Millossobek's Master League Written Stories!

[millossobek]

Hi bros! Welcome to millossobek's Master League written stories!!!!

(Disclaimer: All of my Master League written content and stories are exclusively my own, and cannot be posted in this forum or anywhere else without my consent. Even though I do base my stories on the match results that I play in different PES editions, a lot of hard work and creativity are put into the imagination and storyline parts of it, and I consider these to be my own work. )

I am currently playing several ML's at the same time, but I have decided to focus on my main save, my team, Millonarios FC.

This first post will include some introductory background information of my team, and I will add my Master League information in the next post.

I'll start with a bit of location info:

My city is Bogota, the capital of Colombia. We are quite a large metropolis, with approximately 8 million people. My city is not the typical image that people have of Latin America. It is cool and sometimes rainy (which I prefer). The average temperature is 14-18 C during the day, and the weather almost never changes at all during the year. This is because we are in the middle of the Andes Mountains, 2600 meters above sea level.

​

As for my team, Millonarios, we play in Estadio El Campín, capacity 36,343 people. I love the location of our stadium, nice and historical, and you can get a cool view of the mountains and buildings as you can see..

​

I've been a fan of Millonarios for as long as I can remember, we are a team that is quite entrenched with the local culture of our city. While most other Colombian teams play in humid, hot, tropical climates, we are high up in the Andes Mountains, and this I feel contributes greatly to the identity of our city, as well as our team. A lot of our matches are under rainy, cold conditions. We're not a touristic city like Cartagena, or Medellin, but more gritty, more industrial, yet at the same time a very cultural and artistic city with a lot of flavor and our own flair. 🌆

Millonarios is perhaps the most historical team in Colombia, with 15 local championships. We have struggled a little lately, (even though our last championship was in 2017), and other teams, such as Atletico Nacional, and America de Cali, have accumulated titles too, but we are one of the largest and perhaps the most loyal fanbase in the country! We are looking to recapture our local glory, and improve on the Copa Libertadores tournaments.. 🏆

The name Millonarios comes from the fact that back in the 1950's, the team used to have a lot of money to hire Argentine players, so the nickname became official name. Actually it has nothing to do with supporters. In fact, we come from all socioeconomic classes, rich poor middle class etc.. in fact if you go to some of the poorest areas of my city you will see so much support for my team.

Our nickname is "Los Embajadores", translation in English, "The Ambassadors", because we used to represent Colombia with a lot of pride in South American international cups, a glory which we are looking to find once again.

Millonarios is also quite unique in the sense that we have not one but two recognized derbies: The Clásico Capitalino, against our rivals Santa Fe, also from Bogota, and also against Atletico Nacional, perhaps our most intense rivalry, and is considered by many as the national Colombian Derby.

​

We are a proud team, with a proud history and one of the largest and most loyal fanbases in Colombia. Right now, we are tied for second place in local titles, (Atletico Nacional has 16, we have 15 tied with America de Cali) and we would love to recapture the leadership in local titles. We were runners up in the last tournament, against Deportes Tolima, a smaller but up-and coming team.. But we're looking to take the title this time and qualify for the most important tournament in South America, La Copa Libertadores.. 🏆

I will follow up with my save information!! ⚽

 

[millossobek]

I've decided to title my save "The Return of the Blue Knight: can Millonarios recapture its glory and break Brazilian-Argentinean dominance?"

My squad was completely updated to the current team and transfers when I started a few days ago.. Basically, I have one very important goal. My most important goal:

To qualify to the Copa Libertadores, and have a strong showing there. 🏆


Granted, following up on my previous post, I would love to avenge last semester's defeat to Deportes Tolima, and capture our 16th (and record-setting) local championship,to put us back level with our biggest rivals (as explained in the previous post), but my obsession is to do well in the Copa Libertadores.

Why? A lot of it has to do with Brazilian/Argentinean dominance in the cup. 🇧🇷 🇦🇷

Spoiler: Copa Libertadores Champions

​

As you can see, Argentinean and Brazilian teams have won a combined 45 of 61 Copa Libertadores in history, and they have won a whopping 17 of 21 cups this century alone. This, coupled with the fact that our biggest rivals, Atletico Nacional, were the last team outside of these two countries to capture the cup, means that in my eyes, Millonarios priority is to return to the Copa Libertadores, and perform well. Not necessarily win, as this is a very tall order against these Argentinean and Brazilian teams which triple our budget, but at least qualify and do well.

One small clarification for those of you who probably aren't too familiar with the Cup. To us, Copa Libertadores is like Champions League for the rest of the world. It is the one international competition we look forward to the most! 🏆 That is why the slogan of the cup is "La Gloria Eterna", "The Eternal Glory".

Anyway, before I go into my save, I think it's important to explain a little bit about the Colombian league structure, called for promotional reasons, Liga BetPlay Dimayor.

Taken from wikipedia:

"The top flight (of the Colombian League) features 20 teams, all of which play through the Apertura and Finalización tournaments each year. Both tournaments are conducted according to an identical three-stage format.

The first stage is conducted on a single round-robin basis, with each team playing the other teams once for a total of 19 matches. The top eight teams then advance to a knockout round consisting of two groups, each team playing six times in a round-robin format. The two leaders of each group advance to the final, which is played in a home and away leg fashion." 🏆

So as you can see, the format of the Colombian League is quite different from other countries, where there is only an "everybody plays everybody twice" league structure. There are playoffs, and there are two champions per year. This makes for some interesting situations.. In reality, a team that finishes 8th in the "general table" could win the championship, in a way the format is similar to the NBA or MLB. This adds interesting dynamics to the table. 🇨🇴

Right now, in my save, there are 5 games to go until the last match of the round robin stage.. I was going to write more, how I am doing so far, but I think I will wait to see if there is a response.. I will definitely update this thread once the playoffs start, and if there is interest!

Millonarios Manager, former 80's champ Alberto Gamero, My Star of the Present and Future, 19 year old Daniel Ruiz, Creative Midfielder

 

[millossobek]

Bros, I am getting everything together to post my update.. I will only say 2 things for now..

1. I won the local league with my Millonarios, in my third try (Apertura 2021).
2. I qualified for Copa Libertadores 2022, and the group stages are set.

Give me a day or two to get everything together, a rather large update is coming..

 

[millossobek]

Hi bros! So, as I posted before, I was finally able to win the league, on my third try with my Millonarios! It was a long and difficult path, given the nature of the Colombian Championship, but well worth it! I will summarize it below.



In my first two semesters, (Apertura 2020 and Clausura 2020), I qualified for the playoffs, but was ousted both times by different teams, The first time my rival was Deportes Tolima, and the second time it was América de Cali, on PK's. The great part is that I was able to avenge both defeats in my third playoff (I qualified by finishing first in the regular season standings), and not only that, I was able to defeat my biggest rivals, Atlético Nacional in the final, and equal them in local titles! (16), with an 86th minute screamer match by my long-time captain, David Macalister Silva, as you can see in the screenshot above!

This tournament I won was Apertura 2021, and the best part was, this automatically qualified me to the Copa Libertadores 2022!
I was helped by a realistic amount of transfers. I made sure that I followed the strict Colombian league rule of no more than 3 foreign players per team. It took me a while, but I was able to forge a nice mix of local talent, and foreign transfers!



Here are two of my stars of my championship season, transfer Pedro Gallese, Peru starting international goalkeeper, who I signed through transfer, and Fernando Uribe, one of my established veteran stars, who in real life is the starting CF, and who ended up being one of my more clinical finishers!

In the second semester, unfortunately, I was not able to repeat the league championship, but I still had a decent season. 4th overall in the standings but was ousted by Atletico Nacional in the quarterfinals. Deportes Tolima ended up being the champion of Clausura 2021. However, the good part, and in a way one of the icings on the cake of my championship season, was that I was able to win the Colombian Super League, which is a single game which matches the champions of the Apertura and the Clausura. I was able to beat Deportes Tolima to conquer the Super League title! Even if this cup is not as prestigious as the actual league title, it is still a nice addition!



As you can probably tell, this was a tremendously satisfying win. Not only was I able to equal Atlético Nacional in titles, and qualify for the Copa Libertadores, but I did it in quite realistic fashion, following the league rules for maximum international transfers and building up my team step by step, with a nice combination of current players and additions. It took me three tournaments but, most satisfying of all, was being able to defeat three of my biggest rivals en route to the league title! That was cool.

In my next post, I will write about my main objective, my qualification to the 2022 Copa Libertadores, which I am about to play in the following days! As satisfying as my league cups were, the international cup was the dream I had at the beginning of the Master League, and pretty much what I've been preparing for. I will post the preview of the Libertadores groups, as well as some additional info about my rivals and the different groups next.. Stay tuned and thanks for accompanying me on this football journey! 🏆

 

[millossobek]

​

So, bros, here I will write a short preview of the Copa Libertadores 2022 edition in my Master League save with Millonarios!

Following up on my last post, I qualified to the most prestigious tournament in South America. In this edition of the Libertadores, the teams are distributed as follows:

7 Argentinean, 6 Brazilian, 4 Peruvian, 3 Paraguayan, 3 Bolivian, 2 Colombian, 2 Uruguayan, 2 Chilean, 2 Ecuadorian and 1 Venezuelan.

This is pretty realistic, actually the game did a pretty good job on this one. One thing that stands out, though, is that Peruvian and Bolivian teams did very well in the preliminary phases of the cup, much better than their usual performance, and qualified a larger share of teams to the group phase! One thing that's nice about the Cup in PES is that it actually includes the preliminary stage, just like in the actual tournament.

So this is my group, Group 7! Just like in the Champions League, the top two advance to the knockout stage:




Pretty tough, well balanced group in my eyes. I will summarize each team shortly:

Millonarios of Colombia: https://evoweb.uk/threads/millossobeks-master-league-written-stories.88367/#post-3753983

Club Nacional de Football is one of the oldest teams in South America, founded way back in the 19th century. It is one of the two Uruguayan giants (the other one being Peñarol). Combined, these two teams have won like.. 90% of all Uruguayan local championships, or more! Their nickname is spanish is "El Bolso" or "Los Bolsilludos" (The Pocket, or the Pocketers), because back in the day, their uniform used to have a chest pocket. I'm not sure if the current kit has the same design, but the name stuck. Tough, tough team, definitely one of the more talented squad in South America, with 3 Libertadores to their name.

Liga de Quito of Ecuador, also known as "El Rey de Copas", (The King of Cups), is another very tough opponent. It is pretty clear that based on their history, they are far and away the most successful Ecuadorian team in terms of international cup performance (1 Libertadores, 1 Sudamericana, and 2 Recopa Sudamericana, which match up the winners of the two tournaments). This team definitely has international pedigree, and they've been "giant killers" in their runs, beating River, Estudiantes, Inter, Fluminense, and others! Dangerous opponent.

My other rival is Defensa y Justicia, from Argentina, 2020 Copa Sudamericana and Recopa Champions. They are one of the historically smaller teams in first division (by Argentinean standards), but in the past few years, they've really taken off, by the hand of their coach Sebastian Beccaccece (from the Bielsa-Sampaoli school). This is a team really with no big stars, but hard working, with strong mentality, and gritty. Another one to watch out for, absolutely.

As you can see, my group is pretty damn tough! But I'm not intimidated, since I've built up quite a solid team just for this competition, which has matured and ripened for 3 semesters until it reaches a very competitive point. Here are two of my stars, young forward Ricardo Marquez, who was a top goalscorer in the league during my championship season, and international Brazilian transfer Fernando, from Shakhtar Donetsk, who's been very effective down the wing, scoring a lot of goals in his young Millonarios career!



So here I am, finally achieved the goal that I set myself at the beginning of my Master League campaign, which was to qualify to the Copa Libertadores. Well, at least half the goal. The other half is to have a good showing there! It'll be difficult, since not only is my group very tough, but there are also plenty of South American giants in the other groups, such as Palmeiras, Boca, River, Flamengo, Mineiro, Peñarol and others! I don't know how many of you are actually following my Master League story but I consider this a personal project now. I will be back, perhaps in the middle of my group phase, definitely at the end of it, to let you guys know how it's going! Thanks for reading bros!!

"Y dale alegría alegría a mi corazón, La Copa Libertadores es mi obsesión!" "Vamos Millonarios!!!!!"

 

[millossobek]

🏆 🏆 COPA LIBERTADORES MILLONARIOS QUALIFICATION 🏆 🏆

​

Hi bros, here I'm back to post my first update with my save with Millonarios! After 6 very hard fought matches, I qualified to the next stage of the Copa Libertadores! Here are the actual results for every one of my matches:

Millonarios 1 Club Nacional de F. 1
Liga de Quito 0 Millonarios 0
Millonarios 1 Defensa y Justicia 1

Defensa y Justicia 0 Millonarios 1
Millonarios 0 Liga de Quito 1
Club Nacional de F. 3 Millonarios 3

As you can see, the group stage was very tight, starting out with 3 straight draws! I was actually a bit worried after the first part of the group stage, because it seemed to me that the teams were very evenly matched! Especially in the second match, against Liga De Quito, chances were very hard to come by, as the 0-0 result shows! I knew that in the second part of the group stage, I would have to improve on my performance and at least get 1 win if I wanted to qualify to the next round.. One thing I could tell though, after this first part, is that all 4 teams had very similar levels, at least I felt how tight and close every single match was!!

Historically speaking, 6 points (which would be the double of what I had after 3 matches), has not been enough in the Copa Libertadores to progress to the next stage, so I knew I had to pick it up, and indeed I did pick it up, against perhaps the toughest team in the group, Defensa y Justicia!



This was a very satisfying win, in their stadium, where they became Copa Sudamericana champions! It is always tough to play in Argentinean stadiums, the pressure from the crowd was intense, and since they were leading the group, they came out in a defensive stance, trying to preserve a draw. However I was able to prevail, once again scoring 1 goal, from my top goalscorer Ricardo Márquez.

Now I wanted to ensure qualification by winning at home against Liga de Quito, but once again, the Copa Libertadores would get all dramatic on me, as I wasn't able to win at home, and lost 0-1 in another tight game. Unlike the first match in Ecuador, however, bad luck played a factor.. Because in this match I came out aggressively and had many more chances, but wasn't able to capitalize on them. As the saying goes, "en fútbol no siempre gana el mejor", which means that in football, the better team doesn't always win. That's part of what makes this sport so great, its unpredictability, but in this case it worked against me.

I was actually quite concerned, because this defeat against Liga De Quito meant that my Libertadores destiny wasn't in my hands anymore. I had to do everything possible to win my last group match, against Club Nacional de Fútbol, but even if I won, this didn't guarantee anything, because I was dependent on the other match!! 😒

Basically, with one match left to go, my situation looked like this......

Liga de Quito: 10 points, +5 goal difference
Defensa y Justicia: 7 points, + 1 goal difference
Millonarios: 6 points, +0 goal difference
Club Nacional: 4 points, -6 goal difference

So even if I won my last match, I had to hope that Liga de Quito beat or draw against Defensa y Justicia. if DYJ won their last match, no matter what happened, I would've been out of the cup. So I was understandably anxious before the last match at Uruguay.



What ended up happening was a minor miracle! The match finished 3-3 in very dramatic fashion! I started out winning 0-1 as you can see, as I definitely came out with aggressive tactics, trying to win it all! Actually, Club Nacional also came out aggressively, I guess they were trying to go for broke to see if there was a mathematical chance to qualify.. I was going for the win. However, the match was very back and forth, and the game was tied 2-2 at the 85th minute! I was still going all out, especially because there was no way of knowing the outcome of the other match, so I really had no way to know. All I knew is that if I lost, it was over. Then, the Nacional forward, Thiago Vecino, scored 3-2 in the 85th minute, and I was very frustrated, because that meant for sure elimination.. but then, in the 91st minute, I was able to equalize!!!! With a beautiful goal by Cristian "El Chicho" Arango. Man, moments like these is why I love football, and why I love PES!



Even if I had drawn the match, 3-3, I was still not sure if I had qualified. These were some suspenseful moments until the final whistle for sure! Here's when I thought.. It'd be great if PES had a live scores update, haha, but in this case I guess it was even more dramatic, since it made the celebration so epic. Once the final whistle blew, and I saw my players celebrating, I knew I had qualified for the next round!

​

I was very, very fortunate. Liga de Quito had managed to beat Defensa y Justicia by one goal, 1-0, and this meant that I qualified to the round of 16 based on TOTAL GOALS SCORED. Amazing, right? As you can see in the table above, both Millonarios and Defensa y Justicia finished with 7 points, +0 goal difference. But the actual fact that I scored 6 goals and they scored 4, means that I qualify to the next phase, where I will be facing Colo Colo of Chile! There is only one thing left to say.... My objective is complete, no matter what happens from here on out....... 🏆

MILLONARIOS qualifies to the knockout stage of the Copa Libertadores de América!!!!!!!!​

.... stay tuned....

 

[millossobek]

🏆 🏆 COPA LIBERTADORES ROUND OF 16 MILLONARIOS VS COLO COLO 🏆 🏆
​

Hi bros! Well, continuing on with my story, I actually felt a bit lucky in my first draw in the round of 16 stage! Given that my Millonarios had finished second in my group, I could've drawn against very very tough opposition, such as River, Palmeiras, etc.. But I drew Chile's Colo-Colo. A good team, for sure, but definitely the one I felt was the best possible draw for me! They finished first in what I considered to be the weakest group, and so therefore the matchup was made.

But like we ALL know, games have to be played. Even though I felt I was the slight favorite in this matchup, I was still nervous, and felt like I had to go all out, like always! Colo-Colo is the winningest team in Chile's history, they've won over 30 local titles, and, even if their Copa Libertadores history wasn't as impressive, it is still a strong, historical South American side!



The first match was played at Colo-Colo's stadium. The game was pretty tight throughout, and the Chilean side scored first midway through the first half. As you can see, they played a lot of long balls and crosses. I was getting a bit worried, because their defense was very tough, as evidenced in the fact that I could only get 4 shots off the entire game! ⚽ The good part was, I was able to make one of them count, with an 88 minute equalizer by once again, Ricardo Márquez, who is fast becoming one of my best performers under pressure! This was a vitally important goal, because as you know, in the Copa Libertadores, the away goal rule is enforced, meaning that even if this game was a draw, I could come back to Bogotá with a slight advantage given that I had scored at their stadium! This eased my mind quite a bit, although I did know I had to play well throughout, and not lower my guard!



The series moved back to my hometown! I was excited to be playing in front of my crowd. Here, the ML immersion had me throughout, as I could really feel the excitement of playing in the first round of 16 for Millonarios since 1995! It felt awesome to be back on friendly grounds.

Back in Bogotá, I was faced with a decision. Should I play defensively, trying to preserve the 0-0 draw and therefore ensure my qualification to the quarterfinals through the away goal rule, or should I come out aggressively, trying to shut them down for good? I decided to do a mix of both, playing with my usual tactics and waiting to see what they would do. As expected, they came out aggressively in the first half, but I was able to score very early in the match, close to the 5 minute mark, courtesy of Cristian Arango. This gave me a nice advantage, but I couldn't relax, because if Colo-Colo was able to score, then all things would be back to square one.



The match progressed with a lot of tension, but I refused to adopt a defensive stance. I figured if I played my lines back too much, they would gain possession of the ball and perhaps greater chances to score. So, I decided to maintain tactics. As the match went on and the score was still 1-0 in minute 70, Colo-Colo suddenly went in all out attack. Thankfully, my defenders were very solid, and I decided to switch my tactics from possession to counterattacking and play more long balls, because their offensive tactics were leaving big holes in their midfield and defense. And I was able to score the second goal at the 80 minute mark, courtesy of a nicely executed counterattack which left their defense open! The final whistle had blown, I really can't believe that after setting my goal at the beginning of my Master League, I can say that I've come this far! Seeing the satisfaction on manager Alberto Gamero's face was quite something, given the long road Millonarios had to traverse getting to this point!!



Bros, The dream is still alive! Next up, is another tough opponent, Argentinos Jrs of Argentina. Stay tuned my friends!!!!

Millonarios is in the quarterfinals of the Copa Libertadores!!!! 🏆 🏆​

 

[millossobek]

🏆 🏆 COPA LIBERTADORES QUARTERFINALS MILLONARIOS VS ARGENTINOS JRS 🏆 🏆


​

Continuing on with the story of Millonarios bros! After a dramatic (but not too complicated, in the end) win after Chilean Colo-Colo, the Copa Libertadores had a different challenge for me awaiting in the quarterfinals, with Argentina's historical side, Argentinos Jrs!

For those of you who are probably not too familiar with Argentinos Jrs, they are also called "El Semillero del Mundo" roughly translated as "The Hotbed of the World" given that their academy has produced historical players such as Maradona, Redondo, Riquelme, Sorin, D'Alessandro and many others. They won the Copa Libertadores once, back in 1985, and are definitely one of the most well regarded Argentinean teams, even if not one of the big "five", they are definitely part of their history!



The first match was played at their stadium, aptly named "Estadio Diego Armando Maradona". Stadium Server definitely did a good job with the atmosphere in this stadium, as the crowd was pretty fired up at the beginning of the match! I was able to score first, a goal by my Brazilian winger Fernando! I must say that I got quite lucky in this goal, since it was a blooper from their goalkeeper! (Thanks to @Holland PES 2017 gp, which enables these kinds of realistic errors!). The goal came from a corner kick, and after a furious scramble in the box, their keeper butterfingered the ball, and it rebounded off his gloves. Fernando was there to clean up the miss! As we say, goal scorers have a way to find their goals!!!!!



Minutes later, unfortunately, they were able to come back with a 1-1 equalizer, courtesy of a dodgy Penalty Kick. I actually felt it was a pretty clean challenge, but the referee whistled it against me, due to body contact! My keeper wasn't able to stop it, and the match was back even 1-1.
Fortunately though, I was able to score a late game equalizer, courtesy of once again, of Ricardo Márquez, who is really cementing his legend as a late game hero with my Millonarios! This was a very nice win, at their stadium, with the advantage of two visiting goals, and I was ready and primed to go back home and finish them off!



And that it exactly what happened!!!!! With a historic hat-trick by Cristian Arango, a beautiful Free Kick and two counterattacks! Argentinos Jrs came out aggressively, looking to equalize the series (also given the 2 visiting goals I scored in Argentina), and their over-zealousness cost them dearly, as in the 10th minute, a reckless challenge by their player Centurión resulted in a red card, given that he obstructed a clear path to goal (last man). After Arango scored the beautiful free kick, they started to get more and more reckless and desperate. With a man down, and now down by 2 goals, they started attacking all out and leaving gaping holes in their defense, which Arango capitalized on and scored yet another 2 goals in the last 10 minutes of the game! Final score, 3-0, aggregate score, 5-1! Completely unexpected domination of the Argentinean side!!!!! Millonarios advances to the semifinals!!!!!!



A very satisfying win by Millonarios against a very tough foe! Now the stage is set for the semifinals. On the one hand, we have mighty and historic River Plate vs Talleres de Córdoba, both Argentinean sides.. And waiting for me, in the other leg, is 2020 Copa Libertadores two time champions, PALMEIRAS OF BRAZIL! Man this WILL be a challenge, they are not only one of the biggest clubs in Brazil, but in the entire South American continent. This is definitely the first time I feel like I am encountering a giant of the continent, and in the semifinals no more and no less! But I know that Millonarios will be up to the challenge, I will go for the win, and whatever happens, I will leave it all on the field!!!!!! For now, there is nothing left to say but..

🏆 🏆 Millonarios is in the semifinals of the Copa Libertadores!!!! 🏆 🏆​

 

[millossobek]

🏆 🏆 COPA LIBERTADORES SEMIFINALS MILLONARIOS VS PALMEIRAS 🏆 🏆


​

So my friends! I decided to go straight ahead into the semifinals, after a 1 day break (I played the quarterfinals yesterday), and it was time! Millonarios, my dear childhood team from my Hometown Bogotá, Colombia against Palmeiras of Brazil!!

As I mentioned in the previous post, Palmeiras is a one of the biggest teams in South America. It has 10 Brazilian national titles, 2 Copa Libertadores, and many many more regional and local cups and honors. It has one of the largest fanbases in all of South America (if not the world!) and it is recognized as one of the most influential and historical teams! I knew that I had to be on my top game against them, and my plan was to go all out. I proceeded to start up my PES, hook it up to my big screen tv, and go for broke!

The first match was in Bogotá, Colombia my hometown. There were a couple of interesting points here to consider. 1. My top goalscorer and "offensive 9", Ricardo Márquez, came into the match in terrible form (red arrow). I had to substitute him with Mateo Casierra, a talented player who plays a completely different game. While Márquez is quick and incisive, Casierra is a big, physical center forward, very good in the air but perhaps not as good in definition. But I had to make this change, given Márquez' situation. The other point was.. Who should I start? 77 rated Daniel Ruiz, or 72 rated Juan Camilo Salazar? Normally my undoubted choice would've been Ruiz, since he is my star creative playmaker and passer, but he had bad form (orange arrow) and Salazar had good form (green arrow). What would I choose? I chose Ruiz. He was my proven playmaker, I decided to risk his form and continue on with my gameplan, since he is an integral part of the team! i would risk having a "fair form" player while the rest of the team had good form. There he is in the middle of the bottom row, #17!



What proceeded was a tense, defensive game, with very few chances, especially by Millonarios. I could immediately sense the difference in quality from Colo-Colo and Argentinos Jrs when compared to Palmeiras. The Brazilians defended much better and were quicker. They were a tough nut to crack, and they were good at retaining possession. At the half, it was 0-0. I was faced with a conundrum. I knew I was playing against the better team, with better players, so I did not want to risk going off too offensively, and be vulnerable to a away goal counterattack. But I didn't want to play too defensively either, and give them the possession. I decided to keep balanced tactics, while switching from possession to counterattacking football, to make the best of my limited opportunities. Their defense was still tough though, and approximately in minute 70, I decided to substitute Ruiz with Salazar, and bring in my veteran striker Fernando Uribe to substitute Casierra. I hoped these changes gave my attack a bit more dynamism, since Salazar was quicker than Ruiz (and with better form at the moment), and Uribe was a better passer than Casierra.



What happened though was nerve wracking! Even though my offense improved, I wasn't able to score and in minute 87, a PK was whistled in Palmeiras' favor! You can see Gallese protesting here, even though it was a good call caused by a keeper charge. Man, this was really frustrating! After 87 minutes of keeping Palmeiras scoreless, a penalty?? Damn.. However, Peruvian International Pedro Gallese was able to save the day!! I guessed correctly and was able to stop the shot, which went right!! A few moments later, the match was over, a 0-0 draw in Bogotá!!! I didn't know whether to feel relieved, nervous, or both!!

Next was the return match, in Sao Paulo, Brazil! It was really quite daunting to face these giants in their historical stadium, Allianz Parque, with their huge banners and passionate fans. But like you said, @*aLe , no fear, no disgust, I came out to win!!!!



I had a piece of great news though.. My star striker, Márquez and my playmaker, Ruiz, both had excellent and good form, respectively!! There would be no second guessing this one, I was coming out with my best team, with Gallese at goalkeeper, and everyone with great form!

I was pumped up, and very focused. Unfortunately though, they scored first, in the 16th minute, and I could really really tell that they came out aggressively with their home crowd behind them. They were fast, incisive, and their first goal was a screamer. I tried to keep cool. I thought to myself.. Ok.. it's fine. One goal is manageable, if I'm able to score one goal, the away goal rule would give an advantage to Millonarios. So I decided not to press the issue too much. I kept playing, trying to keep my lines steady, and was very concentrated. But before I knew it, Palmeiras had scored their second goal, around the 30th minute mark! Man, what a tough team!

Ok, this did it. I had to change my tactics now. One goal was not going to get the job done. I had to risk it. I pushed my lines up, changed to counterattack, went on the offensive, and at first it paid off! I was able to respond with a goal, courtesy of Emerson Rivaldo Rodríguez, just before the half! this gave me a lot of hope going into the second half. 2-1. If I was somehow able to equalize in their home grounds, victory would be mine on away goals! I just had to keep plugging at it, keep attacking. ⚽ 🥅

That is exactly what I did, attack and attack in the second half. What has interesting though, is that Palmeiras refused to back up their lines. I thought they would go on the offensive, but they did the exact opposite, and kept attacking. What ensued was a very exciting second half, full of chances by both teams. In minute 70, approximately, I had a VERY clear opportunity to equalize, a beautiful pass from Ruiz to Marquez left him one on one against the Brazilian goalie, but he was able to save the day! Man, time was running out. I decided to substitute my wingers (including my goalscorer, Emerson), since they were very tired, bring in some fresh legs and push up my lines even more! By minute 80, I switched to full press, knowing that I had to score. However, in a counterattack, Palmeiras was able to score, just like that, making the match 3-1 and effectively ending the Copa Libertadores dream for Millonarios! 😭 😭 The fact that Palmeiras went on to the final, and lost to River Plate 1-0 in a single match is almost an afterthought....

​

However, friends if I could redirect you to a quote I wrote at the beginning of this journey, almost a month ago....

To qualify to the Copa Libertadores, and have a strong showing there. 🏆

I feel like Millonarios passed this with flying colors! Qualifying out of a very tough group stage (with some late game heroics), beating two historical and tough teams such as Colo-Colo and Argentinos Jrs in the round of 16 and quarterfinals, respectively, and reaching the first semifinal of the Libertadores for Millonarios in our history is.. more than a strong showing, it is a historical one!!!!! Even thoughI wasn't able to lift the Copa Libertadores this time, rest assured, I will try again sometime, with my beloved Millonarios!!!! 🏆 💙 💙 🤍 🤍

Here is my favorite song to celebrate my team, and our strong showing in the Copa Libertadores de América, La Gloria Eterna!!!!!! 💙 💙 🤍 🤍



Thanks for reading and accompanying me on this journey, my friends!!!!! I really enjoyed this Master League story, and I wanted the first one to be with the team that I love. I will be back with another Master League soon..... The last thing I'll say is..

THIS IS WHY I LOVE PES, AND WHY I LOVE FOOTBALL! THANK YOU ALL!
VAMOS MILLONARIOS!!!! ​

 

[millossobek]

I will be posting my next Master League story soon..

Stay tuned my friends!! Comments are welcome!!

 

[Holland]

Very beautifull!!!
One of the most beautiful and exciting Masters told

 

[damienferriggi]

Wonderful job brother

 

[*aLe]

Can't wait to read your next story, pal!

 

[Giovaneveterano]

This is good, keep them coming!

 

[The Moroccan]

This is how a Master League should be, so well "scenario-ed" and emotional, no matter how bad the plot twists are (e.g. being knocked out by Palmeiras in the semi-finals). Keep it coming my friend!!

 

[Joga]

It was a good run mate! I like that you kept Ruiz in the line-up on a bad day, you are loyal to your players
Good luck in the next one!

 

[Madmac79]

Great run and great story mate! Doesn't matter you lost in the semis, was a really enjoyable read and I think in football games good losses are as important as the most epic wins, as you can't have really satisfying triumphs without those necessary disappointments here and there!

I also did not know Millionarios hymn.. it simply rocks!

 

[millossobek]

Hi friends! Thanks so much for your support and feedback!! I agree, the whole deal with Master League stories is to enjoy the wins, and also savor the losses, all of that adds to the roller-coaster experience. I think it's great to put emotion in your save, that way it's so much more enjoyable.. The immersive experience really makes you get into it!!

Thanks for all your comments as well! I definitely wanted to share with you not only some of the history and identity of my team and my city, but also share the entire journey. For sure, I wanted my first installment to be with my Millonarios, there was just no other way to do it! Hope you guys learned a bit about my team, which might not be very famous outside of South America, but which has a rich tradition and identity! I'm also happy I was able to show you guys a bit about how the Copa Libertadores works, it is my favorite tournament in the entire world!

Bros, I am totally ready to start my second story. In fact, I already have the entire scenario thought out. But I'm having some technical difficulties (can't seem to be able to paste created kits onto 1st and 2nd kit slots, only 3rd and 4th seem to work). If anyone knows of a solution, could you please write it here: https://evoweb.uk/threads/pasted-kits-not-displaying.87375/#post-3755073

I created a team, kits and team badge, and I'm completely ready to start my second Master League. The details of this second story I will reveal in my next post. But I want to solve this first.. Stay tuned, I will update this as soon as I figure out how to solve the kits issue!

 

[mattmid]

A great read, had me scrolling down the page bit by bit so as not to see the outcome. A great effort by Millonarios and there is certainly no shame in going out to Palmeiras. How did you get on in the League that season did the Libertadores effect your league form at all? Looking forward to reading the new ML story.

 

[millossobek]

A great read, had me scrolling down the page bit by bit so as not to see the outcome. A great effort by Millonarios and there is certainly no shame in going out to Palmeiras. How did you get on in the League that season did the Libertadores effect your league form at all? Looking forward to reading the new ML story.

Hi bro! Actually after I finished the cup, I decided to pause my Millonarios Master League! I'm still not sure if I will resume this campaign, since I was so focused on the Libertadores, and playing the semifinals, to be honest, exceeded all my expectations, so it surely seems like a nice wrap up to an entire chapter. We'll see maybe I will come back to this campaign, in any case it is saved!

Next post.. Master League #2!

 

[millossobek]

Master League #2!

Name of the Save:
The Fiery Argentine



Can An Exile Restore His Managerial Career In The J-League?
​

Hi bros! Welcome back to Millossobek's Master League Written Stories!

For my second installment, I've decided to try something a little different. Now that I focused on my team in my first save, for this chapter I would like to focus a bit more on the story of a real-life manager, "The Fiery Argentine", Angel Comizzo!

Angel Comizzo is an 59 year old Argentine Manager and Ex-Player, best known in his playing days for his two spells at starting Goalkeeper for Argentinean River Plate (1988-1993, 2000-2002). He won a total of 4 Championships with River, and is considered as one of the more successful goalies in the storied club. He was as known for his goalkeeping skills (he was nicknamed Tex-Tex, after the Tsubasa character), as for his controversial statements and temper. Never one to shy off in the field, he was an aggressive player, with a fiery personality, confronting rival players, a polemic character. One time, while he was playing as goalie against rivals Boca Juniors, he could even be seen listening to the match through transistor radio, as a way to taunt his opponents. He did have a storied career, though, as he was champion in different leagues, and was even called up to the Argentinean national team several times.

Here is a highlight reel of some of his best saves during his playing career!

Spoiler

After he retired as a player in 2004, Comizzo landed several jobs as a manager in different Argentinean and Mexican clubs, managing Talleres, Queretaro, Monarcas, and Universidad San Martín of Perú, in a career full of ebbs and flows. His managing days, however, are best remembered for his stint with one of the biggest clubs in Peru, Universitario de Deportes. Universitario is one of the "big three" in the country, the other ones being Alianza Lima and Sporting Cristal, and they are a very proud and successful team, with 26 local titles to their name. Comizzo himself led them to their 26th championship back in 2013, but left in 2014, once again surrounded by controversy, as it is rumoured that he abandoned the team.

However, he was back with the team in 2019, after a long drought of no local titles, doubly compounded as both of their rivals, Alianza and Cristal, won championships in his absence. This second spell at Universitario was not successful. Even though he reached the final against Roberto Mosquera's Cristal in 2020, he was unable to bring it home, as Mosquera's tactics were more effective during the two matches, and Comizzo was actually sent off from the second leg of the final for confronting and getting into a shouting match with the opposing team's coaches! It is widely considered that Mosquera largely out-thought him in both encounters.

2021 was considered a failure for Comizzo and the team, as Universitario languished mid table and was unable to mount a serious title run. This second spell was also not without controversy. After he lost the title to Sporting Cristal he called them a "smaller team", not as large as Universitario and Alianza, and that their achievements and stature could not be compared to the two Peruvian giants. This, in turn, incensed Cristal's supporters, especially because Cristal has won 5 championships in the last 9 years!

But even though this was a calculated move, to undermine his rivals, Comizzo could not follow up on his tough talk, and after losing the Derby against Alianza Lima 1-2, Comizzo was sacked from Universitario. The press and fans criticized him for his perceived lack of tactics, (relying more on intensity and spirit than actual x's and o's), volcanic temper, controversial statements, and failure to give the team an identity apart from playing with a lot of effort. So what now? With his reputation as a manager at an all time low, and with few opportunities offered to him in South America and elsewhere, Comizzo has to look elsewhere in order to continue his managerial career! Where will he go now, will a team take a risk at signing the controversial manager?

So here is where my Master League actually begins. Stay tuned..

🌆 Next Destination, Japan, and the story of my created team, Gunma United! 🌆
​

 

[millossobek]

Comizzo Arrives in Japan!


​

(note: Needless to say, this story is not based on actual events, it is entirely fictional, but I will treat it as real for immersion purposes).

So, actually starting my Master League save now. The controversial, hot-tempered, and always confrontational Argentine, Angel Comizzo, has been offered a job in Japan! A small team called Gunma United (kits, badge, team, created by millossobek ), has just signed him to a one-year deal, pending results. Even though he doesn't quite speak the language, he did bring the half Japanese half Peruvian assistant manager J. Enguiz, who will act as translator. It is not the most glamorous signing, for either side, but one that worked out for both negotiating parties. After the Universitario de Deportes second semester fiasco, Comizzo's options were wearing a little thin. He looked for offers in his native Argentina and other South American countries, but no offers were forthcoming. So when this offer came to the table, Comizzo didn't hesitate. The perfect opportunity to rebuild his managerial career, an entire ocean away.

Before I keep going, let me introduce to you the protagonist of this tale, humble and small, but up and coming..

GUNMA UNITED


​

Takasaki is the largest city in the landlocked and mountainous Prefecture of Gunma, not too far from Tokyo, even though it is quite small by Japanese standards. It is well known for its numerous hot springs, abundant cabbage agriculture, and shrines. Taking its name from the prefecture, United was established in 2003 as an amateur team after the media frenzy and explosion following the 2002 Korea and Japan World Cup. After several years of rising through the local prefecture leagues, in 2014, United won promotion to the third category of the J-League, the newly formed Japan Football League, also known as category J3. After hard fought seasons where they moved up the ranks up to J2 league, United achieved an almost miraculous promotion to the J1 league for the 2021 season, finishing third in J2, but beating Oita Trinita in penalty kicks playoff to earn promotion. However, right after this achievement, then United coach Tetsu Kazuya was offered quite a lucrative (for J2 standards) offer from South Korean first division team Pohang Steelers, a team with a much larger budget than humble Gunma United. So therefore, the team was left in a conundrum.

With very little resources compared to other J1 teams, and looking abroad for options, United decided to hire Comizzo, knowing full well both his achievements as well as his controversies. At first this might've seemed like an odd choice for the Japanese side, given that Comizzo's fiery personality and controversial statements could clash with Japanese customs and traditions, respectful culture, and indirect communication style. However, Gunma United decided that perhaps this breath of fresh foreign air, from exotic South American lands, could perhaps strike a match under the players, and give them a fighting chance to remain in first division.



As you guys can see, United is pretty much the lowest ranked team in the J1 League, with a very limited budget. (I chose the lowest possible starting budget in ML options). After the team won promotion, more than half of the squad was offered much better contracts in other teams, both in the J-League and elsewhere, and so the management had to improvise and hire a lot of lower-ranked or at least, lower skilled players, international "reject" players, and young promises who have not yet panned out. A lot of Japanese coaches did not want to touch Gunma United with a ten foot pole, but Comizzo has nothing to lose, and so he accepts this challenge!



Perhaps two of the most important players on the team are P. Honda (created player. Do you guys remember "Punch-Out" from the NES? You'll get this reference ), and an ace up Comizzo's sleeve, Sporting Cristal's infamous striker Marcos Riquelme. both are the two highest rated players on the team, 72 and 71 respectively. Honda, the team's young center back captain, is one of the few remaining players from the promotion squad, and has just the temperament the manager is looking for, a strong willed and aggressive leader, not afraid to speak his mind or assert himself on the field. Riquelme, after his underwhelming campaign with Peruvian rivals Cristal, was let go midseason and Comizzo convinced him to follow him to Japan, as well as United to hire him. Riquelme had a few good seasons in the past, especially in Bolivia, and the manager trusts his ability to find the goalscoring ways once again!

The rest of the team is made up of (mostly) Japanese players, a lot of young but unproven talent, some veterans, and a mix of a few international players from Brazil, Qatar, Peru, South Korea, and China. With almost no time to get acquainted with his team, Angel Comizzo has his work cut out for him, and with the start of the J-League fast approaching, much is left to prove. Comizzo's hiring, though controversial and questioned by several sections in the Japanese media, has lit a fire under Gunma United's fanbase, his players, and the team in general. Only time will tell what will happen to this unlikely pairing! In my next post, I will describe a bit more about the background of the city and prefecture, and also detail some of my completed Master League progress. Stay tuned to the next installment of Millossobek's Master League Stories!!!!!!

Comments and Questions are welcome!!

 

[Joga]

Once again, great intro bro.. I like Gunma United already

Also when you mentioned Tetsu Kazuya, I thought "hey did he just lowkey reference Tekken ? And then I see P. Honda I can still hear the music of punch-out in my head now, thank you lol

 

[The Moroccan]

What else could I say? An amazing intro, this could be a very promising career for Mr. Perfect Hair Comizzo.
One thing that I would comment on is that you said this team has a Qatari player. In my opinion, I don't think any Qatari would leave Qatar's luxury life in favor of Japan or any other country (even the UK). But it would be pretty realistic if he was from other neighbour countries (idk Syria or Iraq etc..)
All in all, I'm waiting for the campaign....

 

[mattmid]

Looks like being an interesting combination with a fiery manager the polar opposite of Japan's culture. I'm expecting a few touchline bans

I'm predicting avoiding relegation in the first season with a surprising cup run.

 

[millossobek]

A CLASH OF CULTURES!



A TOUGH START FOR ANGEL COMIZZO. WILL A TWO-GAME WINNING STREAK RIGHT THE SHIP?
​

16 Matches Played.
4 wins, 8 draws, 4 losses.
16th in JLeague1, out of 20 teams.

Not the worst of starts, but not the best either for Angel Comizzo's Gunma United!

Lost in Translation? The Fiery Argentine, aka as "Mr. Perfect Hair Comizzo" by @The Moroccan, started out his J-League Career with a bang, with an introductory press conference which left plenty of interesting quotes,.

"Thanks for the opportunity to coach Gunma United. You are brave to take me on when no one in South America believes in me anymore."
"People say I come to coach the weakest team in the J-League. But I do not come here to lose. I come here to win."
"I will not win the AFC Champions League this year. This is the only guarantee I give you." (Gunma United is not even in the Champions League, hahaha)
"I look forward to experiencing, and enjoy your beautiful culture. But I still think Argentine Barbecue is better than Sushi."

Typical Comizzo. Confrontational from the start, his introductory presser left the room in a mix of low chuckling and stunned silence, with the Japanese reporters pretty much silenced at his style. No South American media was present. And after he finished speaking, Comizzo simply walked out on the media. The stage is set.



Unfortunately, the results were not walking the walk. United started out with two straight losses, (An 0-3 thrashing against Shimizu S-Pulse, a team full of Brazilian flair, 0-1 vs Kawasaki Frontale). Even though expectations were pretty low, Comizzo's brash talk had expectedly, caused quite a stir in the Japanese media. Most J-League coaches, Japanese and Foreign have historically complied to the Japanese way, staying humble, saying all the right things, not drawing attention to themselves. But Comizzo's declarations made headlines, and little known Gunma United, a team that usually would hardly make a blimp in the media, became national sports news, which is probably what the Argentine had in mind all along!

That being said, the play on the pitch did not reflect the talk. Comizzo decided to field a 4-1-4-1 formation, breaking from his usual style, and this confounded the analysts. Why would lowly United, with probably the least talent in the entire league, play an aggressive formation? Many thought of this as sheer arrogance from Comizzo, and indeed it was. The offensive formation did not translate into goals, given the lack of talent up front, and the defense was full of holes. This could especially be seen in the first match, in which United suffered 3 goals, all scored by Brazilian players! (which I'm sure hurt even more). Even though it was too early in the season to talk about a dismissal, the fans and the team administration were not happy. Some social media posts questioned Comizzo's hiring already..

Comizzo decided that offensive football would not take him anywhere with his limited staff. Team Captain Piston Honda, who boxed in his adolescent days, was the one who broke convention and suggested a change of strategy to Comizzo. Even though this was done respectfully, in the Japanese manner, a message was sent that things weren't working. United started using a more conventional 4-2-3-1 formation, as Comizzo decided to back up his lines quite a bit and play low possession, counter attacking football, which is truer to his style. He was able to stop the bleeding a bit in the third match, which United won 1-0 against Gamba Osaka by playing "Comizzo Ball" (in a way similar to Mourinho's style with Inter), which is really more true to his historical style, in Peru and elsewhere.

However, the results kept being negative.. 1-1 vs Vegalta Sendai, two straight losses, 1-3 vs Tokushima Vortis, 0-2 vs Cerezo Osaka, a 2-2 draw against Hidetoshi Nakata's FC Tokyo (I transferred him from legends ).. And after 6 matches, and with the Emperor's Cup coming up, Gunma United had only accumulated 5 points! A dismal start. And to make matters worse, @mattmid 's prediction did not come true, as United was ousted from the Emperor's cup, a 2-1 loss against Vegalta Sendai! Things were looking bleak for Comizzo and the boys from United, as the team was once again in relegation zone.



"What, you think I like losing? I don't care if our team is called the worst in the league. I will carry on. I know I am doing things right."
"No matter what happens, I won't let you guys talk badly about my players. We don't have to step outside. I'm right here."

After 6 matches, and a cup loss, United stood at 1 win, 1 draw, and 4 losses. Looks like they were headed right back to second division.

Then came a weird streak. 6 draws in 7 matches (YIKES!) and a win. 1-1 vs Shonan Bellmare, 1-1 vs Kashima Reysol, 1-1 vs Andres Iniesta's Vissel Kobe, 2-1 vs Nagoya Grampus, 1-1 vs Urawa Red Diamonds, 1-1 vs Sagan Tosu, 0-0 vs Consadole Sapporo..

These matches were interesting for different reasons. In almost every single one of these matches, United played much better than their first matches, but for some reason, the team could not win. Late game equalizers played a role in some of these ganes, but regardless of the results, the team was playing a bit better. Throughout most of these matches, Comizzo kept using his defensive, low possession counterattacking 4-2-3-1 that he made a staple in his days coaching with Peru, but the match against Urawa Red Diamonds was very interesting, and in some ways paved the way for the future. Down to 10 men, due to a reckless challenge by one of the defenders, United's match looked troublesome against Urawa, which was one of the stronger teams in the league! This is when Comizzo decided to change tactics a bit, combining direct counterattacking with a bit of short pass football (counterattack + tikitaka). This was a change in paradigm, and instead of playing long balls, the team started touching the ball with short passes a bit more, and United was able to salvage a 1-1 draw. Two more draws followed though..



"6 Draws in 7 Matches? Well, I did win one of those games. I don't see you guys talking about the win."
"Well I'll say the losing streak is over.. Please, don't be negative. "

But then a ray of light, or Angel Dust should I say? Gunma United's first two game winning streak! 2-1 vs Avispa Fukuoka, 1-0 vs Kashima Antlers!

Remember I said that the game against Urawa Red Diamonds was significant? In a way, I see this as a turning point for Comizzo's tactics and United. Even though he's still talking brash, he found something in that match that worked. Counterattack+tiki taka, combination, with deep defensive lines, shortening the distance between players passing the ball, making the team more compact. Comizzo's not playing his long-ball run run run counterattacking style (which was so criticized in Peru and elsewhere for being "negative football"), but now he's mixing short incisive passing with counter runs, and he at last, has found a style which suits United. The team played with these tactics in these last two matches, and this actually helped a lot, since now Gunma sits outside of the relegation zone, and things are tightening in a red-hot and super upredictable J-League! Only 4 points separate #5 Kashiwa Reysol and #16 Gunma United!

"What? I'm not playing tiki-taka. I'm playing the world renowned COMIZZO-BALL, mixed with a little Latin flavor. My name is not Guardiola."
"Maybe you guys don't know this. But Mourinho stole my tactics. I should be a millionaire by now, but he refuses to answer my calls."
"If I keep winning, you guys will gonna have to buy me dinner. But no sushi, please." 🍣

Stay tuned to the next edition of Millossobek's Master League Stories.

Comments are welcome! ​

 

[Joga]

You are a great story teller! You have the gift.

That whole last paragraph got me

 

[mattmid]

I make that 9 games unbeaten now then? Comizzo is making a late run for Manager of the Year!

 

[The Moroccan]

18 more games to go, I am in the middle of optimism and pessimism. One mind says there is only 4 points between 5th and Gunma. And another says Gunma has barely escaped the red zone.
I also didn't think an agressive formation would NOT do the job in an Asian league as much as it is effective in Latin leagues (also in Moroccan league, newly promoted teams tend to play so offensive in order to secure middle table position in the end of the first section (Yes, we also have a kind of an Apertura and Clausura))

I think the "COMIZZO-BALL" con "sabor Latino" tactics are new to Japanese football so I don't really think that any other team would find a way to stop Comizzo, but you never know.

Wait, did he literally shot fired Mourinho and Guardiola at the same time? That's annihilation though 😂😂😂

Spoiler: Spoiler

We got a long season, mate

 

[*aLe]

I just catched up to this.
Lovely story and very interesting team (even more so because it's a totally made up one!), glad to see things falling into place in the second part of the season even if, like it often happens when there's a managerial change, it took a while.
But now, with the Comizzo-ball playstyle, everything can happen. Keep pushing and you'll manage to build from here.

Lookng forward to the next chapter!