Around the World in Eighty Clubs

[RaySunshine]

Starting XI

So, slightly injury-stricken, here is the first XI that Fogg is putting out for Meizhou Hakka.

Kong Qi starts in goal. He hasn't been first choice so far this season and only gets the nod today as injury dictates.

Zhang Guang: The 24yo has been at the club for the last five seasons. Two goals and two assists so far - what more can he offer?

Li Zhilin: The 27yo has spent his entire career at the club and is one of the first names on teamsheet every week it appears!

Xia Chengjun: Injury hands only a second start of the season to the 19yo CB.

Yu Jiayue: The 21yo has been a regular starter this season but is struggling for form. Fogg hopes that he can turn around his fortunes quickly!

Liu Junhui: In his second season at the club, the 24yo has made 8 starts so far. Can he impress Fogg and keep his place?

Sam Kossigbo: The 25yo Liberian is in his first season at the club and has been one of the side's top performers so far.

Lin Biao: 23 games so far but only two goals and no assists - Fogg will want more!

Li Tao: The 22yo has just moved to the club and has three assists and two POTM performances so far - sounds promising!

Liu Jian: 22yo and here on loan. He's only played six games so far and Fogg is prepared to hand him a few more starts.

Ben Sima: The 26yo Equatoguinean has 2 goals in 10 starts - can he manage more?

The side are in 13th and are 12 points away from trouble when Fogg picks up the reigns. Can he keep them there?

Hunan Billows and Sichuan Jiuniu are both struggling towards the bottom of the table while Cangzhou are this months high fliers. What sort of start can Fogg generate?!

[RaySunshine]

September 2031

Fogg begins his adventure in China in good form! Three games and three wins is not a bad way to start!

The first game saw the team take on Hunan Billows (Kossigbo 77, Huang Rui 84, 89). Fogg was led to fear for a while as his team toiled a goal down. Substitute Huang Rui came on though and saved the day with his two goals, giving Meizhou all three points.

Game two was against Sichuan Juuniu (Huang Rui 19, 35, Liu Ke 69). Fogg felt obliged to give Huang Rui a start in this game and was pleased to see that his faith was rewarded with Huang Rui grabbing another two goals on the way to a win.

It looked like the points were going to be all shared in the game against Cangzhou Mighty Lions (Kossigbo pen 90+4). Kossigbo had other ideas though as he netted a late penalty to earn Fogg three wins out of three!

A perfect start sees Fogg's team rise a place up the league. Fogg is aware though that he's going to need to raise his repuation as, with the USA not coming that far away now, he thinks that he'll struggle to get an MLS job with a reputation of just 30%. It appears that the football world have forgotten about him since he left Europe.

8th, 7th, 15th and 11th come up in the next month. Fogg hopes that he can keep earn points on the pitch and reputation points for the rest of the mission to come.

[RaySunshine]

October 2031

It was a tougher month for Fogg and, until the last game of the month, he was still in dreamland. It all started off against Jiangxi Beidamen (Liu Junhui 72). Hakka went behind early on but Liu Junhui scored a beauty of a free-kick to earn his side a share of the points.

Against Beijing BSU (Hung Rui 28, 32), the team again went behind early but Hung Rui got all three points with two superb beatings of the offside trap.

HeB Kungfu (Huang Rui 27, Lian Biao 31) have struggled so far this season and Hakka added to the misery with Huang Rui's header being followed by Lian Biao's smart strike to earn all three points.

Well this is certainly a pleasing sight for Fogg. As ever, he's not planning on being there too long but he knows that he's got a little bit of reputation increase to do to help complete his trip.

This is the less good news though with one of Meizhou Hakka's best players missing out on the rest of the season.

Meizhou Hakka conceeded early again against Shaoxing Keqiao Yuejia but this time it didn't get any better - it just got worse and worse. By the time five goals had gone in, Fogg was just pleased to hear the final whistle.

Meizhou Hakka sit in midtable still - safe from relegation but not able to trouble the top flyers either. The club can't drop any further with one game to go but could climb up the table with a good win.

8th-place Suzhou Dongwu give the last game of the season. Can Fogg get one more win in order to finish the season on a high? The result and season review will follow together!

[RaySunshine]

November 2031 and Season Review

So there is one game, against Suzhou Dongwu (Zhu Jianhu 88) but there was still plenty of drama. They went down to ten men after 23 minutes but then got the lead. It looked like they were going to keep it but youngster Zhu Jianhu managed to smash a near post finish to record a share of the points.

A draw means the club don't move and finish 12th. It's hardly startling stuff but Fogg saw good things in that starting run and hopes that that's the way of the future.

It's an interesting best XI with one player who's now a free agent and another who's not even in the game any more. It's pretty hard what to make of it all really.

Huang Rui is clearly the star of the side with the most goals and player of the match awards. Li Zhilin gathers up highest average rating.

The vision of the club remains largely unchanged as does the vision of Fogg. He wants to get a higher-rep club in China after his six month promise expires before the search for a job in Japan comes along.

[RaySunshine]

Pre-Season

There were no outs of note this season for Fogg but an almost record-breaking number of 'ins' - ten new players in total join the club as Fogg looks to rebuild his reputation.

24yo Ying Jiahua is the first of the tremendous ten - he has spent his career impressing at Nantong Zhiyun and now Fogg hopes that he's a serious boost to the backline here.

Also 24yo, Xiao Yong has spent most of his career in the USA. He's rarely played though and now moves back to his homeland in order to lead the line for Fogg's revolution.

Ibrahim Garibay joins the club from Mexican side Potros UAEM. He's yet to really start his career but Fogg feels like he has the ability to go places at this level.

Another youngster - Ji Haoyang comes in from Chinese Super League side Shandong Taishan. Despite not playing for them regularly, Fogg hopes that the player is still a serious upgrade on what he had before.

Wang Junjie is one of the few players to come in with serious first-team experience, having played superbly well for Jiangxi Beidamen over the last few seasons. Fogg hopes that he brings his apparent reliability with him for sure.

21yo Zhang Zhijie looks like a real star at this level - having been a regular for Guangzhou in the Super League for the last seasons, Fogg can't quite believe his luck at having got him to show his talent in League One...

Deng Chengbo joins the side from Shanghai Shenhua. Having played a regular role in the Super League last season, Fogg hopes that he can play for fun at this level.

Yang Ziheng goes to show that there's some serious talent out there for grabs this window. The superb keeper comes in from Shanghai Port. He never played a game for them but is now the time for him to make his mark?

The only player to command a fee this window, Chay Jones joins the side from financially-challenged Lewes. Fogg sees real LB potential in him and hopes to train him into that role..

The 24yo Reshane Langaigne moved to Super League side Kunshan from Grenada last season. He struggled to perfom though; Fogg hopes that a league level drop on loan will help him show his best.

Reasonable performance seems to be what the board is asking for this season. No real drama is expected so Fogg feels that, with the players he's brought in, maybe there's the chance to overachieve and make his name.

The bookies seem to agree too as, if the club finish 7th, it would be their best finish in four seasons.

Pre-season was good and, with the draw and win against top-flight opposition, Fogg hopes that it's a sign of things to come and the name-make that he's looking for.

10th, 8th and 16th are the predictions for these three clubs. Fogg is hoping that this gives him the chance to put points on the board nice and early...

[RaySunshine]

March 2032

The season certainly began with a bang for Fogg - his side took on Suzhou Dongwu (Deng Chengbo 8, 27, Xiao Yong 49, Zhu Jianhu 64). Glory goals peppered the game with Deng Chengbo's opener being a superb freekick and both Xiao Yong and Zhu Jianhu scoring long-range strikes too.

The good start carried on against Beijing BSU (Xiao Yong 22, Zhang Zhijie 58). Xiao Yong beat the offside trap superbly after Deng Chengbo sent him through and Zhang Zhijie scored a long-range effort to secure the points.

Reality came to strike in game three against KM ZH Shipman (Garibay 14, Xiao Yong pen 57, Liu Junhui 75). Three times Meizhou Hakka found themselves behind and pulled it back. They couldn't do it a fourth time though and so there no points here.

Even more good news followed the first defeat of the season!

So Meizhou Hakka finish the month sixth, precisely where they're meant to be. It's early days at the moment though with only three games played so it's hard to read too much into it.

A much busier month is coming up. 14th, 5th, 3rd and 17th come up next in the league so it's another varied month for sure. In the cup, Meizhou Hakka take on HeB Kungfu who are presently 16th without a win!

[RaySunshine]

April 2032

The month begins with some of a re-arrange as Qingdao Manatee's waterlogged pitch pushed the game back. The month, instead, opened with the game against Shaoxing Keqiao Yuejia. It's fair to say that Fogg's men dominated the game but couldn't get the goal that would earn them all three points.

A goal did come against Qingdao Manatee (Xiao Yong pen 20) as Xiao Yong made up for his previous penalty miss to put this one away and take home all the points.

Once again, there was domination but no goals against Cangzhou Mighty Lions. Fogg is seriously hoping that this doesn't become the regular routine of the story.

A true shock came in the cup - HeB Kungfu knocked Meizhou Hakka out the cup with a through-ball that carved Fogg's defence apart and led them to the next round.

Finally, another league win against Xinjiang Tianshan Leopard (Zhang Zhijie 67) when Zhang Zhijie got half a yard of space inside the box to curl the ball home and make up for Xiao Yong who missed another penalty.

The team are unbeaten in the league this month and see themselves up the league by one place. Second are only two points off and top only four points away so it's still all to play for.

12th, 16th, 3rd, 2nd and 13th give the month plenty of variety. Fogg is keen to get points out of every game but would love to see if he can get results against 3rd place Qingdao and 2nd place Kunshan...

[RaySunshine]

May 3032

Fogg has been casting his cv around China, hoping to get a higher-rep job and a better chance of getting that MLS job later on. This month did well for that with a win against Beijing IT (Garibay 15, Zhu Jianhu 90+1) kicking things off.

This was followed by the result of the month - a 7-1 thrashing of Nantong Zhiyun (Wang Junjie 28, 45+2, Xiao Yong pen 39, 67, 71, Lin Biao 68, 83). Xiao Yong put a penalty away again to restore his record and Fogg was overjoyed with the general quality of performance and the result.

Another win came against Qingdao (Deng Chengbo 16, Lin Biao 24) with a close header and smooth finish being enough for all three points.

Fogg's crew then got something of a bump against Kunshan with a 3-0 defeat and the frustration being that two of the goals were corners conceeded.

It took until the last minute, but the month finished on an up with a 2-1 win over Hebei Zhuoao (Wang Junjie 11, Lian Biao 90+2).

The sea of wins gets Fogg's men a place up the table and a spot closer to promotion. He's absolutely focussed on his reputation though - having been turned down for a Super League job, Fogg is convinced that he has to raise the value of his name to complete the quest.

11th, 8th, 3rd and 1st - nothing is easy here! Fogg is bracing himself for a bruising month. Any points he gets from the next month will be most certainly hard-earned and will give a strong sense of where the future of the season lies for Meizhou Hakka and Fogg...

[RaySunshine]

June 2032

June was another solid month for Fogg and kept him and Meizhou in touch with the business end of the table. Game one was against 2001 China NYT (Lian Biao 39, Huang Rui 84). The first goal, in particular, was a beauty with Zahijie playing a stunning through-ball to make the goal.

This was follwed up with an even better performance against Sichuan Jiuniu (Xiao Yong 32, 70, 83, 89). Xiao Yong played a blinder, getting all four goals! The last two goals were both superb free-kicks that left the ground buzzing!

The good run couldn't continue forever and there was a bump in the road against Shanghai Shenhua (Lin Biao 87, Zhu Jianhu 90+5). Despite dominating the game, Meizhou Hakka let in three goals and, after that, it was an uphill struggle and one that Fogg's men just couldn't quite make this time.

This was an exciting piece of news... for a manager planning on hanging around. Fogg wants to move on quickly but he is aware that, at this stage, the US is going to be a challenge to get into!

The final game of the month was against Jiangxi Biadamen (Garibay 74, Xiao Yong 84). Two decent headed goals were enough for the win and to send Fogg and the fans home happy!

The team step one place up to fourth and Fogg has all his fingers crossed that, by the end of the season, they could cross that golden line and get promoted. The reputation enhancement wouldn't do Fogg any harm either...

18th, 11th, 16th, 8th and 7th sees a month where the challenge level slowly steps up as the month goes on. Fogg knows that a decent month would see the club stay in touch if not get into those top two places. Can it be done?!

[RaySunshine]

July 2032

The summer transfer window in China opens for one month only and Fogg swoops in on day one - signing two players with the determined hope that they will help fire Meizhou Hakka into the Super League!

25yo Ji Shaolei comes in on a free having been released by Beijing BSU. Fogg can't quite make out why Ji Shaolei was released as he was a good steady performer and seems to be a solid midfield choice at this level. He hopes that Beijing's loss is certainly his gain!

Left winger Wu Wei also joins on a free having been released by Chengdu Rongcheng. He didn't play at all last season but the season before but had been a regular starter for four seasons before that. His attacking returns do seem to be pretty limited but Fogg is hoping that he can soon fix that!

July was another nearly-perfect month with just that one telling red spot in it. Fogg is developing serious concerns that these red spots will add up and prevent him from gaining promotion. Anyhow, game one saw the side take on HeB Kungfu (Lin Biao 52, Huang Rui 57). A neat header and superb long-range daisy-cutter from Huang Rui did the job.

Before the next game came the devastating news that Meizhou's best player was going to miss a significant chunk of time out injured. Up next were Qingdao (Li Tao pen 72, Huang Rui 74) and thankfully, the team managed to carry on despite the loss of Zhang Zhijie. Lio Tao's pen and Huang Rui's far post header from a deep cross did the job.

The bad news kept coming though and Fogg began to wonder if he'd have any players for the next game! Thankfully, he did and the side beat Nantong Zhiyun (Lin Biao 7, Wu Wei 56). Fogg was particulary pleased to see the new boys combine for the second goal - Ji Shaolei's deep cross being headed home by Wu Wei.

More bad news was to follow though with another first-teamer picking up a knock that would keep them out. It didn't seem to matter against Beijing BSU (Li Wei og 8, Xiao Yong 32). Langaigne had his shot pop home off their defender while Xiao Yong scored another beauty of a free-kick.

Fogg missed out on a perfect month though against Sichuan Jiuniu. Despite dominating the game, they managed to score off a deep cross and nick the win.

Despite that last defeat, Meizhou Hakka remain in the mix. With only two places to go up and three competing teams, someone is going to miss out. Fogg doesn't want it to be him!

12th, 13th, and 14th are all games that Fogg views and winnable and will need to be won to for Meizhou Hakka to keep up with... Shanghai Shenhua who are presently first. It's clear what the big game is coming up this month!

[RaySunshine]

August 2032

There were no red spots in this month but it's fair to say that Fogg wasn't entirely pleased with all the results! He started off against Suzhou Dongwu (Xiao Yong pen 26, Wang Junjie 89). Xiao Yong slotted away a penalty before Wang Junjie secured the result by heading home Xiao Yong's cross.

Game two saw Meizhou Hakka take on struggling 2001 China NYT. Meizhou dominated and created chance after chance but failed to score any of them, leaving Fogg with the distinct feeling of points dropped.

The feeling of frustration was eased when the side took on Xinjiang Tianshan Leopard (Wu Wei 63, Huang Rui 83). Front to back was the order of the day with Fogg's keeper's long kicks starting off both moves that resulted in the goals.

Finally, it was the big one against Shanghai Shenhua. If Fogg had been offered a point before the game, he'd have bitten a hand off for it; but, having dominated the game, it feels like points dropped again. Even more so when it was the chance to really push back a promotion rival.

No defeats and Meizhou Hakka move up into the promotion places. It's fair to say though everything is tight between the top three and one of those teams has to miss out.

Four games against 16th, 5th, 14th and 9th gives Fogg the hope that the month is another serious point-winning potential. Can Fogg still be in touch by the end of the month?

 

[RaySunshine]

September 2032

September represents the second unbeaten month in a row for Fogg and the perfect moment in the season to find good form. The month began well with a win against Beijing IT (Wang Junjie 14, Wu Wei 54). Headers are the order of the day with all three goals coming that way - Fogg is pleased that his team get two of them and keep marching on!

Last-minute drama marked out the next game against Cangzhou Mighty Lions (Deng Chengbo 90+2). Fogg thought all was lost when Cangzhou scored  a bullet header in the 91st minute but Huang Rui had other ideas - dispossessing one of their CBs and sliding it across to Deng Chengbo who slotted home.

Against KM ZH Shipman (Zhang Zhijie 14, Wu Wei 20), Zhang Zhijie scored a wonder goal from long range that crashed in off the bar and Wu Wei finished off his wonderful ball over the top to secure all three points by the 20th minute mark!

Finally, Meizhou Hakka took on Hbei Zhuoao (Wu Wei 33). In the 33rd minute, Lin Biao crosses over to Zhang Zhijie who nods it down for Wu Wei to half-volley home. Job done!

So the team finish the month top of the table and with four points to spare against the next place not promoted! With only a month to go, it's all in Meizhou Hakka's hands - can they do it?!

2nd, 4th, 7th, 8th and 18th are the teams next up. If Meizhou Hakka are to be promoted, it's going to be the hard way! Take game one for example, there's not a single win in the last five against Kunshan - it's not going to be easy!

[RaySunshine]

October 2032

The deciding month of the season did not have a good start for Fogg. Meizhou Hakka were totally dominated by Kunshan who got their goal courtesy of a penalty. Zhuang Guang was chasing his man back and simply couldn't make it.

In game two, Meizhou were again dominated - this time by Shaoxing Keqiao Yuejia who finished a smart break just before HT to snatch all three points. Fogg knew that form had to pick up and quick if his side wanted to get promoted.

They did just that against Jiangxi Beidamen (Xiao Yong 19, Ji Shaolei 20) when Xiao Yong profited from a penalty box scramble and Ji Shaolei nodded home a smart cross following a throw in.

The rating for this year's youth intake said it was excellent but Fogg was uncertain with only the top two names really catching his eye.

The good form continued against Qingdao Manatee (Xiao Yong 16, Zhang Zhijie 71). Zhang Zhijie's strike in particular was a superb curler from just inside the D and all this led to the following good news...

Fogg and the team were over the moon and capped it all off with a resounding win against relegated HeB Kungfu (Xiao Yong pen 7, 29, 44, Deng Chengbo 80).

So there we have it! Meizhou Hakka are promoted to the Super League and Fogg has had something of a reputation boost. He now needs to keep that going to get higher level jobs and over the hurdle of getting that MLS job in a couple of countries' time!

[RaySunshine]

Season Review

The season XI represents the solid side that Fogg put out each week. Maybe new signing Ji Shaolei can feel a bit hard done by not to making the final group.

Wang Junjie and Zhang Zhijie scoop up the awards, representing the superb contributions they made to the season. Their names come up in the simply amazing number of record breakers that the club has gained this season too...

The vision appears to be an interesting one. Fogg is not happy with the addition of defensively solid football that has snuck in there and that the board refused to have removed!

[RaySunshine]

Pre-Season

Pre-season starts with an interesting bit of news! Meizhou Hakka are moving out of their stadium which itself is only 5 years old! It's not big enough for the Super League and the club have decided that it's not worth the risk of paying out for the expansion just yet!

Lots of players go out on loan as Fogg hopes to develop a promising set of players for the future. Now we're on to the ins...

30yo Gambian Ibrahim Saidy comes in from Suzhou Dongwu. It's claimed that he's far better than Xiao Yong but did score fewer goals than him last season. The two are in competition!

Being promoted, Fogg expects to be under a lot of pressure this season so 21yo Jin Jian comes in to take over between the sticks. He's been the starter for top-tier side Dalian Professional and Fogg can't quite believe that he's been available on a free!

22yo Hatian Dominique Laveaux comes in from Kalamazoo in the USA. Fogg had noticed that there was a gulf in technical level beween Meizhou Hakka and the rest and he hopes that Domnique will help to do that.

Zhou Chenyu is 26yo and comes in from Guangzhou City. He was a regular there since 2027 and Fogg can't believe that he's available on a free! Fogg hopes that he can add a bit of aggressive bite in midfield.

24yo Liang Yijun has come in from top Chinese side Shanghai Port. He came close to breaking through there but never quite made it. Fogg hopes that Meizhou Hakka can give him the chance to shine.

Chen Lin comes in to provide top-flight quality at RB. He again was a top-flight regular for Hebei for the last few seasons. Hopefully, he can carry that on at Meizhou Hakka!

Miao Jingzhe is only 22yo but looks to add some RW shine to the squad! He's played regularly in the Super League for the last four seasons and Fogg hopes that this strength comes through for Meizhou Hakka.

Pre-season looked good for Fogg - he was most pleased with the two creditable draws against Super League sides at the start.

One cup round win and battle against relegation is what the board expects. This is good because...

... rock bottom is where the club is expected to finish up. At one point in pre-season, Meizhou, Heilongjiang and Kunshan were on equal odds and Fogg hopes that that was more accurate. Ultimately though, he wants a move to a club who's looking at the AFC Champion's League.

Finally, onto the opening fixtures! Zhejiang are expected to be 10th, Kunshan came up with Meizhou Hakka and Guangzhou are one of the great famous clubs of Chinese football! It's going to be an interesting start!

 

 

Edited April 7, 2023 by RaySunshine

[RaySunshine]

March 2023

The competitive season began with a game against Zhejiang. Meizhou Hakka dominated the game and the xG chart against the top-flight regulars and finished up being disappointed to only come away with a point.

Fogg and co simply couldn't beat Kunshan (Miao Jingzhe 58, Li Zihilin 90+4) last season but, this season, things were different. Meizhou dominated throughout and took the lead when Miao Jingzhe slots home Wu Wei's superb cross. They levelled straight away with a long-range effort into the bottom corner before Li Zhilin leaps magnificently to smash home a header from a corner in the dying stages.

Just like game one, Meizhou Hakka dominated again against Guangzhou but couldn't finish off a chance. Fogg is pretty pleased though as the side make a great start to the season.

At the end of the month one, Meizhou Hakka are sixth and it's been a dream start for the side on their top-flight return. Fogg is sure though that things will get harder than this and is keeping his eye out for a bigger job should one become available.

2nd, 11th, 15th, 10th and 13th are up next. Obviously, Shandong are the standout team of the month but it's important to remember that it's still early days and there could be some big clubs with poor starts in there to shock Fogg and co. Perhaps at the end of month two, there will be a good sense of whether Fogg can really shock the league or not.

[RaySunshine]

April 2033

If March had Fogg in dreamland, it's fair to say that April brought him back to reality with a bang! Game one saw his side take on Shandong Taishan and they struggled throughout. In the end, they gave away a penalty and this was enough to lose the game.

In game two, the opponents were Chongqing Liangjiang Athletic (Miao Jingzhe 24). They took an early lead through a free-kick and then Meizhou fired back when Wu Wei came up with another superb cross. Sadly though, they snapped right back, getting away from our LB, chipping the keeper and stealing the points.

Good news was in short supply in the run up to the next game. Chen Lin, the starting RB picked up a knock and then Wang Junjie led a group of complaints! It looked like all three points were going to be taken against Shaanxi Chang'an Athletic (Wu Wei 23, Sady 70) when Wu Wei put away a neat finish and Sady fired home a thunderbolt. They managed two goal though to get a share of the points.

Having wound up the squad, Wang Junjie then announced that he was going to consider leaving at the end of the season!

Wuhan are a top side in this league and it showed in the game as they cruised past Meizhou Hakka without having to leave second gear. A penalty provided the only goal.

Fogg had not been planning for this - his leading LB being called back having not put a restriction on it in the loan agreement. It looks like it's time for Chay Jones to step up and take the role on. He did so against Changchung Yatai (Zhang Zhijie 6, Miao Jingzhe 13, Wu Wei 31) where Fogg's men blew the opponents away early on in the game and got a much-needed win!

Having travelled around a bit, Fogg's men finish the month ninth in the table and five points away from trouble.

Game one is a cup tie against a lower league side and that gives Fogg chance to boost morale further at the start of the month. From there, it's 13th, 8th, 14th, 3rd and 1st. There are challenging games in that month again and Fogg will be grateful for every point that his side manage to scrape together!

[RaySunshine]

May 2033

When Fogg looks back at this month, there's certainly more green but it's important to note that two of the three are in the cup! The month began with a heavily-rotated side playing GXPG Hawlaeh (Lian Yijun 50, Xiao Yong pen 52, 81, Huang Rui 90+1). There was a bit of a shock when they took the lead despite being down to ten men but Fogg's side had more than enough to cruise through this tie and move on into the next round.

Despite being below Meizhou Hakka in the league, Dalian Professional were serious opponents and they cruised on past without Meizhou Hakka being able to land a serious glove on them.

Tianjin Jinmen Tiger (Wu Wei 22) were 8th at the start of the month and began by taking the lead. Thankfully for Fogg, Meizhou Hakka could respond when Lian Yijun found Wu Wei to slot home.

The only league win of the month came against Chengdu Rongcheng (Saidy pen 14) when Saidy converted an early penalty and the side held onto their clean sheet to secure a vital three points.

Shenzhen were another tricky side and Meizhou Hakka can be very proud of the fact that, in xG terms, they broadly matched their opponents throughout the match. Unfortunately though, they took two of their chances to run out winners.

A cup game came up next and League One side Qingdao Manatee (Laveaux 36, Wu Wei 37). Laveaux and Wu Wei tried to outdo each other with stunning long-range efforts and a 2-0 win sees Fogg's men move on into the quarter finals.

The final game of the month was against top-placed Shanghai Port and Fogg's men were happy to restrict them down to one goal but they were never really in the game nor were they ever expected to be.

This is some pretty serious news for Fogg. The club has been struggling for a while finacially and the management have said now that the wage bill cannot rise any higher than it is right now. This reinforces Fogg's desire to move onto the pastures new before this starts to have serious implications for the playing side.

Meizhou Hakka finish the month twelfth and five points above trouble - just as they were at the end of last month. Fogg considers any month where the side aren't in the bottom two to be a success so he hopes that this will continue.

There are only three games next month but what games they are! Beijing Guoan are 4th and Fogg knows that points against them will be a tough ask. Heilongjiang Ice City are 18th and Fogg already sees that game as a must-win. Finally Guangzhou City are 13th and Fogg would be delighted to get points there too.

[RaySunshine]

June 2033

The month's most serious challenge came in game one against Beijing Guoan (Wu Wei 2). Fogg was in dreamland when the ball was palmed out to Wu Wei to net for an early lead. Sadly though, it wasn't to last and the better team went on to assert their dominance in the match.

There was more bad news for Fogg on the injury front when he got news of losing his leading CDM for the next few weeks. It didn't seem to show against struggling Heilongjiang Ice City (Wang Junjie 48, Wu Wei 52) where Wang Junjie's headed corner and Wu Wei's far post header were enough to secure all three points.

This looked like good news for Fogg. He's aware that he might have to hang around longer to build up his reputation and these are good resources to do that with. Finally, the team took on Guangzhou City (Miao Jingzhe 45+1, 82). They took the lead but Meizhou Hakka levelled with a laser ball over the top finished by Miao Jingzhe before he doubled up by heading home a free kick at the far post.

Meizhou Hakka are 9th and 11 points away from trouble. This is simply dreamland for Fogg. If he can keep this up and keen Meizhou Hakka away from trouble, he hopes that other, bigger, clubs will take notice of his good work!

Henan Shongshan Longmen are just above relegation whereas Fogg knows all about the challenge posed by Dalian Professional. The next two teams are both just below Fogg's in the table so he expects challenges there before the cup tie. Finally, fellow promotees Kunshan are 12th so no easy game there either!

[RaySunshine]

July 2033

Money might be flowing out the club like a river but Fogg can have no complaints about the results that the club have gathered this month. They started off against Henan Songshan Longmen (Liang Yijun 12). The relegation-threatened opponents dominated the game but didn't score. Lian Yijun did finish a superb free-kick though to collect all three points.

Game two was against Dalian Professional (Miao Jingzhe 17. 40). RW Miao Jingzhe was sent through twice with superb through-balls. Both times, he beat the keeper and so the month began with back-to-back wins.

Meizhou Hakka took charge again against Tianjin Jinmen Tiger but, this time, they couldn't find the back of the net and the points were shared.

Goals didn't come in the next game against Zhejiang (Ibrahim Saidy 20, 66, pen75). Saidy took control and got a hat-trick. This got him up to five goals for the season. It's low but it's a step in the right direction.

A night of drama came in the cup QF against Changchun Yatai (Garibay 23, Wu Wei 99). Changchun took the lead inside two minutes but Meizhou answered that with a corner. That was enough to get both teams in extra time where Wu Wei then put Meizhou into the lead. Changchun had and instant reply and that took the game into penalties where Meizhou Hakka scored 5 to Changchun's 4. Into the semi-finals they go!

The celebrations carried on into the last game of the month, where, despite there being some very very tired legs, the win came against Kunshan (Xiao Yong pen 25, Miao Jingzhe 46, 75) to the tune of 3-1. The only downside was the loss of Miao Jingzhe to a tackle leading to a damaged thigh. He'll be out for a fortnight.

Meizhou Hakka move up to sixth and the club pass the level of points Fogg expects that they'd need to survive. What he needs now is another way to raise his reputation in order to get that USA job in the not too distant!

The headline games next month will be the cup semi-finals which are a two-legged affair. In league terms, it's a tricky start with 1st and 4th coming up. Heilongjiang Ice City are 18th and Changchun Yatai 10th. Fogg looks to keep marching on!

[RaySunshine]

August 2033

August began with one of Fogg's trickiest games and he was stunned with the result! With the game against Shanghai Port (Deng Chengbo 89) coming to a close, Laveaux played an inch-perfect ball across to Deng Chengbo who netted for all three points!

This was followed by the first leg of the cup semi-final against Guangzhou. It's fair to say that Meizhou Hakka were comfortably outplayed and were relieved that the tie was only at 1-0 and that it wasn't any worse!

It didn't get any better in the leage against Beijing Guoan where the stronger side took Meizhou Hakka to task and left them reeling.

After two tough ties, Fogg was worried about what the cup semi second leg would have in store. Taking on Guangzhou (Miao Jingzhe 42, Liang Yijun 56, Deng Chengbo 74), a game of drama unfolded. Event one was them getting a red card for a needless midfield tackle. Miao Jingzhe and Liang Yijun then scored either side of half time to turn the tie. Their goal then came and was putting them through on away goals before Deng Chengbo again saved the day by tapping home Laveaux's arrowed low ball across the face of goal! Scenes!

This was followed up by a good performance in the league against Heilongjiang Ice City (Huang Rui 40, Ibrahim Saidy 63, 72). There was a bit of shock when they took the lead but Meizhou Hakka had the character to take control of the game, turn it around and grab all three points.

The final game of the month was against Changchun Yatai (Saidy 40) where Saidy broke the offside trap to score the only goal of the game. The woodwork was hit a fair few times too and Fogg could barely believe that his team had only come away with one goal.

After a hugely positive month, Meizhou Hakka remain 6th and in the cup final - certainly enough to keep Fogg hanging around till the end of the season. He's hopeful that he can steer the side to a top-half finish that will help secure a boost in reputation!

There are only three games in September. Wuhan are 5th and five points ahead of Meizhou Hakka while Shaanxi Chang'an Athletic are 12th and represent a more likely source of points. Beaten cup opponents Guangzhou are 7th and will be itching for revenge!

[RaySunshine]

September 2033

Given that is was a month with a fairly tough set of games, Fogg was pretty pleased to emerge from it unbeaten. It all began against Wuhan where Meizhou Hakka dominated the game but simply couldn't get the goal that would secure them all three points.

Fogg was very pleased with this piece of news but disappointed that it didn't seem to generate any sort of increase in reputation. It's getting your name out there now that counts for Fogg! A positive result did follow though in the game against Shaanxi Chang'an Athletic (Saidy 2, 45, 55) which began with a quick start. They laid off a poor pass and, within seconds, Saidy had put it in the net - a great way to go about starting your hattrick!

This was far less good news though with Garibay looking likely to miss a fair chunk of what's left in the season! In game three, the side took on Guangzhou (Wu Wei 25) and a share of the points here was definitely in line as both teams seemed to match each other throughout the game.

The team remain in 6th and look to secure that top-half finish. Unfortuantely for Fogg, all his good work wasn't enough to get him an interview at Dalian Professional whose finances look much much better!

Another three game month - Chengdu Rongcheng are 16th while the game against 1st place Shenzen will be a rehearsal for the cup final! Finally Shandong Taishan are 3rd so it's anything but an easy month!

[RaySunshine]

October 2033

October looked like a tough month and things didn't start well when Meizhou Hakka lost the easiest-looking game of the lot against Chengdu Rongcheng. Meizhou Hakka started off by taking control but then didn't score the goal to make the most of it. They did get a long ball over the top and smashed it into the back of the net to secure all three points for them.

Before the Shenzhen game, the youth intake arrived and it's fair to say that they don't look too stunning. Fogg is happy not to sign any of them, especially when the finances looks as they do...

In the game itself against Shenzhen (Miao Jingzhe 78), the side managed to keep it tight until a penalty undid it all. A quick-fire passing move and a finish by Miao Jingzhe was enough to share the points and that lets Fogg hope that the club can do well in the upcoming cup final.

Another draw came in the game against Shandong Taishan (Miao Jingzhe 49). It looked like it was going well until Chen Lin threw himself two-footed into a challenge and got sent off. In the end, the team couldn't hold on and conceeded late on to share the points.

In the first leg of the cup final against Shenzhen, the club fought hard but a first-half corner and a last-minute goal grab was enough to give Shenzhen a good lead going into the second leg...

A tough month sees the club drop down a place to 7th. They're now 11 points above 9th place and Fogg is hoping for a bit of an upturn before the end of the season.

11th, 9th and 17th are lined up this month before the cup final comes round again at the beginning of December. There's still plenty to play for for Fogg and co!

[RaySunshine]

November/December 2033

And so the season comes down it's last month! It all began with a game against Chongqing Liangjiang Athletic (Garibay 10). It all began well when CB Garibay headed Meizhou Hakka into the lead but they soon levelled and, right at the death, scored again to steal all three points much to Fogg's shock!

This was followed up by a much better result against Guangzhou City (Saidy 1, 20, pen 26) where Saidy shone. By 26 minutes, he'd scored a hattrick and killed the game off a competitive tie - not bad for a day's work!

Getting this news didn't please Fogg though! Despite being promoted, it seems that the financial struggles of the club are getting worse and worse and Fogg is convinced that it won't take long before it starts to have a serious impact on the first team. Thankfully, the last game of the season did cheer the mood as the team ran out 2-0 winners against Henan Songshan Longmen (Saidy 18, 51).

Fogg was pleased that the team had picked up form going into the final and hope that it might lead the time in carrying off a miracle. Sadly, it wasn't to be. Shenzhen (Saidy 37) were 2-0 inside 6 minutes which killed the game. Saidy did pull one back with a fine header but it was runner up medals for Meizhou Hakka.

The team finish eighth, confirming their highest ever league finish. Fogg is supremely proud and also pleased that a combination of this and his runners up medal has seen his reputation jump up by 5%. Could that see him start to move on again in the challenge?

[RaySunshine]

Season Review

Fogg can't quite get his head around the season XI as at least six of them are not regular starters in the team! Oh well, guess it makes sense to someone...

Saidy and Miao Jingzhe, neither of whom make the season XI, are key winners in the awards list so there you go!

Finances come up again in the club's vision for next season. Fogg is thinking that it is really chance to get out of here if a better offer comes along!

[RaySunshine]

Pre-Season

So Fogg enters another pre-season with Meizhou Hakka. He wants to get on and move out to Japan but there hasn't been a club of serious size yet take him for an interview. Can he do enough to get on up the ladder?

With the club shedding money by the second, it was a pretty muted window as you can see.

The out list is pretty extensive as Fogg looks to play his part by reducing the wage bill. Hidden away on the screens are the fact that regular starters Wang Junjie and Xiao Yong both left the club on free transfers. This made a big enough gap in the back line that Fogg felt moved to bring in Zhuoxi Zhu in to shore up the back line.

The 21 yo Chinese CB has been playing regularly for the last five seasons. Two at IMG Academy in the US and three at Chengdu Rongcheng in the Super League. He's already shown that he can play at this level and Fogg is very pleased to pick him up for nothing.

Avoiding the relegation battle is the order of the day and Fogg hopes that the squad can do that considering that it hasn't been seriously weakened over the course of pre-season.

The predictions are that the club will avoid relegation but not by much. Fogg hopes that he can lead his club to smashing the odds yet again.

Pre-season was pretty good on the whole and leaves the club in good form going into the games that matter.

Shanghai Shenhua are newly up and expected to go back down so Fogg hopes for points there. The next two teams are expected to be lower mid-table so it could be a good start to the season for Fogg and co!

[RaySunshine]

March 2034

And so Fogg begins his third full season in charge of Meizhou Hakka - still waiting to get a big Japanese job to help him on his way around the world. Things began very well against newly-promoted Shanghai Shenhua (Liang Yijun 8, Saidy 19, Miao Jingzhe 28, Zhang Zhijie pen 64). Four different goalscorers is a pretty good way to get the season going and most of the goals were scored before the game had passed 30 mins!

Guangzhou City were tougher challenge but Meizhou Hakka made the better of it and were disappointed to come away with only a draw - especially after missing a couple golden chances towards the end of the game.

The month's final tie saw the team take on Chengdu Rongcheng (Zhang Zhijie 59, Deng Chengbo 71). Zhang Zhijie started the scoring by curling a 30 yard freekick into the top corner and Deng Chengbo added the second when he responded fastest to a keeper's parried save.

The table reads well with the club in 3rd place and the continental places. It would be a dream for the club to stay there but it's still pretty unlikely. Fogg knows that he needs to save both the clubs finances and add more stars to his own name. Can he do both or either this season?

Theres a much busier month coming up with heavyweights Beijing Guoan, Wuhan and Shenzhen in there. There are also three more achieveable games though and Fogg is targeting those for points and morale across the course of the month.

[RaySunshine]

April 2034

An action-packed month for Fogg saw a variety of results but most of it was pretty positive. The month began with a tough game against high-flying Beijing Guoan (Liang Yijun 57). Fogg feared the worst when their penalty went in but the day was saved when Liang Yijun scored a beauty from a clever free-kick routine.

Bad news came in before the game against Kunshan. This produced a game without any goals and share of the points. The good news didn't come in after the game either

Two injuries hit the midfield quite quickly and will work Fogg's squad hard. The next game came against traditional heavyweights Wuhan and this time a 0-0 draw was a much more creditable result.

Finally, draws were turned into wins when Meizhou Hakka put three goals past Shaanxi Chang'an Athletic (Saidy 82, Liu Junhui 90+2, Zhang Zhijie 90+4). Things didn't look good with a missed penalty in the 49th minute. Saidy redeemed himself though by putting in a far-post header in the 82nd minute. Liu Junhui doubled the lead with a superb long-range effort and Zhang Zhijie finished off the scoring with a hard smashed effort after Lin Biao cut the ball back to him from the line.

The goals kept coming against Guizhou (Deng Chengbo 6, Zhang Zhijie 46). Deng Chenngbo was sent through and put a deft chip past the keeper and then Zhang Zhijie did the same with Saidy getting MOTM after setting up both goals!

The brakes to all this good fortune were put on a bit in the month's last game. Meizhou Hakka took on Shenzhen (Wu Wei 69). The club fought hard but couldn't keep the pace and came away defeated.

So Meizhou Hakka do just slip outside the continental places. Fogg does wonder if they'd provide some sort of miracle to keep the club going as their finances continue to plunge. It's early days in the season though and Fogg is still hoping to get his move onwards and upwards pretty quickly.

9th and 8th come up first this month and those games will be stern tests. Chongqing are 14th and Shanghai Port are presently 2nd so this month could be pretty bruising!

[RaySunshine]

May 2034

Fogg began what he expected to be a pretty stern month with a good win against Henan Songshan Longmen (Deng Chengbo 35, Miao Jingzhe 58). Deng Chengbo responded first to a rebound to get his goal and Miao Jingzhe put away a far post header for his.

Things got dramatic in the cup game against Beijing BSU (Garibay 9, Lin Biao 79, Zhuoxi Zhu 90+1). Garibay put the side a goal up early on but Beijing BSU then got their two to turn the game around. Lin Biao put home a super strike to level the scores and Zhuoxi Zhu's late effort sent last season's runner up on in the cup.

A tough tie came up next against Dailian Professional (Saidy 90+2). Fogg was expecting a very satisfying point but got even more when Lin Biao's late cross was tucked home by Ibrahim Saidy!

There was no such joy against Guangzhou (Saidy 44). Saidy's goal put the sides level going into HT but Meizhou Hakka simply couldn't compete with them in the second half and end up well beaten.

Although not a regular starter, Li Zhilin is Fogg's first alternate choice in defence and the options in the squad are feeling thinner and thinner!

All the frustration was taken out on Chongqing Liangjiang Athletic (Deng Chengbo 13, Saidy 19, Miao Jingzhe 35). Meizhou Hakka got themselves 3-0 inside 35 minute and that was simply enough to cruise out the rest of the game.

The team didn't do so well against Shanghai Port though. They were not helped by Garibay getting sent off for two yellows and the Chinese heavyweights cruised on and past Meizhou Hakka.

The month finished on a positve note though as Fogg's men progressed in the cup thanks to a win over Chingqing Liangjiang Athletic (Saidy pen 60, Huang Rui 81). Saidy scored his penalty and Huang Rui headed in a set piece to secure the progress!

It's been a good month on the whole and Fogg and the team are very proud of where they are. It is a five point gap to continental places though and that makes Fogg feel that it's unlikely to achieve. He won't stop trying though!

There are only two games next month against 17th and 1st. It could be two very contrasting games!

 

[RaySunshine]

June 2034

The month only had two games and they certainly lived up to their promised contrast - game one was against Changchun Yatai (Deng Chengbo 28, 44, 47, Huang Rui 81). Deng Chengbo stole all the headlines with a superb hattrick including and superb free-kick smashed in from long range.

Game two was against Shandong Taishan (Miao Jingzhe 84) and, unfortunately, two penalties handed them all three points.

The bad news kept coming for Fogg as a vital first-teamer was set to miss out on the next few weeks games but...

.. some better news did come in for Fogg. As ever, he's not planning on being round that long. China, though, he's finding harder to leave and so he's prepared to give these promising youngsters game time in the future.

Meizhou Hakka slip down a place and points further away from fourth. It's still a great position for the club to be in though and Fogg is pleased with how the league is going so far. The question is are any bigger clubs taking any notice?

10th, 15th and 16th make for a fairly easy start to July. Things get harder then though against Shenzhen who are 4th. 12th and 18th round out the month.

[RaySunshine]

July 2034

July was certainly going to be a dramatic month in many, many ways for Fogg! It all began with this small piece of news...

... the club drop into administration and Fogg decides that perhaps it's really time to be less picky in the jobs he's looking at in Japan. The opening game against Henan Songshan Longmen didn't live up to the drama as it simply delivered a 0-0 draw.

Game two did at least bring some goals in the 3-1 win over Chongqing Liangjiang Athletic (Saidy 48, Zhuoxi Zhu 50, Deng Chengbo 90+2). Fogg was also reassured that very few bids were coming in for starting XI players so he was less worried about an instant flood out of the club.

There was more good news for Fogg as well as second-tied Japanese sides started to offer interviews. The result in the game against Tianjin Jinmen Tiger (Deng Chengbo 35, Garibay 45) was also good with the side collecting another 3 points.

Another week, another interview and coming before the game agaisnt one of the league's heavyweights. It was real backs-to-the-walls stuff against Shenzhen but Fogg was superbly pleased that the club managed to get a 0-0 draw out of it.

The following game was a frustrating performance against Guanzhou City (Zhuoxi Zhu 49) where the team threw away a lead and the deadly damage was done with a keeper own goal!

Plenty of news then took place before the next game with Shanghai Shenghui (Saidy 60) where Saidy powered home a strong header to gain Fogg's side all three points!

This was the less good news to come out of the month though!

Another week, another another interview beckons...

And so the club finish the month in fifth but a significant seven points off the continental places. The eagle-eyed among you though will notice that there are no fixtures...

[RaySunshine]

Avispa Fukuoka

And so, after a long spell at Meizhou Hakka, Fogg decides it's time to move on. He hasn't had the repuation increase that he was dreaming of but he's certainly hoping that a job in the USA is not too far from being achieveable after this one.

Yukihiro Yamabe has been the assistant here for the past five years so Fogg hopes that he knows this club and it's players inside out. He'll be Fogg's right-hand man and vital for getting this team up and running...

... and up is definitely the way they need to go! Despite expectations of a top-half J2 League finish, things have not gone well for the side this year and Fogg only has the last handful of games left to save their season!

The vision matches what we already know - keep the club up. From there, it's a building job and, if Fogg can build his own reputation along the way, all the better!

This was certainly good news for a canny club who aim to play moneyball. Fogg hopes that there's more money swirling around Japanese football than there was in China!

[RaySunshine]

Starting XI

Yukito Tasaka: Tasaka is normally the back-up keeper for the side but injury forces him into the side. Not an ideal start for the worst defence in the league!

Bruno Renan: A 28yo Brazilian should be a dream for any side. He's been here since 2029 and been one of the side's top players ever since.

Hiroshi Yano: The 27yo Japanese player has moved around a bit in his career. This is his first season here and Fogg needs him to find some steel and fast!

Kei Ito: The 28yo Japanese player has been here for seven seasons now. First-team through-and-through, can he help improve the steel that this side needs?

Hiroshi Sekiguchi: Sekiguchi is in his second season at the club and at this level. He's played 16 games so far but has been fairly underwhelming. Can he step it up now that Fogg's arrived?

Keisuke Oshiro: Also in his second season at the club, Oshiro has been performing fairly well and Fogg wants him to add a bit of steel to the midfield.

Takeshi Terasawa: Season eight at the club and a top performer. Can he add to 2 goals and 3 assists?

Daisuke Tanigawa: He has one goal and one assist so far this season but he should be much, much better than that. What can Fogg bring out of him to save the season?

Tomohiko Sakuma: Sakuma has spent most of his career playing in the Japanese top-flight. Fogg needs him to show those levels of quality and fast in order to save this team from disaster.

Masato Okayama: Two goals so far this season is all that Okayama has produced. Surely he can do better than that?

Kosuke Kuwahara: This is Fogg's gamble - Fogg has brought the 18yo into the side in the hope that his physical presence will aid the cause. Will the gamble pay off?!

13th, 2nd, 11th and 1st come up this month. To get two wins would be a pretty great place for Fogg!

[RaySunshine]

August 2034

Fogg came into a team fighting against relegation and was absolutely blown away by the start he made! Game one saw him take on Machida Zelvia (Okayama 40, Kuwahara pen 62). Okayama and Kuwhara's goals meant that the team had enough to hold on even when the side conceeded late on.

High-fliers Ehime FC (Okayama 41) came up next. Okaymama's goal gave Fogg's new charges a dream and lead and, even with the higher-level side equalising, Fogg was very pleased with the result he got.

Montedio Yamagata (Kuwahara pen 14, Okayama 48, Tanigawa 90+1). Goals flew in against the next side coming up and led Fogg to his second win in the month. This seemed like a pretty amazing points haul for a side in the relegation places when Fogg joined.

Finally, the league leaders Omiya Ardija (Okayama 56) came to town. Fogg set up a side determined to defend and hold on. The side managed this well and then Okayama smashed home a long-range super strike to give Fogg's men a dream all three points!

From 21st, up to 15th and now six points away from trouble seems like a pretty dreamy start to Fogg. What's coming up next for Fogg and the team?

3rd, 17th, 5th, and 9th come up in the league so Fogg is still hopeful that some points there even though he's sure the month won't be easy. Finally, struggling top-flight side Sagan Tosu come up in the cup which will give an interesting test of where Fogg's side is at!

[RaySunshine]

September 2034

Its fair to say that September has been a much tougher month for Fogg and his team but he's still very pleased with the progress that his team is making.

It all began with a game against 3rd place Vegalta Sendai. Fogg's men couldn't get a goal against the bigger side but they didn't concede one either and came away with a draw that they were very proud of.

Game two was a cracker - 6-3 against Tokushima Vortis (Tanigawa 19, Kuwhara pen 34, 30, 62, Yano 45+2, Sayama 90+3). There was a little bit of drama in this game. Fogg's men shot into a 3-0 lead, 3-1 at HT. The other side continued the fightback though and got it to 3-2 but from there, the team went into overdrive, scoring another 3 goals to the secure the result!

The second big team in the month were Consadole Sapporo (Kuwahara 88). It looked for much of the game that this would be Fogg's first defeat with the team but a late equaliser meant that the points were shared.

This story was true again in the game against Tochigi SC (Okayama 69, Tanigawa 70) where the side had to fight back from 2-0 down. The first goal was long-range curling beauty from Okayama to set Fogg's men on their way.

They couldn't repeat the feat against top-flight rivals Sagan Tosu though. The two teams were neck-and-neck for the most of the first half but two quick goals sent Fogg's men into half time reeling. They never recovered in the second half and were sent tumbling out the cup.

One month on and the team are another place up the league and away from trouble. The team are five points of the relegation places and Fogg is hopeful that most of the hard work is done. He doesn't want the side to become complacent though!

13th, 6th, 15th, 9th and 3rd mean that there are two notably tough games in the month coming up. Fogg is hopeful though that his side can continue to keep racking up the points that are going to keep them away from trouble...

[RaySunshine]

October 2034

Fogg knew that his miracle run in the league had to stop at some point and the eagle-eyed amongst you will see that first red circle in the league. It's fair to say that the rest of the month was still pretty good though!

It all began against JEF United Chiba (Kuwahara pen 11, pen 21, 82). Kuwahara did all the damge with two of the goals coming thanks to penalties - his hattrick helped to seal all three points.

No goals were so forthcoming in the game against FC Gifu though and both teams left with a share of the points.

Another barnstorming performance was served up against Blaublitz Akita (Kuwahara 24, Yano 33, Sakuma 53) and the team roared on to another three goals. Sakuma's effort was particularly nice - a long-range daisy cutter sent sliding into the corner of the goal.

This was the good news before the Kagoshima Utd game. There was no good news during it though. The team were set back by their early goal but continued to fight back. Opening up at the end though, gave them the chance to put the game to bed.

Bad news followed the game too as an increasingly-tired squad received another blow.

The month ended with a game against Renofa Yamaguchi but neither side could come up with the points that would hand them a solid win.

So, across the month, the team have moved up a place and it would be highly unlikely that the team is relegated now. Unfortunately, looking at the gap to 11th, a quick sneak into the top half of the table seems pretty unlikely too!

19th, 14th, 22nd and 17th are what Fogg faces next. It's sounds like a perfect opportunity to finish the season strongly and to help make Fogg make those all-important summer decisions.

[RaySunshine]

November 2034

The season comes to an end and Fogg is proud of the unbeaten finish that his team has earned.

It all began against Zweigen Kanazawa (Terasawa 29) who fell behind to Terasawa's strike early in the first half but managed to get themselves a point with a late equaliser to frustrate Fogg and his men. The bonus was though that this point was enough to secure the team's safety.

In game two, the opponents were Roasso Kumamoto (Kuwahara 5, 8, Tanigawa 41, 76, Sayama 73). Fogg's men began by steam-rolling into a three goal lead. It looked like a fight was on when they clawed two back but Fogg's men kept the charge and finished with five goals scored!

The follow-up to the seven-goal bonanza was a game against Giravanz Kitakyushu (Okayama 5, 88, Kuwahara 63). There was a bit of a scrap at the start of the second half but then the team went on to get two more and secure back-to-back wins.

Bad news came before the next game when leading CB Yano picked up a knock that would rule him out the last game. The match itself was a bit of damp squib that finished in a draw against Thespakusatsu Gunma (Kuwahara pen 13).

The end-of-season warm downs didn't seem to help much either and it looks like Oshiro's pre-season is going to be disturbed to say the least!

And so the team finishes 13th and comfortably away from trouble. The question now is what can Fogg do with the team in the close season...

[RaySunshine]

Season Review

Fogg takes one look at the season's best XI and it's clear what the club's problem has been this season. Four of the team's best players - Katsuno, Nakajima, Uemura and Mori - have left the club. There are certainly gaps for Fogg to fill if the team wants to achieve it's best across the next season.

Kuwahara has taken up a leading role and shone in it ever since Fogg's arrival and he sweeps a good set of awards as a result. Can he continue to do the same across a whole season next time around?

The vision for next season is to the see the team step up and regain their top-half position. Fogg is worried that that won't be enough to build up his rep and get him a job in the US. What more can he do?

[RaySunshine]

Pre-Season

There are two departures from the squad. Both players are squad players who weren't making regluar appearances and one is also on loan so hopefully he'll clock up some good minutes.

Three players join the squad now and then two more are booked to arrive when their contracts in England expire in the summer!

23yo Naoki Tani has spent the last five seasons playing in the J1 League with Kashima Antlers. Fogg hopes that he can bring some more creativity and spark to this and lift the quality level at the club.

Having had one of the worst defences in the league last season, Qin Wei is brought in to solve that problem. He's spent the last two season performing consistently in the Chinese Super League and Fogg hopes that he brings that here.

The final of the three is Kota Kobayashi. The 29yo has played well both the J1 and the J2 Leagues over the last few seasons. Again, Fogg is keen to up the quality stakes and get the best possible side that he can.

The opening game of pre-season was a toughie against Daegu FC and was designed to bring the money in. After that, it was the standard mopping up of weaker teams.

The expectation is clear - the board want the club to finish in the top-half and resume an upwards and onwards journey for the side. The question is, do people expect Fogg to deliver?!

And the verdict is that he should - only just though! It's a 22-team league and the prediction is that the team should get above centre point by a place or two. It does seem that people think they're considerably better than the next two teams though.

The opening month is simply packed! It also contains the team predicted to finish 3rd - Vegalta Sendai and 2nd - Kashiwa Reysol. The teams either side of Fogg's in the predictions also line up in the month. Fogg will learn a lot about how the season is going to go.

And it starts without a vital regular. With the games so packed, Kuwahara could miss the first three. Fogg will have to see what effect that has on how his team performs!

[RaySunshine]

March 2035

Fogg knew that he was looking at a busy, busy month for his team and it certainly produced a mixed bag of results! It all began well with the game against Renofa Yamaguchi (Sayama pen 24, pen 36, 45). Sayama stepped in the absence of Kuwahara, made the most of two penalties and bagged the match ball to round off the game.

Fogg's men went toe-to-toe with Kashiwa Reysol but didn't get anything for it. A beautiful through-ball sent their striker one-on-one and he didn't waste the moment to secure all three points for his side.

Things were put right in the game against FC Gifu (Tani 10, Okayama 13, 39, 65, 85). They took an early, early lead but Okayama's superb four goal haul got the win. Picking out the best is a hard ask with a range of daisy-cutters and super passing moves in there.

It was back to trouble against Vegalta Sendai (Kuwhara 48, Qin Wei 79). Fogg's men did get two goals in the second half but the fact that they had conceded four before that meant the game was already over. Just like the Kashwia game though, Fogg's men led in xG but leaked goals like crazy.

More injuries were added to the news at this point just to really frustrate Fogg!

The first draw of the season came in the game against Motedio Yamagata (Kuwahara 67, Okayama 75). The side were 2-0 at HT and had some serious fighting back to do but they managed it!

Goals flowed against Tokushima Vortis (Terasawa 59, 90+2, Okayama 63, Kuwahara 73, 76). The side were 1-0 down at HT and, with Fogg's furious words ringing in their ears, the side went out and addressed it with five in the second half!

LB has been a consistently poor position for the team and Fogg hopes that the signing of Stefan Parkes is one step to solving that problem!

The same trick failed to work against Ventforet Kofu. They nabbed two penalties, one in each half, and took all three points home with them.

The team finish the month just in the top half and the play-offs are still only a month away. Fogg is sincerely hoping that the team are never in the sort of relegation fear that they faced last season!

14th, 20th, 21st, 11th and 13th are lined up for the next month. The state of Sanfecce Hiroshima is a real schock with the team predicted to be compteting for the title. Can Fogg take this chance to shock the recently-relegated side?

 

[RaySunshine]

April 2035

As far as Fogg was concerned, if March had been a mixed bag of results, then April was absolutely perfect! It all began with the game against Thespakusatsu Gunma (N. Tani 12, Okayama 36,75). The goals were typified by lovely passing moves with plenty of one-touch stuff going on.

Game two saw the side take on Sanfrecce Hiroshima (Kuwahara 41, Okayama 58, Oshiro 90+5). Oshiro stole the show with a great cross for Kuwahara's goal and neat long-range finish for his own.

Goals continued to flow in the game against FC Ryukyu (Kuwahara 24, pen 30, pen 42, Sayama 88). This was Kuwahara's game and he walked off with the match ball courtesy of two penalties.

Injuries were the rule of the day in the run up to the next game. In it, a single goal divided the sides in the game against V-Varen Nagasaki (Okayama 36). Terasawa sent through a beauty of a through-ball and Okayama finished it off in style.

Finally, there was the game against Roasso Kumamoto (Kuwahara 12, 67) Kuwahara got both goals with the first being a neat header from a deep cross and the second being an absolutely stinging volley low into the corner.

So the perfect month ends with Avispa Fukuoka flying up the table and being only two points off automatic promotion. Is this the sign of the things to come or a simple flash in the pan...

1st, 6th, 20th and 10th are what are coming up in the month ahead. It's certainly not going to be an easy one and it will be telling as to whether this team are here to stay or not...

[RaySunshine]

May 2035

This month might not have been quite perfect for Fogg and his men but he was still very pleased with all that the team achieved. The first achievement was a 0-0 against league leaders Consadole Sapporo. The team dropped back under Fogg's instruction and defended hard, coming away with a point that they were very proud of.

This was what Fogg was less pleased with though. The team, it seemed had to pay and did so with two injuries before the next game. Kagoshima United were another high-flying side and the game was a real test. Injuries and red card meant that the team finished with just nine men. It was certainly a point well-earned.

Another week, another injury and Fogg begins to wonder how many players will be left by the end of the month! It didn't seem to matter against struggling Machida Zelvia (Tanigawa 39, Kuwahara 54). A thunderbolt from Tanigawa and neat volley from Kuwahara earned all three points for a smiling Fogg!

Tochigi FC (Suguri 19, Kobayashi 41, Terasawa 58) was the last game of the month. The purred again and a bullet header, a long-range effort and strike from Terasawa was enough to round the game out.

It came at a familiar cost though - now the side has more injuries than anybody else.

The team slip a place into fourth but they remain in the play-off places and in the discussion for the serious stuff at the end of the season. Fogg is delighted with how the season so far is going. How long can it last is the vital question...

11th, 8th, 21st and 10th comes up in the league. It's not going to be easy but Fogg is sure that there are points there to be earned. Finally, in the cup there is the chance to play part-time minnows Arterivo.

[RaySunshine]

June 2035

June was a slightly more mixed month for Fogg and his men but it's still fair to say that he was happy with the most of the results he got.

The month began with a familiar piece of bad news and promising newcommer Qin Wei signed himself out of the side for the next few weeks of the season. It didn't seem to matter in the game against Zweigen Kanazawa (Kuwahara 36). The goal came from a Murayama goal kick. The bounce beat their backline and Kuwhara struck a venomous effort to score.

Before the next game, Fogg had an interview with struggling top-flighters Mito Hollyhock. It didn't come to anything in Fogg's bid to raise his repuation. The game against Blaublitz Akita (Terasawa 78). Having scored from a goal kick in the last game, Fogg's men conceded from one in this. Parity was restored when Terasawa scored from the near post in a throw-in routine.

Things all went wrong in the game against strugglers Point Getters. Kobayashi decided to get himself sent off for a needless challenge in the first five minutes and that led to all sorts of problems that the team never recovered from.

Things were put right in the game against JEF United Chiba (Kei Ito 56,61). CB Kei Ito struck twice from corners in quick succession in order to earn all three points for Avispa Fukuoka.

Lower-league side Arterivo (Suguri pen 3, Kubo 19, Kudo 31) were the final side up in the month and Fogg put out a heavily-rotated side featuring several youngsters. Two of them popped with goals and it rounded out the month nicely.

This was the less good news though as Sekiguchi finds himself out for the rest of the season and a chunk of next!

The team finish the month 4th and still in the play-off discussions. Fogg is very pleased with that so far!

3rd, 17th, 7th, 14th and 22nd come up in next month's league games to give a good mix of challenges and point-gaining games. In the cup, the opponents are Gamba Osaka who are 5th in the top flight so they will present a serious challenge. Will it be enough though to turn the heads of MLS clubs by the end of the month?

 

Edited July 22, 2023 by RaySunshine

[RaySunshine]

July 2035

In the league, Fogg was very pleased with the team's results - no defeats is a pretty good run! It all began with the game against Fagiano Okayama (Terasawa 41, N Tani 74). Tani set up the first goal with a superb 20-yard backheel flick throughball and the scored the second with a powerful low strike at the edge of the area.

More of the standard injury news came in before the next game, taking Yano out the starting line-up. The game itself was against Renofa Yamaguchi (Kuwahara 10, 76). The team took an early lead, then dropped to a 2-1 deficit before levelling it all up again - drama all round!

Fogg was intrigued by this - an excellent intake with only one A grade player. He must be pretty good! The game saw the side take on Kashiwa Reysol (Kei Ito 63). A superb looping header from a corner saw the side snatch a 1-0 lead and all three points.

Before the cup game, the transfer window opened and the three signings that Fogg had set up in January finally arrived!

 31 yo Englishman Stefan Parkes arrives on a free transfer from Stockport County. He started out at Fulham but never it made it at top-flight level. League One was the best that the managed prior to his move to Japan.

Another 31yo Harvey Maudner comes in from AFC Wimbledon. His best season was nearly ten years ago for Northampton Town but Fogg hopes that he can find some creative AMC form at this level for Fukuoka.

For a change, Harry Beadle is a 32yo Englishman! He has struggled for regular minutes right thoroughout his career. Again, Fogg hopes that he has the talent to take the tail-end of his career out on a high.

None of this helped in the cup game against top-flight side Gamba Osaka (Kobiyashi 73). They took the lead early on and Kobiyashi did raise some hopes when he levelled the scores with a low strike. It didn't last though as they took the lead just seven minutes after and it was game over.

This struck Fogg as being a much more serious problem as the side look to be without their strating keeper for the next five weeks! Vegalta Sendai (Okayama 6, Kuwahara 33) would be the first of the games that he was missing for. Fogg's men stormed into a 2-0 but they couldn't hold on to it and it finished all level. Was this a sign of keeper problems to come?!

Thankfully, that wasn't the way the month ended with the match against FC Gifu (Terasawa 13, 51). A Terasawa double-strike was enough to secure all three points and keep Fogg's side unbeaten in the league all month!

The team step back up to second and the automatic promotion places. This really excites Fogg as he knows that, to get that coveted MLS job (which he can now apply for), he's going to have to raise his reputation. The team are also making a serious challenge for the league title. What a dream that would be. With four teams only two points apart, it couldn't get much closer!

There are only four games in the next month and the teams are 12th, 9th, 22nd and 1st. It doesn't take a genius to see what the headline game is next month!

 

Edited July 22, 2023 by RaySunshine

[RaySunshine]

August 2035

August is another unbeaten month for Fogg and Avispa Fukuoka. Things are going well and Fogg is beginning to wonder what this team might just be capable of. It all began well with the game against Tokushima Vortis (Kuwahara pen 21, Sakuma 73, Oshiro 84). The pick of the goals was certainly Oshiro's crisp volley into the bottom corner and it was enough to secure the result even when they tried their fightback!

Once again, injuries strike and, once again, two players in the same position find themselves crocked. Fogg is beginning to wonder if he might have to buy a pair of football boots soon! It did seem to hit the creativity against Montedio Yamgata and the game fizzled out into a poor 0-0 draw.

Just before the window shut, Fogg swooped to make one more addition to the side. Ippei Hirabayshi comes in from Nagoya Grampus to add a bit more quality to the position where injuries are mounting up.

There might have been no goals in the game but of course there was an injury! Fogg had lined up the game against bottom-of-table Thespakusatsu Gunma (Tanigawa 20, Kuwahara pen 42) for all three points. The team did get the goals required in order to deliver that but Fogg was not pleased that the team couldn't score more against such a poor side.

A promising youngster was taken out by the red circled curse this time!

The final game of the month was the big one - taking on title challengers Ventforet Kofu (Okayama 68). Fogg's team started the better but Fogg was worried that they'd thrown it all away when they managed to get Ito out of position, run past him and score. Tanigawa had the reply though when his through-ball beat their entire backline to send Okayama on the other flank through to level things up just a minute later!

The end of this month was pretty amazing - Fogg finishes it top of the table! It might be a serious challenge to stay there with three teams intent on hunting him down but he's going to enjoy while he's there.

18th, 9th, 3rd, 5th and 15th mean that the month, once again, has real variety in it. Fogg is keen to see what his team can get in the games against Sapporo and Nagasaki in order to mark out their credentials.

 

 

 

Edited July 23, 2023 by RaySunshine

[sherwinriga]

That's a nice journey that you have, especially that I'm surprised that you managed Avispa Fukuoka, one of my favorite teams in J.League alongside Giravanz Kitakyushu, Nagoya Grampus, Cerezo Osaka, Shimizu S.Pulse, Jubilo Iwata, Fujieda MYFC and Azul Claro Numazu.

Of course, can I see the current rosters of those as well as Avispa's neighboring areas Renofa Yamaguchi, Oita Trinitia, V-Varen Nagasaki, Sagan Tosu, Roasso Kumamoto and Sanfrecce Hiroshima. Also, I would love to see how J.League looked like from the start until the current save as well as the current Japanese roster that they right now.

Anyway, can't wait to see what you're going to plan next because I'll look forward into the next one!

Edited August 5, 2023 by sherwinriga

[RaySunshine]

Thanks for the reply @sherwinriga, glad you're enjoying the save. Unfortunately, the version of the JLeague that I have doesn't allow much of a look-back as I don't get the 'general' screen and suchlike but you can't have everything! Hope you enjoy the rest of the story.

September 2035

There was some mix in the month of September but Fogg certainly wasn't complaing with how the team did or the position that they finished the month in. He just wished that it was even better than it was! It all began in the game against FC Ryukyu (Kuwahara pen 18, pen 32). Kuwahara was given two opportunities from the spot in this game and that was enough to take care of all three points.

There was no such luck in the game against Sanfrecce Hiroshima. It all kicked off in the 83rd minute when Qin Wei went in for lunging tackle and got himself sent off. They then got a penalty in 95th minute to secure all three points.

Fogg's team started the putting of things right against Consadole Sapporo (Parkes 50, Tanigawa 82, Kuwahara pen 90+5). Parkes scored a neat header for his first club goal, Tanigawa scored a fierce low finish into the near corner and Kuwahara finished it off with a trademark penalty!

Things got even better in the game against V-Varen Nagasaki (Okayama 27, 44, 84, Kuwahara 86). Okayama scored a deft chip in order to complete his hattrick but the gloss was possibly beaten even by Kuwahara's fierce long-range volley into the bottom corner!

This was news that Fogg didn't want to see. Tanigawa might not have been starting every game but he was certainly first choice to come off the bench and will be missed.

There were no goals in the game against Roasso Kumamoto but there was plenty of drama. Fogg's side missed more chances than you could shake a stick at as well as having to save a penalty and thank their lucky sides when a shot at an open goal was hit wide. Shocks galore!

This was a shock that Fogg could well have done without though as Parkes looks to miss most of the run-in at the end of the season.

Despite it all, Avispa Fukuoka remain top of the table with eight games to go. It's tight though and Ventforet Kofu won't give Fogg's men an inch in the final title chase. Fogg's really hoping his men can hold on a clinch the title but what will happen next?!

3rd, 20th, 7th and 16th mean that the big game comes up first in the tie against Kagoshima United. It won't be an easy one to win though and could go a long way to decide where the title goes...

 

[RaySunshine]

October 2035

The drama keeps coming in the J2 League and Fogg doesn't know if he can take much more. In the first game, the side took on Kagoshima Utd (Teresawa 1, Okayama 16, 50, Kuwahara 23). Fogg was in dreamland as his side flew into a three goal lead in the first half. By the time they scored, the game was over and the month's toughest game had been won!

The side failed to make the most of it in the game against Machida Zelvia (Terasawa 55). The team struggled throughout the game but eventually took the lead. They pinched one back late on though and then Qin Wei got himself sent off to leave the scores level and Fogg's men hanging on.

The draw brought the two leading teams to within three points of each other so Fogg was really quite glad to get the win against Zweigen Kanazawa (Okayama 4, N Tani 20, Kuwahara 26). Brilliant balls over the top from deep were the order of the day as they lined up all three goals that went in.

The return to form didn't last though. The side took an early lead against Tochigi SC (Kuwahara 2, Tanigawa 85) through Kuwahara's strike. It didn't last though as the side went on to concede three. With Fogg going ballistic on the touch line, Tanigawa smashed home a superb long-ranger to bring the game back close but Fogg's men couldn't crown a wonderful comeback.

There were some good youth prospects coming into the side but Fogg wasn't really planning on hanging around long enough to see them develop...

And it doesn't get much closer than this! The same points with only four games to go. Fogg knows that he needs two wins to get promoted but possibly four to win the league. It's all going to be very, very close!

16th, 22nd, 4th and 11th come up next. It's certainly not going to be easy to get the points needed to win the league. Can Avispa Fukuoka do it or not?!

[RaySunshine]

November 2035

With a finish this close, I felt it only fair that you had to live it game-by-game!

The first game of the month was a storming win from Tani's fierce strike, the superb cross from one winger to another for Okayama to score, Ito's headed corner goal and Kuwahara's fine finish.

It was made even better by the fact that Ventforert Kofu lost 3-2 to Montedio Yamagata.

This meant that Fogg's men had earned themselves a three point gap. Could that be vital at this stage of the seaosn?

This was much more of a worry for Fogg with the very real chance that two first-teamers would be missing for the next game. Thankfully, Okayama got himself onto the pitch but was only able to complete a half...

... that was enough though as Fogg's men broke down a tough bottom-of-the-table Point Getters. The first goal came when one of their players smashed a clearance into the legs of another and resulted in an own goal. It took until the dying embers though for Ito to score the second that secured the result.

Ventforet Kofu managed an entertaining 3-2 win so the gap remained unchanged.

More injury worries followed before game three with regular goalscorer Okayama out for the rest of the season!

Fogg's men knew that Ventforet Kofu had already won their game 4-0 keeping the gap tight and reducing the goal difference also. Fortunately though, Sayama came up with the goods - he played a free kick which their keeper palmed away but, two passes later, the ball was back with him and he slotted it home!

Fogg and his men knew now that they simply had to match or better Ventforet's result in the final match and the title would be their's...

They couldn't win the game though! JEF Chiba scored early and doggedly held on to secure a 1-0 win. However, Ventforet couldn't win their game either so...

Fogg won the league! Promotion and another trophy to put in the cabinet is a very pleasing way to be! Sadly it doesn't seem to have added any more to his reputation than promotion did but here's hoping it makes that USA job a little more likely!

[RaySunshine]

Season Review

The first thing to note is the new job that Fogg has taken up alongside managing Avispa Fukuoka. He needed a rep boost in order to get into the USA and he hopes that this will help!

The overall XI is interesting and will leave Qin Wei and Kobayashi wondering what they've done to deserve being left out.

Here are the awards for the season and the superb number of records that the team broke on their way to a title win..

Next season here we come!