Bill_Strevros Posted June 28, 2013 Share Posted June 28, 2013 Thank you for the advice. I will try although my wage budget has been slashed and I have brought in a couple of players. I was well under the previous budget but despite letting a number of players go I am still over. Going to have to sell some players, tough decisions. Looks like Laurito, who has been disappointing for me and I have two other quality strikers and playing a lone striker almost all the time, will be sold if someone will buy him. Will raise a bit of money and lower the wage bill. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
leonavich Posted June 28, 2013 Share Posted June 28, 2013 Damn Chris, sounds like you have a real struggle on your hands but you are coping quite well. Lucky to not have any point deductions otherwise you may have been going down. I think its -9 for bankruptcy usually? I used to see it a lot in Serie B sides with high Serie A squad wage bills back in FM09 and 10 a lot. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
leonavich Posted June 28, 2013 Share Posted June 28, 2013 Just passed January and we have made a decent attempt to get back in the title race. I focused too much on the national side which has been costing us domestically this season, but a nice run of games has seen us reduce the gap from 11 to 6 in the last 2 months. Fixtures up to this point in time You will notice a run of 3 games losing Como, Cesena and Parma early on, followed by a loss to Juventus. But our Champions League campaign went undefeated and we strung some good results against Alto, Pro Vecelli and Varese as well as a 2-1 win over then first placed Modena. A couple of draw scattered in between, but overall a decent end to the year, especially the 7-1 trumping of Sampdoria and the even more impressive 5-1 demolition of Roma. The only real disappointment at this stage besides our early form, was the loss to Napoli in the Italian Cup. usually our Bread and butter competition, we have fallen flat in the last few seasons as it becomes less of a priority and more of a burden, but all the while, is something I strive to progress quite far in. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
leonavich Posted June 28, 2013 Share Posted June 28, 2013 Thank you for the advice. I will try although my wage budget has been slashed and I have brought in a couple of players. I was well under the previous budget but despite letting a number of players go I am still over. Going to have to sell some players, tough decisions. Looks like Laurito, who has been disappointing for me and I have two other quality strikers and playing a lone striker almost all the time, will be sold if someone will buy him. Will raise a bit of money and lower the wage bill. Laurito worked well for me with a partner in an advanced striker role, poaching and hanging of the last man. You also need a good distributor in the middle to combine with him when his setup's are not coming from the more ball playing forward. He may not suit everyone's formation and tactics and can be quite expensive for the current rung of Italian football, so his wages can be used elsewhere if you can trade him off. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
leonavich Posted June 28, 2013 Share Posted June 28, 2013 International News as the Euro Groups are announced, and we are drawn in a fairly favourable group of: Norway and Belgium proving the sternest of opposition, but otherwise a pretty good run in to our second consecutive Euro's. The most confidence I have had going in to a qualification group to date. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris11223 Posted June 28, 2013 Share Posted June 28, 2013 Yeah its getting tough but good news on the clubs finances as we are now apparently stable and can now bring in a few players in the next transfer window. :) Bill - i'd probably try to sign him if he looks like he could develop into a good player for the club as well as country and usually AMC's can retrain into CM's with pretty much the same potential I've found. Leonavich - That looks like you have quite a good chance to progress from that group and maybe even top it if you can get a result against Belgium, hopefully you can go one better in the next Euro's than last time Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean-Luc Posted June 28, 2013 Share Posted June 28, 2013 I started a San-Marino-save, but don't rejoice yet. Not sure if I can ever actually make a follow-up. The perspective of having to play 10-20 seasons is a bit daunting. I am a bit of a slow player who likes to exploit all kinds of aspects of micro-management. My long-time save started in December 2012 and is now in the third season. If that's the speed to go, then San Marino will be in season 2014 by December. And probably still in the 3rd Division. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris11223 Posted June 28, 2013 Share Posted June 28, 2013 Thats good to hear Jean-Luc Good luck!! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
leonavich Posted June 28, 2013 Share Posted June 28, 2013 Your detail to micro management might show if going in to that much details makes much difference at levels where there is not much difference in quality between the top and the bottom sides Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
djwillster Posted June 28, 2013 Share Posted June 28, 2013 hi there guys love this challenge done it every year not really had the chance to get started on till now but gonna play it when i get the chance to ill up date wiht some pics when i get the chance to. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris11223 Posted June 28, 2013 Share Posted June 28, 2013 good luck djwillster, looking forwards to see your progress Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
djwillster Posted June 29, 2013 Share Posted June 29, 2013 thanks chris Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
djwillster Posted June 29, 2013 Share Posted June 29, 2013 quick update just been put out 1st round of italian cup 2-1 Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill_Strevros Posted June 29, 2013 Share Posted June 29, 2013 I have been transfered from C1/A to C1/B for the third season. Easier or harder? Probably just different. Beat Rimini in the Italian Cup 5-0 and they are in C1/B so hopefully can do that again. Now will have to look at the other teams who I do not know at all. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris11223 Posted July 1, 2013 Share Posted July 1, 2013 Season Review 2013/14 The League Fixtures 1, Fixtures 2 After last season I didn't really have high hopes, that with the fact my squad was looking very thin (mainly in an attempt to save some money) left me thinking that just avoiding relegation would be quite an achievement. For whatever reason we were moved from Serie C1/B to Serie C1/A which I didn't even notice until a few games in :o, anyway the wage budgets were drastically smaller in this half of the league for whatever reason so this made me feel more confident about achieving a respectable league position. The team lined up with 3 strikers for most of the season and this was something that defiantly suited my eventual top scorer Mohammed Zahoud who's performances caught me somewhat off guard as up to this point in his career the only person who really noticed he was on the pitch at all most of the time were his parents :L. The rest of the squad also put in better than expected performances which helped win many more games than I was expecting to and going into the last game of the season I found myself in 2nd position, 3 points behind the league leaders, who I had a much better goal difference than, I'm sure you can work out what I needed to happen to top the table and gain automatic promotion to the Serie B. Heres the final league table so you can see just what happened on the final day of the season. Domestic Cups Cup competition this season was uneventful to say the most with the team not even getting out of the group stage of the Serie C Cup. We did however win the C1 Super Cup. Other Stuff As far as awards go I won Manager of the Year for the second time and Mohammed Zahoud got League top scorer with a quite frankly exceptional season of performances. This years youth intake again brought through lots of players that had very little going on for them really, as expected, but there was one youngster who my scouting team thought may one day make a leading Serie B striker, this coupled with the fact that his ONLY nationality was Sammarinese made me a little more excited than I thought I'd get. Throughout the season I gave Nicola Saracino some game time in a hope to aid his development and because I hardly had enough strikers to cover the positions. The clubs finances seem to have settled down a lot now and are looking pretty stable although in still making monthly losses but only of 40k or so which isn't too much of a concern and as long as we can keep moving up through the leagues it should fix its=self unless I do something really, really silly. So yeah, Serie B here we come!! Hopefully a Mid-table/Top half finish next season as i'm confident that with a couple of decent arrivals to join Luca Scapuzzi, recently released from Manchester City and this should be achievable Depending on how the season ahead goes I hope to spend no more than 2 or 3 seasons in Serie B before hopefully moving up into Serie A which could be a tall ask given the huge gulf in class between the top and bottom teams in this league as well as the vastly differing wage and transfer budgets, this highlighted by the fact that the leagues top earner is on £24,000 a week and my entire playing team (youths and all) are getting paid a collective wage of £24,546 a week. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill_Strevros Posted July 1, 2013 Share Posted July 1, 2013 Well done Chris Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
leonavich Posted July 2, 2013 Share Posted July 2, 2013 Welcome DJ, good to have some more people attempting the challenge. Chris, good run to win Serie C and make it to Serie B. Fantastic season. Saracino really looks the goods too. He would be good enough for the national first team right now I would think with that sort of speed and finishing ability. Good luck Bill.. Looks like you had a good start to the season with that 5-0 win over Rimini Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris11223 Posted July 2, 2013 Share Posted July 2, 2013 Yeah hes been called up a few times but not capped yet, I think mainly due to his lack of game time and a recent regen in the sammarine leagues, Flavio Franci, having slightly more rounded physical stats. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
leonavich Posted July 2, 2013 Share Posted July 2, 2013 you would still think the attributes of a strikers are stronger on Saracino though, with the better pace and finishing ability. I guess that is where managing the national side comes into play as you can muscle in those you know have a better future. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
leonavich Posted July 2, 2013 Share Posted July 2, 2013 The latest national side to run out against Japan in a friendly. I am trying some new tactics and tweaks, but realised that all but one starting player and majority of the bench ply their trade at club San Marino. This has some good and bad things. 1. Angelini, Mularoni and Benvenuti are first team starters at club level so we have 3 world class players at club and country. 2. Bollini is a backup striker at club level so we have some depth up front now 3. Our entire backline and midfield are in our reserves at club level and not even likely to get any game time or the first team, except perhaps Ugolini While we have a few players who are decently equipped at both club and international level. The recent acquisition of world class forwards has made the holes in our midfield and back line more apparent. Our wingers are ageing so will not be getting any better at this point in time so we are in dire need of some new intakes in the middle more so than anywhere else. Our defence also looks shaky as Bollini and Giannini are our first choice wing backs but are now looking less suitable for the job as they stall at their current ability. With the loss of Pelliccioni and Bertolini over the last 5 years, we have yet to find adequate replacement in the middle and our defence has not been as secure or impacting upon matches. In this recent friendly against Japan, to give you an example, although we had a goal disallowed, we thoroughly outplayed through the middle and back and lost 3-0 to a side ranked 40th, 17 places below us. Unless our midfield plays well, our forwards just cannot get the supply they need, which was evident in this game. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris11223 Posted July 2, 2013 Share Posted July 2, 2013 I think having so much of the national team will be more of a hindrance than a help because with the national team actually being weaker than the club it could leave quite a few players getting little or no game time as you mentioned so it might be beneficial to sell some of the national teams weaker players to clubs where they'll be first team players so they will hopefully develop a bit more. And yeah I can see what your saying, if I was the national teams manager I could 'accelerate' Saracino's rise through the ranks. Depending on where the club finish this season in the Serie B I'll more than likely see about becoming the national team manager some time this season or next at the latest. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jean-Luc Posted July 2, 2013 Share Posted July 2, 2013 Does anybody know if the game includes a mechanism that makes players playing together on club level play better together on national level? As we know, some of the most successful teams in the history of World Cup or European Cup could rely on their "groups" from 1 or 2 club teams. Which is logic, because playing routine counts for a lot. I am somewhat doubtful if FM would take those things into consideration, though. Or does anybody know any details? Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
leonavich Posted July 2, 2013 Share Posted July 2, 2013 I think having so much of the national team will be more of a hindrance than a help because with the national team actually being weaker than the club it could leave quite a few players getting little or no game time as you mentioned so it might be beneficial to sell some of the national teams weaker players to clubs where they'll be first team players so they will hopefully develop a bit more. And yeah I can see what your saying, if I was the national teams manager I could 'accelerate' Saracino's rise through the ranks. Depending on where the club finish this season in the Serie B I'll more than likely see about becoming the national team manager some time this season or next at the latest. Whilst I agree that game time does make it better for the national side as players develop better, We also have the best facilities possible which other sides cannot equal. What I tend to do is loan out those that play for the national side. e.g. Giancobbi ply's his trade this season for Serie A side Sampdoria, while in years past he has rocked the colours of Lazio and Udine to name a few. He usually gets a few starts and some bench appearances at Serie A clubs which is good, but has the off season training with us. Others like Bucci, Bollini and Saracino are good Serie B players so usually find clubs around the top to middle of Serie B wanting them on loan. Any up and comers who are lurking for a spot but need some time to prove themselves usually go out to a feeder club like Real Rimini. Not a great team but good enough for them to show if they are decent or not (7.20+ usually indicates if they will make the cut internationally) I like to keep the players at the club also for the chemistry as they become more familiar with each other and my tactics over timer. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
leonavich Posted July 2, 2013 Share Posted July 2, 2013 Does anybody know if the game includes a mechanism that makes players playing together on club level play better together on national level? As we know, some of the most successful teams in the history of World Cup or European Cup could rely on their "groups" from 1 or 2 club teams. Which is logic, because playing routine counts for a lot.I am somewhat doubtful if FM would take those things into consideration, though. Or does anybody know any details? I am not sure if club level chemistry translates to national level chemistry, but I use similar tactics nationally as I do at club level and a majority of the national team ply's their trade within some level from the same club, whether first team, reserves or under 21's. I have found that the national side plays far better than I or anyone usually anticipates and on the odd occasions they actually play to their poor standard which becomes upsetting because of the consistently decent showing they provide. So I think to some extent, whether it is the players at club and national level or the fact that I have stuck with virtually the same national side for a decade, they players do find a familiarity which helps in providing better, more consistent results. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris11223 Posted July 2, 2013 Share Posted July 2, 2013 I get the better facilities and stuff while training and developing but I mean when they reach mid 20's surely it would be more beneficial to them and give a better chance of maintaining their attributes to be playing week in week out at a so-so Serie A or good Serie B club as a pose to sitting in the reserve team. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
djwillster Posted July 2, 2013 Share Posted July 2, 2013 dumped out of the serie c cup 2nd rd 1-0 and lying 3rd in the league after 7 games 3pts off the top Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris11223 Posted July 2, 2013 Share Posted July 2, 2013 Bad luck djwillster but I suppose it will give your team more time to focus on the league soooo not all bad Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
djwillster Posted July 2, 2013 Share Posted July 2, 2013 thanks chris but to be honest i rather focus on the league till i get to serie A anything else is a bonus really just went second with a 1-0 win 1 pt off Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
leonavich Posted July 2, 2013 Share Posted July 2, 2013 I get the better facilities and stuff while training and developing but I mean when they reach mid 20's surely it would be more beneficial to them and give a better chance of maintaining their attributes to be playing week in week out at a so-so Serie A or good Serie B club as a pose to sitting in the reserve team. Yeah I also agree, but I find loaning to be a better option, not just from the perspective that they can go to teams at their calibre, who will use them. But also because being from a "rich" club they have inflated wages so most other teams can't afford to buy them plus cover their wages. Also, with smaller nations, a lot of players tend to retire from the game as soon as they leave their first club. An example is Massimo Raschi, who was a main striker for the national team at one stage and retired at 23 when I let him leave the club for regular first team football elsewhere. The latter being the biggest contributor to keeping players, with the other 2 said reasons coming second and third. Screenshot of Raschi below. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris11223 Posted July 2, 2013 Share Posted July 2, 2013 Yeah I also agree, but I find loaning to be a better option, not just from the perspective that they can go to teams at their calibre, who will use them. But also because being from a "rich" club they have inflated wages so most other teams can't afford to buy them plus cover their wages. Also, with smaller nations, a lot of players tend to retire from the game as soon as they leave their first club. An example is Massimo Raschi, who was a main striker for the national team at one stage and retired at 23 when I let him leave the club for regular first team football elsewhere. I hadn't really thought about the players inflated wage demands making it difficult to move them on and I guess even if they go on a free they will expect more than what they deserve which will increase their chances of retiring when they can't find a club to pay their wages. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
leonavich Posted July 2, 2013 Share Posted July 2, 2013 It is a tight rope, but I agree, if they can leave to another club, then I am all for it. I let Bucci leave for a number of years but re-signed him when he was released. He is our starting right winger and I cannot afford to loose him to early retirement until we get another decent one through the youth system, which is yet to happen in over 10 years now. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris11223 Posted July 2, 2013 Share Posted July 2, 2013 I think the development of the national team can is largely based on luck because you are basically the only club that will produce young players with the right nationality. I think some kind of game in the leagues in San Marino would be interesting but it would take so long to get anything done with all the clubs being amateur. Some kind of network game like that could be interesting but I don't think anyone understands how to work them properly :L Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
leonavich Posted July 2, 2013 Share Posted July 2, 2013 While it is based on luck, I have seen some decent players start to come through: Francesco Mularoni is an Italian based Sammarinese who stated out at Catania and is now a top Serie A striker for Ascoli. Andrea Pelliccioni before that, started out at Cesena in Serie A and moved around from Siena to Torino and Salernitana in Serie B. While these are just 2 of our main players in the last 10 years, there have been a few others. Fair to say, that majority of these players have played or come through youth ranks outside of Sammarinese clubs. The clubs themselves have not benefited much from the raised status, which also further explains why so many now come from the club, as we are the only club that has improved with the national side. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris11223 Posted July 2, 2013 Share Posted July 2, 2013 The nationality of the manager affects the nationalities of the youth recruitment to a certain extent right? I wonder if some of the players that are brought through then go on to become managers (maybe even good ones) this would help increase the number of good youngster that appear. Wishful thinking I know but still, could happen Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
leonavich Posted July 2, 2013 Share Posted July 2, 2013 That's a good point. Perhaps I should allow players to leave and become managers instead of trying to keep them on as back room staff at club or international level. I may start trying to get some Sammarinese with good managerial abilities into management roles. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris11223 Posted July 2, 2013 Share Posted July 2, 2013 That's a good point. Perhaps I should allow players to leave and become managers instead of trying to keep them on as back room staff at club or international level. I may start trying to get some Sammarinese with good managerial abilities into management roles. Some of the ones who are more well known in world football might even get jobs at bigger clubs which can only be a good thing. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill_Strevros Posted July 3, 2013 Share Posted July 3, 2013 I wonder whether there is any limit to the number of regens that can come from a small country like San Marino. So if there is then at a certain point you might end up getting less San Marino regens as they have more teams they are likely to go to. This may not be a bad thing if they are going to other Serie A teams but if they are going to lower division teams then it might lower the overall quality of the regens as well. Pure speculation on my part. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris11223 Posted July 3, 2013 Share Posted July 3, 2013 I wonder whether there is any limit to the number of regens that can come from a small country like San Marino. So if there is then at a certain point you might end up getting less San Marino regens as they have more teams they are likely to go to. This may not be a bad thing if they are going to other Serie A teams but if they are going to lower division teams then it might lower the overall quality of the regens as well. Pure speculation on my part. That would make sense but I somehow doubt its in the game. I've also noticed that the population of San Marino is just over 30,000 people and if you add all the players of Sammarinese nationality it gives about 8,000 players in the data base ..... that means that about 1 in 3 people are footballers :L Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill_Strevros Posted July 3, 2013 Share Posted July 3, 2013 That would make sense but I somehow doubt its in the game. I've also noticed that the population of San Marino is just over 30,000 people and if you add all the players of Sammarinese nationality it gives about 8,000 players in the data base ..... that means that about 1 in 3 people are footballers :L 8000 out of 30000 is a bit high but I guess not all of the 8000 would have to be included in the 30000. There would be people who could play for San Marino who do not actually live in San Marino so are not counted in the population. However still high. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
aaron1606 Posted July 3, 2013 Share Posted July 3, 2013 Leonavich, have you had much joy down the years with persuading dual Sammarinese/Italian player who have represented Italy at youth level to play for San Marino national team? I've got a core group of players that won't accept my callups to the national team. Some I'm ok with, as they could potentially play for the Italian senior team some day, but some of them aren't good enough at all. One of them is 23 now and still hasn't had a senior Italy callup (and surely never will), but still rejects my callups. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bill_Strevros Posted July 3, 2013 Share Posted July 3, 2013 Looked at the latest San Marino national side result in which Stefanelli scored 3 goals, unfortunately one of for their opponents Albania which gave Albania a 3-2 win. The own goal did not however stop Stefanelli winning player of the match, LOL Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
leonavich Posted July 4, 2013 Share Posted July 4, 2013 Leonavich, have you had much joy down the years with persuading dual Sammarinese/Italian player who have represented Italy at youth level to play for San Marino national team?I've got a core group of players that won't accept my callups to the national team. Some I'm ok with, as they could potentially play for the Italian senior team some day, but some of them aren't good enough at all. One of them is 23 now and still hasn't had a senior Italy callup (and surely never will), but still rejects my callups. Yes! You can and it is very successful, but one one condition. They must turn 24. Benvenuti was a youth capped Italian player, born in San Marino and I had all but expected him to never play for me... Until he turned 24 An even better coup for the fact that he was an Italian born player (and he just won the top goal scorer in the Serie A from a mid table Ascoli team), Mularoni also joined at 24. Another, not as good as the above too, but our starting left back none the less, Bollini was the first to switch sides, also at the age of 24. It may seem cruel, but the best way to get the best players to represent you is to limit them and keep them off Italy's radar until they hit 24. I was lucky in that Benvenuti was our main striker prio to his 23rd Birthday but Italy never used him (though he sat on the bench a few times) and Mularoni, though not at the club, and dishing out damage in the Serie A, was never deemed good enough to represent Italy at the highest level. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
leonavich Posted July 4, 2013 Share Posted July 4, 2013 World Cup Warm up V Australia Cracker of a game and one that we had won if not for a silly penalty in the last minute of the game. It was a good un in for Mularoni and Bollini who hit the net from up front, while Giancibbi did a number on the wing, but new star man Benvenuti has failed to impress in 3 starts for the national side. He may need time to adjust so will be given the chance in our next match, but if he does not hit any form at tournament time, he will find himself on the bench for Bollini. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
leonavich Posted July 4, 2013 Share Posted July 4, 2013 World Cup Warm up V KAC We seem to be enjoying the large scorelines which is great for our strikers but does not bode well for our defence. A huge margin that once again saw Mularoni hit twice, while Benvenuti breaks his national duck with his first goal in 4 appearances, however unfortunately for him, the game does not count towards their national records. The big surprise was Ugolini who hit a hattrick from the middle of the park to show we have some long range ability amongst our ranks. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
leonavich Posted July 4, 2013 Share Posted July 4, 2013 World Cup Warm up V Algeria Our biggest test to date as we face 13th ranked Algeria. I decided to flip the team around a bit and it seemed to pay off until about half way through. Mularoni had 2 goals disallowed within 10 minutes and it seemed to impact the team as we fell apart from about the 60th minute onward. Instead of being 2-1 or even 3-1 up had both goals stood, we were 3-1 down just 10 minutes later. We conceded a 4th late in the match to make it a blow out, but besides the last 30 minutes, it was a very good game from us. We just need to learn not to let set backs kick our confidence. I am heading home from work now, so will be offline for at least the next 2 hours, but my next updates are going to be the world cup group stages as they occur prior to the July window when I get all the team information necessary for the yearly update. I am playing the World Cup in real time, so you will results as I see them. Watch this space! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
aaron1606 Posted July 4, 2013 Share Posted July 4, 2013 Ah - hopefully in a few months I'll be able to persuade the 23 year old then! It's getting very frustrating having a Serie A side squad comprised almost solely of Sammarinese players, then having to use terrible players from the Amateur leagues in the national squad to fill the gaps left by the Italy-chasers... Good luck in the World Cup! Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
leonavich Posted July 4, 2013 Share Posted July 4, 2013 Hey guys, sorry had a few things to do so didn't get any time to start the world cup. Given I will be going to bed shortly as it is 11pm, I will start tomorrow as I want to do the World Cup in a complete sitting. Aaron - Yes, it can be frustrating especially when the Italy chasers actually get their wish. I have lost a few decent defenders, including the 20.5m valued Bindi who is a star for Italy but San Marino born. I have another few Sammarinese defenders in the ranks too, which really sucks, and hurts even more after conceding 12 goals in 3 games, for a Draw, a win and a loss. I hope the defence can hold on for the World Cup tomorrow. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
leonavich Posted July 4, 2013 Share Posted July 4, 2013 Game 1 V Ivory Coast (11th) Line Up GK Aldo Angelini LB Roberto Ceccoli CB Matteo Zanotti CB Matteo Macina RB Matteo Giannini DM Nicola Mularoni © LM Andrea Giancobbi (vc) CM Daniele Ugolini RM Mauro Bucci ST Francesco Mularoni ST Alex Benvenuti Overview Ivory Coast are favourites for this game, but I am confident of a result as African nations tend to be ranked highly without much return (Algeria, Senegal, Ivory Coast, Nigeria and Cameroon are all in the top 15). A draw is a minimum in this game as long as we can get a win over Japan as I don't expect a result against the Portuguese. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
leonavich Posted July 4, 2013 Share Posted July 4, 2013 Match Day 1 v Ivory Coast (11th) First Half We started the stronger and were very aggressive from the opening as we looked to take them by surprise. Things seemed to be working as we took an early lead just 9 minutes in and we decided not to ease off. Ivory Coast still seemed to be finding their feet, and though the game settled, we were still on top. Possession was fairly even, but we still had the better attacking chances and Zanotti took full advantage of a bouncing ball around the box to slot home a close range second 27 minutes in. From that point I felt the need to play a bit more cautious, as I was sure we could hold a 2 goal lead. If not for a win, atleast for a draw. The remainder of the half petered out uneventfully as we backed off, though Ivory Coast stated to pick up their game, and the tempo and had a few shots towards the end of the half to make me question my tactics, but I remained firm as the whistle blew. Second Half I spoke to the team and they were all really confident, so I decided not to take away too much of their momentum and let them play on the counter to open the half. within 5 minutes, Ivory Coast had gone into full attack mode and had a number of chances whisked away by Angelini or the post. I was shouting instructions and on the verge of reverting to out and out defence, though just as I was in the process of issuing my instructions, we hit them on the counter. Mularoni, a speed merchant latched onto a clearance that found him between two defenders. He beat them to the ball and strode past them easily to be one on one with the keeper. With a cool head, he shot from the edge of the box to keep a good angle and his composure showed through as we went up 3-0 on 55 minutes. I was already in the process of pumping the breaks, and with Mularoni's brace, I had no reason not to. We defended well for another 20 minutes and kept them to mainly long shots, though they started to maintain large spells of possession and our players go a bit frustrated. This seemed obvious when on 75 minutes, our defence had a brain explosion and did some shocking back passing in an attempt to kill time and allowed Cisse on to a poor pass to make it 3-1 with 13 minutes left. I decided to time waste with some substitutions late in the game and it did the trick as we entered 90 minutes still 3-1 up. The boys must of got a bit too confident and started some early celebrations as we slacked in stoppage time and allowed Kouakou to score in the 93rd minute to make it 3-2. The game ended from the subsequent kick off, but it was a scare I did not need. Either way, we picked up 3 points and looked good. A result against Japan would virtually guarantee us through, bar results going unfavourably, the first of which was a draw to Japan and Portugal. We has been hoping for a Portugal win. damn! Other Result Japan 0 v 0 Portugal Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
leonavich Posted July 4, 2013 Share Posted July 4, 2013 Game 2 V Japan (37th) Line Up GK Aldo Angelini LB Roberto Ceccoli CB Matteo Zanotti CB Matteo Macina RB Matteo Giannini DM Nicola Mularoni © LM Andrea Giancobbi (vc) CM Daniele Ugolini RM Mauro Bucci ST Francesco Mularoni ST Alex Benvenuti Overview We left the team as is and I fully expected to beat a good Japan side who where ranked 37th, 14 places behind us. I was a bit worried though, as our only previous match against them was the 3-0 loss suffered recently. Either way, I was expecting a win here with a full strength squad (minus Bollini who did make the 23 man squad due to injury). Japan though, drew with Portugal, which is nothing to laugh about, so I was also cautiously aware that they may spring a surprise. Link to post Share on other sites More sharing options...
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