“The Faceless Gunsmith” - La Plata: Vice #FM22

Previously on La Plata: Vice, Ángel Bastardo ordered the boats to go bang.

La Plata Trilogy, FM20-22.


Ángel

As the sedatives wore off and the forest hills became clearer with the helicopter’s descent through the thin fog, Ángel Bastardo knew exactly where he was. The jungle was that what linked Hugo Ojeda and himself, particularly the complex for Venezuelan refugees that had allowed Bastardo to hide undetected in the Colombian rainforest. Just why Hugo wanted to meet Bastardo here, and not at his north coast Barranquilla HQ, was anybody’s guess. But if the rumours were true about Hugo, then madness had truly taken hold of him.

The jungle complex was now in view, a charred carcass of what had once stood tall. Hugo had ordered for it to be burnt to ground, around a decade ago. “An act of idiocy, indecency and an undoubtedly narcissistic move”, Bastardo mused.

GET OUT”, barked one of the henchmen, as the helicopter landed in what was once the outpost’s central square. A gun pressed against Bastardo’s waist and the weary prisoner disembarked from the cabin, almost losing his balance in the process, as the helicopter’s rotors grinded down to a stand-still.

There, in front of him, stood Hugo Ojeda. He was immaculately dressed in an all-black suit, with the infamous golden pistol, El Silencio, holstered by his side. He looked every part the seasoned Drug Lord and was nothing at all like the young man Bastardo had left on the Montevideo airfield. “Like what I’ve done with the place?”, Hugo boastfully remarked to the weary Argentine.

If you’re expecting me to beg for forgiveness, Hugo, you’re in for disappointment. Shoot me now and be done with this drama”, Bastardo replied. There was not much left in Bastardo’s arsenal, but his words were intended to wave off his apparent weariness and hope for a quick resolution.

However, if the rumours were true, Hugo had grown to savour every last bit of the murders he committed. It was said that his infamous snake poison pistol would not kill you until it had first drained the life out of you, inch by inch.

We will come to your death shortly, Don Bastardo. But first, I want to know what your real plans were. You put me in Mexico, and I rebuilt your empire…I’ve become the biggest drug trafficker in all of the Americas. All for you to ignore my letters whilst you sat in your jail cell. When I do get you out of there, you blow my money up on the shores of Miami. A man like you at least owes himself the decency to tell the truth, moments before his death. Why turn your back on your protégé?

Bastardo realised that Hugo was clearly lost. It’s true, he should never had have been left alone in Sinaloa all those years ago. It had been intended to hide him and was not to empower him.

There were a lot of bad people in Sinaloa. Putting you there was to keep you hidden, our assets hidden under the radar, from the US authorities, whilst they went for the big Mexican cartels instead. This wasn’t meant for you, this life. You were a child. Now you’re a monster”, muttered Bastardo. He knew that the last line would aggravate his captor and he expected an immediate response, but Hugo stood pensively, his hand cupping his chin, as he stroked his small beard with his fingers.

I hear things, you know. The bats in this jungle talk to me, and guide me, constantly. They saved me back in Mexico. They talk the loudest to me here in Colombia. I hear them now, and I know what I have to do”.

There were no bats flying around this morning. The jungle was instead eerily silent, something Bastardo had never experienced before. Dark forces were seemingly at work, and with it, the dark skies brought torrential rain: Rain drops as hard as nails that pattered down on the dark earth with abandon.

Hugo had to raise his voice further to make himself be heard over the sound of the sky’s tears hitting the jungle floor. “The bats tell me that you shouldn’t have the privilege of walking the afterlife with a face. Instead, you will walk the Underworld without one. Nobody will know who you are. This is the way to truly rid us of Ángel Bastardo. Gentlemen, bring me the acid”.

One henchman grabbed Bastardo, whilst another moved forward with a vat of fizzing liquid. It was confirmation of Hugo’s delirium, as Bastardo was pinned down to a kneeling position. He was about to lose his face in acid.

A mad man can’t be negotiated with. I know I’m a threat to you, Hugo. That’s why I did it. That’s why the money went up in flames. Your people would prefer things under my stewardship, but instead they get a mad dog, who’ll get them all killed, one day”.

Ha, defiant to the end”, Hugo laughed. “I’ll leave you with this, Don Bastardo: ‘Never interrupt an enemy when he’s busy making a mistake’. You once told me this, and Miami was a good mistake to see unfold. Ruslan, Natasha, Herb, Carlos…every one of them now dead. You’re the last of this little rebellion. Now, here comes your suffering”.

Hugo nodded to his associates and the next thing Bastardo felt was the hands of the gloved henchman, as his face was thrust down and forcefully submerged in searing acid. The instant rush of pain was so great that he screamed, pouring out all his energy into the act, before eventually losing consciousness, when he could scream no more.

Hugo

A few minutes passed before Ángel Bastardo’s body became listless. However, a death for Hugo was only confirmed when the black mamba poison hit the target and entered the bloodstream. It would have to be done, but Bastardo’s body would first have to be dragged to the Rio Negro, which sat to the eastern side of the jungle complex. It was a relatively narrow river here, but within a few miles several tributaries would merge, in order to become one of the grand waterways into the Amazon, which then led through to the Brazilian city of Manaus.

Terrible things had been done in this jungle, but this was to be Hugo Ojeda’s final sin. He would soon be free of Bastardo, and there would be no more threats to his cartel’s leadership. But his thoughts soon turned towards Ruslan Chepiga and Natasha Sibiski. Hugo had lied to Bastardo. They were indeed still alive, though untraceable, after the Miami shootout. Their trail had gone cold.

It is perfect here”, Hugo said to his henchmen, who propped up Bastardo on the shoreline, against a huge boulder that separated the land from the water.

The water was shallow enough to reflect the morning sunlight, now breaking through the brief torrential downpour. The mist generated by the sun’s rays falling on the water’s surface was a sight to behold, as the birds and the buzz of the rainforest returned to its full voice. The ‘Snake of Sinaloa’ slithered closer to the listless body in front of him, drawing El Silencio from its holster. He could see the clouds above rippling in the water, but he couldn’t see his own reflection. In fact, he never saw his reflection anymore; ever since his stained-glass window had grown dark three years ago.

Hugo raised his pistol and took one last look at Ángel Bastardo, before sending him on his way with a one-way ticket to the afterlife. The Argentine’s face had been burnt away, with the flesh still bubbling around the bones of his jaw. Nobody would ever recognise this man again, even if his body washed up downstream.

El Silencio was fired, one last time, and its bullet pierced the torso of the prisoner. The impact was unusually soft for a pistol of its size, but enough to move the limp body away from the boulder and into the water. A kick from one of the henchmen saw the body of Bastardo slump deeper into the water, as the river’s strong current took over and moved it further away from the shoreline. Hugo saw it float away, and as he watched he heard cries that he felt resembled Father Martínez’s, off in the jungle’s depths.

The sins that had taken place in this jungle had made it haunted and Hugo Ojeda vowed never to return here. And neither would Ángel Bastardo.


Notes from the Editor

Friedrich Nietzsche once said something along the following lines: “An artist must portray the dark parts of the human soul as lifelike as the light parts”. I’ve taken the same approach within the ‘La Plata’ series. ‘La Plata: Colombia’ was a year of references to Hugo Ojeda’s descending decline into madness…the climax of ‘La Plata: Vice’ is the confirmation of that. We’ve also brought back the magical elements of Hugo’s story, and I was able to both revisit the jungle and pay homage to Father Martinez’s untimely death, way back in the FM21 prologue.

I also wanted to give closure to the story, in such a way that you could read the ‘La Plata’ series and feel a sense of conclusion; but with an element of anticipation, of “what comes next?”.  The magical realism arc is not yet complete (I know, right), and I will return with some CreativeFM and hopefully, an enjoyable continuation via a post-network save. The save now goes offline, a forced divergence away from Chris’ story, who takes Ruslan and Natasha elsewhere.

Thanks for reading,

Tony / FM Grasshopper

“Boats Go Bang” - La Plata: Vice #FM22

Previously on La Plata: Vice, Ángel Bastardo achieved The American Dream.


Welcome to the 2022 Miami Class 1 Powerboat Race’ read the huge inflatable floating arc that towered over the thirty or so powerboats awaiting Miami’s climatic powerboat race. Ángel Bastardo’s boats, having dominated the previous two tournaments, were the clear favourites to win once again. However, Bastardo knew for certain that they would not.

He oversaw the race alongside his assistant Carlos Valderrama, from their club level waterside ‘box’: a secluded spot above the main stands that hosted the Miami public. Attendance had quadrupled over the years, with ‘The Bastardo Effect’ often cited as the reason for the growing popularity of Miami sporting events. If they thought 2020 and 2021 were exciting, they were in for a bigger treat on this sunny but breezy afternoon.

The boats’ expected top speed was 160 mph, but Bastardo’s fleet would barely make 80 mph that day. With every gram meticulously calibrated in cutting-edge laboratories to max out the efficiency, nobody would ever think of checking a powerboat for contraband, moments before a race. That is, until after that day.

Every last inch of the boats’ hulls was kitted out with 800 million dollars of laundered money, belonging to the Ojeda-Barranquilla Cartel. Two years of money laundering in the US was to come to a stunning climax on the shores of Miami. 

Bastardo looked across the shoreline to see Ruslan Chepiga and Ms. Natasha Sibiski standing next to the race’s starting point. Their American lawyer, Natasha, had been tasked by Bastardo to disenfranchise the Mexican Cartels. Those Mexicans whom Hugo Ojeda had once controlled with an iron fist wanted independence, and the shipment of money that was now heading to Barranquilla was meant to placate them, whilst Ojeda uncharacteristically continued with his newfound strategy of diplomacy. That was Ojeda’s plan, but this was Bastardo’s World.

The boats began to warm up and the deafening sound of engines drowned out the choruses of the Caribbean steel band who had been playing for hours. The regular pulsating beat of the drums were replaced with the sound of powerboat drivers priming their engines, for the first few crucial seconds at the beginning of the race. 3, 2, 1… the boats lifted off, creating their own tidal systems in their wake, as a result of their sheer velocities.

It was a terrible start for the Bastardo fleet however and they were some 20 to 30 meters off the pace within the first few seconds, as they turned to the vast seas ahead, cutting round the first bend, going off-course immediately. The crowds began to gasp and jeer, and Bastardo knew that it was time for the showpiece finale, as he made the call to Chepiga.

In the brief exchange that transpired, Bastardo only had to utter one word to Chepiga: “Execute”, before Chepiga reached for the pulsating red jewel that sat coiled around his index finger. It was never a simple ring and instead, it contained a transmitter that relayed the command to ‘execute’ the secret explosives that were placed within the boats that belonged to Bastardo’s fleet. The long-range ping worked immediately, as the powerboats exploded high into the air, 200 meters or so from the race boundary. The shockwaves startled everybody in the crowd, and many swiftly headed for the exits. The other boats in the race continued on in the meantime, oblivious to the fire erupting from out the sea.

However, some people in the audience were slow to move…their appearances and sidearms becoming clearer as the crowds thinned in the stands. It was Ojeda’s men and before Bastardo could reach for his holstered gun he was quickly sent crashing to the ground by an onrushing Valderrama.

Down Patron, we need to leave” screamed the Colombian, as his countrymen opened fire on the executive boxes.

There was no time for checking whether Chepiga and Natasha had been taken out by the gunfire, as Bastardo was swiftly moved out of the open-air box and into the corridor of stairs leading away from the waterside stand. Gunfire could be heard all around the waterside complex and two onrushing Colombians were mopped up by bullets from Bastardo’s henchmen, as Bastardo, Valderrama and their group of loyal men headed through the car park, into a waiting blacked-out SUV, its engine running and ready to drive out of Miami and into hiding.

A henchman opened the door and shoved Bastardo in towards relative safety, but Valderrama didn’t follow suit and instead, he stepped back hesitantly. His voice was emotional and sombre.

I am sorry Amigo, there is no libertad” …

Bastardo looked up as the car’s door closed between him and his assistant. A gun was planted on the back of his head and Bastardo gasped, realising the betrayal that he had been subject to.

There’s $50m dollars in a safehouse, get me there and you can take it”, he desperately pleaded to his masked abductors.

The reply, as the car sped off out of the parking lot, was instant. “He pays more than you ever would, Don Bastardo. You’re headed to Colombia” said the henchman, who quickly disarmed the weary Bastardo and plunged a syringe into his neck.

Ángel Bastardo slid down on the leather seat, fervently wishing that the surroundings would eat him up, as his thoughts slowly turned to Natasha, who he hoped had got out. She was the future worth fighting for, and that future may now never exist. He would never be able to say goodbye, or tell her what she deserved to know. The reflection hurt, as his eyes grew weary and heavy and he continued to sink further into the dark leather seat. Operation Isb…

Bastardo’s mind fell silent.


Notes from the Editor

The powerboats were introduced early on in La Plata: Vice, and I am delighted I’ve finally put them to good use. The boats go bang, and Ángel loses his freedom. My story now becomes intimate between Hugo Ojeda and Ángel Bastardo in Colombia. I’m hoping a sequel to ‘Boats’ gets penned by Chris (FM Eadster), as I’d like to know if/how Ruslan Chepiga and Natasha Sibiski get out alive.

Remember: there is no libertad.

Tony / FM Grasshopper

"The American Dream" - La Plata: Vice #FM22


Intro

This is my final POV save update from The MLS Save™, and it feels like it has come round quick…despite these two seasons taking FIVE months IRL time! I’m so glad Chris (FM Eadster) and I could finally crack on and do this network save because it’s been an absolute blast. Two seasons of chaos, as we traipsed MLS rules and regulations towards a trophy-laden spell for both our clubs: Portland Timbers and Inter Miami. Every kick, every career season injury and every Higuaín touchdown captured live on Twitch.

But if you have not been tuning in, no sweat, today’s blog brings readers up-to-speed of the events of Season 2’s climax. For my Miami squad, that’s a chance to add to the growing collection of trophies we won from Season 1. Can we mix domestic successes alongside continental cups? That’s all answered below. I’ll also reflect on whether Chris and I realised the fabled ‘American Dream’. Are we good at the game? Is the AI terrible at it? A bit of both? Again, I’ll try to answer honestly.

I’ll conclude this post by offering out the save file, for anybody wishing to take on Portland or Miami for the 2023 season and onwards. Can you rebuild squads to match the same levels of success? We’d love to see The American Dream continue…


Season 2022: Climax

A bit like last season, I’ve tackled the competitions in chronological order. So, that begins by opening the new Miami Freedom Park’s doors to a bonus continental cup competition against some Mexicans. Tasty…

2022 Campeones Cup

I never encountered the Mexican Apertura and Clausura decider dubbed the ‘Campeón de Campeones’ when managing as Hugo Ojeda in FM20. If I had, I may have experienced the subsequent Campeones Cup, which sees the the winner of the Liga MX climax face-off against the MLS Cup Winners. Having won the 2021 MLS Cup it was a nice surprise to host this continental final in our brand new stadium against CF Monterrey, and for the first time compete against Mexican opposition.

There were a few sub-plots prior to kick-off, but none greater than $12m Esteban Andrada going up against his former team. Other than being well beaten by a Maxi Meza thunderbolt, the Argentine Goalkeeper held up well. As did Golzalo Higuaín, who showed he’s still putting a shift in an Inter Miami shirt despite an agreed move back to Serie A with Lazio for 2023…

A 1st continental trophy for Inter Miami.

CONCACAF Champions League

The colossal aggregate win Vs Portland Timbers set up another MLS opponent in Toronto for the huge semi. I was delighted to avoid any Mexican side…but not facing The Union was pleasing (after losing home and away to them earlier in the regular MLS season), but we still had to get through a nervy 1-0 home win and then win on Canadian soil. “We did it”™️, onto the Final…to face Santos Laguna…

Anybody in the stream that night would have seen how good Santos Laguna were. Their 4-2-3-1 had a good player in every position and they were also in hot form in Liga MX. Other than tackling harder on a few key players, we’d instead hope we were the ones turning up with our A-Game. After 7 minutes, there were signs we would get just that. Georgie Boy Acosta releasing Robbie Robinson with a fine lofted through ball, who dispatched with ease to make it 1-0. Two young American talents combining…FUCK YEAH!

We scrapped the barrels of our squad and had to dig deep in terms of fitness, and unsurprisingly the Mexcans came at us in the 2nd half. They went ahead on minute 71 with a fine strike from range by Alan Cervantes. We needed some Moneyball-infused-miracle, which we luckily had on the bench…

A 2nd continental trophy for Inter Miami.

Enter: “King Billy” Rivas 👑, a guy identified from the Colombian 2nd Division in FM Stag’s data-led scouting collaboration. Both Chris Eadie and I agreed during the Full Match mode that Miami needed something different upfront. Santos Laguna’s Dória was having a great game Vs Higuaín with his sheer physical presence. My GOAT clutch striker was unable to beat Dória in the air, nor have the pace to beat him in a ground race. So, Rivas was on in the 73rd minute. On reflection it was probably a good time to make the change, there’s not much in it in terms of Acceleration and Pace between Dória and Rivas (same Acceleration with Rivas +1 in Pace)…but more decisively: one had already played over an hour…and the other was entering the game with fresh legs. I think it made a difference, King Billy scored with his first touch to make it 2-2 and sometimes an injury time winner is just written in the stars. 3-2 Miami, cue pandemonium in the Sunshine State 🏆

Rivas getting in behind of Dória to make in 3-2 in injury time 🔥

 

MONEYBALL

📈💸⚽

MONEYBALL 📈💸⚽

 

Major League Soccer

15 consecutive home wins in a row allowed Inter Miami to defend their Eastern Conference 1st place with relative ease. However, we yielded our Supporters’ Shield to a vastly improved Portland Timbers side…who quite frankly made a mockery of Major League Soccer. To find out how it was done, see a tactical insight from FM Eadster in the near future (keep refreshing his coffeehousefm page just in case it gets posted).

Inter Miami can look positively on how the season went however, we have bettered goals scored (+7 goals), goals conceded (-10) and improved overall points (+14 points). I was not expecting a vast difference, seeing that we kept faith with the 4-4-2, but seeing marginal gains is pleasing and highlights our 2022 recruitment made us that little bit better…

2022 Supporters’ Shield

More green than yellows and red, I’ll take that!

MLS Playoffs

In the playoffs, I eventually had to face Philly Union again in the Eastern Conference playoff final. Luckily, I had home advantage and secured MLS Cup entry with a Rodolfo Pizarro late goal 5 minutes from time. 3-2 Miami.

 
 

But there was no perfect finish to the save. After all the trophies and wins, both Chris and I lost our final match of The MLS Save against Kansas Fucking City (KFC). They played liked wizards and we were deservedly beaten, no qualms here.

There would be no consecutive MLS Cup wins for Inter Miami. Boooo.


The American Dream

MLS clubs sign ‘Designated Players’ on lucrative deals, which are usually internationally recognisable players (e.g. Gonzalo Higuaín). Given the success of both Ángel Bastardo and Ruslan Chepiga, have we moved into a new MLS era of ‘Designated Head Coaches’? Just look at the trophy haul of 2021-2022:

 

Eleven trophies, two seasons.

 

Eleven trophies in two seasons, which include two CONCACAF Champions Leagues, Two Supporters’ Shields and an MLS Cup shows the levels of instant domination we’ve had on the continent. It’s remarkable (imo) considering we also played with the 2021 default squads, having disabled the transfer window. Are we really good at the game? Looks that way, however I still think we can come up short…and the Kansas City results show that.

Instead, what Chris and I have both found is that our recruitment and squad management is vastly superior to the AI’s. It’s why a two season MLS save feels long enough, especially given the unique trading and drafting systems that are alien to the rest of Football Manager’s out-of-the-box leagues. The AI just doesn’t seem wise enough to recruit and retain good players. To be clear, I’m not knocking the game; there’s been bits of AI intuition that has genuinely surprised us but I do feel humans (such as Chris and his MLS guides) can manage MLS better right now.

Divergence, CreativeFM and Rebuilds

We’re now breaking away with the save game file and doing something uNiQuE: blogging a forced divergence: Ángel Bastardo and Ruslan Chepiga leave MLS and will head to different leagues. Both Head Coaches share a blogging cinematic universe, but the narratives/stories that now play out are independent within our own saves. Expect some CreativeFM to move our stories forward post-MLS.

However, this does leave the Head Coach positions at both Inter Miami and Portland Timbers open for applications. Both clubs are in need of a rebuild of sorts, as is customary for an MLS side in the off-season. Can you continue the trend of success? If you’re in need for a new challenge in Football Manager, then feel free to download the file and let us know how you get on…

 

Think you can do better? Click on the image for the save file, and play soccerball…

 
  • Inter Miami in 2023 will be losing Designated Player Gonzalo Higuaín to Lazio on a Free Transfer, who has scored 43 MLS goals in two seasons. Other First Team names needing immediate contract talks are George Acosta, Leandro González Pírez and Joevin Jones. The General Manager, Herb Simon, also retires. Will you use Miami’s millions to invest in homegrown talent or sign the next Miami Galáctico?

  • Portland Timbers in 2023 wave goodbye to retiring Diego Chará and Carlos Tevez. First Team names soon-to-be-expiring are Steve Clark and Saad Abdul-Salaam, with Cristhian Paredes and Josecarlos Van Rankin departing. Can you keep the Samba football flowing, and build around the Brazilian trio of Golano, Paulinho and Nathan?


“Thank you” to lots of people, but notably:

  • All the guys that have been in the stream over the last few months. Wangballs/Gavballs, Miami Ultras, CJ Johnsons, Froms, Pressures, Rensies et al

  • To FM Stag, for his help with the data-led scouting approach that brought continental success to Miami (and King Billy 👑).

  • To Arun, for his help behind the scenes…in keeping my creative writing on the straight and narrow with 1st class proofing.

  • To Ed Wilson for guesting on co-comms that one time.

  • To Dan Gear [paid mention].

  • And lastly, to Chris/FM Eadster for making America Fun Again.

I will be back shortly with a blog relating to a powerboat race…

FM Grasshopper / Tony

“Miami Heat” - La Plata: Vice #FM22

In February 2022, Inter Miami moved to the 25,000 capacity “Freedom Park” (in FM22).


Intro

Hello! Chris (FMEadster) recently asked me on stream as to which I prefer: Blogging or Streaming. My response should not be a shock to anybody who knows me, it’s a resounding preference to blogging with words (with the occasional GIFGoal). I love to document my saves, and The MLS Save is no different. Whilst it’s great to catch up in a call with Chris and have some good laughs with others that drop in…there is something sacred about immortalising the save into words. I guess La Plata: Vice is my…erm…vice.

It’s why I am here to document at the halfway(ish) point of our second, and final, MLS season. Does Moneyball work? How good is Gonzalo Higuaín? Are the “Miami Galácticos” on course for more trophies? If you want to know my answer to any of those questions, then read on…


Does Moneyball work?

The in-game date of the save is currently 01 June 2022, and I feel I am now in a place to look back and evaluate on whether the data-led scouting approach is paying off for Inter Miami. We’ve played a lot of the MLS Eastern Conference teams already, and we’ve squared off against Chris’ Portland Timbers in the CONCACAF Champions League - who are arguably the second best team in the North American Continent. After 15/16 matches, the trends of the season are starting to reveal themselves. Just to recap on previous posts:

  • Part One introduced the data-led methodology, and proposed the 2022 recruitment targets.

  • Part Two updated us on how recruitment went.

Now in the third and final act, let’s see how three of the data-led picks are doing…

Oneil Fisher (Free Transfer as part of Re-Entry draft)

Defensively speaking, Oneil Fisher was one of the most solid players in 2021 MLS. He topped FM Stag’s data tableau for defensive performances, and he’s continued this form into 2022 MLS. His blocks and interceptions are way above the MLS average and he’s managed to find gametime at both Right Back and Left Back by being Natural in both positions. To get him for free via the Re-Entry draft was exceptional business, and fully vindicates the approaches Stag and I took back at the end of 2021. MONEYBALL.

Oneil Fisher’s defending.

Carlos Rivas (Free transfer from Colombian 2nd Division)

Without a shadow of a doubt, I would have overlooked Colombian Carlos Rivas when looking at expiring contracts…if it not for Stag’s data-led scouting. He hardly dominated the Colombian 2nd Division for goals, but there was a glimpse of magic there having topped successful dribbles and completed passes for any in-scope expiring Striker across all loaded leagues of the save. I didn’t need another expensive striker, after all I had Gonzalo Higuaín for that. Instead, I needed a guy who was willing to come on and stretch the play with good athleticism when Big G Man was tired or rested.

Carlos’ rawness is unrivalled (see Shoots With Power during the streams), and it made for some good on-air laughs between Chris and I. But Carlos is slowly easing his way into the realms of success as an effective Striker for us. He broke his MLS goal scoring duck in incredible style with 4 goals away at Montréal and he followed that up with a winner in his next match Vs Chicago Fire. That’s six crucial MLS points paid back already for his no-risk signature, and with Higuaín’s month long injury keeping him out of June…it’s time for Carlos Rivas to lead the Miami line!

MONEYBALL.

Esteban Andrada ($12m Designated Player signing)

People make history, even when they don’t know they’re making it. The same could be said about us as FM players in our own Save Universes, right?

The signing of Esteban Andrada divided literally tens of people who follow the stream/blog save…because I went against the common approach of signing attacking players as Designated Players. I made history, and instead went big on an overlooked position within the side: the Goalkeeper (that guy between two vertical posts who can prevent goals being conceded). I already explained why I opted for Esteban Andrada last time out, so there’s no need to go over old ground. But, more importantly, let’s see how he is doing…

Esteban Andrada Advanced GK stats.

From the above plot we can see that Esteban is making saves and preventing goals, better than most of his peers. Unsurprisingly then, his MLS metrics are some of the league’s best:

  • 1st in goals conceded per 90 (0.69).

  • 2nd in xG prevented (3.87).

  • 2nd in save % (86%) and 1st in xSave % (90%).

  • 3rd in shutouts (7 goals conceded in 16 games).

To answer my original question: Does Moneyball work? Well, it’s working for me. The term ‘Moneyball’ is tongue in cheek, it means a lot of different things to different people…but being led by the data seems to have worked for us.


Gonzalo Higuaín - “The Scourge Of Portland”

Gonzalo Higuaín. Clutch Striker.

It’s mad to think back to the time when Gonzalo Higuaín looked like he couldn’t kick a ball further than 2 meters in this save. Our Vice Captain led a couple of team mutinies in the early days of 2021, and I genuinely thought he’d have to be moved on due to him becoming the rotten apple in the side. Fast forward a year and he’s undoubtedly the first name on the team sheet…he’s become an icon of The MLS Save and a scourge to poor Chris Eadie (FMEadster).

Gonzalo Higuaín has scored EIGHT and assisted one goal in four competitive games against Portland Timbers. He’s scored 16 in 14 starts (all comps) so far in 2022, including four consecutive hat-tricks (a personal FM record for me thinking back). How, and why, has he blossomed like this at the age of 34? Well, it’s difficult to pin it all on one factor. Perhaps it’s a combination of the move to a front two…and recruiting better players supplying him with the chances to convert?

He’s the most advanced Striker, playing off the shoulders of the opposition as our Poacher. I had no doubts about his Technical or Mental abilities in FM22, he’s an absolute monster…albeit declining physically. It took me a while (maybe too long?) to realise that he needed to be front-and-centre in putting away the chances we created during Season 1. I’m therefore now playing three wide/wise men, who supply him in the 4-4-2 (with an intentional overload on the left wing, with an attacking Full-Back running into space vacated by our Inverted Winger). In addition, I’ve recruited Edwin Cardona as a creative specialist from set plays; whose delivery is one of the best I’ve seen in Football Manager.

At the age of 34, is Gonzalo getting better? 🍷

A more settled off-season, with our business being conducted early, maybe factors in too. The Inter Miami squad certainly has a better cohesion about it, unlike last season where it felt like I was walking into a new franchise where nobody knew/liked one another. A happy Higuaín is a hungry Higuaín, and the statistics/GIFGoals don’t lie:

  • MLS xG of 0.52 per 90, but has an actual of 1.03 goals per 90 🔥

  • 61% shots are on target, with a 32.26% overall conversion rate from all shots.

  • 16 goals in 14 starts (all comps), which include six goals in two CONCACAF legs Vs Portland Timbers. As shown below…

All six Higuain goals from the CONCACAF QF matches on loop.


2022, the story so far…

Major League Soccer

Back-to-back defeats Vs The Union left me a little fearful about 2022, but we’ve since gone on a really strong run. I’m confident we’ll make the playoffs (top 7), which is where the real fun begins…but there is a familiar foe at the summit of the Supporters’ Shield: Portland Timbers.

MIAMI bringing the HEAT!

MLS 2022.

CONCACAF Champions League Debut

We’re embarking on a maiden voyage into the CONCACAF Champions League this year, with MLS and Mexican clubs entering at the First Round Knockout Stage. From here, it’s pure luck as to who you can get, so I was delighted to face-off against Canadian league side Forge FC. It was an easy two legs against Force FC, and a harder task awaited in the Quarter Finals: reigning champions Portland Timbers.

I’ve already mentioned what Gonzalo Higuaín did to FM Eadster’s Portland Timbers, but the Devil is in the detail. The two matches were a rollercoaster, and I felt Portland could/should have been a clear 2 or 3 goals up in the first half of the first match. They were electric. But as the matches went on, Inter Miami grew into the Quarter Final despite being behind four times in the tie. That’s quite extraordinary, isn’t it? Four times facing an exit…only to keep coming back. Eadie/Samba-ball (or whatever we’re calling it nowadays) must absolutley hate us.

Inter Miami 6-5 Portland Timbers.

2022 CONCACAF Champions League so far…

The QF knockout tie were so enjoyable that I made a Jim Halpert meme about it…

 

4 months left…

With the 2022 Qatar World Cup causing a riot with the MLS scheduling, we only have four in-game months left of soccer to play. Games are therefore going to come thick and fast, as we juggle CONCACAF, US Open Cup and MLS [+ hopefully subsequent playoffs]. The two season save has been everything we’ve both wanted in terms of drama and narratives, and I am personally looking forward to see how far I can take this Inter Miami side before waving goodbye to this soccer nation.

If watching any of that interests you, check us out over on 📺 twitch.tv/fm_grasshopper (Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays). Where Chris and I stream every kick of The MLS Save.

 
 

Waving goodbye in my terms also means a heavy dose of incoming CreativeFM™ in order to wrap up the story, and link previous La Plata threads together. We’re a trilogy remember, and Hugo Ojeda will soon need to make an appearance…

As always, thanks for reading/sharing/caring.

Tony / FM Grasshopper