This may not get read much, it's a very, very long text, and I'm not sure it will interest many people, but you can't blame me for trying.
With FM 12 round the corner, many of us, myself included, are probably starting a 'last save' in a bid to make the wait less tedious. In case any of you read this and feel like trying something different for this final game, I suggest you give managing a team in South America a shot. ****, you may even enjoy it and try it again on FM 12.
This will not even try to be a guide to managin in South America, but more of general description of the competitions and maybe a bit of an introduction to the game down south. With that in mind, I must add I will limit myself to the two biggest leagues here (Argentina/Brazil) with their particularities, and continental competitions.
Introduction.
Many of you may have thought of managing in South America, but dreaded the idea of not knowing which players were good, which were not so good, and the fact you can't bring your Hazards and Neuers to play for Santos, Corinthians, Flamengo, River, Boca, or whoever you were planning on managing. But don't be afraid - I'm Argentinian and in all honesty I often find myself at a loss when managing here because whoever scouts the players for SI in Argentina did a god awful job, thus, your guess (Or rather your scouts') will be almost as good as mine. Don't know if that's really comforting, though!
Furthermore, even though you may not know many players, you probably know of the few obvious wonderkids that are pretty much all over the forum, and you must also consider the fact that, even if many of them go to Europe, if you're managing a big-ish club you'll be able to loan them. You can also loan players from Europe who are slightly past it and are used as backup, and you can probably get a few players on free transfers when their contracts run out in the old continent. In my current save, after starting with Olimpo (Lowest budget and reputation in the Argentine top flight) I got Gago and Matías Fernandez on frees in 2013 - if you start with a big team you can probably get better players earlier than that.
Last, but not least, do not be disheartened by the fact most players from your respective countries' national teams come from Europe. You will eventually get call ups, especially when at the bigger clubs. Both leagues have a considerably reputation and good performances there are taken into consideration by national team managers, as are the players you can bring back from Europe and those youngsters who break through the ranks.
That said, let's move on to competitions.
One of the most peculiar things about South American club competitions is the fact they're played in different periods of time, and are not necessarily exclusive - if you manage an argentinian team, you can play both of them in a single year. This is good for your trophy cabinet, but it's also tough on your player's legs. Also worth considering is the fact that prize money is minimal compared to Europe, but salaries are also lower (My highest salary is 30k p/m, and I have first teamers, including a current Argentina international, on less than 10k p/m). Furthermore, continental matches attract the largest attendances and should not be taken lightly!
There are three club competitions in South America:
Our 'Europa League', the Copa Sudamericana is played from August to December. It's a mere knockout competition, without a group stage, in which teams from the same country are drawn together in the second phase (The first stage is sort of a preliminary knockout for the 'weaker' nations), and again in the semifinals. Matches are played home and away, including the finals. I must add that, while the away goals rule is applied throughout the competition, it does not apply in the finals. The winners of the competition qualify for the Copa Libertadores and the Recopa Sudamericana.
Played from January to June, this is the premier club competition in the continent. Played in a similar fashion to the Champions League, a qualifying stage is followed by a group stage, which is then followed by a knockout stage. Matches are played home and away, and just like in the Copa Sudamericana, the away goals rule applies to every game bar the finals. Winners of the competition will qualify for the Recopa Sudamericana and the Club World Cup - we will discuss the latter in due time.
Recopa Sudamericana.
Our version of your 'Super Cup'. Two matches to be played home and away without away goals.
National competitions.
After some time managing a club you may find yourself inclined to take over the national team as well. It can be an interesting experience, in particular because players will develop differently when you play in South America, because many of the golden boys of Europe will be getting less time and attention than thouse playing in your local league. Pay attention to that fact if you take over the NT.
Played for the first time in 1916 to commemorate Argentina's 100 years of independence, the Copa América is a South American version of the Euros. Unlike them, though, you don't have to qualify for them - you're automatically qualified due to the fact there are considerably less countries to be represented. Teams from other confederations may be invited to participate (Most often from CONCACAF, but Japan was due to be invited for this years' competition, for instance) to fill the vacant spots - 12 teams are due to participate in each competition.
The teams are split into three groups, with the best two from each group and the two-best third-placed teams qualifying to the knockout stages. The competition winners qualify to the Confederations cup.
World Cup qualifying.
Although not a competition in itself, qualification in South America is done via a single group stage, with the best four qualifying directly and the fifth placed team playing a two legged playoff with the fifth placed team from CONCACAF to define the last berth.
When managing in Europe, this may not be more than a mere friendly competition, and playing your first team may often result in your players getting injured, while your reserves can probably finish your opposition off anyways. However, when you're sitting across the table, this is a challenging experience and taking down the big guys such as Barcelona or Madrid is certainly a satisfying experience, and could be a goal to set when you start your career.
Now, let's move on to the essential - national leagues.
First of all, bare in mind I'm an Argie and I'm not a connoiseur of the Brazilian leagues, and some of the Brazilian lads (Palestrino, I'm looking at you here) on the forum can probably provide some more insightful advice, but I'll give it my best.
In Brazil, you have three types of competitions - League, Cup, and State championships.
The league is pretty self-explanatory. Runs from May to December, 20 teams, 38 matches, no more than 3 foreigners in the match squad. Teams 1-5 qualify for the Libertadores, teams 6-13 (Yes, you don't need to be that good in all honesty) qualify for the Sudamericana. Bare in mind the transfer window in Brazil is different from those of other countries. Make sure you check the dates.
The cup is a knockout competition with a twist. Running from February to June, matches are played home and away, with the away goals role being applied. But in the first two stages, if the away team wins by two or more goals, it advances to the next stage automatically. From then on it's a normal two-legged knockout competition. Just like in the league, no more than three foreigners in the match squad are allowed, and uUnlike in Europe, the winner will qualify for the Libertadores instead of the Sudamericana.
The state championships are basically a 'competitive pre-season'. They run during the off-season (Mostly from Jan to April) and include teams from several divisions, so you can rotate a lot and give your youngsters valuable playing time. Rules change from state to state (Sometimes teams play each other once, sometimes they play each other three times, some include play-offs, some teams use a head-to-head record when teams are level on points, others go by GD). Like in the other competitions, only three foreigners are allowed in the match squad.
Here's the Wikipedia article on the Brazilian league system, for those interested.
The Argentine league is divided into two stages - Apertura (Opening) and Clausura (Closing). The season runs in a similar fashion to the European season, with the first 19 matches being the 'Opening' stage and the final 19 the 'Closing' stage. No more than four foreigners are allowed in the match squad (IRL, no more than 4 foreigners are allowed to be registered, although they can play for the reserves), and it takes two years to gain argentinian nationality (Although it takes 5 to be eligible for the national team). So far, so good. With no cup competition in the game (The 'Copa Argentina' was only revived this year), Argentina may seem like an easier place to manage, but the league has a twist of it's own.
Continental qualification and relegation system.
Qualification to the Copa Sudamericana is based on points collected throughout the season (Both Opening and Closing stages). The best 6 teams qualify for the cup.
Qualification to the Copa Libertadores is based on points collected throughout the year (Last season's Closing stage and this season's Opening stage).
Relegation is based on the average points collected in the past three seasons in the current tier (Points/matches). Recently promoted teams will see their points divided by the amount of matches they play during the season, unless they had been in the top tier the season before (In which case those points will be taken into account). To clarify, if a team is relegated during 2010/11, and gets promoted in 2011/12, when it starts the new season,the points earned during 2010/11 will be taken into account when calculating the average points.
This all sounds too complicated at first, but it's not. It's complete wank, though, I'll give you that.
Now, if after reading all this you still want to play something in South America, here are a few suggestions (Which does not mean you can't try others!):
Fluminense - Conca, Deco, and a formidable strike force in Rafael Moura and Fred.
Santos - Neymar, Ganso... need I say more?
Flamengo - Not only do you have Ronaldinho, but you also have a possible replacement coming through the ranks in Adryan. Make sure you get his contract sorted out because he's got an awfully low release clause, and you do not want to lose him.
São Paulo - You have a good, young squad with many a player with great potential ready to step up, and you also have the legend that is Rogerio Ceni ready to bang them in from set pieces.
Boca - A solid squad including Riquelme and Palermo, both on the old side and close to retirement, but nontheless very good players. Youngsters are also there to make the step up, if need be. You also have some decent money to spend.
River - A good first XI, lots of youth prospects, some money to spend, but a noose round your neck - a single screw up could cost you a place in the top flight, and take your job with it.
Velez - Arguably the most consistent Argentinian team in the past 4-5 years, they have a good squad and some good prospects, they have cash to spend, and you can probably challenge for honours quite early.
Racing - A promising squad that fell short of expectations a couple years in a row. Make sure that does not happen again!
I hope this is useful or motivational to anyone who bothers reading this, othewise I want my 2 hours back! Anyways, sorry for the wall of text.
With FM 12 round the corner, many of us, myself included, are probably starting a 'last save' in a bid to make the wait less tedious. In case any of you read this and feel like trying something different for this final game, I suggest you give managing a team in South America a shot. ****, you may even enjoy it and try it again on FM 12.
This will not even try to be a guide to managin in South America, but more of general description of the competitions and maybe a bit of an introduction to the game down south. With that in mind, I must add I will limit myself to the two biggest leagues here (Argentina/Brazil) with their particularities, and continental competitions.
Introduction.
Many of you may have thought of managing in South America, but dreaded the idea of not knowing which players were good, which were not so good, and the fact you can't bring your Hazards and Neuers to play for Santos, Corinthians, Flamengo, River, Boca, or whoever you were planning on managing. But don't be afraid - I'm Argentinian and in all honesty I often find myself at a loss when managing here because whoever scouts the players for SI in Argentina did a god awful job, thus, your guess (Or rather your scouts') will be almost as good as mine. Don't know if that's really comforting, though!
Furthermore, even though you may not know many players, you probably know of the few obvious wonderkids that are pretty much all over the forum, and you must also consider the fact that, even if many of them go to Europe, if you're managing a big-ish club you'll be able to loan them. You can also loan players from Europe who are slightly past it and are used as backup, and you can probably get a few players on free transfers when their contracts run out in the old continent. In my current save, after starting with Olimpo (Lowest budget and reputation in the Argentine top flight) I got Gago and Matías Fernandez on frees in 2013 - if you start with a big team you can probably get better players earlier than that.
Last, but not least, do not be disheartened by the fact most players from your respective countries' national teams come from Europe. You will eventually get call ups, especially when at the bigger clubs. Both leagues have a considerably reputation and good performances there are taken into consideration by national team managers, as are the players you can bring back from Europe and those youngsters who break through the ranks.
That said, let's move on to competitions.
South American continental competitions.
Club Competitions.
Club Competitions.
One of the most peculiar things about South American club competitions is the fact they're played in different periods of time, and are not necessarily exclusive - if you manage an argentinian team, you can play both of them in a single year. This is good for your trophy cabinet, but it's also tough on your player's legs. Also worth considering is the fact that prize money is minimal compared to Europe, but salaries are also lower (My highest salary is 30k p/m, and I have first teamers, including a current Argentina international, on less than 10k p/m). Furthermore, continental matches attract the largest attendances and should not be taken lightly!
There are three club competitions in South America:
Copa Sudamericana. (South American cup)
Our 'Europa League', the Copa Sudamericana is played from August to December. It's a mere knockout competition, without a group stage, in which teams from the same country are drawn together in the second phase (The first stage is sort of a preliminary knockout for the 'weaker' nations), and again in the semifinals. Matches are played home and away, including the finals. I must add that, while the away goals rule is applied throughout the competition, it does not apply in the finals. The winners of the competition qualify for the Copa Libertadores and the Recopa Sudamericana.
Copa Libertadores. (Liberator's cup)
Played from January to June, this is the premier club competition in the continent. Played in a similar fashion to the Champions League, a qualifying stage is followed by a group stage, which is then followed by a knockout stage. Matches are played home and away, and just like in the Copa Sudamericana, the away goals rule applies to every game bar the finals. Winners of the competition will qualify for the Recopa Sudamericana and the Club World Cup - we will discuss the latter in due time.
Recopa Sudamericana.
Our version of your 'Super Cup'. Two matches to be played home and away without away goals.
National competitions.
After some time managing a club you may find yourself inclined to take over the national team as well. It can be an interesting experience, in particular because players will develop differently when you play in South America, because many of the golden boys of Europe will be getting less time and attention than thouse playing in your local league. Pay attention to that fact if you take over the NT.
Copa América.
Played for the first time in 1916 to commemorate Argentina's 100 years of independence, the Copa América is a South American version of the Euros. Unlike them, though, you don't have to qualify for them - you're automatically qualified due to the fact there are considerably less countries to be represented. Teams from other confederations may be invited to participate (Most often from CONCACAF, but Japan was due to be invited for this years' competition, for instance) to fill the vacant spots - 12 teams are due to participate in each competition.
The teams are split into three groups, with the best two from each group and the two-best third-placed teams qualifying to the knockout stages. The competition winners qualify to the Confederations cup.
World Cup qualifying.
Although not a competition in itself, qualification in South America is done via a single group stage, with the best four qualifying directly and the fifth placed team playing a two legged playoff with the fifth placed team from CONCACAF to define the last berth.
Intercontinental club competition - the Club World Cup.
When managing in Europe, this may not be more than a mere friendly competition, and playing your first team may often result in your players getting injured, while your reserves can probably finish your opposition off anyways. However, when you're sitting across the table, this is a challenging experience and taking down the big guys such as Barcelona or Madrid is certainly a satisfying experience, and could be a goal to set when you start your career.
Now, let's move on to the essential - national leagues.
Brazil.
First of all, bare in mind I'm an Argie and I'm not a connoiseur of the Brazilian leagues, and some of the Brazilian lads (Palestrino, I'm looking at you here) on the forum can probably provide some more insightful advice, but I'll give it my best.
In Brazil, you have three types of competitions - League, Cup, and State championships.
The league is pretty self-explanatory. Runs from May to December, 20 teams, 38 matches, no more than 3 foreigners in the match squad. Teams 1-5 qualify for the Libertadores, teams 6-13 (Yes, you don't need to be that good in all honesty) qualify for the Sudamericana. Bare in mind the transfer window in Brazil is different from those of other countries. Make sure you check the dates.
The cup is a knockout competition with a twist. Running from February to June, matches are played home and away, with the away goals role being applied. But in the first two stages, if the away team wins by two or more goals, it advances to the next stage automatically. From then on it's a normal two-legged knockout competition. Just like in the league, no more than three foreigners in the match squad are allowed, and uUnlike in Europe, the winner will qualify for the Libertadores instead of the Sudamericana.
The state championships are basically a 'competitive pre-season'. They run during the off-season (Mostly from Jan to April) and include teams from several divisions, so you can rotate a lot and give your youngsters valuable playing time. Rules change from state to state (Sometimes teams play each other once, sometimes they play each other three times, some include play-offs, some teams use a head-to-head record when teams are level on points, others go by GD). Like in the other competitions, only three foreigners are allowed in the match squad.
Here's the Wikipedia article on the Brazilian league system, for those interested.
Argentina.
The Argentine league is divided into two stages - Apertura (Opening) and Clausura (Closing). The season runs in a similar fashion to the European season, with the first 19 matches being the 'Opening' stage and the final 19 the 'Closing' stage. No more than four foreigners are allowed in the match squad (IRL, no more than 4 foreigners are allowed to be registered, although they can play for the reserves), and it takes two years to gain argentinian nationality (Although it takes 5 to be eligible for the national team). So far, so good. With no cup competition in the game (The 'Copa Argentina' was only revived this year), Argentina may seem like an easier place to manage, but the league has a twist of it's own.
Continental qualification and relegation system.
Qualification to the Copa Sudamericana is based on points collected throughout the season (Both Opening and Closing stages). The best 6 teams qualify for the cup.
Qualification to the Copa Libertadores is based on points collected throughout the year (Last season's Closing stage and this season's Opening stage).
Relegation is based on the average points collected in the past three seasons in the current tier (Points/matches). Recently promoted teams will see their points divided by the amount of matches they play during the season, unless they had been in the top tier the season before (In which case those points will be taken into account). To clarify, if a team is relegated during 2010/11, and gets promoted in 2011/12, when it starts the new season,the points earned during 2010/11 will be taken into account when calculating the average points.
This all sounds too complicated at first, but it's not. It's complete wank, though, I'll give you that.
Now, if after reading all this you still want to play something in South America, here are a few suggestions (Which does not mean you can't try others!):
Fluminense - Conca, Deco, and a formidable strike force in Rafael Moura and Fred.
Santos - Neymar, Ganso... need I say more?
Flamengo - Not only do you have Ronaldinho, but you also have a possible replacement coming through the ranks in Adryan. Make sure you get his contract sorted out because he's got an awfully low release clause, and you do not want to lose him.
São Paulo - You have a good, young squad with many a player with great potential ready to step up, and you also have the legend that is Rogerio Ceni ready to bang them in from set pieces.
Boca - A solid squad including Riquelme and Palermo, both on the old side and close to retirement, but nontheless very good players. Youngsters are also there to make the step up, if need be. You also have some decent money to spend.
River - A good first XI, lots of youth prospects, some money to spend, but a noose round your neck - a single screw up could cost you a place in the top flight, and take your job with it.
Velez - Arguably the most consistent Argentinian team in the past 4-5 years, they have a good squad and some good prospects, they have cash to spend, and you can probably challenge for honours quite early.
Racing - A promising squad that fell short of expectations a couple years in a row. Make sure that does not happen again!
I hope this is useful or motivational to anyone who bothers reading this, othewise I want my 2 hours back! Anyways, sorry for the wall of text.
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I'm tempted to start a save now in south america