss of points in the heights of Bolivia hurts.

Edited January 9, 2023 by DaNascimento

[DaNascimento]

April - May 2023

In April we continue to play like this to do what it takes for a possible miracle and first place. We win the first four games in a row. Mostly close and with a bit of luck, but that's what it takes from time to time. Only against Cerro Largo do we have to admit defeat. In the meantime, we were repeatedly set back by injuries. Especially in midfield, we almost ran out of options. Tiago Galletto was out again for several months shortly after his recovery. Shortly afterwards, Roland was also affected. And then Nicolás González was also out for several weeks. But the worst was one of our greatest talents. Mathías Pereyra is out for almost a whole year with a damaged cruciate ligament. This will have a lasting impact on his development.

In May, the top match was against Club Nacional. Diego Ossola was able to equalise the hosts' early lead. In the end, the points were shared. After that, we had two more wins, especially a very convincing 4:0 against Fénix, which was supposed to give us a morale booster for the second last game, in which everything was almost at stake. Unfortunately, Santiago Martínez was sent off after just 16 minutes. With one man less, we couldn't show such a dominant performance and saved ourselves to a 0-0. So the 3-2 win against Liverpool on the last day was worthless. We missed 1st place by one point. Once again, Peñarol and Club Nacional played out the victory in a direct duel, as both finished the Opening Stage with the same number of points. Once again, the victory goes to Peñarol.

The picture here is the same as in the first three games. One win, one draw and one defeat. At Sporting Cristal, we can fight our way back from a 0:2 deficit. The defeat against Vasco Da Gama is particularly bitter. The winning goal for the Brazilians came in the 85th minute and meant our elimination at the same time. We are level on points with Sporting Cristal, but the Peruvians have the better goal difference. So it goes on for us in the Copa Sudamericana.

 

[DaNascimento]

July - August 2023

We struggle against Tucuman and only make it through to the next round on penalties. There we meet the favourites Fluminense and after the 4:1 victory in the away match we have actually already made half the battle. That was probably the problem in the players' minds. In the return match at home(!) nothing works and the Brazilians shoot us out of our own stadium and out of the Copa with 0:5. A very bitter end after we had made it this far.

There is not much to say about the Intermedio. We play a good round and miss the qualification for the final only on the last matchday. The team seems ready for the Closing Stage.

 

Former Club

Trujillanos F.C. held on to my successor despite missing both play-off qualifiers and it seems to be paying off. With a 7th place finish, the team finally makes it back into the playoffs. There, it's all over in the semi-finals against Academia Puerto Cabello.

[DaNascimento]

September 2023

In the summer we were able to welcome a prominent training guest, who we subsequently engaged. We are proud to announce the arrival of former captain of the Albiceleste, Diego Godín. The 37-year-old is returning home on a free transfer after his contract in Italy expired. We could really use an experienced leader.

Spoiler

Another veteran signing is Diego Rodríguez, whose contract with Club Nacional has expired. The 34-year-old should pull the strings together in midfield.

Spoiler

Not a new signing, but finally in the professional squad: Our greatest talent Michael Morandi. Unfortunately we have to wait a little longer before he can make his debut. Players are not eligible to play until they have signed a professional contract. That will be the case for Morandi when he turns 17 at the end of October.

Spoiler

 

A totally worse start. Actually a simple launcher, but we totally screw it up. We couldn't score a single goal in the first three games, drew twice without a goal and lost to Maldonado. Now we have to turn the corner quickly.

[DaNascimento]

October 2023

It looks like this is not going to be our round. On the fourth matchday, we surprisingly manage to win our first and clear victory in the Closing Stage at home against Peñarol, but this does not lead to any continuity. Away at Progreso, we immediately suffered another defeat. After that, it was up and down. Against Danubio, we manage a narrow victory, against Rentistas, we catch the equaliser late on.

On 28 October, the time has finally come. Michael Morandi's professional contract comes into effect and he becomes eligible to play. We immediately put him in the starting eleven against Defensor and he thanks us with the winning goal and his first goal at the professional level. What a debut!

Eighth place is not what we had hoped for. 

[DaNascimento]

November - December 2023

You thought it couldn't get any worse? Yes it can! The 1:5 defeat against City Torque represented a new low. After that, there were more inconsistent ups and downs. We won 2-1 against Cerro Largo, but then lost 2-0 at home to Club Nacional. It was a similar story in the weeks that followed. We beat Club Plaza Colonia 2-1 before losing again 2-0 at home to Fénix. Another low point was the 3-0 defeat at Sud América, and even the 2-1 win against Liverpool on the last matchday couldn't hide it. Somehow it seemed as if the team had suffered a mental breakdown after the bitter 0:5 exit against Fluminense in the Copa Sudamericana. The only positive thing that can be highlighted is that Michael Morandi scored five times in his first eight professional games.

We finish a totally disappointing Closing Stage in ninth place.

 

End of the year table

We are in fourth place in the overall table. This means that we will be competing in the Copa Libertadores qualifiers next year. FC Danubio, Montevideo Wanderers and Albion Football Club are relegated. 

 

Former Club

While I rarely see a successor continue to lead a mediocre club to success, and perhaps that is only possible in Venezuela, patience with the Trujillanos F.C. has paid off. After a miserable first year, the club can now lift the next trophy. Trujillanos wins the Closing Stage and is crowned champions against FC Caracas.

[DaNascimento]

Season-End-Review

 

Team

Goal

Gastón Olveira is a good shot stopper, but his season was not the best. He has weaknesses especially in communication, which was one of the reasons for the disastrous defensive performance. Since his contract expires at the end of the coming season, we will certainly think about a replacement here.

Defense

With Agustín Ale and Matias Peña, we actually have a strong centre-back duo. Behind them, we have enough options with Godín, Andueza, Amorín and Ponce. But somehow we still conceded far too many goals. We have to analyse that.

At the right-back position, no one was really convincing. Willean Lepo was the most convincing. Vice-captain Nahuel Furtado had an atrocious season. Talent Carlos Bueno had initial difficulties, but is a promise for the future.

Same game on the left side. We had hoped for much more from Ayrton Cougo. A disappointment all along the line. Mateo Pereyra as well, after making a good impression in the test matches. And unfortunately Leonel Viera was not really convincing either. But we still have high hopes for him in the future.

Midfield

Big disappointments here too. Santiago Martínez was unfortunately unable to continue his good performance of the previous season. This season was pathetically bad from the veteran. His performance plummeted, and his regular position is shaky. Tiago Galletto was also unable to confirm his last good season. This was mainly due to the fact that he had to fight with injuries again and again. Diego Rodríguez had still shown the best performances of all midfielders. Nevertheless, we would have liked the 34-year-old to have had a greater impact on our game. Unfortunately, the third talent, Diego Ossola, could not really ignite either. Here, however, we blame it on the position. The 18-year-old trained attacking midfielder still needs some time to adapt to the position in the centre.

Wings

On the right, Pablo Neris and Mauro Da Luz were convincing. Even though the latter's marks say otherwise, he was again in a scoring mood. 15 goals and 8 assists are good numbers. Neris also has his numbers with 8 goals and 9 assists. Luis Urruti, on the other hand, falls off a bit.

On the left, of course, we would have expected more from Gonzalo Bueno. 4 goals and 4 assists are rather disappointing for a man of his calibre. Facundo Boné's performances were more convincing in this respect, but he simply lacks scorers. In the new season, we therefore want to build up Jorge Rocco in this position.

Attack

Since the arrival of Michael Morandi in the professional squad, the 17-year-old has been set. In the few appearances he has made, he has already shown his potential and ability. Hopefully, we will have a lot of fun with him in the coming season. Thiago Borbas will now have to take a back seat. His season was not as convincing as the last one, but unfortunately he also had to deal with many injuries. In the end, that's not enough for a regular position.

Mauricio Affonso was the target man. With 16 goals, the veteran once again proved to be accurate. Behind him, Nicolás González made his appearances and scored.

 

Copa Libertadores

River Plate broke the Brazilian dominance.

 

Copa Sudamericana

Peñarol made it to the final but were beaten by São Paulo.

 

In the league ranking, Chile suffered the hardest fall. The Campeonato Nacional Scotiabank dropped 3 places. Colombia and Ecuador gained one place. Uruguay remains in 7th place.

[DaNascimento]

January 2024

Some new arrivings. The two Brazilians in particular are earmarked for the first team. The two Brazilians in particular are earmarked for the first team. Lucas Perri will be our new number 1. Trained at São Paulo, he spent the last two seasons at Chapecoense. 

Marcos Júnior also trained with São Paulo and last played for FC Figueirense. He should be an additional alternative in midfield.

 

Spoiler

 

Spoiler

 

On the other hand, we have to say goodbye to Mauricio Affonso, who has received a lucrative offer from China. We could certainly use the money for an ageing striker. Brunelli and Olveira will also be leaving us. Our former number 1 is moving to Brazil.

 

Team

Not so many mutations compared to last season. With Vicente Sosa and Julio González, we welcome two more youth players to the professional squad. After the messed-up Closing Stage, we changed the tactics. The main system will remain 4-2-4. But now we are also trying to play more often in a 4-2-3-1.

                   

 

Youth Intake

 

Alianza Lima was unfortunately a tough draw, which we narrowly failed to win.

Edited January 11, 2023 by DaNascimento

[DaNascimento]

February - March 2024

At least, the barricade from the previous Closing Stage seems to be broken and we can score goals again! This is what the promoted Villa Teresa experienced first-hand on the first day of play. We won 5:0, with all the goals coming in the first half. The game against Liverpool on the second matchday was also rich in goals. We drew 3:3. Joker Julio González saves us in the last minute. Injuries struck again before the game. Matias Peña will be absent for several weeks.

The first defeat followed immediately on the third matchday against Club Nacional. We were narrowly beaten 0:1. Nevertheless, it is annoying when we always lose points against the two big teams. After that came the weeks of Michael Morandi. Against Plaza Colonia, he helped us to victory with a brace. He also scored in the draw against Cerro Largo and added two more goals in the 4-0 win over Progreso.

[DaNascimento]

April 2024

The month started with a setback, as Diego Ossola was injured and had to withdraw from the important phase of the Opening Stage. Bitter, because the midfielder was in good form at the time.

But even without the midfield talent, we were able to make April a success. But that was certainly also due to the fact that we were playing against weaker opponents. Pablo Neris and Michael Morandi almost single-handedly carried us to success. The former scored four times and our striker jewel three times.

Now we have five games left and a tough battle with Peñarol and Club Nacional to win the Opening Stage. 

[DaNascimento]

May - June 2024

Well, we did what we had to - win - until the deciding match against Peñarol. And there, once again, we lost out. Actually, many things were in our favour, as we had a home game, but Peñarol took the lead after only two minutes. Morandi was able to equalise, but a penalty 8 minutes before the end was the deciding factor. So once again the Opening Stage goes to Peñarol. But we can be satisfied with our performance, build on it and attack again in the Closing Stage.

[DaNascimento]

July - August 2024

Three new playors for the Closing Stage. Gastón Gurceaga is a new strong substitute keeper who can easily replace our number 1. Agustín Álvarez is a striker for the width. And Nicolás Fernández is a versatile player for midfield or the right-back position.

Spoiler

 

Spoiler

 

Spoiler

In addition, some old, experienced players are leaving us. 

 

Team

And this is how the squad for the Closing Stage looks. Michael Morandi has almost escaped the Uruguayan league at the age of 17 and is ready for greater things. It is also good to see that other talents such as Diego Ossola, Jorge Rocco and Leonel Viera are developing positively.

 

We use the Intermedio again to test the squad, formations and players. We start very promisingly and well. Only to throw away the group victory in the last two games.