FM21 Beta: Season Recap and First Impressions
Looking back at a predictably unpredictable season in the MLS
Because of the parity that exists in MLS, it’s difficult to guess how well a team will do at the start of the season. Teams go from dominant one year to bottom-feeders the next. It’s nearly impossible to maintain long runs of form, and what often matters is which team is hot going into the MLS Cup playoffs. Unlike European leagues, the MLS Cup is top prize. The traditional “league winner” receives the Supporters Shield, which is of only secondary importance. In the last 10 years, there have been 7 different MLS cup winners (compare that to the famously competitive EPL, where only 5 teams have won, even including the unlikely Leicester title).
Season Recap
All of that is to say, I did not know what to expect going into my season in MLS. I figured the squad would be competitive (the board expected a top half finish), but beyond that anything was possible.
The first half of the season saw us off to a decent if inconsistent start. Using a patient Control Possession 4–2–3–1 tactic, we had a solid defense, but also struggled to score goals. Injuries to leading goalscorer Gustavo Bou also hampered our offense, as our DP striker Adam Buksa struggled to find form (much as he did in real life).
However, a late season surge spurred on by a few tactical adjustment (setting the Fullbacks to an Attack mentality and changing the AMC to a Trequartista) and a new signing (more on this later) saw us roar into the playoffs with several dominant wins, leaving us just one point behind Supporter’s Shield winners Seattle.
Our strong form continued as we battled our way through the Eastern Conference playoffs, before falling short to the aforementioned Seattle Sounders. Seattle had been the strongest team all season, and even our hot streak was no match for their class, especially as our DP playmaker Carles Gil missed the Final with a broken ankle. Unfortunately, this only added to New England’s heartbreak, as the club had already lost in the MLS Cup final in 2002, 2005, 2006, 2007, and 2014.
Despite the sad ending, I was delighted with the season as a whole. Goalkeeper Matt Turn won Keeper of the Year and five players made it into the MLS best XI.
The nature of the MLS makes for exciting and unpredictable gameplay even if it doesn’t always work out in your favor.
Anatomy of a Good MLS Signings
Earlier I mentioned a new signing that helped the team make a real run in the playoffs. That player was Pablo Galdames, who arrived on a free transfer in July after he refused to renew his contract with Velez Sarsfield in Argentina.
In my last post, I discussed the arcane MLS rules that scare so many FM players away from an MLS save. Here I’ll highlight a few details that made the signing of Galdames so successful:
- Free Transfer: Of course most clubs would prefer a free transfer, but in MLS the transfer fee is applied to a player’s salary cap charge. This means that it’s doubly important not to overspend on fees.
- Low Salary: Similar reasoning as above, at less than $300,000 a year, I did not have to worry about any of the complicated salary cap rules or Designated Player slots. To get him to come down to this salary I did have to agree to a release clause of $3.2 million for clubs in Continental Competition (presumably UEFA competitions at that price), but that would still be a good deal for the club. The player gets a platform to show his skills to bigger clubs, while we get a strong player on reasonable wages. A true win-win.
- Versatility: Because the salary cap can make it difficult to add players midseason, having players that can play multiple positions makes your job as manager a lot easier. Galdames also has a wide-spread of good (12–14) attributes as well as a high level of Natural Fitness, which allowed me to use him whenever he was available. He had no holes in his game, nor did he get fatigued.
- Personality: What clinched the signing for me was the Resolute personality. The MLS season always has ups and downs, and with single elimination playoff games, you need players that will stay strong under pressure and not cause any problems in the locker room.
If you’re looking for value for money when managing in the MLS, I’d recommend sending your scouts to South America primarily, but instead of the usual Wonderkid hunting, look for players a little older that want the higher pay and better facilities that playing the US can bring. In real life MLS is looking to become a bridge for players from South America to Europe. The same strategy will work in FM. I’d also recommend paying more attention that usual to player personalities.
FM21 First Impressions
With one season now under my belt, my opinion of FM21 is almost overwhelmingly positive. In my preview, I devoted most of my attention to the new interaction and immersion features, but now having spent time in game, the real standout feature this year is the overhauled match engine. I have been playing since FM18, and this is by far the best match engine. I read SI’s match engine preview with some skepticism after FM20’s poor start, but they delivered a notable improvement this year. Given how central the match engine is to the gameplay, that means there is a lot of value in FM21. I’ve even gone from “Key Highlights” to “Extended Highlights”!
My only problem with FM21 is that the new interaction features are for the most an attractive re-skin of the old features, rather than something genuinely new. That’s not nothing, but it’s also not as good as I was hoping for.
Main Save Reveal
Now that we’re (well) past the Beta period, and the first patch has been released, I’m finally ready to embark on my main save. I’ll be making the trip across the Atlantic to the Portuguese island of Madeira to manage Club Sport Marítimo! In the next post, I’ll dive into the history and culture of the club as well as the goals for the save.
For smaller bits and pieces from the save, follow my twitter account at @FMBowser.
