The not so serious draft tournament match thread

[Cris 09]

Let's see what happens!

[Excape Goat]

This thread is between crismerz09(Home team) vs EXcape Goat only


1st leg



crismerz's teamRoster;
Keeper
Lehmann

Defence
DL Cruz
Vidić
Lucio
Lahm
Metzelder

Midfield
Frings
Diarra
Rosicky
Ballack
Edison Mendez
Schlaudroff

Forwards
Klose
Frei
Ronaldo

team for this game;------------Lehmann-----------
-DL Cruz--Vidić--Lucio--Lahm-
---Frings---Diarra---Rosicky---
------------Ballack-------------
-----Klose-----------Frei------

subs;
Ronaldo
Edison Mendez
Schlaudroff
Metzelder

strategy: - Zoned midfield with displays of attacking football mostly through the wings due to being the home team.

tactics: -Lahm and DL Cruz with often counter coming up through the wings with Rosicky and Frings covering midfield during their bursts up the lines.

-Frings and Rosicky moving up wide as well with a triangular play involving Ballack

-Strikers will be fed by Ballack, Frings and Rosicky when attacking

-Ballack will comandeer the wings and play as a stealth striker when the wings (defence or midfielders) move up to attack

-Strikers will be fed by DL Cruz and Lahm when counter attacking

-Defence will be zoned with Diarra recovering and Vidic and Lucio being the stoppers.

-If ahead by 2 Metzelder will sub D L Cruz and take center defence.

-If losing, Diarra to be subbed for Mendez for added control in the midfield and attacking qualities

[Excape Goat]

1) Jose Reina
2) Edmilson
3) A. Cole
4) Sergio Ramos
5) Kolo Toure
6) Ricardo Carvalho
7) Jose Reyes
8) Gattuso
9) Ibrahimovic
10) Ronaldinho
11) Drogba
14) Vieria
15) J.Navas
20) Maniche
22) David Odonkor

Starting lineup
-----------Reina-----------------
S.Ramos---Toure---Carvalho---Cole
---------------Gattuso----------
-Navas-------Maniche----Reyes
---------Drogba----Ronaldinho-----


Game Plan:
-- Being away, I need to silence the home crowd. We hope to score within the first 20 minutes. If we fail to score, we will then hold back with 10 minutes remaining before HT. We will repeat the tactics for the 2nd half.

-- Gattuso holds the backline. Maniche is the connection between the defense and midfield with Navas and Reyes running besides him. The attack will have plenty of support. The transition between defenmse and attack should be smooth!
-- Both Reyes and Navas are classic wingers who will give the width on my attack. They will force crismerz09's defense to play wider. Thus, Ronaldinho will get more space in the middle. Brazil in 2006 makes the mistake of playing him too far back from goal. Ronaldinho in this formation is closer to the goal. He only needs to beat 1 or 2 defender before shooting at goal within a dangerous distance and/or sending a goal-soring pass to Drogba. Ramos and Cole can also support on the wing. My wing attack will be so strong with four players taking turns on tatack. I hope to pin down his wingbacks.

SUBS: If I take the lead or tied, Vieira to sub for Reyes to beef up my defense. His inclusion will not weaken my attack. Then, with 5 minutes left, Odonkor for Drogba. I will use him for counter-attack. His speed will stop his defense from joining the attack.

If I am losing, Ibrahimovic for Reyes. I want to win away. Ronaldinho moves to the left wing.

[Cris 09]

Interesting. good play...I like the Odonkor move. And now?

[Excape Goat]

Interesting. good play...I like the Odonkor move. And now?

You can adjust your game plan. I cannot adjust mine since I read your game plan before submitting mine. And then, other posters supposed to judge, but it is the weekend so the traffic will be slow.

[Cris 09]

I will just add that if Ronaldinho has too much room, the defensive zone around him will be changed during the second half to have DL Cruz cover him man-to-man and not let him have any room. Frings have to cover Ronaldhino in the midfield to null-and-void him and ball recovery.
regarding Drogba; Lahm and will keep a tab on him and Lucio will as well but only while he is near the box. Rosicky will not have to worry about defensive duties like Frings...who plays a great defensive game.
If there is still no scoring by the 60th minute, Frei will get subbed with Ronaldo (scored twice today with AC Milan) who will get fed Ballack and Rosicky.

OK....vote!!!:D

[Excape Goat]

We suppose to vote within 3 days, but this is the weekend. I do think we can get enough votes. BTW, we are aiming for scoreline. We have even number of teams so the chance of a draw is high for staright vote. I do not want to do tie-breaker.

[Cris 09]

We suppose to vote within 3 days, but this is the weekend. I do think we can get enough votes. BTW, we are aiming for scoreline. We have even number of teams so the chance of a draw is high for staright vote. I do not want to do tie-breaker.


Away goal rule??

[Excape Goat]

Away goal rule??


I hope that I won't get into that mess. Yes, we are using it.

[Cassano]

I give this game a 2-2, both teams have superb attacking options and both teams can create lots of chances and have good strikers that convert those chances into goals.

[johno]

3-2 in favour of crismerz's team.

To note - I think Excape Goat's side is very strong but I think starting the away leg w/ 2 midfield runners and 2 all out attacking wingers is dangerous and in my mind, that cost you the game.

[Dr.Phil]

I think crismerz09 wins this one 2-1.

Both teams have great attacks but crismerz09 wins it narrowly in the midfield.

[ForeverRed]

I see this as a very open affair but a game that will be won in midfield. The tighter and more compact the midfield, the more control that team will have. It's hard to give an offensive player like Ronaldinho the ball when his midfield support is cut off.

Thats why I say it's 2-1 to cris.

[Twenty26Six]

I was really torn here.

Excape's attack is outstanding, but as other posters have cited he will lose the midfield. I think he plays it right by going for the early goal. Before Crismerz' midfield gets an adequate hold on the game, Ronaldinho and Drogba strike for a ealry lead, 1-0.

Towards the end of the first half, Klose, Frings and Rosicky will start to impose themselves on the game. The mounting pressure leads to an onslaught of set-pieces. Reina isn't great at positioning for set-pieces and Klose will get on the end of one.

In the second half, Crismerz midfield will come out more composed and no early goals for Excape. The difference for me will be the introduction of Edison Mendez for Crismerz. The dominant midfield, plus the fresh Mendez leads to another prolonged series of chances for Crismerz which result in a goal.

Excape Goat 1 - 2 Crismerz09

Good win for Cris, but the away goal will be hard to overcome.

[dor02]

2-1 win for crismerz09's team. crismerz09's teams will probably win it in the midfield. Even though EG has Gattuso in the midfield, the fact that crismerz09 has two DMs may favour the home team.

[benni...]

Gattuso will fight hard, but cant do it alone in midfield. Diarra holding, with Frings and Rosicky providing different options in regards to tucking in and/or playing a little wide. Ballack's presence.

I got Crimzer's team wining 3-1.

Klose scoring two inside the first 40 minutes, and Ballack scoring the last in the 70th minute.

Ronaldinho scoring a penalty early in the second half.

[Cris 09]

How many votes are missing for this game. I was wondering if we could start the retrun leg on Wednesday. I see a lot of other teams out there with still just one player having posted strategies of their team...should we make Wednesday/Thrusday a deadline for that as well. Not trying to be pushy, I undestand that BS is not our life...just want to make sure we get to finish so perhaps we can regulate with easy flexible timetables that everyone could agree on.

Thanks!! ;)

[Excape Goat]

I will start the return leg now.

Starting lineup
-----------Reina-----------------
S.Ramos---Toure---Carvalho---Cole
--Gattuso---Vieria------Edmilson
------------Ronaldinho----------
Ibrahimovic--------Drogba----

After going down in the 1st leg, I need to beat cris by 2-0. In the 1st leg, Gattuso lost the midfielder, but it won't happen again. Edmilson and Gattuso will form a stonewall along the midfield. Vieria was a defensive midfielder before transfoming into a box to box player. We will shut down Ballack. Cole and S.Ramos will have plenty of opportunities to attack with Gattuso and Edmilson protecting the line. The key: I would not give an away goal to cris.

Offense: Vieria will make the transition from defense to attack. He will feed the ball to Ronaldinho or drectly to Ibranimovic and Drogba. However, Ronaldinho will remain the focal poibnt of my attack. Let me remind you that Ronaldinho is the leading scorer for the #1 team in La Liga. Ibrahimovic is the leading score for the #1 team in Serie A. Drogba is the leading scorer in EPL. Ibrahimovic and Ronaldinho can assist too. We should be able to score two goals.

[Cris 09]

the visiting team;

------------Lehmann-----------
-DL Cruz--Vidić--Lucio--Lahm--
--------Frings---Metzelder-----
---Mendez----------Rosicky---
------------Ballack------------
------Klose-------------------

subs;
Ronaldo
Schlaudroff
Metzelder
Frei
Diarra

As the away team I must make sure the leading scorers (Drogba, Ronaldinho and Ibrahimovic) don't have the ability to get to close to Lehmann. DL Cruz will 1-1 with Ronaldinho (he has during Ecuador-Brazil games in QM as well as Copa America's so he knows his game). Metzelder, Lucio and Vidic are the wall to stop the incoming threats at all costs. They will not go forward. If by half-time, the forwards are having to much room...Diarra will come in to put order at Mendez's expence.

Frings will play a very defensive midfield, but if he can break away, he will. Lahm will have a little more freeway moving up the right side engaging combo plays with Ballack, Frings, Mendez and Rosicky. Escape Goat can try to shut down Ballack, but not all 4 at the same time. Taking advantage of the fact that his 3 "forwards" and midfield need to score, Klose can simply play midfield duties until either Frings, Lahm, Rosicky, Mendez or Ballack break though with the perfect pass to Klose or even to one another.
I would not be surprised if a midfielder scores on this, and I don't mean during a corner either. Though their main obligation is to control the midfield, with a secure defence they will be allowed to venture up to the opposing goal.

Should this not work...Ronaldo will come in during the 60 minute mark subbed in for Metzelder. It will be up to Frings to try to fill that defensive gap. If winning, Mendez to be replaced by Diarra for added safety and build a controlling midfield wall in which the ball bounces only one way...towards
Escape Goat's goal - if you close your eyes...you can actually see this.

Anyway, I will be expecting a lot of fouling in the midfield as both teams fight to control it...it is then I hope one of the free kick specialists on my team can do some additional damage. Though I am the away team, the players are instructed to score...the defence will stay put.

Anyway, best of luck...

[Excape Goat]

1st half: I saw myself winning the midfield. The VEG line(Vieria, Edmilson, Gattuso) should control the midfield. I doubt his midfield can break through. Toure and Carvalho can take out Klose. DL Cruz 1-1 with Ronaldinho? Ronaldinho should have more freedom to roam.

The 70th minute:

If I am winning 2-0 or more: J.Navas for Ibrahimovic. He will give my team the speed to counter attack.

If I am winning 1-0 or drawing, J.Navas for Edmilson. He will provide the wide to my attack.

If I am actually losing, J.Navas for Edminlson. Reyes for Ibrahimovic.

--------Gattuso---Vieria------
J.Navas----------------Reyes
Drogba------------Ronaldinho