ManUtd1

China 2070; Second Round Review An emotional day in Hohhot. We set out in Foquiado, aiming to frustrate Los Cafeteros' narrow attack and hit them in transition. When we played them straight up at the Confederations Cup Group Stage last year, they were far more effective. The Third-Place match is where we adopted the approach we're taking tonight, to great effect. Past is indeed prelude. We were clinical. An extremely even match, but we created meaningful chances while they found little more than frustration. A 3-0 win, although the scoreline was kind in our favor. We're through, to thundering applause from the Colombian support. How many times had they seen their heroes scalp a heavily-favored opponent in the way we just did? Portugal are next. A tough draw, but there are few Cinderella teams this year.

Dina-who??

There are a lot of familiar names. We were solid 4 years ago, but I thought 2070 would be our year. They are! Thanks, man. At first I was trying to remember who they drew, thinking that Cape Verde ... but then I saw England. Brilliant... #It'sJustbanter I'm shocked Belgium hasn't won the World Cup or become eligible, actually. They even failed to qualify for 3 straight -- in 2038, 2042 and 2046...despite their domestic league rising to prominence and winning the 2052 and 2064 Euros (runners up in 2024):

China 2070; Group Stage Review A dominant display against Hungary was followed by a near-perfect match against Argentina. Near-perfect in that we took and then held a 1-0 lead ... until the 92nd minute when Argentina grabbed the equalizer. Our progress all but assured, I rotated the squad and my 2nd XI annihilated Iran. So, we're through as Group winners on goal difference... Yes, we packed our shooting boots. We're going to need them. We've drawn Colombia, after Los Cafeteros' shock 3-0 loss to Tunisia on matchday 2. Colombia -- my Colombia -- are the defending champions, and ranked 2nd in the world. This is going to be interesting...

Das ist mir Wurst. Bayer Leverkusen / Côte d'Ivoire China 2070; World Cup Preview Here we are. 4 years into my tenure with Les Éléphants. Time to put up or shut up. We've got a great side. No excuses to be made there. If you've been following along, most of these names and faces will be familiar. The question is whether we can put together a run or not... Goalkeepers My undisputed starter in goal is N'Guessan. 50 caps by the age of 20? Yeah, I've pretty much played him at every opportunity. Diallo and Kamagate are the backups, even if they are more commonly seen fighting for the No. 1 jersey at Marseille. Utterly nuts that they're in the South of France together, but that's AI squad management for you. Liberos Kone is my starter here, although it is becoming harder and harder to leave Demel out of the side. I'm likely going to partner Demel in the central defense with Guehi, even though he's here technically as my backup libero. Defenders Among my traditional defenders, 3 are clear starters in my mind -- Guehi, Soro and N'Gorani. Gnago has partnered with Guehi for years now...but at 34 his legs are starting to go. He isn't capable of being in the 1st XI for the whole tournament. Sery and Konan are fighting for that spot, although (as noted above) I may put Demel into the XI with Guehi. My backups on the flanks are Fofana and N'Guessan-Bakari -- the latter being a dangerous player to bring on, or for my 2nd XI. Central Midfielders My central midfield pairing has been Kouassi and Diaby for a while now, and that won't change. Kouassi takes up the more defensive-minded, right-sided slot. Diaby is the attacking slot. Rennes lad Kouakou is Kouassi's backup, while Georges is capable of covering both positions effectively. Traore is here as a 5th wheel, no doubt. It came down to him or Parfait Etienn. I went with Traore. In a pinch, Traore can cover 3 of my midfield spots (central, or as the deep-lying targetman/playmaker at the center of the front 3), while Parfait is limited to the shadow striker roles. That versatility was the deciding factor, even if if leaves me without 3 "natural" attacking midfielders. Attacking Midfielders Up top, Kone will be flanked by Kouakou and Sakanoko in the 1st XI. Sakanoko took over in the last year or so for Kouadio, due to the latter's poor natural fitness which constantly left him dragging in the Cup of Nations. So, Kouadio takes over as the primary goal-scoring threat off the bench. Kouame can technically play all 5 midfield positions in my formation, although I think he is best at the center of the front 3. He and Traore can flex as needed, even if he isn't the pure goalscoring threat that I might want. Diaby could be pulled forwards in a pinch, but... Final Thoughts There's no good reason for us to not make a good run. This is a great squad. I only hope that my decisions on personnel (leaving Parfait and a few other goalscoring attackers behind...) doesn't come back to bite me in the ****. Our pre-tournament friendlies were less than impressive. We dominated 16th-ranked Australia, but couldn't finish. The 2nd XI were laboring to a scoreless draw against the 14th-ranked United States, before some late substitutions made the difference. Finally, a 1-0 win over 12th-ranked, 10-man Poland...and then we were off to China. I've had underwhelming lead-ins to tournaments, but this is making me nervous.

In hindsight this was inevitable, the need to dip into the transfer market. My loanees are heading back to take on first team responsibilities. Their clubs won't even consider another year in Germany. Parfait would join on a permanent deal in a heartbeat, but the Italians are playing silly buggers. I even tried shouting at them, given that most people are cowed by rapid-fire Serbian. Instead, they corrected my attempted conjugation of "fist" as a verb. Even worse? I thought I was so clever, negotiating a 7M future fee for Georges Diallo with Valencia...only to have him reject a move to Leverkusen because we aren't in the Champions League. So much for the big decision on what to do with my loanees, eh? Turns out I never had a decision to make after all. So, it may be time to dive into the market... The club's first foray into Europe in over 20 years is on the horizon, I dare not disappoint. But my attention is on our final preparations for the World Cup. The problem being that my trusted Romanian assistant from Partizan (who joined up last summer) cannot be trusted to handle the transfer business on his own. He lacks a certain... Subtlety. I mean, he's a nice enough guy. Ciprian can analyze an opponent's weaknesses while three sheets to the wind on plum Brandy. But he has no people skills whatsoever. He can't read cues. Case in point: Ciprian is currently being sued by 4 different women for sexual harassment. And that's not the worst of it. The 4th woman is the judge who was assigned to preside over the first three trials... Until she had to recuse herself due to Ciprian's unwelcome advances. His excuse? She was "talking dirty" to him. Nevermind that she was reading his late-night texts to the second woman in open court, mind you. No, we're not going to task Ciprian with anything as important as this.

Do you really want an answer to that question?! There's a reason your physio went home early today...

She insists on wearing leggings year-round, too. Bizarre, that.

I actually like the title. Caught my eye Good luck!

Hast du etwas Zeit für mich, dann singe ich ein Lied für dich Bayer Leverkusen / Côte d'Ivoire 2069/70 Season Review A fight to the finish saw us in 7th and secure European football for the first time since 2049. It's been a long, 20-year wait for our supporters. Hopefully we'll do them proud. We're undoubtedly ahead of schedule. With loans expiring, the question becomes how many I try to extend...or do we attempt to stand on our own two feet. I have my doubts about the squad. We're certainly not deep enough for a drawn-out European campaign. Time will tell. My mind isn't focused on Leverkusen right now, as the World Cup is imminent. Les Éléphants are ready. We're taking a strong, experienced side. We won't be favored, but our opponents would be foolish to overlook us. Goals for 2070/71: Make a run at the World Cup. Not embarrass ourselves in the Europa League. Qualify for European competition in 2071/72. Squad|League Overview|Finances Overview|Income Detail|Expenditures Detail|Transfers Bundesliga Fixtures|DFB-Pokal Fixtures Champions League Review Leeds return to the pinnacle of European football, claiming their 5th Champions League title following triumph in 2033, 2036, 2044 and 2063. More imporantly, after years of domestic dominance (8 straight titles, 2063-70) and falling late in the knockout rounds, Dijon has emerged as a newly-eligible team. France is the place to be, undoubtedly. Challenge Overview

Hast du etwas Zeit für mich, dann singe ich ein Lied für dich Bayer Leverkusen / Côte d'Ivoire March 2070 Mini-Update 8 matches to play. We've got a shot at a Europa League spot, which would be ideal. Completely beyond our pre-season expectations. But very doable. Focus, lads. Focus.

West Ham's fortunes have managed to improve, with another Tycoon takeover...this guy seeks to improve upon their 6-straight PL titles, and nearly 20 years of dominance in Europe.

Whoa...I hadn't noticed this. Gustav left Lyon mid-season, less than a year after winning the Champions League title, to take the reins at Chelsea. Always knew he was a plastic, glory-hunting fraud.

Can't argue with that. He's an immediate addition to my 1st XI.

A quick glance at Europe as we hit the stretch run. No major surprises at the top, although Club Brugge are a pitiful 11th (on 33 points). To be fair, West Ham being down 3-1 to Roma is surprising, although there's every reason to believe that result will not hold after a the 2nd leg in London.