"Fade to Black" - La Plata: Colombia #FM21

 
 

There was some Latino in Theydon-Mortimer's top lawyer Natasha Sibiski. Hugo was sure of it. Whether it was the slight injection of aggression she brought into discussions, or the passionate darkness in her eyes, Hugo couldn’t tell…eyes that any man would find hard to resist falling into. Yet, she only spoke of her mother's Russian background. A tale Hugo Ojeda could always relate to, having grown fatherless until Ángel Bastardo found him in the jungle, almost 25 years ago.

The now imprisoned Football Manager was the reason that he now sat facing Ms. Sibiski in his Barranquilla office. Natasha had engineered an escape route for Bastardo, provided Hugo agreed to certain terms and conditions, the details of which were being explained by the lone man sitting next to Natasha: Chad Rockey. Rockey was not a traditional negotiator. He was a soccer guy, sent by Major League Soccer (MLS), to bring about a mutually beneficial deal for both parties.

It was a bold move by the Americans. Hugo Ojeda would get his man…but he'd have to wait 2 years to see Ángel Bastardo leave the US. The contract was simple: Bastardo was to manage any MLS franchise for 2 years: a move which was guaranteed to expand the league’s global fanbase. But there was something more to all of this; something the American appeared to be holding back. El Silencio, the gold plated pistol, now synonymous with Latin America’s wealthiest man, had a way of speeding up talks and this became evident, as Hugo effortlessly brushed his blazer aside, revealing the pistol at his hip. The gold plating glistened in the Barranquilla sunset, which shone in through the office’s wide windows and ricocheted off the walls and the pistol, onto the stained glass window opposite Hugo's desk. The intricate stained panels depicting Hugo’s likeness had been commissioned by the Venezuelan himself, to commemorate his move to Colombia. The rays of the sun sank into the panels, which had inexplicably grown darker during its 5 year stay in Barranquilla and Hugo's self-portrait was now just a mere outline, with the tiles awash with dark reds, or blacks, where the colour had faded.

El Silencio's cameo spurred Rockey on and his speech grew faster and he began to stutter: "In addition to Señor Bastardo's MLS involvement...a European manager will also be entering the league... somebody…who…erm…may be of interest to you…and”...

Natasha Sibiski showed that fire once again, by cutting in and getting straight to the point: “Ruslan Chepiga. A surprise discovery, for sure, but one we must respect".

Ruslan Chepiga was presumed dead in a plane crash some 5 years ago, but now it seemed that he was alive and well. Well enough to manage a MLS franchise it seemed and Hugo afforded himself a rare smile. This was interesting news. Not only was he presumed dead, but Hugo was also considered a prime suspect, in the bombing of the Russian plane that had supposedly been carrying the ex-Soviet agent. Those charges and accusations would have to be dropped now, for Hugo was truly innocent of such a barbaric act. But, Natasha had already resumed the conversation, before he had any chance to comment on it, pushing on, in her pursuit to dictate the tempo…

"This news may greatly interest you Hugo and I am sure that you desire to have a face-off with Chepiga, but the agreement is clear: both Ruslan and Ángel must be left alone until the 2 year term is up. This is the best offer we can get for us all. I implore you to accept".

Hugo mused. He had to admire her bluntness, but it didn't change his dislike for the way Natasha Sibiski exerted herself in the affairs of men. Theydon-Mortimer's influence on matters had grown, not just with this whole agreement, but in the very way they acted as a sort of buffer between Hugo and Ángel. He was sure his messages were now being blocked from ever reaching Bastardo in jail, and his paranoia only amplified whenever he dealt with Theydon-Mortimer's prodigal daughter, Natasha Sibiski. She told him only what he needed to know, and not what he wanted to. There was no way to sense what Bastardo thought about MLS and a return to football, but he had to trust Natasha…and he would do so cautiously.

Hugo leaned forward, removed the holstered gun and laid it on the table for both Rockey and Natasha to see. "2 years, Natasha", he whispered, as his hands caressed the pistol. His menacing tone grew slightly louder…whilst his gaze fixated on Natasha: "2 years and I settle all family business - don’t forget who you answer to here. Set up a base in Miami with secure communications. That's the only MLS franchise for Ángel".

Silent nods of approval ensued as Natasha closed her portfolio and ushered Rockey to the door. Hugo took time to sit back and relax, as the two guests left him alone in the room. Once again, he pondered the stained window facing him, its dark energy feeding him memories of what seemed a lifetime ago. He sometimes heard the voice of Bastardo come from the window, often in mumbles…barely audible amongst the cries of Father Martínez, the murdered Priest, burned alive, almost 5 years ago. Dark magic existed, and it existed in this window. Hugo was sure of it.

The window, taking on the voice of Ángel Bastardo, once again spoke through the crackling of the fires: “Never waste a good crisis, Hugo".... Hugo was sure he had heard right. “Never waste a good crisis” indeed, Hugo thought to himself, as he continued to study the darkness of his image in front of him. Miami, at this point, seemed to be a good choice for the Barranquilla-Mexico Conglomerate’s next move. A business opportunity amongst all of this squabbling and lawyer meddling, almost too good to be true. Miami could be the final piece of the jigsaw, linking both Colombia and Mexico with the heart of America…ensuring that Hugo acquired the biggest drug empire the World had ever seen.

Hugo no longer needed to close his eyes. There was no need to imagine a different past, present or future. He only had to look into the window, with his eyes wide open, and watch it all fade to black.

Notes from the Editor: It felt right to include Magical Realism in “La Plata: Colombia”, seeing that this was a literary genre that emerged from Latin America. My stories this year have tried to use magic in the form of the clumsy POVs of Hugo Ojeda. But, it’s the stained glass window, the self-commissioned portrait of Hugo with his El Silencio pistol that quenched my creative thirst this year. Just as the window has grown darker, so has the loneliness and isolation that Hugo Ojeda finds himself in.

I needed a post today that set the situation and sat nicely alongside Natasha’s previous POV. There is now a route out of the United States for Ángel Bastardo, and a place for him to come back into the forefront of my story. I now look forward to concluding this three part “La Plata Series” with “La Plata: Vice” in FM22.

Bastardo is going to Miami.

“Welcome, to Miami”.

 
 

"1,828 Days Later" - La Plata: Colombia #FM21

 

“Repent. The end is extremely ******* nigh”

 

Intro

Today’s post captures the final 6 months of La Plata: Colombia, where Hugo Ojeda’s Junior Club look to add to their 11 trophies won in Football Manager 2021.

In addition, the post will retrospectively look back on the save that has spanned 5 in-game years (1,828 days)…reviewing the seven objectives of the save introduced back in November. Did the save achieve all it was set out to do? Have I enjoyed FM Colombia? Would I recommend it to readers? Please read on to find out…

Season 2025: Clausura

Categoría Primera A

15 wins, 3 draws and 2 defeats ensured we topped the traditional Closing Stage table and thus entered the Closing Stage Semi Finals…where we qualified for the Final with a game to spare. I rotated heavily against Millonarios and saw my young side squander a 2-0 lead, would it stop our momentum?

Absolutely it would. I can’t remember getting owned like this in any of the previous FM21 finals…when I have lost it’s been by the odd goal; but Independiente Medellín destroyed us in the 1st leg. I was trying to sign AMC Miguel Monsalve all Summer, but eventually opted to sign for Yeison Guzmán; but only one turned up in that 1st leg. Monsalve pulled the strings behind the other 1st leg goal scorer: a hot-shot Newgen called Didier Cuperman. Please remember the name, because you will never see it on this blog again.

2025 Copa Libertadores

It’s v.likely that you have to knock out four consecutive Brazilian clubs in order to win the Copa Libertadores in FM21 (more on this later), but we came up short against Flamengo who would go on to win their 3rd Copa Libertadores trophy. I have no quarrel with going out at this stage again, unlike last season where we pushed Santos all the way in the Semis, Flamengo were miles ahead of us in terms of speed and style of play. Their FM21 is one of the finest assembled sides on the Continent: Thiago Almada, Amad Diallo, Bruno Tabata and Talisca leading the attack behind a Leandro Paredes and Thiago Maia pivot. Tasty.

Looking back, should there be any surprises with a 6-0 aggregate defeat imposed on us by Jorge Sampaoli? He’s been a constant thorn in my side during FM21, and I’ve only won once in eleven(!) matches against him…’From Eleven, One’? 🤮

Hugo Ojeda Vs Jorge Sampaoli. Ouch

Copa Colombia

We had previously won the 2023 and 2024 edition of the Copa Colombia. Would we make it a hat-trick?

We’re obviously not up for adding to the 11th trophies we’ve acquired in FM21, so it’s perhaps now time to look back on past glorious by taking stock of where we’ve come from. Goodbye Clausura 2025, you will not be missed.

1,828 Days Later

I introduced the below checklist in my save introduction and then revisited it in 2023. Now in 2025, 1,828 in-game days later, it’s time to see how far I go to ticking various items off my FM21 checklist…

 
 

Trophies and Legacies (Aims 1-3)

After winning the Copa Libertadores in 2023, I had to wait almost two years to play in the revised Club World Cup. It was always going to be tough, there are noticeably more European sides included and you now have to progress from a Group Stage. Sadly my Junior side did not, which was the subject matter of my previous blog post.

But as mentioned in that post, we did it with youth. The legacy I have got is that in the last two years of this save…I cleared the way for Academy prospects to enter the First Team. In fact, Yeison Guzmán was the only noticeable signing in those two years (a club record €3.5m signing to bring him back to Colombia from MLS side New York Red Bulls). 13 of the 2025 First Team Squad are academy produced (total 24 players), and they represent 43% of minutes played in all competitions during the 2025 season (34,255 minutes out of a total 77,982 minutes played).

But was it enough to see 5 Academy players achieve International recognition? Sadly not. Charles Asprilla and Ricardo Caraballo are the only guys who broke into the Colombia squad during the 5 seasons. But I do get the feeling that I would have achieved this target if the save was 2-3 seasons longer. Time waits for no man, especially for an FM Blogger juggling Colombian 80 game seasons with two kids and a wife.

Tactics and Training (Aims 4 and 5)

Two years ago, I wrote about how I achieved these two aims. Tactically, my final two years saw us return to a narrow formation (I dubbed it Godzilla)…the football is a bit sexier than the Misery 4-4-2 and we’re quite imperious when the AI lets us. It’s perhaps more like Francisco Maturana’s systems again, with tricky ‘El Toque’ making sporadic appearances. But I probably have to plug that goal again, from the El Toque era of Ojeda’s Junior Club. The goal that I never grow tired of seeing, from way back in 2021 year of the save: Arezo Vs Deportes Tolima on 17 July 2021.

I’ve been disciplined this year in FM with regards to training. I have had both squads (First Team and U20s) adopt custom routines for most of the save. I wrote about the U20 programmes at length back in Season 2. It’s hard to isolate and say how much of an influence they had on the players coming through, but it’s clear from my eyes that the U20s breaking into the squad have been vastly superior in terms of technicals than what came before. You only have to look at the three Academy players I built around (Asprilla, Bonilla and Padilla) when putting together the Godzilla 4-1-3-2.

Long Term Ambitions (Aims 6 and 7)

In my opinion, Building a Nation™️ saves do not really bear fruit until at least 10 seasons in. So, producing an El Dorado…where Colombian sides (other than my own) achieve continental success was always going to be hard in just 5 years. However, for the first time ever in my save…I was joined by a non-Brazilian side in the Copa Libertadores Semi Finals. That side was a fellow Colombian team too: Independiente Medellín. Furthermore, in the Copa Sudamericana (the lesser continental trophy) Millonarios of Bogotá broke a run of four consecutive wins for Brazil by winning the 2025 trophy. Is this down to a ripple effect of how Junior Club have done in continental competitions? I don’t know. But you can be sure I am crossing this off my checklist…Colombia are back for El Dorado Part III.

In terms of domestic dominance, we’re still behind Atlético Nacional:

  • Atlético Nacional - 18 domestic titles

  • Atlético Junior - 13 domestic titles

We managed to reduce the deficit between ourselves and Nacional in this save by two titles…with Ojeda’s Junior winning four of the ten league titles on offer in FM21 (remember: two titles per season are won). Sadly, Atlético Nacional themselves won two of those other titles and remain a decent side with Juan Pablo’s son Tomás Ángel leading their attack. However, I believe overtaking Nacional is something I would eventually achieve…if I could play longer into the save.

Q&A

  1. Did the save achieve all it was set out to do?

    The above shows not all things were achieved. However, I can look back on how well we did in just five years. I certainly feel my commitments to youth, whilst also keeping the side successful during that period, is a massive achievement. I was expecting a huge dip in those final two years…but we were still able to win trophies 8-11 and continued to reach the Semi Finals of the Copa Libertadores in each year.

  2. Have I enjoyed FM Colombia?

    Immensely. I have written my thoughts about FM21 in the soon-to-be-released Issue 8 of Latte Quarterly…but FM Colombia has continued to hold my interest for almost all of the FM cycle. Well done Colombia 👏🏻

  3. Would I recommend it to readers?

    Yes. In FM Colombia, you have to accept a few things before starting out: Firstly, you need to choose your foreign players well; because you are only allowed 4 of them (and only play three at any one time in the league). Secondly, you have to prepare for huge league seasons and also really tight turnarounds between games…with successful sides playing every 2-3 days all-year-round. Perhaps lastly, and something that will apply to any South American save, Brazil dominate the Copa Libertadores. I’ve always felt it’s a bit overpowered…but maybe FM is ahead of the curve in this respect (after all, three of the four Semi Finalists this year in-real life are Brazilian sides). In my save, Brazilian clubs won three of the five Copa Libertadores trophies on offer…and had a finalist in all of them.

    If you can accept the above and live with it, FM Colombia is a great destination and I hope to see others choose the country when I am elsewhere during future editions…

  4. Will you be doing more of these really good Q&As?

    I’m only filling in because my Scottish penfriend (who usually does them) is not. He’s away from keyboard right now, whilst he builds his community a wee Bunker out back in the garden. I am told it will go live in 2026 and it’s going to be really special. I’m glad you like my Q&A.

  5. Do you want to thank anybody for their help with this save?

    I do, and in no particular order: All of my blogger OGs (CoffeehouseFM and non-CoffeehouseFM), anybody that’s ever shared or interacted with the save, Leith Blade on Twitter who has been great to talk to about Caraballogol & Colombia, Diego Mendoza for literally bending over and letting my Junior side spank him 3-0 in La Copa LQ, Ondrej for his skin and his Rensie Skin, Ed Wilson for helping me with the 4-4-2, Dan Gear [paid mention], Arun and Eadie-C for their help with CreativeFM, Bazza, My Mum for telling me I was a mistake…but then rectifying that by being nice about me blogging FM during lockdown(s), to Jess/the builders/electricians/plumbers/window men and building control who constructed an FM workstation for me to stream (and win) the 2023 Copa Libertadores Final in, Samo for being in that stream but also checking in on me when I went through FM Misery before that final and Stacy Gear [paid mention]. Thank you so much.

My favourite FM21 Players

Mainly for my benefit, I want to recap on a few players that have been with me for the majority of my save. Say goodbye to the lads:

Joaquín Blázquez - Goalkeeper

I used record appearance holder and Junior Legend, Sebastián Viera, for the first 2.5 seasons of the save. He was 40-years-old when I decided not to renew his contract. Replacing him was always going to be a really hard task, but I noticed a young Argentine Goalkeeper from my second season perform well when I played Estudiantes de Río Cuarto in the Copa Libertadores Group Stage. His name was Joaquín Blázquez, an ex-Valencia youth prospect, who had been willing to drop down to the 2nd Argentine Division and play for the lesser known Estudiantes. In this time, he had won the Copa Argentina and had been exposed to Copa Libertadores football as a result. I felt his ceiling was high, so I spent €2.5m (the most at this point of the save) to make him Viera’s replacement.

Joaquín Blázquez’s story is special. He walked into the side for the 2023 Closing Stage and within the space of 3-4 months had won a treble (League, Domestic Cup and the Copa Libertadores), which also included a MOTM performance in the final itself Vs São Paulo. He is now wanted by many clubs on the Continent and he has even been called up to the Argentine National Squad, the €2.5m now looks like great value.

Appearances: 187

Clean sheets: 69 (wheeey)

Joaquín Piquerez - Wing Back/Midfielder

I wrote about how Joaquín Piquerez fitted into the squad in the then new-look 4-4-2 back in Season 2. The move to 4-1-3-2 Godzilla increased his versatility in the side too, and Piquerez has probably featured in more positions/roles than anybody else. He’s sometimes the Complete Wing-Back or the Attacking Mezzala on the left…but then equally capable as the Roaming Playmaker or Central midfielder more centrally. Whenever he plays, he puts in a shift. After all, he’s Uruguayan.

Piquerez represented a sizeable slice of my transfer funds at the time, with €1.5m being paid out to Peñarol in Season 2. But like Blázquez before him, it’s been great business…and further justification that I got my foreign player slots right this year in FM21.

 

Joaquín Piquerez Vs Flamengo 30.08.2023

 

Appearances: 155 starts (46 sub)

Attacking contribution: 25 goals and 52 assists

Charles Asprilla - Midfielder

But now we turn to some lovely Colombian players. Charles Asprilla is the No.1 Newgen for me in this save, without a doubt this kid is all round class. He scored on his debut at 15, played out the final 6 minutes of a Copa Libertadores Final at 17, Colombian International at 18 and was Club Captain at 19. He’s part of the Godzilla Triumvirate, alongside his fellow illas (Bonilla and Padilla), and one of the first picks on the team sheet. There is no doubt he will end up in Europe very soon…just look at him.

Charles Asprilla Vs Gremio 20.08.2025

Appearances: 118 starts (18 subs)

Trophies: Copa Libertadores (2023), Liga Dimayor (Closing 2023 & Opening 2025), Copa Colombia (2023 & 2024), Súperliga Dimayor (2023, 2024 & 2025)

Jhon Durán / Ricardo Caraballo - Strikers

Ed Wilson has his Alfredo, FM Rensie has his Oscar Aga and FM Samo has his minor Haaland. FM21 seems the edition where a few of us get that iconic Striker…well I’ve naturally gone one better on them by assembling two: Jhon Durán & Ricardo Caraballo. Two Strikers that have spearheaded the Junior attack for around three years of the save during the Misery and Godzilla years. Inseparable Colombians that just love to set each other up and score silky goals. I wanted one of them to reach 50 goals for the calendar year, and ‘Caraballogol’ came the closest with 49 a couple of years ago. But, in all honesty, their tallies year-on-year get close to around 90 goals so I am happy anyway. They are dreamweavers who have been a major part in the successes we have had as a team. If I am honest, they probably are not elite enough to go to the very top…but they’ve found a good place in Barranquilla to carve out a successful start to their careers. 271 goals between them at Junior Club, in what has been a golden era for the club:

Durán Vs Unión Magdalena 23.03.2024

Caraballogol Vs Uni. de Mendoza in La Copa LQ

Appearances: 194 starts and 38 subs (Jhon Durán) + 187 starts and 30 subs (Caraballogol)

Goals: 131 goals (Jhon Durán) + 140 goals (Caraballogol)

Personal achievements: Broke the Junior record for most goals in a league match with 5 against Atletico Bucaramanga in 2022 (Jhon Durán) + Broke the Junior record for most goals in a single season with 49 goals in 2023 (Caraballogol)

CreativeFM

No CreativeFM in this post…that comes next: “Fade to Black” is out in a few days, which will see Hugo and Natasha edge closer to releasing the World’s most notorious Football Manager. Whilst you wait, here is my La Plata: Colombia movie poster in the event that Netflix call me…

 

As always, thanks for reading/sharing/caring,

FM Grasshopper

 

"A Greek Tragedy" - La Plata: Colombia #FM21

Previously on La Plata: Colombia, Hugo Ojeda introduced those on the edge of seventeen.

 
 

Intro

I feel like I have become quite attuned to knowing when to call time on a save. I’m unsure if that sensitivity is heightened because I now write about my saves, or whether it’s just FMWisdom™ after almost 25 years of football management simulations. But I made the decision last time out on this blog that my 5th season in FM21 will be my last. It still feels like the right decision.

Does my decision make this save more enjoyable? Bizarrely, I think that’s a resounding “yes”. The finite nature of the save now means every trophy, cup game and Junior wonder goal might be the last one. As a side, I’ve always argued non-religious folk probably enjoy the wonders of nature and life, more than the pious crew who believe in an Afterlife. Maybe this theory similarly applies to those who proactively call time on their saves Vs those that realise too late? We enjoy and savour the final moments more.

I’ll leave you to ponder that and reflect on your own saves (or religion), as I bring readers up-to-speed on the happenings of the Opening Stage of 2025. Vamos!

Season 2025: Apertura

Categoría Primera A

For the second year running, my Godzilla 4-1-3-2 tactic led to an unbeaten 20 game Opening Stage: 14 wins and 6 draws (not to mention trophy #10 - the inaugural Súperliga Final win Vs Millonarios) . But as I’ve previously documented in this FM21 blog, only the Semi Final stage matters…and we got incredibly lucky in a quest for a 7th final in nine FM21 league stages (Opening & Closing).

The main reason for our dip in form in those final two Semi Final games, is that we rushed back from Greece after participating in the Club World Cup tournament (more on that later). Perhaps the players mentally struggled to be playing in two demanding groups across two continents concurrently? It was also a challenging domestic group too. Both Independiente Medellín and Millonarios had won the previous two Colombian league titles and Atlético Nacional are Atlético Nacional…always a big challenge. We scrapped through against Nacional on goal difference, mainly thanks to that thumping 4-0 home win.

The final was another side that has caused the odd headache for us in this save: América de Cali. There is nothing to write home about with regards to that 1st leg…a boring 0-0 where neither side created much. But the 2nd leg was much better, the Dreamboat of this save coming up with the title winning goal to secure a 4th league title of this save and an 11th career trophy for Hugo Ojeda…

Caraballogol and trophy #11: Opening Stage 2025.

2025 Copa Libertadores

Having won the Copa Libertadores a couple of seasons ago (2023), you could be forgiven for thinking that I was intending to take the easier route by intentionally aiming for a 3rd place finish in a Copa Libertadores group in order to have a chance to win the Copa Sudamericana, especially after losing two of the first three Group G games. I believe some FM Bloggers have done similar things before in continental comps, and it always made me feel incredibly nauseous. “Always aim to be the best you can be”, right?

We rallied back, solid wins against Caracas and Club Atlético Grau ensured that the highest level of continental football continues for Junior Club into the last few months of my save. Vasco da Gama up next in the round of 16. We’re massive.

A Greek Tragedy [2025 Club World Cup]

Since that Copa Liberatores triumph, I’ve waited patiently for a revised Club World Cup to schedule in the calendar, a chance to test ourselves against the European Elite. A chance to be World Champion…it’s what most, if not all, FM Bloggers dream about. Alas, the Greek Gods overseeing the Group Stage draw were in an impish mood, as we headed to Greece to face-off against Flamengo of Brazil and Pumas of Mexico. No disrespect to Flamengo, but we play the Brazilian sides all too frequently…and Pumas aren’t a Chivas or Club América. If we were to face a European side, we’d have to come out on top in the all Latin American group. Could we do it?

No. But please understand that my Junior side came out on top with xG in both games (above)…cruelly losing against Flamengo to a defensive mishap (below), after being the better side throughout. I counted three missed 1v1s and two goes at the woodwork (xG imo should be more like 5.0). Flamengo got out of jail and stole 3 points: Junior 0-1 Flamengo. Against Pumas, there was no defensive mistake…a 1st half Caraballogol-gol was the decisive moment in a dull contest: Pumas 0-1 Junior. We deserved it, but the 1-0 win would mean we would need Pumas to beat Flamengo by 1-0 and hope both sides acquired some yellow/red cards (so that we go through via a good disciplinary record - with all sides having a solitary 1-0 win each). When things are that complicated, there is no point hoping for a miracle.

Junior’s only goal conceded at the CWC is a shocker…

Carabollogol Vs Pumas…

This whole episode played out like a Greek tragedy. Having waited for this competition for so long (almost two years)…it was over so quickly. Here is the final table:

Flamengo would go on to lose to Chelsea, who would lose to finalists Man City…who would be beaten by Liverpool on penalties. It finally came home.

6 months to go…

Following on from the footsteps of El Toque & Misery, my Godzilla tactic has finally come good and won Junior Club a league title. Whilst not leading Barranquilla’s top club to a Club World Cup title, I can take solace from the fact that Godzilla did not embarrass itself either. We now look forward one final time: to the Closing Stage of 2025 and a chance to add to trophy #11…with the Copa Libertadores title our primary target.

Enjoy, and savour, the final moments with me.

FM Grasshopper

"Edge of Seventeen" - La Plata: Colombia #FM21

Previously on La Plata: Colombia, Hugo Ojeda offered to end the War on Drugs.

 
 

Intro

Today’s post concludes the second half of 2024, my 4th season in Colombia with Atlético Junior. In the Board’s eyes it was a disappointment: they wanted a domestic title (of which there are two per calendar year) and we won neither. Yet, we did win two domestic trophies which the Board did not rate (Superliga de Colombia & Copa Colombia) and had a respectable run to the Copa Libertadores Semi Final…once again the last non-Brazilian side in the competition. We also achieved a respectable ‘Silver Place’ in the inaugural La Copa LQ, absolutely smashing Diego Mendoza’s UDM en route to a tight defeat against Adventure’s Atalanta. In my eyes, at least, 2024 was a massive success…because we continued to compete for trophies despite fielding a much younger side.

In a previous post, I introduced my 4-1-3-2 ‘Godzilla’ tactic which I hoped would make use of the plethora of young up-and-coming academy players moving into the 1st team. As I head into the 5th season, and possibly my last with Junior, I am now looking to add more younger players. I’m therefore excited to introduce to you those on the edge of seventeen in today’s post, who I hope will represent us well in May 2025’s revamped FIFA Club World Cup.

Vamos Junior…

Season 2024

2024 Clausura

Our Closing campaign was nowhere near as solid as the Opening Stage, yet we did manage to qualify for the Semi Final stage with two games to spare…finishing the Closing campaign in 6th. But, as usual, it’s all about how you find form in the Semi Final groups and we did not disappoint:

I’ll admit to being a bit nervy with the opening away draws, but four straight wins were enough to see us confidently qualify for the Closing Stage Final…a repeat of the 2023 Closing Stage: Millonarios Vs Junior Club. The 1st leg was massively disappointing, we could not capitalise on being at home…and two long rangers from Millonarios shocked us. Sadly, the 1st leg did not get the point across…we shipped five goals without a reply in the second leg and found ourselves 7-1 down on aggregate. We did improve in that second half and it ended 5-4 (7-5 on aggregate), but we only really turned up for one 45 mins out of 180. Was the team too young? Did I set it up wrong? I really don’t know. It was the first time domestically that we had conceded four goals in over a year (pre-Godzilla tactic) and I’m left wondering what could have been if we had not been so god awful in that Second Leg’s 1st half.

The 4th Millonarios-Junior League final of this save, and the first time Millonarios came out on top :-(

2024 Copa Libertadores

The updates progressively get more upbeat as we move onto the cup competitions, we came so close to making the showpiece Copa Libertadores final and defending our title! Before that topsy-turvy Semi Final, we made relatively easy work against San Lorenzo and Vasco da Gama. The scorelines show only a one nil Junior advantage, but I was pleased as to how my young team controlled both games.

Santos won the showpiece single legged final in Estadio Centenario, Uruguay. Ties before this are two-legged.

Against Santos, the 3-1 away leg defeat flattered the Brazilian side. After Caraballogol put us ahead, I felt we controlled it quite well…until moments of magic appeared from their individual talents, which include ex-Gimnasia striker Matías Córdoba (vomits). The second leg was a 2-1 Junior win, I still feel pained re-watching the highlights of Lautaro Giannetti’s header smashing against the post from a corner and both Jhon Durán & Caraballogol missing easy 1v1 sitters. Still, we lost to eventual winners and came close to defending our crown.

2024 Copa Colombia

The Copa Colombia trophy win was a nice surprise. The Bucaramanga tie was a repeat final from last year, and allowed me to give minutes to players who would leave Junior club in December 2024: Club Captain Leandro Pico, ex-FM wonderkid Sherman Cárdenas and hitman Santiago Tréllez all waving goodbye to Barranquilla after years of service. The Copa Colombia is our 9th trophy of this save and something to build on as we go into 2025 seeking to get into double figures for trophies won.

Trophy #9

Another little side challenge of the save drags on: see a single player score 50 calendar year goals (all comps). Perhaps 2025 is the year we finally do it, seeing as both Jhon Durán & Caraballogol scored 44 goals each in 2024. I just need one to be a little more selfish over the other I guess…

Edge of Seventeen

I have previously written about my approaches to youth development + training back in Season 2 (read Junior Club here). The U20 training regimes and my general approach have not changed, but we did see the special affiliate arrangement with Barranquilla FC end in 2023 with their promotion to the Colombian top league. It’s annoying that it was ended, but I can take some solace in that I used the option, when I could, to poach a few young players including Ricardo Caraballo - now our top scorer in all competitions for two years running.

The previous Youth Development blog post introduced three young players: Jhon Durán, Juan Aragón & Pabue Casiani. I do not feel the need to re-introduce them here today, but just know that they will feature in the First Team in 2025. Likewise, I feel no need to re-post the mercurial talents of the ‘three ‘illas’ as outlined in my Godzilla post. The likes of Charles Asprilla, Mauricio Bonilla and Antony Padilla are already virtual household names by now. Instead, I will introduce three more younger players; who I hope will breakthrough and make a name for themselves in 2025. I’ll then conclude by showing you my final squad number graphic for the year, only this time…also showing you the depth in positions as the young players interchange with the establish stars. I am hoping that a near Homegrown* XI can become a regular thing in my 5th and final season.

*Note - ‘Homegrown’ to me is two things: (1) ‘Homegrown’ as in Colombian nationality and also (2) ‘Homegrown At Club’ which, in my mind, includes those guys signed from the Barranquilla FC arrangement and anybody signed at the age of 15-years-old (e.g. Charles Asprilla and Mauricio Bonilla). Don’t like this? Stop reading.

(1) Juan Pablo Bohórquez

 
 

Brave, hardworking and speedy. Juan Pablo Bohórquez was introduced to the 1st team briefly in the Opening Stage of 2024 before impressing. In the Closing Stage he has built on his form and become our replacement Pressing Forward when Caraballogol needed a rest. The statistics are shown in the tweaked Rensie Skin above, absolutely lethal domestically in the league and our 3rd best scorer in 2024 with 17 goals (all comps). There is not a lot I will do with him now, other than train him in the Pressing Forward role on double intensity. There is absolutely no need to sign a replacement for Santiago Tréllez either, JPB is oven ready!

(2) Estebán Alcázar

 
 

Based on coach reports, Estebán Alcázar is one of our most highly rated players for potential ability at Junior Club. I therefore feel compelled to use him in 2025, as he enters adulthood which sees his demands for 1st Team football grow. But, where do I use him? My midfield this season has been stacked for talent, so I’ve shoehorned him in briefly at Right Back as our Complete Wing Back on Attack. But longer term I probably would like to use him as a left sided attacking Mezzala in the 4-1-3-2, seeing as I don’t play with wide attackers. His either footedness attracts me too, and if I can get him up near the penalty area with his silky dribbling then I think he could be the surprise Junior player of 2025.

(3) Edgar Mora

 
 

Lastly, Edgar Mora is one I want to introduce to you in today’s post. In a reverse of the standard Barranquilla FC arrangement, I loaned Mora in order to increase his game time over 2024. Played as a Deep Lying Playmaker at MC, he’s been a solid performer for Barranquilla FC back in Colombia’s second league. He now returns to Junior Club with a chance of entering our side as a utility player in midfield. I really need a holding player at DM to relieve Antony Padilla from time-to-time now that Leandro Pico has left. Edgar could be that help, but can he play Half Back and drop into our backline? Personally, I’d like better Positioning, but I’ll surely be able to give him adequate minutes at either HB or CM-S.

Squad Evolution 2021-2025

 
 

I thought I would update my First XI squad number graphic and compare it with the previous two from earlier on in the save (2021 and 2023). After four years of management, the team is almost completely different from Day 1 of the save. Only Winger Edwuin Cetré and Left Back Gabriel Fuentes now remain from that original squad, with the latter occupying #6 in each squad number graphic of the save.

In addition to the usual squad number graphic, I thought I would create one to also show squad depth and the various homegrown options I have at my disposal for Season 2025. Perhaps this endeavour is more of an aide-mémoire in future [real-life] years to see how far Junior Club came with regards to Youth Development. The ‘Homegrown At Club XI’ has always been a holy grail for me in Football Manager series, and I am incredibly close in FM21 to achieving it. Certainly some games over the course of the calendar year will feature 6 or 7 in the starting XI. But certainly a ‘Homegrown XI’ is more easily achievable on the regular, given that the domestic league rules dictate only three foreign players in the starting XI anyway. Therefore: Vamos Colombia!

One More Year…

So, that’s my 2024 update and I now look ahead to 2025. It is a season I am looking forward to, with the revamped FIFA Club World Cup (held in Greece) taking place in May making the season feel somewhat different and fresh. Still, I am relatively sure that this will be my last season in this save, but there are little ‘titbits’ that are still keeping the save interesting: the quest for a ‘50 goal-a-season striker’, the Homegrown XI and that coveted 10th FM21 career trophy. I hope you can continue to support Junior Club for one more year…

Thanks for reading/sharing and caring,

FM Grasshopper