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Pulling the bull's tail

Written by L_Raja

Shortly before kick off for R9 (last 16 stage) of the English Cup, ht-press caught up with L_Raja, manager of VASCO DA GAMA UK in III.4 and RAJA TORO F.C. of Brazil.

He answered a few common questions.

You acquired Raja Toro FC in Brazil (Rio) in March 2004 and then VASCO DA GAMA UK in England (Channel Islands) in May 2013 when they first became available. Raja Toro has won the Brazilian Cup three times and Campeonato Brasileiro three times. VASCO's previous best Cup run was to reach R6 two seasons ago. Please tell us a little bit about all of this?

I was training inner miedfielders for Brazil U20 and then to the NT, and these trainees got to a point where they became so good that my team became virtually unbeatable. It was at a time when the midfield was very dominant in Hattrick and I was able to win some silverware/titles thanks to these players.

Now I'm trying to replicate this with the VASCO DA GAMA UK. It's going to be harder, because now I don't have any money to complement the team, but I'm optimistic.

Please tell us a little bit about your life, your work and your family?

Well, my name is Leonardo, I love football, I support for Vasco da Gama (https://footballtripper.com/wp-content/uploads/2015/04/estadio-sao-januario.jpg).

I also support for Torino in Italy. I love the Premier League, the best league in the world I think, but I do not actively support any English team. My favorite teams are probably Liverpool and Newcastle and now also Leicester, because they achieved one of the greatest upsets in modern football history, in my opinion. I like basketball, music, movies, books, I love to travel.

I worked for a few years in a bank, which I hated, and I currently play Poker.

And, I've already spent almost half of my life playing this Hattrick game ...

What was the best football game you've ever been to and why?

One was a day when I was in Maracanã and it produced an unforgettable game: (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZzkeCbQsiMs)

It was not the most important game I've ever watched, as for those I would cite the games to clinch the Brazilian titles of 1997 and 2000 or the Libertadores of 1998, but as we are in an English forum I find it more significant to mention this victory against the then European and World Champions :)

I also have to mention the privilege of watching Messi's World Cup goal: (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DRj1tYHary0)

If you were to organise a hattrick social event to take place nearby, where would you arrange for everyone to meet for a few drinks and discussions?

I think I don't understand the question very well, but if & when I have the opportunity to be in London or Liverpool I would not want miss the chance to drink a few in an English pub.

Please could you tell us about the last book you read and whether you'd recommend it?

Homo Deus, by Yuval Noah Harari. Actually I'm finishing, but I've read the previous one, Sapiens, and I'd recommend it. (https://i2.wp.com/bookhub.ro/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/IMG_20170115_224424-e1484722229463.jpg?fit=652%2C367&ssl=1)

He talks about the technological impact upon humanity in the future and this reminds me of "Black Mirror", because they cause some uneasiness, but perhaps with less acidity.

The best book I've read was The Godfather, by Mario Puzo, who some have said was banned from sale in Europe (I find this difficult to believe), but in any case it spawned the trilogy of films, all being no less exceptional. I also recommend any work by Dostoievsky, Umberto Eco and Agatha Christie.

Do you have a favourite building or architectural design?

I am interested in great ancient buildings such as the Pyramids of Egipt, Taj Mahal, the city of Machu Pichu, Wall of China... all of great historical value and all whose construction involves a certain mystery, given the technology available at the time. I am also interested in millennial cities, like Rome or Athens.

In the last two Cup games you have won on penalties, and last week your players scored 16/16 in the shootout. Just how high are their set piece skills?

Not so high. Goalkeeper 20 and striker 17. The rest of team 8. In the first game, the opposing goalkeeper was injured and it certainly helped me. In both games I think I had a good dose of luck in qualifying. I'm sure that going to penalties in the next match, will not be such a great option ... :)

The recent changes to special events came into force this season. Have you anything to say about these good or bad?

I have spent many seasons without playing very many competitive matches and there have been many significant changes to the match engine in this time, which puts my knowledge well below the understanding of coaches of top teams today. In one of my matches in the English Cup I came across a team with an individual man-marking instruction that devastated my player on the field. But, there was also a severe penalty to the team that used it. It seems that we now have more options, but I do not really know what to say about it at the moment.

Please provide us a link to utube or vimeo to one of your favourite of all time tunes, and something you liked from 2017 as well?

I can't think of anything about 2017 but I like some of the old ones like
My Way, by Frank Sinatra (https://i2.wp.com/bookhub.ro/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/IMG_20170115_224424-e1484722229463.jpg?fit=652%2C367&ssl=1)
Bohemian Rhapsody, by Queen (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fJ9rUzIMcZQ)

What are your medium term aspirations for both your hattrick teams, in terms of achievements and training?

To dispute titles, always.

My biggest ambition is to win the HT Masters and maybe when my English team reaches its peak, I can play in that competition competitively. I need to win the Cup or the Premier League to pursue that goal, but the road has been very complicated. I faced a IV ranking sides most of the time, now against III ranking sides which include many strong teams, while my team still under construction, focused on training, with low resistance, making it very difficult to compete. The English Cup could be a shortcut but it is very unlikely that I'll beat the Shakhtar Donuts.

What does your wife or significant other think of your addiction to hattrick, and how did you meet?

My girlfriend does not mind too much, she just finds it curious that I like simple and "slow" game so much. Maybe if she had met me in my most competitive phase, when I was playing for titles or when I was coaching in Brazil-NT, she would think differently.

Ed. Probably not.

Is there anything else I should have asked that you'd like to answer?

Maybe you might question why I chose England to create my second team?

As I mentioned before my admiration for the real Premier League contributed to some extent, but above all I think this country of yours has brought a significant cultural contribution to the world in the most diverse areas.

Beginning with the universal language, going through Hitchcock and Chaplin in the movies, Shakespeare and Agatha Christie in literature, Queen, the Beatles, Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd in music, just to name a few, to characters like Sherlock Holmes and James Bond, and various other contributions in architecture, arts, science ... you were at the heart of the industrial revolution, invented pubs and football! ... and you still have Monarchy in the XXI century !!!! Wow!! I do not know if this is good or bad, but it is certainly notable! I love England!

Finally, I apologize for my disastrous English. I hope to be better at the next opportunity. Thanks!