steelerfan's FIFA 13 Career Mode Thread

[steelerfan]

When I started my Career on FIFA 13 I was simply posting match statistics in the Slider Thread as I was tweaking my set. I've long since finished that work and I became bored with just posting stats.

Therefore, I started posting tidbits and match recaps in the Discussion Thread. With the fact that I am winding down the 2014-15 season, I thought I'd start a new thread just for these recaps as I move forward in my career.

To get you up to speed, I created Houston Dynamo Manager Dominic Kinnear as the manager that I use because I started my career at Houston in MLS.

At Houston in the 2012-13 season, I posted a 12-8-15 record and missed the playoffs which caused me to fail my League Objective. I did reach my Domestic Cup Objective of reaching the Quarter Final. However, I had no interest in staying in MLS for another season and I sought work in Europe.

I was able to take over a struggling Port Vale side, sixteen matches into their campaign, in England's npower League 2. I guided the club to a 16-6-8 mark and reached my League Objective.

As the 2013-14 season rolled around, I stayed put (initially) and got Port Vale out to an 11-3-5 start before taking the job at Wolverhampton in the npower Championship League.

At Wolves, I failed to fight for promotion posting a 14-6-11 mark and finishing 8th in the table.

I stayed at Wolverhampton for the entire 2014-15 season and, again, failed my League Objective (Gain Promotion) as well as my Domestic Cup Objective (Reach the Semi Final). Wolves finished 9th in the table and we posted a 22-13-14 record across all competitions.

All of that said, my career record is 75-36-53 in 164 matches. After failing again at Wolves, to meet my objectives, I have real concern for my future with the club. Additionally, I'm facing the prospect of cleansing the roster of several stars who are past their prime - assuming I'm not removed from the job first.

In the last match of the 2014-15 season I played alot of backups and youth reserve players because the match had no bearing on my season's fate.

I did give Kevin Doyle, the oft-injured striker who was leading the race for the league's Golden Boot despite missing 16 league matches, one final go in front of the home supporters as he is a player that I plan to sell. At 31, Doyle is no longer skilled enough for me to keep my young strikers off the pitch for.

Doyle and the reserve players played Bristol City to a 0-0 draw in the finale. Doyle wound up splitting the Golden Boot with Federico Dionisi of Birmingham City. Each player scored 23 league goals. However, Dionisi played all 46 matches to just 30 for Doyle.

I'm also managing the national squad of Ecuador and to date have a 4-3-5 record in friendlys.

With that, this thread will follow the rest of my career. Don't expect long, drawn out details - just simple recaps.

Enjoy!

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[steelerfan]

For the record:

In 2014-15 season, here are the winners of note:

npower Championship League: West Ham United
Barclay's Premier League: Arsenal
UEFA European Super Cup: Bayern Munich
UEFA Champions League: Real Madrid
UEFA Europa League: Tottenham Hotspur
FA Cup: Manchester United
Capital One Cup: Norwich City

Promoted to Barclay's Premier League: West Ham United, Blackburn Rovers, Birmingham City (Promotion Playoff winners)

Relegated to npower Championship League: West Bromwich Albion, Norwich City, Crystal Palace

Promoted to npower Championship League: Charlton Athletic, Bournemouth, Notts County

Relegated to npower League 1: Millwall, Peterborough, Oldham Athletic

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[steelerfan]

As July 2015 approaches, I'm preparing my Ecuador squad to compete in the upcoming Copa America - the winner of which will qualify for the next FIFA Confederations Cup.

During preparations, I received word that I will, despite my failures, be retained for another campaign at Wolverhampton. The Board of Directors has charged me with the task of finishing mid-table and expects me to reach the round of sixteen in domestic cup competitions. They have also alloted $7M to me for the July/August Transfer Window.

I immediately offered 2-year, $500 per week contracts to several Youth Academy players:

Angelos Niarkhos, 16, Greece
Danny Chadwick, 16, England
Mattia Sau, 16, Italy
Phil Simpson, 16, England
Sandros Sartzetakis, 16, Greece

I'll dig fully into the Summer months in the days ahead. That's it for tonight.

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[steelerfan]

On July 3, Phil Simpson agreed to my contract offer as did Mattia Sau and Angelos Niarkhos.

I'm getting offers for Jamie O'Hara, Elkeson and Kevin Doyle. The O'Hara and Elkeson offers are being met with ridiculous counters and I'm taking the Doyle offers seriously. He needs to be sold.

Niarkhos is a 67 OVR RM, Simpson is a 65 OVR CDM, and Sau is a 64 OVR RM. Considering these guys are all 16 and are Midfielders (I'm short on depth there), these are great prospects through the Youth Academy. Sau will get Loan Listed immediately and Simpson may follow shortly.

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[steelerfan]

July 4

Danny Chadwick agreed to terms.

More offers for Doyle and an offer for Ezequiel Munoz (which I offered a ridiculous counter to).

6 players were returned from loans. I'll need to decide soon who will be loaned again.

It's time for the Copa America, which I'll get to this weekend. My group (Group B) is Argentina, Ecuador, Chile and Bolivia.

Chadwick is a 66 OVR CM.

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[steelerfan]

Opened the Group Stage of the Copa America with a 2-1 win over Bolivia.

Christian Benitez roofed a strike from 7 yards in the 8th minute to get Ecuador off to a fast start. He scored his second goal at 34' after being lobbed a through ball from about 25 yards out. Benitez raced under the ball and headed it from the right edge of the 6-yard box, at about 5 yards, into the bottom left corner of the Bolivian net past a defender and the sprawling keeper for a brilliant finish and a 2-0 lead.

Bolivia drew to 2-1 in the final minute, but never threatened again. In other Group B play, Argentina got past Chile, 2-1.

Later in the day, Sandros Sartzetakis came to terms with Wolves. He joins the senior club as a 67 OVR CDM.

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[steelerfan]

Match Day 2 of the Copa America brought a devastating result.

Ecuador opened the scoring, from the spot, with a penalty from Noboa at 15' only to have Chile pull level at 17'. Ecuador took a second lead at 30' on a goal from Jeff Montero, but Chile responded to draw even again at 31'.

The death blow came in the final minute of the ninety as Chile won, 3-2. Fortunately, Bolivia upset Argentina, 2-1. The entire group is now 1-0-1 and Ecuador will face Argentina in a possible knockout match.

In the Copa America, there are 3 groups of 4 (the ten member nations of CONMEBOL and 2 non-members - in this draw they are the US and Mexico). The top 2 from each group and the top 2 third place sides advance to the Knockout Rounds.

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[steelerfan]

Lionel Messi (5', 28' p) and Sergio Aguero (11', 40') each recorded a first half brace as Argentina dominated Ecuador on Match Day 3 of the Group Stage of the Copa America.

Goals from Felipe Caicedo (34') and Christian Benitez (38') in rapid succession breathed life, momentarily, into Ecuador after they had fell into a 3-0 hole. However, Aguero's second goal two minutes later allowed the Argentinians to park the bus and defend their lead in the second half. Argentina held on for the 4-2 result.

Argentina recorded 35 shots (15 on target) to just 14 (6) for Ecuador and held a 56% to 44% possession advantage. Antonio Valencia, the Ecuador star, was booked and sent off in the 67' after his second Yellow, increasing the burden on his side.

The good news for Kinnear's Ecuador squad is that their 1-0-2 mark in the Group Stage was enough to get them through to the Knockout Round of 8 as the best 3rd place team. The bad news - Brazil is next.

Advancing from Group A were Brazil and USA. Group B will see Chile, Argentina and Ecuador move on, while Group C pushes Colombia, Uruguay, and Peru through to the Round of 8.

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[steelerfan]

Having Antonio Valencia suspended for the Quarter Final of the Copa America against Brazil was a big enough problem for Ecuador. Having Jorge Guagua and Gabriel Archilier each record Own Goals meant certain disaster as Ecuador crashed out of the competition with a 5-0 loss to the Brazilians.

Between the oppositions gaffes, Brazil got a pair of goals from Neymar and another from Alexandre Pato as the match was never in doubt.

Uruguay eliminated the United States on penalties, 2:2 (4-3), while Chile ousted Peru, 2-0 - the same score that Argentina put Colombia out with.

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[steelerfan]

On July 20, I sold Kevin Doyle to AS Nancy of France's Ligue 1 and Simon Mignolet to Stade Rennais - also of Ligue 1.

Doyle went for $3.35 M and Mignolet for $10 M. That leaves a hole in net for Wolves which I will have to look to fill soon.

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[steelerfan]

On the 25th, I sold CB Christophe Berra to Blackburn. Berra, 30, was a reserve who had told me he was retiring after the season. Berra went for $1.4M.

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[steelerfan]

The remainder of the Copa America:

Semis
Brazil 2:1 Uruguay
Chile 1:2 Argentina

Third Place
Uruguay 2:0 Chile

Final
Brazil 1:2 Argentina

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[SmoothPancakes]

Had a feeling it was gonna be Brazil and Argentina in the final. Put up a great fight though man.

[steelerfan]

On the 30th, just in time for my first Friendly, I completed a deal to bring, former Manchester United Keeper, David De Gea in from Napoli. De Gea, 24, is a 80 OVR and was bought for $8M and he agreed to a 5-year deal worth $90k per week.

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[JBHuskers]

Nice get.

[steelerfan]

Had a feeling it was gonna be Brazil and Argentina in the final. Put up a great fight though man.

Yeah, when I know 80% of the players on the side I'm facing - it's not going to go well.

Brazil and Argentina are loaded. Ecuador has an 83 OVR (Valencia, who was suspended against Brazil after being sent off against Argentina) and another player who is an 80. That's it.

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[steelerfan]

Nice get.

Yeah, man.

I'm playing on the most difficult financial setting so only 60% of my $ from players that I sell goes back into my transfer budget. Therefore, I basically sold Mignolet, Doyle, and Berra to get the cash for De Gea.

From a ratings standpoint, it was a wash - both Keepers are 80 OVR. But, De Gea is 3 years younger.

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[steelerfan]

I simmed my 2 (strange that there were only 2, usually 3) friendlys for Wolves. Lost the first, at Spurs, 3-1. In the second, Wolves blanked Granada, 3-0. Fortunately, there were no injuries in either match.

I sold RB Kevin Foley, 30, to Sunderland for $2.1 M on August 3. Foley has been disgruntled for some time and is no better than a substitute (72 OVR).

I loaned Nicolas Rossini to Watford, for the season, on August 7.

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[steelerfan]

It's now August 11. Time to open the 2015-16 season. First up is a home contest with Cardiff City in the Capital One Cup.

There will certainly be several changes before the Summer Window closes, but here is how Wolves open the season, from a personnel standpoint:

Starting XI
GK De Gea 80
RB E. Munoz (C) 82
RCB G. Margreitter 76
LCB R. Stearman 76
LB K. Gibbs 81
CDM D. Mantom 75
RM A. Adomah 76
LM A. Hammill 79
CAM J. O'Hara 79
RS Elkeson 80
LS A. Branzani 77

Substitutes
GK C. Ikeme 68
CB R. Johnson 73
LB S. Ward 73
CAM S. Torres 73
CDM A. Westwood 72
ST J. Sampson 75
ST L. Griffiths 74

Reserves
GK M. Alvares 63
GK D. Eardley 58
LB K. Flood 68
CB S. Mouyokolo 66
CB J. Parrish 58
LM J. Gorman 71
CAM D. Edwards 69
RM A. Niarkhos 68
LM A. Forde
CDM S. Sartzetakis 67
CM D. Chadwick 66
CDM P. Simpson 65
RM M. Sau 64
LM C. Elliott 63
ST J. Cassidy 70
ST F. Nouble 68

Youth Academy
Scout Nationality Assignment
Richard George England England
Sandros Stephanopoulos Greece Spain
Diego Menendez Mexico Italy

Youth Academy Roster
Player Age Nationality OVR POT
Chris Sawyers 16 England 53-69 72-94
Kwesi Hines 16 England 57-79 75-94
Phil Stephens 17 England 52-66 81-94

Players on Loan
Nicolas Rossini (Watford)


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[steelerfan]

Jack Sampson came on for Elkeson in the 74th minute and opened the scoring by burying a rebound in the back of the net just a minute later. However, a couple of defensive lapses cost Wolves as they conceded at 79' and again at 90' to be booted from the Capital One Cup in the opening round against Cardiff City, losing 2-1.


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