Part 165: Chapter the First: Citius. Altius. Fortius.

Chapter the First: Citius, Altius, Fortius.
July 16, 2024-August 15, 2024

Watch this to get suitably hyped about the Moroccan Olympics.* Also, woah, the Games are in Morocco? That would actually be a really rad place for them, and Casablanca's average high is under 80F/27C in August.

* Note, probably only works if you're an American.



We're missing 1/4th of our first team still, so the U21 and U18 squads will get playing time in our friendlies.



I want to see a much more successful end to our season. Winning the league is nice. Winning a double is nicer. Winning a triple is nicest.



Now that the players are back, it's time to finally fix Wrexham's screwed up squad statuses. Players pretty much always demand to be “key players” regardless of what salary they're asking, and changing it can piss them off. But it's preseason, so it's time to fix this at least a little. No other team has even half the “key players” that we do.



Surprisingly, no one complains. We still have more “key players” than almost any other team, but sanity is restored.



Ah well, one fewer friendly to worry about. Meanwhile, Mujkic's returned from the EAFF cup. How'd Australia do, Meteor?



Oh for shame... you lost to North Korea?!




I'd be willing to do this if I can sign Kojiro Minami, the all-world keeper for Monaco and Japan. Hence the stalling. We can't work out a deal for Minami, though, so Kovacevic remains between the pipes.



The final cuts to the Olympic squad are made easier by injuries to some of the players.



Just as I expected, the Gold Cup victories were reduced in weight. I'm not sure if the Olympics count for FIFA rankings, but I doubt it seeing as it's mostly an U23 tournament.



Ikeda and Daamgard are both on loan right now, so we only lose Stringel for the preseason. He's also one of the two players I'm most worried about on a stacked Mexico team.



Attendance was 31,000. For a friendly. That's not surprising, I watched Liverpool and Roma play to a packed Fenway Park this summer despite Fenway being an awful place to watch a football match. Sporting KC was able to hold us to a nil-nil draw four days later, which wasn't so great.



Reed and Collett are back from the Euros and plum tuckered. I send them on vacation. They said they wanted to bike across Asia, but I forced them to go to a spa in Switzerland instead.



My failure to wheel and deal this offseason leaves us with too little cash in the transfer account to offer large victory bonuses. We'll just have to get by without them.




Co-favorites, eh? The media's finally caught on to our greatness. Meanwhile, the Presidents Emeritus are expected to avoid relegation, and AJ_Impy might even get his club to Europe.




We should be able to blow past Guinea easily, but Japan has perhaps the best keeper in the world. Turkey isn't as good as us or Japan, but they're no pushovers. They haven't called up Sinan Ünsal, luckily. He's easily their top player.



Damnit. I jinxed myself. Well, that makes beating Turkey a bit harder. They'll play him as an attacking midfielder, and I'm unable to order our midfield destroyer to take him down hard because he plays for my club team.



I like that confidence. Now prove it on the field.



Something weird happened after this match. We never played Reading in the final. I think it's because we had a flight to catch to Buenos Aires, but the long and short of it is that the second match of the tournament was never held.

vs Japan, July 25, 2024
Olympic Games, Group B


Again, the big threat here is that Kojiro Minami stifles us. He's by far and away the best Japanese player, and if he's not the best keeper in the world he's at worst in the top five. Ryuta Ikeda is suiting up for Japan, I'll have to order the players to tackle him softly so as not to risk damage to my investment.

Starting Formation: 4-5-1 Counter
Starting 11: Toninho, Parsons, Logan, Klaas, Roberts, Wood (c), Hartman, Barrett, Burman, Carroll, Holland.
Subs: Thompson, Lozano, Ramirez, Hughes, Fisher, Enriquez.

We spend most of the game kicking it about the midfield, where we have a decided possession deficit. The kids look dangerous on the counter attack, and we're preventing Japan from doing anything but kicking it about the midfield as we enter the late stages of the game. We're still looking at a draw, Minami's been excellent as expected, but he's finally beaten when his own man puts a perfect volley past him while trying to clear a cross. It's looking aces for us, but our goal of picking up all three points comes undone along with our clean sheet when Japan's highly rated 20 year old attacking prospect finally slips through our defense to equalize with six minutes remaining. A draw is not the worst result, but now we need to pick up four points out of the next two matches to ensure we move out of the group.

Man of the Match: Paul Barrett




USMNT 1-1 Japan



That's as good a start as I could have hoped for in our Argentine swing. Time for a steak dinner!

vs Guinea, July 28, 2024
Olympic Games, Group B


Guinea has one excellent player. 29 year old forward Abdoul Barry plays for Granada of La Liga after earning a £26m transfer from Sporting of Portugal two years ago. He's impressed, with 31 goals over 61 La Liga appearances, and I'm assigning our captain and defensive midfielder Brent Woods to hound him all game.

Starting Formation: 4-5-1 Control
Starting 11: Toninho, Parsons, Logan, Ramirez, Roberts, Woods (c), Hartman, Hughes, Fisher, Carroll, Enriquez.
Subs: Thompson, Lozano, Klaas, Barrett, Burman, Holland.

The omens are not good after the first five minutes. Despite all my warnings to the team about Barry, they still let him net a fifth minute goal, and we're down early in a must win match. Two minutes earlier we'd lost promising young winger Hunter Fisher to an injury, forcing me to bring on Christian Holland as a sub much earlier than I'd have liked.

We're so much better than our opponents, though, that the early lead only means that it takes us most of the first half to take a two-one lead, with a smashing goal from range by Holland and an incisive run by Isaias Hartman. Our kids continue to boss the field in the second half, and that allows me to pull Woods and Parsons to rest them for our final group match against Turkey, and we finish the scoring with 15 minutes remaining when right back Lozano sends a perfect cross to LA Galaxy left winger Anthony Carroll at the far post. Holland picks up the man of the match award after coming on in the third minute as an injury replacement.

Man of the Match: Christian Holland




USMNT 3-1 Guinea



Minor dings that keep players out for a match or two seem to be more common in International play. Too bad Mexico has already secured a knockout round spot. Meanwhile, Hunter Fisher is perfectly healthy despite having been unable to continue playing after the third minute. I'm not going to look a gift horse in the mouth, but that seems odd.



Oh boy, this will get interesting. The offers are gigantic, by far and away the largest made by the computer teams since the game started. Bloems going to fetch over £60m.

vs Turkey, July 31, 2024
Olympic Games, Group B


A win or a draw here ensures that we advance to the knockout round. A win is important, as it would mean that we top the group and get to face Saudi Arabia instead of Mexico in the quarterfinals. Our 100,000,000 pound man is captaining Turkey, hopefully we do a better job containing him than we did Barry in the prior game.

Starting Formation: 4-5-1 Counter
Starting 11: Toninho, Parsons, Logan, Klaas, Lozano, Lang, Woods, Barrett, Burman, Fisher (c), Holland.
Subs: Thompson, Roberts,Hartman, Hughes, Carroll, Enriquez.

We fall quickly behind when 18 year old Andy Klass and 20 year old Rafael Lozano get their marking assignments confused and leave Timur Gültekin wide open in the box. Just like the Guinea match, we're able to fight back. Brian Burman, who's spent almost his entire career in the Turkish league with Trabzonspor, makes a run at just the right moment to get on the end of a Paul Barrett pass to equalize in the 15th minute.

Our best player, tireless midfielder Brent Woods, gives us the lead just the other side of halftime courtesy some of the worst defense on a set piece I've ever seen, with the assist going to Burman. Burman finishes off his humiliation of his Super Lig by blazing past the Turkish defense in the 54th minute to reach a long pass from Christian Holland, and we cruise to a comfortable victory and the top of the group.

Man of the Match: Brian Burman




USMNT 3-1 Turkey




Win the group, get the easier opponent in the knockout round. We should coast by Saudi Arabia, but it sets us up to face Spain in the semifinal. Still, barring a screw up against the Saudis we're going to get a shot at a medal.



This actually works out great. Lang is our best available defensive midfielder, and was left off the roster due to injury. Ramirez is a promising centerback, but he's not my first choice.



Well, I see now why Velez won both apertura and clausura in Argentina last year. We had to mount a two goal comeback in the second half to just get a draw.



Check out that hair!




I am glad that you stunk in the Olympics, though.



Barcelona just upped their offer to City- they'd been offering about £8m less than PSG before this.



Damn straight. It's freedom time!

vs Saudi Arabia, August 3, 2024
Olympic Games, Quarterfinal


Saudi Arabia have been lucky to get this far, and actually had as many points in the group stage as we did after drawing with Mexico and defeating South Africa and hosts Morocco. It's still the easiest draw we could have hoped for in the quarterfinals, and it's entirely on us if we don't advance to the medal round.

Starting Formation: 4-5-1 Control
Starting 11: Toninho, Parsons, Logan, Klaas, Roberts, Lang, Woods (c), Hartman, Burman, Carroll, Enriquez.
Subs: Thompson, Lozano, Holland, Chavez, Barrett, Hughes, Fisher.

We did exactly what I wanted. The ball spent nearly thirty minutes in the Saudi third of the pitch, and they managed just three shots, none on target. We repeatedly scuttled their attacks in the midfield, giving us great field position from which to begin our own. Our two goals came from Manuel Enriquez, the first was a laser hit from outside of the box that the Saudi keeper and defense had no chance on, and the second was a poachers effort set up by Hunter Fisher's dangerous dribbling. This team is feeling it's oats, and it wants to be on that podium.

Man of the Match: Manuel Enriquez.




USMNT 2-0 Saudi Arabia



As expected. Spain is going to be very tough to beat, but we guarantee ourselves a silver medal if we can upset them.



Arsenal is willing to spend big this summer, between Bloem and Cirelli they'd be up over £100m for the window.



It's no surprise that PSG is willing to throw money at players, either.




The England manager decided to ride off into the sunset, and that means Chelsea needs a new coach now.



So Chelsea hires AU-Mourinho. For the third time. Mourinho is an AWFUL coach in this universe, other than the 2015 EPL title and the 2024 Europa League he hasn't won squat. He's been sacked by Liverpool and Swansea, and at Swansea he lasted less than 9 months. Manchester City just had their prayers answered, they might get back into the Champions League next year even after a fire sale.



Boca used a formation I've never seen before:



What even is that?



Ah, the impetuosity of youth.



Ünsal will miss the Community Shield, but be back before the season starts.



£61m! That's £15m more than any non-Wrexham transfer in the decade plus since I started coaching.

vs Spain, August 6, 2024
Olympic Games, Semifinal


If we win here, we're guaranteed a medal. I know that research shows that bronze medal winners are typically happier about their medal than silver medalists, but I want a shot at the gold and silver would still be the greatest accomplishment of the United States Men's National Team since it finished 3rd in the inaugural World Cup 94 years prior. We're pretty exhausted, the Olympic Tournament is only two weeks long and so we're playing our fifth game in twelve days. The Spaniards are as well, and I feel good having tried to rest our best players as often as possible.

Starting Formation: 4-5-1 Counter
Starting 11: Toninho, Parsons, Logan, Lang, Lozano, Woods, Hartman, Hughes, Burman, Fisher (c), Holland.
Subs: Thompson, Roberts, Enriquez, Chavez, Barrett, Klaas, Carroll.

We were always going to need to get something from set pieces to win this match, and we make good on that in the 30th minute. A Burman corner kick spins away from Kevin Logan and Spanish left back Jaume at the far post right to the waiting feet of defender Mark Lang, who taps it in to give us the lead in the 30th minute. I brace for a vicious counter attack, but it never comes, our defense does a brilliant job not allowing the Spanish to get back into the match. We take a two goal lead in the 86th minute when Enriquez and Holland combine on the counter attack, set up by a marvelous through ball by top prospect Paul Barrett. That two goal lead is important, because Spain finally scores on a brilliant free kick by Barcelona wonderkid Amador two minutes later. Instead of being a back breaking equalizer, it's a meaningless consolation goal, and we're going to the gold medal match.

It's not all good news, though, as Brent Woods picked up a yellow card late in the match for a punishing tackle on Spain's right winger. It's his second of the tournament and means he'll be suspended for the final.

Man of the Match: Mark Lang




USMNT 2-1 Spain



Bring it on, Mexico. I've made a habit of kicking your asses.



Though not having our best player could really screw us over, especially with your strength in the midfield.

vs Mexico, August 10, 2024
Olympic Games, Final


This is it. Everything that we've worked for comes down to this game. We're deserved underdogs, not only has El Tri won gold at two of the last three Olympics but we're missing out midfield general while Mexico's Rodrigo Jimenez has been on fire. If we win it'll be a gritty effort where we get lucky with a counter or a set piece. We beat Spain, though, and they're just as impressive as Mexico, so we certainly have a chance.

Starting Formation: 4-5-1 Counter
Starting 11: Toninho, Parsons, Logan (c), Klaas, Roberts, Lang, Hartman, Barrett, Burman, Carroll, Enriquez.
Subs: Thompson, Lozano, Chavez, Hughes, Fisher, Holland.

The first 10 minutes are magical, with Manny Enriquez beating the offside trap to score a brilliant goal in the 6th minute. It's not to last, though, as Mexico claws back to even with a free kick golazo by Dante Flores, a dual national American/Mexican who was ignored by the prior USMNT leadership and who refused my (many, repeated, and slightly unseemly) overtures before gaining a spot with the Mexican team. They take the lead before the half on another great goal by Emile M'Bone, a Cameroonian-Mexican who took out his fairway wood and launched a bomb into the far corner from outside the box. Our chances slip away for good when that bastard Rodrigo Jimenez scores in the 55th minute on a shot that Toninho really should have stopped to make it 3-1. Despite a spirited effort over the final thirty minutes we can't make up the two goal difference, and have to resign ourselves to second place and silver.




USMNT 1-3 Mexico



I have grown to hate my one-time object of desire.



At least our sole goal was an impressive one.



Burman has also solidified his spot on my national team roster, all the guy does is cut in from out wide and beat the keeper. He's like a poor man's Arjen Robben.



Add Silver at the 2024 games to my long list of accomplishments!



Gold would be nicer, but this is still a big accomplishment and really makes me feel good about the 2026 World Cup. We're going to have some excellent young players coming into the senior team.



Yeah, that sounds about right. We're deep, and we're going to be even better than last year. Going undefeated is a real possibility.



I'm glad Arsenal didn't get him. It means we don't have to see him in league play. I'm also curious to see if he racks up 40 goals and adds 30 assists against the derisory opposition in France.



And I turn down another huge offer. I'm happy with our team, even though I haven't added anything other than a wonderkid defender for next year.

vs Manchester United, August 11, 2024
Community Shield


We're on a recent streak against United. In six games over the past two years we've won four and drawn two, and took both the League Cup and the Champions League final over them. Our draws came at Old Trafford, on neutral ground we've beaten them twice in a row. We're going to play them twice this week, once for the community shield and then we open our league campaign in Manchester. Let's keep this streak going.

Starting Formation: 4-2-3-1 Control
Starting 11: Kovacevic, Reed, Laux, Quiboulaz, Taffarel, Bailey, Petts, Taborda, Shirra, Mujkic (c), Thiago.
Subs: Fitzgerald, Cirjak, Hammatt, Mair, Allan, Collett, Parr.

The only Mancunian joy comes in the first five minutes when Gregorio catches Reed napping and gets himself on the score sheet. After that it's all Wrexham. The Golden Boy makes United's 31 year old centerback Fabien Duval look like a teenager with no awareness by nicking the ball three yards from the goal line and equalizing in the 24th minute, and we take the lead ten minutes later when Thiago flicked a Bailey corner to an unmarked Quiboulaz. Meteor adds a scorching header minutes before halftime to make it three-nil. Rodrigo Taborda, playing as an inverted winger out on the right side in order to get him and Mujkic on the pitch at the same time, finishes the day's tally at the hour mark by rocketing past two United defenders before cutting inside and scoring. The heady scoreline belies that Vid Kovacevic was called on to make eight saves, though, and that our defense was repeatedly cracked open on counter attacks. We were the better team, but not by three goals. We'll need to tighten things up if we want to win our season opener.

Man of the Match: Jonathan Quiboulaz




Wrexham 4-1 Man United




That's how I like to kick off the year. Hopefully the scoreline is just as pretty after we visit Old Trafford.

USMNT U23


I know my goal is to make the USMNT into the best national side in the world, but right now we're still several years from that point. Taking silver in a relatively prestigious, youth oriented tournament is a very good building block for our kids, and the performances of several of them merits senior team call-ups. Paul Barrett looks like our best midfield prospect since Woods, while Isaac Parsons is already the best American right back around. Guys like Mark Lang look to be competent role players for a counter-attacking styled team, and Brian Burman gives us a scoring threat from open play. The World Cup is less than two years away, and a lot could still change, but I think my goal of a quarterfinal appearance is more likely than it was a year ago.

Wrexham


The first six matches are bookended by tough games against fellow title contenders. If we can take a point against both Manchester and Arsenal while doing a professional job against the other four clubs we should be on our way to a threepeat. I'm not sure who we'll get in the League Cup or the Champions League, but I expect we'll handle both without difficulty.