2025-03-30, 07:55 AM - Word count: 688
It was a season with two faces for the Academy side Atletico Medellin, as their season got of to a horrible start. With only one true defender in their squad, the team struggled to find a formation that would work with their personnel. With input from the players, the team eventually settled for an unconventional 2-4-3-1, playing with 2 defensive midfielders between their wingbacks Pinkie Pie and Andres de Giron. Unfortunately, this tactical set up would not bring them success, and was notorious for creating massive spaces and opportunities when they would turn the ball over. This could be seen in their first 7 matches of the season, getting only 7 points out of these games. Their lack of a defensive shape capable of dealing with these counter attacks lead to multiple bad results. Although playing with a block of 4 centrally placed defensive players, opponents looked to exploit the wings, where Medellin's wingbacks were often pushed up high. Quick opposing wingers had a field day with all the space that would be left. After this disappointing start to the league, the players got their heads together and came up with an alternative tactic, opting for more defensive stability. Chief among this player-led tactical change were midfielders Santiago Mitidiero and Díabhí Barr, who convinced other players on the team to sacrifice some of their potentially best positions and roles in favor of a more structured shape. This new tactic was a 2-3-2-2-1 on paper, but functioned more like a classic 4-3-3 in reality. The change of tactic instantly made an impact, with the side looking much less vulnerable defensively and getting some improved results, namely the 4-0 and 3-0 wins against Adowa Accra and Victoria Falls respectively. Perhaps the greatest beneficiary of this tactical adjustment was the writer of this article himself, Díabhí Barr. Moving from the right wing into a more central midfield position, the Irishman underwent a true metamorphosis, going from a 6.4 average rating in the initial system to a 7.1 average after swapping to central midfield. The author would be amiss to not mention the reduced attacking role de Giron and Diego Budo agreed to take, putting the team performance ahead of their personal performance. This all resulted in a big change in the league table too, with Atletico ending their season with a respectable 5th place. While not an amazing achievement that will be written in the annals of the Academy history books, the players nonetheless showed fight and team spirit in turning their season around, and scouts for the SSL main leagues will without a doubt take note of this. The hero of the season was Gustavo Brazil, who ended with an average rating of a 7.24, with a tally of 6 goals and 5 assists. Alexis Ramos was the team's top scorer, scoring a total of 7 goals, mostly with her incredible speed. Santiago Mitidiero was the side's main creative force, ending the season with 7 assists. Academy veteran Horace Lynch also had a great season, performing heroically in some games that should have seen the Colombian side concede multiple times, but being saved by their experienced goalie who has a 7.11 average rating to show for his performances. The unsung hero of the season was right wing back Andres de Giron, who despite receiving disappointing match ratings earned the respect and admiration of teammates and fans alike by his constant surging up and down the field, covering the most distance of all Atletico players, showcasing the player's incredible work rate and endurance. With the curtains falling on the season 19 Academy season, the squad of Medellin players will be saying their goodbyes to each other, having formed a bond that will surely continue to exist when the players meet each other on the pitches of the Minor and Major leagues. With the draft looming, we'll keep an eye on whether any players of the side end up on the same team, or perhaps on rivaling organisations instead.
![[Image: QgyCIIP.png]](https://i.imgur.com/QgyCIIP.png)
