By: RJ (@rga_02)

The Games We Played is a year-end round up of thoughts about games we spent time with. 

Walking on the touchline of the pitch, I gaze upon my eleven players as they line up. The national anthem is sung and the fireworks exploding in the background. The whistle is eventually blown and the game starts, but 48 seconds into the game, Los Angeles Galaxy scored against us. In a fit of rage, I jump up and my laptop flew off the table.

That was my Football Manager experience. Apart from rhythm games and games I had to review, FM17 was probably my most played game this whole year.

There is just something satisfying about leading your hometown club to glory – in my case, it’s the Chicago Fire. Now up until recently, they sucked. They were in the bottom of the league twice in a row. This season the Fire was good. It looked like they were MLS Cup contenders but injuries got to the best of the team. In the first round of the playoffs, the Fire got extinguished by a team sponsored by an energy drink – at home.

But there is also the Chicago Fire in my FM17 world. That Chicago Fire was on their way to a treble this year. They already won the U.S. Open Cup and the Supporters Shield, now it’s time for the MLS Cup, something that the real Chicago Fire hasn’t won until 1998.  Per FM tradition, you have to wear a suit in real life during this final, but I couldn’t be bothered.

I gave my players some words of confidence and they listened keenly. It was time to go out to the pitch and make the city and the badge proud.  

Galaxy scored early from a cheeky header from Ashley Cole. I was made and I jumped out of my chair hitting the and my laptop flew off the table. Thank God it landed in my bed.

20 minutes into the game we equalized thanks to David Accam’s footwork, but he later got injured 10 minutes later. I subbed him in with the Armenian Ibra a.k.a David Arshakyan, like in real life he didn’t produce any magic.

I paused the game and changed my tactics from a 4-4-2 to a 3-4-3, I needed them to score at least one more then I’d figured I would just park the bus once I’m in the lead.

That didn’t work.

The Galaxy exposed how weak our defense was and they ended up winning the game 4-1.

But thank goodness for cloud saves and I was able to load up the day before the match. I decided to sim the game and I ended up winning the game the game 1-0. And that right there will probably sum up your Football Manager experience.