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.

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!

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?

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.

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...

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?

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!

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?

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...

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.

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...

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!

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!

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!

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...

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.

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!

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!

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.

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!

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!

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?

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!

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!

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!