[FM18] Road to 1,000 Goals: Life of a Striker

[kandersson]

This is my first attempt of a career update on this site, and it's going to be about the career of a single player rather than a club or manager. More precisely, the career of a striker. The goal? Well goals, actually. 1,000 of them at the very least, and hopefully setting new goal scoring records for both real life and Football Manager!

Brazilian legend Pelé is obviously the man to beat here: his goalscoring record is often reported by FIFA as being 1281 goals in 1363 games (numbers might slightly differ depending on different sources, but we'll take this one for good). Other iconic strikers have allegedly accomplished this incredible achievement: the likes of Arthur Friedenreich, Romario and Tulio Maravilha are all said to have scored over 1,000 career goals (it's worth to note that these figures also include goals scored in friendly matches, youth matches and other non-official matches). It's no coincidence that these strikers were all Brazilian and scored most of their goals in Brazil: this is because Brazil has a history of producing world class, prolific strikers and also because clubs in Brazil tend to play about one million matches every season!

I guess it takes a Brazilian to beat a Brazilian, so this particular career will take place in the city of Teresina, state of Piauí, home of River Atlético Clube.

I took over River in january 2018 the second they were promoted to Série C (lowest playable league in FM). I have an affinity with this club from past editions of the game, I always have a preference for starting in lower leagues, plus I like the club's name and colors. Also, River play in a weak state championship, the unfashionable Campeonato Piauiense, which means every year we have 18 games against pretty poor opponents (usually Série D or lower). Which means our unnamed striker will use these games as a shameless chance to boost his tally. Yeah it's lame, but is it worse than counting obscure friendlies like Pelé and his pals did? Probabaly yes...

With non-stop action from january to december, and having already won consecutive promotions to Série A, the total number of matches per season should fluctuate from a minimum of 64 to a maximum of 82 depending on cup runs (unfortunately if we qualify for Copa Libertadores we stop entering the regional Copa do Nordeste, another juicy 12 matches). The weak Campeonato Piauiense (taking place january-may, just before the start of national divisions) should allow me to introduce my designated striker at (very) early age, and boost his development as well as his tally before a much harder Série A campaign

The process of identifying the perfect candidate has already begun, of course this has to be a long-term goal (wink wink) but want to start this as soon as possible. And in fact I already have!

[kandersson]

Reserved for future summary of stats, records and awards.

[kandersson]

Headhunting

As said above, I want to start this as soon as possible. At the start of 2020 River are a top tier club with a growing reputation in Brazil having won consecutive promotions from Série C under manager Alberto Rossini. We're in a great position for developing young players now, with no real pressure from the board, tons of games every year and the aforementioned weak Piauí state championship as a warm-up tournament. Now we just need to find the right man for the job, obviously we're looking for a very young striker with bags of long term potential, but also with some ability to make an immediate impact (and score goals) at Piauí state level (not hard) and hopefully in Série A (much harder). After much scouting and evaluation, I've identified three realistic candidates with the required combination of skills and potential:

1) The kid from Piauí: José Raimundo

 

2) Lower league prospect: Henrique Nardin

 

 

 

3) Santos academy prospect: Rodrigo Paulista

 

 

 

Honestly I like all of them and really believe each has the quality and potential to be a 1,000 goals striker. I have to pick one for this specific career though, evaluating pros & cons with the help of my staff, and eventually see how the player will respond on the pitch. I know I've already changed my mind twice...

[kandersson]

Candidate #1: José Raimundo

• + Product of River academy
• + At least 4 stars potential
• + Touted as the next Jairzinho
• + Elite physical attributes for his age
• + Below average injury susceptibility
• + Already established as a member of the core social group
• + Developed a Resolute personality via tutoring
• + Has been very prolific in his debut season with the first team

 

• - Average technical attributes
• - Not adept as a penalty kick or free kick taker
• - Rated as a fairly inconsistent performer
• - Oldest of the pack (will turn 18 next august)
• - Has already fulfilled 3 stars of his PA according to my staff

 

José Raimundo is a candidate you really want to root for. A product of River youth setup as well as a die hard supporter of the club, Raimundo has already seen plenty of action with the first team as the club faced an injury crisis upfront during our Série B campaign. And he responded remarkably:

20 goals in 25 apps in a decent national second division, good for 2nd place in the Artilheiro race. At the age of 17 JR already boasts 22 career goals for the club; a package of very good potential, positive personality and credible performances at this young age certainly makes him a legit candidate for a 1,000 goals career. Sub-par skills both as a penalty and free kick taker are a red flag for this challenge though, and his technical attributes in general don't look particularly impressive. Raimundo has shown glimpses of amazing raw talent as he was able to score at impressive rate (including consecutive hat tricks) in a very respectable league, but also signs of his inconsistency as he also went scoreless for several games in a row.

I definitely see a future for José Raimundo at our club, just not as a bona fide 1,000 goals striker...

 

[kandersson]

Candidate #2: Henrique Nardin

• + At least 4 stars potential
• + Also touted as the next Jairzinho
• + Elite all-around athleticism
• + Potential as a penalty taker
• + Left-footed, also has a fairly strong right foot
• + Promising football IQ, moves well off the ball
• + Rated as a fairly consistent performer
• + Available at a very affordable price, and willing to join
• + Coolest name of the lot

 

• - Low self belief
• - Fairly susceptible to injuries
• - More of a long-term prospect, might struggle to contribute straight away

 

Oh Henrique, why that low self belief and volatile attitude? I mean you're one of the top prospects in Brazilian football, have scored 3 goals in first 3 games with Série C side Confiança and future powerhouse River has scouted you for a whole year. Henrique! Change this face! Be happy! Enjoy!

I think young Henrique is a terrific prospect and in time will become a fantastic striker. A 120k euros bid was enough to convince third division club Confiança to sell, and Nardin was very happy to join River. He's probably two years away from being a reliable goalscorer, luckily Piauí state championship should give him the chance to develop early and build some confidence as well as score some goals. Nardin decided to make it harder for me - and for himself - by rejecting multiple mentors, apparently he was happy with his awful personality. His debut wasn't exactly exciting, as he missed a penalty and went scoreless in a typical easy win of Piauiense. Not cool. Things have gradually improved though.

12 goals in 9 matches in Campeonato Piauiense, plus a goal in his Copa Libertadores debut. Also a nice little record for Nardin:

Youngest goalscorer in Copa Libertadores!

 

It's been a bit hit and miss with Henrique so far, and this was very much expected. He seemed to struggle the most in first games, playing without confidence and often looking lost on the pitch even against very poor defenders. Things went better as Nardin finally accepted some proper tutoring (once I became his favorite staff) and started to improve his determination and personality (now described as a less worrying 'Balanced'). 12 goals in 9 matches in Piauí is not particularly impressive, especially with 5 penalties, but it's a start. A good 5/6 on penalties (including a 5/5 after his first miss) is also very promising, as well as a debut goal in Libertadores. Nardin will most likely get better every day now as he gels with new teammates and keep working on his technique  and personality. Right now I'd not be comfortable using Nardin as a first choice striker in Série A, as he's clearly not ready to contribute at that standard, not yet. With first team action in Piauiense and Libertadores he can hopefully develop a bit faster than I expect, and with some patience, training and tutoring Henrique is a lock to become a quality striker. My only long term concern is his injury proneness, described as 'above average' by my staff.

[Ronaldo Beckham]

I will look forward to seeing how this goes.

[kandersson]

6 hours ago, Ronaldo Beckham said:

I will look forward to seeing how this goes.

Thanks! This will be my main save for FM18 and the 1000 goals challenge is going to be the biggest motivation for me this year.

[Botas]

I like this concept reminds me of the old Danny Roberts thread. Good luck pal 

[kandersson]

Candidate #3: Rodrigo Paulista

• + At least 4 stars potential
• + Could be the next Ronaldo
• + A complete forward with good all-around attributes
• + High character guy: brave, determined and driven personality
• + Potential as a free kick taker
• + Intriguing combination of intelligence and creativity on and off the ball
• + Youngest of the three, will turn 16 in march

 

• - Very one footed
• - Poor penalty taker
• - Rated as a fairly inconsistent performer
• - Terrible hairstyle
• - Unlikely to leave Santos in the near future

 

There's a lot to like about Santos sensation Rodrigo Paulista: he's quick, smart, creative, skilled and tough. He really looks like the total package and an ideal candidate for this challenge. Dubbed the next Ronaldo, he kind of reminds me more of fellow brazilian legend Romario. Buying him from Santos wouldn't be so hard per se: in Brazil every player on a senior contract has a mandatory release clause (only for domestic clubs) directly connected to his wages; the higher the wages, the higher the clause. 100K per annum means a 10M clause. Young players like Rodrigo at their first contract usually command very low clauses initially, Paulista himself has a 1,4M clause at this point. I would gladly pay that, unfortunately he's unwilling to leave Santos at the moment. Still...

I was able to arrange a two years loan, with an optional (optional?) future fee of 1,4M euros that meets his current clause. I'm confident I can convince Rodrigo to join permanently at some point during the next two years, becoming his mentor and favorite personnel, overpaying for his wages or bribing his agent, I don't care. A bit of a gamble, but one I'm willing to take. I feel Rodrigo will be the best player long term, and he also looks ready to contribute from day one. His debut went well:

Youngest goalscorer of Campeonato Piauiense after a hat trick debut!

It's all relative at this standard of football, though Rodrigo looked like a natural on the pitch and had a very convincing debut. He certainly looked more ready and more effective than Henrique Nardin, despite being even younger.

The unnamed 1000 goals candidate has now found a name and a face: it's Rodrigo Paulista! From now on Paulista will be first choice in every game and competition (he's not eligible for Copa Libertadores group stage as he joined after registration date), his playing time will only be limited to avoid injuries and fatigue - I'm expecting a good 60-70 games from him every season. Rodrigo will also be assigned his preferred No.9 shirt as soon as possible (has settled for 99 for now).

Road to 1000 goals begins here!

[kandersson]

52 minutes ago, Botas said:

I like this concept reminds me of the old Danny Roberts thread. Good luck pal 

Thanks, yeah used to enjoy those threads too hopefully we can revive the legend of Danny Roberts I know @Makoto Nakamura is going for it!

[kandersson]

Now I'm not going to do an update for every match, but second appearance of Rodrigo sets another record:

A rare 7 goals game in a 10-0 thrashing against one of the weakest team in Piauí. This is obviously a new record for both River and Campeonato Piauiense, beating club icon, talismanic striker Gil.

Yeah Piauí state is a joke, Paulista's start at the club has been impressive nonetheless.

 

 

[kandersson]

First Top Scorer Award

Despite joining late during Piauí state championship and only playing 6 games in the league Rodrigo Paulista was able to win the Artilheiro do Campeonato Piauiense with an outrageous 22 goals in 6 apps. Paulista joined River icons Gil and Anderson Ligeiro as Piauí scoring champions, and topped an all-River podium in this year charts. 22 goals in 6 apps is quite crazy even for Piauiense standard, didn't really expect this and I'm not sure he could keep that average in the future. Paulista showed some all-around superstar potential, as he scored a few headers (!), a couple of direct free kicks (!!) and was flawless from penalty spot (3/3). Very promising for sure, but can he do it out of Piauí? We'll find out soon...

In other news River officially announced shirt numbers for the season:

Rodrigo Paulista claims his preferred No.9 shirt (seems like a fine choice for someone touted as the next Ronaldo), courtesy of José Raimundo who had to leave his beloved #9. I'm sorry Raimundo, it's all about Paulista now...

[LUFCspeni]

Brazil and 1000 goal challenge, what is not to like? I try to do this every year in various countries, but only ever managed it once, on FM10. Still remember his name, Nicholas Delmas of the mighty Leeds United  

Super tempted to join you and @Makoto Nakamura in Brazil. 

Good luck with this @kandersson, can't wait to read more.

[kandersson]

@LUFCspeni thanks mate, yeah Brazil is a ton of fun! Some might be ashamed of using weak state championships like Piaui as a boost towards 1000 goals... but not me! 

[LUFCspeni]

2 minutes ago, kandersson said:

@LUFCspeni thanks mate, yeah Brazil is a ton of fun! Some might be ashamed of using weak state championships like Piaui as a boost towards 1000 goals... but not me! 

You have to! The only time I managed it, I was playing him in every game, even those early FA Cup games against non-league teams and international friendlies against minnows 

Will probably start a Brazilian save tonight if my old team Brasiliense are playable, not too sure about a thread though, I never stick with them.

[Makoto Nakamura]

Looking forward to seeing how this pans out, I'm nowhere near getting a striker who has a 1,000 goal potential and the closest I have is a 25 year old with 187 goals in 358 appearances. Your young prodigy is going to smash that!

[kandersson]

1 hour ago, Makoto Nakamura said:

Looking forward to seeing how this pans out, I'm nowhere near getting a striker who has a 1,000 goal potential and the closest I have is a 25 year old with 187 goals in 358 appearances. Your young prodigy is going to smash that!

In the long run those four extra games every year in Paraibano are going to make the difference. Shame on you!

[Makoto Nakamura]

Just now, kandersson said:

In the long run those four extra games every year in Paraibano are going to make the difference. Shame on you!

If you weren't so far in I'd happily send you the file so you could do over with Botafogo, Campinense or even Treze if you holiday for them to be promoted!

[kandersson]

Another precocity record for Rodrigo Paulista: 

Youngest goalscorer in the history of Copa do Brasil. To make it even sweeter it was a brace against his alma mater Santos, including the game winning penalty kick in injury time.

Santos just don't deserve you Rodrigo!

[LUFCspeni]

@kandersson looking on course so far, hopefully you can keep hold of the youngster! What sort of formation are you playing to get him to bang in the goals?

 

I'm loading a save up now, just looking at state championships. Santos FC (PA) could be interesting due to the obvious Santos name, but only a maximum of 9 state games is putting me off.

[kandersson]

50 minutes ago, LUFCspeni said:

@kandersson looking on course so far, hopefully you can keep hold of the youngster! What sort of formation are you playing to get him to bang in the goals?

 

I'm loading a save up now, just looking at state championships. Santos FC (PA) could be interesting due to the obvious Santos name, but only a maximum of 9 state games is putting me off.

You sure only 9? I think it's more with the playoffs, probably around 14-15 if you make it to finals. It should also be a very weak state 

My best formation is the awful state of Campeonato Piauiense, I use VERY attacking formations that of course wouldn't dare to try against half-decent teams, usually a very attacking 4-1-4-1 against one striker teams, or an equally attacking 3-1-5-1 against two strikers team. In Serie A and cups I'm using more standard formations, currently an asymmetric diamond (though it was knap's 4-3-3 that got me consecutive promotions and a cup). Creates some good chances for the poacher and open lots of space for counter - both for and against!

[kandersson]

I promise these records are going to stop at some point:

With this goal scored against Gremio Rodrigo Paulista sets a new record for youngest goalscorer in Série A at 16 years and 63 days. With Campeonato Piauiense and Copa do Brasil records already in the bag, next on Paulista's list is Copa Libertadores.

[kandersson]

Let's do this one more time:

Rodrigo Paulista steals Henrique Nardin's record as youngest goalscorer in Copa libertadores at 16 years and 124 days.  Poor Nardin is currently 'enjoying' a spell with the U20 squad as Paulista is scoring for fun as River frontman, a role that he also stole from Nardin. It's not all bad for Henrique though, he's developing nicely without all the pressure and sooner rather than later might form an exciting partnership with Rodrigo himself in the first team.

In other news Paulista has missed the first penalty of his young career (he still scored a hat trick in that game...) though still boasts a very good 8/9 from the spot, not bad with an attribute of 7 (improving though) as a PK taker.

[LUFCspeni]

20 hours ago, kandersson said:

You sure only 9? I think it's more with the playoffs, probably around 14-15 if you make it to finals. It should also be a very weak state 

My best formation is the awful state of Campeonato Piauiense, I use VERY attacking formations that of course wouldn't dare to try against half-decent teams, usually a very attacking 4-1-4-1 against one striker teams, or an equally attacking 3-1-5-1 against two strikers team. In Serie A and cups I'm using more standard formations, currently an asymmetric diamond (though it was knap's 4-3-3 that got me consecutive promotions and a cup). Creates some good chances for the poacher and open lots of space for counter - both for and against!

 

Nope - 5 league games plus 4 more up to the final 

[kandersson]

5 minutes ago, LUFCspeni said:

Nope - 5 league games plus 4 more up to the final 

Apparently it changes after first season and adds a few more games (13 in total):

Desportiva owning Capixaba btw!

[kandersson]

Rodrigo why are you teasing me...

why don't you want me...

 

[kandersson]

Rodrigo Paulista led River to their second Copa do Brasil title with a string of amazing performances, including a new club record (beating his own) for fastest goal against his beloved Santos. 16 seconds, that's pretty cool.

More importantly, Paulista won both Best Player and Artilheiro awards, with a spectacular 10 goals in 7 apps for River.

Epic season so far for River and Rodrigo.

[kandersson]

It's happening:

Rodrigo Paulista will join River permanently on january 1st 2021, having accepted a very structured contract from the club. Key factors for the success of this deal include but are not limited to:  1) River winning Copa do Brasil and securing Copa Libertadores football for next year 2) River becoming Rodrigo's favorite club 3) Alberto Rossini becoming Rodrigo's favorite personnel 4) an outrageous number of bonuses and clauses in his contract.

As you can see Paulista will basically get 300k euros every 5 goals he scores until he reaches 30, which is pretty much a guaranteed extra 1,8M every year . I was willing to concede this bonus to make him accept a longer contract (through december 2023 PLUS a three years option yay!) on relatively low wages - 600k per annum is still very high for my standards!

Other clauses include a 50% profit of future sell going to Rodrigo (which is never going to happen) and very high bonus for winning and reaching semifinals of the mighty Copa do Nordeste (which we'll never enter again as long as we qualify for continental competitions, i.e. we'll never play in Nordeste again).  As per @Jimbokav1971 musical interlude:

 

 

[The_Gato_In_Goal]

Get him down on that long term deal before Europe comes sniffing him

[kandersson]

33 minutes ago, The_Gato_In_Goal said:

Get him down on that long term deal before Europe comes sniffing him

He's locked for next 6 seasons through december 2026 thanks to a three years team option 

[kandersson]

Finally completed an exhausting yet successful season, my first as a manager of teenage sensation Rodrigo Paulista. The season went very well both for the club and Rodrigo, though some sort of locker room breakdown had a bad influence on a few crucial matches at the end of the season. Imagine a manager leading a small club from third to first division in two years, winning the national cup while in second division, having already secured the title of first division in first year and now waiting for the finals of Copa Libertadores as the last great event of the season. What would you expect at that point? I'l tell you what, a dozen players suddenly unhappy with their contracts, apparently all losing their trust in me just a few days before the final. How nice.

A nightmare of red cards, appalling mistakes and gutless performances followed, and gone was the Libertadores. I don't even care about that honestly, the worst thing was Rodrigo stopped scoring for about 4 games thanks to this mutiny on the Bounty. Not cool! I'm selling those traitors as soon as I can.

Up next, the season and the numbers of Paulista!

[kandersson]

Rodrigo Paulista Year 2020

First year of Rodrigo Paulista as River frontman and 1000 goals hopeful, how did it go then? Not bad at all...

The Chuteira de Ouro award (Brazil golden boot for all divisions and competitions) was only one of a number of titles, records and awards that Rodrigo won this year (he joined and surpassed River icon Gil as a winner of Chuteira).

Other awards include Bola de Ouro, Rei da Bola, Rei do Gol, Revelação do Brasileirão and Best Striker, which should all be cool brazilian ways of saying best player, best rookie and top scorer in the league.

Let's have a look at Paulista, shall we...

87 total goals in 54 apps, including a marvelous 48 goals in 36 matches in Série A. Rodrigo has developed at excellent rate (also learning a couple of useful PPM's) and at just 16 he already looks like a legit star striker for this level of football. A low penalty taking attribute didn't stop Rodrigo from scoring 12/13 from the spot, while elite Finishing, Off the Ball and Anticipation are already making a difference, together with good quickness and agility.

It was an ideal year for our striker(s) because as a newly promoted side opponents would generally see us as underdogs/small team, leaving lots of space for counter and playing more attacking themselves. As title holders this will most likely change next year so we'll have to find new ways to feed Rodrigo and allow him to repeat this fantastic season. The good thing is: Rodrigo is already a beast, he's 16 and is going to improve.

 

[kandersson]

To put this in perspective, this was my top striker and 1000 goals candidate in FM17 in his best season:

Young Edio scored a cool 118 goals in 71 games for Nacional, thanks to 61 goals in the weak Amazonas state and 43 in Sèrie A. But he was 'already' 19. As a 17 years old in his first season at the club he only scored 15 in Série A (Edio scored over 300 goals by the age of 20, when I started overusing him and caused consecutive 4 months injuries to his poor ankle, but that's for another story). Rodrigo Paulista scored 48 Série A goals at the age of 16...

Let's have another look at Rodrigo Paulista, aka R9, aka Rodrigo Paolone

87 goals scored, 913 to go!

 

[LUFCspeni]

Wow, what a season! I've never managed to hit 100 goals in a year with a player, when do you think R9 will hit that? I'm calling next season.

If the Brazil job comes up, would you take it and call him up for every game? Get him started nice and early.

[kandersson]

2 hours ago, LUFCspeni said:

Wow, what a season! I've never managed to hit 100 goals in a year with a player, when do you think R9 will hit that? I'm calling next season.

If the Brazil job comes up, would you take it and call him up for every game? Get him started nice and early.

A full season in Piauiense will be a BIG bonus for Rodrigo, in my plans it should be a good 50 free goals every year but hopefully more (hat trick per game is realistic at this level). Group stage against weak teams of Libertadores (especially Venezuela, Bolivia) also a good time for strikers. The real challenge will be keeping the pace in Série A, because in my experience opponents will play very defensively (and very well when doing it!) once they see my team as favorite to win, which tends to have an impact on number of goals we will score. I'd be happy with 'only' 30 Série A goals for R9 next year. 100 goals per year is definitely a target I have for EVERY season though 

As for national team job... I would gladly avoid that tbh as I already have so many matches every year and I like to watch all of them on extended HL, though I might try to get the job if they start to call up Rodrigo just to bench him (so he'd miss games for River and not score goals for Brazil ). For now, I've withdrawn him from Brazil U20 - no way he's missing those easy games in Piauiense!

Also for some reason I've posted Desportiva schedule in Capixaba while you were talking about Santos (AP), anyway in my game with default leagues they do play 14 matches in their Campeonato Amapaense (and they own the league!):

[LUFCspeni]

52 minutes ago, kandersson said:

A full season in Piauiense will be a BIG bonus for Rodrigo, in my plans it should be a good 50 free goals every year but hopefully more (hat trick per game is realistic at this level). Group stage against weak teams of Libertadores (especially Venezuela, Bolivia) also a good time for strikers. The real challenge will be keeping the pace in Série A, because in my experience opponents will play very defensively (and very well when doing it!) once they see my team as favorite to win, which tends to have an impact on number of goals we will score. I'd be happy with 'only' 30 Série A goals for R9 next year. 100 goals per year is definitely a target I have for EVERY season though 

As for national team job... I would gladly avoid that tbh as I already have so many matches every year and I like to watch all of them on extended HL, though I might try to get the job if they start to call up Rodrigo just to bench him (so he'd miss games for River and not score goals for Brazil ). For now, I've withdrawn him from Brazil U20 - no way he's missing those easy games in Piauiense!

Also for some reason I've posted Desportiva schedule in Capixaba while you were talking about Santos (AP), anyway in my game with default leagues they do play 14 matches in their Campeonato Amapaense (and they own the league!):

 

Really strange, in my save they only ever play 9 max. Although I am using the edited database to get Serie D, so maybe that is the problem.

[kandersson]

20 hours ago, LUFCspeni said:

Really strange, in my save they only ever play 9 max. Although I am using the edited database to get Serie D, so maybe that is the problem.

Your edited database might be closer to reality but I'm usually too lazy and suspicious to use custom leagues (the obvious exception is claassen's pack!). According to real format Piaui state itself should have four more games (two legs for every playoff match) to bring the total to 22, yet I'm stuck at 18 . That's about 10 goals for season!

I would love if SI added second division for state championships and a proper Série D with real life format, as well as real formats for all states and more regional cups (main issue would be heavy schedule for some of the state leagues).

[kandersson]

Farewell to a Club Icon

The rise of River as a continental powerhouse and of Rodrigo Paulista as our superstar striker eventually led to the selling of club icon and lower league hero Gil. Gil was the inspirational leader of River's journey from third division to Série A title and Copa do Brasil. The striker was one of my first signings as River manager back in 2018 and immediately carried the club scoring at impressive rate in every competition.

His effort in season 2018 was absolutely amazing, not far from Rodrigo Paulista's numbers actually as Gil scored for fun in the weak Campeonato Piauiense but also had more goals than games played in Série C and Copa - three months out with a dislocated shoulder didn't stop him from scoring 63 goals that year.

Gil accepted an offer from China (though sadly he's still on the same low wages) and left River as all-time top scorer and holder of several scoring records. Of course all these records have been or will be smashed very soon by Rodrigo Paulista, but still we pay homage to a club icon and the original Rei do Gol of Piauí. Obrigado Gil!

 

[kandersson]

Campeonato Piauiense 2021

So Gil is in China, and Rodrigo has become undisputed king of Piauí. His first full Campeonato Piauiense went pretty much as expected.

Paulista won again both Artilheiro and Best Player awards, setting a new state record with 53 goals in 18 matches, just a hair below the coveted hat-trick per game target.

Overall numbers looking good with a total 57 goals so far just before the start of Série A. Rodrigo confirmed his potential as a dead ball specialist as he scored 9/10 from the penalty spot while also finding the net on three direct free kicks. 53 goals in Piauí is obviously a very good result, though final games of the season were a bit disappointing as Paulista found the net with less consistency and even went scoreless for a whole game (!!!). Paulista was flying well over four goals per game in first stage, when the two best playmakers of the team left River as their relatively low release clauses were activated. It really made a world of a difference for Rodrigo, more than I expected as my reserves should still be all-world compared to Piauiense standard. The loss of wonderkid Julio Lopes was particularly tough.

Lopes, touted as the next Ronaldinho Gaucho, was the perfect complement for Paulista with his very good playmaking attributes and specific PPM's that I got him to learn in time. He had developed a strong partnership with Rodrigo on the pitch, and was the main creative force of the team and a consistent source of assists for Paulista. Palmeiras came out of the blue with a 7,25M offer that met his automatic clause and I couldn't even talk with the kid at that point. I do have a few wonderkids waiting in the wings, with similar potential and skillset (including a very promising trio of next Denilson, next Kaka and next Juninho Paulista), they're not there yet though. Hopefully one of them is ready to step up and claim a starting spot sooner rather than later, my veteran back-ups are decent but generally lack the vision and flair to create chances out of nowhere like Lopes did. We'll see...

 

[mjaferrie]

Enjoying following this, kutgw!  How do you set up tactically?

[tajj7]

53 in 18, that is crazy, well on his way then. 

Mad goals amount for a 17 year old. I like that you turned your wonderkid AMC into essentially the Brazilian Mesut Ozil! - 'Don't shoot, pass to that guy'.

[kandersson]

13 ore fa, mjaferrie ha scritto:

Enjoying following this, kutgw!  How do you set up tactically?

Thanks mate!

In the weak Campeonato Piauiense I tend to go all out attack against very poor teams (the best two are in fourth division when they're lucky, others are hopeless), mostly 4-3-3 and 3-4-3 (vs two strikers formations) with huge emphasis on wing play (not much choice against the defensive 4222 DM narrow, aka 4 pure defenders + 4 defensive midfielders, nightmare). In more serious games I'm having some success with the asymmetric diamond I posted a few posts above that is designed to feed the poacher, but mostly I've had immense success with @knap 4-3-3 Blue Matter that was responsible for winning second and third division plus Nordeste and national cup, as well as for Gil's goals.

[kandersson]

4 ore fa, tajj7 ha scritto:

53 in 18, that is crazy, well on his way then. 

Mad goals amount for a 17 year old. I like that you turned your wonderkid AMC into essentially the Brazilian Mesut Ozil! - 'Don't shoot, pass to that guy'.

Yeah, that's exactly what I did! Having a good playmaker with those PPM's really makes a difference for the striker especially in a challenge like this. Lopes was also learning to 'refrain from taking long shots' when sadly Palmeiras activated his clause. I'll try to recreate the same type of player via tutoring and training, takes time but really is a massive bonus for the striker, more than specific tactics I think!

[kandersson]

This one made me laugh a bit.

Paulista-tuesque! Rodrigo had a very strong start in Série A staying well above one goal per game in first part of the season. As expected teams are playing more defensively against title holders River, and we generally have a tough time creating clean chances or attacking in space like we used to do last year. We're absolutely destroying teams on corner kicks and set pieces (throw ins and indirect free kicks) though, and for some reason Rodrigo is always there finding goals in the garbage of the game! I don't have a particular set-up for him, we do have A LOT of chances from set pieces and Rodrigo is just there hunting goals. Unusually high number of penalties (converted at excellent rate) also helping Paulista's cause. Maybe not always pretty to watch, but damn effective!

[kandersson]

A bittersweet moment for Rodrigo Paulista as he gets his first call-up for Brazil in september...

... but he's forced out of the team due to injury!

Bad timing for Paulista as he misses his possible debut for Brazil, as well as a few crucial games for River including semifinal of Copa do Brasil. It's Rodrigo's first 'real' injury of the year after a couple of 1-2 days knocks; 14 days on the sidelines isn't really that bad, but pulled ankle ligaments is something to monitor in the future to avoid developing a recurring injury. Hopefully the young striker can make a full recovery soon and go back to his amazing form . With three months to the end of the season the 100 goals mark is looking very possible for Paulista.

[kandersson]

100 goals...

... and counting...

[tajj7]

Nice, only 10 seasons to go then! 

[BoxToBox]

Jesus, he'll only be peaking by time he's hit the 1000.

[kandersson]

21 ore fa, tajj7 ha scritto:

Nice, only 10 seasons to go then! 

 

18 ore fa, BoxToBox ha scritto:

Jesus, he'll only be peaking by time he's hit the 1000.

Injuries, fatigue and contract negotiations might make things a little harder in the future!

[kandersson]

Artilheiro of the Copa

6 goals in 4 matches are enough for Rodrigo Paulista to retain top scorer title of Copa do Brasil as River won the tournament for the third time in four years. Paulista missed a few games with injuries and national team call-ups (though hasn't debuted yet) and only played 4 of 8 possible games in the Copa. Always nice to see Rodrigo winning new artilherias, every scoring title counts in the road to 1000.