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Milo's FM 2013 American Soccer Dynasty
- Thread starter Milo
- Start date
Milo
Well-Known Member
Some jumps in tiers are more difficult than others. Regardless, my general goal after promotions is to 1) survive the first season and 2) lay the groundwork for a push in season 2. This will definitely be how I approach this upcoming season. While I wouldn't change what happened, I have the feeling I was promoted too early. It took a great run at the end and we failed to separate ourselves from the rest of the league whereas a team like Danbury blew through it.
The set-up will not be doing me any favors. The league expands to 15 teams(28 games) and there are four relegation spots. That means roughly 25% of the league will go down. The high number of relegation spots is due to 8 leagues(16 teams promoted) rising into 4 leagues(North, South, Central, West.) On the plus side, there will be two automatic promotion spots and an expanded playoffs(easier to get in, harder to win it.)
Another issue is that this jump is in the middle of the pyramid so there will be three teams coming down from an even higher tier. While they were relegated, they will likely be better than most teams in the division.
I don't think the jump is too big in terms of reputation. While the quality may not be a huge jump, neither will the revenue nor will there likely be a large jump in the pool of players I can target.
The set-up will not be doing me any favors. The league expands to 15 teams(28 games) and there are four relegation spots. That means roughly 25% of the league will go down. The high number of relegation spots is due to 8 leagues(16 teams promoted) rising into 4 leagues(North, South, Central, West.) On the plus side, there will be two automatic promotion spots and an expanded playoffs(easier to get in, harder to win it.)
Another issue is that this jump is in the middle of the pyramid so there will be three teams coming down from an even higher tier. While they were relegated, they will likely be better than most teams in the division.
I don't think the jump is too big in terms of reputation. While the quality may not be a huge jump, neither will the revenue nor will there likely be a large jump in the pool of players I can target.
Milo
Well-Known Member
Final Table
An incredible end to the season saw us promoted into the Patriot League One alongside Danbury. But as you can see, the season had a lot of ups and downs. We only ended up winning one more game than we lost in the regular season.
Cups
U.S. Open Cup - 2nd Round(4-2 Brandon(FL))
New England Cup - 2nd Round(6-1 West Warwick(RI)) For shame.
Federal Cup - 4th Round (2-0 Sarasota(FL))
FM Awards:
Seth Muller was also voted as the team's player of the season.
Muller, Burke, and Fowler were named to the league's Team of the Season:
Murphy was named as a reserve.
Squad review
Goalkeepers
Jose Fowler, our captain, started every single game(39) this season. He conceded 62 goals, had some really bad moments, let some soft goals in(including the horrendous mistake against West Hartford), but overall was as solid as I could have hoped for. More importantly, he stayed healthy and the massive mistakes weren't a common occurrence. He's still just 30 years old, signed through next season, and has decent enough attributes that I'm not going to actively seek to replace him.
The loaned-in Anton McDermott will be set free this summer. Not ready to predict if he'll walk a few hundred yards and turn back. We'll find out soon.
Defenders
Matthew Murphy and Mark Corona had strong seasons. Murphy was one of the two players I disagreed with my assistant over. He didn't value him; due to his aerial ability and size, I thought he'd be a key figure for us. He was. He finished third in the team in match ratings and made key plays all season(especially against Warwick and Burlington late.) I plan to make the switch to a four-man backline next season and I'll be okay with Corona and Murphy being the first choice defenders. However, it's a spot I'll be looking to improve, or at least reinforce, as I don't trust Bivens with his lack of speed and Matkin was just a stopgap.
Midifeld
I struggled to get the best out of Lamont King all season. It was difficult because of how direct our team played, but I still felt I should have figured out a way to better utilize his skills. He's one of our best players and he didn't really make a huge impact. However, Neil Burke, as an attacking midfielder, was amazing. He was second in the team in assists(I expected he'd get a few), but also tallied 13 goals which I certainly did not expect.
I never fully recovered from the loss of Edson Thompson. When his loan ran out, my best option became Muhammad Wrali. While a decent player overall, his lack of ability in the air(5'6, 1 jumping) made him a square peg in a round hole when deployed as a deeper sitting midfielder with King. I've yet to decide if I want to re-sign him for next season. He could be a good option off the bench and is good on set pieces(11 free-kicks).
Ivan Dominguez was the surprise of the season. I glossed over him early on. However, when I finally realized he had potential to be a wide midfielder with his ability to cross, he quickly cemented himself as a starter in a position I had no real fit for. His numbers weren't gaudy, he is limited as a player overall, but he had a crucial impact on the season(none bigger than his goal against Warwick.)
Mykell Larkins was a signing late in the season, but struggled with match fitness. I'll have to bolster our number of wide players. Dominguez is still young and I'm looking to limit his role a bit next season and I can't trust Larkins to play consistently throughout the season.
Forwards
Not sure if I would have stayed up, I certainly wouldn't have been promoted, without Seth Muller. The 23 year-old forward was incredible. He and Muttonchops led the team with 14 goals each, but Muller also had 13 assists. We scored 72 goals in competitive matches, he was directly involved in 38% of them.
I saw potential in Muttonchops and he exceeded what I expected, particularly because I couldn't seem to get the best out of his strengths. When I arrived at Springfield, the 27 year-old was in the reserves and my assistant didn't value him. He then went on and played in 34 games, scored 14 goals, and notched 6 assists. Limited in many ways, he was a surprisingly good finisher. He will likely not have as big of a role next season, but he'll definitely be an option because of his size and ability in the air.
Paul Clark had a pretty solid, but relatively quiet, season. He went through a patch without scoring, a lot having to do with his wide forward role, but when Muttonchops went down, he came up big. I was pretty indifferent about re-signing him, but now weighing the decision heavily as I look forward to next season.
19 year-old Louie Taylor received most of his time coming on as a substitute. Not young enough to send down to the U-18s, I'm not sure what to do with him as I'll likely try to add a forward in the off season. Whereas I'll look to convert our other sparsely used forward, Jack Dale, into a winger, Taylor doesn't have the skill-set for it.
My personal players of the season:
Muller co-led the team in goals and led the team in assists. Burke made a huge impact in terms of goals and assists from the midfield. Murphy was solid all season at the back.
Young Player of the Season:
Went from largely ignored to a consistent starter. His goal against Warwick was one of the most important goals we scored.
I will do a quick recap of the major competitions in the pyramid before moving onto the off-season.
An incredible end to the season saw us promoted into the Patriot League One alongside Danbury. But as you can see, the season had a lot of ups and downs. We only ended up winning one more game than we lost in the regular season.
Cups
U.S. Open Cup - 2nd Round(4-2 Brandon(FL))
New England Cup - 2nd Round(6-1 West Warwick(RI)) For shame.
Federal Cup - 4th Round (2-0 Sarasota(FL))
FM Awards:
Seth Muller was also voted as the team's player of the season.
Muller, Burke, and Fowler were named to the league's Team of the Season:
Murphy was named as a reserve.
Squad review
Goalkeepers
Jose Fowler, our captain, started every single game(39) this season. He conceded 62 goals, had some really bad moments, let some soft goals in(including the horrendous mistake against West Hartford), but overall was as solid as I could have hoped for. More importantly, he stayed healthy and the massive mistakes weren't a common occurrence. He's still just 30 years old, signed through next season, and has decent enough attributes that I'm not going to actively seek to replace him.
The loaned-in Anton McDermott will be set free this summer. Not ready to predict if he'll walk a few hundred yards and turn back. We'll find out soon.
Defenders
Matthew Murphy and Mark Corona had strong seasons. Murphy was one of the two players I disagreed with my assistant over. He didn't value him; due to his aerial ability and size, I thought he'd be a key figure for us. He was. He finished third in the team in match ratings and made key plays all season(especially against Warwick and Burlington late.) I plan to make the switch to a four-man backline next season and I'll be okay with Corona and Murphy being the first choice defenders. However, it's a spot I'll be looking to improve, or at least reinforce, as I don't trust Bivens with his lack of speed and Matkin was just a stopgap.
Midifeld
I struggled to get the best out of Lamont King all season. It was difficult because of how direct our team played, but I still felt I should have figured out a way to better utilize his skills. He's one of our best players and he didn't really make a huge impact. However, Neil Burke, as an attacking midfielder, was amazing. He was second in the team in assists(I expected he'd get a few), but also tallied 13 goals which I certainly did not expect.
I never fully recovered from the loss of Edson Thompson. When his loan ran out, my best option became Muhammad Wrali. While a decent player overall, his lack of ability in the air(5'6, 1 jumping) made him a square peg in a round hole when deployed as a deeper sitting midfielder with King. I've yet to decide if I want to re-sign him for next season. He could be a good option off the bench and is good on set pieces(11 free-kicks).
Ivan Dominguez was the surprise of the season. I glossed over him early on. However, when I finally realized he had potential to be a wide midfielder with his ability to cross, he quickly cemented himself as a starter in a position I had no real fit for. His numbers weren't gaudy, he is limited as a player overall, but he had a crucial impact on the season(none bigger than his goal against Warwick.)
Mykell Larkins was a signing late in the season, but struggled with match fitness. I'll have to bolster our number of wide players. Dominguez is still young and I'm looking to limit his role a bit next season and I can't trust Larkins to play consistently throughout the season.
Forwards
Not sure if I would have stayed up, I certainly wouldn't have been promoted, without Seth Muller. The 23 year-old forward was incredible. He and Muttonchops led the team with 14 goals each, but Muller also had 13 assists. We scored 72 goals in competitive matches, he was directly involved in 38% of them.
I saw potential in Muttonchops and he exceeded what I expected, particularly because I couldn't seem to get the best out of his strengths. When I arrived at Springfield, the 27 year-old was in the reserves and my assistant didn't value him. He then went on and played in 34 games, scored 14 goals, and notched 6 assists. Limited in many ways, he was a surprisingly good finisher. He will likely not have as big of a role next season, but he'll definitely be an option because of his size and ability in the air.
Paul Clark had a pretty solid, but relatively quiet, season. He went through a patch without scoring, a lot having to do with his wide forward role, but when Muttonchops went down, he came up big. I was pretty indifferent about re-signing him, but now weighing the decision heavily as I look forward to next season.
19 year-old Louie Taylor received most of his time coming on as a substitute. Not young enough to send down to the U-18s, I'm not sure what to do with him as I'll likely try to add a forward in the off season. Whereas I'll look to convert our other sparsely used forward, Jack Dale, into a winger, Taylor doesn't have the skill-set for it.
My personal players of the season:
Muller co-led the team in goals and led the team in assists. Burke made a huge impact in terms of goals and assists from the midfield. Murphy was solid all season at the back.
Young Player of the Season:
Went from largely ignored to a consistent starter. His goal against Warwick was one of the most important goals we scored.
I will do a quick recap of the major competitions in the pyramid before moving onto the off-season.
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He's probably just a white guy.
Milo
Well-Known Member
Milo
Well-Known Member
Season Recap
American Premier League
Phoenix have won the title four out of the last five seasons. Defending champions New York finished seventh. Las Vegas was a surprise contender after finishing just 13th the season before.
Philadelphia, Jacksonville, and Oklahoma City go down. Coming up from the American National League will be Seattle, Nashville, and Cleveland.
Awards
Gaetjens Trophy(Best Player): Fred 2.0, Phoenix
McBride Award(Forward)- Mick Bamber, New York
Ramos Award(Midfielder) - Garry Macbeth, Dallas
Pope Award(Defender) - Shane Duffy, San Francisco
Freidel Award(Keeper) - Jordan Suarez, San Francisco
Young Player: Christian Nissen, Boston
APL All-Stars:
*For some reason FM hates awarding players multiple awards in the same league, thus while Fred is the obvious choice for the Gaetjens and McBride, he only won the former.
The Cups
National Cups
U.S. Open Cup - New York over Los Angeles, 2-0
Presidents' Cup - Houston over Dallas, 3-2
Soccer Bowl* - Phoenix over New York, 3-2
Lamar Hunt Trophy - Henderson Transit S.C. (NV) over Aurora(CO), 3-1
Patriot League Invitational - New Haven(CT) over Lynchburg(VA), 3-0
Federal Cup - East Providence(RI) over Flint(MI), 2-0
National Youth Cup(U-18) - Albuquerque over Chicago, 3-1
International Competitions
NACL - Chicago over New Orleans 2-1. They'll represent the region in the next Club World Cup.
CWC -Napoli over Colon. New York lost in the quarters.*
*Soccer Bowl is just a preseason one-off between the U.S. Open Cup winners and the APL champions.
*Olympique Montreal is still the only NA team to win the Club World Cup during this save.
Regional Cups
New England(NE) - New York over Boston, 3-0
Colonial Cup(MA) - Virginia Beach over Charlotte, 4-0
Dixie Cup(SE) - Lexington over Miami, 2-1
Great Lakes Trophy(MW) - Detroit over Pittsburgh Union, 2-1
Great Plains Cup - Denver over Lincoln, 3-1
Sun Belt Trophy(SW) - New Orleans over Houston, 2-1(ET)
Rose Cup(W) - Los Angeles over Fresno, 3-1
Cascadia Cup(NW) - Seattle over Portland, 1-0
Youth Regional Champions:
NE - New York over Buffalo, 3-1
MA - Charm City S.C.(Baltimore) over Charlotte, 2-1
SE - Atlanta over Miami, 1-0
MW - Toledo over Indianapolis, 3-1(ET)
GP - Salt Lake City over Lincoln, 2-0
SW - El Paso over Houston, 2-0
W - Oakland over Phoenix, 1-0
NW - Spokane over Seattle, 1-1(P)
As for Springfield's youth team, we only had one player in the u-18s all season, Leobardo Tovar. He was also hurt for the majority of it. We finished 6th in the Massachusetts youth division and lost in the 2nd round of the NE youth cup to Salem(1-0).
Boston won the league by 30 points, losing just twice in 26 games(their record high). They've now lost 5 times in their league history.
Gold Cup starts in a few days. The U.S. is in a group with Cuba, Guatemala, and Jamaica.
If you are interested in a particular team, competition, etc, now is a good time to ask.
American Premier League
Phoenix have won the title four out of the last five seasons. Defending champions New York finished seventh. Las Vegas was a surprise contender after finishing just 13th the season before.
Philadelphia, Jacksonville, and Oklahoma City go down. Coming up from the American National League will be Seattle, Nashville, and Cleveland.
Awards
Gaetjens Trophy(Best Player): Fred 2.0, Phoenix
McBride Award(Forward)- Mick Bamber, New York
Ramos Award(Midfielder) - Garry Macbeth, Dallas
Pope Award(Defender) - Shane Duffy, San Francisco
Freidel Award(Keeper) - Jordan Suarez, San Francisco
Young Player: Christian Nissen, Boston
APL All-Stars:
*For some reason FM hates awarding players multiple awards in the same league, thus while Fred is the obvious choice for the Gaetjens and McBride, he only won the former.
The Cups
National Cups
U.S. Open Cup - New York over Los Angeles, 2-0
Presidents' Cup - Houston over Dallas, 3-2
Soccer Bowl* - Phoenix over New York, 3-2
Lamar Hunt Trophy - Henderson Transit S.C. (NV) over Aurora(CO), 3-1
Patriot League Invitational - New Haven(CT) over Lynchburg(VA), 3-0
Federal Cup - East Providence(RI) over Flint(MI), 2-0
National Youth Cup(U-18) - Albuquerque over Chicago, 3-1
International Competitions
NACL - Chicago over New Orleans 2-1. They'll represent the region in the next Club World Cup.
CWC -Napoli over Colon. New York lost in the quarters.*
*Soccer Bowl is just a preseason one-off between the U.S. Open Cup winners and the APL champions.
*Olympique Montreal is still the only NA team to win the Club World Cup during this save.
Regional Cups
New England(NE) - New York over Boston, 3-0
Colonial Cup(MA) - Virginia Beach over Charlotte, 4-0
Dixie Cup(SE) - Lexington over Miami, 2-1
Great Lakes Trophy(MW) - Detroit over Pittsburgh Union, 2-1
Great Plains Cup - Denver over Lincoln, 3-1
Sun Belt Trophy(SW) - New Orleans over Houston, 2-1(ET)
Rose Cup(W) - Los Angeles over Fresno, 3-1
Cascadia Cup(NW) - Seattle over Portland, 1-0
Youth Regional Champions:
NE - New York over Buffalo, 3-1
MA - Charm City S.C.(Baltimore) over Charlotte, 2-1
SE - Atlanta over Miami, 1-0
MW - Toledo over Indianapolis, 3-1(ET)
GP - Salt Lake City over Lincoln, 2-0
SW - El Paso over Houston, 2-0
W - Oakland over Phoenix, 1-0
NW - Spokane over Seattle, 1-1(P)
As for Springfield's youth team, we only had one player in the u-18s all season, Leobardo Tovar. He was also hurt for the majority of it. We finished 6th in the Massachusetts youth division and lost in the 2nd round of the NE youth cup to Salem(1-0).
Boston won the league by 30 points, losing just twice in 26 games(their record high). They've now lost 5 times in their league history.
Gold Cup starts in a few days. The U.S. is in a group with Cuba, Guatemala, and Jamaica.
If you are interested in a particular team, competition, etc, now is a good time to ask.
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Orangebird
Premier League Champs
The highest level team in Baltimore.
Milo
Well-Known Member
Charm City S.C. (The Cannons)
Charm City is currently in the American Federal League(3rd Tier). They started the save in the American National League(Tier 2).
As you can see, they haven't had the best decade. They were relegated after season one, eventually fell all the way to the NSA League One(Tier 5), but have climbed back up to the American Federal League. They seem to be righting the ship with Mexican legend Cuauhtemoc Blanco in charge. After reestablishing themselves back in the American Federal League, last season they finished 5th, their highest finishing point in the pyramid since their relegation in season one.
They've been a bit more successful at the cup level. They've won the Colonial Cup twice(beating Durham in 2015 and Washington in 2019) and were runner-ups in 2014(Washington) and 2021(Charlotte). They reached the U.S. Open Cup Quarterfinals once in 2016/17 but lost to Boston. In the Presidents' Cup they have also been quarterfinalists(lost to Phoenix in 2015/16). They have had little success in the Lamar Hunt Trophy.
Unsurprisingly, their youth team dominates the state. They've won 11 straight league titles. That dominance hasn't always transferred to the region. However, just this past season, they did win the U-18 Mid-Atlantic Trophy for the first time(they were runners-up in 2018 and 2020.)
The good news is that they've made some good progress the last few seasons, they have they facilities to compete at a higher level, and their academy is strong. They just have to put it all together in league competitions.
*Don't mind my manager name, date. I was just scanning some financial data across the tiers.
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Isn't there a club in Fort Collins as well? 
Milo
Well-Known Member
Philadelphia Liberty
Philadelphia has become a yo-yo club between the American Premier League and the American National League. Just this past season they were relegated from the APL for the fourth time in eleven seasons(7 of which have been in the APL.) However, like the good yo-yo team they are, the longest they've spent in the second tier so far has been two seasons. The last relegation was particularly hard to take as just the season before they finished 5th in the APL.
They've won the American National League twice, finished runners up once, and, as mentioned previously, their highest finish ever in the American Premier League was two seasons ago(5th.)
In the U.S. Open Cup, they've reached the Semi-Finals once(21/22, lost to New York.) They've were runners-up in the Presidents Cup in 2019/20(Oakland), semifinalists once(12/13 Jacksonville) and quarterfinalists once(21/22 Denver). As you can see, the 21/22 season was a good one(5th in APL, Open Cup semis, Presidents cup quarters) albeit no trophies to show for it.
They've reached the latter stages of the Great Lakes Trophy multiple times, but have yet to win it. They lost to Milwaukee in the final in 17/18, have reached the semifinals five times(2 went to penalties, 2 went to extra time), and were quarterfinalists three times. Last season was maybe the toughest loss to stomach in the Great Lakes Trophy as they lost in the semifinals to in-state rivals the Pittsburgh Union in extra time.
They've been the strongest team in their state at the youth level, winning 8 league titles and three midwest youth cups(13,19,21). In 2018 they won the National Youth Cup.
Interesting note, the player with the most appearances for the club is Bill Hamid with over 200. However, he now plays for Columbus(OH).
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I hope that fort Collins is so lowly that I could play for them.
Milo
Well-Known Member
Just how the regions worked out and I didn't want to split up states. Worked better for balancing the number of teams in each region. Almost all the regions have a similar amount of teams, Northwest being the notable exception.
Didn't think it felt that off. Off the top of my head, the rest of the MW teams are Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin.
Now the Great Plains is the real bastard of regions. Potential 1,000 mile trips for that tier 9 semi-pro division.
Didn't think it felt that off. Off the top of my head, the rest of the MW teams are Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, Ohio, and Wisconsin.
Now the Great Plains is the real bastard of regions. Potential 1,000 mile trips for that tier 9 semi-pro division.
Milo
Well-Known Member
Eight. The top three you mentioned are the only professional teams. The rest are semi-professional.
(Current tier in save.)
Minneapolis - American National League(2)
St. Paul - NSA Championship, West(4)*
Rochester - NSA League Two, West(6)*
Duluth (10)**
Bloomington - USS Heartlands Premier(9)
Brooklyn Park - USS Heartlands Premier(9)
Plymouth (10)
St. Cloud (10)
* Region determined by Lat/Long barriers. May be because of a plethora of eastern teams in tier 4 atm.
**Giant inactive pool that feeds into Tier 9. Made up of semi-pro/amateur teams.
Milo
Well-Known Member
Toledo Torpedoes
Toledo started off in the NSA Championship - East(Tier 4), were relegated in their first season, but yo-yo'd back up. They've managed to earn promotion from the NSAC three times, the latest being last season. So far they've not managed to stay up upon promotion. They have one trophy to their name, winning the NSAC - East once in 2016/17.
Their furthest run in the U.S. Open Cup has been to the fifth round in which they were knocked out by Washington(D.C.). In their three attempts in the Presidents Cup(Cup for Tiers 1-3) they've yet to make it past the second round. Toledo reached the semifinals twice in the Lamar Hunt Trophy(T4-6), losing to Mesa(19/20) and Durham(14/15, penalties.) In the Great Lakes Trophy, they've reached the semifinals three times(Detriot '18, Detriot '21, Cleveland '22.)
Their youth division is very tough compared to many others. Only fourteen teams in Ohio, but the league boasts Cleveland(APL), Columbus(AFL), Cincinnati(AFL), Akron(NSAC,E), and Dayton(NSA1, E). However, they've won the league one time(15/16), were runners-up twice(18/19, 22/23), and third place three times(14/15, 17/18, 19/20). Their youth team also won the Great Lakes Youth Cup(Midwest) last season for the first time, defeating Indianapolis 3-1. They were runners-up in 2013 and 2020.
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Milo
Well-Known Member
Fort Collins Calvary
Fort Collins has spent 9 of their 11 seasons in the NSA League One - West(Tier 5). Their brief departure was two seasons in the league below following relegation in 14/15. Their best chance for promotion to tier four came in 20/21 when they finished just two points out of 2nd place(auto-promotion) and were knocked out by in-state rivals Colorado Springs in the playoff semifinals 2-1(Colorado Springs went on to win the Playoff Final.)
Their deepest run in the U.S. Open Cup was a sixth round exit to Chicago(17/18). They reached the Great Plains quarterfinals once(14/15), again losing out to a Colorado team(Denver in penalties.) They've yet to make it past the fourth round in the Lamar Hunt Trophy.
Their youth team has finished in third place in their league twice(12/13, 13/14) and were runners-up in the 2019 Great Plains Youth Cup(again losing to a fellow Coloradoan team, Denver).
Also, some guy named Lee Dong-Gook was their manager for the 2015/16 season. Never heard of him.
Sadly, the Career Achievements of their current manager(hired in '18) kind of sum them up.
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Milo
Well-Known Member
Yep. All fictional. I can't take credit for the custom logos or uniforms. They were created by a poster on the official SI forums. Every team that started in the active leagues has a logo, I believe the top four tiers have jerseys. It's incredible work.
Some teams are more creative than others, many are the victims of wikipedia skimming. A lot of imagination goes out the window when creating 500+ teams but I tried to at least give some nod to the real life places. Some people helped, Boxman did almost every Wisconsin team.* I also shamelessly ripped off many colleges or local pro teams(particularly color schemes). The similarities to the University of Toledo are obvious, Rockets ->Torpedoes, blue/yellow. Their stadium name comes from some minor league baseball park they have(Fifth Third Field->Third Half Field.) I thought it was humorous.
I am proud to admit, while I didn't create the well-done custom uniforms you see for Baltimore's team, they follow my template. I swear that I created the flag uniforms before I realized Maryland wore something similar in college football.
*Sorry if anyone else here helped, I'm sure people did, it was roughly 3 years ago when I created the first version of this.
Edit: Duh, Fort Collins starts in the 5th tier and has custom jerseys. So it at least goes down that far. So that's 200+ custom logos and at least 118 pairs of custom jerseys.
Edit Dos: 6th tier also. So that's 150. Think the Patriot Leagues are the cut-off, understandably, since it's 60 teams per patriot tier.
Some teams are more creative than others, many are the victims of wikipedia skimming. A lot of imagination goes out the window when creating 500+ teams but I tried to at least give some nod to the real life places. Some people helped, Boxman did almost every Wisconsin team.* I also shamelessly ripped off many colleges or local pro teams(particularly color schemes). The similarities to the University of Toledo are obvious, Rockets ->Torpedoes, blue/yellow. Their stadium name comes from some minor league baseball park they have(Fifth Third Field->Third Half Field.) I thought it was humorous.
I am proud to admit, while I didn't create the well-done custom uniforms you see for Baltimore's team, they follow my template. I swear that I created the flag uniforms before I realized Maryland wore something similar in college football.
*Sorry if anyone else here helped, I'm sure people did, it was roughly 3 years ago when I created the first version of this.
Edit: Duh, Fort Collins starts in the 5th tier and has custom jerseys. So it at least goes down that far. So that's 200+ custom logos and at least 118 pairs of custom jerseys.
Edit Dos: 6th tier also. So that's 150. Think the Patriot Leagues are the cut-off, understandably, since it's 60 teams per patriot tier.
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Orangebird
Premier League Champs
So did you do something to make Lee Dong Gook manage Travis's team or did that just happen naturally? If the latter that's hilarious since Travis has a well documented love for LDG.
Milo
Well-Known Member
Enough about those other teams, it's Springfield time.
Last season I took the job in late June and spent the entire preseason scrambling to build a functioning team. I was never fully comfortable with the complex, wobbly, and definitely exploitable Wrath of Cod, but I relied on some very good players(at this level) and some luck throughout the season. I also made some moves(or lack thereof) that really hurt me. Only loaning Edson Thompson for 3 months and never finding a real replacement and my inability to find(or convert) two fullbacks were two big ones.
This preseason we hit the ground running. I had many deals finalized before the preseason even started(late June). I did somewhat hamstring myself by extending almost the entire roster last season when in a mini-crisis, but our salary budget jumped from $130,000 p/a to $170,000 so I had some room to make some moves.
My first two signings won't surprise anyone, I brought in two fullbacks(Dan Gage and Justin Pennant.) Dan Gage has the added bonuses that he can play both left back and center back, is decent going forward(especially so for this level), though I'm unsure how much I'll use that, and he's also a scout. And a pretty good scout. In fact, my best scout(8/8). Pennant looks like a solid defensive fullback.
I also signed a few midfielders- Ty Islas, Chris Griffin, and Eddie Sparks. King and Burke were solid last season, but I lacked options and we weren't great in the air in the midfield. Islas is a defensive mid that my scouts loved. There's a lot to like about him(5/5 every report), one minor quibble is that he's only 5'10 and has 5 jumping. Our midfield has lacked height and aerial ability(outside of a wing player in Dominguez) and Islas, while okay in that department, isn't an ideal fit. However, he has some strong attributes(outside of annoyingly low anticipation and bravery ratings.)
Griffin adds options, he's a MC/ML that can cross but also has solid enough stats(outside of tackling) that make him a decent option as a central midfielder. Sparks wasn't as highly rated as my other signings but I was determined to bring him in. He's a good all-around midfielder(like King) but can play as a AM like Burke. So why bring in Sparks when I have Islas, Burke, and King? His size. He's 6'2 and with his all-around attributes, he can make a nice box-to-box midfielder and compliment our more diminutive midfielders.
But my biggest signing of the season was another forward. I did re-sign Paul Clark, Muttonchops has another year, and I have a plethora of forwards/AMs on the roster. But this guy was too tempting to pass up. In fact, I even cleared some salary room by transferring($0) Louie Taylor to Des Moines(Danbury was in on him, but I made sure he went out of the league.) He was the least versatile of my forwards, and while I was a little unnerved other teams were eager to sign him, I felt he was the player I was most willing to lose. Jack Dale might be a lesser player overall, but he can more easily play out wide and as a forward.
Frank Grella is the forward I signed. I actually got lucky. Our negotiations broke down a couple times as I tried to nickel and dime him.
Needless to say, I'm really excited about the potential of a Muller-Grella partnership up top.
Not just limited to personnel, I signed two new coaches and a new assistant manager(one that hopefully won't disagree with me on every player.)
As you can probably tell from my tone, I was feeling pretty happy going into my preseason games. I had most my business done, none felt like stopgaps(outside of Griffin.) We started the preseason away to Salem(OR!!!) because they were stupid enough to pay us $40k to go out there and they would be a tough game(2 tiers above us.) I expected a loss, but a combative one, and we delivered a strong performance, a 3-2 win(they scored their first 6 minutes in and their last in the 90th when my loaned-in back-up keeper let one go through his hands.) I was feeling downright cocky until...
Burke tore his ACL. Done for the season.
And it got worse. Players started going down like crazy, so much that I wondered if I should cancel my annual invitational friendly cup.
(Parish is a loaned in player from Queens, NY, can play both fullback spots.)
Luckily only Burke is a long-term one(done for the season.) Everyone else should be back right around the time the season starts, but our squad's match fitness will be in bad shape.
The Burke injured killed my plans. Burke was so productive last season and I was pretty set on a semi-diamond formation with him up top, supported in the midfield by King, Islas, and Sparks. Unfortunately that went out the window and I started to scramble for replacements. I weighed the idea of Sparks moving up into the AM spot, but the whole reason I signed him was to play alongside our deeper sitting midfielders and the potential new starters(Wrali, Griffin) were players I didn't really want to see starting much of the season. Every potential loan deal was rejected by players, no players were on the market that fit either Burke or Sparks' potential role, my preseason was in chaos. Icarus and all that.
Despite all that, we won the rest of our games, and did so mostly in convincing fashion. We won the non-cancelled Springfield Intivational. We beat our U-18 team and then West Hartford 3-2 in a thrilling final(Muttonchops with a late winner.) I Woonscheduled Woonsocket again and it was probably our tightest game of the preseason, Muller woonsucker-punched them with a 88th minute winner(1-0). We finished with Bristol, a team that while relegated gave me trouble in the league last season. We only won 1-0, but looked comfortable the whole way. We even had 14 shots(in one game against Bristol last season we managed 0.)
All in all, a very strong preseason, but the Burke loss really stings. I've yet to play a single game in this tier, but I was feeling confident(maybe overly so) in my squad up until the Burke news hit. I'm now somewhat optimistic after an undefeated preseason.
Here's the set-up I will be using in our opening match against Newark(DE):
Flexington
(Fowler is the keeper. Only signed a back-up keeper on a loan. Not named McDermott.)
The Wrath of Cod was mothballed. I'm determined to use a four-man back line and while the Wrath of Cod was molded so closely around certain personnel, Flexington is more adaptable. Now that my squad is deeper, I've created two other situational formations that compliment it- Conscore(Flexington and Conscore) and Bunker Hill. When I was making adjustments with the WoC, like for instance bunkering, it would require at least one personnel change(typically multiple) to work. With Flexington, Conscore, and Bunker Hill, the switches in set-ups don't demand a similar personnel overhaul.
For instance Flexington->Conscore, Sparks moves up to AM, AML(Clark in the formation above) moves to a forward. Flexington->Bunker Hill, Grella moves to AMR, Islas drops to DM.
I didn't write much about my youth team. The real news is that one player looks decent, a DM named Jaydin Serrano, that has strong physical and decent mental stats for a DM, but is only 5'7. The only other real notable youth team news is that I moved both Carl Petersen and Ivan Dominguez down from the senior team into the U-18s. I felt bad about the Dominguez move, he played such a critical role last season, but we likely won't be using a MR unless things go awry, and he's just not a good enough central midfielder compared to Wrali and Griffin.
The rest of my youth intake was pretty weak, but I signed almost everybody for immersion(I hate greyed out players.)
Side-note: I forgot to upload the league, but I'll do that before the next update.
Last season I took the job in late June and spent the entire preseason scrambling to build a functioning team. I was never fully comfortable with the complex, wobbly, and definitely exploitable Wrath of Cod, but I relied on some very good players(at this level) and some luck throughout the season. I also made some moves(or lack thereof) that really hurt me. Only loaning Edson Thompson for 3 months and never finding a real replacement and my inability to find(or convert) two fullbacks were two big ones.
This preseason we hit the ground running. I had many deals finalized before the preseason even started(late June). I did somewhat hamstring myself by extending almost the entire roster last season when in a mini-crisis, but our salary budget jumped from $130,000 p/a to $170,000 so I had some room to make some moves.
My first two signings won't surprise anyone, I brought in two fullbacks(Dan Gage and Justin Pennant.) Dan Gage has the added bonuses that he can play both left back and center back, is decent going forward(especially so for this level), though I'm unsure how much I'll use that, and he's also a scout. And a pretty good scout. In fact, my best scout(8/8). Pennant looks like a solid defensive fullback.
I also signed a few midfielders- Ty Islas, Chris Griffin, and Eddie Sparks. King and Burke were solid last season, but I lacked options and we weren't great in the air in the midfield. Islas is a defensive mid that my scouts loved. There's a lot to like about him(5/5 every report), one minor quibble is that he's only 5'10 and has 5 jumping. Our midfield has lacked height and aerial ability(outside of a wing player in Dominguez) and Islas, while okay in that department, isn't an ideal fit. However, he has some strong attributes(outside of annoyingly low anticipation and bravery ratings.)
Griffin adds options, he's a MC/ML that can cross but also has solid enough stats(outside of tackling) that make him a decent option as a central midfielder. Sparks wasn't as highly rated as my other signings but I was determined to bring him in. He's a good all-around midfielder(like King) but can play as a AM like Burke. So why bring in Sparks when I have Islas, Burke, and King? His size. He's 6'2 and with his all-around attributes, he can make a nice box-to-box midfielder and compliment our more diminutive midfielders.
But my biggest signing of the season was another forward. I did re-sign Paul Clark, Muttonchops has another year, and I have a plethora of forwards/AMs on the roster. But this guy was too tempting to pass up. In fact, I even cleared some salary room by transferring($0) Louie Taylor to Des Moines(Danbury was in on him, but I made sure he went out of the league.) He was the least versatile of my forwards, and while I was a little unnerved other teams were eager to sign him, I felt he was the player I was most willing to lose. Jack Dale might be a lesser player overall, but he can more easily play out wide and as a forward.
Frank Grella is the forward I signed. I actually got lucky. Our negotiations broke down a couple times as I tried to nickel and dime him.
Needless to say, I'm really excited about the potential of a Muller-Grella partnership up top.
Not just limited to personnel, I signed two new coaches and a new assistant manager(one that hopefully won't disagree with me on every player.)
As you can probably tell from my tone, I was feeling pretty happy going into my preseason games. I had most my business done, none felt like stopgaps(outside of Griffin.) We started the preseason away to Salem(OR!!!) because they were stupid enough to pay us $40k to go out there and they would be a tough game(2 tiers above us.) I expected a loss, but a combative one, and we delivered a strong performance, a 3-2 win(they scored their first 6 minutes in and their last in the 90th when my loaned-in back-up keeper let one go through his hands.) I was feeling downright cocky until...
Burke tore his ACL. Done for the season.
And it got worse. Players started going down like crazy, so much that I wondered if I should cancel my annual invitational friendly cup.
(Parish is a loaned in player from Queens, NY, can play both fullback spots.)
Luckily only Burke is a long-term one(done for the season.) Everyone else should be back right around the time the season starts, but our squad's match fitness will be in bad shape.
The Burke injured killed my plans. Burke was so productive last season and I was pretty set on a semi-diamond formation with him up top, supported in the midfield by King, Islas, and Sparks. Unfortunately that went out the window and I started to scramble for replacements. I weighed the idea of Sparks moving up into the AM spot, but the whole reason I signed him was to play alongside our deeper sitting midfielders and the potential new starters(Wrali, Griffin) were players I didn't really want to see starting much of the season. Every potential loan deal was rejected by players, no players were on the market that fit either Burke or Sparks' potential role, my preseason was in chaos. Icarus and all that.
Despite all that, we won the rest of our games, and did so mostly in convincing fashion. We won the non-cancelled Springfield Intivational. We beat our U-18 team and then West Hartford 3-2 in a thrilling final(Muttonchops with a late winner.) I Woonscheduled Woonsocket again and it was probably our tightest game of the preseason, Muller woonsucker-punched them with a 88th minute winner(1-0). We finished with Bristol, a team that while relegated gave me trouble in the league last season. We only won 1-0, but looked comfortable the whole way. We even had 14 shots(in one game against Bristol last season we managed 0.)
All in all, a very strong preseason, but the Burke loss really stings. I've yet to play a single game in this tier, but I was feeling confident(maybe overly so) in my squad up until the Burke news hit. I'm now somewhat optimistic after an undefeated preseason.
Here's the set-up I will be using in our opening match against Newark(DE):
Flexington
(Fowler is the keeper. Only signed a back-up keeper on a loan. Not named McDermott.)
The Wrath of Cod was mothballed. I'm determined to use a four-man back line and while the Wrath of Cod was molded so closely around certain personnel, Flexington is more adaptable. Now that my squad is deeper, I've created two other situational formations that compliment it- Conscore(Flexington and Conscore) and Bunker Hill. When I was making adjustments with the WoC, like for instance bunkering, it would require at least one personnel change(typically multiple) to work. With Flexington, Conscore, and Bunker Hill, the switches in set-ups don't demand a similar personnel overhaul.
For instance Flexington->Conscore, Sparks moves up to AM, AML(Clark in the formation above) moves to a forward. Flexington->Bunker Hill, Grella moves to AMR, Islas drops to DM.
I didn't write much about my youth team. The real news is that one player looks decent, a DM named Jaydin Serrano, that has strong physical and decent mental stats for a DM, but is only 5'7. The only other real notable youth team news is that I moved both Carl Petersen and Ivan Dominguez down from the senior team into the U-18s. I felt bad about the Dominguez move, he played such a critical role last season, but we likely won't be using a MR unless things go awry, and he's just not a good enough central midfielder compared to Wrali and Griffin.
The rest of my youth intake was pretty weak, but I signed almost everybody for immersion(I hate greyed out players.)
Side-note: I forgot to upload the league, but I'll do that before the next update.
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lol @ Flexington, Conscore, and Bunker Hill. NERD
It sounds like we've both moved in the same direction regarding our additional formations giving us tactical moves that use the same/similar personnel and not so much drastic formation changes. I've noticed that it saves me a lot of time in game and helps me to be more consistent with sets of instructions that seem to work together in certain situations. It is nice to have a more defensive and a more attacking setup that you are comfortable with pre-configured so you aren't just inventing shit on the spot in an 85th minute panic.
It sounds like we've both moved in the same direction regarding our additional formations giving us tactical moves that use the same/similar personnel and not so much drastic formation changes. I've noticed that it saves me a lot of time in game and helps me to be more consistent with sets of instructions that seem to work together in certain situations. It is nice to have a more defensive and a more attacking setup that you are comfortable with pre-configured so you aren't just inventing shit on the spot in an 85th minute panic.
Milo
Well-Known Member
Ha. It pained me greatly to sign a player named Gage.
As for formations, that's usually how it goes for me. I throw stuff at the wall the first season and try to get something that functions. It may not be a smooth ride, but we shouldn't break down mid-trip. That I got promoted was down to having some superior players(Muller, Murphy, Burke) in key spots and the coin flip landing on heads 55 times out of a 100. The difficulty of adjustments hurt me last season.
These three will make it easier to make adjustments on the fly instead of just letting the little bugger run and hope for a good outcome. Last season, for the most part, adjustments weren't as tempting either. I didn't trust our defense to close out games, and I couldn't really get a more attacking line-up than 2 forwards and 2 attacking midfielders without completely selling-out. That shouldn't be the case this season, as when situations dictate I slow down a game, or really open it up, I should be able to do so. It also helps that I know the personnel better, and the squad is now not just a bunch of spare parts, but something I've built(6 out of 11 that will likely start our first game were signed by me.)
Club originals - Fowler, Corona, Murphy, King, Clark.
All this said, I'll probably lose four out of my first five games and scrap the whole damn thing.
goblue96
Disney and Curling Expert
Filled with fictional players not good enough to play at the University of Delaware?
I think the fact that Milo's players all suck is what makes this dynasty so fun. How to work around this players' surgically removed calves and 1 jumping rating?
Besides, football manager dynasties are only fun for me to read when people fail/struggle. I'm already bored with Kella, since he seems to have figured some stuff out. Milo's recent promotion has me hoping for some lopsided drubbings, but he seems to be building a competent team. I was really hoping @goblue96 would work in some typical failings of nepotism in his generational dynasty. What if the son is actually a HORRIBLE coach who only made it to that level because of Daddy? Man, I'd read the shit out of that.
Believe me, I'm keeping this all in mind for my dynasty... I have some twists in store for Mr. Manager!
Besides, football manager dynasties are only fun for me to read when people fail/struggle. I'm already bored with Kella, since he seems to have figured some stuff out. Milo's recent promotion has me hoping for some lopsided drubbings, but he seems to be building a competent team. I was really hoping @goblue96 would work in some typical failings of nepotism in his generational dynasty. What if the son is actually a HORRIBLE coach who only made it to that level because of Daddy? Man, I'd read the shit out of that.
Believe me, I'm keeping this all in mind for my dynasty... I have some twists in store for Mr. Manager!
goblue96
Disney and Curling Expert
He started out shitty but now got his shit together and is at United. Maybe a couple of trophy-less seasons could change that.
Milo
Well-Known Member
Agreed. I have the same thoughts reading dynasties. My favorite dynasty ever on Utopia was oldarmy's for the hopelessness(and gallows humor) of it all(until he eventually was good.) His first bowl game was celebrated on the site like the end of the Cold War.
I won't actively try to undermine my team, though. I want to win. And I'm pretty confident going into this season. Who knows, though. I know with how these tiers are set up, there will be a point when it'll be very difficult for me.
I won't actively try to undermine my team, though. I want to win. And I'm pretty confident going into this season. Who knows, though. I know with how these tiers are set up, there will be a point when it'll be very difficult for me.
This is how I feel too. I'm more comfortable cooking up some off the field story lines that can impact games/team setup, but once the season starts I want to do my best to win. I mean I thought that selling off every offensive player who scored a goal last season might cause some struggles and shit, but it seems to be going ok
. I think you are right about your tier structure being a saving grace. Even if you have the best season ever, it just means you are going to get promoted and face new challenges that could result in struggles for a small team.
I'm hoping that I'll get drubbed in the Champion's league at least for this season, but I can easily see how even making a champions league spot for one season can alter the team going forward. Last season I was bleeding money, hoping to break even at the end of the season. This season I'm making millions every month and I know if I finish relatively high, the transfer budget associated with a money making team will probably be huge? Plus I inadvertently picked a team with pretty great youth generation apparently, so they look like a potential dynasty moving forward. I'll obviously stick with it for this season, but if things get too easy I might have to jump ship for some terrible team where I can lose most of my games and celebrate the wins like a mad man. I prefer that to ever getting to the point where I expect to win every game and getting pissed about the loses. I'm obviously not there yet, but that champs league money is no joke.
Yankee151
Hot Girl Summer
That's why I left Sion (and may leave Benfica if I win a title with the same XI as my club), I had won 5 straight Swiss Leagues, I was just tired of it and asked for money to see if they'd bite. Ended up joining a much better team anyways, haha. If I start a new save I'm going to drop the Puerto Rico Islanders to the US Superleague 4th tier and do a C&C or something, it'd be San Marino challenge but slightly easier.
Milo
Well-Known Member
This is how I feel too. I'm more comfortable cooking up some off the field story lines that can impact games/team setup, but once the season starts I want to do my best to win. I mean I thought that selling off every offensive player who scored a goal last season might cause some struggles and shit, but it seems to be going ok
The game is just so much fun when I'm winning(up to a point.) For me periods of losing make each game excruciating, winning makes ten games feel like two. However, it's so much more entertaining writing and reading about losing.
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Milo
Well-Known Member
Quarterly Report 1: 2023/24
Results
Table
Patriot League One - North
Unlike last season, this league plays a more typical schedule. 28 games total, 2 against each team. Top two are promoted automatically, 3-6 enter a two round play-off.
Also, the tiebreakers aren't screwed up this time.
Recap
So far my preseason optimism wasn't misplaced. We started off well, winning five of our seven league games. We may have dropped points against Newark in the season opener, but we were clearly the better team. After failing to take advantage of our dominance(17 shots to 6), Newark scored an 87th minute goal to earn a draw.
Next up was Cambridge. On top of being another Massachusetts team(so a little bit of rivalry), I felt Cambridge would be a good litmus test for the quality of our team. While Newark climbed up from USS Lower Leagues(inactive), Cambridge has competed in this tier for almost its entire existence. The game was closely contested and we benefited early from a hilarious own goal(hilarious because it didn't happen to me.) Cambridge equalized around the hour mark after a Fowler mistake, but we responded well. Muller would score the winner about fifteen minutes later off a great Paul Clark cross.
(Dat Muller pass.)
We then beat Wilmington 5-0. Muller scored his second career hattrick for Springfield AND assisted on the other two goals(Grella, Larkins). We followed that up with comfortable wins against Toms River and Dearborn(both 2-0). However, the real tests were coming up next.
(First goal is exactly how the partnership is designed to work.)
Hartford and Manchester were labeled as the two favorites for promotion. Hartford typically competes in the tier above us whereas Manchester has fallen all the way from the NSA-League Two(6th tier). Both teams also started the season well. Going into Hartford game, the Wanderers were undefeated. Since the game was at Hartford, I was hoping to be competitive and maybe steal a draw. It turned into a classic.
We took the lead early, a Sparks' freekick hit the bar, the keeper went sprawling and Muller had an easy finish. Hartford equalized almost immediately. There wasn't much between the teams, but I wasn't particularly surprised when Hartford took a 2-1 lead in the 82nd minute. With nothing to lose, I went all out on the attack...and it worked! Paul Clark equalized minutes after their goal and with the adrenaline still flowing, I kept us on the attack. Despite the aggressive tactics of both teams in the late stages, the game looked destined for a draw until Muttonchops played Clark in late in stoppage time and Clark seized the opportunity with a finish from a tight angle. Certainly a great comeback, probably highway robbery, but we didn't care, it was a huge three points.
Next came Manchester. After such an incredible game the week before, I was equally split being optimism and pessimism. We again started out conservatively, just like against Hartford, and took an early lead from a corner(Mark Corona.) However, like Hartford, Manchester responded well. In maybe a bit of returning karma for the ideal timed goals against Burlington in the playoff, Manchester scored in the 45th minute(right before halftime) and then, after a combative second half, they took all three points with a stoppage time winner.
That last gasp loss stung, but I thought getting three points out of two games between Hartford and Manchester was a huge win overall.
Outside of the league, we lost in our opening Patriot Invitational match against Kingsport(a tier 7 team.) They were clearly the better team, but Bunker Hill kept the game tight. Muller even cancelled out an early Kingsport goal right before halftime, but we struggled to match them in the second half. They went on to win 2-1, but I wasn't that disappointed. Of all the cups, the Patriot Invitational received the lowest priority. Now we can continue to focus on the league until the U.S. Open Cup starts.
As you may have noticed, Muller and Grella have been HOT, HOT, HOT. Muller has six goals and four assists in eight games. Grella has four goals and two assists. While I was confident that Grella would be good, it was definitely reassuring to see him score in his league debut(against Newark.)
Murphy and Corona, as our two centerbacks, don't look out of their depth. Sparks has started strong and both Clark and Larkins have contributed from the wide midfield spot. Even Muttonchops has a goal and an assist.
However, it really has been the dominance of Muller and Grella that has propelled us to such a great start. I think it's a fair question to ask if this strong run is a result of a great patch of play by two of our players and because of that we may be punching above our weight. But, regardless, if they are firing, I think we can beat any team in this league.
Two personnel moves to mention. I loaned in two fullbacks in the preseason, Matthew Parish and Emilio Clavijo. However, I did sign a free-agent fullback, Andrew Phillips, a couple weeks into the season. Phillips was rated highly by my scouts and can play both fullback positions. I decided to end Clavijo's loan early since I was paying 20% of his salary and because he was the fullback on the short-term loan(Parish is on a season-long deal.) Clavijo was actually better than Parish, but it just made sense to keep the latter.
Blah. Because it feels weird to end on a picture.
Results
Table
Patriot League One - North
Unlike last season, this league plays a more typical schedule. 28 games total, 2 against each team. Top two are promoted automatically, 3-6 enter a two round play-off.
Also, the tiebreakers aren't screwed up this time.
Recap
So far my preseason optimism wasn't misplaced. We started off well, winning five of our seven league games. We may have dropped points against Newark in the season opener, but we were clearly the better team. After failing to take advantage of our dominance(17 shots to 6), Newark scored an 87th minute goal to earn a draw.
Next up was Cambridge. On top of being another Massachusetts team(so a little bit of rivalry), I felt Cambridge would be a good litmus test for the quality of our team. While Newark climbed up from USS Lower Leagues(inactive), Cambridge has competed in this tier for almost its entire existence. The game was closely contested and we benefited early from a hilarious own goal(hilarious because it didn't happen to me.) Cambridge equalized around the hour mark after a Fowler mistake, but we responded well. Muller would score the winner about fifteen minutes later off a great Paul Clark cross.
(Dat Muller pass.)
We then beat Wilmington 5-0. Muller scored his second career hattrick for Springfield AND assisted on the other two goals(Grella, Larkins). We followed that up with comfortable wins against Toms River and Dearborn(both 2-0). However, the real tests were coming up next.
(First goal is exactly how the partnership is designed to work.)
Hartford and Manchester were labeled as the two favorites for promotion. Hartford typically competes in the tier above us whereas Manchester has fallen all the way from the NSA-League Two(6th tier). Both teams also started the season well. Going into Hartford game, the Wanderers were undefeated. Since the game was at Hartford, I was hoping to be competitive and maybe steal a draw. It turned into a classic.
We took the lead early, a Sparks' freekick hit the bar, the keeper went sprawling and Muller had an easy finish. Hartford equalized almost immediately. There wasn't much between the teams, but I wasn't particularly surprised when Hartford took a 2-1 lead in the 82nd minute. With nothing to lose, I went all out on the attack...and it worked! Paul Clark equalized minutes after their goal and with the adrenaline still flowing, I kept us on the attack. Despite the aggressive tactics of both teams in the late stages, the game looked destined for a draw until Muttonchops played Clark in late in stoppage time and Clark seized the opportunity with a finish from a tight angle. Certainly a great comeback, probably highway robbery, but we didn't care, it was a huge three points.
Next came Manchester. After such an incredible game the week before, I was equally split being optimism and pessimism. We again started out conservatively, just like against Hartford, and took an early lead from a corner(Mark Corona.) However, like Hartford, Manchester responded well. In maybe a bit of returning karma for the ideal timed goals against Burlington in the playoff, Manchester scored in the 45th minute(right before halftime) and then, after a combative second half, they took all three points with a stoppage time winner.
That last gasp loss stung, but I thought getting three points out of two games between Hartford and Manchester was a huge win overall.
Outside of the league, we lost in our opening Patriot Invitational match against Kingsport(a tier 7 team.) They were clearly the better team, but Bunker Hill kept the game tight. Muller even cancelled out an early Kingsport goal right before halftime, but we struggled to match them in the second half. They went on to win 2-1, but I wasn't that disappointed. Of all the cups, the Patriot Invitational received the lowest priority. Now we can continue to focus on the league until the U.S. Open Cup starts.
As you may have noticed, Muller and Grella have been HOT, HOT, HOT. Muller has six goals and four assists in eight games. Grella has four goals and two assists. While I was confident that Grella would be good, it was definitely reassuring to see him score in his league debut(against Newark.)
Murphy and Corona, as our two centerbacks, don't look out of their depth. Sparks has started strong and both Clark and Larkins have contributed from the wide midfield spot. Even Muttonchops has a goal and an assist.
However, it really has been the dominance of Muller and Grella that has propelled us to such a great start. I think it's a fair question to ask if this strong run is a result of a great patch of play by two of our players and because of that we may be punching above our weight. But, regardless, if they are firing, I think we can beat any team in this league.
Two personnel moves to mention. I loaned in two fullbacks in the preseason, Matthew Parish and Emilio Clavijo. However, I did sign a free-agent fullback, Andrew Phillips, a couple weeks into the season. Phillips was rated highly by my scouts and can play both fullback positions. I decided to end Clavijo's loan early since I was paying 20% of his salary and because he was the fullback on the short-term loan(Parish is on a season-long deal.) Clavijo was actually better than Parish, but it just made sense to keep the latter.
Blah. Because it feels weird to end on a picture.
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