Part 180: Chapter the First: Bringing our B game.

Chapter the First: Bringing our B game.
July 1, 2025-July 28, 2025

I've got good news and bad news. The good news is that every single good Mexican player was on the team that just played in the Confederations Cup. The bad news is that they still have plenty of players who are better than our B squad.



Everyone on the China train.



Except for you, Petts. Do you think I've forgotten your missed penalty in the Champions League semifinal? You're done here at Wrexham.



We're still worth over 1 billion pounds, one of four clubs that can claim that level of wealth.




Sell on clauses can rapidly reduce your transfer profits, in Taffarel's case he cut our profit in half.



I'll let String take a break later in the preseason. I want everyone together for the China training camp.



They know what they have to do after last season.



Err. We're going to be in Beijing...



We'll make it up to you some other time.



I hemmed and hawed over giving Rouissi a new contract, but the fact remains that he's just 20 years old and still has outrageous potential. If he's not living up to it by the summer of 2027, though, I'm cutting bait.



Some American kids are going to have sore legs come the school year, what with appearances in the Confederations Cup or Gold Cup along with the U20 World Cup.



Remember when we used to play in a peat bog and it cost us a good chunk of our offseason cash to get the field into playable shape before the season? Ahh, memories.



His refusals cost us £1.4m. Still, we made back our money several times over.



This wasn't such a good piece of business. We brought him in for £650k, and after two years of wages we barely cleared £200,000 in profit.




Makin' it real hard to move you, Petts.



I am going to send Malcolm Tucker to bollock whichever asshole denied Moctezuma's work permit appeal. I can't countenance spending that much on a 16 year old who's still years from making our first team, I don't care that he's American.



Hey, how about you find me that feeder club you promised me over a year ago.

vs El Salvador, July 8, 2025
Gold Cup, Group C


Two new Americans, Schlegel and Dolinsky, are getting capped for the first time in a non-friendly match. After today they'll never be able to accept a callup from Germany or England. Our youth prospect Keith Coleman is also on the field, hopefully he can flash some of the potential that lead him to two goals in two appearances for the Wrexham senior team last year.

Starting Formation: 4-5-1 Control
Starting 11: Toninho, Paulinho, Bravo, Brown, Erlic (c), Schlegel, Spence, Coleman, Lenz, Munk, Dolinsky.
Subs: Filipe, Roger, Ledesma, Enriquez, Smith, Saavedra, Bennett.

El Salvador nearly shocks us at the start of the match, but Toninho is able to make the save after our defense invited them to take a tempting shot. Other than that, they don't threaten. That leaves us a full ninety minutes to hit woodwork and roil side netting, or send weak shots directly at the Salvadorean keeper. We take a point from the match, rather than the three we should have. It's not a devastating result, we'd likely have to finish fourth in our group not to advance, but it makes me angry nonetheless.




USMNT 0-0 El Salvador



This marks PSG's fourth bid this summer for Reed. I've set his asking price, which had been £58m, up to £100m. That doesn't deter the French fools from offering £43m over and over again.



Two consecutive years with no Champions League is enough for Lienard to demand a transfer. I'm tempted to snap him up, but we have nowhere to play him. Juventus have already made an offer, his departure from the league is enough to make me happy.



Similarly, Arnaud Ouatarra is grumpy as hell for being denied a transfer listing, and for not getting any Champions League soccer.



We could actually use him, so I make a speculative offer of £16m for his services. I expect it to be rejected, and for him to get very upset with Manchester City.



Perhaps our offer won't be scoffed at. Wolfsburg and Roma both make similar offers to ours, which I think means that their managers believe Ouattara can be had.



He might not get it, though.



Lienard might not, either, despite City having previously agreed to Juventus's fee. That cannot be good for their morale.



I'll be happy just to get through the preseason without either Parr or Taborda losing a limb.

vs Mexico, July 12, 2025
Gold Cup, Group C


Our stiffest challenge in the group, the Mexico B team is made up entirely of players from their domestic league.

Starting Formation: 4-5-1 Counter
Starting 11: Toninho, Paulinho, Bravo, Brown, Erlic (c), Schlegel, Spence, Dolinsky, Saavedra, Munk, Bennett.
Subs: Filipe, Roger, Ledesma, Enriquez, Vasquez, Smith, Mancini.

We put three chances wide in the first 10 minutes. Rodrigo Saavedra, who a couple years ago was scoring in buckets in Brazil, has missed two open net opportunities. We finally score on a fluke free kick where the Mexican keeper is trapped behind one of his own players. That goal was entirely deserved, by the end of the half we've smashed the woodwork four times. After the second forty-five minutes are played, it's clear from the results of our clashes here and in the Confederations Cup that while Mexico may have better top end talent, they possess nowhere near as deep a talent pool as the United States.

Man of the Match: Fred Spence




USMNT 1-0 Mexico



If I'd known his agent was retiring this summer I'd have waited on negotiating a new contract with Taborda until he was sans representation.



Oh for Pete's sake.



This isn't bad, the exposure will boost our nascent commercial empire, it's just irritating that the Mini-Cwp gets messed with for a second straight season.



Huh. El Salvador beat Mexico, so we go into the Canada match already qualified for the next stage.

vs Canada, July 15, 2025
Gold Cup, Group C


We can just go out and play a relaxed game with nothing on the line. Canada is fielding a lineup of teenagers, and while a win would be nice it's not worth it at the expense of our health or stamina.

Starting Formation: 4-2-3-1 Control
Starting 11: Filipe, Roger, Brown (c), Ledesma, Bravo, Enriquez, Medina, Vazquez, Coleman, Smith, Lenz.
Subs: Toninho, Erlic, Munk, Dolinsky, Spence, Saavedra, Mancini.

Canada hit us on the break and injure two of our players. We equalize, but not until the 73rd minute, and we draw after a slapdash, slipshod performance against an opponent we should have whalloped. These moosehumpers are rapidly becoming my least favorite opponent in international soccer.




USMNT 1-1 Canada




This ain't hockey, ya hosers!



Wales is now ranked third. I'm guessing that's a record high.



Our Chinese excursion was mostly a success.



I say mostly because of course Parr got hurt.

Dramane Tounkara
Centerback


Our big signing of the previous summer arrived in Wrexham just before the end of our overseas training camp. We bought Tounkara from Monaco for £25m, and part of the deal was that we'd loan him back to the Monegasques for the season. Now he's a seasoned 19 year old coming off of a year where he helped his club contend mightily for the Ligue 1 crown, and between him and Quiboulaz we have two centerbacks with world class pace and acceleration. That will allow us to play an even higher line when they're both on the pitch, and Tounkara's imminent arrival was just one more reason why Alex O'Hanlon was shipped out last month.



Uuuugh. So many international matches. There's three friendlies (against the US Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, and Tahiti) and then at least three group stage matches in August. I cannot wait for them to be over, even though I think we have a chance at making a deep run in this tournament.



Uh. No.



The bookies know what they're about.



You can really see the border between the haves and the have nots, huh? As well as the border between the have nots and the totally screwed. Based upon preseason expectations there's five teams with title aspirations, four teams fighting to avoid relegation, and an eleven team midtable. I'm guessing that there will be at least one surprise, though.



Our bonus pool was a lot smaller last year than when we won titles. Maybe knocking them back up to the highest level possible will do the trick.



I'm mainly hoping we don't have any injuries in pre-season. Well, any more injuries in pre-season.



Is someone following my players around randomly kneecapping them? Moctezuma was going to be one of the two or three best players we had in the U20 cup.

vs Costa Rica, July 19, 2025
Gold Cup, Quarterfinal Round


Our craptastic Canadian outing results in us matching against the class of the tournament. Los Ticos are a tiny nation, but regularly put together respectable squads. We're going to need to play a lot better if we want to win this for the second time in a row.

Starting Formation: 4-5-1 Control
Starting 11: Toninho, Paulinho, Bravo, Brown, Erlic (c), Schlegel, Spence, Dolinsky, Saavendra, Munk, Bennett.
Subs: Filipe, Roger, Vazquez, Coleman, Enriquez, Smith, Mancini.

We get a gift penalty in the second minute, and spurn it. We hit the crossbar for what seems like the 20th time in the last three matches. Get a goal from a set piece, and a second goal ten minutes later on a breakaway. Saavedra makes it 3-0 and it's getting late early for Costa Rica. For once we bring our finishing boots, and the most difficult opponent remaining has been vanquished.

Man of the Match: Scott Dolinsky.




USMNT 3-0 Costa Rica



Ok, barring there being an unknown superstar from Trinidad or Tobago that I'm unaware of, I think it's safe to say we're going to the Gold Cup final.



Our defense is razor thin right now due to injuries and suspensions.



Meanwhile Wrexham is about to mess with Texas.



That score flatters the MLS players. It could have easily been 10-0. That's much better than Bayern Munich did this past summer in real life, when they lost 2-1 and their manager refused to shake hands with the MLS coach after the match.



It's a mystery as to why Bologna thinks that a) I'd sell String and b) he'd want to join them. Their Chilean mining magnate owner might have spent too long in the deep caves.




We're down to four healthy defenders on our Gold Cup squad. Any more injuries and I'm playing our tallest striker at centerback.

vs Trinidad and Tobago, July 24, 2025
Gold Cup, Semifinal Round


A nation of 1.2 million can't hold us back. Fun T&T fact, 18% of the population are Hindu. Bet you didn't know that. I know I didn't until I looked up their population.

Starting Formation: 4-2-3-1 Control
Starting 11: Toninho, Paulinho, Bravo (c), Brown, Roger, Enriquez, Munk, Vazquez, Coleman, Smith, Mancini.
Subs: Filipe, Spence, Medina, Lenz, Dolinsky, Saavedra, Bennett.

It takes until after halftime and a quiet word with Piervito Mancini to take the lead, but Trinidad never had a chance. Any fanciful notions they had of a smash and grab result disappears with a 77th minute red card. We're off to face Honduras in the final.

Man of the Match: Paulinho.




USMNT 1-0 Trinidad



You're worthless to me. My kingdom for a Sky Shadowing or AJ_Impy. Next time I'll ask for a youth system feeder, I'm guessing that only American teams are considered for economic type feeders. A youth feeder will have a fair chance of turning up a top flight Brazilian club.



Another week, another match closer to rounding into shape for the season. In my scramble to replace our previously canceled friendlies I thought that we were going to be playing a Mexican club. Turns out Tigres are actually from Argentina.

vs Honduras, July 27, 2025
Gold Cup, Final Round


We've had players injured for so long that some are coming back to health. Mark Lang missed the Confederations Cup and every match of the Gold Cup until now with injury, and he's back just in time to replace Herr Schlegel. Ledesma's been out two weeks, but is healthy enough to provide us an emergency stopgap if a defender gets injured.

Starting Formation: 4-5-1 Control
Starting 11: Toninho, Paulinho, Bravo, Brown (c), Roger, Lang, Spence, Dolinsky, Saavedra, Smith, Bennett.
Subs: Filipe, Ledesma, Enriquez, Coleman, Vazquez, Lenz, Mancini.

Shots fly fast and furious in the first forty-five, but result in no harm to either side. All the players are tired, and it's making it difficult for us to play the uptempo style I prefer and that we've trained for. We catch a huge break when a coaching blunder by my opposite number forces Honduras to go a man down in the 76th minute, one of their players is injured and has to be removed but they've already used all three substitutions. That cracks open their defense enough for the ageless Rodrigo Saavedra to score on a darting run just one minute from the end of regulation. It's enough, and our B team has proven better than anything else the smaller nations of North America have to offer.

Man of the Match: Rodrigo Saavedra




USMNT 1-0 Honduras



These things are big, they look 4-5 feet tall from the photos I've seen.



The summer's gone as well as I could have hoped. We retained the Gold Cup, and we made it to the final of the Confederations Cup. Go us. Go USA.



These injuries keep happening outside of games and practice. Who's hurting you?! Tell me who the bad man is and I can make it stop!



I really wanted to schedule Guam for this friendly so that we could make a clean sweep of the United States' outlying territories, but they didn't want to schlep all the way to the mainland for a friendly. Tahiti served perfectly well as a stand-in Pacific island.

USMNT



One more international competition and I can finally get back to the simple pleasures of doing one single job. Thank goodness. Things would be easier if I wasn't such a micromanager, there's really no need for me to run all levels of the national team, but we're going to need every edge we can get to advance in the World Cup next summer.

Wrexham


Next month we start our quest for redemption. I could have scheduled more friendlies, but the players are already mostly fit and I've managed something like a dozen and a half games in the past month. When we couldn't reschedule the Mini-Cwp I said screw it.



Prediction Contest



Predict the final table of the Premier League.

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