Previously on La Plata: Vice, Ángel Bastardo lost a Designated Player and survived a team uprising.

Portland, Oregon

Ruslan Chepiga's floating desk was a truly incredible and innovative piece of furniture, Ángel Bastardo mused as he ran his index finger along the metallic surface. With the magnetic forces to levitate it, Chepiga’s place for ‘accounts’ floated almost 1m above the floor with long metallic wires protruding from its four corners and into the floor.  The final cost of development, construction and installation came to a monstrous US $1.6 million, all funded from Inter Miami Billionaire General Manager Herb Simon’s hospitality accounts.

Herb’s gift was just one strategy in securing the services of Ruslan, who would be needed when things escalated in America.  Escalate they would.  Hugo Ojeda had increased the amount of money that now need to be laundered, and Chepiga’s intelligence had identified Colombian operatives spying on all those that now sat in front of Chepiga: Nathasha Sibiski, Herb Simon, Carlos Valderrama and Ángel Bastardo.

The four men and the lady were discussing their next moves, on the eve of the crunch MLS tie: Portland Timbers Vs Inter Miami.  How can they avoid the clutches of Hugo Ojeda and, in Ruslan's case, avoid the death threats made from the Ojeda-Barranquilla Cartel?  Perhaps Ruslan did not need much convincing to get his hands dirty after all. He needed allies after defecting Mother Russia for the US.

“Do you know why I wanted a desk, Comrades?” asked Chepiga in his typical monotone Russian accent.  His tone neither raising or lowering in pitch, and before anybody could answer, Ruslan continued: “It’s because I’ve spent my life doing the dirty work of men behind desks.  Men who raised above their station from factories as part of the communist dream.  Not anymore.  Once we deal with this Devil called Ojeda, I sit behind the desk”.

Ruslan Chepiga finally understood the game, Ángel Bastardo thought.  The days of the Russian Agent were over and Ruslan could have whatever he wanted after all of this.  Bastardo’s fight was with Hugo Ojeda, and he didn’t care what came after that.  The boy he left back in Mexico had acquired unimaginable wealth and power.  With those luxuries came the biggest ego ever.  An ego made of glass, Hugo’s vulnerabilities had made him dangerous and unpredictable.  Public death threats were one thing, but his advances on Natasha Sibiski could not be ignored and overlooked.  Bastardo had to look out for her whilst the tectonic plates of Bastardo and Chepiga rubbed up close against the Ojeda Cartel.  People will die, and it could not be her.

“To take down an empire, you have to divide it,” Bastardo said to the group.  “You’ve heard my plans.  Natasha will head to Mexico to sow the seeds of discontent between the disenfranchised Cartels where Ojeda once called home”.

Natasha nodded, with a slight gaze to Billionaire Herb Simon who had clearly heard her siren’s call.  No doubt, Miss Sibiski had men under her charm…but a near 90-year-old Billionaire was a surprise.

“Herb” Bastardo called, waking the old man from her spell, “You will continue to clean the money.  Real estate, sponsorships…everything you’ve been doing for us.  Once this is done, I promise assets will be reacquired back to you, and more”.

Turning to his Assistant Head Coach, a beaming Carlos Valderrama, “Carlos and I will continue to play the farce in Major League Soccer, but we will make sure Miami is ready for what’s about to happen once the money is to be shipped back to Colombia”.

Bastardo signed off with one last cold stare to the man behind the floating desk: “Ruslan.  Ready Portland for war, you have 1 year”.

Ruslan rarely smiled. In fact, this was probably one of the only times Ángel Bastardo had ever seen it. The smile could have been lifting the desk itself, it was infectious. The Russian nodded and chuckled to his audience, as he wagged his index finger towards his audience. The finger wore a large pulsating red jewel, which displayed the hammer and sickle: “You know Comrades, I was not religious until I met the man they call Ángel Bastardo. But, let me tell you, Angels are terrifying”.

Notes from the Editor - Chris (FM Eadster) said I write some lovely placeholders. He has therefore allowed me to borrow his character in the shared Bastardoverse in order to show the plotting towards some of the climaxes of La Plata: Vice. I guess this is the definition of a placeholder, not much happens…but we are at least starting to see the journey towards the fireworks. Bastardo has brought together the right people that could bring down the Ojeda-Barranquilla Empire. But will they? That’s all TBA.

For more Football Manager specific Bastardo-Chepiga content, head to twitch.tv/fm_grasshopper TONIGHT. It’s Portland Vs Miami in The MLS Save.

Thanks for reading/sharing/caring,

Tony / FM Grasshopper