Cody Aceveda, Author at The Trivela Effect

Real Madrid suffer two season-defining injury setbacks

21Mar

By Cody AcevedaNo Comments

Features, LaLiga

Real Madrid suffer two season-defining injury setbacks

Real Madrid’s injury list went from bad to worse this week when news broke that both David Alaba and Thibaut Courtois apparently suffered major injury setbacks. Thankfully, it now seems Alaba will be fit sooner or later. Courtois, though, is likely out for the rest of the season. Alaba tore his ACL in his left knee in Real Madrid’s 4-1 La Liga win versus Villarreal last December. It was always a longshot that he would return to the side this season, but now it seems very possible. According to Miguel Ángel Díaz of COPE Radio in Madrid, Alaba’s recovery from his ACL injury has not gone well. The Real Madrid left back reportedly flew to Austria this week to receive special treatment from world-renowned doctor Christian Fink on his left knee. David Alaba is becoming injury-prone Rea...

3 positions Brighton must upgrade in transfer window after Europa League exit

21Mar

By Cody AcevedaNo Comments

Features, Premier League

3 positions Brighton must upgrade in transfer window after Europa League exit

Brighton qualifying for the Europa League was one of the best stories in world football last season. A 4-1 aggregate loss to Roma in the Europa Round of 16 and poor Premier League performances in 2024 have brought the South Coast club crashing back down to earth this season. The Seagulls are currently 8th in the Premier League. They likely won’t qualify for Europa League again this year, but hope is not all lost. Brighton can get back to the mountaintop again next season with some smart investments into their current squad. Here are the three positions Brighton need to improve the most if they are going to be in the race for European football next season. Right back Why Brighton need to sign a right back Brighton’s only true right backs coming into the 2023/24 Premier League sea...

Ranking the 10 best players in Rayo Vallecano history

12Mar

By Cody AcevedaNo Comments

Features, LaLiga

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...

Ranking the 10 best players in Brighton history

29Feb

By Cody AcevedaNo Comments

Features, Premier League

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: ...

The 5 biggest scandals in Bayern Munich history

29Feb

By Cody AcevedaNo Comments

Bundesliga, Features

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 ...

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

15Feb

By Cody AcevedaNo Comments

Features, Premier League

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...

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

14Feb

By Cody AcevedaNo Comments

Features, Premier League

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...

27Oct

By Cody AcevedaNo Comments

Features

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...

8Jun

By Cody AcevedaNo Comments

Features

What Lionel Messi to Inter Miami means for MLS

After months of speculation, Lionel Messi will not be going to Saudi Arabia or returning to Barcelona. Instead, Lionel Messi will be joining Inter Miami. Inter Miami is owned by former Manchester United superstar David Beckham and local Miami billionaire Jorge Mas. The South Florida club is currently without a manager and sits at the bottom of the Eastern Conference. Messi to Inter Miami obviously stands a big chance of changing Miami’s place in the standings, but his impact on the league as a whole will be much greater. Pelé and David Beckham are the only two stars whose arrival fundamentally changed soccer in North America. Pelé’s barnstorming Cosmos set attendance records throughout the country, many of which still haven’t been broken. Beckham joining the LA Galaxy ushered in a n...

13Apr

By Cody AcevedaNo Comments

Features

5 MLS players who deserve a move to Europe this summer

MLS is a retirement league no longer. The American top division is now the leading talent developer in North America and a go-to destination for young South and Central American stars hoping to get noticed by European scouts. Foreign players, like Miguel Almirón, Jack Harrison, and Jhon Duran all broke through in MLS. As did domestic stars, such as Alphonso Davies, Tyler Adams, and Brenden Aaronson. Who will be next to join this list of illustrious alumni of MLS players in Europe? We can’t say for sure, but here are the MLS players who deserve a transfer to Europe this summer. Thiago Almada (Atlanta United, 21) We start our list off strong with perhaps the best young wonderkid applying his trade in MLS right now. Thiago Almada always seemed too good for MLS, but this year he’s real...