If I have learnt anything from the last decade of FM content it’s that whenever you find a good idea you need to repeat it over and over again until you’ve sapped every last morsel of goodness from it. So here FM Grasshopper and I are, back at it again, implementing our own rules at the 2024 Paris Olympic Games.
If you read the last instalment, you’ll know that I disappointed with Spain at the Euros while FMG brought it home with England. If you haven’t read it yet - I urge you to do so now. The premise this time around at the Olympics is more or less the same although we have to tweak slightly to account for the differences in the competitions.
New and Improved Rules
As with the Euro 2024 competition, we have implemented Rule 1: each player is only allowed to make a maximum of 3 appearances from the Group Stage through to the Semi Final - the appearances are reset for the Final (if you make it).
While the Olympics has one round fewer than the Euros it also dictates that teams have a significantly smaller squad - with only 18 allowed, all of whom must be Under 23 years old with the exception of 3 overage players allowed. With a smaller squad, it would be impossible to go with the sole rule of 3 max. appearances but 4 would make it too easy. which leads to Rule 2: each squad nominates 4 ‘Designated Players’ who can make unlimited appearances - these players must be U23.
The Argentine Heroes in Waiting
We have gone with the real life squads again, in order to give ourselves the best challenge.
10 of the 18 man squad ply their trade in their native Argentina, real life manager Javier Mascherano has made full use of the allowed 23 Overage Players.
Geronimo Rulli, Nicolas Otamendi and Julian Alvarez are the three overage players selected - all fresh into the squad from Argentina’s Copa America success the day before the Olympics Squad had to be announced.
Giuliano Simeone, Lucas Beltran and Thiago Almada are the standouts of the U23 contingent. Giuliano hoping to go one better than father Diego who achieved a silver medal at the Atlanta 1996 Olympic Games. (Six Degrees of Separation coming up…) That year Argentina were beaten by a delightful Nigerian side, the winning goal in the gold meal match scored by Emmanuel Amunike whose brother Kevin Amuneke briefly played for Linfield in the NI Premiership before his retirement.
Group D
At the group stages I was given the chance to exact revenge on Spain for our Euro 2024 failures, a Spain squad that included a now ancient (17 year old) Lamine Yamal.
First up, though, it would be New Zealand, followed by Spain and then Egypt to finish the group.
Argentina 5-0 New Zealand
Being a bit uncertain of what to expect, I didn’t trust starting off with a fully back up starting XI so while Rulli and Beltran were rested it was pretty much an otherwise strong starting team that included Otamendi, Almada and Alvarez. I need not have worried though as Almada (pen), Simeone (x2), Di Cesare and Alvarez ensured a successful start to the campaign. Spain beat Egypt 3-1.
Argentina 0-0 Spain
None of the pre-match hype (in my head) about this grudge match managed to materialise on the pitch as we played out a boring scoreless draw. Golden Boy Yamal didn’t even make it off the bench and if there was any highlight in the 90 minutes, I simply don’t remember it happening. New Zealand beat Egypt 3-2.
Argentina 5-0 Egypt
Assured of a spot in the Quarter Final, the only job was to go out and get 3 points to try and assure ourselves of the top spot in the group. With places decided by goal difference we had the edge but needed to be sure of it. All while making the decision to rest our 3 overage players along with Simeone. Lucas Beltran made his impact with a hattrick, Luciano Gondou and Bruno Amione the other scorers - when the bell hits the net and you’re topping the set… that’s Amione!
Knockout Rounds
The draw - bafflingly done - pits us on a collision course with Spain in the Semi Final should we overcome Ukraine in the Quarter Final. All meaning that the potential for an France-Argentina final is very much on the cards.
Quarter Final: Argentina 5-0 Ukraine
I didn’t expect it to be this easy especially as we’d gone with rotation again in the hope of progressing to meet Spain. Thiago Almada opened the scoring but it was Beltran who stole the show with 4 incredible goals. With Kevin Zenon tiring and the game all but done I made the sleazy decision to bring sub goalkeeper Leandro Brey on at left back. In retrospect it was a change I should have waited as Cristian Medina ended up picking up an injury and we had to replace him with Claudio Echeverri for the final 9 minutes. At the end of the game it meant that Brey and Echeverri along with Bruno Amione and Luciano Gondou would be ruled out for selection for the Semi-Final.
INJURY CRISIS
With Cristian Medina ruled out for the remainder of the tournament with a groin injury we were presented with the option of calling up a replacement. This wasn’t something we had planned for pre-tournament. After some quick Whatsapp Discussions with FM Grasshopper, we agreed that a replacement could be called up from the 4 alternate players listed on the Squads List on Wikipedia - enter Federico Redondo Solari. The 21 year old son of legendary Fernando Redondo (and relation of Jorge and Santiago Solari on his mother’s side) is plucked away from Inter Miami for a potential NARRATIVE creation.
Semi Final: Argentina 3-2 Spain
Once again Lamine Yamal was glued to the bench for this one but Spain weren’t short of talent with Pau Torres, Yeremy Pino, Pablo Torre and Gabri Veiga playing some part. It seemed as if things weren’t going to go to plan again when Spain opened the scoring after just 14 minutes thanks to an abhorrent error from Geronimo Rulli. Less than 10 minutes later, Kevin Zenon found the equaliser when it seemed absolutely nobody else wanted to take the shot. Julian Alvarez put us ahead into the second half connecting with an Almada cross before an 80th minute wonder goal from Spain brought the tie level. Calm heads prevail though as we stuck to the game plan and in the 84th minute Thiago Alamda once more found Alvarez with the cross and the Man City man scored the goal to guarantee his country an Olympic Medal.
Gold Medal Match: Argentina 0-1 France
With just six minutes on the clock, Argentina were gifted an opportunity to open the scoring when the referee gave a debatable penalty in our favour. Up stepped Thiago Almada who put it at just the right height for France stopper Restes to save. Both sides played some great free flowing football, producing fantastic movement in the final third but it was Arsenal reject Alexandre Lacazette who scored the only goal of the game as he latched onto Michael Olise’s sidewards pass across the box. The xG was in Argentina’s favour but sadly on the big occasion our big players like Alvarez, Beltran and Almada just didn’t turn up - Almada throwing in a brutal 5.9 performance thanks in part to his early penalty miss.
The Latin 4-4-2
As with the Euros, I didn’t set out to complete a full on tactical replication of what Argentina do in real life. I read a bit about how they play at senior level and took parts from that which I felt suited my skill level. Messi dropping in to create space in behind for a midfield runner. Pressing hard to win the ball back quickly. These are all things I like.
What I went with wasn’t too complex and proves that sometimes there can be success in simplicity. A solid back four with the left back attacking the space afforded by an inverted left winger. A basic winger on the right to get down the flank and cross for the forward or the advancing b2b midfielder exploiting the space created by the drifting DLF.
Unfinished Business
Clearly I still have something to prove. Having made it to the final, largely because of how well I managed the squad rotation and in a small way thanks to how kind the draw had been to us, I couldn’t overcome the French Resistance.
We will go again though… what’s next up on the international calendar?