The Restoration of Glory

[-Xenon-]

Welcome to Part Two of what possibly will become a trilogy of stories. Those who didn't read Part One, may want to take a look otherwise you will find the storyline a bit bewildering! These stories are all that is preventing FM 2006 gathering dust somewhere in my house and for those who crave the knowledge of what leagues I'm running and on what version, it's obviously exactly the same as last time.

Enjoy!

Two and a half years later.........

Surrey, England

Sam hated hospitals. They always seemed so dis-organised, as if they would do more harm than good to their patients. Thankfully it was only a brief visit. His consultant had ordered regular check-ups over the last 18 months and today was the final appointment. The gun-shot wound under his left shoulder had taken an age to heal fully. The bullet had torn through tendons, muscle and fragmented into part of the ball and socket. That meant he had trouble extending his arm fully, but apart from that it didn't handicap him too badly. It still hurt like hell every now and then but according to the consultant that was to be expected. The doctor briefly checked the movement in Sam's arms and asked if he had any problems with it, to which the answer was no. That seemed to be all he needed to hear.

"Well Mr. Cox I don't think we'll be needing to see you anymore. Just try not to run into anymore gunmen on your travels!"

"I'll try not to, thank you Doctor"

"I suppose you watched the World Cup?"

Sam grimaced.

"Yeah, unfortunately"

"England could use a coach like you, I dunno losing in the final. It seemed so perfect after we thrashed the Germans."

Sam smiled, Wolfgang had been furious and it wasn't as if he could switch allegiances to Brazil as they had been dumped out in the group stage, finishing behind Ghana and Romania.

"I can't get a job in League 1, let alone the national team. No-one here seems to watch South American football, I'm a hero in Santa Catarina!"

"I've heard about what you've done out there. Bit of anti climax to your career, losing to those Mexicans."

"So I'm constantly reminded, anyway my career is not over yet. I've just come home for a break. I best be off, thanks for everything"

"Not to worry, let us know if you have any problems"

***

At this point we best fill the gaps regarding what has happened since that almost fatal night in Yokohama. Sam went on to have treatment for the best part of a month after the shooting. Juninho Pernambucano took over First Team affairs in his absence after Ronaldo decided to move on from the club. He did a great job, delivering another Santa Catarina state title. Juninho decided against taking the vacant Assistant role, opting to go back to coaching the Under 20's who he had led to a national championship title. Sam hired recently retired player Ronaldinho to be his assistant, the former Barcelona and Brazil midfielder proved a popular figure with staff and players alike. On his return Sam guided Hermann Aichinger to a second successive league title and even more impressively another Copa Libertadores trophy. His team then went on to defeat River Plate in the Recopa.

But the season did not end on a high note when Hermann Aichinger returned to Japan to defend their World title. Sam was uneasy returning to the place where his life had almost been extinguished. In some way that uneasiness translated on to the pitch and although they comfortably beat the Orlando Pirates in the Semi Final. They lost 2-1 to the Mexican side, Chivas in the final.

It was a disappointment the side have yet to recover from. They added a third straight state title to their Honours list, but made a disappointing start to the league campaign. Struggling for results and languishing in mid table, the fans were beginning to doubt their heroes. A cruel defeat in the final of the Copa Libertadores to Corinthians was the final straw. Sam handed in his resignation despite having received no unrest from the board. His heart wasn't in it anymore and he needed to go home.

That was two months ago.

***

When Sam got home, he picked up the newspaper that had been dropped on his doorstep. He flipped it over to the back page and saw an article of interest.

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">

Brazil head coach sacked

9th August 2014

Brazil head coach Mano Menezes had been sacked by the Brazilian F.A. after the national team's disastrous World Cup campaign. The former Gremio manager had been in charge of the Brazilian team since the resignation of Carlos Alberto Parreira in 2007. In those seven years in charge he only managed to add one North American Gold Cup trophy to Brazil's illustrious trophy cabinet. Two failed Copa America campaigns, two failed Confederations Cup campaigns and two disastrous World Cup's have seen Brazil slip out of the Top 10 in the world rankings. With almost all of the "Golden Generation" of 2006 now retired it remains to be seen where Brazil will find the next generation of players.

Candidates for the vacant position are numerous but the favourites include Branco, Roberto Carlos or Dida. A decision is likely to be made soon by President Ricardo Teixeira with the friendly against reigning World Champions Holland approaching.

</div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Interesting, thought Sam as he noticed a message had been left on his home phone. He prodded the button and listened to the message, it was his dumb blonde of a P.A., Diane.

"Hi Sam, it's me. Just to let you know I've had a phonecall from a Mr........Tez-yeah-ra??, no idea how you pronounce it, I couldn't really understand much on account of him having a thick brazilian accent. Anyway he's in London tomorrow and wants to arrange a meeting with you. I'll call you back later with all the details."

So Ricardo Teixeira had asked for a meeting with him. This was becoming interesting.........

[-Xenon-]

Welcome to Part Two of what possibly will become a trilogy of stories. Those who didn't read Part One, may want to take a look otherwise you will find the storyline a bit bewildering! These stories are all that is preventing FM 2006 gathering dust somewhere in my house and for those who crave the knowledge of what leagues I'm running and on what version, it's obviously exactly the same as last time.

Enjoy!

Two and a half years later.........

Surrey, England

Sam hated hospitals. They always seemed so dis-organised, as if they would do more harm than good to their patients. Thankfully it was only a brief visit. His consultant had ordered regular check-ups over the last 18 months and today was the final appointment. The gun-shot wound under his left shoulder had taken an age to heal fully. The bullet had torn through tendons, muscle and fragmented into part of the ball and socket. That meant he had trouble extending his arm fully, but apart from that it didn't handicap him too badly. It still hurt like hell every now and then but according to the consultant that was to be expected. The doctor briefly checked the movement in Sam's arms and asked if he had any problems with it, to which the answer was no. That seemed to be all he needed to hear.

"Well Mr. Cox I don't think we'll be needing to see you anymore. Just try not to run into anymore gunmen on your travels!"

"I'll try not to, thank you Doctor"

"I suppose you watched the World Cup?"

Sam grimaced.

"Yeah, unfortunately"

"England could use a coach like you, I dunno losing in the final. It seemed so perfect after we thrashed the Germans."

Sam smiled, Wolfgang had been furious and it wasn't as if he could switch allegiances to Brazil as they had been dumped out in the group stage, finishing behind Ghana and Romania.

"I can't get a job in League 1, let alone the national team. No-one here seems to watch South American football, I'm a hero in Santa Catarina!"

"I've heard about what you've done out there. Bit of anti climax to your career, losing to those Mexicans."

"So I'm constantly reminded, anyway my career is not over yet. I've just come home for a break. I best be off, thanks for everything"

"Not to worry, let us know if you have any problems"

***

At this point we best fill the gaps regarding what has happened since that almost fatal night in Yokohama. Sam went on to have treatment for the best part of a month after the shooting. Juninho Pernambucano took over First Team affairs in his absence after Ronaldo decided to move on from the club. He did a great job, delivering another Santa Catarina state title. Juninho decided against taking the vacant Assistant role, opting to go back to coaching the Under 20's who he had led to a national championship title. Sam hired recently retired player Ronaldinho to be his assistant, the former Barcelona and Brazil midfielder proved a popular figure with staff and players alike. On his return Sam guided Hermann Aichinger to a second successive league title and even more impressively another Copa Libertadores trophy. His team then went on to defeat River Plate in the Recopa.

But the season did not end on a high note when Hermann Aichinger returned to Japan to defend their World title. Sam was uneasy returning to the place where his life had almost been extinguished. In some way that uneasiness translated on to the pitch and although they comfortably beat the Orlando Pirates in the Semi Final. They lost 2-1 to the Mexican side, Chivas in the final.

It was a disappointment the side have yet to recover from. They added a third straight state title to their Honours list, but made a disappointing start to the league campaign. Struggling for results and languishing in mid table, the fans were beginning to doubt their heroes. A cruel defeat in the final of the Copa Libertadores to Corinthians was the final straw. Sam handed in his resignation despite having received no unrest from the board. His heart wasn't in it anymore and he needed to go home.

That was two months ago.

***

When Sam got home, he picked up the newspaper that had been dropped on his doorstep. He flipped it over to the back page and saw an article of interest.

Brazil head coach sacked

9th August 2014

Brazil head coach Mano Menezes had been sacked by the Brazilian F.A. after the national team's disastrous World Cup campaign. The former Gremio manager had been in charge of the Brazilian team since the resignation of Carlos Alberto Parreira in 2007. In those seven years in charge he only managed to add one North American Gold Cup trophy to Brazil's illustrious trophy cabinet. Two failed Copa America campaigns, two failed Confederations Cup campaigns and two disastrous World Cup's have seen Brazil slip out of the Top 10 in the world rankings. With almost all of the "Golden Generation" of 2006 now retired it remains to be seen where Brazil will find the next generation of players.

Candidates for the vacant position are numerous but the favourites include Branco, Roberto Carlos or Dida. A decision is likely to be made soon by President Ricardo Teixeira with the friendly against reigning World Champions Holland approaching.

Interesting, thought Sam as he noticed a message had been left on his home phone. He prodded the button and listened to the message, it was his dumb blonde of a P.A., Diane.

"Hi Sam, it's me. Just to let you know I've had a phonecall from a Mr........Tez-yeah-ra??, no idea how you pronounce it, I couldn't really understand much on account of him having a thick brazilian accent. Anyway he's in London tomorrow and wants to arrange a meeting with you. I'll call you back later with all the details."

So Ricardo Teixeira had asked for a meeting with him. This was becoming interesting.........

[-Xenon-]

"Sam! Welcome, please take a seat."

Sam was suspicious at such a warm greeting. He had met Ricardo a couple of times, usually involving the collection of trophies, yet the president of the Brazilian F.A greeted him as if he were an old friend. Oddly it was just him in the room. Sam wasn't stupid, he knew that this 'meeting' was regarding the vacant Brazil job, yet it wasn't exactly your typical interview, he had been expecting several national officials to be present. He sat down slowly, wondering whether his assumptions had been accurate. Ricardo went on to explain.

"Now, I know you have probably seen the reports in the newspaper. We are actively seeking a replacement for Mano"

"Yes, I've also seen that you are set to offer the job to Roberto Carlos. So why am I here?"

"Well, Roberto may have support based on his playing days. But he lacks the managerial credentials we need, credentials that you possess. He's already managed at three different clubs and acheived nothing. Whereas you were loyal to your club for 8 years and look at what you have acheived. You brought the World Club Championship back to Brazil, now we want you bring the World Cup."

Sam pondered this for a second.

"What makes you think I'd want to return to Brazil?"

"Because I know you crave more success. I also know that nobody in England will give you a chance."

"So are you offering me the job?"

Ricardo opened a silver briefcase, retrieving a piece of paper and a pen.

"This is a four year contract, to take charge of the Brazilian national team"

He clicked the top of the pen and held it out. Sam hesitated but then reached out and took the pen. He found the part of the contract he was looking for and signed his name on the dotted line. So it was back to Brazil, but this time to prove himself on the world stage.

[-Xenon-]

The press conferences were seemingly endless. Sam had flown out to Rio the day after his meeting with Ricardo Teixeira and he emerged from the airport terminal amidst hordes of people cheering and clapping. It was funny, thought Sam, a few days ago the public had demanded that Roberto Carlos be the next man in charge of the national team. Now they were bestowing praise upon Sam as if it had not occured to them before that he may be the perfect candidate.

He may not be a Brazilian national but 2 league titles, 2 Copa Libertadores titles and a World Club Championship spoke for itself. He had certainly proved his managerial ability, but then again these people would have settled for anyone given the length of time this proud nation had gone without a trophy. Sam answered the last question of the day (one involving the roles of Kaka and Adriano, who were approaching retirement. Sam said he would be 'looking elsewhere' for these friendlies) and made a hasty retreat. He had rented an apartment in the capital and wanted to get home as soon as possible and begin to start thinking about who would make up his squad to challenge the World Champions. He was just about to get into his car when he heard a familiar voice.

"So, you're back then!"

Sam turned round and grinned.

"How's things Wolfgang?"

"Not bad, not bad. Position in the league is recovering."

"Yeah, I saw you gave Dida the job."

"Well he was the best qualified guy available. But anyway, look at you! Soon you'll be parading the World Cup through the streets of Rio. I wish you luck, as long as you steer clear of Germany that is!"

"Listen, I'm thinking of making Ronaldinho my assitant. Can he handle the workload?"

"You'll have to ask him, it's fine with me. Sure you wouldn't rather have Juninho working with you?"

"Well I was thinking about letting him take over the Under 20's"

Wolfgang chuckled.

"Well try not to steal all of our staff"

"OK, well I best be off. I've got a squad to name."

[-Xenon-]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">

Brazil Squad to face Holland (30.8.14)

With just under three weeks remaining until my first match in charge, I had to act quickly in naming my first squad. It would surprise a few people given the amount of changes I had made. But in my eyes, they were necessary changes.

Goalkeepers

Barbosa

22, Hermann Aichinger, (15 Caps)

Barbosa was a player that I obviously knew a lot about. He had been my first choice keeper at Hermann Aichinger for five years and I firmly believe that he is one of the best goalkeepers in the world. Was shamefully overlooked in the 2014 World Cup, playing just once in the 1-1 draw with the USA.

Leonardo

23, Palmeiras, Uncapped

Undoubtedly the second best keeper in Brazil at the moment, Leonardo is quite the journeyman with Palmeiras his fourth club in three years. there is also talk of a move to Gremio in the new year. I was always impressed with his ability and once or twice considered buying him. Amazing that he hasn't already been given a chance at this level.

Defenders

Rafinha

28, Deportivo, (80 Caps, 7 Goals)

Rafinha has been an integral part of the Brazil squad at right back over the years. At 28, there are still some more years for him to make a valuable contribution to the team. I saw him play for Deportivo in the World Club Championship against us and he tore my defence to shreds.

Felipe

30, Juventus, (66 Caps, 3 Goals)

Felipe is another experienced international who retains his place in the national setup. A solid centre back that can also play at left back. A candidate for captaining the side against Holland.

Leandro Castan

27, Schalke 04, (39 Caps)

In my opinion the best central defender Brazil has to offer. Yet was late in coming into the national setup only getting his first cap at the age of 24.

Jorge

22, Porto, (2 Caps)

A young and fairly inexperienced centre back, but a talented one nonetheless. Some impressive performances for Porto led to him being given his first cap against Denmark. However was unused throughout the World Cup.

João Leonardo

29, Corinthians, Uncapped

I consider it a crime that this man had not been previously given a chance at international level. The central defender had carved out a successful career in France with Marseille before returning to Brazil with Corinthians. He was another that I had tried to sign, hopefully he will do a good job for me with Brazil.

Anderson

22, Parma, Uncapped

The last of our central defenders plays his football in Italy with Parma and thanks to some good performances he has earned himself a call up to the national squad.

Maicon

33, Monaco, (8 Caps)

Vastly experienced right back that will serve as cover for Rafinha.

Maxwell

32, Porto, (50 Caps, 2 Goals)

Another Porto player that has impressed over the years. The left back is ageing a bit but should be useful in these friendlies.

Midfielders

Anderson

26, Chelsea, (53 Caps, 10 Goals)

Arguably the most high profile member of the squad, attacking midfielder Anderson holds the record for being the youngest player to earn a full cap when he played against Egypt at the age of 19. Since then he been more or less a regular fixture in the team. We will count on his creativity.

Agnaldo

21, Santos, Uncapped

One area that was causing us problems was that of right wing. But we solved that problem through this man. Agnaldo is a technically gifted player and has unrivalled passing and crossing ability. The Santos player is a gamble but hopefully one that will pay off.

Ramon

26, São Paulo, Uncapped

Another gamble but I am confident Ramon will shine at international level. Arguably the best player in the Brazilian league at the moment. I see the attacking midfielder as the perfect successor to Kaka.

Moises

21, Hermann Aichinger, Uncapped

Many critics may accuse me of favouritism but I honestly believe that Moises will be the best left winger in the world in a few years time. Plus he is at the perfect age to be moving into full international level. He was the Brazil Under 20’s captain for a while and bagged plenty of goals. Of course, he has also won trophies and played in huge games.

Itaqui

26, Fluminense, Uncapped

With Arouca absent through injury we were forced to look elsewhere, Itaqui seemingly the perfect replacement. A tireless hard worker, he is almost a perfect defensive midfielder. Plus he possesses a lethal shooting ability.

Diego

29, Porto, (17 Caps, 1 Goal)

I have always been a huge fan of this player, but I felt sorry for the guy who has spent most of his career living in Kaka’s shadow. I believe him capable of even greater things than the likes of Kaka, he has just been so inconsistent.

Evandro Roncatto

28, FC Bayern, (54 Caps, 2 Goals)

Many people have suggested that Mano Menezes should have played Roncatto as a striker. But to be honest this is one of the few things I agreed with the former manager on. Evandro definitely plays best either on the left or tucked behind the front two and it is that role he will continue to do in my team.

Strikers

Robinho

30, Real Madrid, (99 Caps, 33 Goals)

Without doubt experienced but has disappointed of late, he has this chance to prove to me he’s still got it.

Kerlon

26, Corinthians, (6 Caps, 6 Goals)

A relative newcomer into the Brazil side but his early record speaks for itself. Hopefully he will continue that healthy goal to game ratio.

Fred

30, FC Bayern, (6 Caps, 1 Goal)

A natural goalscorer and he deserves his chance to prove himself at international level.

Juliano Pacheco

24, São Paulo, Uncapped

This striker’s powerful presence had always impressed me whilst I was managing in the Brazilian leagues. A predator in front of goal and it would be foolish not to include him in the squad.

</div></BLOCKQUOTE>

[-Xenon-]

Brazil vs. Holland

Saturday 30th August 2014

Friendly

Olimpico Regional, Cascavel (PR)

We welcomed the World Champions to a hot and humid Cascavel that would be difficult for the players to bear. The Dutch had come here looking for a first win as champions of the World and they picked a very strong squad. The likes of Van Persie, Sneijder, Robben and Ton Seedorf would be a tough test for a largely untested side, but I was confident.

Itaqui wasn't 100% for the match and it meant that I was forced to play João Leonardo at defensive midfield. Kerlon and Robinho started as the two forwards while new caps were handed to Ramon and Agnaldo.

It was somewhat of a dream start for us, with the first foray into the Dutch half resulting in a goal. A corner taken by Robinho eventually found itself at the feet of Anderson who was then tripped by Mark Brouwers. Referee Hector Baldassi didn't hesitate to give a penalty and the Dutch defender could have few complaints. Kerlon opted to take the kick and he calmly slotted the ball in the corner, sending the Holland keeper, Maarten Stekelenburg completely the wrong way.

But Holland showed their class and immediately hit back forcing two excellent saves from Barbosa. The pressure finally told when talented young midfielder Ton seedorf skipped past Aganldo and played a lovely through ball that found Robin van Persie. The Villareal forward then lobbed Barbosa with an audacious finish to make it 1-1 and we had still only played 8 minutes. After that the game really opened up nicely and it became a cracking spectacle. Barbosa and Stekelenburg were both kept busy as both sides poured forward in an up and down game.

Both sides looked capable of netting the next goal, but it was us that struck once more. Ramon taking opportunity of Stekelenburg being off his line and lobbing him suberbly from 25 yards. Not bad for a debut goal.

In the second half, Holland came out all guns blazing and were rewarded for their hard work. Robin van Persie in a man of the match performance breaking clean through and hitting the post, unfortunately the rebound fell straight back to him and he was able to finish levelling the scores at 2-2. After that both sides seemed to take their foot of the gas and there were few chances. Juliano Pacheco came on and almost scored with a late volley but the end result was an entertaining 2-2 draw. Not a bad way to start my reign as Brazil manager.

Starting XI: Barbosa, Rafinha, Castan, Jorge, Felipe ©, João Leonardo, Anderson, Agnaldo, Ramon, Robinho, Kerlon

Used Subs: Moises, Diego, Pacheco

Final Score: Brazil 2-2 Holland

[Peacemaker7]

A trilogy in four parts perhaps?

[-Xenon-]

A quartet eh? We shall see

Wolfgang was a guest of honour at the Holland and was enjoying the game from one of the corporate boxes. After the game, he and some other club associates including the new manager Dida, invited Sam up for a glass of wine. Sam will forever be remembered as a hero at Hermann Aichinger and they were keen to keep relations between Sam and the club healthy. Wolfgang was no fool, Sam was still a relatively young manager and they may have to call upon him at some point.

Sam made his way up to the box after having just finished de-briefing his team. Although the game ended in a draw he was delighted as he was sure a few months ago, this would have been a game that they would have lost, possibly heavily. Wolfgang got to his feet and clapped the new arrival.

"Congratulations! Not quite a win but it had us on the edge of our seats"

Sam grinned and sat down at the table amidst warm greetings from his former colleagues and employers.

"Yeah, but now I have to worry about Spain in November. I don't think this is the squad to get a result. I'll make two or three changes, that's for sure."

"So who are the condemned men then?"

"Robinho was awful today, did you notice the change in our attacking play when I replaced him for Juliano Pacheco? Instant improvement. I just gave him his 100th cap, it could be his last."

There was a surprised silence. Sure, Robinho had not played well at all, but he was the most high profile member of the squad. How could Sam drop him when he had already disposed of Kaka and Adriano? Sam could sense their concern, but he knew a fresh change was needed. It was a gamble, but he'd rather take the gamble whilst the World Cup was a good 4 years away.

"So you'll bring Porcellis or Adriano back?"

"Neither, I have a proven consistent goalscorer that isn't over the hill. You know him actually."

Wolfgang grinned. He cursed himself for not seeing this coming.

"I'm going to give Wellington a start against Spain"

[-Xenon-]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">

New manager makes more changes and hands out new caps ahead of Spain visit

1st November 2014

http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/internationals/

There have been three major new additions to the squad that drew with Holland, while Robinho is dropped for the game against Spain. In his place comes Hermann Aichinger striker Wellington. For many a surprise choice, manager Sam Cox has defended his selection by stating that his goalscoring record has earnt him the place. It is indeed hard to argue with over 250 career goals, Wellington has been a consistent top scorer in the First Divisions. Critics argue that he lacks the experience to cut it at international level. But Sam Cox whole-heartedly disagreed: "Wellington is an example of what Brazil lacked at the World Cup, a natural finisher. Now it's all very well picking the superstar from Real Madrid or Barcelona or any other big team. But these players aren't scoring goals and we have to look for alternatives"

Another player now invloved is uncapped 29 year old left back Felipe. Felipe, who plays at Corinthians has been widely regarded as the most underrated player in Brazil and this was a decision backed by critics. And finally Roma midfielder Tcho has been given a call up to the squad. The 27 year old will act as cover for the likes of Anderson and Diego.

So after the 2-2 draw with Holland, Brazil go into the match with Spain as favourites. They have also climbed to 9th in the World Rankings. It is early days but many are hoping that the slump in form is finally over. It is also encouraging that Sam Cox is looking to home based players with 12 of the players in the squad to face Spain, playing in Brazil.

Squads for Brazil vs. Spain (12.11.14)

Brazil: Barbosa (CAHA), Leonardo (Palmeiras), Rafinha (Deportivo), Felipe (Juventus), Felipe (Corinthians), Castan (Schalke 04), Jorge (Porto), J.Leonardo (Corinthians), Anderson (Parma), Maicon (Monaco), Anderson (Chelsea), Agnaldo (Santos), Moises (CAHA), Arouca (At Mineiro), Itaqui (Fluminense), Diego (Porto), E. Roncatto (FC Bayern), Ramon (São Paulo), Wellington (CAHA), Kerlon (Corinthians), Fred (FC Bayern), J. Pacheco (São Paulo)

Spain: J. Reina (Liverpool), A. Doblas (Betis), Aythami (Liverpool), Sidnei (At. Madrid), S. Ramos (Sevilla), Melli (Betis), P. Gonzalez (Barcelona), J. Moreno (Betis), L. Gioda (Deportivo), P. Santos (Barcelona), X. Alonso (Liverpool), A. Iniesta (Barcelona), C. Martinez (Betis), R. Cruz (Real Madrid), A. Vera (Sevilla), F. Fabregas (Arsenal), JA. Reyes (Arsenal), D. Capel (Sevilla), B. Santamaria (Villareal), F. Llorente (Athletic)

</div></BLOCKQUOTE>

[-Xenon-]

Brazil vs. Spain

Wednesday 12th November

Friendly

Estadio Castelão, São Luis (MA)

Perennial under-acheivers Spain were our next visitors in what was proving a tough opening few fixtures with my international management career in its infancy. Their squad was packed with stars, new and old but I was counting on the São Luis crowd to provide extra support for the team.

I could see from kick off that this would be a similar game to the one against Holland, from a entertainment value perspective. Both sides had early ventures into each other's halves and a few fizzing shots were sent wide of the goals. The first chance of the game fell to one of the newcomers. Arouca played a wonderful one-two with Rafinha before chipping it Wellington. The striker hit it on the half volley, but it sailed a few feet wide.

Wellington would be left kicking himself, as just a few minutes later he was shown how its done. A great cross from Ruben Cruz found Borja Santamaria unmarked on the far side. The Villareal striker connecting with a crisp half volley that swerved past Barbosa and gave the Europeans a 1-0 lead. That goal made quite an odd statistic, all the goals we have conceded at this point have come from Villareal players as Robin van Persie had netted twice in the last game.

We knew we had to respond quickly and we did just that. Not long before the break, Kerlon managed to wriggle free of the last defender and found himself one on one with Jose Reina. The Corinthians striker dummied the Liverpool keeper and slotted home for 1-1, that made it two from two for the striker. Then came the half time whistle and it was hard to predict which way this game was going to go. Wellington was still yet to make an impact.

The game opened up as legs began to tire on both sides and it was us in the ascendency. Kerlon went close a few times but it was Ramon with the breakthrough with about 20 minutes remaining. The attacking midfielder capitalised on a poor clearance and volleyed home his second goal in a Brazil shirt, justifiying his selection. We then sat back trying to defend this 2-1 lead and it was definately a mistake. An Iniesta corner was thumped home by defender Aythami and the Spaniards were level. It looked as though we were heading for another 2-2 draw.

But then in stoppage time, it was dream ending for Wellington. I had let him play the full ninety minutes believing he could create something and I was right. Ramon pinged a 50 yard ball into his path, Wellington flicked the ball past the last defender and beared down on goal. This was were he was at his most lethal, but what he did next I hadn't seen often from him. With Reina approaching he delicately lobbed the keeper and the ball nestled in the net. Spain had no time to look for an equaliser and it was a first win as manager of Brazil.

Starting XI: Barbosa, Felipe, Rafinha, Castan©, Jorge, Arouca, Anderson, Agnaldo, Ramon, Wellington, Kerlon

Used Subs: Felipe

Final Score: Brazil 3-2 Spain

[-Xenon-]

The win against Spain had done a lot towards re-assuring the Brazilian public that their national team was back in safe hands. Sam himself was impressed because this team was only the foundations of the squad he heoped to be able to create for the World Cup in 2018. Already they looked very capable of working together as a unit and it was encouraging. With that victory came the end of international activity for Brazil in 2014, now they could look forward to next year and hope to build even further.

Sam had appointed Juninho Pernambucano as coach of the Under 20 squad. He relished his new job and he split his time between the Hermann Aichinger youth team and the national youth team. He also saw to it that a fair few CAHA youngsters got international call ups. On a blustery afternoon in November, Sam and Ronaldinho went to go and see the Brazil Under 20's in action against their Spanish counterparts in the corresponding Under 20 fixture. Juninho has recommended a young striker by the name of Itamar, who was playing his last game for the Under 20's as he was due to turn 21. At half time, the Spanish team were 1-0 up and Itamar had yet to come off the bench. It seemed that Juninho was wasting their time on this rare instance as they had seen little to encourage them from the Under 20's play.

While the half time team talks went on (which most probably involved Juninho telling his players who was sat in the stands), it gave Ronaldinho an ideal opportunity to inform his manager of the draws in the three major competitions that Brazil would be competing in, in 2015.

"So, I went to the draws for the Gold Cup, Confederations Cup and Copa America and found out who we've got."

"Ok, let's hear it."

"In the Gold Cup we are in Group A with Saint Martin..."

"Wait, wait, wait.......who?"

"Saint Martin, they are a small island in the Caribbean."

"Is someone taking the píss here? I have never heard of them, where are they in the World Rankings?"

"Well strictly speaking they are not a member of FIFA, in fact the Gold Cup is the only competition they can compete in."

"Right, who else? Oh no wait, let me guess.........'The Island' from 'Lost'?"

Ronaldinho chuckled to himself, that show was now in about its ninth season, it wouldn't have surprised him if they hadn't formed their own team by now.

"El Salvador."

"Well at least I've heard of them."

"Confederations Cup, which we only qualify for as holders of the Gold Cup before you insult the competition any further, is a little more tricky. Portugal, Morocco and the Cook Islands."

"Ok, what about the Copa America?"

"Group B, Ecuador, Paraguay and Honduras"

"A busy year then?"

"Indeed"

The second half began and Itamar was thrown on to help his beleaguered team-mates. But there was dramatic team-wide improvement. Juninho's recommendation bagging two goals in a 2-1 victory, he looked impressive.

"He's banging them in for Atletico Paranaense aswell"

Said a pleased looking Juninho.

"So what do you reckon, worth a gamble?"

Sam contemplated this. It was a tough decision, he had about 10 strikers that could do a job for him and only 4-5 places in the squad.

"We'll see how well he starts the season. If he does well, we'll see about taking him to the Confederations Cup."

[-Xenon-]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">

Mendoza shock inclusion in Gold Cup squad

Brazil manager Sam Cox has announced the 22 man squad that will be defending their Gold Cup title in America. There are no real shocks with the squad largely unchanged from the one that faced Holland and Spain. But there has been one inclusion that has raised a few eyebrows. Atletico Paranaense right back Rafael Mendoza has opted for Brazilian nationality despite having played a handful of Under 20 matches for Colombia. The 22 year old has Colombian parents but was born in Mato Grosso in Brazil. The right back had earned 8 caps at Under 20 level for Colombia but has since failed to make the breakthrough into the senior Colombian squad. So he has opted to represent the country of his birth after Cox declared that he could do a valuable job in replacing the now ageing Maicon. Lyon defender/midfielder Leonardo also makes the squad.

Aside from that, Hermann Aichinger striker Wellington retains his place in the side amidst reports that Robinho would return for the competition. Cox has not ruled out a return for the Real Madrid front man but it looks unlikely that he will return this year. Leandro Castan is expected to continue as captain for the tournament. Barbosa will don the Brazil Number 1 shirt for the first time since his move away from Hermann Aichinger, the goalkeeper completing a £6,000,000 move to champions Corinthians.

Many people have expressed their suprise at Cox picking such a strong team for a tournament which has generally been regarded as a chance to try out some of Brazil's younger players. But the manager defended his selections.

"We are in the process of recovering from one of the most disappointing spells in the team's history. So, we need to find the team that is going to help us recover from that and picking a bunch of youngsters only leaves me less time to do that job. As with every tournament we go to win and this one is no different."

Brazil squad for North American Gold Cup

-Barbosa (Corinthians)

-Leonardo (Gremio)

-Rafael Mendoza (Atletico Paranaense)

-Felipe (Juventus)

-Leandro Castan (Schalke 04)

-Jorge (Porto)

-Anderson (Parma)

-Leonardo (Lyon)

-Felipe (Corinthians)

-Rafinha (Deportivo)

-Arouca (Atletico Mineiro)

-Itaqui (Fluminense)

-Moises (Hermann Aichinger)

-Agnaldo (Santos)

-Anderson (Chelsea)

-Evandro Roncatto (FC Bayern)

-Diego (Porto)

-Ramon (São Paulo)

-Kerlon (Corinthians)

-Juliano Pacheco (Vasco)

-Fred (FC Bayern)

-Wellington (Hermann Aichinger)

</div></BLOCKQUOTE>

[-Xenon-]

Brazil vs. Saint Martin

Monday 26th January 2015

North American Gold Cup Group A

Gillette Stadium, Foxboro

It came as a surprise to some that this was my first visit state-side and it was a surreal experience. To my mind this was quite a minor competition and it came as a suprise when close to 70,000 people turned up to see us play the island part timers.

Saint Martin were playing five across the back in the hope that it would stem the flow of inevitable Brazilian scoring. I was unconvinced that it would help them, only prevent their chances of getting forward and nicking a goal. So a heavy win was definately on the cards but even I could have predicted just how heavy a win it turned out to be.

It took a little under fifteen minutes for the predictable opening goal, Juliano Pacheco thumping home a close range volley from a Wellington cross. That was the first goal for Brazil the striker, who had recently moved to Vasco, had scored. Wellington wasted no time getting in on the scoring and lobbed the keeper in a similar fashion to the way he did against Spain for 2-0. On 25 minutes, he got his second of the afternoon, latching on to a rebound from a Moises shot and tucking it home for 3-0. Wellington had a hat-trick inside the half hour when he headed home a corner taken by Jorge, 4-0. Juliano Pacheco fired in his second and Brazil's fifth just before half time to send us in at half time 5-0 up.

An impressive first half display and it was about to get a lot worse for Saint Martin. Itaqui re-started the scoring with a fabulous 30 yard strike that made it 6-0. That was just before Juliano Pacheco got his hat-trick to make it 7-0. Wellington converted a Mendoza cross on 56 minutes to get his fourth and to make it 8-0. Just two minutes later he got his fifth, tapping into an empty net after the Saint Martin keeper fumbled a Ramon strike, 9-0. On 66 minutes Wellington latched onto a dreadful back-pass and made it 10-0, netting his sixth goal in an unbelievable display. Six minutes later he unselfishly set up Juliano Pacheco, who scored his fourth of the day and making it 11-0. There was still a long way to go as Saint Martin's defending got worse and worse. Agnaldo got his first goal for Brazil when he volleyed home a rebound on 76 minutes, that made it 12-0. Five minutes later it 13-0 when Ramon slid the ball past the Saint Martin keeper, it appeared as though there was no end in sight. The goals kept coming as Moises and Ramon breached the defence, scoring two quick goals and making it 15-0. In stoppage time, Wellington finally completed a torrid afternoon for Saint Martin firing home his seventh of the day and making the final score 16-0. That result put us through and Saint Martin out.

It was an embarrasing day for both teams. Saint Martin were humiliated un-neccesarily even after telling the lads to take it easy on them at half time. Can you imagine what the score would have been if I had told them to go for it?! I didn't even need to make any substitutions because the players hardly broke a sweat.

Starting XI: Barbosa, Mendoza, Felipe, Castan©, Jorge, Itaqui, Moises, Agnaldo, Ramon, Pacheco, Wellington

Used Subs: None

Final Score: Brazil 16-0 Saint Martin

[-Xenon-]

Brazil vs. El Salvador

Wednesday 28th January

North American Gold Cup Group A

Gillette Stadium, Foxboro

The attendance in the Gillette Stadium was once again close to 70,000 for our final Group A game againt Central American side El Salvador. With both us and them already qualified it was a dead rubber but I still felt it was important we fielded as strong a side as possible. Kerlon was replaced by FC Bayern striker Fred and Agnaldo was given a rest to be replaced by Lyon right sided player Leonardo.

From kick off it was immediate one way traffic and El Salvador goalkeeper Juan Jose Gomez was given plenty to do. Fred had a few early chances but all were beaten away by the El Salvadorian keeper. Half time soon came and the scores were still locked at 0-0, despite numerous attempts on goal.

At the beginning of the second half I was worried that we had lost the initiative as we started to falter in front of goal. Also, El Salvador were beginning to slowly get back into the game. But on 73 minutes there was widespread relief amongst our technical area. Ramon was once again the architect and he threaded a lovely ball through for Fred, who in a rare start finsihed emphatically on the volley. 1-0 and we felt from that point on we had the game sealed. El Salvador's spirit had been crushed by Fred's strike and now they were playing to avoid a heavy defeat. But there defence held for just five minutes when Wellington floated a ball across for Ramon to head home for 2-0. The midfielder had been in devastating form and he left this game with an assist and a goal. Diego Armando Mejia almost grabbed a late goal for El Salvador but Brabosa was having yet another great game and he was rewarded with another clean sheet as we won 2-0.

Starting XI: Barbosa, Rafinha, Felipe, Castan©, Jorge, Arouca, Moises, Leonardo, Ramon, Wellington, Fred

Used Subs: Diego

Final Score: Brazil 2-0 El Salvador

[-Xenon-]

Brazil's opponents in the Quarter Final would be Canada. The Canadians had done themselves proud at the 2014 World Cup and although they were eliminated in the group stages, they famously played out an epic seven goal thriller with Argentina in which they unfortunately lost 4-3. There was no doubt they were an up and coming footballing nation with a bright future, but Brazil were massive favourites to progress.

Sam had only a few days to prepare his squad for the game, but his rigorous training schedule would see to it that they were ready for the Canadians. They were now also practicing penalties, just in case.

The squad had just finished playing a 45 minute, 11 on 11 game on the immaculate training pitches provided by MLS side, New England Revolution. It had been encouraging, everyone was staking their claim for a starting place and there were some dazzling displays of skill on show. Now Sam gathered the team for a warm down and to de-brief this training session. He had a morale booster in store, he just prayed it would work out.

He called over his assistant Ronaldinho, who promptly jogged over to the centre circle where the team were gathered. As he approached, Sam chipped a ball towards him. Ronaldinho caught it in his hands and gave a bewildered look. Sam quickly explained.

"Ronny, you remember that video of you years back that was all over the internet?"

The players all gave a raucous barrage of sniggering and laughter.

"Not that kind of video! The one of you smacking the crossbar and never letting the ball hit the deck?"

Ronaldinho gave a toothy grin.

"Yeah sure I remember"

"Well I was wondering whether it was a fake or for real......In fact, I was hoping to find out"

He nodded to the football in Ronaldinho's hands and then pointed to the goal.

"Off you go......"

Ronaldinho hesitated for a split second but then shrugged his shoulders and began to jog towards the goal. He stopped about 35 yards from his target and began to juggle the ball. He was still only 35 years old and his skills had not depleted since his Barcelona days. It was awe inspring and even some of the most gifted squad members could not do half the things Ronaldinho made look easy. He spent a minute or two juggling the ball about before he suddenly flicked it high in the air. On its way down he hit a thumping volley that hurtled towards the goal. It crashed violently against the bar and rocketed back, Ronaldinho had to sprint to get to the ball but he effortlessly controlled it on his chest, flicking it up and hitting it once more. Once again he hit his target and easily controlled the rebound.

He began to make his way back to the centre circle, not letting the ball hit the ground. But then as he almost returned to where the players where gathered, he flicked the ball up into the air again and with his back to goal unleashed a terrific overhead kick that soared towards the goal. Everyone on the pitch held their breath as the ball hung for an age in the air. But the familiar 'ping' sound broke the silence into raptures from the players, who rugby tackled Ronaldinho to the floor and treated him to what Sam knew in his homeland as a 'bundle'. He chuckled to himself, it was a magical moment and it sent morale through the roof.

[-Xenon-]

It's been a while........

Brazil vs. Canada

Saturday 31st January 2015

North American Gold Cup Quarter Final

Gillette Stadium, Foxboro

The winners of this Quarter Final would go on to face a very talented Mexican side, who had despatched El Salvador without much trouble. No doubt Chivas striker Arturo Ruiz would be looking to cause me more nightmares. But first we ourselves had to get past Canada, which was easier said than done. Leicester's Iain Hume had had a fantastic World Cup and continued to do a great job up front for the Canadians. Atiba Hutchinson captained the side and he is a great midfield player, also not forgetting star man Jonathan de Guzman who would be a tricky player for the defence to handle. But aside from veterans, Canada fielded a number of rising stars. 21 year old central defender James Fletcher is tipped for big things and I doubt he will stay at Vancouver for long.

Evandro Roncatto made his first appearance in the tournament whilst Rafael Mendoza returned at right back. It took a while for us to settle down but it was Chelsea midfielder Anderson who had the first chance, the ball clattering against the crossbar after a venomous shot. Wellington also tested the Canadian keeper with a few stinging shots that were well saved. It looked as though we wouldn't get a breakthrough in the first half but that all changed when Evandro Roncatto found himself in acres of space a slotted a well placed finish beyond the keeper. That sent us in at the break with a 1-0 lead.

Canada responded well in the second half and Celtic midfielder Jacob Lensky should have equalised early on. But then came a spell of about half an hour where neither side created many chances. The game was settled with around 15 minutes remaining, Agnaldo showing great chest control, bursting in the area and finishing with a low drive. The winger is repaying the faith I had in selecting him for my first squad.

So Canada in the end provided no shocks, but they are team with a bright future and I fully expect to be competing against them in the next World Cup.

Starting XI: Barbosa, Mendoza, Felipe, Castan©, Jorge, Arouca, Moises, Agnaldo, Anderson, Wellington, Roncatto

Used Subs: Itaqui

Final Score: Brazil 2-0 Canada

[-Xenon-]

Brazil vs. Mexico

Thursday 4th February 2015

North American Gold Cup Semi Final

Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City

Mexico had taken the bold step of selecting their strongest possible squad for this tournament and like us, pressure was mounting back home for results. Chivas striker Arturo Ruiz is a lethal finisher as I have discovered on numerous occasions in my club management career, he would need to be watched very carefully by the defence. Kerlon and Itaqui returned to the side for this Semi Final match, taking the places of Arouca and Evandro Roncatto. Aside from that it was a largely unchanged side from the one that defeated Canada in the Quarter Final.

But the Mexicans were far away a different class from the other teams in the tournament, a talented young squad that possessed world class players and straight away we knew this would be our toughest test yet. Arturo Ruiz took the initiative early on and forced a smart save from Barbosa. The Mexicans didn't let up in their attack and Espanyol midfielder Miguel Alvarado flashed a shot past Barbosa's near post.

Ruiz and Giovani dos Santos went close as a first half entirely dominated by Mexico drew to a close, we were fortunate to go in at 0-0.

The second half was a slight improvement as we began to settle down finally, Wellington squandering a great chance to give us the lead. Kerlon then forced a great save out of Ochoa as the dominance began to shift in our favour. Anderson blazed a volley over the bar when he should have scored and I started to wonder whether this would be our night, we just couldn't seem to finish anything.

The last 15 minutes heralded a Mexican come back and with around 10 minutes remaining, Barbosa was called upon to make two excellent saves. Anderson wasted another opportunity allowing the Mexicans to counter attack, it left us paralysed at the back and somehow Arturo Ruiz found a yard of space to slot past Brabosa with just 6 minutes to go.

Mexico then turned ultra defensive trying to hang on to the lead, their tactics stalled precious time and we only had one opportunity to equalise, Kerlon through on goal but having his shot tipped onto the post by Ochoa. The final whistle blew and the Mexicans were victorious, my first tournament ending in failure.

Starting XI: Barbosa, Mendoza, Felipe, Castan©, Jorge, Itaqui, Moises, Anderson, Agnaldo, Wellington, Kerlon

Used Subs: Arouca, Ramon

Final Score: Brazil 0-1 Mexico

[-Xenon-]

After taking such a strong side to the Gold Cup, returning home from America trophyless was a real dissapointment. A much changed side defeated Costa Rica 2-0 in the Third Place Play Off as Mexico went on to claim the trophy. However, there was now a lengthy break until Brazil's next matches, the Confederations Cup in the Summer. That was a trophy that Sam knew his team would have to do well in. They would have the opportunity to play European champions Portugal as well as potential matches against Holland and long time rivals Argentina. It looked set to be a fantastic tournament.

Sam still resided in the luxurious apartment situated on Ilha de Santa Catarina. He had gotten so used to the surroundings during his 7 year tenure at Hermann Aichinger that it felt more of a home than anywhere in England. When he had accepted the national job, he saw no reason to re-locate to Rio or São Paulo. It also meant that he could easily go and watch several Hermann Aichinger matches.

When he got home, the phone rang. It was Wolfgang, the two still remained very close friends.

"Sam, how are things? Sorry about the Mexico game, you never deserved to lose like that"

"Yeah I know, we have to move on though. No point worrying about such an insignificant tournament. How's things your end?"

"Well, something has come up and I think you ought to know. Have you been watching the news recently?"

"I'm too busy these days mate. Why? What's up?"

"12 NPD members are due to stand trial in Berlin over the next 6 months or so. We are going to called over there as witnesses."

"Jesus Christ! We could be in deeep sh*t here."

"How?"

"Well there are certain things that we know and have done that could incriminate us. Like knowing about the fabricated document that put them in jail and killing their henchmen!"

"All they will ask us about, will be the night Heinrich was killed and the crash."

"We don't even know for certain the crash was anything to do with them."

"We don't, but others do. This is all very complicated, but all we have to do is give evidence and justice will be done. This will all be over Sam."

"I hope you're right."

[-Xenon-]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">

Robinho earns a re-call as Cox introduces new faces, including Turkish based pair

The Brazil squad for the upcoming Confederations Cup in Canada was announced last night, with the return of one man stealing the headlines. 30 year old Real Madrid striker Robinho returns to the Brazil squad after a nine month absence. The striker who has amassed 100 caps for his country has only played once for the English manager, in the 2-2 draw with World Champions Holland. He was then dropped from the squad for the friendly against Spain and from the Gold Cup, it was widely rumoured that he would never play for Brazil again. However, manager Sam Cox was insistant that he would consider re-calling Robinho and he proved that to be the case last night.

"Robinho is a vastly experienced player and I think that is what we lacked in the Gold Cup. He is unlikely to start in the opener against Morocco, but I hope he will do a job for us and give us the edge in a potential extra time situation, where an experienced head is needed."

FC Bayern pair Fred and Evandro Roncatto have been dropped to make way for Robinho's return and for the inclusion of uncapped Corinthians striker Raphael. An established striker in the First Division, Raphael has recently been showing glimpses of his full potential and the 22 year old has been rewarded with a trip to Canada.

20 year old River Plate keeper Carlos replaces Leonardo as No. 2 behind Barbosa. But the main inclusions to the squad are Galatasaray central defender Mauricio and Fenerbahce midfielder Souza. Both aged 23, their performances in Europe for their Turkish sides has caught the eye of brazil manager Sam Cox and both have been included with Souza tipped to start against Morocco.

Brazil Squad for Confederations Cup

-Barbosa (Corinthians)

-Carlos (River Plate)

-Felipe (Corinthians)

-Felipe (Juventus)

-Leandro Castan (Schalke 04)

-Jorge (Porto)

-Anderson (Parma)

-Mauricio (Galatasaray)

-Rafinha (Deportivo la Coruna)

-Rafael Mendoza (Atletico Paranaense)

-Moises (Hermann Aichinger)

-Anderson (Chelsea)

-Agnaldo (Santos)

-Arouca (Atletico Mineiro)

-Itaqui (Fluminense)

-Souza (Fenerbahce)

-Ramon (São Paulo)

-Tcho (Roma)

-Kerlon (Corinthians)

-Raphael (Corinthians)

-Robinho (Real Madrid)

-Wellington (Hermann Aichinger)

</div></BLOCKQUOTE>

[Marcussy]

This is damn addictive and absolutely tremendous! Keep it up mate! I haven't even read about your club days in part one yet though, so I guess I better head there while I wait for the next installment of "The restoration of glory".

[-Xenon-]

Thanks Marcussy, I hope you are a patient man, as updates are going to be few and far between at the moment.

Helmut sat in the maximum security wing of the Munich prison waiting for a guard to bring him his monthly reading material, it was the only luxury he received. Once a month a thick, dust covered book would be dropped onto his bed, usually the most boring titles, 'Advanced Quantam Physics' and other such mind numbing pieces of work. He could rarely make head nor tail of any of the books, but when all priveliges are stripped from you, it doesn't really matter. Plus, it was good exercise for his mind. Prisons such as this were more than capable of driving a man insane and Helmut would be damned if he would be reduced to such an undignified state. It seemed unlikely that he would be locked up for much longer, but it wouldn't be the dramatic return to power he had previously envisaged. His subordinates on the outside had totally ruined his plan and got themselves arrested. Helmut put it down to sloppiness at letting the British and Americans listen in on them, but he was guessing that whatever crucial piece of evidence they ould be using was fake. The accusations were true of course but Helmut knew they had been too careful to let themselves be tried. So 12 of his former colleagues had joined him in prison and there they had stayed for around 6 months. But now a trial at The Hague had been arranged and it was the end of the line for the NPD, Helmut knew his fellow party members would get lengthy prison sentences, maybe life for a few. As for him, he wouldn't be suprised if the gallows awaited him. He was the big catch and this new evidence would make his existing life sentence seem very lenient indeed.

It was a different guard that brought him his latest book, odd because Helmut thought he knew everyone who worked in this section of the prison. The guard handed him the book, Helmut glanced at the cover.

Nineteen Eighty Four by George Orwell

It was a battered old copy and it wasn't translated into German, fortunately Helmut's English was fluent. Helmut flipped open the book and began to read the first page. As he did so, he noticed that on the inside of the front cover, a small capsule had been taped on to it. Without showing any reaction he slowly removed the capsule which turned out to contain a small pill, undoubtedly cyanide. Someone had offered him the chance to end his life in defiance. He sat for hours contemplating whether to end it all, after all he was either going to be executed or at best stay here for the rest of his natural life. For the first time in his life he looked skyward and said a small prayer as he moved the cyanide tablet towards his mouth and with one last glance around and a deep breath, he bit down on the pill.

[-Xenon-]

Brazil vs. Morocco

Wednesday 24th June 2015

Confederations Cup Group A

Commonwealth Stadium, Edmonton

I had no idea what to expect of African champions, Morocco. All I knew was that it would be a very tough encounter, Bordeaux striker Marouane Chamakh in particular would be the danger man on the Moroccan team. I handed out two new caps, Raphael joined his club colleague Kerlon up front and Fenerbahce midfielder Souza was given a debut.

It was plain to see this would be an open game pretty much straight from kick off, as practically the first time we got the ball it resulted in a goal. Ramon was the architect playing a perfect ball for Raphael to slip in behind the last defender, the debutant firing low past the keeper with a chillingly clinical finish, making it 1-0 after just 2 minutes. However, the Moroccans almost made an immediate response. Adil Chihi blazing a free header over the bar when he really should have buried it. But it was turning out to be a dream debut for Raphael as he collected aflick on from Kerlon and found himself once more, one on one with the keeper. Again, he made no mistake by sliding the ball past the keeper for 2-0. He almost had a hat-trick when he flashed a volley barely inches wide.

But then came a brilliant comeback from the Moroccans. Chihi supplying a brilliant diagonal ball for Chamakh to control and then fire past Barbosa, making the score 2-1. But Chamakh was by no means finished. Straight from the re-start, Morroco retained possession and mounted another raid on our defence. Karim Benzema rifled a low pass into Chamakh who steadied himself for a shot. He blasted a curling and dipping effort from 25 yards that had Barbosa totally beaten and suddenly in the space of two minutes it was level at 2-2.

Just five minutes later we restored our lead, Raphael flashing a ball across the goalmouth for Kerlon to tap in and make it 3-2. Five goals in the space of 25 minutes, it was shaping up to be an epic match. Our two goal cushion was restored just before half time. Aganldo on the edge of the 18 yard box on the right wing blasting a thunderous drive that just crept under the crossbar. 4-2 at the break.

The amazing goalscoring of the first half for some reason could not be repeated in the second and the match became scrappy and not as fluid. Morocco had a few chances but in the end it finished 4-2.

Starting XI: Barbosa, Felipe, Castan©, Rafinha, Jorge, Souza, Anderson, Agnaldo, Ramon, Kerlon, Raphael

Used Subs: None

Final Score: Brazil 4-2 Morocco

[Daniel+Bles=Legend]

This is great, didnt decide to check it out untill you replied on my story about managing in San Catarina. Only read this one will read your first stroy to get some hints* Good luck with Brazil

*Not really

[-Xenon-]

Thanks Daniel, Santa Catarina was a fun little state championship and its fair to say Joinville gave me a few thrashings over the years. Good luck with them, they have potential.

Brazil vs. Portugal

Friday 26th June 2015

Confederations Cup Group A

Saputo Stadium, Montreal

European champions Portugal were the major threat in this group, but in reality it was a question of who would top the group. This might have been the case had Portugal not suffered arguably the greatest upset in football history, going down 2-1 to the Cook Islands. The plucky island part timers had out-played their illustrious opponents and sat second in the group. A defeat for Portugal would then mean curtains, and with our side in buoyant mood after the thriller against Morocco, it looked bleak. I named an unchanged side for this game whilst Portugal named their superstars who had embarrased themselves against the Cook islands. João Moutinho and Armando were imposing figures in the midfield, while somewhat oddly Manchester United superstar Cristiano Ronaldo was dropped.

From kick off we dominated, Ramon with an early shot that curved just past the post. Portugal were dis-jointed and it really showed, the opening goal took barely ten minutes to be scored. Raphael rounding the keeper and confidently slotting home to give us a 1-0 lead, his third goal of the tournament, an encouraging start to his international career. But then disaster struck. Jorge held back Miguel as he was through on goal and we could have no argument when he was then red carded for a professional foul. We took off Kerlon and replaced him with Parma defender Anderson to shore up the defence, but the handicap rarely showed in the rest of the match. Just ten minutes later Raphael was at it again. Picking up the ball on the right wing he went on a dazzling run, beating two players before finding the top corner with a superbly placed shot. We had our semi final place sealed before half time, Raphael once more involved. Running to the by line he stood up a ball for Agnaldo to head past the keeper for 3-0.

In the second half it was about holding on to the lead and we certainly did that. Portugal rarely created anything much to the horror of the travelling support who had payed good money to see their team play in Canada. Souza picked up a nasty injury and had to replaced by Arouca, but in the end it was like an exhibition match and we comfortably saw out a 3-0 victory.

In the other match Morroco sneaked a 1-0 win over the Cook Islands and now only convincing victory over the Africans would give Portugal any hope of reaching the Semi Final.

Starting XI: Barbosa, Felipe, Jorge, Castan©, Rafinha, Souza, Anderson, Agnaldo, Ramon, Raphael, Kerlon

Used Subs: Anderson, Arouca

Final Score: Brazil 3-0 Portugal

[Daniel+Bles=Legend]

WD, just like to add, how regularly do think you could update this.

[Marcussy]

I am a patient man Xenon. Especially if the quality is good!

Half way through story 1 which is top quality too

[Marcussy]

Like Daniel+Bles=Legend says though, we wouldnt mind knowing how regular your updates will be?

[-Xenon-]

It's difficult to say to be honest as I don't know how much free time I'll have, thanks for reading anyway.

Helmut, believe it or not, was still alive. He had been the victim of a cruel practical joke. The communist activists in the adjacent block had paid a guard to deliver what Helmut had assumed was cyanide. It turned out to be a harmless tablet of paracetamol. The bitter taste of the powder immediately showed he had been set up and humiliated. Helmut could hear the laughter from the far off block, it was so loud. He doubted that any of them would be willing to die for their cause as he was and in thinking that it restored a little bit of pride.

The guards in Helmut's own maximum security wing, had apparantly allowed this all to happen. Most were sceptical that Helmut would actually take the bait and as a result of the fiasco, Helmut was now on 15 minute suicide watch. If only the outside world knew what goes on in places such as this, thought Helmut as he stared vacantly at the four walls that enclosed him.

At around midday he got a suprise visit from his lawyer. It seemed a trial had finally been arranged for these new charges that had been laid against him. His lawyer seemed unconcerned.

"I've looked through this whole investigation and all that would incriminate you, is the evidence given by two of the witnesses."

"Who are the witnesses?"

"The English football coach and his sidekick, the guys that landed you in here. Basically if they don't testify you'll avoid the death penalty. So the key here, is persuading or forcing them not to testify, whichever suits you."

"But you must understand my friend that these people have proved very hard to get rid of. Believe me, we have tried numerous times. Why do you think I am in here in the first place?"

"Maybe you have been using the wrong methods"

"What do you suggest?"

"A honey-trap?"

"Ha! This is not the Cold War my friend and I am not a Russian pimp!"

[-Xenon-]

Brazil vs. Cook Islands

Sunday 28th June 2015

Confederations Cup Group A

Commonwealth Stadium, Edmonton

Despite having qualification to the Semi Finals assured, we still went into this game with the Cook Islands with a certain degree of cautiousness. They had been the shock victors against Portugal and had only narrowly lost out to Morocco, so we would have to be careful. I named a completely changed eleven to face the Cook Islands, with River Plate keeper Carlos and Galatasaray central defender Mauricio earning their first caps.

But it was hard to fathom just what had caused Portugal and Morocco so many problems as we dominated straight from kick off. After barely thirty seconds, a deep cross to the back post was met with a thunderous volley from Agnaldo to make it 1-0. Just three minutes later, Agnaldo dispossessed a Cook Islands defender and sqaured the ball for Wellington who slotted into an empty net. 2-0 up after just four minutes. And it was 3-0 before ten minutes, a monstrous clearance from Carlos was controlled by Wellington, who kept his nerve and coolly finished for his second goal of the afternoon. Fifteen minutes later and it was 4-0, a saved effort from Robinho fell into the path of Moises and the left winger buried a shot into the far left corner for 4-0. Moises would go on to get his second around five minutes later, going on a magnificent solo run and finishing superbly for 5-0. It looked to be exactly like the Saint Martin game all over again and things weren't made any better for the Cook Islands when they had sweeper Robert Willis sent off. The 20 year old had been on the pitch for just a minute after replacing his injured brother Teiva Willis, a cynical foul on Wellington resulting in a red card. Just before half time and Moises was celebrating a hat trick, tapping in from a corner to make it 6-0 just before half time.

Unbelievably the Hermann Aichinger left winger wasn't done and barely a minute after the re-start he buried a fierce shot in the back of the net for 7-0. Ten minutes later it was 8-0, Robinho's header clipping the bar only for Wellington to tap in for his hat-trick. After that the scoring slowed down and it took until around ten minutes from time to net the final goal of the day, Tcho firing in a tremendous volley from just outside the area, final score 9-0.

Starting XI: Carlos, Mendoza, Felipe©, Anderson, Mauricio, Itaqui, Moises, Agnaldo, Tcho, Robinho, Wellington

Used Subs: Raphael, Ramon

Final Score: Brazil 9-0 Cook Islands

Elsewhere, Morocco scraped a 2-1 win against Portugal sending the European champions out of the tournament without collecting a single win.

<pre class="ip-ubbcode-code-pre">

====================================================================================

Group A

====================================================================================

Pos. Team P W D L F A G.D Pts.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

1. Q Brazil 3 3 0 0 16 2 +14 9

2. Q Morocco 3 2 0 1 5 5 0 6

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

3. Cook Islands 3 1 0 2 2 11 -9 3

4. Portugal 3 0 0 3 2 7 -5 0

====================================================================================

</pre>

Confederations Cup 2015 Semi Finals

Brazil vs. Holland

Argentina vs. Morocco

[Guest]

well!! i just finished reading this one.i think that if it progresses like sacred victory, it could be better! kep up the good work!!!

[-Xenon-]

Thanks a lot Greaterpuddlian

Brazil vs. Holland

Thursday 2nd July

Confederations Cup Semi Final

Olympic Stadium, Montreal

This Semi Final was undoubtedly the toughest test we had faced so far in a competetive match. We had played the Dutch in my first ever game in charge and they had rescued a draw after we had dominated the match. It was different now though, Holland were desperate to add another trophy to their name and they would be no pushover. Although weak at the back, Holland were always capable of scoring goals and players like Dave Janssen and Ton Seedorf would be a real handful. With that in mind it was back to a full strength line up, with Itaqui covering for Arouca and Souza in the centre of midfield.

The match started as one might expect, frantic and furious and it didn't take long for us to find our ryhthm. Brazilian born keeper Gomes was forced to punch the ball clear early on and spare any blushes in the Dutch defence. It became evident that Agnaldo was giving left back Mark Brouwers a tough time and he managed to out-jump him as a deep cross swung in, Agnaldo could only head wide. 10 minutes later we were in front. A long diagonal ball from Felipe found Agnaldo who burst into the box with alarming acceleration. The extra pace was too much for Brouwers whose trailing leg sent Agnaldo tumbling to the ground. Ironically Brouwers had conceded a penalty in our previous meeting and he had again as the referee immediately pointed to the spot. The ball was given to Kerlon who was the team penalty taker. He rarely missed and this was no different, he smashed the ball past Gomes for 1-0.

Wesley Sneijder had a great chance to equalise but he flashed a shot just over the crossbar. Then came a pivotal incident in the game. Striker Raphael caught Koen Koeman with a stray elbow and received a red card. The young striker lost his cool and as a result we were down to 10 men. Kerlon was now operating alone up front. Holland looked dangerous and Robben almost equalised before half time. Janssen missed a sitter just after the re-start. But then, just as a Dutch equaliser looked inevitable, we went and scored totally against the run of play. Kerlon capitalising on a horrid back pass and chipping into an empty net from 40 yards. With only 10 men we had gone 2-0 up against the World champions and with half an hour to go, the tie began to look reasonably safe. I would later curse my own complacency.

With around 10 minutes to play, Wesley Sneijder hit a sweet volley from Robin van Persie's cushioned header. Barbosa had no chance and the ball nestled in the bottom corner. Holland were back in business and with just ten minutes remaining it was 2-1. We thought we had done enough to win it, but in the 91st minute disaster struck. Penalty for Holland, Itaqui had allegedly handballed. It wasn't intentional but we couldn't argue with the decision to award a penalty. Robin van Persie stepped up and buried the penalty sending the game into extra time.

Extra time began and Holland continued to gather momentum, forcing Barbosa into a couple of great saves. Having only 10 men was beginning to show but we managed to get to half time still level. But then the preictable happened. Not long after kick off, a Sneijder corner was converted by Hedwiges Maduro and suddenly Holland were 3-2 up with ten minutes to go. Holland held out until the death and as we entered time added on I began to admit defeat, nonetheless I ordered an all out attack. With the clock reading 120:22, a Kerlon cross was taken down beautifully by Ramon. The attacking midfielder the swivelled and unleashed a thunderbolt of a strike that clattered off the upright and into the back of the net. The São Paulo man had rescued us and sent us into a penalty shoot-out.

Dutch goalscorer Hedwiges Maduro was first up in the shootout, he slotted the ball home calmly. Kerlon followed suit, he seems unbeatable from the penalty spot. Robin van Persie scored the penalty that set up Extra Time and he scored his second of the day as Holland took a 2-1 lead. Chelsea midfielder Anderson comfortably levelled the shootout with a well placed shot. But then, in the latest twist in an unbelievably epic match, man of the match Wesley Sneijder saw his penalty clatter off the bar and out. Rafael Mendoza gave us a 3-2 lead, putting the pressure on Holland. Nigel de Jong wasn't fazed, drawing from all the experience of his 114 caps, he slammed the ball home to make it 3-3. Agnaldo delicately placed the ball out of Gomes' reach to make it 4-3 and the crucial penalty fell to Ton Seedorf. Arguably the most talented of the Dutch players the Juventus midfielder saw his penalty saved by Barbosa. I was overcome with relief, it had been an amazing game of football and I was glad we came out on top. But it looked set to continue as a grudge match final with Argentina beckoned.

Starting XI: Barbosa, Rafinha, Felipe, Castan©, Jorge, Itaqui, Anderson, Agnaldo, Ramon, Raphael, Kerlon

Used Subs: Mendoza, Anderson, Mauricio

Final Score: Brazil 3-3 Holland after Extra Time (Brazil win 4-3 on penalties)

[-Xenon-]

Brazil vs. Argentina

Sunday 5th July 2015

Confederations Cup Final

Commonwealth Stadium, Edmonton

Holland had safely despatched Morocco 3-1 in the 3rd Place Play-off, the remaining match being the showpiece final between ourselves and Argentina. This would be my first encounter against our bitter continental rivals, however I knew a lot about them having managed a few of their star players at club level. Sergio Fernandez and Pablo Correa, two players I knew all about from my days at Hermann Aichinger, both would start this game. Pablo was still at Hermann Aichinger but Sergio had sinced moved back to Argentina to play for River Plate. I was also aware of the presence of Real Madrid midfielder Hernan Figueroa. The 24 year old was a dynamic player and was capable of anything on his day. Raphael missed the final through suspension after picking up a red card against Holland, Robinho took his place.

Argentina were first to create an opportunity, a corner taken by Mascherano was headed narrowly over the bar by Pablo Correa. We broke into a counter-attack with a quickly taken goal kick. Kerlon found himself one-on-one with the keeper and he didn’t hesitate in slotting the ball beyond the reach of the keeper. 1-0 after just five minutes it was dream start but we were mindful of an Argentine comeback. After a furious opening few minutes, the first half tailed off into a rather dull exercise in retaining possession with neither side looking especially dangerous. The ball stayed glued to the midfield for the rest of the half and it meant that we went in at the break with our 1-0 lead still intact.

But the pace of the game was to change once more at the start of the second half. Argentina came out all guns blazing and Gabriel Rodriguez was carelessly tripped in the area by Itaqui. The referee pointed to the spot and Sergio Fernandez of all people stepped up to blast the ball in the back of the net and make it 1-1. We responded well to the equaliser and forced a couple of very good saves from Leo Franco. Not long after that we went one better, a cross from Robinho was chested down and volleyed into the net by Kerlon who celebrated his second of the day putting us 2-1 in front with 20 minutes to go. Barely five minutes later, Robinho was once more the architect as he provided a neat flick for Ramon to latch on to and smash the ball home for 3-1. With 15 minutes remaining it looked as though we had wrapped up the tournament.

However in stoppage time, Pablo Correa set up a nervy finish with a stunning strike to make it 3-2. Both former players of mine netting for Argentina. We held on though and after two incredibly tough matches against Holland and the Argentines we had finally sealed the trophy and it was my first as Brazil manager, hopefully it wouldn’t be the last.

Starting XI: Barbosa, Rafinha, Felipe, Castan, Jorge, Itaqui, Anderson, Agnaldo, Ramon, Robinho, Kerlon

Used Subs: Moises, Tcho, Wellington

Final Score: Brazil 3-2 Argentina

[-Xenon-]

Victory in the Confederations Cup was a huge relief for the Brazilian public, who had seen their national side go trophyless for so many years. And it hadn't just been anyone Brazil had beaten. Victories against the reigning World, European and South American champions signalled that Brazil were once again back in business and they had a perfect chance to continue their good form with the upcoming Copa America in Paraguay. Sam had a couple of months to take a break and ponder over the squad to take to the tournament, but as ever it wasn't just football that was dominating his life.

Yet again, an unexpected visitor arrived at Sam's island retreat in Ilha da Santa Catarina. Sam answered the door to a tall and fair haired man dressed in an expensive looking suit. He looked uncomfortable in the searing summer heat. Sam was eager to get rid of this stranger as soon as possible.

"Can I help you?"

"Yes, you can actually. My name is Michael Berg and I represent one of the defendants from the NPD case. I wondered if I could have a quick word?"

Sam didn't invite the man in. If it was just a 'quick' word he wanted, he could stand at the doorstep and deliver whatever rehearsed story he had prepared.

"Do the German police know you're here talking to me?"

Berg didn't answer, instead impatiently looked at his watch and sighed heavily.

"I'll cut to the chase, don't testify against my client".

"Who is your client?"

"You know who I am speaking of. Your silence will be rewarded."

"He's locked up for life anyway and besides, there are plenty of other people who can give a lot better evidence against him than I can. Why is this all resting on me?"

"Because you are all they have at the moment and it could prove crucial, they could sentence him to death."

"With all due respect, people like him deserve to die. Now get the **** off my property."

Sam slammed the door in Berg's face, the lawyer turned and pulled out his mobile phone and dialled an number.

"Yeah, it's me. I think he's gonna need some persuasion"

[-Xenon-]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">

Copa America sqaud announced

Brazil manager Sam Cox has announced his 22 man squad for the upcoming Copa America in Paraguay. He makes just two changes to the squad after losing left back Felipe and central midfielder Souza to injury. Both of the replacements are uncapped and will hope to make an impact. Replacing Felipe is 24 year old left back Fabio who plays his club football for Fenerbahce. Fabio is the latest player to make an impact in the Turkish leagues and has been rewarded with a call up. Souza's replacement is another 24 year old, São Paulo midfielder Luis Eduardo. Hurtado who was born in Brazil to Colombian parents has elected to represent the country of his birth. At one point he was regarded as one of the hottest talents in the Brazilian League, when he won the Young Player of the Year Award in 2011. But it was a potential that was never really fully attained. Many leading pundits believe that a move to Europe would have provided the kick-start he needed but it appears to late for that. Nevertheless with problems in central midfield Cox has decided to give Hurtado his chance on the international stage and he looks set to start in Brazil's opener against Ecuador.

Apart from that it is an unchanged squad that will travel to Paraguay. Brazil are in Group B along with Ecuador, the hosts Paraguay and Honduras and they are hot favourites to win the tournament.

Brazil Squad for Copa America

-Barbosa (Corinthians)

-Carlos (River Plate)

-Rafael Mendoza (Atletico Paranaense)

-Felipe (Juventus)

-Fabio (Fenerbahce)

-Leandro Castan (Schalke 04)

-Mauricio (Galatasaray)

-Jorge (Porto)

-Anderson (Parma)

-Rafinha (Deportivo la Coruna)

-Arouca (Atletico Mineiro)

-Itaqui (Fluminense)

-Luis Eduardo Hurtado (São Paulo)

-Moises (Hermann Aichinger)

-Agnaldo (Santos)

-Anderson (Chelsea)

-Tcho (Roma)

-Ramon (São Paulo)

-Kerlon (Corinthians)

-Raphael (Corinthians)

-Robinho (Real Madrid)

-Wellington (Hermann Aichinger)

</div></BLOCKQUOTE>

[-Xenon-]

Brazil vs. Ecuador

Thursday 16th July 2015

Copa America Group B

Rio Parapiti, Pedro Juan Caballero

We arrived in Paraguay for our Copa America campaign in buoyant mood after convincingly claiming the Confederations Cup trophy. Aside from in the final of that tournament, I had yet to pit my team against any of our South American rivals. It became apparant to me that due to the intense rivalry on the continent, anything could happen in these games. Whilst we were favourites on paper in our first match against Ecuador, we would still have to be wary. Raphael was unavailable for this game as he was serving a suspension for the red card he picked up in the final of the Confederations Cup. Robinho replaced him.

It was plain to see right from kick off that we would dominate the majority of this match. Ecuador were slow off the blocks and their keeper Daniel Viteri was forced to make a few early saves. Middlesbrough attacking midfielder Luis Antonio Valencia went close from 20 yards but aside from that Ecuador's opportunities were limited in the first half. It took just 11 minutes for the breakthrough. Fabio breaking forward from left back on his debut and providing a terrific cross for Robinho who couldn't miss the header. 1-0 up and we were looking comfortable. 10 minutes later a ball lofted forward by Leandro Castan was flicked on by Robinho, Ramon gathered and beared down on goal. As Quinonez came to close him down, he tried to play in Kerlon but the ball re-bounded off Quinonez straight to Robinho who fired in for 2-0, getting his second of the game. Barely a minute later and it was 3-0, Fabio getting another assist, this time crossing for Ramon who took it on the volley and smashed it past Viteri. That made it 3-0 at half time.

The pace in the second half slowed right down as we aimed to control possession and close out the victory. We forced a couple of saves out of Viteri but on the whole it was a fairly scrappy second half, with neither side creating much. We restricted Ecuador to just one shot on goal, Valencia forcing a good save out of Barbosa. Anderson maybe should have made it 4-0 but in the end it was a comfortable win and a great start to our Copa America campaign.

Starting XI: Barbosa, Rafinha, Fabio, Castan©, Jorge, Arouca, Anderson, Agnaldo, Ramon, Kerlon, Robinho

Used Subs: Mendoza, Itaqui

Final Score: Brazil 3-0 Ecuador

[-Xenon-]

The Munich prison had not experienced such a buzz of expectancy in its walls, as it was doing now. The trial of the NPD members was drawing near and many were expecting all 12 of the accused members to be serving life sentences by the end of the week. As for Helmut, already a convicted murderer, it could mean a far worse sentence. That was partly the reason behind the highly charged atmosphere in the prison. Helmut ran the place, he was the stereotypical 'boss' figure that dominates most prison movies. He was the man that got you things, the man that protected you and ultimately the man you respected with the fear of god, because if you didn't invest your respect in Helmut, prison life would be a lot more unbearable than it already was. This code of conduct not only applied to prisoners but also the guards, who were all terrified of him. They knew that if they failed to show their respect, a gang of thugs would surely turn up at their house while only their wife and children were at home. The prison guards tried not to imagine the consequences of what Helmut described as "non-compliance". As a result, Helmut was given a plush living quarters that bore no resemblence of a cell. Freshly laundered sheets, good food and digital television, all of course were given to him in return for a monetary token of gratitude. So with the trial imminent, the prison took on the atmosphere of a medieval court, in which all the coutiers knew their King was to be assasinated and were planning their devious claims to the throne. Because of course, with Helmut gone a new man would assume dominance and it was this thought that dominated most of the prisoners lives.

Helmut didn't have to suffer the indignity of going to the visitors room to receive guests. Instead they were brought under heavy guard to his 'cell'. On this occasion his lawyer, fresh from his trip to Brazil, was escorted to Helmut's cell. Helmut motioned for him to take a seat. The guards shut the door behind them on their way out.

"How was Brazil?"

"Unsuccessful, your offer fell on deaf ears I'm afraid. I doubt there is anything else we can do to persuade him, we are just going to have to do the best we can at trial. Unless you have a suggestion?"

Helmut appeared to ponder this for a moment.

"I do have a suggestion..."

He retrieved a small brown package and slid it across the table. Berg opened it and saw it was full of crisp bank-notes, bundles of them.

"What's this?"

"Call it severance pay"

"I don't understand......without me you are done for, you cannot represent yourself. What is it I have done?!"

"It's nothing you have done. I simply don't need you anymore, take the money and take your kids to Disneyland for Christ's sake. There is no point you being here anymore, but I appreciate what you have done for me."

"So what happens when you get to trial?"

Helmut leaned slowly across the table and lowered his voice to almost a whisper.

"Believe me when I say this, it won't get to trial."

[-Xenon-]

Brazil vs. Paraguay

Sunday 19th July 2015

Copa America Group B

Rio Parapiti, Pedro Juan Caballero

Our match against the hosts, Paraguay, would certainly be the toughest of this group. Despite this we were confident of beating the home side as we aimed for qualification into the Quarter-Finals. Raphael was still suffering with a slight knock, so I continued with Robinho up front.

This was a lively match and one that Paraguay started the better of the two sides. Nelson Valdez had a shot saved by Barbosa early on and a minute later he was through on goal one more, this time Barbosa smothering the ball. So it was a frenetic start and to be honest we looked fairly shaky at the back. Roque Santa Cruz should have done better when he capitalised on a mis-placed Jorge header. Three chances in the opening minutes and Paraguay were unlucky not to be in front. Attack is often the best form of defence as we mounted our first raid into the Paraguay half. A through ball from Ramon found Kerlon and he took it round the keeper and slotted it home for a rather undeserved 1-0 lead. Paraguay wasted no time in responding. A cross from Veron was met by the head of Carlos Centurion, the central defender making no mistake in burying the ball past Barbosa to level the match at 1-1. On 20 minutes we were back in front, a flick-on from Kerlon found Ramon with the goal at his mercy. The keeper had little chance as Ramon lashed the ball into the net for 2-1. Fifteen minutes later and we had a two goal cushion, Kerlon breaking free and beating the keeper with a fantastic lob for his second goal, making it 3-1. Just a few minutes later and the match was wrapped up. A beautiful diagonal ball from Kerlon finding Robinho who applied a clinical finish to make it 4-1. Amazingly we would add another just before half time, Robinho's volley was blocked by the Paraguayan keeper only for the ball to fall to Kerlon who sealed his hat-trick with a simple tap in.

Down 5-1 at the break, Paraguay would be excused for being disheartened. However, they came out battling straight from the re-start and were rewarded instantly. Nelson Valdez's header was too powerful for Barbosa and despite getting a touch to it, he couldn't keep it out. This amazing game continued, the score now 5-2. Valdez almost scored again five minutes later, this time Barbosa managed to make a smart save. The match then became rather ill-tempered with several players picking up yellow cards. As a result there were few chances as the match became a bit scrappy. With only a minute to go Carlos Javier Acuna almost got himself a consolation but his volley smashed against the crossbar.

Starting XI: Barbosa, Rafinha, Anderson, Castan©, Jorge, Arouca, Anderson, Agnaldo, Ramon, Robinho, Kerlon

Used Subs: Mendoza, Hurtado, Mauricio

Final Score: Brazil 5-2 Paraguay

[Guest]

its been a month now! come on, we want more!!!

[-Xenon-]

Sorry guys, my PC has had a few problems and I have been unable to post.

Good news is that I think I've managed to salvage the game and should be able to return to the story soon!

[-Xenon-]

Sorry for the lay-off, pleased (and relieved) to say that this story is now well and truly back in action

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">

Copa America 2015 Summary

After solid opening victories against Ecuador and hosts Paraguay, we were left with a dead rubber in the form of Honduras. The Central American side were duly dispatched with goals from Rafinha and Kerlon as we powered into the Quarter Final. Our Quarter Final opponents were some what of a surprise. Venezuela had managed to progress to the Quarters as a best third placed team, notching up an unlikely victory against Peru. We expected safe passage to the Semi Finals and that was exactly what we got. Rafael Mendoza settled a few early nerves with a well taken goal and from there we began to flex our title winning credentials. Two smart goals from Raphael and a last minute tap in from Kerlon sealing a 4-0 win, setting up a mouth watering Semi Final tie with Argentina.

We were eager to repeat the victory we had enjoyed over our fierce rivals in the Confederations Cup. Argentina had a world class squad but just hadn’t produced the form required of them and it showed as they put in a lacklustre performance against us. An early first half penalty was tucked away nicely by Raphael to give us a 1-0 lead. Raphael managed to double the lead just after the start of the second half. At 2-0 you couldn’t see any other result than a comfortable win for us. Argentina tried desperately to get back into the game but it was too little too late. Another penalty this time from Rafael Mendoza sealed a 3-0 and easy passage into the final.

Our opponents in the final were Chile. In South America, the team best placed to challenge the dominance of Brazil and Argentina regularly changes. Peru, Uruguay and Colombia have all had their moments, but in the run up to the 2018 World Cup I can see Chile providing some real problems for the top two. They aren’t quite the finished article at this stage, but a crop of decent youngsters are emerging. In this final they provided little resistance as we romped to our second international title. Unbelievably it was over inside 20 minutes, as a goal from Kerlon and a quick fire brace from Raphael ensured that the Copa America returned to Brazil for the first time in 11 years. Disappointingly for Chile, it was their third successive tournament as runners up.

</div></BLOCKQUOTE>

[-Xenon-]

For Sam it was yet another winners medal to put in the trophy cabinet. If things continued like this then he would surely have to think about investing in a new, larger cabinet to accomodate for the medals and trophies that were sure to follow. For the first time he felt truly enthusiastic about the rest of his career. He was still young and he eventually wanted to return to England and pit his managerial skills in the homeland that he had failed to get a job in.

For now though, it was time for a rest after the hard work in Paraguay. These days he was holed up in Rio, he would have liked nothing more than stay in Ilha de Santa Catarina. However work commitments meant that he needed to be located in Rio. In what had become a routine since he felt he had finally mastered the Portuguese language, he bought a local newspaper before heading home to his beach-front apartment. He hadn't looked at the front page until he collapsed on his sofa and began to read about the day's events.

What he saw shocked him:

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">

NPD candidate earns surprise victory at German elections

The Nationalist party in Germany were celebrating an unlikely victory as their candidate, Gunther Krieg was named as the successor to Angela Merkel as German Chancellor last night. The result of the election has sent shockwaves throughout Europe and both the Socialist party and the Christian Democrats have demanded a re-count amidst fears of foul play in the voting.

Despite these claims it has been no secret that the NPD has been gathering a staunch following particularly in the former East German states. American, British and French governments have already expressed their concerns over the result as a shadow of tension reminiscent of the 1930’s has once again descended over Central Europe.

The new nationalist government’s first act was to release the 12 former NPD members who were incarcerated in a Munich prison pending trial. Among those is the notorious ex-leader Helmut Kohlmeyer, who is widely expected to re-take leadership from Krieg and thus become chancellor of Germany.

</div></BLOCKQUOTE>

[Terk]

Re-opened and upped. Good luck with the continuation, Freon

[-Xenon-]

Well, I did fear that this would never see the light of day again, but thankfully I can pick up where I left off.......'Freon'

Our dominant victory in the Copa America left us feeling confident for the upcoming World Cup qualifiers. Our campaign would start with a tough away trip to Peru.

Brazil vs. Peru

Saturday 5th December 2015

World Cup Qualifier (SAM)

Estadio Nacional, Lima

We knew that Peru would not be an easy place to start our quest to qualify for the 2018 World Cup. Their squad was arguably the best in the country’s history and they had a decent chance of doing well this campaign. Their captain, Roberto Ramirez was an inspirational leader and a hell of a player to boot, the left back was enjoying great success at Roma. Also, in attacking midfield they possessed the devilishly impressive playmaker, Itamar.

Significant changes to my squad included Wellington being dropped. He was a useful player to have, but it was time to give other players a chance, the chance was given to Vasco striker Juliano Pacheco. Other introductions included Jose Luiz da Silva Ribeiro, who I had the pleasure of managing for a season at CAHA before he was lured by the big bucks of the MLS to play in New York. The pacy left winger deputised for Moises. Lyon full back Leonardo was also included.

If we had expected a tight game, it wasn’t what we got. Despite a nervy couple of minutes at the start, it was the Peruvian goalkeeper who had to do most of the work. On 33 minutes the advantage swung hugely in our favour. The referee produced a red card to Oscar Vilchez, after he pushed Diego to the ground. Harsh, but I was not going to complain. The breakthrough goal soon followed, Raphael heading home after a poor attempted clearance by Chumpitaz. We pressed right until the break and were rewarded as Kerlon played a superb ball for Raphael, who found himself clean through, I don’t need to tell you what happened, he just does not miss. That put us 2-0 up at half time.

Peru kicked off, but were soon picking the ball out the back of their net again. Raphael, completing a superb hat-trick by firing in from outside the 18 yard box. 3 points assured from then on in. But Peru were not going down without a fight as veteran striker, Jose Paolo Guerrero slotted the ball home for 3-1. However, it summed up Peru’s night when Victor Chumpitaz clumsily fouled Kerlon in the area and earned a second booking to reduce his team to 9 men. Kerlon picked himself up to comfortably net the penalty and seal a 4-1 win.

Starting XI: Barbosa, Mendoza, Felipe, Castan©, Jorge, Itaqui, Anderson (Luis de Abreu), Agnaldo, Diego, Raphael, Kerlon

Used Subs: Anderson (Ferraz), da Silva Ribeiro, Arouca

Final Score: Brazil 4-1 Peru

[Terk]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by -Xenon-:

.......'Freon'

</div></BLOCKQUOTE>

I'm seriously considering changing your user name to Freon

[-Xenon-]

You wouldn’t be so cruel, surely?

Brazil vs. Ecuador

Wednesday 9th September 2015

World Cup Qualifier (SAM)

Mané Garrincha, Brasília (DF)

Just five days later we re-convened in the nation’s capital to play our second match of the qualification campaign. Our opponents were Ecuador, who we were expected to comfortably defeat. There was only one change to my match squad, Paranaense striker Itamar (not the Peruvian player of course) was on the substitute bench.

For a game that we were meant to win, Ecuador made it very hard work. They certainly had a game plan and were showing real confidence in going forward, it was already shaping up to be a complacent performance from the players. Geovanny Guerrero silenced the home crowd with an unbelievable 35 yard effort that flew past Barbosa on 3 minutes. Most of the travelling Ecuador supporters simply could not believe it, their team were a goal up and showing real flair. Order was restored on 22 minutes as Kerlon capitalised on a slip by Carabali and squared the ball for Raphael to smash home. We looked to have the match back under control but not long before the break, a cross from the left from Bolaños was flicked on by Guerrero to Wilson Valencia, who smashed home his shot to make it 2-1 to Ecuador. It was clumsy defending from us and we were duly punished. We fought back straight from the re-start and once again Raphael and Kerlon scythed through the Ecuadorian defence, this time a neat one-two setting up Kerlon to strike another equaliser. 2-2 at half time.

We came out all guns blazing, but Ecuador desperately wanted to hang on to this result and the resolutely threw back every attack we launched against them. We were having no joy and the players were beginning to tire. In fact, Ecuador nearly grabbed all three points as they forced a series of decent stops from Barbosa in the closing stages. A disappointing draw for us.

Starting XI: Barbosa, Leonardo, Felipe, Castan©, Jorge, Itaqui, Anderson, Agnaldo, Diego, Raphael, Kerlon

Used Subs: Itamar, da Silva Ribeiro

Final Score: Brazil 2-2 Ecuador

[-Xenon-]

â€I presume you saw the news?â€

Yes, of course. Why do you ask?â€

Wolfgang was beginning to irritate Sam. He was becoming obsessed with the events occurring in his home nation. Although the pair of them had been connected to the controversy surrounding the NPD, it was now a considerable length of time ago and most importantly it was thousands of miles away.

â€Are you not concerned?â€

“Well, yes I suppose I am concerned but no more than millions of other people around the world. You forget that this has nothing to do with us anymore. You forget that I am just a football manager, and you a chairman. Do you realise how melodramatic you sound?â€

“Well we both carry scars thanks to these people.â€

“Yes, but that was over the future of the club, not world domination! Get over yourself. I just want to move on, it has been almost three years since what happened in Japan and for the first time since that day I have actually felt enthusiasm for my work. These bastards have bigger fish to fry, move onâ€

[-Xenon-]

Brazil vs. Venezuela

Saturday 21st November 2015

World Cup Qualifier (SAM)

Vivaldão, Manaus (AM)

The draw with Ecuador in Brasilia had surprised a fair few fans. I had conceded that we had played poorly, but I think a lot of people under-estimated the Ecuadorians and some of the criticism placed on our team was slightly unfair. However, as we re-convened for the next two qualifiers against Venezuela and Chile, spirits were high and the fans expected a comfortable home win against Venezuela, who were arguably the weakest team in the group. Little did I know, I would be in for more stick from the press.

We started the game very well, Agnaldo and Kerlon both had great chances to put us into the lead in the first 15 minutes. Anderson also forced a great save out of Pedro Gonzalez, we looked to be in control. However the game would soon be turned on its head. Venezuelan defender Jose Luis Sanchez tumbled to the ground after a push by Kerlon. It was nothing and I thought nothing of it. Yet Argentinean referee Daniel Russo felt it necessary to produce a red card for Kerlon. A ridiculous decision and it took the fire out of the match, Venezuela were unambitious in their approach and our attacks were clumsy and stunted. Before we knew it, it was half time.

We started the second half as lethargically as we had ended the first and we almost paid the price. Carlos Hernandez’s volley crashing against the cross-bar. The fans were beginning to get restless and in a way it motivated the players as they began to find their rhythm again. Ramon went close but it was still tied with only twenty minutes remaining. 5 minutes later and we found the breakthrough, Agnaldo was played in brilliantly and found himself one on one with the keeper, he lashed the ball low past the keeper’s left and put us 1-0 up. We were relieved but I knew the game had to killed off. We repeatedly came close to scoring but nothing would materialise. I should have expected the inevitable equaliser, it was written all over the match. With just minutes to go Paul Javier Ramirez tapped in a clumsy clearance and levelled the game. It ended 1-1, a draw with Ecuador might be excused but one at home to Venezuela would not go down very well. I got the strange feeling our trip to Chile would be crucial.

Starting XI: Carlos, Mendoza, Felipe©, Jorge, Anderson (Ferraz), Souza, Anderson (Luis de Abreu), Agnaldo, Ramon, Pacheco, Kerlon

Used Subs: Robinho, Moises

Final Score: Brazil 1-1 Venezuela

[-Xenon-]

Brazil vs. Chile

Wednesday 25th November 2015

World Cup Qualifier (SAM)

Nacional, Santiago

We arrived in Santiago well aware that a performance was required of us after our disappointing draws at home to Ecuador and Venezuela. Chile, along with Uruguay, were at this time the biggest threat to both ours and Argentina’s continental dominance. This tough away tie was made even more daunting with the absence of my two best strikers, Kerlon was suspended after seeing red against Venezuela and Raphael was injured. Juliano Pacheco continued in attack and Robinho was brought in. Souza also earned only his second cap in central midfield, the Galatasaray player putting in some impressive effort in training. Carlos continued to deputise in goal for the injured Barbosa.

Chile started aggressively with Cristian Pinto driving a half volley that deflected off Anderson and luckily into the arms of Carlos. If anything their aggressive start only widened the gaps in their defence and it took only 11 minutes to find the breakthrough. Ramon played in a lovely chipped through ball which Robinho met on the half volley, lashing a lovely finish past the keeper for 1-0. Chile came back fighting and tested Carlos on a few occasions. It was also getting a bit heated as a tussle between Agnaldo and Mark Gonzalez saw both players booked. Chile continued to pressurise and they inevitably got back in the game just before half time. The wonderfully talented 20 year old Benfica striker Cristian Pinto jinking past Rafael Mendoza and finishing extravagantly with the outside of his boot, curling the ball past Carlos to make it 1-1 at half time. I was worried that Chile were getting the better of us.

We hit back in great fashion just four minutes after the re-start. Juliano Pacheco controlling a cross from Jorge on the chest before swivelling a volleying it home at the near post, a typical finish from him, I’ve never seen a player that can strike the ball as hard as he can. Chile refused to lie down and on the hour mark they clawed their way back in once again. A reverse through ball found Mallorca winger Alejandro Coronel unmarked and he finished well to make it 2-2. We soon hit back and Robinho neatly converted a Pacheco flick on to make it 3-2. From then on we were simply too strong and Robinho claimed his hat trick with a deceptive shot that the Chilean keeper assumed was going to be driven across the goal, but in fact the serve on the shot wrong footed Garay and made the score 4-2. Robinho scored an amazing fourth in stoppage time by lobbing the keeper and a vintage performance from him sealed a 5-2 win in our last game of the calendar year.

With no match until April next year, I could afford to go home and relax for a while. I would of course be checking up on some players in Europe whilst home but for now I just wanted to enjoy Christmas back in England.

Starting XI: Carlos, Mendoza, Felipe©, Jorge, Anderson (Ferraz), Souza, Anderson (Luis de Abreu), Agnaldo, Ramon, J. Pacheco, Robinho

Used Subs: Paulo, Moises

Final Score: Brazil 5-2 Chile

[-Xenon-]

Sam returned to England for the Christmas holiday. The regular season in Brazil was over, so it was a good opportunity to take a look at some of the European based players. Sam prided himself on selecting squads that were mainly from South American clubs, but there were still a large amount of good players plying their trade in Europe. He paid a visit to Stamford Bridge to see Anderson’s progress. As always he put in a solid if a little unremarkable performance. He also managed to take a look at Souza and Mauricio who both played in Turkey. However after an incredibly busy year, Sam was determined to take it easy and have a nice break from football.

But of course, as he might have expected, his break was interrupted by the football world. Regular offers to be pundit on English television were rejected, but the most serious distraction came in the form of a meeting set up by executives at Corinthians. The Sao Paulo club had been struggling of late and they had recently sacked their manager after a disappointing league campaign. Sam wasn’t even aware of the purpose of the meeting until he turned up at the classy London restaurant in which it was to take place. The various executives introduced themselves, Sam was as blunt and to the point as usual:

â€So, do you have permission for this meeting?â€

“Permission from whom?â€

“The football association.â€

“Well, at this stage we are only making an enquiry. Any serious negotiations will take place at a later stage. The reason we are here is to enquire about your availability for the vacant manager position at Corinthians. Your credentials are un-rivalled and we feel that you would be the perfect candidate for the job.â€

“And you understand that my contract runs until the end of the World Cup which is two and a half years away?â€

“Yes, of courseâ€

“Well, I’m afraid I’m going to have to turn you down. I cannot deny that I am tempted but you have come to me at the wrong time. Why don’t we talk after the World Cup?â€

“I’m sure we would look forward to that meeting .â€

“I take it this meeting never happened.â€

“The answer to that, depends on how much you value your current job.â€

Little did Sam know it at the time, but this was the start of a troublesome relation with Corinthians.

[-Xenon-]

Brazil vs. Colombia

Wednesday 6th April 2016

World Cup Qualifier (SAM)

Fonte Nova, Salvador (BA)

Four months later and the South American qualifying group re-convened. Our opponents were Colombia, who were certainly capable of qualifying, yet had had an inconsistent start, losing to both Paraguay and Uruguay. They had some talented players, one of whom I knew all about, yet I was surprised to see Juan Guillermo Pinzon on the bench. The right winger had left Hermann Aichinger not long after me, for a big money move to Marseille.

In terms of our squad, there were a few new faces. Sporting Lisbon’s Artur looks to be a perfect understudy to Agnaldo on the right wing, Bayer Leverkusen’s Deivid covered for the injured Kerlon. However the highest profile inclusion was that of Gonçalves. The River Plate midfielder had finally opted to represent Brazil; he could have also played for either Spain or Argentina. He had been born in Brazil but his family had uprooted and moved to Spain, where he was signed into Real Madrid’s youth academy. However, having graduated with the likes of Hernan Figueroa and Daniel Nunez, first team opportunities were limited and at the age of 20 he opted to move to River Plate where he established himself as a wonderful central midfielder. He would start against Colombia.

As per usual, we made a pretty explosive start to the match. We took the lead from the penalty spot after 10 minutes. Ruben Viafara upended Raphael in the area and the striker, who had just returned from injury, coolly slotted the ball home for 1-0. However the Colombians were a dangerous side and we gave them far too much space. AC Milan striker Luis Fernando Carabali picked up the ball in a wide position and drove past Rafael Mendoza before striking a perfect shot from an audacious angle that Barbosa never got near to. 1-1 and it was back to square one. Ten minutes before half time and Ramon swung in a beautiful cross for Raphael to head home his second for 2-1.

We held the lead until around the 75th minute. Once again we were caught out by the patient and incisive Colombians. A nice backheel from Ospina was latched onto by Freddy Guarin who had ghosted into the 6 yard box undetected. It was a routine finish for the Schalke midfielder and it proved the final goal of the game. I didn’t have many complaints with a 2-2 draw, I thought the Colombians had played very well and it was a fair result.

Starting XI: Barbosa, Felipe©, Mendoza, Jorge, Anderson, Gonçalves, Moises, Agnaldo, Ramon, Raphael, Juliano Pacheco

Used Subs: Castan, Deivid

Final Score: Brazil 2-2 Colombia