Welcome back to On the Break! If you missed the last couple of posts, where were you?! Last time out we narrowly lost the Copa Libertadores final in heart-breaking fashion, and before that we played the Intermedio and most of the Clausura to put us in pole position for the title. Now it’s time to finish what we started, seal this title, and leave Defensor on a high!

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HOW IT STANDS

As we’ve seen in the save more often than not, the title can be decided with a Champions Play-Off after all of the league matches are played. Truly dominant sides can avoid this however, and that’s something we can still pull off this season.

As we covered in the opening post of the 2028 season, we won the Apertura, which means that no matter what else happened in the season we had a place in that Champions Play-Off sealed.

With three games left to play for every side, we lead the Overall Table by 11 points, meaning we can’t be caught, even if we capitulate. This fact puts us two thirds of the way to winning the title without the need for a play-off. It all boils down now to the Clausura table.

Nacional have come from being absolutely nowhere in the Apertura to being exceptional throughout the rest of the season, and are now the strongest threat to our clean sweep. Until the last matchday where they lost to Cerrito, Nacional were leading the Clausura; but we now have the edge again, and know that three wins will do it, no matter what happens elsewhere. If we do drop points, teams as low as Deportivo Maldonado in sixth could theoretically finish above us, but the main threat is obviously Nacional.

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MATCHDAY 35

DEFENSOR SPORTING vs MONTEVIDEO CITY TORQUE
NACIONAL vs DEPORTIVO MALDONADO

After the Libertadores Final we had to rotate a bit, a lot of tired bodies plus niggly training injuries meant we made three changes, but realistically it could and maybe should have been 5 or 6. I was worried there might be a bit of a hangover effect after the defeat and with the fitness issues, but we were excellent and scored in the 1st, 15th and 45th minutes to get it done early, then subbed out the other tired players and coasted to the end. Two more games like this please!

Aww yeah, that’s what I’m talking about! We have two players, Jonathan Damián and Mathías Darias, on loan at Maldonado and both were exceptional in this game to keep Nacional quiet. Nacional absolutely dominated the game and should have won it with the chances they created, but they didn’t! Do I feel bad for them? Not a bit!

ONE MORE WIN SEALS THE TITLE!

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MATCHDAY 36

WANDERERS FC vs DEFENSOR SPORTING
LIVERPOOL FC vs NACIONAL

Nacional won to keep up the chase, but their result becomes irrelevant as long as we do our job. We’ve only lost one league game all season, surely we won’t bottle this now?!

WE DID IT! It’s not officially confirmed yet, we’ve only ‘qualified for the play-off’ so far, but since we’ve earned all three spots – it’s done! We can’t be caught. Time to go and enjoy the last game of the season, our last ever at Defensor Sporting!

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PARTY TIME!

A player I promoted from the reserves and two youth intake players score in my final ever match in charge of Defensor, it couldn’t have been a more perfect send off!

I’m so pleased we managed to pull this off in what turned out to be my final season with Defensor, although it hasn’t been a trophy laden spell we’ve rounded it off in the best way possible!

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So that’s it for this post, next time out will be one last Defensor post, just a bit of a ramble to about this portion of the save, and then my plans for Uruguay and what comes next!

Thanks for reading.