Welcome to the Mineirão........

[-Xenon-]

Attempt No. 2 at a story, hopefully this one will be a lot more succesfull!

Belo Horizonte

20:15 PM

January '04

As I walked onto the lush pitch of the 66,000 capacity Mineirão, I took in a deep breath. The contract papers I had just signed felt odly heavy in my jacket pocket as I paced towards the centre circle. The club for which I had been thrown into the managerial deep end with was Cruzeiro EC. The champions of 2003, were famous enough amongst Europeans. Most notably for briefly taking a gamble on Rivaldo before he moved on to join Olympiakos, dashing Bolton's dreams of signing him. Standing in the cavernous arena, I realised this was the perfect stage to get myself noticed and bag a bigger job back home.........

Tech Info.

FM 2005 5.05 with data update

Brazil, First Divison

Spain, First Division

Italy, Serie A

England, Premier Division

Squad:

Fabio, 23, GK

Artur, 22, GK

Edu Dracena, 22, DC

Marcelo Batatais, 29, DC

Gladstone, 18, DC

Regis, 27, DC

Maurinho, 25, D/DM R

Fernandinho, 23, D/DM R

Alemão, 21, D/DM R

Athirson, 26, D/DM L

Patrick, 23, D/DM L

Ruy, 25, D/M R

Sandro, 23, D/AM LC

Augusto Recife, 20, DM RC

Maldonado, 24, DM C

Leandro, 24, DM C

Leo, 26, MC

Martinez, 22, AM L

Kelly, 28, AM C

Adriano, 26, AM C

Wagner, 18, AM C

Michel, 23, AM/F C

Cristian, 23, S C

Jean, 21, S C

Fred, 20 S C

[-Xenon-]

Attempt No. 2 at a story, hopefully this one will be a lot more succesfull!

Belo Horizonte

20:15 PM

January '04

As I walked onto the lush pitch of the 66,000 capacity Mineirão, I took in a deep breath. The contract papers I had just signed felt odly heavy in my jacket pocket as I paced towards the centre circle. The club for which I had been thrown into the managerial deep end with was Cruzeiro EC. The champions of 2003, were famous enough amongst Europeans. Most notably for briefly taking a gamble on Rivaldo before he moved on to join Olympiakos, dashing Bolton's dreams of signing him. Standing in the cavernous arena, I realised this was the perfect stage to get myself noticed and bag a bigger job back home.........

Tech Info.

FM 2005 5.05 with data update

Brazil, First Divison

Spain, First Division

Italy, Serie A

England, Premier Division

Squad:

Fabio, 23, GK

Artur, 22, GK

Edu Dracena, 22, DC

Marcelo Batatais, 29, DC

Gladstone, 18, DC

Regis, 27, DC

Maurinho, 25, D/DM R

Fernandinho, 23, D/DM R

Alemão, 21, D/DM R

Athirson, 26, D/DM L

Patrick, 23, D/DM L

Ruy, 25, D/M R

Sandro, 23, D/AM LC

Augusto Recife, 20, DM RC

Maldonado, 24, DM C

Leandro, 24, DM C

Leo, 26, MC

Martinez, 22, AM L

Kelly, 28, AM C

Adriano, 26, AM C

Wagner, 18, AM C

Michel, 23, AM/F C

Cristian, 23, S C

Jean, 21, S C

Fred, 20 S C

[-Xenon-]

January 2004

I had taken charge of Cruzeiro on January 5th, leaving me exactly 100 days until my first league match against Vasco. After viewing the squad it was plain to see that we had a lot of young talent, however we needed some experienced veterans to make the squad complete. Looking to see who was availble on a free, i was able to snap up legends Edmundo and Djalminha plus the experienced and highly rated Arilson without spending a penny of my 2.5 million pound transfer budget. Fernandinho and Cristian looked to be on their way out of the club for 20k each but despite numerous bids for both players, they fell through as no-one could afford the transfer fee. Fred and Jean both represented the Brazil U20 and U23 teams and a 1.5 million pound bid for 15 yr old Celsinho fell through as he didn't want to leave his beloved Portuguesa. A big gamble on a player that would not be eligible until October but he was undeniably a major prospect with the following stats:

Corners 12

Crossing 9

Dribbling 14

Finishing 10

First Touch 11

Free Kicks 17

Heading 11

Long Shots 16

Long Throws 4

Marking 7

Passing 10

Penalty Taking 14

Tackling 10

Technique 16

Transfers

In

Edmundo- Free

Djalminha- Free

Arilson- Free

Out

N/A

Results

N/A

[-Xenon-]

February 2004

After the disappointment of losing out on Celsinho, I placed a bid for another 15 yr old and one of Brazil's brightest stars Anderson. Already capped at U21 level, he would be eliglbe for senior football in mid April after his 16th birthday. Another bright star from Gremio's fantastic academy. Worried that the lack of football would affect match fitness for the squad I arranged a friendly between the first team and the U20's. The U20's despite losing as expected showed that there are several players looking to make the jump to the first team, Kerlon in particular shone. Fred and Edmundo grabbed the goals for a 2-0 win, however both picked up knocks and had to be substituted.

Transfers

In

N/A

Out

N/A

Results

Cruzeiro U20 2-0 W, (Fred, Edmundo)

[karanfett]

Just so you know, Kerlon irl is fb.

[-Xenon-]

If "fb" is a positive thing then yeah i do know, I saw that amazing video of him juggling the ball with his head in a U17 International.

[podoooo]

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

If "fb" is a positive thing then yeah i do know, I saw that amazing video of him juggling the ball with his head in a U17 International. </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

fb= f**kin brilliant by the way

[-Xenon-]

podoooo- thought so!

March 2004

March would see me take charge of my first competetive match, a mouth watering fourth round cup tie against Flamengo. The reigning champions of the cup were Santo Andre, a lower league outfit proving that there is romance in any domestic cup competition. Not only would we have to travel to the intimidating Maracana but Flamengo were frsh and match fit from playing in the Rio de Janeiro State Championship.

A rusty and at times lacklustre performance saw us stoop to a 3-0 defeat.

Transfers:

N/A

Results:

Flamengo- 3-0 L, (Marcos Denner, Zinho, Adrianinho)

[-Xenon-]

April 2004

April saw the start of the league campaign with openers against Juventude (originally scheduled to play Vasco which was re-arranged because of Vasco's cup tie) and Fluminense. Defeat at Flamengo in the cup didn't exactly fill me with confidence but with the young talents of Fred and Wagner, we should have won these games comfortably. However this was not to be, against Juventude, Fred had given us the lead with 15 minutes to go. Only for us to collapse in the final 10, gifting Juventude two easy goals and missing out on the points. It was a similiar story at home to Fluminense. After seemingly having the game under control and taking a 2-1 lead into the final 30 minutes again we fell asleep letting them equalise. We seemed to be condemned to just a point when it got worse. Edmundo was given a straight red for an elbow which got him a two match ban 3 minutes from time. Then in stoppage time the predictable happened a close range header from Mauro burgled the gam and the 3 points for Fluminense.

Transfers

N/A

Results

Juventude 2-1 L, (Fred, Adriano, Renato Santiago)

Fluminense 2-3 L, (Fred, Mauro (2), Edmundo pen., Edmundo Sent Off, Marcao)

[-Xenon-]

May 2004

After a nightmarish past two months, both myself and team had to get their act together. My first action in May was to bring in former Milan and Brazil legend, Leonardo in as assistant manager, using his scouting and coaching skills to develop the youth setup, which in my opinion is key to winning the title as any major talents usually set sail for Europe and keeping a high level of talent rolling through the youth teams is vital. For the next game against Vasco there was some chpping and changing in the tactics and the line-up with Kerlon making his senior debut. He played well in a tight 1-1 draw. Next was my biggest challenge yet at home to Corinthians, the pace setters at the top of the table. Kerlon continued on the left and again played superbly with two assists in a hard fought 3-2 victory. This was followed by a narrow 1-0 defeat at Ponte Preta. Relegation battlers Botafogo provided little resistance as we won 3-1 at home. Again success was followed by narrow defeat against Vitoria again 1-0. A month full of ups and downs which left us smack bang in the middle of the table, 12th.

Transfers

In

Leonardo, Assistant Manager, Milan

Results

-Vasco 1-1 D, (Wagner, Romario)

-Corinthians 3-2 W, (Fred (2),Maldonado, Luciano Ratinho, Filipe Alvim)

-Ponte Preta 1-0 L, (Kanu)

-Botafogo 3-1 W, (Fred (2), Maldonado, Guilherme)

-Vitoria 1-0 L, (Magnum)

-Cruzeiro 3-1 W, (Fred (3), Elton, Leanderson sent off)

[PMLF]

Have you chosen only the Brazilian First Division?

If you had chosen the 3 divisions you would have been able to play the Minas Gerais State Championship too, during the months before the Nat`l League start.

[-Xenon-]

PMLF: oops! I could of used the match practice. I was only going to run leagues i wanted to manage in so I didn't think to run down to the third division

June 2004

5 games in June, all of them should have been 3 points for us however we got off to a nightmare start. 0-0 draws against Palmeiras and Criciuma plus a humilliating defeat at strugglers Coritiba. The month ended well with a 2-0 win against Figueirense and a hard fought victory against Flamengo. Revenge for our cup exit, Fred scored in the first minute. The game was largely dominated by us and it seemed to become a catastrophy when Flamengo equalised in stoppage time. However straight from kick off Edmundo converted a Kerlon cross to salvage 3 points. It seems as though we are going to need some more good luck to acheive my personal target of top 5 this season.

Transfers

N/A

Results

-Palmeiras 0-0 D

-Coritiba 2-0 L, (Rodrigo Batatinha, Jackson)

-Criciuma 0-0 D

-Figueirense 2-0 W, (Maldonado, Edmundo)

-Flamengo 2-1 W, (Fred, Edmundo, Fabiano Monteiro)

[PMLF]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content"> PMLF: oops! I could of used the match practice. I was only going to run leagues i wanted to manage in so I didn't think to run down to the third division

</div></BLOCKQUOTE>

I see your point.

Keep up the good work with this story. Brazilian league stories are too rare here.

[-Xenon-]

Its a shame, Brazilian are IMO the most fun to play

[-Xenon-]

July 2004

A much more busier month for us with 7 matches, 3 of them huge encounters with Internacional, Sao Paulo and runaway league leaders Santos. We started July in 11th position and I desperately wanted us to carry on where we left off in June and we certainly did with a 1-0 victory against Athletico Mineiro. A cagey 0-0 draw with Internacional followed, a game that could of gone either way. Goals from Fred helped sink both Sao Paulo and Sao Caetano as we eased to 2-0 victories in both matches. Sao Paulo are starting to slide down the table after a thrilling 5-3 defeat to Santos, they are currently 9th. This was followed by two scrappy victories against Guarani and Goias, Goias in particular proved difficult and a 2-0 scoreline didn't reflect the trouble they gave us at times. Next came the big one, Santos away. With Internacional drawing and Corinthians losing, unbelievably 3rd place would be ours IF we beat Santos. This was a big ask with Robinho and Ricardinho providing the best strikeforce in the division netting as a team 36 goals. We travelled to Vila Belmiro looking for a draw that would move us into 4th ahead of Internacional, I honestly did not expect what happened in the following 90 minutes. I witnessed the best 90 minutes of football from any Cruzeiro side this season. The midfield ran like clockwork with Kerlon (who has attracted interest from Barcelona) provided deadly balls into the area. Wagner was key and he set up Fred twice as we cruised to a 2-0 victory. Unbelievable in one month we have moved from 11th to 3rd, dropping just two points.

Transfers

N/A

Results

-Athletico Mineiro 1-0 W, (Fred)

-Internacional 0-0 D

-Sao Paulo 2-0 W, (Fred (2))

-Sao Caetano 2-0 W, (Fred, Jean)

-Guarani 1-2 W, (Martinez, Maldonado pen., Alexandre)

-Goias 2-0 W, (Fred (2))

-Santos 0-2 W, (Fred (2))

[joe444]

what a story! after reading this i quickly loaded up fm and managed Cruzeiro like you! But unlike you I had the following tech specs:

Version: 5.0.5 (without data Update)

Leagues: Brazil, First Divison to 3rd Division

Italy, Serie A

Spain, La Liga

As you can see this is quite different to your game!

I chose to start with all Brazilian leagues so that I could play in the Minas Gerais State Championship as match practise! Withouht the data update I still had a few stars that in your game had already been sold, i.e, Guilherme (an amazing striker!)

I dont know what the board and the fans expected it from you but they wanted me to win the league!! and so did the media!

By choosing all 3 brazilian leagues I could play in the Minas Gerais State Championship and won it comprehensively! and during this time getting to the 6th roud of the national cup.....this is where I currently am!

[-Xenon-]

Yeah they are a great team to manage. I was also expected to challenge for the title by both the board and the media. But the mistake of not running down to 3rd division and consequently not playing in the MG championship caused me to come out of the traps late. However I recovered and its now a three horse race between us, Palmeiras and Santos with us being the form team (unbeaten in 17, sneak peek from next update!). So anyway an update for August and September should be posted this evening!

[-Xenon-]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Originally posted by joe444:

By choosing all 3 brazilian leagues I could play in the Minas Gerais State Championship and won it comprehensively! and during this time getting to the 6th roud of the national cup.....this is where I currently am! </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Oh and by the way, leave the story telling to me.........................

[-Xenon-]

August 2004

August would see us begin our Copa Sudamericana campaign with a two-legged tie against Goias. Our games in August would see us face Juventude and Fluminense, two teams that had stolen 3 points from us in April. We would also play relegation battlers Parana and Paysandu with the month culminating in tricky trips to 4th and 5th placed Corinthians and Vasco. We managed to beat Parana and Paysandu convincingly 2-0 and 3-0 with Fred now approaching the twenties in terms of goals. We also overturned Juventude 3-1, revenge for our previous defeat in the early days of the season. We had no such luck against Fluminense and had to fight back to earn a 1-1 draw. Another draw came at Vasco where legend Romario missed a penalty for them. An incredibly lively game at Corinthians followed, undeserving of its its 1-0 scoreline. Edmundo got the winner but Jo and Rosinei played out of their skins showing Corinthians' excellent youth setup. A thumping 5-0 win over Goias all but ensured our place in the first round proper of the Copa Sudamericana.

Transfers

Out

Marcio Oliveira, Alegrense (loan)

Results

-Parana 2-0 W, (Wagner, Edmundo, Vanderson sent off)

-Juventude 3-1 W, (Maurinho, Wagner, Fred, Rodrigo Silva)

-Fluminense 1-1 D, (Arouca,Fred)

-Paysandu 3-0 W, (Wagner, Fred, Edmundo, Elvis sent off)

-Vasco 0-0 D

-Corinthians 0-1 W, (Edmundo)

-Goias, (Copa Sudamericana, First Preliminary Round, First Leg) 5-0 W, (Wagner (2), Edmundo (2), Fred)

[yido05]

Good stuff at the mo. Brazil seems like a challenge so may have a go soon KUTGW

[-Xenon-]

Back again! Sorry about the lack of updates but I had to get some serious partying in before GCSE's which start a week today!

September 2004

The month started with us seeing out the dead rubber against Goias and making our first purchase of the season. Arthur joined us from Sao Paulo for 1.8 million pounds. The 18 year old defensive midfielder came very highly rated and with building for the future in mind he seemed a natural choice. We ended up going down 2-1 in the second leg of the Copa Sudamericana giving us a 6-2 aggregate victory. The draw for the first round saw us face another Brazilian team, Sao Caetano. Sitting quite comfortably in third in table just behind the front two, Palmeiras and Santos, we were happy to stay in touch with them and wait to make our move. We dropped points only to a recovering Gremio side who held us 0-0. But 5 wins in September, the most crucial of which against Palmeiras saw us climb into second, five points behind Santos who were now without Robinho who had made the switch to Barcelona. We also overcame Sao Caetano eventually on penalties to reach the Quarter Final of the Copa Sudamericana where we would play Chilean side Universidad de Chile.

Transfers

In

Arthur, 18, DM C, Sao Paulo, 1.8m.

Results

-Goias (Copa Sudamericana, First Preliminry Round, Second Leg) 2-1 W (6-2 agg.), (Fred, Rodrigo Tabata, Rodrigo Silva)

-Atletico Paranaense 1-2 W, (Jean, Fred, Claudio)

-Gremio 0-0 D

-Ponte Preta 2-0 W, (Wagner, Fred)

-Botafogo 0-1 W, (Kanu)

-Vitoria 1-0 W, (Wagner)

-Sao Caetano, (Copa Sudamericana, First Round, First Leg) 0-1 L, (Edu Sales, Adriano sent off)

-Palmeiras 1-2 W, (Wagner, Maldonado, Warley)

-Sao Caetano, (Copa Sudamericana, First Round, Second Leg) 0-1p W (4-1 on pens.)(Maldonado)

[BamaToon]

I've never run any of the South American leagues in my games of FM, but I might give it a go next time around. The Brazilian League sounds like a challenge with all the different formats and cups and all.

[-Xenon-]

Its tough what with the long season of 46 games crammed into rougly 6-7 months plus the endless cup competitons mean u'll play a game roughly every 4 days. Its a challenge but its fun!

[-Xenon-]

October 2004

The league was really hotting up and at the start of October we were just 2 points behind Santos. Surprisingly Santos slipped up away to Internacional meaning that a win against bottom club Criciuma would put us in first position for the first time this season. We duly beat them 2-0 to reach 1st place. We also overcame Universidad de Chile after a thrilling 3-3 second leg, we beat them on penalties. This set up a semi final with Argentinian giants River. In the league we picked up easy wins against Coritiba and Atletico Mineiro. However we dropped five points after a 1-1 draw with Flamengo and our unbeaten run finally came to a halt after a 1-0 defeat to Internacional. This left us 2nd, one point behind Santos at the end of the month.

Transfers

N/A

Results

-Criciuma 0-2 W, (Fred (2))

-Universidad de Chile, (Copa Sudamericana, Quarter Final, First Leg) 0-0 D

-Figueirense 2-0 W, (Martinez, Wagner)

-Flamengo 1-1 D, (Bruno Mezenga, Fred)

-Atletico Mineiro 1-0 W, (Kelly)

-Universidad de Chile, (Copa Sudamericana, Quarter Final, Second Leg) 3-3 W (3-2 pens.), (Michel, Jorge Gonzalez (2), Wagner (2), Cristian Torres)

-Internacional 1-0 L, (Marcelo Labarthe)

[-Xenon-]

November 2004

The highlight of November was undoubtedly the Copa Sudamericana semi final against River, confidence was high in the camp but we went down battling in Argentina 3-1. There wasn't to be yet another recovery in this competition despite a great performance we only managed a 0-0 draw in the return leg. In the league we picked up another 4 wins, most notably a comfortable 2-0 victory over Sao Paulo, who after a fantastic performance against Boca would go on to face River in the Copa Sudamericana final. Santos once again slipped up and by the end of the month we were two points clear at the top with just four games remaining, one of them against Santos which would surely be the title decider.

Transfers

N/A

Results

-Sao Paulo 2-0 W, (Wagner, Jean, Luizao sent off, Gabriel sent off)

-River, (Copa Sudamericana, Semi Final, First Leg) 3-1 (Edmundo, Ernesto Antonio Farias, Marcelo Salas, Matute Morales)

-River, (Copa Sudamericana, Semi Final, Second Leg) 0-0 L (3-1 agg.)

-Goias 2-0 W, (Martinez, Wagner, Aldrovani sent off)

-Guarani 0-1 W, (Jean)

-Sao Caetano 0-1 W, (Jean)

[-Xenon-]

December 2004

Just four games in December would decide the fate of the championship. It was between us and Santos. We entertained them on the 1st of December with both sides needing a win. A win for us would put us four points clear, as we started the game one point in front (not two as the typo above will say!). A win for them would put them back in the driving seat and with both teams' form being consistent, you had to say whoever came away with 3 points also came away with the title. It was an intensely cagey affair and it took 64 minutes for the first breakthrough. A highly controversial penalty was awarded to us after a push on Fred. Djalminha who hadnt made much of an impact this season, who had come on to replace Kerlon stepped up and netted the spotkick. Maldonado added a second on 83 minutes and the fans were jubilant. But there was drama at the end as William converted a very neat passing manoevure in stoppage time. It didnt matter as the final whistle went and we had edged it 2-1. But it wasnt over as we both won our next game, however Santos then drew with Corinthians leaving us needing a point against Atletico Paranaense to lift the championship. It was a home game so if we did it the trophy would be presented. For the first time the stadium was packed to capacity, awash with blue and white. The fans hadn't approved of their club's new English manager and the poor form at the start of the season but here they were waiting for their club's second title in 3 seasons. We won the game 3-0 to secure the title, Maldonado the captain heaving it aloft to the ecstatic fans. A defeat against Paysandu followed but it was irrelevant. At the start of the season we had been as low as 20th and now we were holding aloft the trophy.

Transfers

N/A

Results

-Santos 2-1 W, (Djalminha pen., Maldonado, William)

-Parana 0-1 W, (Edmundo, Ruy sent off, Regis sent off)

-Atleico Paranaense 3-0 W, (Fred (2), Edmundo)

-Paysandu 2-0 L, (Maurinho own goal, Leonardo)

[PMLF]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">Sao Paulo, who after a fantastic performance against Boca would go on to face River in the Copa Sudamericana final </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Who won the Sudamericana final?

Good work with Cruzeiro, aka "Raposa" (fox).

[-Xenon-]

River, they oblitterated Sao Paulo over two legs, something like 6-1 on aggregate.

[-Xenon-]

Oh and thanks , hopefully ive sparked a bit interest into the Brazilian leagues

[-Xenon-]

2004 Season Summary

League Standings

1st Cruzeiro 101 pts.

2nd Santos 98 pts.

3rd Palmeiras 89 pts.

Relegated

Parana

Criciuma

Promoted

America (MG)

Paulista

Manager of The Year

1st Tite, Corinthians

2nd Sam Cox, Cruzeiro

3rd Joel Santana, Vasco

[-Xenon-]

January 2005

Whilst the opening two months of the new campaign would be reletively uneventful on the pitch because of the state championship fiasco, it would be a busy month for transfers. My squad was far too large and January saw 19 departures, 9 of those from the first team and just 5 new arrivals. I was able to raise 4.5 million in addition to the 3.1 million pound transfer fund from the sales of Ruy, Michel, Martinez and Kelly. Our first signing was U21 star Ederson. The 19 year old attacking midfielder has been capped 11 times at U21 level notching 5 goals. We managed to snap him up for just 250k from lower division side RS Futebol. 16 year old forward Celsinho joined us for 2 million. This was a player that had impressed scouts at the beginning of last season. Another potential gem was snapped up in the form of winger Anderson. We also signed two free transfers, veteran 37 year old Zinho and promising midfielder Leonardo.

Transfers

In

-Leonardo, free

-Ederson, RS Futebol, 250k

-Celsinho, Portuguesa, 2M

-Anderson, Gremio, 1.6M

-Zinho, free

Out

-Ruy, Fluminense, 1.3M

-Rogerio, free

-Gerson, free

-Jonathan, free

-Marcio Diogo, free

-Enio, free

-Regis, free

-Djalminha, free

-Arilson, free

-Cristian, Nautico (RR), 14k

-Marcelo Batatais, free

-Alemao, free

-Michel, Santos, 1.1M

-Martinez, Guarani, 1.1M

-Kelly, Atletico Paranaense, 975k

-Marcio Oliveira, free

-Carlos Alberto, free

-Thiago Braga, free

-Patrick, free

Results

N/A

[PMLF]

Celsinho was indeed a great signing. And so was Ederson.

It's also important to tell you that América (MG), as like Atlético Mineiro, is a Cruzeiro rival. These 3 teams are the 3 big teams from Minas Gerais (acronym=MG).

[-Xenon-]

I'm finding it hard to bring myself to update this because I'm loving this game so much I've raced off into May already..........

February

With most of the transfers I had wanted wrapped up, the board unexpectedly made an extra 5 million pounds available. To be honest I felt the side was as strong as it could be although I did try to tempt Alex to re-join his old club from Fenerbahce. However the Turkish side told me in writing where I could put the 5.5 million pound bid.........charming. The main event of February would be the Copa Libertadores draw. I was reasonably satisfied with the draw:

Group G

Cruzeiro

Boca

Olimpia

Allianza Lima

After the disappointment of the Copa Sudamericana, the prospect of doing battle with another Argentinian legend didn't fill me with confidence, yet the home and away ties would be a spectacle and a treat for the fans. Our opener was on the second of March at home to Boca.

Transfers

N/A

Results

N/A

[-Xenon-]

March 2005

March opened with undoubtedly the biggest match of my diminuitive career, at home to Boca Juniors. The match started well enough and we had most of the early possesion, but disaster struck on 8 minutes as Fabio fumbled the ball into his own net. From then on we totally dominated the game and we hit back instantly on 11 minutes, a superb solo effort from Fred. The Boca midfield was being overrun by Wagner and Ederson, yet totally against the run of play Marcelo Delgado fired home from close range to put Boca back in front just before half time. The second half was incredible, we hit every post, had efforts cleared off the line, everything. We left our own stadium in defeat knowing we were the better side. A win against Olimpia in our next match would be crucial.

We left Paraguay with what we had wanted, a 2-0 victory. Fred looks set to best his record of 30 goals last season, he scored another trademark drive. Unexpectedly back-up defender Gladstone who was replacing Sandro at the back, curled home an effort from 30 yards. Now every time he even sets foot in the opponents half there is a buzz of expectancy. He hasn't managed to repeat it yet, not even in training.

Our last action of March would be to travel to the Peruvian capital to face Allianza Lima. The players were in buoyant mood yet in similiar fashion to the Boca game we found ourselves dejected on the team bus, having lost 1-0 despite controlling the game.

Transfers

N/A

Results

-Boca, (Copa Libertadores, Group G match) 1-2 L, (Fabio own goal, Fred, Marcelo Delgado)

-Olimpia, (Copa Libertadores, Group G match) 0-2 W, (Fred, Gladstone)

-Allianza Lima, (Copa Libertadores, Group G match) 1-0 L, (Rivelino Garcia)

[-Xenon-]

April 2005

By the end of April we would have not only rounded off our Copa Libertadores group but also kicked off our defense of the league. First we had to travel to Boca to try and exact revenge for the 2-1 defeat in Belo Horizonte. It wasn't a great start, Caludio Morel Rodriguez headed home on 23 minutes to give Boca yet another un-deserved lead. Fred scored one either side of half time however to settle nerves and give us a 2-1 lead. Wagner added to the lead on 77 minutes with a beautiful cushioned header. Then on 86 minutes, the 16 year old Celsinho picked up the ball and curled a vicious strike home from 35 yards for his first senior goal. 4-1 the final score, moving us back up to second place in Group G.

Next we had our First Division opener against Sao Caetano, we were lucky to come away with a 1-1 draw. The players were tired from returning from Argentina and it showed. We were run ragged for most of the game and Sao Caetano will be bitterly disappointed they didnt get the 3 points. Normal service was restored away to Flamengo, which was usually a lively encounter. I was surprised by the lack of resistance from Flamengo as we won 3-0, they had normally given us a tough time last season, most notably dumping us out of the cup ironically by a 3-0 scoreline.

Next we welcomed Paraguayans, Olimpia to Belo Horizonte. Wagner and Ederson ensured a repeat scoreline of 2-0 kepping us second in the group and ensuring qualification. Gremio were the next visitors to the Mineirao and they were whalloped 4-0 by great displays from Fred and Ederson. The last game of April was to play out the dead rubber between us and Allianza Lima. The Peruvians played well but eventually went down 2-0.

Transfers

N/A

Results

-Boca, (Copa Libertadores, Group G match) 1-4 W, (Claudio Morel Rodriguez, Fred (2), Wagner, Celsinho)

-Sao Caetano 1-1 D, (Edmundo, Sandro own goal)

-Flamengo 0-3 W, (Fred, Celsinho, Wagner)

-Olimpia, (Copa Libertadores, Group G match) 2-0 W, (Wagner, Ederson)

-Gremio 4-0 W, (Fred (2), Ederson, Tiago Prado own goal)

-Allianza Lima, (Copa Libertadores, Group G match) 2-0 W, (Fred, Celsinho)

[PMLF]

Great victories against Boca, Flamengo ( ) and Grêmio.

[-Xenon-]

Thanks PMLF! Obviously your a Flamengo fan, sorry about the 3-0!

May 2005

On the first of May we faced a tough visit to Ponte Preta, whose manager Vadao had boasted that his side had the quality to beat us. We won the game 1-0 after taking the lead in the opening minute, but it was tough as Ponte Preta spent the following 89 minutes pushing for an equaliser that never came. We drew fellow Brazilian side Sao Paulo in the second round of the Copa Libertadores and the first leg ended in a cagey 1-1 draw. Next we entertained the talented Corinthians and looked to be heading for 3 points until an 87th minute equaliser left us with just one after a 2-2 draw.

The second leg of the tie with Sao Paulo was identical to the first, cagey, fast paced and brutal. We took the lead through Celsinho, who is proving to be a great signing. Sao Paulo had the chance to equalise on 33 minutes but Falcao had his spotkick saved by our penalty saving expert Fabio. It took until the 78th minute for the equaliser to come, Luizao from outside the area. So the match went to penalties, an aspect of the game I was yet to be defeated in. Both our first penalties were comfortably scored, then disaster had seemingly struck for us, we missed our next three penalties. However Sao Paulo had only scored one of their next three, making it 2-1 with one penalty each. Anderson, the young winger scored for us and Fabao missed taking it to sudden death. Defensive midfielder Arthur cooly slotted home the penalty and unbelievably Fabio saved his 4th penalty in a row to give us the victory and passage into the quarter finals were we would face America (MEX).

Our elation was soon followed by despair as we slumped to a 4-2 defeat at the hands of Paysandu, who were proving to be a bogey team for us. Just three days later was the Copa Libertadores quarter final first leg against America (MEX), it couldn't of gone better a thumping 3-0 victory. However they have a fearsome home record and the team will have to not succumb to complacency. In preparation for the second leg we comfortably overturned Goias 3-1. Then it was time for the second leg in Mexico, they came out fighting and got a quick early goal from legend, Blanco. I could see we were in for a torrid time as America pressed continually. On 24 minutes they had a second, which was quickly followed by a Celsinho effort to make it 2-1. Just before the break they added a third making it 4-3 on aggregate. I could see we were in real danger, but qualification seemed to be still on the cards as Fred made it 3-2 to give us a two goal cushion. However in the later stages we fell apart, and as the 4th official held up the board for 5 minutes of stoppage time we were 6-2 down and 6-5 down on aggregate. But with the clock at 94:56 unbelievably Fred levelled the tie at 6-6, 6-3 on the night. We went on to win 4-3 on penalties an unbelievable night. We finished off the month with 0-0 draw against Paulista.

Transfers

N/A

Results

-Ponte Preta 0-1 W, (Fred)

-Sao Paulo, (Copa Libertadores, Second Round, First Leg) 1-1 D, (Fred, Ailton)

-Corinthians 2-2 D, (Sandro, Luciano Bebe own goal, Maurinho sent off, Renato, Rosinei)

-Sao Paulo, (Copa Libertadores, Second Round, Second Leg) 1-1 W, (3-2 pens.) (Celsinho, Luizao)

-Paysandu 2-4 L, (Wagner pen., Athirson pen., Sandro pen., Leonardo, Bebeto Campos (2))

-America (MEX), (Copa Libertadores, Quarter Final, First Leg) 3-0 W, (Wagner (2), Celsinho)

-Goias 3-1 W, (Fred (2), Adriano, Viola)

-America (MEX), (Copa Libertadores, Quarter Final, Second Leg) 6-3 W, (4-3 pens.) (Celsinho, Fred (2), Navia (3), Blanco (2), Cuevas)

-Paulista 0-0 D

[PMLF]

<BLOCKQUOTE class="ip-ubbcode-quote"><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-title">quote:</div><div class="ip-ubbcode-quote-content">America (MEX), (Copa Libertadores, Quarter Final, Second Leg) 6-3 W, (4-3 pens.) (Celsinho, Fred (2), Navia (3), Blanco (2), Cuevas) </div></BLOCKQUOTE>

Playing in Mexico against Mexican teams is really hard due to the altitude (whose effects are reproduced in FM2005). I am glad you reached te semifinals. And I`m indeed a Flamengo fan.

[-Xenon-]

Bugger! I've drawn a Mexican team in the semi-finals!

[-Xenon-]

June 2005

This month would decide our Copa Libertadores fate, with both the semi finals and the final being held in June. There were so many positives to come out of winning the competition, the extra finances, the reputation and most of all a shot at the European Champions, Milan. June also saw a league clash with last years runners up Santos, who hadn't made the best of starts to their league campaign. We kicked off June with away match against Atletico Paranaense, who we comfortably dispatched 2-0. Then we travelled to Sao Paulo to play Santos without Fred and Fabio who had been called up to the Brazil squad for a World Cup Qualifier. Without our star striker and goalkeeper, I was expecting to suffer a defeat yet we held on for a 0-0 draw and were possibly unlucky not to win.

We had drawn Pumas in the Semi's of the Copa Libertadores and after our last encounter with a Mexican team, a trip to Mexico for the first leg filled me with dread. It was a Brazilian that won the game but it was not for us, Ailton giving the Mexicans a lead into the second leg with a 1-0 victory. We jetted home to begin our 6 game stretch of not having goalkeeper Fabio, who was in Germany for the Confederations Cup. We beat Figueirense 1-0, a tough game against a team that had surprised everyone by rising to 3rd and keeping pace with the bigger teams.

The second leg against Pumas went a lot more smoothly than the first as we cruised to a 2-0 victory to book our place in the final. We would face Boca in the final, a team we had already played twice this season in the group stages. Boca had overcome a 2-0 defecit to beat River in the other Semi on penalties. A 1-0 win over Fluminense was the only preparation before the final, leaving us second in the league behind Internacional. The first leg of the final would be played in Argentina, where we had beaten Boca 4-1 in the Alberto J. Armando stadium earlier this season. Things were going well after the hour mark with a Fred strike putting us 1-0 up. We dominated most of the game and when the late equaliser came from Neri Cardozo, it was totally against the run of play. Final score 1-1 which put us in a reasonably good position for the home leg.

26,000 fans, the largest amount seen at the Mineirao since I had taken charge, turned up to see their team try and add to its trophy cabinet. The stadium was awash with white and blue and the atmosphere was astonishing. "The biggest game of my career" was a phrase I had found myself using a lot recently, yet with every month there seemed to be a bigger challenge thrown my way. I was full of confidence as it seemed that fate had decided it was our year, what with all the scrapes we had come through victorious. Within 10 minutes of kick-off the dream start I had hoped for happened. Fred with a typically powerful finish gave us a 2-1 aggregate lead. However like so many times before in thins competetion, I found myself waiting for the equaliser. It came sure enough on 71 minutes, a 30 yard strike from Martin Palermo. In the second minute of stoppage time yet again I was bracing myself for penalties. However, Celsinho latched on to a monster diagonal ball from Wagner, beat a defender and buried the finish past the keeper. The 16 year old had just won us the biggest club competition in South America yet he seemed pretty calm afterwards. June ended with my second career trophy and 1.7 million entering the club bank account.

Transfers

N/A

Results

-Atletico Paranaense 2-0 W, (Arthur, Wagner)

-Santos 0-0 D

-Pumas, (Copa Libertadores, Semi Final, First Leg) 1-0 L, (Ailton)

-Figueirense 0-1 W, (Fred)

-Pumas, (Copa Libertadores, Semi Final, Second Leg) 2-0 W (2-1 agg.), (Maldonado, Adriano)

-Fluminense 1-0 W, (Wagner)

-Boca, (Copa Libertadores, Final, First Leg) 1-1 D, (Fred, Cardozo)

-Boca, (Copa Libertadores, Final, Second Leg) 2-1 W (3-2 agg.), (Fred, Celsinho, Palermo)

[PMLF]

Congratulations for this great title.

I am looking forward to reading the next update.

[-Xenon-]

Excerpt from The Times,

2nd July 2005

Unknown Englishman finds success abroad

The name Sam Cox probably means nothing to the British public, it would surprise them even more if they found out that, at the tender age of 35 he is on the verge of entering the top 10 managers that England has had. Joining the likes of Paisley, Ramsay, Robson and Clough must mean winning trophies you would imagine, yet can you think of anything he has won? The reason you are scratching your heads wondering what exactly he has won is because Cox has taken the unusual route of starting his managerial career outside of Europe.

Cox is the head honcho at Brazilian outfit Cruzeiro, and at the start of his first season it looked probable that Sam would be on a plane headed home as after two months in charge, Cruzeiro languished in 20th position and had already been eliminated from the Brazilian Cup. However as the board started to become restless he demonstrated true bouncebackability (to use an Ian Dowie phrase) by going on a 27 game unbeaten run and pipping Santos to the title. This also included a Semi Final appearance in the Copa Sudamericana, South America's version of the UEFA Cup.

This season has seen Cruzeiro mount a strong defence of their league title and 4 days ago Cox lifted his second career trophy, the highly prostigous Copa Libertadores, the South American version of the Champions League. As a result of this, Cox can now pit his wits against European Champions Milan.

Cox is now being tipped by bookmakers for both the England and Manchester United jobs, yet the talented manager has played down speculation for the moment and says he wants at least another two seasons with his beloved "Raposa".