“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

“Miami Galácticos” - La Plata: Vice #FM22

Previously on La Plata: Vice, Inter Miami were led by the data.

Hello. Is this post a conclusion to Season 1? Or a sequel to the data-led recruitment post last time out? Or perhaps, it’s a prequel to Season 2. Let’s just say it can be all of those things.

It’s been a busy few weeks in Miami. This post brings readers up to speed on the 2021 MLS Playoffs and subsequent off-season recruitment as we look ahead to the second, and final, MLS season here in Miami. Let’s go out with a bang…

Inter Miami 1-0 Portland Timbers (2021 MLS Cup)

I suppose I need to start this post chronologically and update you on the 2021 MLS playoffs…which Inter Miami won 🎉 The playoff format was fun, although Chris (FMEadster) and I were hit with a rather frustrating bug that meant we played out the showpiece final between one another a few weeks after the Semi Final AND, more disturbingly, with only 11 players registered on both sides. A week old bug report, which remains unanswered/acknowledged at the time of writing, details the how/why this happened.

It’s annoying Chris and I couldn’t play out the pinnacle of Season 1 MLS with our best squads, and the match definitely suffered because of it. Neither side looked capable of a goal until a rare Inter Miami attack saw Gonzalo Higuaín run into the penalty area and cross low to Rodolfo Pizarro. Two Inter Miami Designated Players combining on minute 85 to crown Inter Miami the best team in Major League Soccer. Ever?

The goal that seals a famous treble (Eastern Conference, Supporters’ Shield and The MLS Cup).

By winning the Supporters’ Shield and now the MLS Cup, Inter Miami become the first side to claim both trophies concurrently since LA Galaxy in 2011. It’s probably fair to say we are the best team in North America, and that’s a bloody good achievement considering how we looked 6 months into the campaign. Here is the completed FM Season Print™ for you to download and stick on your fridge door…

 

TROPHIES!

 

Miami Galácticos

My previous post in this series detailed the data-led scouting approach that I wanted to undertake on the domestic market ahead of 2022 recruitment. With FM Stag’s help we identified a number of players that we’d compete for in the various MLS drafts at the end of the calendar year. In addition to this, a $20m war chest was handed out to me by England President David Beckham for that one marquee DP signing, who could push us on towards the main target of 2022: CONCACAF Champions League.

I’ll therefore detail below how we did in the various markets (Drafts/Trades and Discovery), and explain some of my reasonings for making these recruitment decisions.

Domestic Drafts, Trades & Generation Adidas

Oneil Fisher.

Carlos Rivas.

Andreu Fontàs.

Dirk Firtze.

Oneil Fisher (Re-Entry) - One of Stag’s top recommendations was signed from the Stage 1 Re-Entry draft. Fisher arrives as our 1st choice Right Back, but also is natural at left back. I hope he can continue his high performances in tackles and interceptions that propelled him to the top of Stag’s data tableau for defensive performances 📈.

Carlos Rivas ($0) - Another Stag recommendation is Carlos Rivas. He arrives as a backup Striker for some much needed pace and acceleration. Although not strictly a domestic draft or trade, Rivas re-enters the league on a Free having being associated with Orlando City a few years ago in MLS. His high attacking stats detailed last time out were earned in the Colombian 2nd tier, so I am cautious with my optimism as to how this signing might turn out 🤞.

Andreu Fontàs (Trade) - I missed out on a Stag recommendation hat-trick by losing out to DC United on a trade for Atlanta Winger, Brooks Lennon. But we did make a good trade for a guy who can play both Centre-Back and Left Back instead. Fontàs joins from a brief visit at Columbus Crew, after being signed briefly from Kansas City.

I like Fontàs’ ability on the ball, and I think he can be brought into games as a Ball Playing Defender when I feel we’ll get more possession. With his good Technicals and Vision, he also suits a three at the back system with him pushing on or perhaps even slot as a DM when I need someone to sit and spread the play. He provides a lot of options. The only downside is his high salary, and he is perhaps the one signing where I’m not sure it’s definitely the best decision to recruit, as it prevents me from registering 2-3 lesser squad players.

Dirk Fritze (Generation Adidas) - I previously traded with Austin FC for their seventh 1st round Superdraft pick. With six Generation Adidas players (usually the best in the draft) available, I was hoping one of the AI clubs before me would not select one. This turned out to be the case, with Dirk Fritze being the final GA player selected on pick 7 🎉 . Fickle Fritze looks ok, and he’ll definitely be getting MLS and US Open Cup minutes across the season from the left wing.

Discovery Signings

Edwin Cardona.

Valon Behrami.

Esteban Andrada.

Edwin Cardona ($0m) - Rodolfo Pizarro, who started out as a deeper playmaker in season 1, has ended up as a Striker alongside Gonzalo Higuain in my 4-4-2. It just seems to work better this way. So, I therefore moved quickly to get a creative presence in midfield before the season concluded having seen Edwin Cardona’s decision to leave Tijuana/Boca Juniors on a Free.

There is a lot to like about Cardona. A Midfield Orchestrator media description tag in FM usually gets me excited. He has great vision and technical quality, with the ability to play in various midfield positions.

His signing was my first foray into using Target Allocation Money (TAM) too. TAM is a pot of money from the league which allows me to bring down big salaries during the contract negotiations, meaning I’ve got a near Designated Player on Senior Contract terms 🤝.

Valon Behrami ($70k) - It must be about 10-15 years ago, but I once remember reading Valon Behrami described as “The Swiss David Beckham”. So, I thought it only fair to unite them both in Miami. Blonde hair dye aside, Behrami and Beckham are very different players.

Signed once again with TAM as a non-DP, Behrami is a great versatile option covering Right Back, Central & Right Midfield. He has the traits which suit what I want from the positions I’ll mainly play him in (central midfield + at full back), and he has a load of Swiss Fibra 🇨🇭👊🏻.

Esteban Andrada ($12m) - This particular signing got people animated over on FM Slack, as it seems Goalkeepers are not rated by those FMers who pour hundreds of hours into the game. The position is seemingly the fault of all goals BUT also so ineffectual that there is no point acquiring a good one. The duality of that previous sentence blows my mind, and I hope somebody can sit down with me and explain it in Jens Lehmann’s terms.

In short, we paid out $12m (just under $8m of it upfront) for the services of 30-year-old Goalkeeper Esteban Andrada, so that he could become our 3rd and final Designated Player for 2022, after Nani’s release. Now, there’s an emotional decision when signing ‘Discovery’ DPs in this league. Your transfer budget is largely dedicated to them, and you need to attract big players over on contracts that, for the most part, sit outside of the salary cap. There is a danger that previous ‘Moneyball’ can go out the window, and I wouldn’t begrudge anybody for doing that.

But despite all this upfront cash, I’ve still been partially led by the data: with Andrada’s previous club (Monterrey) sitting in a loaded league (Mexico’s Liga MX). I therefore can trust the player data a bit more, as it’s under the same processes to generate player and team statistics (in contrast to those leagues not loaded). So, why does Andrada appeal?

  1. Ranked 1st for shutouts (11 in 22).

  2. Conceded 0.72 per 90.

  3. Ranked 5th in expected goals prevented (5.44).

  4. Ranked 2nd in save percentages (79%).

    (data from 2021/22 Liga MX Apertura)

Esteban Andrada is a great Goalkeeper in Football Manager 2022. He is a clear upgrade on non-DP Nick Marsman from Season 1, and he’s entering his prime years. The salary is also relatively low for a Designated Player (25% of Higuain’s for example). He’s the best ‘keeper in the league. Period.

Squad Building in MLS - my thoughts…

After taking into account the incomings above, and how they complement the wider squad…this is how we shape up for 2022:

 

Inter Miami 2022. Squad numbers TBA.

 

I found putting the above graphic together helpful, even if it’s pretty much replicating the Squad / Team Depth Chart in FM22 (I was always one of those guys at school that had to write something down before I could learn it!). I’ve assembled a core 22, which contains cover in each position. I feel like I have managed to improve the First XI over the last few weeks…although it’s not been an easy task.

If you’re one to shout for a Football Manager Hard Mode, Major League Soccer squad building might just be it. Here are my thoughts as to why:

  1. Deciding on whether you want a top First XI, or whether you build a solid 18.

    It’s rarely both. I’ll have to waive solid 2021 squad members (Leerdam and Marsman) in order to fit people into the 2022 squad registration. In past FMs, I’d probably phase people out of squads, whereas MLS feels more ruthless. There is no point wasting International slots or wages on guys who you know you’ve replaced in the long run. They’re cut at the first opportunity.

  2. Salary cap mean you miss out on targets.

    Despite being rich, excess transfer budget and internal salary budgets are secondary to the $4.9m league salary cap that you sit within. I know for a fact there are a few players available that would improve my First XI, but you get to the point where not even bringing the salary down with GAM/TAM can save you.

  3. Draft orders mean you miss out on targets.

    This is alien to a lot of us non-North Americans, but a certain parity is restored to the poor performing teams of the league by allowing them to pick from the various draft pools first. It’s a nice way of limiting the monopolies of the richer/more reputable clubs. I warm to this way of operating more and more…but still, it still grates on you when you see a target plucked away from you in the draft!

  4. Reputational challenges.

    I should be all too familiar to this, having managed in FM South America. Given the choice, players will want to move to Europe or stay in Europe if they can. It’s logical, Major League Soccer isn’t attractive to the majority of those in their prime. Despite this, there is no doubt the league is less of the retirement home that it used to be. Nowadays a lot of top youngsters are willing to use the league as a stepping stone, accept it.

  5. Superdraft quality.

    I wish the quality of the Superdraft was a little better. Perhaps Chris and I just had a stinker, but the 2022 Generation Adidas felt a little underwhelming. Hopefully it’s not always as bad, otherwise squad building will be a real challenge for saves longer than our two years!

Season 2

 
 

It took us almost three(!) real-life months to complete Season 1 of The MLS Save™, sorry about that. But Chris and I have really enjoyed the chillaxed vibe of our streams, tune in if any of the above has interested you over on 📺 twitch.tv/fm_grasshopper (Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays).

As always, thanks for reading/sharing and caring.

Tony / FM Grasshopper

“Trading Places” - La Plata: Vice #FM22

Previously on La Plata: Vice, Ángel Bastardo plotted towards war.

 
 

Intro

Make no mistake, I am loving this save. After a difficult 6 months in MLS (documented here), Inter Miami have finally accepted Ángel Bastardo as the Head Coach to steer them into the path of glory. Does this mean a first ever club trophy win? No sweat: a 2021 Supporters’ Shield for being absolutely the best side in the league. Most goals, most points and sexy football too. Inter Miami have been sensational in the final few months of the domestic regular season, I can’t wait to share it with you in this blog.

Today’s blog therefore brings readers up-to-speed on the happenings of the The MLS Network Save, which features fellow blogger Chris aka FM Eadster, as we look ahead to the climax of Season: the 2021 MLS playoffs. But firstly, I’m going to write about something that has been an enjoyable sideshow in the save so far: the league’s Trading system.

Vamos.

Trading Places

Think back to the 1990s school playground in the height of Merlin Premier League sticker season, you'd do anything to get that shiny Eric Tinkler sticker. If you're too young to remember those, or were yet to exist, think Pokémon or whatever it is nowadays…an NFT blockchain monkey John Terry dressed in a football kit?

In those times, we'd trade. We’d do anything to complete the set…money changed hands, favours…I even coaxed my dad into taking me to the McDonald's Fast Food chain to SitNSwap. My experiences in Football Manager 2022's Major League Soccer is a throwback to those times. 'Trading' is a unique way to build your side, a dynamic between MLS clubs that is similar to the 90s playground.

For trading to work well, not only can you use the league's dollars (from the pot known as 'General Allocation Money'), you can also trade ordered draft picks, player rights, international slots and also players themselves (read FM Eadster’s handy guide here for more info). In The MLS Save, I did a mix of some of these things in a busy September; as shown in the below graphic:

A critic (let’s call him Stan Fear) could say that giving away an International Slot for a DP of 4 months is desperate business, but I still feel I played the Trade System well having built up a surplus of International slots in the first place. I replaced a Right Back like-for-like. I swapped an unhappy squad player, and replaced him with a risk-free DP signing of Nani and ended up +1 International slots for next season (2022 year). To top all that, I have several early picks in the MLS Superdraft, meaning that I could possibly acquire a couple of promising youngsters to leave a little legacy at Miami. This system was really fun, well done Major League Soccer. Now how did those signings do?

Season 2021: Regular Season Climax

It’s often said that “a picture paints a thousand words”, so here is a quick high-level overview of the trophy laden drama of our first attempt at regular season in Major League Soccer. Obviously, we have the playoffs still to come…but this is a really impressive haul of success for Chris & I:

 
 

At the midpoint of the season, Orlando City were 15 points clear of Inter Miami. But the onset of their slide was caused by the Flordian Derby defeat to yours truly back in August. It obviously helped further when I took Nani from them via a trade. Weaken.A.Rival is probably the lesson learned here, as we traded places in MLS two weeks before the regular season ended.

13 wins (including one away at Chepiga’s Portland Timbers) in the final 19 games of the season saw us rise up to top both Eastern Conference, and also win the prestigious Supporters’ Shield. Inter Miami’s first ever trophy, built on entertaining soccer, is another footnote in the legend of Bastardo 😍

As for the incoming trades mentioned earlier, Graham Zusi played a lot more than I originally thought (8 starts/730 minutes). He has been solid and will probably feature in a few further playoff minutes (however a replacement Right Back is still a must for Season 2’s recruitment). Nani’s 4 month stay will probably be best remembered for his two goals Vs Atlanta, the first being linked below as a #GIFGoal. It’s one of the best strikes I’ve seen in FM22 so far, and you can read what Chris Eadie thought about it below. I’m hoping he can produce similar bits of magic during the playoffs, before we wave goodbye to him and use the DP slot on somebody a bit younger and more consistent.

SUPER NANI USA

“It was lovely. Right up in the top upper 90 quarters” Chris (FMEadster)

442 - “Going into Lockdown”

I mentioned last time in the blog that I was cautiously optimistic about how we’d do in a 4-4-2. Early signs were suggesting we’d be a threat on the flanks and produce more entertaining soccer (a Club Vision), and it’s certainly been realised with the amount of goals we scored over the regular season. However, an overlooked quality is the ability to see out a game in this 4-4-2, something I was keen to do after that horrific 3-2 home defeat Vs Orlando City (as mentioned last time out). Chris (@FMEadster) and I often use the term "lockdown" during the streams to mean shutting out a game. But what is it? I explain in the below Loom video…

 
 

So far Lockdown in the 4-4-2 has been a rip-roaring success, having sacrificed a winning position from minutes 70 onwards on just one occasion (Vs Columbus Crew which finished 2-2). Is it time you entered lockdown too?

Playoffs, Next

I am really liking the MLS league system, having a knockout competition after a league campaign is a throwback to both my Colombian (Junior - FM21) and Uruguayan (Peñarol - FM20) saves. Alongside CONCACAF qualification, another reward for winning the Supporters’ Shield is a bye to the Semi Final of the Eastern Conference playoffs. These are single legged ties, which I will play at home (another reward for topping the Eastern Conference table). ‘IF’ I make it to the Final and win…I’ll enter the coveted MLS Cup where I will face the winner of the Western playoffs.

 

Get hyped!

 

Could that final be a rematch with Ruslan Chepiga? Tune in to find out: 📺 twitch.tv/fm_grasshopper (Tuesdays, Wednesdays and Thursdays).

As always, thanks for reading/sharing and caring.

Tony / FM Grasshopper

“Angels Are Terrifying” - La Plata: Vice #FM22

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