SixPointer Posted January 25 Author Share Posted January 25 5 hours ago, Carambau said: Congrats on reaching the Cup final Who will be the opponent? Thanks man. Angostura F.C. A team we really should be beating! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SixPointer Posted January 26 Author Share Posted January 26 (edited) Season Three - 2025/2026 A very mixed season to say the very least, some highs but a real struggle for consistency. The fact I was trying to implement some new tactical ideas did not help, another thing is a lack of transfer windows means players come and go all season and its leading to huge turnovers. Competitions - After topping a group with Boca Juniors we made it to the quarterfinals of the Copa Total Sudamericana, fellow Andean side Club Atlético Nacional from Medellin gave us a right turning over. Nevertheless a very good run, in a continental competition. The Copa Libertadores is another high point, qualifying out of the groups and beating Belgrano on the way to doing so, we are rewarded with a big tie in the knock rounds against Fluminense FC. Copa Venezuela is secured, after the semi final heroics of our goal scoring goalkeeper we crawled to the title in the final, in truth i think the cups are the only reason i'm still in a job. Our league form was patchy to say the least, I wanted to move away from the 4-2-3-1, so there was a lot of tinkering and perhaps too much. In the end it was back to the 4-2-3-1, but the board is still giving me grief. Coloccini has become frustrated with board, after all third place isn't the end of the world and he is trying to shape the club for long term success, with his transfer business he has taken the academy to a higher level, upgraded both facilities at the club, all while being competitive on the continental front and delivering a trophy. He said in recent interviews that he thought given the time to create a clear philosophy at the club he could one day bring a continental title to Venezuela, but now it seems like he is fed up with a nagging board, who cant see his long term vision. Transfers - Leaving the club was some key players, none more so than Vivas but we struck a great deal for him, with a good sell on fee. Ruiz, Uzcátegui, Ortega and Cordero all make profits after being at the club for a season. Taborga goes for a loss but he had fallen out with Coloccini, young Valbuena, a youth product makes a nice 300k for the club. Ignacio Anzola , was tasked with replacing Vivas, and in truth he just couldn't match his levels, he came with such promise but never really hit the level. Jorge Echeverría came in to lead the line, more of a flair player who was able to link the play better, he hit double figures, but getting the strikers to finish was a real problem again. Anderson Contreras proved to be a real bargain, taking some weight of the creativity in deep areas, the left footed DLP was responsible for 11 assists. Andrés Romero on a free was a huge bit of business, again securing one of the best players in the league, buying local tried and tested is a philosophy for now, Anzola has backfired but maybe pre season will sort him out. The best 11 for the season, defence proving to be a real weak spot, i never really could get a settled back four that was consistently performing, i also tried a back three for periods of time which is something i want to work on in the future. Into Midfield the double pivot is an area of real strength, Bahachillie is the best player at the club, when he plays well the team plays well, he is lethal at the near post at corners. Wide left is an issue but Romero will solve that in the future, Garica picks up Injuries all the time but has moments of real quality, Andrade just gets stronger and stronger, i think he will be the next big sale. Eche came in and made the centre forward role his own, Monzon and Diaz (injured for 9 months now) struggled to get any sort of goalscoring form going. Tactically Our biggest weakness is our leaky defence, one that doesn't face a lot of trouble as well, goalkeeping is an issue it would appear shipping +9 for expected goals. Teams love to hit us on the counter and it really is something i need to solve. I think our high line, combined with still having a higher than average OPDA is an issue. Allowing teams time to pick their long balls behind our high line, again I was experimenting a lot this year. I had been working on some forms of Bielsa ball. I may or may not keep that up, I suppose it depends if I stick around at the club. Coloccini is after all frustrated with an impatient board who won't let him explore tactically and find his masterplan, perhaps he may turn to another fellow countryman in Diego Simone for advice. Right now I feel it would be annoying to walk away, because the squad just needs three players of real quality added, a lot of work has gone into it and it felt like somewhere that building a club capable of winning a continental title was possible. The Argentine still has them in the Copa Libertadores, but he has also won everything domestically. There is certainly some thinking to be done over the next few days. After all, the two teams above us massively punched above their weight, hugely outscoring their XG and XPTS. This is what good teams do though they over perform on what's expected of them, this year we were the opposite and done just okay, our goal scoring hides from the fact that our goalkeeper and defence need more protecting and upgrading. Edited January 26 by SixPointer 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shrewnaldo Posted January 26 Share Posted January 26 What would be a realistic next step if you decided to move? Or is it just a case of waiting for other Andean clubs to become available? Cusco's shirts are great, btw. Definitely need to end up there 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
rich ruzzian Posted January 26 Share Posted January 26 (edited) Quote Another thing is a lack of transfer windows means players come and go all season and its leading to huge turnovers. How annoying. Result wise, 2 teams really punching above the expected outcome. Edited January 26 by rich ruzzian 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carambau Posted January 26 Share Posted January 26 (edited) Congratulations on the Cup win The board definitely is annoying.. What club COULD be next for you? Maybe Deportivo Independiente Medellin? Pablo Escobars favorite? Edited January 26 by Carambau 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
warlock Posted January 26 Share Posted January 26 Few things worse than a board that won't buy in to your vision; it's why I left the Bordeaux save. I can offer no advice about a South American move, but hope you figure it out 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sheriff7 Posted January 26 Share Posted January 26 Great work mate! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hootieleece Posted January 26 Share Posted January 26 Peruvian Team should be next.....Strike a blow for Incan Heritage! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SixPointer Posted January 26 Author Share Posted January 26 (edited) 12 hours ago, Shrewnaldo said: What would be a realistic next step if you decided to move? Or is it just a case of waiting for other Andean clubs to become available? Cusco's shirts are great, btw. Definitely need to end up there Em I would like a go at the either side of the La Paz derby, which may be seen as side step. Not forward or back. But I could be a nice place to come back to. If I was to travel down the Andes then Colombia would be next on the list but I feel there is a good few powerful Andean clubs there. If I do decide to leave it will most likely be what’s available in Bolivia or Peru. Feel like that’s a sensible move. 12 hours ago, rich ruzzian said: How annoying. Result wise, 2 teams really punching above the expected outcome. Am also partly to blame, I was speed playing while setting a new tactic. Which is never a good idea I should have been more methodical like the previous season. But as you say two teams really over performing. hard to keep up. 11 hours ago, Carambau said: Congratulations on the Cup win The board definitely is annoying.. What club COULD be next for you? Maybe Deportivo Independiente Medellin? Pablo Escobars favorite? Thanks dude! yeah the board is very frustrating, having brought a league title the year before and two good continental campaigns and a Copa Venezuela I thought they would see the long term vision. Independiente is defo on my list and there no absolutely massive compared to where I am now! Could be a nice move. 9 hours ago, warlock said: Few things worse than a board that won't buy in to your vision; it's why I left the Bordeaux save. I can offer no advice about a South American move, but hope you figure it out Yeah we will get there. I just feel like I’ve done some good ground work, but I’ve became frustrated with the board. We need a new keeper and defence a lot of the players that came in have not lived up to their promise. 5 hours ago, Sheriff7 said: Great work mate! Thanks my friend 👍🏻 43 minutes ago, Hootieleece said: Peruvian Team should be next.....Strike a blow for Incan Heritage! Melgar, Cienciano and Cusco would be good teams. Ultimately if I do leave we will see what’s available or hang about at Depor and bide our time for the right club. Edited January 26 by SixPointer 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SixPointer Posted January 30 Author Share Posted January 30 Slow game day was Sunday. As it stands I reshuffled tactically. Made some transfers, and played three games. We are still at Deportivo, but i feel the effort I’ve put into the tactical re shape is wasted on this board. So next Sunday I’ll be playing but with one of eye perhaps on a move. 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SixPointer Posted February 5 Author Share Posted February 5 Things had been going well in Táchira, unbeaten at the start of the season, the board backing Coloccini. His tactical shift to a 433 had worked wonders, as had some more shrewd business. But he hadn't forgotten how close the board had come to getting rid of him and he felt a sense of disloyalty from them, not allowing him time to put his master plan into place. So when a top club from Santiago, Chile came calling it was a no brainer, and while the media claim it to be a side step he feels like it's a step forward. A move to a massive city, with the second largest support in the country and a budget he could only dream off in Venezuela. When looking back on his time in Venezuela am sure he will take pride in his work, he won the league and cup, made it to knockout stages of both continental competitions, found some real talent in the country, and leaves the club financially sound, top of the league and producing national team players. He felt betrayed by a board that he left a rival club to join and the first chance as he believed in their club and after all that feels they dont warrant his loyalty now. 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shrewnaldo Posted February 5 Share Posted February 5 That feels like a huge step up. How have La U been doing in continental competitions in your save? Was the job available thru underperformance or because the previous guy got poached? 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SixPointer Posted February 5 Author Share Posted February 5 14 hours ago, Shrewnaldo said: That feels like a huge step up. How have La U been doing in continental competitions in your save? Was the job available thru underperformance or because the previous guy got poached? It does feel like a step up, which is why I thought it was a weird it was being billed as a side step. Ideally I would have went Bolivia or Peru but nothing came up, and off the three big Santiago clubs this was always first choice. They haven’t won a top flight title since 2017 nearly ten years and we’re sitting 5th in the league. I only just accepted the job late on yesterday so never had a chance to deep dive into them and update. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rick87 Posted February 5 Share Posted February 5 Good luck at Universidad, they are one of the clubs you could well aim to establish as the best on the continent outside Brazil and Argentina. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hootieleece Posted February 5 Share Posted February 5 Good Luck in your new role! I have never played in Chile yet. I just stepped away from ASSE and maybe football manager for a while not sure yet. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shrewnaldo Posted February 5 Share Posted February 5 26 minutes ago, SixPointer said: It does feel like a step up, which is why I thought it was a weird it was being billed as a side step. Ideally I would have went Bolivia or Peru but nothing came up, and off the three big Santiago clubs this was always first choice. They haven’t won a top flight title since 2017 nearly ten years and we’re sitting 5th in the league. I only just accepted the job late on yesterday so never had a chance to deep dive into them and update. Interesting that the game sees it as side-step - looks like La U have dropped down a bit, or maybe you'd just done so well with Deportivo to boost their rep. Phenomenal move either way. Looking forward to the deep dive and hopefully some tasty Chilean newgens Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SixPointer Posted February 6 Author Share Posted February 6 7 hours ago, Rick87 said: Good luck at Universidad, they are one of the clubs you could well aim to establish as the best on the continent outside Brazil and Argentina. Thanks ,man, just hope it's not too big too soon. Can't really head to Bolivia or Peru now but maybe later on after hitting the big time I could be a wind down who knows..... I could get sacked here. 7 hours ago, Hootieleece said: Good Luck in your new role! I have never played in Chile yet. I just stepped away from ASSE and maybe football manager for a while not sure yet. I'm sure you will find a save idea that gets you interested again dude. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SixPointer Posted February 6 Author Share Posted February 6 7 hours ago, Shrewnaldo said: Interesting that the game sees it as side-step - looks like La U have dropped down a bit, or maybe you'd just done so well with Deportivo to boost their rep. Phenomenal move either way. Looking forward to the deep dive and hopefully some tasty Chilean newgens They currently sit 5th in the league with six games left to play, 12 points of the top spot. Which was deemed enough to sack Leonardo Madelón just like Mariano Herrón and Mauricio Pellegrino before him. All this points to a real period of underachievement. No league title since 2017 and bar quarter final appearance in the copa sudamericana 2025, continental football hasn't fared great either, failing to make the qualifiers 2023 & 2024. They also got knocked out of the Copa Libertadores this year by Metropolitanos from Venezuela at the qualfiying stages, so maybe this is the reason for it being a side step, after all Deportivo have been in the knock stages three times after Coloccini arrived. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SixPointer Posted February 12 Author Share Posted February 12 The last six games of 2026 are done and the initial period at the club for Fabricio Coloccini went really well, he went unbeaten winning four and drawing two, a late goal saved his bacon in his first Clásico Universitario. The form was enough to secure 4th place and with it a shot at qualifying for the Copa Libertadores & the Copa Sudamericana, so now the Argentine has the foundation to build on and bring a title back to the club and find some consistency. The six games allowed him time to evaluate his squad, and while he's found some real talent which you would expect when you look at the clubs infrastructure, and some of the best players in Chile’s he has also acquired a lot of deadwood. His squad is bloated with it and with only an under 21’s team below the first team it appears the previous regimes have been stockpiling poor players, a huge transfer window coming up, and we have a hefty budget for it. The talent i touched on puts the future in good state and more than ever am determined to have a go at some real youth development, this will have an effect on transfer dealings as i need to for the first time create player pathways, in his short time Coloccini has already gave some very young players their chance and the biggest standout being Simon Ordenes in his three games he scored in one assisted another and got man of the match for his second half performance. Coloccini has four outstanding players to build his team around, Cristóbal Campos Chile’s number one, Rivaldo Hernández who looks to be one of the best defenders in the country and could well give me a Liberio, on the attacking front Carlos Palacios & Lucas Assadi are phenomenal wide men. Looking through the team, GK he has a clear number one and prospect so backup needed. In defence LWB is a real area of weakness, middle of the park is thin on quality as well, up front Henriquez will have one more season even after low XG but with Valencia hitting 5 in six for Coloccini he looks like the main option. 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SixPointer Posted February 16 Author Share Posted February 16 A slow evening at work has allowed me some time to gather my thoughts at the start of the first full campaign in Santiago, Chile’s capital and largest city and has a population of 7 million, representing 40% of Chile's total population. The city sits in a valley surrounded by the snow-capped Andes and the Chilean Coast Range, Most of the city is situated between 500–650 m (1,640–2,133 ft) above sea level. Santiago is home to some of Chile's most successful football clubs. Colo-Colo, founded on 19 April 1925, has a long tradition, and has played continuously in the highest league since the establishment of the first Chilean league in 1933. The club's wins include 30 national titles, 10 Copa Chile successes, and champions of the Copa Libertadores tournament in 1991, the only Chilean team to have won this tournament. The club hosts its home games in the Estadio Monumental in the commune of Macul. Universidad de Chile has 18 national titles and 5 Copa Chile wins. In 2011 they were champions of Copa Sudamericana, the only Chilean team to have won this tournament. The club was founded on 24 May 1927, under the name Club Deportivo Universitario as a union of Club Náutico and Federación Universitaria. The founders were students of the University of Chile. In 1980, the organisation separated from the University of Chile and the club is now completely independent. The team plays its home games in the Estadio Nacional de Chile in the commune of Ñuñoa. Club Deportivo Universidad Católica (UC) was founded on 21 April 1937. It consists of fourteen different departments. This team plays its home games in Estadio San Carlos de Apoquindo. Universidad Católica has 13 national titles, making it the third most successful football club in the country. It has played the Copa Libertadores more than 20 times, reaching the final in 1993, losing to São Paulo FC. Colo Colo fans may protest, and not without reason, at seeing themselves relegated down the pecking order; but even FIFA marks the Clasico Universitario between Universidad de Chile and Universidad Catolica as the nation's most traditional derby. The derby's roots come from the early 20th century, when the two teams really were made up from students of Santiago's most prestigious universities. Catolica and La U have gone on to meet a total of 223 times in all competitions, with 89 U wins to 66 for their rivals. Catolica fans, however, can point to a 5-0 thrashing in 1954, which was the biggest victory in the history of the derby. Universidad de Chile's rivalry with Colo-Colo, is the so-called Chilean Classic or Chilean Superclásico. Although the first confrontation between the two clubs dates back to 1935, the rivalry began to develop in the 1940s and 1950s. Colo-Colo is the most popular football club in Chile , Universidad de Chile is the second largest following club in the country, with 21% of the total Chilean football fans according to research and surveys from 2018, published in September 2021. Fabricio Coloccini's arrival in Santiago perhaps came a little sooner than i would have liked, Peru looked like a much more realistic avenue, with some really big clubs in the Andes. Nevertheless The U have been going through a dry spell and after his first six games the Argentine steadied the ship, now with a pre season and a transfer window under his belt his first full season has started promisingly. The end of last season showed a glimpse of his plans, but with a squad bloated with substandard players the overhaul was always going to happen, no fewer than twenty two players were released from the club, even the newly formed B-Team wasn't capable of holding such poor quality players that offered nothing. This would now allow Fabricio to focus on quality over quantity, a first team squad of twenty five players with five of them being promising talents who will be called upon but be allowed to play in the under 18's to help continue their development. Coloccini has moved quickly to secure the spine of his team, Assadi, Campos, Hernandez and Palacios all signed new deals, the only real position he really lacked a huge player in terms of the spine was the holding midfield role, while the Argentine is yet to fully stamp a tactical ideal, something that's been clear in his early years is how vital a good number six is to him, the heartbeat of the team whether that be creatively or defensively he looks for his number six to be his on pitch manager. Abraham Bahachille became this at Deportivo tachira it would now be Felipe Loyola signed for 1.6 million pound from last season league runners up Huachipato. He ranked 2nd in possessions won, 15th in interceptions, 21st for pressures attempted and completed 67 pressures overall. A far cry from the creative hub he used previously it would appear he now wants a six to protect and allow others to flourish creatively. While Loyola has been known to lose the ball for over playing when in trouble he does play the simple pass, this coupled with his excellent football intelligence should allow him to sniff out counter attacks then recycle the ball. Antonio Diaz is perhaps the one player that could turn out to be an overspend, the LWB area was a real weakness and with a foreign limit to players i had to take my pick of the best home grown options. It was down to him and Christian Riquelme and the younger man was going to cost an extra 1 million on top of Diaz and was only marginally better, and with the bargain of the year Paolo Reyna was already set for first choice as a more defensive option i opted for the attacking Diaz. Segovia comes in as a back up goalkeeper after a great season that saw him named goalkeeper of the year in the team of the year, along with Kevin Duarte who made the team and then made a 275k switch after making his loan deal permanent. Esteban Alvarez is one of a number of young chilean talents that Fabricio is keen to bring to the club, he has opted to try before you by mainly down to the large fees that could be involved as he looks to secure the best Chilean wonderkids to supplement the great work from our own academy. Kervin Andrade follows from Venezuela and is one of a host of players that was linked to his former manager. He was signed already to Deportivio and flourished under the argentines guidance and became a fully fledged international, now his manager has come back calling and looking for him to make a similar impact in the Chilean capital. 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hootieleece Posted February 16 Share Posted February 16 Good Luck in Chile! Looking forward to seeing you dominate as always. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SixPointer Posted February 16 Author Share Posted February 16 7 hours ago, Hootieleece said: Good Luck in Chile! Looking forward to seeing you dominate as always. Thanks man. A pretty heavy step within the hierarchy of South American football. If all goes well we should be challenging on a continental front! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carambau Posted February 16 Share Posted February 16 Nice to see your adventure going to Chile Wishing you all the best there! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SixPointer Posted February 16 Author Share Posted February 16 3 hours ago, Carambau said: Nice to see your adventure going to Chile Wishing you all the best there! Thanks dude! Appreciate the support Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SixPointer Posted February 17 Author Share Posted February 17 Ten games have flown by, time flies when you're having fun, while eight wins and two losses from ten sounds fun, the most fun part has been finding our feet tactically and really starting to impose our positional play at the club, throw in a colossal andean clash and it's worth a little write up. A key principle of Positional Play is the concept that players should occupy space on the field in a rational way in order to achieve certain superiorities, e.g numerical, qualitative, positional. Put simply, numerical superiority is about overloading and outnumbering the defenders in the area where the team has possession of the ball. If we can create situations where our player's abilities and characteristics give us advantages over the defenders, then we have achieved qualitative superiority. The team that is better positioned will have the benefits of time and space and create more chances to score is key to positional superiority. The changes to FM24 is something I have wanted for a long time. Anyone who has followed previous posts when I have tried to create these patterns of play will know only too well the work I have done to try and achieve them. For instance creating the Salida Lavolpiana (CB's split wide and DM drops in to make a three to overload the press) now is simple the half back role works as it should, before you needed to use higher wing backs and it would only happen from time to time. The Carrete system has this very mechanism, but much like modern football times change no longer do the wing backs just play wide, the twist is the right sided wing back moves into the midfield to make a 3-2 box shape to allow progression through numerical superiority. Now with the lone forward outnumbered the midfield line has a decision to make, either join in the press and neglect the double pivot, or allow the defenders to advance the ball down the sides where the wide players are stretching the team and getting 1v1 creating that qualitative superiority. Focusing play down the left and using a standard WB, DLP and IW all on that half of the pitch creates its own triangle capable of drawing the opposition into the overload when the ball has bypassed the initial press and moved into the second tier. The inverted wing back once again shines here, linking the left hand side overload to the right hand side with all the space. As you can see from the build up to the 3rd goal against Huachipato the right hand side truly exploits the space. The space being exploited by the RCB is purely down to the fact we have shifted the opposition to open up the space, while inverting our wing back to further draw his marker away. The extent in which he can progress is due to the opposition full back being pinned by the IF 1v1 and leaving him with a huge predicament, at the exact moment he decides to press the RCB plays the IF in behind and he cuts back to the PF to finish off a perfectly executed team goal and to put the game beyond doubt. The forgotten free man The evolution of tactics is usually matched by the evolution of counter tactics, for some time inverted wing backs, dropping defensive midfielders had become the best way to overload the press. Teams had caught onto the idea and many started doing what Pep had been doing for a while, but with that teams have worked out how to defend against it. Enter Pep, the most innovative coach of our time? Or simply someone who can bring football past times back to life. John Stones earned the moniker the Barnsley Beckenbauer, mainly due to Pep shifting him to a modern day Libero role but why? The transition phase of play is always a weak spot in which you can be quickly countered, now and inverted wing back has to drift inside which means in order to regain his defensive shape he must transition outside, many teams worked out this was the area to exploit right after the turnover, so to counter that moving one of the CB's into the midfield allows for the overload in possession but also out of possession he is centrally placed to stop a counter before smoothly transitioning into the defensive shape. The Caleta System (meaning to much) brings the libero back, while Los Azules are no stranger to deep creative players having brought through Marcelo Diaz, who earned the nickname of "South American Xavi", as both of them have a great ball control capabilities and excellent passing skills he operated more at the number six and dropped into the defence line. Now Rivaldo Hernandez would be asked to do the opposite. The 24 year old looks more than capable of playing the role, and if his marauding run as a simple ball playing defender is to go by he should excel. Flair and vision could well be a little better but his football intelligence is sublime as a whole and he has the physical ability to get up and down the pitch. In his first game in the role he supplied a lovely ball in behind for the first goal against Santatiago Wanderers. Our passing was off the charts that game but it was the LCB dropping deep that excelled in linking the play that day as we ran out convincing 4-0 winners. After beating Paraguayan side Libertad over two legs, 3-0 at home then 1-0 away the reward was a true Andean battle. Deportivo Independiente Medellin could well have been a place Fabricio ended up after Venezuela as he had been touted for the job at times, however they stuck by their manager, Fabricio was keen on the idea, the city's underdog team seeing as their rivals are Atlético Nacional the most successful team in the country, of course this is not the only fire power the city is famous for Pablo Escobar supported Independiente. The first leg started so well going 1-0 up inside the first ten minutes, then it came. Loyola deceded a two footed leg breaker on 17 minutes would be a good idea, the Colombians took it up a gear and equalised but, Colcoccini through men forward and took the lead again but in the end the collapse came and the club went back to Santiago with their tails between their legs after a 6-2 defeat. Giving up two penalties with ten men was absolute suicide. Enter the Forgotten man............. What a turnaround to make the Copa Libertodroes group stages. 24,000 faithful turned up and boy were they rewarded as Fabricico Coloccini's men put on a show and came away with a famous comeback victroy. The star of the show was the Libero Rivaldo Hernandez, netting twice, a nice strike om the second phase of a corner and then heading home at the back post from a freekick. The in possession shape shows how he nicely steps up to form the double pivot, creating that 3-2 shape once again. This move from Fabricio shows his tactical fluidity and that he can now build up in different ways but still create the same build up structures with subtle changes. I wouldn't be surprised to see him create something like a 2-3 shape in the near future to cover all bases. He moved to an AP on the right flank to help create a box-like shape on that side of the pitch, perfect for overloading. The central presence is clear but that once again its dominance has focused the opponent and has now created 1v1's across the back line, and especially out wide. No wonder La U's manager is being lauded for his clever planning. The wide 1v1's allowed for exceptional passing combinations down the sides, so the focus of the overload in the centre by adding the Libero has paid off, but mainly because its drawn so much attention that other players are allowed to be free and in space. Using the DLP at the base ensures that both number 8's can get wide and into the half spaces while the ball magnets sit in the pivot and dictate play. The sheer number of passes leading to Henriquez goal is incredible, i can't even count how many, but once again it shows the ball circulation will eventually create the space, the main thing to be mindful of is not passing for the sake of it. Possession isn't the aim, it's mainly a byproduct of trying to shift the opponent around and make the space to exploit. For anyone interested in positional play at more depth, this article from Eagleclaw club is always my go to. I have linked it so many times when I do these types of tactical ideas as it's a great example of it without being too over the top, it's also fantastic what they are doing on the whole. Los Azules are top of the pile, and really should still be unbeaten, a poor decision to go for broke against Deportivo Nublense cost them a 1-0 defeat. They smashed Colo-Colo in the sold out superclasico, and on the overall have been very pleasing on the eye in the early part of the season. The Copa Libertadores group will be very interesting, Club Universitario de Deportes from Lima could well be classed as Andean but i'm not sure how strict that is as they are Andean coastal club, I didn't have Lima on the list as am unsure but it's probably close enough. They will be looking to make their mark as their great rivals Allianz Lima won this in 2023 and then the Copa Sudamericana last season. Emelec comes from a nation on the rise, Ecuador. With Independiente del Valle winning back to back Copa Sudamericana 2022 & 2023 it's perhaps time for another team to make a statement, mind you they haven't won a domestic league title since 2017 as well. Talleres won the league cup in argentina but while their great rivals Belgrano won the league they also have a huge chip on their shoulder and something to prove. 4 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fantasista10 Posted February 17 Share Posted February 17 (edited) What a fantastic read! Following this with great interest. I enjoyed the detailed background about Universidad de Chile and their rivals. Always nice to see positional play tactics, and you’ve explained your ideas brilliantly - and given me much to ponder for my own save. Interested to know how you provided width in your last game where you said you deployed an AP on the right flank? I’ve never thought about doing that in my system, because I use IFBs on both sides with the Libero too, meaning there’s no width from the fullbacks so I need the wingers to stay wide. Your passing combinations look quite wide though! Some great results as well, the Libertadores will be fun! Edited February 17 by Fantasista10 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SixPointer Posted February 17 Author Share Posted February 17 8 hours ago, Fantasista10 said: What a fantastic read! Following this with great interest. I enjoyed the detailed background about Universidad de Chile and their rivals. Always nice to see positional play tactics, and you’ve explained your ideas brilliantly - and given me much to ponder for my own save. Interested to know how you provided width in your last game where you said you deployed an AP on the right flank? I’ve never thought about doing that in my system, because I use IFBs on both sides with the Libero too, meaning there’s no width from the fullbacks so I need the wingers to stay wide. Your passing combinations look quite wide though! Some great results as well, the Libertadores will be fun! Thanks man am trying my best to keep the detail. I’m working a lot right now in Africa so it’s killing game time so im glad you appreciated the work on the save. I ask him to stay wider and focus play down that side. While keeping the width is key I also want to confuse the defence into thinking I want to score on that side when in reality I want to pull them that way then hit on the left. With that system anyway. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fantasista10 Posted February 18 Share Posted February 18 16 hours ago, SixPointer said: Thanks man am trying my best to keep the detail. I’m working a lot right now in Africa so it’s killing game time so im glad you appreciated the work on the save. I ask him to stay wider and focus play down that side. While keeping the width is key I also want to confuse the defence into thinking I want to score on that side when in reality I want to pull them that way then hit on the left. With that system anyway. Loving the detail, keep up the good work mate. I like the idea of using focus play actually, it makes perfect sense in theory but I’ve not seen it really work for me in the past - although not given it a go in FM24 with the new positional play, so I’ll give it a try! Overload to isolate and all that. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SixPointer Posted February 18 Author Share Posted February 18 1 hour ago, Fantasista10 said: Loving the detail, keep up the good work mate. I like the idea of using focus play actually, it makes perfect sense in theory but I’ve not seen it really work for me in the past - although not given it a go in FM24 with the new positional play, so I’ll give it a try! Overload to isolate and all that. Yeah it’s something I tend to use when looking for overloads. Another good thing is having support duties on the side you want to overload and attacking duties on the isolate side. Find that helps me get the 1v1’s and when they do they go all in to make it count. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carambau Posted February 18 Share Posted February 18 Loving your tactical ideas and the explanations coming with them! Looking good from the start here in Chile🙂 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SixPointer Posted February 18 Author Share Posted February 18 1 hour ago, Carambau said: Loving your tactical ideas and the explanations coming with them! Looking good from the start here in Chile🙂 Thanks man! Yeah I had a couple of nights at work were things were quiet so took the chance to do some detailed tactical stuff. Tonight is game night so won’t be update till at least next Sunday I think. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SixPointer Posted March 4 Author Share Posted March 4 2027 Review Gametime is scarce but I've managed to complete the first full season in Santiago. After a previous tactical update I'll keep this as a general overview of the year to try to kick on into the next season. Fabricio Coloccini is starting to feel at home here, he is getting his tactical philosophy across, the board is backing him and the squad he is starting to build he feels in a few years could be genuine copa libertadores challengers. A record points total in the league saw Universidad De Chile crowned champions for the 19th time, the first league title in over ten years. There is some way to go to match that of city rivals Colo Colo who hold 35, but it keeps them 3 ahead of Universidad Católica. The Copa Libertadores turned out to be a very eventful group, the Santiago side coming back from a bad start to qualify in second place, after a massive 5-0 win over argentina champions Talleres. The current holder Flamanego were up next for the U's and it was always going to be a big ask, the Brazilian side actually went on to win the tournament making it three in a row, only something Fabricio Coloccini can dream about for the time being. The Copa Chile was a rollercoaster ride for Los Azules beating Universidad Católica in the third round in a massive Classic Universitário, only to be beaten in the Chilean Superclásico in the next round by Colo Colo. The 433 is our standard shape across all three systems, how we execute our attacking patterns is different but that's for another day. There were a few positions that were up for grabs, but the team eventually began to pick itself. While I would like to have a more balanced squad in terms of quality to rotate game by game, it takes time to build this level of squad. The fact our goals and assists are coming from all over the pitch is pleasing, proving that we are one dimensional in our attacking play. Reyna, Ojeda and Andrade all take their fair share of corners, Andrade being the main one but as you can see he was in and out the side as he looked to settle into Chilean football. Goals wise, Assadi leads the way but again penalties skew his numbers he scored 8/8 from 12 yards. The wide man went on to win the player of the year, Coloccini said at the start of his tenure he was a special player, but it looks like the Aregntinan who also took manager of the year is getting the best out of him, he has given him license to attack at will and the improvement in his numbers are clear to see. Player Development This is something I'm really trying to improve on, while like everyone I have had my fair share of wonderkids but it is usually because I've bought them, rarely do I shape them from my own academy. So inspired by the Shrew and his recent thread In Spain I'm trying to get better at doing just that. Matías Arancibia - no player development update could go ahead without the mention of the big centre back from Macul, which is Colo Colo's territory so i'm surprised he's made his way through the U's academy. The Promising 18 year old has come on leaps and bounds and is now the first choice LCB. Here you can see his growth from 18 years old to 19. He now looks in shape to potentially become a leader on and off the pitch, as well as an asset at set plays with 8 headed goals. Dribbling +1 Heading +1 Marking +1 Passing +2 Tackling +1 Technique +1 Anticipation +1 Bravery +1 Composure +1 Concentration +2 Decisions +1 Leadership +2 Flair +1 Off The Ball +1 Positioning +1 Vision +4 Acceleration +1 Agility +1 Jumping Reach +1 Pace +1 Stamina +1 Strength +1 Good all round growth for his first year under Colocini who has looked to improve his on the ball skills, a weakness in his game which did not suit the tactical style. He responded well to ball playing defender training and is now capable in that area. Furthermore the addition of simple passes offsets his current lack of true passing abilities to make him a refined defender, comfortable on the ball, but don't expect him to be playing line breaking passes. Simon Ordenes - Being handed his senior debut at 16 by Fabricio at the tail end of last season, he did enough to convince the manager he would be able to provide competition on the flanks for the big hitters Palacios and Assadi. 6 goals and 6 assists in his first full season at the ripe age of 17 is most impressive, so much so that he is being tipped for an international cap. With both big hitting wide men being right footed Ordenas offer a perfect alternative, either cutting in on his left when playing on the right or going down the line when on the left. From 16 to 17 years of age the kid has already progressed nicely. Crossing +1 Dribbling +1 Finishing +1 First Touch +1 Long Shots +1 Passing +1 Tackling +1 Technique +1 Acceleration +1 Agility +1 Balance +2 Jumping +1 Pace +1 Stamina +1 Strength +2 Anticipation +3 composure +3 Concentration +1 Decions +3 Leadership +1 Off The Ball +4 Positioning +1 Teamwork +1 Vision +2 Work Rate +1. The training of inside forward on support on the left side was purely down to the fact he would play that positioning most often than not, depending on the attacking patterns it's either that or a AP out on the same flank and occasionally a winger on the left, but more often than he was used to cut in and be direct. The big boosts in OFB, Anticapton and decisions came from the additional focus on attacking movement. The added traits of getting forward and cuts inside from the right help tailor him to that wide right role. The next stage for him is learning to knock the ball past opponent and changing to final third to help increase that composure. At 17 with a professional personality I really think I have a potential superstar on my hands here. I was concerned about throwing him in too early but he has shown moments of real brilliance, like last minute winner in the Classic Universitário cup game. I think I need to play him like Pep has Foden, bring him in and out the side, keep nurturing his potential, to get his full blown ability to shine in the end. Transfer Business It was a rather quiet window as the squad looked pretty good all round. Three players would leave, a youngster and two older players who didn't even really live up to the squad player status. Tapia and Aranguiz will fetch just shy of a million pounds which can now be re-invested into the side. £1.2 million pounds was spent activating Luis Angel Diaz release clause. Ángelo Henríquez's time at the club is coming to an end, at 33 am not willing to offer him a new deal. He did score 8 goals come the end of the season but this was most likely down to Diaz tearing his hamstring after two games in which he had two goals. Diaz is quick and direct and looks to be an excellent ball carrier, in fact he is a perfect foil for Valencia who is more about working hard out of possession and linking play. Diaz comes off the back off some nice goalscoring numbers and while his injury hampered him settling he still managed to score 5 goals in 7 games, his ability in behind should give us another weapon. He could also see a more complete forward role come into play. The off season I feel there could be a few more moves, a couple of players are coming to the end of their peak so i may cash in. I need a RCB backup to Hernandez. I would like another ball winner and creator for the middle of the pitch and maybe one more wide man. That's a large list and with the foreign player rules it can be tough to find true quality within the league for affordable prices, especially when you can buy off the two main rivals. 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shrewnaldo Posted March 4 Share Posted March 4 +4 for Arancibia's Vision when nothing else has increased by more than 2, and only three of those, is a bit crazy. How does that come about? BPD training or are you also giving him passing training? Interesting that both players have improved very little technically so far. I'll check back on my players but I think this aligns with my experience of mentals/physicals early development then technicals later Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Carambau Posted March 4 Share Posted March 4 (edited) 5 minutes ago, Shrewnaldo said: +4 for Arancibia's Vision when nothing else has increased by more than 2, and only three of those, is a bit crazy. How does that come about? BPD training or are you also giving him passing training? Maybe the manager just bought him some new, clean spectacles Edited March 4 by Carambau 2 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shrewnaldo Posted March 4 Share Posted March 4 Or maybe he just grew a couple of inches, so he could see much further? 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SixPointer Posted March 4 Author Share Posted March 4 9 hours ago, Shrewnaldo said: +4 for Arancibia's Vision when nothing else has increased by more than 2, and only three of those, is a bit crazy. How does that come about? BPD training or are you also giving him passing training? Interesting that both players have improved very little technically so far. I'll check back on my players but I think this aligns with my experience of mentals/physicals early development then technicals later He was on BPD training, passing training, trait training for plays short simple passes. Perhaps this all combined boosted the vision. But you would like to think passing would get the same effect. My general training has a lot of technical work as well. In past editions when I’ve zoned in on my training it’s usually the technicals that improve most. This is in senior players. 10 hours ago, Carambau said: Maybe the manager just bought him some new, clean spectacles A solid investment 🤣 7 hours ago, Shrewnaldo said: Or maybe he just grew a couple of inches, so he could see much further? I think he is already 6ft 5inches so I would like to hope he was tall enough 🤣 3 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lestri Posted March 7 Share Posted March 7 Just caught up with the save - exciting times in Chile! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SixPointer Posted March 8 Author Share Posted March 8 On 07/03/2024 at 05:16, Lestri said: Just caught up with the save - exciting times in Chile! Yeah mate am really enjoying it there. Unfortunately game time is extremely limited so it’s a slow burner at the minute. But it’s simmering nicely for when I can get some free time. 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lestri Posted March 9 Share Posted March 9 18 hours ago, SixPointer said: Yeah mate am really enjoying it there. Unfortunately game time is extremely limited so it’s a slow burner at the minute. But it’s simmering nicely for when I can get some free time. Likewise. I'm slow when I'm at normal pace, so I try not to feel too pressured that I'm not churning the updates out. So much respect for those who do! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
CameronFM Posted March 9 Share Posted March 9 Caught up on the save so far, and what a concept! The save idea gives me strong ‘Long Way Up’ vibes! Agree with others before, seems a bit strange that moving from Venezuela to Chile in the form of La U, is deemed a side step, certainly looks to be a step up in quality and pressure! 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SixPointer Posted March 10 Author Share Posted March 10 23 hours ago, CameronFM said: Caught up on the save so far, and what a concept! The save idea gives me strong ‘Long Way Up’ vibes! Agree with others before, seems a bit strange that moving from Venezuela to Chile in the form of La U, is deemed a side step, certainly looks to be a step up in quality and pressure! They had been going through a bit of a dry spell in term of trophies and had made it into the continental conversation for sometime. But yes I agree it was a huge step up not sure why the media had it down as a side step, maybe with success in Venezuela coupled with the underperforming U’s. I kind of wanted Peru first but I became so annoyed at the board in Tachira, I brought success and at the first sign of a blip they were ready to fire me, they didn’t deserve the masterplan 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Popular Post SixPointer Posted April 13 Author Popular Post Share Posted April 13 Work has finally calmed down and I should see my Sundays become free again which will see me return to playing again. I hope I can find my buzz for the save again and take on the famous South American mountain range 8 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SixPointer Posted April 29 Author Share Posted April 29 Finally the season is finished. My plan is to break this update down, it’s been played over such a long period of time so I have loads of notes from months back. So I’ll break it down into sections to get a feel for getting the bigger picture again. Transfers, some tactical stuff and of course goals goals goals. 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
warlock Posted April 29 Share Posted April 29 2 hours ago, SixPointer said: I’ll break it down into sections Looking forward to it 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SixPointer Posted May 1 Author Share Posted May 1 The start of the season feels like it was an age ago, well it was. I knew at the start of the season that the squad needed bolstering, we had won the title comfortably but there would be no time to rest on our laurels, a few positions needed upgrading a creative CM top of the list, while depth needed to be added in defence. Our starting keepers release clause was met by the Saudi's which added 5 million into the pot, but left us wanting for a replacement. After looking through a few options domestically i stumbled across a 17 year old with great potential. He cost 1.2 million which is a decent fee on the domestic scene, but when compared to the league's best keeper who is 9 years his senior it was clear to see why. Standing tall at 6 ft 5 and with jumping reach and aerial reach real plus points defending crosses wouldn't be an issue. Communication, handling, kicking, 1v1 and reflexes were all good. His determination and personality and performances would lead to great progression in his first season. Picked as the goalkeeper for the team of the year, he led the league in clean sheets with 15 only two shy of Campos record the season before. Called up for the national side but yet to make his debut. Galdemes was moved on for 600k, which left us very thin at RCB & LCB. Two players I had been tracking all of last season would become part of the side. Víctor González & Bastian Sierralta would offer superb depth, Victor being right footed and Bastian being left footed provided us with the perfect cover for Hernandez and Arancibia. Bastian caught the eye after finishing the previous season with 82% of his headers won, 1.58 of them being key per 90, 76% tackles won, 9 of them being key, 86% pass completion with 5.82 progressive passes. When compared to the other two highly rated left footed CB's he came out the best value for money at 1.2 million. He finished this season with only 11 starts mainly down to the superb and ever present Arancibia keeping him out the side, his averages dropped as well but there's no doubt he can do a job when called upon and his 6.95 average rating and progess on the training ground was enough to assure me of that. Víctor González had a lot more competition being right footed, but even up against the top defenders in the league he came out shining at the young age of 18. He won 82% of his headers, the highest percentage in the league, 79% of his tackles completed while attempting 42. He cost 650k and turned out to be a real bargain and backed up my gut feeling while using the data. He finished with 84% completed headers, the most out of the group he was compared against for signing, he also scored 6 goals from corners showing his strength in both boxes. He progressed nicely and got more chances with Hernadez shifting to RWB on occasions. Matías Cornejo & Gerson Celedón were added in the midfield for a combined total of 1.25 million. Matias is a number six which I've been trying to work on the defensive side of his game to make him more complete, he has shown signs of improvement over the season and the creative element of his game is good. Loyola is 100% the main man here, mr consistent and does the dirty work that allows the creative players flourish but Cornejo looks a capable understudy after his first season. Gerson at 525 K looks a tremendous bargain, he's being trained to play on the right flank as well bringing more versatility to his game, thus keeping the squad size down. 7 goals and 4 assists in 10 starts and 13 sub appearances is a superb return for a player who statistically in the second tier ticked a lot of our boxes, now showing he was good enough to step up and realise his potential. If we can get him natural at the RW slot it will allow us to avoid the market for a wide man next year as well. That's five Chilean signings, all had varied degrees of success, Ovalle of course the standout perhaps that was down to him being thrusted into the first choice keeper at 17, the sink or swim worked in Coloccini favour here. Gonzalez had a great first year as did Celedon, while Cornejo and Sierralta did well with limited chances. The key thing is the domestic signings are a must, the foreign player rule is 6 under 21 or 4 over 21, so cherry picking Chilean talent has to be at the very top of the list before then supplementing with special foreign players. Emmanuel Ojeda & Kevin Duarte were solid enough options in the middle of the pitch, but would they take us to the next level most likely not and both took up foregin slots. Odeja in particlar was an standout in the first full season but at 30 it was time to cash in for 800k and Duarte went for the same price. Andrade had already arrived the prevous summer and shown what can be done if you find the right player.... Step forward Breiner Sierra, a free transfer from Independiente Medellín he could prove to be the ultimate bit of business. He has absolutely what you would want from a creative midfielder, he also has the personality and consistency to reach the very top, we had to battle some bigger teams to secure him but we did. We were rewarded with a stunning hat trick on his debut and he hit another 7 goals throughout the rest of the season and created 14 goals second only to Andrade who hit 21 (he takes corners and freekicks) He was given a bumper deal half way through the season, but the Saudis are lurking and i cant get his agent to go above 3 million on the release clause, but i do have option to extend which will spare him for sometimes because 3 million isn't enough he will no doubt make his way to a top club at some point and am surprised europe isn't calling for him. Winning player and young player of the year will naturally draw attention so I think it's a case of enjoying his wonderful through balls for as long as we can. Emiliano Martínez a half a million recruit from Danubio, activating his release clause in the process. The 19 year old Uruguayan has gone from strength to strength since he arrived and looks like a superb signing, the mental side of the game for a young man is superb and he's very much a team player. He has already improved in such a short space of time after arriving in the mid season window and has now been capped by his country. Looks like he could be a mainstay at RWB for years to come,but he also has the ability to play inverted on the left side. He does however have massive competition for the place now that Nayel Mehssatou arrived on a free transfer, the Chilean international is real coup, at first he wanted to be star player and 14,000 a week after a four week trial he dropped down to a squad player 4,200 a week which is the only reason i took him, squad player should mean he is happy to play second fiddle, but i need this level of quality in every position if we are to make a dent on the continent. He arrived outside the registration period so he is yet to start a game but next season am sure he will be ready to challenge the youngster. Squad Overview -GK- -RWB- -RCB- -LCB- -LWB- -DMC- -RCM- -LCM- -RW- -LW- -STC- Goalkeeper Ovalle has my trust and Rodriguez looks like a steady deputy who can still progress. Right back is packed with competition with Martinez and Mehssatou while Medina will be sold. LWB Reyna had another standout season with 12 goals at the near post and 12 assists, he needs stronger competition though so left back is required, Diaz for 1 million has been a flop and bit of poor business on Coloccini watch. Centre back is strong Hernandez and Arancible have formed a solid partnership and Gonzalez and Sierrelta are great alternatives. Loyola is the rock in the middle and Cornejo is trying to provide competition but it may be an area to address. Sierra and Andrade in front have linked beautifully and while Venezuela doesn't seem rated he is lethal at set plays and often over performers. If Celedon ends up suiting the flank better a left footed CM could well be on the shopping list. Ordenas is the star of the team (18 goals and 11 assists) and at 18 years old he might just be the best player i have ever brought through and developed handing him his debut at 16 was a masterstroke, he has Palacios number now which is saying something as the former player of the year is a good player himself. Assadi on the other side had a slow start to the season but in the business end he showed why he was the main man last year, again backup may be required but all three can play on either side and we have a couple player who can shift out there in emergency (Rios,Celedon, Arias) Diaz was the starter and he returned 23 goals and 5 assists. His ability in the complete forward role was exceptional, often dropping deep and linking play then bursting in behind afterwards or getting on the end of cutbacks. Rios hit 12 goals himself and looks like he's ready to really challenge and Ulloa offers some depth and a different style. On the whole the squad depth is good, a left back and left footed midfielder should really see business close, unless a special player takes my notice. We have several players that can play multiple positions so I would rather keep the squad small and competitive, using rotations when shifting between systems. so players invert better than others, some players are better against a strong opponent, some are better against quicker. The idea now is to have the correct tool for the correct job without deviating too far from the philosophy ( ill cover this more in my tactical update) 5 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
warlock Posted May 1 Share Posted May 1 Sierra looks awesome... I'd happily pay his release clause to bring him to Vigo 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SixPointer Posted May 3 Author Share Posted May 3 On 02/05/2024 at 00:54, warlock said: Sierra looks awesome... I'd happily pay his release clause to bring him to Vigo Some of his slide through balls are things of true beauty. Usually to the real star of the show Oredenas! I’ll get to him in the next update when I cover all the results etc 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
SixPointer Posted May 4 Author Share Posted May 4 A domestic treble for La U, Campeonato, Copa Chile and the Super Copa. On the continent a Quarter final appearance in the Copa Libertadores. The league was won by a landslide of 19 points, breaking the league record for number of points total in the process, and the club record for number of wins. Drawing twice and losing twice, both losses came after continental games which shows there's still work to be done on squad depth Scoring 93 goals and only conceding 23, showed our strength at each end of the pitch. 15 Clean sheets for the young Ovalle led the league for player and club, 28 goals from set plays, 20 of them being corners, something Fabricio has become well renowned for. Leading the way on every front...... Copa Chile was a strange run, beating our great city rival Colo-Colo in the third round proved to be the biggest game. As the final pitched us against minnows from the Tercera division, Club de Deportes Rengo. Who were on a fairytale run to the final, while I'm sure everyone would have loved the fairytale ending Colocini’s men ensured it was not, running out 5-0 winners. Rumours have been swirling about the Argentinian, but he's affirmed that regardless of winning everything in Chile he feels settled here and most importantly he feels like the club is building something special. Losing to eventual finalists River Plate in the quarterfinals of the Copa Libertadores is going one better than last year, but more impressive was the opponents overcame to reach such heights. Getting out of a a real tough group, with the current reigning champions of three times Flamengo, champions of Uruguay National and Argentinian champions. The highlight of the group coming from behind at home to beat Boca 4-2. Their manager knows nothing about football claiming it was a fluke?. This is the second time Coloccini has gotten the better of Boca, winning against them in his time in Venezuela. Onto the second and the dismantlement of 2024 champions Fluminense & legendary winger Neymar in the second round showed more progress from the club in Santiago going one round better than last year. The Brazilian club were in a bad patch of form and the Chilean champions heaped more misery on them, especially the second leg smashing them 6-1, it was seen as a shock result but also shows the progress being made by Coloccini and his men. Loz Azules were on the wrong side of hammering in quarter final, at the hands of River Plate. 4-0 over two legs, showing that while there is improvement and big results, there is still a gap to close. 1-0 in a very boring home leg was the major downfall somewhere LA U have turned into a fortress having only not won twice at home all year. River went on to be runners up. 6 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hootieleece Posted May 4 Share Posted May 4 Good work in Chile. After playing there any other nation or team in the Andes will pale in comparison. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
warlock Posted May 4 Share Posted May 4 14 hours ago, SixPointer said: there is still a gap to close Sounds like a great save... plenty of success but still work to do to keep the interest alive 1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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