Final Match of the 1989-2014 Fantasy World Club Cup Venue: Maracana Stadium, Rio de Janeiro Rules: 90 minutes, followed if necessary by extra-time (original rules with multiple goals possible in 30 minutes) and then if the scores are still tied a penalty shoot-out * Note - If you think the game will go to extra-time please choose that option (at the bottom end of the poll) and then you can say what you would choose for the score at full-time in normal time/90 minutes in the thread, as well as give details of how you'd see extra-time going Line-ups: (diagrams in following posts) AC Milan 89-90 - Giovanni Galli; Mauro Tassotti, Alessandro Costacurta, Franco Baresi, Paolo Maldini; Roberto Donadoni, Frank Rijkaard, Carlo Ancelotti, Alberigo Evani; Marco van Basten, Daniele Massaro. Barcelona 08-09 - Victor Valdes; Dani Alves, Carles Puyol, Gerard Pique, Eric Abidal; Yaya Toure; Xavi, Andres Iniesta; Lionel Messi, Samuel Eto'o, Thierry Henry. Voting deadline - 4th June 2015 (1 week from now)Main thread: http://forums.bigsoccer.com/threads/1989-2014-fantasy-world-club-cup.2012816/page-22 Feel free to discuss the match and how you think it would play out, and then after you vote for a scoreline feel free to provide reasoning. If considering substitutions, please check the players were at the club in the relevant season and then you are free to consider 3 substitutions selected from the whole squad for each team, in the scenario you envisage
Barcelona 08-09 line-up: (With arrows of Messi and Eto'o indicating that they could swap/interchange positions, as well as that Messi would come infield quite a bit when playing from the right wing)
I remember checking with La Maquina when he was still organising things, regarding which games Gullit will be available for and he said none since he didn't play enough. However, we have the subs available and I've no problem with you or others considering that Gullit should/would be brought on. I know he did play the EC Final in 1990 ofc. I see you went for Milan to take it on penalties anyway, but feel free to change that if you feel a fresh Gullit could help them win in normal or extra time if coming off the bench. My vote was probably going to be for Barcelona to edge it, and for this game I did feel a fit and in form Gullit would be a big miss (it's probably debateable to what extent he was those things at the end of 89/90 but still I think he'd aid the attacking game of Milan). So, I'll have a think about whether Gullit coming on as a sub might change my mind on that, or whether I stick to Barcelona winning 2-1 - I still feel like even without Gullit I might put more Milan players into a combined XI, but I was thinking that in a game they probably wouldn't run in terms of possession, that also lacking that added cutting edge in attack might allow Barcelona to gain the ascendency and get themselves in front before consolidating their advantage. Milan's defence is the more difficult to break through though I think, so while not impossible for Barcelona to come back and get a similar win if they fell behind it would make it a much harder ask probably.
If anyone wants to discuss who Gullit might come on for and when, and to what effect, also feel free of course on the thread.
Hmm, yeah I've had a think about Gullit coming on and I'm now going for it going to extra-time and penalties after a 2-2 draw. If it was 2-2 it could well have been a very good and entertaining game - if both sides show up and express themselves with the ball it should be! But I could easily see extra-time fizzling out with no goals, and just a couple of half-chances crafted by each team. Barcelona's attack is maybe a bit knackered itself so doesn't press the tiring Milan defence enough to cause errors, while Milan don't get that much possession in the extra period in order to get up momentum towards the Barca goal. I'll say Barcelona open the scoring in the first half (tika taka opens up the gap and Eto'o does the rest) and then Messi (perhaps sporadically involved before that point) comes central and goes on a dribble that includes fooling and then moving round Costacurta, before scoring past Galli even though Gullit has come on to play down the right rather than replacing Massaro - Donadoni moving to the left. But I'll say Van Basten picks up a loose ball after a corner and fires into the top of the net on the turn, within a few minutes of Messi's goal. And then late on, a flowing Milan attack ends with Gullit taking the ball through the inside right channel and he cuts back to a free Massaro to finish as Barcelona's defence has become overloaded. I'll not call the penalty scorers, but having thought I'd go with Barcelona I'll pick them to at least win on penalties...and I could see a few possibilities for Milan to miss - a Donadoni that might not have seen his Italia 90 penalty miss, or he might have done and he gets nervous - a Gullit that might have become tired by the end of extra-time - Costacurta or Tassotti if needed might not be able to find a way past Valdes. So if Messi and Eto'o managed to find the net with theirs then Barcelona on penalties seems a reasonable guess. Maybe Galli makes a save, but Valdes gets some decent opportunities to do so more often. So we have one vote each for a win on penalties so far now!
Just to clarify to avoid any confusion too: Gullit coming on at half-time is only my own scenario (we can all imagine our own just like we can with the scoreline and gameplay). Everyone else is free, as with any other substitution, to consider if and when he comes into the match. Also, if anyone who already voted would change their vote based on Gullit playing a part then you can just say so in the thread (or even by PM) and I'll take the adjusted vote rather than the original one.
Bumping this as it's the Final, and also it is very tight in terms of voting. If no more votes did come in I think it's heading for Barcelona in extra-time (full explanation would follow) but seems most think it would be a classic or at least a closely matched game. These two teams (or possibly a slightly earlier Milan with fully fit Gullit, and slightly later Barcelona even) often get hypothetically matched against each other in articles and suchlike so this seems like a good conclusion to our Fantasy Tournament. Of course, era wise, they are nearly as far apart as possible in this timeframe so arguably that makes the match-up hard to assess in itself.
Very, very hard call but Barca I think would edge this. They'd control possession and win more than they would lose. I'd give it to them 2-1.
It is looking like it could go that way! It's been swaying back and forth to indicate a classic encounter anyway. But if this was real then I guess we should all be hoping for the best game of all times anyway, apart from all-time Brazil vs say all-time France or something (I think others would make a different choice to France, but if looking at entertainment on top of competitiveness maybe not)! Having checked though to see if comme had voted on the poll or just on the thread, I see it was another person (Ed I think) who added the second 2-1 to Barcelona vote so if we add comme's vote on then so far Barcelona are edging it (not 2-1 in normal time because we have 6 draws voted for after 90 minutes, but I should think 2-1 after extra-time although if others like yourself msioux wanted to pick a score after 90 minutes and after extra-time then I would of course factor those calls in too on top of your verdicts for the result).
Very very close one to call, deifinitely the two best club sides in my lifetime....... I think on modern day rules Barca win if played using the rules of when this Milan side played I would favour them.
Since I'v said we'd be using modern rules (Puck asked at the start of the tournament) I'll count this as a vote for Barcelona AD78 mate, but feel free of course to specify a scoreline too if you like.
Oh actually I notice you had already voted Milan in extra-time (I'm assuming now the vote was there before the comment) so yeah obviously feel free to clarify what you want your vote to be and I'll take it into account accordingly.
Yep, I voted and then thought in more detail about the officiating which prompted the question. I might leave as is with Gullit coming on in the second half !