Part four of a Top 100 exclusive new series, world famous fictional Portuguese sports journalist Toni Pinto talks to CSKA MoskvaTexas manager Chris Meida.

In the Wild West that is SM Worlds there’s a dusty old town called Top 100, and there is a new sheriff in town: his name is Chris. He is a Yank from Boston but he's found a home in Texas, where he leads the CSKA charge.

Chris's interview is a reflection on his journey from humble beginnings to his current position as manager of CSKA MoskvaTexas, recently promoted to D3 in Top 100. He shares his thoughts on the game, his team, and his philosophy of management.

In his interview, Chris talks about the importance of building a team that is united in spirit and purpose. It is about enjoying the journey.

Chris's story is a reminder that success in Top 100 is not always about winning trophies or being the most popular manager. It is about finding your own path and staying true to yourself.

Chris's story is the American Dream in microcosm. He started off as a small-time manager, but he worked hard and never gave up on his dream.

Toni Pinto (TP): What is your name and where are you from?
Chris - from the US - originally from Boston

TP: Hi, thanks for taking the time to chat with me today. Let's get right to it! What's it like to be the most successful manager in Top 100?! And tell me, how did you begin playing SM?
Chris: I picked up SM many years ago when I was home from college. I played in a variety of leagues initially and then gave up my teams except one that I used to track players with American eligibility. During the pandemic I picked it back up and joined Top 120, then Top 100.

TP: What is your favourite thing about SM?
Chris: It gives me an opportunity to track soccer players I never would have heard of. Soccer isn't exactly front page news in the US!

TP: What are your goals for this season in Top 100?
Chris: I manage CSKA. We were promoted to D3 last year, losing to Gursi on the last day. Unfortunately, that seems to make us relegation fodder and I'll be trying to keep the team up. I've made many short term moves while trying to retain my young stars.

TP: Caramba! Now, let's talk about your star players. Who are the ones to watch this season?
Chris: Armand Lauriente and Gaetan Laborde have been my stars since taking over. They may be my only 2 legacy players at this point! I also acquired two 92s in Brozovic and Szczency who I'm hoping will keep us in a lot of games.

TP: How do you manage your squad to keep everyone happy?
Chris: We don't have a deep squad. I'm more interested in keeping everyone healthy than happy!

TP: How do you prepare for matches?
Chris: Not well based on this season's results!

TP: Tell me about the transfer market in Top 100!
Chris: I've done a lot of deals since taking over CSKA - we have very few original players. You get a feel for what each person values. I had the good luck of taking over a terrible team and rebuilding before contracts went away, so my team is relatively young.

TP: É fenomenal! What are your strengths and weaknesses as a team? What is your tactical approach?
Chris: We have a solid GK and some creativity up top. We try to leverage that to stay in games against superior opponents.

TP: Oh, come on! Santo Deus! I'm sure there must be more to it than that! What's your secret to success?
Chris: My hope is that next year our young talent will replace our oldies and we'll have more opportunity to get creative with tactics.

TP: Do you always use the same formation, or do you like to tinker?
Chris: I tinker based on the opponent - but the 1-3-2-4B is a mainstay.

TP: How do you adapt your tactics to different opponents?
Chris: I look at how we compare with our opponent and adjust from there.

TP: What is the most important thing to you when developing a game plan?
Chris: Pray.

TP: Ratings? Experience? Youth?
Chris: I need a strong top 18 ideally but I don't want to beg teams for 87s forever, so my focus is bringing youth into the first team. Here's hoping players like Neves, Adingra, and Konate break through soon!

TP: What is your proudest achievement as a manager? How did that feel?
Chris: I've only been in Top 100 for a year, but I'm proud of our promotion to D3 and our youth scouting department.

TP: What advice would you give to new managers in Top 100?
Chris: Assess your team and figure out what brings you joy. Make the team your own.

TP: Que beleza! What is the biggest mistake you've made as a manager?
Chris: I've made some boneheaded transfers but I was also feeling sentimental having already clinched promotion last season and played some awful tactics. We were roundly booed off the field.

TP: What do you think of the current state of SM?
Chris: The ratings are too stagnant and it's generally not a great product.

TP: É uma loucura! What are some things you would like to see improved?
Chris: More real time rating changes.

TP: What are your hopes and dreams for the future of SM, and Top 100?
Chris: I'd love for Top 100 to stay strong for as long as SM does. We have a great group of managers and I enjoy playing against them.

TP: Well, thank you so much for your time today. It's been a pleasure talking to you. Eu realmente gosto do seu cabelo! And good luck for the rest of the season!
Chris: Come visit us in Texas anytime! Tremendous BBQ and I believe we're the only team in Top 100 with both cheerleaders and semi-automatics!

Toni's Thoughts

You know, I've been doing some thinking about this soccer manager game. It's a lot like life, you know. You have to build a team, develop your players, and make strategic decisions. But the most important thing is to have fun.

And that's where Chris comes in. He knows how to have fun. He's built a team of young guns, and he's not afraid to take risks. He's also a very gracious loser, which is always a good thing.

Chris is a true American original. He's a true patriot, and he makes Texas proud.

He's a man of few words, but when he does speak, it's with the wisdom of a Zen master and the passion of a raging bull. He's also a damn good soccer manager.

He's is the kind of manager who would walk into a saloon full of bad hombres and order a milk. And then he'd shoot 'em all dead before they could react.

I'm not sure about this whole "praying" thing Chris talks about. I mean, it's not like he's playing for the Yankees or something. Chris, the Top 100 manager who prays for game plans. What a world we live in!

But seriously, folks, Chris is a great manager. He's honest, he's funny, and he's committed to youth development. He's also not afraid to criticise the game, which I appreciate.

Chris, I've got one piece of advice for you: don't ever stop praying for game plans. It's a crazy world out there, and we need all the help we can get.

Chris is a great manager and a great person. He is a role model for all Soccer Managers. I wish him all the best for the rest of the season and for the future.

Toni Pinto