Author: Cody Aceveda

Cody Aceveda is a freelance writer based in Porto, Portugal. He has written for The Trivela Effect since February 2023. Cody is a fan of the Brighton, Portland Timbers, Portland Thorns, and Rayo Vallecano. He is also an experienced iGaming writer with over two years experience writing about sports betting and the sports betting industry for a variety of outlets.
Ranking the 5 best Portugal players at Euro 2024
14Jun By Cody AcevedaNo Comments
Analysis

Ranking the 5 best Portugal players at Euro 2024

Very few teams at Euro 2024 have more individual talent than Portugal. A Seleção famously lifted the 2016 European Championship trophy. Since then, they have made it to the Round of 16 or better of every tournament they’ve played in.  Here are the star players Portugal will be relying on this time around.  5. Cristiano Ronaldo (FW, Al Nassr) Love him or hate him, Ronaldo is still one of Portugal’s best players. Whether he’s the best fit for Roberto Martínez’s system is another question.  Ronaldo started just one of Portugal’s three pre-tournament friendlies. He scored two goals in his lone start against Ireland, playing as a part of a front two with AC Milan’s Rafael Leao.  The legendary striker also won the Saudi Pro League Golden Boot, scoring 35 goals in 31 matches.  He mi...
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5 best possible Brighton transfer targets for summer 2024
25May By Cody AcevedaNo Comments
Analysis

5 best possible Brighton transfer targets for summer 2024

Brighton are known for having one of the best transfer strategies in the world. They’ve somehow managed to not just survive but thrive after selling their best players every summer. As we’ve seen this season though, it can't go on forever. The cracks started to show this season, and now, without Roberto De Zerbi, the Seagulls need to retool this summer.  Here are five players Brighton should sign in the 2024 summer transfer window.  Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, MF (Leicester City) Brighton transfer rumors are usually just that; rumors. In the case of Brighton’s interest in Kiernan Dewsbury-Hall, it was more than a rumor.  All of the club’s top reporters claim the Seagulls bid £30 million on the midfielder in January. Because Leicester City were in the middle of a promotion push, the ...
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3 burning questions for Brighton after Roberto De Zerbi’s departure
20May By Cody AcevedaNo Comments
Analysis

3 burning questions for Brighton after Roberto De Zerbi’s departure

After months of speculation about his departure, it finally seemed like Roberto De Zerbi was going to stay at Brighton for another season. That all changed this weekend. “De Zerbi to leave Albion after Manchester United match,” the club said in a shocking statement on Saturday.  Now that we know that De Zerbi is leaving Brighton, all we can do is look forward. Here are three burning questions the club and Brighton fans should be asking right now.  Who will be the next Brighton manager? We’re not going to beat around the bush. The most important question for Brighton right now is who will be their manager next season.  Most reports say it will be current Ipswich Town manager Kieran McKenna. The former Manchester United assistant has guided the Tractor Boys to back-to-back promot...
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The 3 best replacements for Roberto De Zerbi at Brighton
20May By Cody AcevedaNo Comments
Analysis

The 3 best replacements for Roberto De Zerbi at Brighton

Brighton announced ahead of their final match of the 2023/24 Premier League season against Manchester United that De Zerbi will be leaving the club this summer. While no one really knows why the Italian left the club, we do know that Brighton need a new manager.  Here are the top three options to replace Roberto De Zerbi at Brighton next season.  Francesco Farioli, Nice Nice manager Francesco Farioli looked set to take over at Ajax. Now, he could be going to Brighton. Reports from the South Coast claim Roberto De Zerbi hand-picked Farioli to take over for him at Brighton.  Farioli worked under De Zerbi at Benevento and Sassuolo between 2017 and 2020. His playing style at Nice is remarkably similar to De Zerbi’s, committed to building from the back and quick transitions.  If Brig...
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Ranking the 10 best players in Rayo Vallecano history
12Mar By Cody AcevedaNo Comments
All-Time Lists

Ranking the 10 best players in Rayo Vallecano history

Rayo Vallecano is a truly special club. Very few clubs in European football have dedicated and passionate fan bases like Los Franjirrojos have. Even fewer represent their community as well as Rayo do, despite constant attacks from their owner. We’ve written about Rayo Vallecano’s terrible owner and their amazing fans before. Now, it’s time to take a look at some of the club’s players. Without further ado, here are the 10 best players in Rayo Vallecano history. 10. Hugo Sánchez (1993–1994) Hugo Sánchez is one of the few players in history to play for Atlético Madrid, Real Madrid, and Rayo Vallecano. The Mexican legend joined Los Franjirrojos near the end of his career, and played just one season for the club. Even with just one season under his belt, Sánchez deserves to be on this list...
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Ranking the 10 best players in Brighton history
29Feb By Cody AcevedaNo Comments
All-Time Lists

Ranking the 10 best players in Brighton history

Brighton are one of the most exciting teams in the Premier League. The club’s meteoric rise from the lower leagues to the upper echelons of the Premier League is one of the most impressive stories in recent footballing history. A lot of players have played a role in Brighton’s remarkable journey through the years. Let’s take a look at some of those players now by ranking the 10 best players in Brighton history. Honorable Mentions Brighton are a club with over a hundred years of history. Their history may not be as glorious as some of the bigger English teams–like Liverpool or Manchester United–, but the club has had thousands of players represent it on big stages. We couldn’t include them all in our list of the best players in Brighton history. Here are some that just missed the cut: ...
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The 5 biggest scandals in Bayern Munich history
29Feb By Cody AcevedaNo Comments
Analysis

The 5 biggest scandals in Bayern Munich history

Bayern Munich are in the news for all the wrong reasons right now. The club were embarrassed by Xabi Alonso’s Bayer Leverkusen 3-0 in Bundesliga Matchweek 22. They followed that performance up by losing 1-0 to Lazio in the Champions League and letting lowly Bochum beat them 3-2 in the Bundesliga. Now, Thomas Tuchel says he will leave the club at the end of the season.  As bad as things are at Bayern now, things have been much, much worse in the past. Because FC Hollywood are at such a low point now, let’s look at some of those bad times and look at the 5 biggest scandals in Bayern Munich history.  Concealing payments to players in the 1960s & 70s Bayern Munich are one of the biggest football teams in the world, but it wasn’t always this way. As the story goes, Bayern were just a ...
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Mauricio Pochettino’s transfer history: Biggest flops and successes, favorite positions
15Feb By Cody AcevedaNo Comments
Analysis

Mauricio Pochettino’s transfer history: Biggest flops and successes, favorite positions

Mauricio Pochettino's transfer history is one of the most interesting in football today. He has managed tiny clubs with small transfer budgets, giant ones who love to spend big in the transfer market, and everything in between. His current club, Chelsea, are set to splash the cash in the summer and bring in even more players to help the Argentine bring them back to the Champions League. With all of this in mind, let’s take a look at some of the biggest flops, success stories, and Pochettino's transfer preferences.  Biggest Flops In his 15-year managerial career, Mauricio Pochettino has signed 87 players. Not all of them have worked out. In fact, quite a few have been very, very bad. Here are three of Mauricio Pochettino's worst signings.  Vincent Janssen Mauricio Pochettino’s si...
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Roberto De Zerbi’s Tactics: Favorite formation, playing style, best players
14Feb By Cody AcevedaNo Comments
Analysis

Roberto De Zerbi’s Tactics: Favorite formation, playing style, best players

Roberto De Zerbi is one of the most talked about managers in the world right now. His Brighton side are overachieving and fighting for Europa League football for the second straight season, and he’s constantly being linked to big jobs at clubs like Liverpool, Barcelona, and Chelsea. De Zerbi's tactics have been praised by Jurgen Klopp, Pep Guardiola, and other top managers across Europe.   We wanted to look at what makes him so special. Keep reading to learn about De Zerbi's tactics, playing style, and the profiles of the players who thrive in his unique and innovative system. Roberto De Zerbi's tactics Roberto De Zerbi’s Brighton typically play a 4-2-3-1 with two holding midfielders acting as a double pivot, an attacking midfielder who often joins the striker up top, and two inverted...
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MLS playoffs predictions: Why FC Cincinnati can go all the way
27Oct By Cody AcevedaNo Comments
Analysis

MLS playoffs predictions: Why FC Cincinnati can go all the way

The MLS playoffs are officially underway. New York Red Bulls and Sporting Kansas City got things started on Wednesday by defeating Charlotte FC and San Jose Earthquakes in the Wild Card Round. Now that those matches are done and over with, the final MLS playoffs bracket are set. It's time to dive into our MLS playoffs predictions. We take a look at the Round One matchups, key players, and storylines you should be paying attention to all throughout the 2023 MLS Cup Playoffs. MLS playoffs format explained Before we get into our MLS playoffs predictions and previews, we need to go over the new MLS Cup Playoffs format. Prior to this season, the MLS Cup champion was determined by a single-elimination knockout tournament with the higher-seeded team having home field advantage in a one-off g...
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