Sheep Draft World Cup - Line Ups and Tactics

Use this11.com for drawing your football tactics

Every member of my team made it to the semi-final or beyond.
-- 5 World Cup Winners(Zidane, Tostao, Dunga, Gentile, Cannavaro). Two WC winning captains.
-- 1 second place(Schnellinger)
-- 3 third place(Bossis, Baggio, Schweinsteiger)
-- 2 fourth place(Lee, Figo)
6 FIFA World Cup All-Stars.
Gentile, Cannavaro, Dunga, Schweinsteiger, Zidane and Figo.

The Team:
Lee Woon-Jae 2002: Best-remembered for his heroic performance against Spain in the penalty shootout. In 2002, Lee received the highest Castrol Index ratings for a goalkeeper, beating Olivier Kahn, Rustu, Freidel, Marcos, Seaman etc.

Claudio Gentile 1982: Hero or villain? He had one of the most memorial defensive performances in WC history. He shut both Zico and Maradona down. He was selected to the All-Star team. What else could a defender do more?

Fabio Canavaro 2006: Defenders normally do not receive the same recognition as attackers. He won the Silver Ball in 2006. And because of the WC Finals, he won the World Player of the Year in 2006, the first defender ever to win it. His performance in 2006 was among the best ever for a defender.

Maxime Bossis 1986: He had a solid WC Finals in 1986. His Castrol Index rating was 9.03.

Karl-Heinz Schnellinger 1966: In 1966, he received a Castrol Index rating of 8.88, making him one of the top defenders of the tournament. He was 27 years in 1966 and at the prime of his career.

Dunga 1994: He was the heart and soul of Brazil 1994. His playing style personified an era in Brazilian football. He was the captain of the WC winning team. He also made the All-Star team in 1994.

Bastian Schweinsteiger 2010: The architect of the spectacular German team in 2010. He was selected to the All-Star team.

Zinedine Zidane 1998: Great players played their best at the biggest game. He scored two goals in the WC Final and sent the whole of France into wild celebration. He became a national hero after the WC Finals.

Roberto Baggio 1990: Against Czechoslovakia, Baggio lighted up the field and scored one of the most beautiful goals of the tournament. It was later voted as the 7th best goal in WC history. A star was born.

Luis Figo 2006: By 2006, Figo had passed his prime, but he still managed to take Portugal to their best finish since 1966. For the WC Finals, he played as if he had not aged. He had a lively tournament, playing on both side of the wing and in the middle. He was named to the All-Star team.
Tostao 1970: He was the perfect team player who was better known for his assists. He was one of the reasons why Jairzinho and Pele scored many goals in 1970. His Castrol rating was 8.77, the fifth best forward in 1970 after Muller, Pele, Riva and Seeler. According to http://www.everyfourthyear.com, he received the highest ratings or tied with the highest ratings for a Brazilian player in all three matches of the knockout round.

Basic Tactics
The key to my tactics is to moving the ball around the field(the flow of the game). So I drafted a deep lying playmaker (Schweinsteiger 2010) to control the backfield, and an attack midfielder (Zidane 1998)to quarterback the front half of the field.

The Attackers:
Zidane 1998, Baggio 1990, Figo 2006 and Tostao 1970 will form a diamond-shaped offense. They were all great passers and dribblers. So I expected a lot of dynamic passing combinations and spectacular dribbling. Zidane 1998 is the quarterback on the front half of the field. He will have a free role roaming around the field. On the right, Figo 2006 will cut inside and shoot, and/or drive down the wing and cross. He will also provide the veteran leadership to this team. Baggio 1990 will play closer to the goal than Figo on the other side. He will be the main scoring threat. Tostao 1970 plays at the top of the formation, but he will not be striker. He will be a false 9. He will lay the ball off for Schweinsteigner, Baggio, Figo and Zidane as he had done with his Brazilian teammates throughout Mexico 1970. In a way, this is very close to a strikerless formation.

The Midfielders
Dunga 1994 is the defensive anchorman. Basically, he sits in the midfield. His role is to protect the midfield and allow the more creative players to play their game. He is no Xabi Alonso, but he was also known for his diagonal long balls to the wings. He won a WC playing liked this. Bastian Schweinsteiger 2010 is the deep lying midfielder. He moves the ball forward and around the field. When he sees a hole in the front, he will penetrate into the box and shoot.

Defense
Basically, Claudio Gentile 1982 will be the man marker. He can shut down any player who has ever played in a WC Finals. Cannavaro 2006 and Bossis 1986 will clean up anything that leaves behind. Schnellinger 1966 will play as a wingback. Dunga will reinforce the defense.

 

1) Gilmar (Brazil) from 1958 World Cup (Sweden)
22) Wim Suurbier (Netherlands) from 1978 World Cup (Argentina)
3) Silvio Marzolini (Argentina) from 1962 World Cup (Chile)
14) Jean Tigana (France) from 1982 World Cup (Spain)
5) Ruud Krol (Netherlands) from 1978 World Cup (Argentina)
6) Bobby Moore (England) from 1966 World Cup (England)
17) Igor Chislenko (Soviet Union) from 1966 World Cup (England)
10) Gary Lineker (England) from 1986 World Cup (Mexico)
9) Bobby Charlton (England) from 1966 World Cup (England)
18) Florian Albert (Hungary) from 1962 World Cup (Chile)
19) Michael Laudrup (Denmark) from 1986 World Cup (Mexico)

Player details:
Sheep Draft World Cup - Main Thread

Captain - Bobby Moore.
Penalty taker - Gary Lineker.
Penalty shoot-out takers - Lineker, Krol, Albert, Laudrup, Charlton.
Free-kick takers - from deep Moore, Krol......from wide/indirect Chislenko, Laudrup.....direct Krol.
Corner takers - Chislenko, Laudrup.

Tactics:
Some closing down by Lineker and other players in forward positions. Defending fairly deep. Slick passing with a view to playing incisive through balls as well as quick passes to open up space near the oppositon penalty area. Plenty of interchanging of positions especially down the left, where the nearest player will be the one to track back down the wing if necessary and Albert will not have the same responsibility to do that as Chislenko on the other side. Typical movements indicated by the arrows. Plenty of dribbling by all forward players except Lineker who will look to play on the last line and use his instincts to find the right positions to exploit the space opened up by the passing and dribbling of others. On occasions the wider players can be pulled back a little, leaving Laudrup in a free role supporting Lineker. Still though, Albert would look to come infield often and both him and Chislenko would maintain an attacking intent. Krol and Moore to use their ability on the ball to start moves and occasionally to pick out longer passes.

Alternative formation:

This formation is more of a 4-4-2 but with flexibility and freedom especially for Laudrup. On occasions when in full attack mode, Chislenko and Laudrup might be pushed wider and further forward to try and take the game to the opposition with traditional wing-play.

 

Perú FC

• Golden Ball Award: Zizinho '50
• Bronze Ball Award: Ademir '50
• Golden Boot Award: Ademir '50
• Bronze Boot Awards: Schäfer '54, Cubillas '70
• Best Young Player Award: Cubillas '70
• All-Star Team Members: Ancheta '70, Djalma Santos '58, Varela '50, Zizinho '50, Ademir '50
• Goalscorers: Ademir '50 (9), Cubillas '70 (5), Schäfer '54 (4), Houseman '74 (3), Zizinho '50 (2), Varela '50 (1)

Players Details

GK: Antoni Ramallets 1950

The best goalkeeper of the tournament by many sources, he was enshrined in that World Cup and after a colossal performance against England he was named as The Cat of Maracana or O Guapo Goleiro because his agile and spectacular reflexes and became one of the figures of the competition. | Video​

CB: Atilio Ancheta 1970

He was selected as the best central defender of that World Cup and in the All-Star Team. He was a tall centre-back with good technical skills, outstanding header and accurate passes that emerged as a key piece of the Uruguayan team that reached the semifinals.​

CB: Karlheinz Förster 1986

He was regarded as one of the world's top man marker at his peak and reached his prime for the 1986 World Cup playing all the matches and being especially brilliant in his characteristic role against Mexico and France neutralizing to Hugo Sánchez and Michel Platini.​

RB: Djalma Santos 1958

He's regarded as one of the greatest right wing-backs ever and probably the best of the history of the World Cups. He was a physical specimen primarily known by his defensive skills, but also a terrific attacker with great positional sense and intelligence on the pitch. Curiously he had lost his place in the side in favour of Nílton de Sordi and didn't play until the final against Sweden, but his performance was so impressive neutralizing to Lennart Skoglund that was elected in the All-Star Team for the second consecutive time. | Video​

LB: Julio Olarticoechea 1986

He was an instrumental player for the Argentinean team that won that World Cup as a polyvalent, solid and effective left wing-back. His participation was particularly decisive against England when avoid the opponent's draw with a miraculous head on the goal line.​

DM: Obdulio Varela 1950

He's one of the greatest classic centre-halves of all-time adopting a huge defensive work as an anchor man, but also capable to create scoring chances. The Black Chief was the inspirational leader of strong personality that drove to Uruguay to win that World Cup against all odds in one of the most memorable chapters in the history of this tournament, commonly called El Maracanazo. | Video​

AM: Zizinho 1950

He's one of the greatest South American footballers of all-time and came to international prominence at this World Cup being the best player of the tournament and awarded with the Golden Ball retrospectively despite Brazil surprisingly lost the decisive match. He played as inside-right but could operate in the central midfield because his stamina and showed remarkable dribbling skills and pace forming an extraordinary offensive partnership with Ademir. Giordano Fatori, while covering the tournament for La Gazzetta dello Sport, had occasion to write The football of Zizinho reminds me a rare painting of Da Vinci and after the competition was commonly considered as the best Brazilian footballer of all-time until the appearance of Pelé.​

AM: Teófilo Cubillas 1970

At his younger, more sparkling and dynamic version Cubillas was the most brilliant figure of the greatest Peruvian generation that left a deep impression at this World Cup and caused the feeling to be able to go further if we hadn't collided with the Brazil of Pelé. He established himself as one of the greatest South American World Cup heroes as an agile and virtuous attacking-playmaker with a great goalscoring production and won the Bronze Boot and the Best Young Player awards at his 21. | Video​

RW: René Houseman 1974

Also at his best version, Houseman hath established much of his popularity as one of the best Argentinean wingers of all-time in this World Cup, in which showed a devilish performance with great technical abilities, remarkable dribbling skills and scored 3 goals. | Video​

LW: Hans Schäfer 1954

He was one of the most emblematic players that carried to the German team to win its first World Cup against the Hungarian Mighty Magyars after the known The Miracle of Bern. The brilliant left-winger, who had good speed and passing range, especially long balls, but also good crosses, was a real leader on the pitch with a ferocious shot and very good playmaking abilities that contributed with 4 goals. | Video​

CF: Ademir 1950

He's regarded as one of the best Brazilian centre-forwards of all-time mostly because his explosion in this World Cup playing in an outstanding forward partnership involving Zizinho. He won the Bronze Ball and the Golden Boot awards scoring 9 goals in this tournament and showing an impressive agility and speed with a strong shot in both feet. He also shone due to his mobility (began his career as a left-winger before moving to the centre causing havoc in opposing defenses with his quick changes in tempo). | Video​

Tactics

Depending on the circumstances, this is a 4-3-3 tactical system that can be transformed in an old 2-3-5 in the attack with Djalma Santos and Julio Olarticoechea supporting the midfield line and Zizinho and Teófilo Cubillas playing as inside-forwards or become in a 5-men defensive line adding a fifth defender (Obdulio Varela) when defending and using Zizinho as outlet valve.

In front of Antoni Ramallets, Atilio Ancheta takes the main role of centre-back and is complemented by Karlheinz Förster as the man to man marker. By the sides, both Djalma Santos and Julio Olarticoechea are the tireless wing-backs with huge defensive tasks but also capable to take turns in projecting offensively, the Brazilian as a physical prodigy with great criterion in distributing the ball, the Argentinean as an important tactical element.

In the midfield, Obdulio Varela is the anchor man and team leader (the captain) to impose the tactical order going backwards defending and playing behind the playmakers to protect the possession of the ball. Zizinho is the main attacking-playmaker, the artist of the team freely moving to create in the midfield while Teófilo Cubillas is his companion to feed the attackers, although the Peruvian could go aggresively to the attack switching positions with Hans Schäfer (also an inside-forward sometimes) or Ademir.

In the forward line, René Houseman is a freely moving right wing-forward in charge to open spaces thanks to his speed and technical skills and Hans Schäfer mostly the long feeder, although both of them could penetrate in diagonal exploiting the spaces that can provide Ademir and scoring by themselves. Meanwhile, the Brazilian centre-forward is the main goal card of the team, a well suited player in a so movable and creative attacking quintet to exploit his impressive speed to penetrate and define in front of the goal.


A key element

Zizinho and Ademir will meet again. They conformed one of the most remarkable offensive societies in the history of the Brazilian football that against all odds didn't win the World Cup after destroying its opponents (7-1 against Sweden and 6-1 against Spain in the final pool) before collided surprisingly against the Uruguayan defensive system led and driven by Obdulio Varela, now their teammate. That's the backbone of the team adding also the agile Andoni Ramallets in the goal from the 1950 edition. Plus Teófilo Cubillas at his best as the football leader of the Peruvian golden generation from the 1970 edition, there's hope to make a good role.

 

With it being a World Cup draft, I figured I might as well represent a country, so I went with...

THE PRINCIPALITY OF SEALAND

Population: 27... but my God, those 27 are good at football!

Team:
One Golden Ball winner (Forlan '10)... 1 Golden Boot winner (Lato '74 - plus another tied top scorer in Forlan '10)... one Yashin award winner (Barthez '98, with the tied-least WC goals ever conceded - the least ever not including penalties), one Bronze Ball winner (Dirceu '78), seven World Cup all-stars (all listed above, plus Andrade '50, Rivelino '70 and Ballack '02 who arguably deserved the Golden Ball that year too).

One player (Abalo) went out in the group stages, while another (McGrath) did so in the second round though was fantastic for his whole tournament. Chumpitaz went our in the QFs... to Brazil '70. Four were winners (Barthez, Lizarazu, Rivelino, Andrade), one finalist (Ballack), two third place finishes (Dirceu, Lato - both of whom scored fantastic winning goals in the third place games), and one finishing fourth (Forlan, who also scored a fantastic goal in the third place game though Uruguay lost 3-2 and also struck the crossbar with a wonderful free kick with the last kick of the game - it's in his compilation below).

Goalscorers: Lato (7), Forlan (5), Ballack (3), Rivelino (3), Dirceu (3), Lizarazu (1), Chumpitaz (1)... and one final mention of McGrath's awesome-for-anyone-not-just-a-CB goal vs. Holland.

For a more details rundown of my players including their ages in their World Cups (something quite important to this draft in my opinion), and a lot of links to Youtube clips of them, please expand the below:

- The Rivelino vs. England link doesn't work but can be found here.

Tactics:


In brief:
Our defenders and Abalo will operate defensively and ensure not to leave themselves exposed, though McGrath occasionally and Lizarazu more frequently will not be afraid to contribute to the attack. Also due to the athleticism of all but McGrath, we can afford to play a reasonably high line when needed. Our centrebacks will play the ball from deep, with Chumpitaz and Andrade playing a more aggressive style, while McGrath acts as the primary co-ordinator of the defence and to cover for his more aggressive counterparts. Abalo's main role is to not be a liability, and to just try and make a bit of a nuisance of himself - incredibly minimal input, basically.

Ballack, Dirceu and Rivelino are to play off of each other a lot, with Rivelino trending left, Dirceu slightly right, and Ballack covering wherever he sees fit. Ballack will be the most direct of the three of course, covering forwards and backwards while the other two primarily will drift around the AM spots (Rivelino dropping further back if needed) - he will also ghost into the box quite frequently. Lato in contrast will be offering a more direct option, picking the ball up and cutting inside aggressively to either go for goal or slot through to a runner. Forlan will drop back to link up or stay forward to finish off chances as he deems fit. On the counter, both Lato's pace and finishing and Forlan's outrageous 2010 shots from distance will also prove crucial.

Essentially, the gameplan is to play the ball around a fair amount as all players in the attack were of a very high technical skill and intelligence, and to strike extremely quickly once opportunities open up. Due to the versatile nature of many of our players, one of the keys is to drag defenders out of position, as with just the slightest bit of space from a range of angles and distance, Forlan, Ballack, Dirceu and Rivelino all displayed legendary long shooting abilities at their respective World Cups.

In detail/player-by-player:
First, to explain the graphic I went for with the tactics – the position the player is located it their nominal 'default' position on the pitch, while the circle around them is their 'sphere of influence' – so in the examples of my two fullbacks, Lizarazu 1998's sphere calls for a larger forcus on attack, covering the flank and contributing to the attack (thus freeing Rivelino to move around a lot more), whereas Andrade's 1950 is closer aligned to staying at home and is also 'wider' as he may at times need to help Abalo in the defensive midfield battle if/when necessary.

McGrath '94 will be the more reactive of the two centrebacks as he was for Ireland alongside the more energetic/athletic Phil Babb (who he made look so impressive that Liverpool broke the transfer record for a defender in England on him on the back of the tournament), covering for Chumpitaz when he ventures forward. It is because of his technical ability skill however, that when we are in full-on attack mode, McGrath will be the CB to venture forward and create further problems for the opposing defence. Chumpitaz '70 is obviously the foil here, using his very quick pace and athleticism to be more proactive in defence, rushing up to cut things out early and aggressively (and help Abalo), yet being the one to sit back when we are in attack for that same reason. Both CBs having the ability to organise and lead their backlines as well as playing the ball, allowing us to begin creating movements from deep will help. Barthez '98 behind them will play quite a free and aggressive role as he was known for, not being afraid to come to the edge of his box to cut things out and using his incredible athleticism to recover as well as close down angles as he did every single time for France in that World Cup.

Jean-Paul Abalo '06, referred to by Zinedine Zidane after their 2006 World Cup game as “the toughest opponent I have ever faced” while famously making Makelele and Vieira question their career choices, and mentioned by then-Swiss manager Kobi Kuhn as “just so much better than that Beckenbauer guy I faced back in 1966, I know which I would prefer in a hypothetical all-time footballing draft of sorts”, he was hotly chased by Real Madrid but opted to remain in France for political reasons. As such his role will be “just stand in front of your CBs and behind the CMs. Run around and be a bit of a nuisance, don't stray from that spot and never, EVER try anything more than a five-yard backwards or sideways pass.” This is seen in his small, unmoving sphere of influence, typically with a CB aiding him, or on occasion Andrade or even Ballack.

Ballack 2002's role is kind of one of his own discretion. He will be covering any of the three areas displayed in the graphic as-and-when he deems necessary as he did for Germany in 2002 – a dynamic box-to-box player with an attacking bias, the heartbeat of the team. He will contribute to the attack in a range of ways, from passing movements to carrying the ball forward, appearing on the wings as he also did, shooting from distance, ghosting into the box, and also being an aerial threat. The arrows on his sphere when in attack are to show that he can move out to wither flank when Dirceu, Lato or Rivelino move in, and is otherwise to very frequently make runs into the box. As such his sphere would basically cover almost all of the opposition's half, but it looked very untidy so I went with the arrows instead. Slightly further ahead of him Dirceu '78 will be covering the space between the midfield and attack with an emphasis on passing-and-moving, tricky dribbling and shooting from distances. He can also nip out wide to the right on occasions where Lato is cutting in, to create somewhat of a 'false 4-4-2' and basically not leave the spot empty. Both players were known for their high work-rates and energetic approaches to the game, and so should as mentioned be more than capable of helping out on that end, if-and-when Abalo finds himself in trouble.

Rivelino '70 is to be the creative hub of the team, and with Lizarazu covering some of his duties on the flank, he will be free to move around as he sees fit, creating headaches with his dribbling and passing abilities, his shooting and his intelligence – I have no worry of him, Dirceu or Ballack getting in each others' way for that reason, all three were extremely intelligent players and if anything have the skill-sets to drag defenders left, right and centre in order to create openings for each other (and to take advantage; all had lethal shots from many ranges and angles). Also if you watch the videos vs the Czechs and England, Rivelino spent a good bit of time deeper down the field, which he will be doing here to an extent to help build attacks when we are coming off the back-foot. If Ballack is the heartbeat of the team, Roberto Rivelino is the brains of the operation.

...and Lato '74 is the legs. As a default, he is to cover the right flank with his pace and dribbling abilities, and cut in liberally to utilise his finishing skills that won him the golden boot with seven goals that year. In attack he is to cut in even more aggressively, almost becoming a false forward of sorts to the right, using these exploits to not only go for goal, but also to drag defenders far out right and create plenty more space for the others. He is basically intended to wreak havoc and a sense of unease with his more aggressive style, compared to my other attacking players. In defence, his pace is going to see him used as an outlet to get the ball to, similar for example, he how Cristiano Ronaldo has been used at times in his career – to see just how effective at this he would be, see his matching-winning goal against Brazil in the 1974 third place playoff, where he ran over half the pitch before slotting home.

Forlan '10 will have the role of scoring goals and linking up play with others, both of which he did so fantastically that he won the Golden Ball. As team-mates move forward, he will not be afraid to drop back having been lethal from distance, and as others move central, he will even nip wide if needed (where he had an amazing assist vs. South Korea). When in defence, he will along with Lato be key to our counter-attacks, both in linking up together as he often did with Suarez as Uruguay played quite defensive, and also in scoring from a long way out as he did so often (just about every goal he scored in that WC was incredible).

Other bits:
Captain: Chumpitaz '70
Corners: Rivelino (L), Dirceu (R)
Penalties: Ballack
Free Kicks: Rivelino (with Dirceu and Forlan as occasional decoys). You do NOT want to concede a free kick against us.

 

Full stats available here
The players

Roque Máspoli 1950
Awarded goalkeeper of the tournament for the biggest upset, when the great Brazil could only put one past him. One of the great shotstoppers and one of the finest goalkeeping performances keeping out 16 of the 17 shots on goal against a legendary attack.

Gianluca Zambrotta 2006
showed his versatility moving from fullback to midfield and switching wings with no ill effect on his performance. What's more, he can run forever, which is an important asset with attacking full backs. His performance against the Ukraine earned him full marks from France Football and the following month had some of the world's richest clubs clambering after him at Juventus, with offers from Chelsea, Milan, Real and Barca.

Roberto Carlos - el hombre bala - 2002
Named UEFA Club Defender of the Year in 2002 and 2003 and second in Balon d'Or 2002, Roberto Carlos was at the peak of his career. A famously attacking full back, he produced 19 crosses and 13 attempts on goal in his 6 games, scoring a free kick in the group stage, while his critics were disarmed as the Brazilian defence conceded only twice in those fixtures.

Frank de Boer 1998
A great all-round defender at his peak with a wicked left foot, which provided the assist for Dennis Bergkamp's famous goal. His precision long range passes provide more threat considering the attacking trio, yet his pass completion rate stood at an excellent 89.2%. His discipline provides the necessary cover for Roberto Carlos' attacking forays.

Márcio Santos 1994
A tall and very strong defender, Castrol rated at him 9.73 as the second best player in the entire tournament, after Romario. According to Opta he had the 4th highest number of recoveries of any world cup defender ever (60), 15th highest interceptions (23) and 7th highest number of passes (413). Also an aerial threat, he scored a header vs Cameroon, whereas David Embe and Tomas Brolin both felt the force of his well timed challenges.
See this tribute from the Independent on the 'immovable' Santos


Svlatopluk Pluskal 1962
Pluskal acted as the solid base of the midfield in Czechoslovakia's greatest ever world cup side, making the final in Chile. "With his teammate from Dukla, Josef Masopust, he formed the key midfield of the 4–2–4 formation. Thanks to Pluskal, the team that had had to qualify for the Championships in a playoff with Scotland had got to the World Cup final...He was a universal footballer, a good header of the ball, and he was famous for his slide tackles, with which he cleanly took the ball from his opponents. Although players often protested against this style of play, referees usually considered it to be within the rules. During his football career, this tireless fighter became an impenetrable shield, able to concentrate on what was needed. Off the field, he helped the team with his easy humour."

Ernst Ocwirk - 'Clockwork' - 1954
Another with an excellent range of passing and physical presence, Ocwirk Captained Austria to their greatest world cup finish, including that phenominal comeback against hosts Switzerland. Ocwirk ruled the team in both defending and building attacks, scoring against Switzerland and Uruguay. He was one of the great 2-3-5 centre halves, who transformed to a wing half as tactics changed around him. "Nicknamed Clockwork by the British for his midfield consistency, he is often cited as the last of the old-fashioned attacking centre-halves; he was known for his aesthetic and technical style of playing, his heading ability, excellent timing (both in offensive and defensive tasks) and his passing range...The international media of the era saw Ocwirk as "the best centerhalf in the world".

Dragoslav Šekularac - L'Artista - 1962
A great playmaker and dribbler, Seki was the flair player of Yugoslavia's (once again) greatest ever world cup side. His performance was stuff of legend at home and propelled him to national celebrity. In this year he came 4th in Ballon d'Or.

From a Eulogy in Serbian

Source (not exactly authoritative I know)

Highlights vs Uruguay
Full match - Sekularac vs Leonel Sanchez

Eusébio - the Black Panther - 1966
The main scoring threat and one of the great world cup performances of all time. 9 goals won the heart of English spectators and with a better team he would have been more than a worthy winner. He pulled off 61 attempts on goal in his 6 matches, scoring on average every 60 minutes. Eusebio was the reigning Ballon d'Or winner at the time. As with Sekularac, in Portugal Salazar issued a decree to stop him moving to Italy for an enormous fee.

Fifa profile

Paolo Rossi - 'Pablito' - 1978
Everyone remembers his 1982 heroics but forgets that his group stage performance that year was very weak. In '78 Rossi was young, hungry, quick and versatile, playing in a front three he moved out to the right side frequently. A natural goalscorer and Serie A's top scorer in this year, Rossi not only scored 3 but assisted 4 goals, with 90% shot accuracy. Linking up well with and eventually outperforming Betegga, along with Cabrini he was Italy's star of '78.
Rossi video profile

Claudio Caniggia - El hijo del viento - 1990
More threat of movement in the attack as the pacy Cannigia will push back the defensive line . As his wikipedia page confirms "Caniggia was not a striker, but rather a playmaker forward", which strengthens the approach play from midfield. Cannigia did not start the first game, the surprising 1-0 defeat to Cameroon, but came on as a sub. His memorable run lead Cameroon defenders to hack him down, getting Massing sent off and winning his place in the team. His goals came at crucial moments, in the upset vs Brazil and the equaliser vs Italy in the semi-final - the first goal the hosts had conceded all tournament. However he was banned for the final after two tournament yellow cards and was replaced by ASF's beloved Dezotti, leaving him no say in the disappointing performance in the final.


Tactics

The central pairing in the back four are excellent readers of the game but Marcio Santos provides the braun where de Boer offers superior technique and distribution. The full backs are both attack minded, especially Roberto Carlos, and these provide the width going forward.

To balance this out, the midfield has a conservative base, with Pluskal a purely defensive player, who can also play in central defence - if necessary the team can form a back three. With him is captain Ocwirk, who plays deep but also orchestrates the attack with his excellent passing. To offer something different going forward, the team boasts the magic and verve of Sekularac. The experience and positional responsibilty of Pluskal and Ocwirk should be a good compliment to the imaginative Seki.

Seki, Ocwirk, Carlos and Zambrotta are all potential channels to the three man attack. It consists of a hardworking, pacey, natural poacher in Rossi. Caniggia offers pace and incisive dribbling in the channels. But the focal point must be Eusebio a legitimate all-time goalscoring great, at his peak.

 

Team formation. Tactics coming soon...

 

Os Fenômenos





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World Cup Awards

2 Golden Ball Winners - Johan Cruyff and Didi
1 Silver Ball Winner - Ronaldo
1 Bronze Ball Winner - Lilian Thuram

1 Golden Boot Winner - Ronaldo

6 World Cup Champions - Lilian Thuram, Nilton Santos (twice) , Didi (twice) , Zito (twice) , Pierre Littbarski and Ronaldo

1 Finalist - Johan Cruyff
1 Semi Finalist - Raymond Kopa
2 Quarter Finalists - Peter Shilton and Branko Zebec

7 Appearances for the All Star Team : Didi, Zito, Raymond Kopa, Nilton Santos, Johan Cruyff, Lilian Thuram and Ronaldo.


Individual Profiles :

Peter Shilton '86
In the 5 matches he played, Shilton kept 3 clean sheets and allowed a total of 3 goals. One of which was the controversial hand of god goal by Maradona.

Marius Tresor '78
The French Defender captained the team in the 1978 World Cup which went out in the first round. He received a 5/6 rating for one of the games and since he was at his peak during the World Cup, generally impressed the audience. In particular with his tremendous aerial ability.

Branko Zebec '58
The Yugoslavian star dazzled the audience in this World Cup captaining the team to a quarter final finish. Extremely versatile, he played as a halfback and hence would be taking up the central defensive duties in the team. Blessed with great ability, he would be the ball playing defender, carrying the ball out of defense and distributing it.

Nilton Santos '58
Not much needed to say about the Brazilian, made the position his own in this World Cup, reached the All Star Team winning the tournament. One of the greatest leftbacks in the history of World Cups and overall, he combined terrific defensive play with dangerous attacking play, as shown in this video where he dribbles past the Austrian team to slot in the ball into the net, he was one of the first truly attacking fullbacks the world ever saw.



Lilian Thuram '98
The French defender formed the right side of an unbeatable defense in the World Cup that saw the French team winning it for the first time. Generally regarded one of the greatest defensive rightbacks of all time, Thuram surprised everyone when he decided the semi final, for which he also got a 6/6 rating, against Croatia by scoring twice after going 1-0 down and taking the team to the final.

BOTH GOALS



Zito '62
Reunited with his old partner Didi, Zito formed the defensive midfield of the great Brazilian team that won the World Cup back to back. He scored in the final of the 1962 WC, and also made it to the all star team.

Didi '58
The Golden Ball winner of the tournament, Didi was the midfield general of the winners Brazil. One of the greatest midfielders of all time, Didi was the engine as well as the brain behind the WC win and broke down oppositions with his inch perfect passing and invention. His command in midfield will be tough for anyone to overcome.

Pierre Littbarski '90
The German is usually known for his great dribbling and technical skills, won the World Cup with Germany in 1990 playing in the final, as well as the knock rounds and played an important role in the German midfield, like coming off the bench and equalizing in the draw against Colombia,

Raymond Kopa '58
Such was the brilliance of the Frenchman that he was compared to the star of the tournament Didi himself. The top scorer of the WC Fontaine has him to thank largely, as Kopa gave 6 assists in the tournament combined with 3 goals that led the team reach the semi final and Kopa to the all star team. His creativity, vision as well as devastating passing created numerous chances and would be deadly to deal with. In terms of productivity he was only behind Fontaine.




Johan Cruyff '74
Golden Ball winner, Cruyff led Netherlands to the final of the tournament. The best player in the world and one of the best of all time, Cruyff was unstoppable in the tournament, applying the famous total football strategy. He received a 6/6 rating for his game against Argentina where he scored twice. His dribbling, passing, creativity and tactical awareness will be vital to my team and extremely tough to counter.

Ronaldo '02
Silver Ball, Golden Boot and a champion's medal, Ronaldo was unstoppable in the World Cup, scoring 8 goals including both the goals in the final in which he got a 6/6. The all time leading goal scorer in World Cup history, Ronaldo is a goal machine.


Player Roles
The team is playing a 4-2-3-1 formation.

The defense has Zebec as the ball playing defender and Tresor as the stopper with Thuram and Nilton Santos as fullbacks. Thuram will be staying in defense unless absolutely needed to go forward while Nilton Santos would be attacking down the left providing width as well as doing the defensive duties, basically handling the whole flank.

In midfield I have Zito as the defensive midfielder alongside Didi as the midfield general who will control the tempo of play, and be the deep playmaker.

In attacking midfield Kopa will be the number 10, providing service to the attack and Littbarski is a right winger who will provide width down the right.

Up front I have Cruyff playing as the support striker coming on front the left side and Ronaldo as the number 9 leading the line.



Brief Tactics
In defense, the team will stay compact with Thuram often handling the opposition left winger. Him being adept at both CB and RB will be helpful against various types of threats, wide or narrow. Zebec and Tresor compliment each other and Nilton Santos would be dealing with the right sided threat from the opposition. Zito will be shielding the defense and alongwith Didi, both will close down the spaces in midfield now allowing the opposition attacking midfielders to create any chances, while also using their great reading of the game, awareness and anticipation to cut out attacks before they become dangerous. Littbarski would also help out by becoming a right midfielder.

In attack, the team will attack from all areas of the pitch. In defense, Zebec will be the ball playing defender using his distribution to bring the ball and Nilton Santos will make his runs down the left, making Zebec essentially covering that side of the pitch which he is really capable of.

Didi will pull the strings from midfield and orchestrate everything, taking on players as well as distributint he ball to the attacking players. He will have Zito for company. From there Kopa will be the attacking midfielder, playing the final balls, defense splitting passes to exploit any spaces left by the opposition and creating clear cut chances. Littbarski will operate from the right and stretch the opposition when needed or come inside and help out the midfield.

Cruyff as said will be using his dribbling skills to take on players and isolate defenders hence creating space for others. With Littbarski's versatility, they can often change flanks to confuse the opposition and add the fluidity to the attack. With his close control he will demand the attention of multiple defenders hence leaving others to affect damage. Ronaldo will be up front pouncing on any chances created by these creative players and put the ball into the net.

The Brazilian chemistry will play a huge role as Didi, Zito and Nilton Santos played in the same teams and won the tournament, twice. Their understanding will help in ironing any issues in the build up and smoothly carry out the transition from defense to attack.

The team is brimming of creativity, with Didi, Kopa and Cruyff being 3 players capable of setting up chances at will as they did in their respective tournaments as well as play a very exciting brand of football. The movement, passing and vision will result in a very unpredictable array of passes which will be extremely difficult for defenses to cope with. And with one of the greatest goalscorers at the end of it all, a lot of attacks will result in goals, even against toughest of defenses.

This team is capable of playing a possession based football with the required directness to make it effective in the final third. Cruyff and Ronaldo possess exceptional pace and dribbling which will be tough to deal in any 1v1 situation. The attack will have great variety and in my opinion it is very complete to come up top against any type of tactics.

To give a small preview :





http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZVLOVOX8y4

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CbXlsCoXQvc

 

Line Up
GK PASTON, Mark | New Zealand 2010
CB TOURÉ, Kolo | Ivory Coast 2006
CB ALBRECHT, Rafael | Argentina 1966
RB CAFÚ | Brazil 2002
LB BOATENG, Jerome | Germany 2010
CM MATTHÄUS, Lothar | Germany 1986
AM RIQUELME, Juan Román | Argentina 2006
AM LETCHKOV, Yordan | Bulgaria 1994
RW ROBBEN, Arjen | Netherlands 2006
FW RAMÍREZ ZAPATA, Luis | El Salvador 1982
ST Rossi, Paolo | Italy 1982

Tactics:
Postion: 4-2-3-1
Captain: Cafu
Vice Captains: Mark Paston, Lothar Matthaus, Kolo Toure
Penalty Taker: Albrecht
Corner: Robben, Rossi
Free Kick: Robben, Matthaus

The Attack
Leading the attack is the famed 1982 Golden Boot/Ball Winner, and all around legend, Paolo Rossi, who will try to cut through defense with Robben o6, and Zapata 82. Robben will use his quick pace to slice down the left wings, cutting in on his left foot. He will be supported on the attack when needed by the Bulgarian Magician himself, Letchkov 94, right behind him. Zapata 66 will cut in on the right and try to set up Paolo with assists. Riqelme will act as a playmaker, stringing plays and creating attacks as well as setting up the wingers and Rossi.

The Midfield
There will be two midfielders in this set up, Yordan Letchkov 94 and Lothar Matthaus 86. Matthaus will use his keen keen positional sense and perception to read the game and act as a box-to-box midfielder, disrupting attacks before they can get to the defense and assisting in attack with his accurate passing. Letchkov will trying and create chances when on the offensive and pass to the attackers. Also, when not in attack, The Wingers and Riquelme will drop down to congest the midfield and create a tight defense, making passing and dribbling difficult.

The Defense
In the defense, we have Cafu 02, Kolo Toure 06, Jerome 06, Albrecht 66, and Paston 10 in goal. Cafu will lead the back, with Jerome helping in break up attacks to keep pressure off of the centerbacks. Albrecht will assist, with Kolo helping keep the backline clear and use his superb tackling to break up attacks. He will also command the backline should Cafu be somewhere else. Paston will try to read the flow of the game and make saves.

Honors
Paolo Rossi:

• World Cup 1982 Winner
• World Cup All Star Team (1978, 1982)
• World Cup Golden Boot (1982)
• World Cup (1982)
• Ballon D'or (1982)

Lothar Matthaus

• World Cup 1990 Winner
• World Cup Runner Up (1982, 1986)
• World Cup All Star Team (1990)
• Ballon D'or (1990)

Arjen Robben

• World Cup 2010 Runner Up
• World Cup 2006 Man of the Match: 2
• World Cup 2010 Man of the Match: 1

Yordan Letchkov

• World Cup 1994 Quaterfinalist

Cafu

• World Cup 1994 & 2002 Winners
• World Cup 1998 World Cup Runner up
• South American Footballer of the Year (1994)

Jerome Boateng

• World Cup 2010 Third Place

Riquelme

• U-20 World Cup 1997 Winner
• Argentina Footballer of the Year (2000, 2001, 2008, 2011)
• Best Assistance in the 2006 World Cup

Mark Paston

• Halber Award:Team of the Year (2010)

Rafael Albrecht

• #7 Greatest IFFHS Defender of all time

 

-----------------------------------------Zenga 1990
Paulo Ferreira 2006--------Tresor 1982--------Šimić 1998---------Tarantini 1978
-----------------------------Coluna 1966------------Tardelli 1982
--------------------------------------Maradona 1982
-------Conti 1982---------------------Schillaci 1990------------Stoichkov 1994

Zenga 1990: one of the most memorable performance made by a goalkeeper in WC history. OPTA states that he conceded only two goals in seven full matches while making a percentage of 91.7% saves . Worth to mention that he set a record of five consecutive clean sheets, and a total of 518 minutes without conceding a goal, a record still standing. Definitely a legend of Italian football.

Tarantini 1978: an excellent and reliable full-back with equally good attacking and defensive abilities - one of the finest left full-backs ever. A WC winner in 1978, where he stamped his presence throughout the entire competition (scored a goal too). Probably the best player of that Argentina alongside Kempes, Ardiles and Passarella. Worth to mention that he earned a post in the All-Star Team and how France Foootball rated him: vs Hungary 4/6, vs France 4/6, vs Italy 4/6, vs Poland 5/6, vs Brazil 3/6, vs Peru 4/6 and vs Holland 4/6. Castrol: 8.89

Paulo Ferreira 2006: a reliable and versatile full-back of today's football. Despite making only three appearances in 2006 (two times as a substitute), worth to mention his 100 % rate of tackles won, his passing accuracy of 89.9 % and 58.3 % of duels won.

Šimić 1998: a legend of Croatian football and the most capped player of Croatia’s NT. In 1998 he was a regular player who helped his team winning the bronze medal. A high percentage of tackles won in that WC (92.3 %) and 37 clearances makes him very reliable. Castrol: 8.84

Tresor 1982: one of the world’s best defenders during the late 70-s and early 80s. In 1982 he helped his team advancing towards the semifinals with his reliability and safety. Worth to mention that as a defender he put up a goal and and an assist, and a 6/6 match against West Germany in the semifinal.

Coluna 1966: one of the finest midfielders of the 60s. The captain of the Portugal side that won the bronze medal in 1966. Made the All-Star Team of the competition, as part of a midfield trio with Beckenbauer and Charlton. Castrol: 8.56

Tardelli 1982: one of the greatest midfielders during the early 80s who was instrumental in controlling Italy’s midfield throughout the entire competition which significantly helped the team in winning the gold medal. Most known for his celebration in the final after scoring a goal. Overall, two goals and one assists, with a high rate of tackles won. France Football grades: vs Poland 4/6, vs Peru 4/6, vs Cameroon 4/6, vs Argentina 5/6, vs Brazil 4/6, vs Poland 4/6 and vs West Germany 5/6.

Conti 1982: one of the finest right wingers ever whose best moments came in this tournament. One of the best players of that WC with one goal and three assists. Grades: vs Poland 3/6, vs Peru 4/6, vs Cameroon 4/6, vs Argentina 5/6, vs Brazil 4/6, vs Poland 4/6 and vs West Germany 4/6. Castrol: 8.81

Stoichkov 1994: one of the best individual WC performances in the last 20-25 years. Thanks to his six goals he was instrumental in leading his team up to the semifinals while winning the golden boot award and earning a spot in the All Star Team of the competition.

Maradona 1982: entering in the competition with the ‘’world’s best player’’ tag on his back, he didn’t show what was expected like he actually did in Mexico four years later. Despite that, he played pretty well and for many, he was actually the best player of that old Argentina team. Skills, passes, dribbles, it was easy to see how skillful he was. His performance against Hungary is definitely one of his best WC games he ever played. Statistically two goals and an assist in five games.

Schillaci 1990: a player whose career is practically only known for this WC 1990. Scoring six goals he earned the golden boot, the golden ball of that competition and a spot in the All-Star Team. A match winner. France Football gave him the following grades: vs Czecholovakia 4/6, vs Uruguay 5/6, vs Ireland 5/6, vs Argentina 4/6 and vs England 4/6.

My team plays with a 4-3-3 formation, as can be seen above.

Zenga was in form in 1990, so his game will bring to my defense more confidence and security, which will decrease significantly the possibilities of doing dangerous mistakes on the back.

The defense is constructed like a flat-back four, where both full-backs will have more freedom in going up front helping the wingers. Tresor’s aerial skills are something to note, just as his and Šimić’s reliability/confidence. The two energic full-backs will continually go up and down. Up helping the two wingers in front of them with crossing and shooting, but more freedom will be allowed for Tarantini.

In front of the defense, I have two versatile box-to-box midfielders whose stamina will allow enough space and freedom for the attack and less pressure on the defense, primarily on the pair of CBs. Will have a role of linking up the defense and the attack, and making the whole team fluctuating trough the pitch as an unique unit. Providing additional security, stability to my team and in the meantime providing ball distribution with a versatile passing game and shooting/going up front when needed. Perhaps the most important part of my team.

My playmaker Maradona will have total freedom to do whatever he wants. The team is built around him in order to maximize his impact and skills, and to get him to consistently provide games like the one against Hungary. His excellent dead-ball abilities will be a nightmare for any defense and he will have more choices every time he tries to do it (two wingers, a striker). His ability to dictate the tempo of the game, his dribbling ability, and the ability of creating something unexpected is also something to note. In terms of abilities, by far the best player of my team.

The two wingers will provide additional danger. Conti will stay more on the flank, while Stoichkov from time to time can diagonally going towards the center alongside Schillaci in order to provide more space for the more offensive Tarantini (in comparison with Ferreira) and to add additional offensive power in the box of the opposition (primarily his excellent shooting skills).

Against better defences, they will orientate more on precise crosses to Schillaci, or in operating more towards the center and trying to score from a long-range shot. Stoichkov goal scoring ability is also something to note, especially when considering that he will be given a good amount of pin-point passes per match from any of my three midfielders. They will not participate much in defense, but will stay behind the ball, more in the middle, by packing the midfield (5 to 6 players) in order to limit the opponent's options and at the same time be prepared for a possible trough ball on the flank when the ball is taken back.

Up front there is Schillaci, whose excellent form will give enough goals to win over games. When defending he will be the one who will press the opposite defence and be prepared for a trough ball from the midfield.

Captain: Coluna
Set pieces: Maradona and Stoichkov (free kicks and corners)

 

Players and performances :


Leao 78 : Castrol gave him the highest mark for a GK (9.69). He conceded 3 goals in 7 games, had 3 clean sheets, made 27 saves with a 90% rate of success. That's as good as any GK.


Amoros 82 : This was the first appearance in a big tournament for this 22 years old player and he did better than most experienced players, defending in his usual agressive way and moving forward a lot on the right flank with his explosive pace. He delivered a world class performance vs West Germany. He was voted 'best young player' of WC82.


Krol 74 :

He was named in the WC74 all star team. He was given a 9.63 by Castrol. One of the greatest defender in the history of the WC, quite simply.


Chumpitaz 78 : The ageing Chumpitaz was still able to deliver some great defensive displays in 1978 as shown by OTA stats : https://www.bigsoccer.com/community/...tats-of-each-world-cup.1985358/#post-27552073

He looks good in every defensive area but his % of successful tackles -the highest in this WC- is the most impressive of all (93.8 %).


Haan 74 :


Usually a midfielder but he played libero in 1974 and he did extremely well. Castrol gave him a 9.59 mark. He ran a lot of yards, making his defensive duties with ease but also acting as an extra-attacker as his very high number of passes (426) suggests.


Xabi Alonso 10 :

A key player of the 2010 Spanish world cup winner team. Castrol gave him a 9.34 mark.


Julio Montero Castillo 70 :


Some solid performances for this tough defensive midfielder of the 1970 WC finalist team. Castrol gave him a 9.01 mark. OPTA shows his excellent defensive ability plus some more than decent numbers with the ball in his feet (281 passes with a 85.8 % rate of success ; 10 chances created).


Nandor hidegkuti 54 :


He was WC54 Hungary's playmaker and proved to be instrumental in their route to the final. He scored 4 goals in tournament and he was named in the all-star team.


Boniek 82 :

He was Poland's leading force in 82 during which they finished 3rd. He scored 4 goals, delivered 3 assists and created an impressive number of 18 chances according to OPTA. Castrol gave him a 9.55 mark and he was named in the all star-team.


Rocheteau 82 :


He did well in WC82, scoring 2 goals, winning 1 penalty and creating 14 chances according to OPTA. He was man of the match in the game vs Northern Ireland during which he scored his two golas and was a constant threat with his mazing runs and dribbles.


Klose 2010 :


He scored 4 goals, all of them in the knock-out stage. Castrol gave him a 9.07 mark.

 

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Charter 77 Line-up

GK: Ladislao Mazurkiewicz 1970
RB: Mario Galindo 1982
CB: Alessandro Costacurta 1994
CB: Carles Puyol 2010
LB: Nilton Santos 1962
DM: Luis Monti 1934
DM: Didier Deschamps 1998
CM: Krasimir Balakov 1994
RW: Rene Houseman 1978
ST: Hans Krankl 1978
LW: Christiano Ronaldo 2006

4 members of All Star Teams (Monti, Mazurkiewicz, Balakov and Puyol)

5 World Cup Winners (Puyol, Nilton Santos, Monti, Deschamps, Houseman)
1 World Cup Runner Up (Costacurta)
3 World Cup Bean semi-finalists (Mazurkiewicz, Balakov, Christiano Ronaldo
1 Second Ground Phase (last 8) Exit (Krankl)
1 Group stage exit (Galindo)

Corners: Balakov
Free Kicks: Ronaldo
Penalties: Ronaldo
Captain: Deschamps
Vice-Captain: Puyol
Penalty Shoot Out Takers: Ronaldo, Balakov, Monti, Nilton Santos, Krankl

Style of Play

Our team will play a counter-attacking syle with the aerial and finishing ability of Krankl along with Ronaldo's pace, trickery and finishing making a fine counter-attacking duo particularly with Balakov and Monti (whom as well as being the best midfield ball winner of his era and one of the greatest ever was alos a fine playmaker as was expected from his role) supplying the ammunition. Defensively much has been done to help out the only involuntary selection to make the final XI (Mario Galindo) with Houseman tracking back more than Ronaldo on the other wing and the high energy Monti (nicknamed double wide) doing more of the ball winning on Galindo's side of the field with Deschamps also helping Monti out in the midfield ball winning department.

 

Line-up :
Leao 78

Amoros 82 Haan 74 Chumpitaz 78 Krol 74

Castillo 70 Xabi Alonso 10

Hidegkuti 54

Rocheteau 82 Boniek 82

Klose 10


Style of play :

My team will mostly play in 4-2-3-1. I tried to make a well-balanced team and indeed I don't think there is any real weakness in it. I've got a good combination of skills, physical power, speed and vision. I've got players who'll be able to maintain possession and to build attacks in midfield but also players who'll play fast, direct attacks. I have also a good mix of young and experienced players.

Tactics :

My backline will be protected by a highly reliable GK : Leao. He will bring condidence to my team.
My defense relies on a pair of complementary CB's : Chumpitaz and Haan. The vastly experienced Chumpitaz will be a great help for the younger Haan. Known for his man-marking and tackling skills as well as for his sense of positioning and aerial game, the Peruvian player will mostly play as a stopper but he also will be asked to move forward occasionally because he was confortable with the ball on his feet. His team-mate Haan is my libero. He will bring his stamina to cover the space behind the defense and to move forward in attack as an extra-midfielder with his excellent passing game and extremely powerful long-distance shot. In that situation Chumpitaz, Krol and Castillo will cover him.

My two fullbacks Krol and Amoros are very important in my system. Both are accomplished defenders. Krol has a unique sense of anticipation and is a strong man-marker whereas Amoros is a fierce tackler. They will protect their respective flanks by shutting down the opposite wingers. But I also expect them to move forward a lot with overlapping runs. Krol is fast and has an exquisite technique whereas Amoros has dynamits into his legs. They will give extra-option to my 'wingers' Boniek and Rocheteau who will either take on their markers themselves by cutting inside or pass the ball to the overlapping defender who will then cross the ball to my centre-forward Klose.

My midfield is the engine of my team. Defensively, Xabi Alonso and Castillo will protect my backline. The tough and fearless Uruguyan player Castillo will be asked to break attacks. He will also cover the exposed space when Haan moves forward. As a linkman between defense and offense, he will have to make clean passes to his partners. In addition to his defensive duties, Xabi Alonso will have a more offensive role. He will seek to maintain possession and to be the perfect platform to create chances for our forwards with his long passing ability. Hidegkuti won't have any notable defensive duties other than tracking back a player near him. I expect him to create tons of chances for others and himself. He'll mainly play like a offensive playmaker but in fact he will be free to roam in midfield or to move forward to create confusion. Indeed he will often play as a false 9 to exploit space between the lines. He will seek to draw out a centre back to pick him up and have Boniek or Rocheteau cutting into the exposed channel. When the defense is strong, he will play deeper. He's obviously one of my key players.

In attack, I have two wide players -Boniek and Rocheteau- who have the ability to beat any player. Their main job is to create chances for my centre-forward but also for themselves when they have the chance to do so. They will swap positions frequently. With his dribbling technique and speed, Rocheteau will be a nightmare for any fullback he'll face. He'll seek to cross the ball to my centre-forward or to cut inside in order to shoot himself. On the opposite flank Boniek will do the same but when he faces strong defenses he'll operate more in midfield as an extra-playmaker. He'll also play as a second striker sometimes. In fact both are free to roam anywhere in attack to create confusion, above all Boniek. With Krol and Amoros protecting their flanks they won't have much defensive job. As I said ealier they'll also connect with them offensively.
Finally my centre-forward Klose is vastly experienced and he has the ability to elevate his level in big games. He's fast, powerful and his eye for the goal will make him a constant threat for any team. He loves to play with wingers crossing the ball to him : no need to say he will connect well with such offensive fullback as Krol and Amoros. His great aerial game will also make him a threat on set-pieces situations.

Other informations :

captain : Chumpitaz
corners : Rocheteau, Hidegkuti
Free-kicks : Xabi Alonso, Chumpitaz, Hidegkuti
PKs : Boniek, Klose











































Not surprisingly, my coach -Albert Batteux- has built a team who'll seek to dominate possession through players combining high IQ and superior technical level. We expect to win games on quick transitions from defense to offense, given our team defense approach, the quick decision making of our players and their ingenuity once they regain the ball.

Tactics :

Ahead of Planicka, our flat backfour is composed of two physical as well as highly technical centre-backs : Tresor and Krol. They will mostly mark in zone except when they'll face an exceptionnally great striker. In this case, the intimidating Tresor -known for his marking and tackling skills- will mark him whereas Krol will be the most traditional sweeper. We expect Krol to fequently move forward as an extra-midfielder. In that situation Tresor, but also Bossis -who was confortable at playing CB- will cover him.
Our two fullbacks Bossis and Djalma Santos will protect their respective flanks by shutting down the opposite wingers but I expect them to move forward as well, connecting respectively with Overath and Henry on the left, and Andrade and Kubala on the right.
Overall our defense is skilled, physical, reliable and dominant in the air thanks to Tresor. It won't give many fouls and it will connect well with the rest of the team. It will be also well-protected by a world-class GK.

Our midfield is the key for the success of our team – it will seek to maintain possession and it will be the perfect platform to create chances for our forwards. Coach Albert Batteux is not a fan of pure defensive midfielders. Instead he has three sophisticated players : Andrade, Ardiles, Overath. They all have the precise passing, exquisite individual technique, tactical awareness and defensive abilities necessary to fulfill the coach’s vision of a cohesive midfield play. Defensively the key word is positioning and discipline : when one of them move forward, the two remaining players (or at least one of them) will drop to cover him. When the opposite team has the ball, players will be asked to press it together, defending as a compact unit. Ardiles will usually be the deeper of our midfielders. Using his quickness, stamina and great reading of the game, he will make interceptions and tackles before building up from deep our attacking play with his skillful dribbling and short passing. Overath will protect the left-flank : he excells in duels and is a fierce tackler. He will orchestrate the attacks with patience through a balance between passing and running with the ball. He'll break to pieces the opponent defense with his versatile passing game. He will frequently drift inside as well. Andrade will do the same on the right flank, using his great sense of positioning and slide tackling skills to cover his zone when Ardiles or D Santos move forward. His dribbling, ball control and general offensive abilities will allow him to move forward as well, drifting towards the middle frequently. Both Overath and Andrade will make swift passes on the flanks giving space to the fast wingers on both sides.


We have a formidable forward-line composed of Henry, Cruyff and Kubala, all of them being able to score or to create.They'll always be in motion and will often interchange positions in order to confuse the defence. The two wide players Henry and Kubala will be important in attack : they will pin-back the opposite fullbacks when they have the ball and cut into the channels between full back and centre back when the ball is on the other flank. Both can use their speed, dribbling and passing skills to cut inside in order to shoot themselves, or to move outside in order to cross for players -most often Cruyff- coming late into the box. When the defense is strong, they can operate more in midfield as well. Neither will have any notable defensive duties other than tracking back a player near them. Cruyff will be our most important player. He will have a free role. He will often play as a false 9 to exploit space between the lines. By playing him a bit deeper than our two other forwards, he will seek to draw out a centre back to pick him up and have either Henry or Kubala cutting into the exposed channel. When the defense is strong, he will operate deeper as an extra-midfielder. His defensive his job will be to track back the opposite DM.

Additional info :

Captain : Cruyff
Vice-captain : Planicka
Direct free-kicks : Kubala, Henry, Overath
Indirect free-kicks : Overath, Krol
Corners : Overath
Penalties : Kubala, Henry, Overath

 

LINE UP AND TACTICS : CORRECT VERSION

----------------------Leao 78----------------------
--Amoros 82--Haan 74--Chumpitaz 78--Krol 74--
----------Castillo 70--------Xabi Alonso 10-------
--------------------Hidegktudi 54-------------------
---Rocheteau 82-------------------Boniek 82------
---------------------Klose 2010---------------------

Style of play :

My team will mostly play in 4-2-3-1. I tried to make a well-balanced team and indeed I don't think there is any real weakness in it. I've got a good combination of skills, physical power, speed and vision. I've got players who'll be able to maintain possession and to build attacks in midfield but also players who'll play fast, direct attacks. I have also a good mix of young and experienced players.

Tactics :

My backline will be protected by a highly reliable GK : Leao. He will bring condidence to my team.
My defense relies on a pair of complementary CB's : Chumpitaz and Haan. The vastly experienced Chumpitaz will be a great help for the younger Haan. Known for his man-marking and tackling skills as well as for his sense of positioning and aerial game, the Peruvian player will mostly play as a stopper but he also will be asked to move forward occasionally because he was confortable with the ball on his feet. His team-mate Haan is my libero. He will bring his stamina to cover the space behind the defense and to move forward in attack as an extra-midfielder with his excellent passing game and extremely powerful long-distance shot. In that situation Chumpitaz, Krol and Castillo will cover him.

My two fullbacks Krol and Amoros are very important in my system. Both are accomplished defenders. Krol has a unique sense of anticipation and is a strong man-marker whereas Amoros is a fierce tackler. They will protect their respective flanks by shutting down the opposite wingers. But I also expect them to move forward a lot with overlapping runs. Krol is fast and has an exquisite technique whereas Amoros has dynamits into his legs. They will give extra-option to my 'wingers' Boniek and Rocheteau who will either take on their markers themselves by cutting inside or pass the ball to the overlapping defender who will then cross the ball to my centre-forward Klose.

My midfield is the engine of my team. Defensively, Xabi Alonso and Castillo will protect my backline. The tough and fearless Uruguyan player Castillo will be asked to break attacks. He will also cover the exposed space when Haan moves forward. As a linkman between defense and offense, he will have to make clean passes to his partners. In addition to his defensive duties, Xabi Alonso will have a more offensive role. He will seek to maintain possession and to be the perfect platform to create chances for our forwards with his long passing ability. Hidegkuti won't have any notable defensive duties other than tracking back a player near him. I expect him to create tons of chances for others and himself. He'll mainly play like a offensive playmaker but in fact he will be free to roam in midfield or to move forward to create confusion. Indeed he will often play as a false 9 to exploit space between the lines. He will seek to draw out a centre back to pick him up and have Boniek or Rocheteau cutting into the exposed channel. When the defense is strong, he will play deeper. He's obviously one of my key players.

In attack, I have two wide players -Boniek and Rocheteau- who have the ability to beat any player. Their main job is to create chances for my centre-forward but also for themselves when they have the chance to do so. They will swap positions frequently. With his dribbling technique and speed, Rocheteau will be a nightmare for any fullback he'll face. He'll seek to cross the ball to my centre-forward or to cut inside in order to shoot himself. On the opposite flank Boniek will do the same but when he faces strong defenses he'll operate more in midfield as an extra-playmaker. He'll also play as a second striker sometimes. In fact both are free to roam anywhere in attack to create confusion, above all Boniek. With Krol and Amoros protecting their flanks they won't have much defensive job. As I said ealier they'll also connect with them offensively.
Finally my centre-forward Klose is vastly experienced and he has the ability to elevate his level in big games. He's fast, powerful and his eye for the goal will make him a constant threat for any team. He loves to play with wingers crossing the ball to him : no need to say he will connect well with such offensive fullback as Krol and Amoros. His great aerial game will also make him a threat on set-pieces situations.

Other informations :

captain : Chumpitaz
corners : Rocheteau, Hidegkuti
Free-kicks : Xabi Alonso, Chumpitaz, Hidegkuti
PKs : Boniek, Klose

 

This post is only describing the tactics, please see my post in the main thread if you need a (very biased ) refresher on the players in my team.



As the schematic shows, the formation is essentially a balanced 4-2-3-1 with two 2-way midfielders between a defence and a talented attack.

Attack: Zico will be the mastermind in this attack; making forward runs into goalscoring opportunities and creating said opportunities for the likes of the prolific goalscorers such as Jairzinho and Klose. Jairzinho himself will be making thos quick penetrating runs in the from the right side to provide for Klose. Both Klose and Zico were good headers of the ball and can make good use of any crosses sent in from either side by J. Olsen and Jairzinho and indeed from the fullbacks Lahm and Nilsson. Matthäus and Van Hanegem will set the tempo and are more than capable of creating and finishing a few chances themselves.

Midfield: Matthäus and Van Hanegem provide what is IMHO one of the best CM pairings in this draft. Both are capable in both directions and working in tandem will be able to outclass most other midfields. They have great attacking outlets in front of them as well so they are not overwhelmed by too much responsibility in either direction.

Defence: The defence is a fairly simple functional unit with a decent pairing in M. Olsen and Metzelder flanked by very good fullbacks in Lahm and Nilsson. Not too much to be said about this; as nobosy has a particularly specific role as either a man-marker or a sweeper, but the natural tendency of Olsen would be to sweep up and Metzelder would be more of a stopper. Lahm will cover a lot for Jairzinho who was not particularly noted for his defensive duties.

Captain: Lothar Matthäus
Short FKs: Zico
Long FKs: Wim van Hanegem
Penalties: Lothar Matthäus

 

SZ Benni FC
[insert formation here]
Captain : Franco Baresi
Set piece taker: Gerson
Penalty kick takers: 1. Batistuta, Ronaldo, Stam, Gerson, Maldini
Player profiles:
Emerson Leao 74: 90% save rate. #2 overall player according to Castrol…
http://www.castrolfootball.com/legends/tournament/index.php?year=1978
Paolo Maldini 94: Captain while Baresi was hurt. Voted to the team of the tournament
Franco Baresi: Played 2 games. One game, great effort losing in the final
Jaap Stam 98: Important piece to the Dutch team that finished 4th. Castrol gives him a 9.0/10, outside of the top 10 but still comparable to Thuram and Desailly who were top of the Castrol table.
Luis Enrique 94: Not a huge role for Spain. More notable for being on the end of a Paolo Rossi elbow.
Ramon Ramirez 94: A livewire, but also aggressive winger turn wingback, turn leftback. Ahead of his time as the modern day fullback. Speedy, tenacious, and generally known as a playmaker from the wing spot, but showed his ability to play both ways.
Americo Gallego 1982:
Roy Keane 1994: Not quite the midfield dynamo that we all know, but still a very effective midfield, good for ball retention, energy and box to box play. Not to mention a couple of goals. In the WC. From Wiki…
“Keane was included in Ireland's squad for the 1994 FIFA World Cup in the USA and played in every game, including a famous 1–0 victory over tournament favourites and eventual runners-up, Italy. Despite a second-round exit at the hands of the Netherlands, the tournament was considered a success for the Irish team, and Keane was named the best player of Ireland's campaign. Keane, however, was reluctant to join the post-tournament celebrations, later claiming that, as far as he was concerned, Ireland's World Cup was a disappointment: "There was nothing to celebrate. We achieved little."[5]”
Also according to this “ http://www.soccer-ireland.com/irish-soccer-players/roy-keane.htm “ He was the best Irish player.
Gerson: Silverball winner, the maestro behind one of the greatest teams of all time.
Ronaldo and Batitusta speak for themselves no?
Tactics:
Short passing, with Gerson given a license to spread the ball. Direct attacking football.
Defensively, we want to clog the middle. We want our wingbacks and players in general to funnel the opposition into the middle, then we want to make it messy with a lot of pressing and a lot of energy.
We will play a standard defensive line. Occasionally closing the space between the attack, midfield and defensive lines. We will start pressing from the halfway line generally when our opponents build from the back. If or when my team should lose possession of the ball while attacking, we shall immediately begin to press and squeeze the space. If that does not yield recovery of the ball after a few seconds, we will get all players besides Batistuta behind the ball until we get our shape.
The wingbacks will cover a lot of ground, but to help cover in case they should be caught up field, one of Roy Keane, or Americo Gallego will help cover the space.

Transition to offense...

Direct. Simple as that. There's a lot of stamina and energy in the team to help with the pressing and running. All of my defenders are comfortable on the ball and can pass out of the back. That will be a huge help in starting counter attacks.
Offensively, there’s not a lot of creativity in the middle outside of Gerson, but there are still players who are capable of keeping the ball, and moving it with the necessary pace. Gallego will be asked to keep things simple. To aid that, Baresi will help take the ball off him when deep, Keane and Gerson will look to get close enough in the middle third. Not too dissimilar to his role with the Argentine NT.
I know a lot of people expected me to play Gerson as a 10, but I will resist the temptation to do that. I will play him in the conductor role, the 8 role that he was famous for in 1970. I will play without a dedicated 10. Instead, I plan on using Roy Keanes energy to help support the attack. He’s not an attacking mid, but capable of runs forward from the 2nd wave of attack, and finishing. I already mentioned his ability on the ball as far as ball retention.
I anticipate my two strikers carrying the burden of scoring. I encourage Ronaldo to have a free role and pick and choose his spots. He’s not playing as a support striker, but I expect him to drop off the opponent’s defense, pick up the ball and run at players often. I will be heavily reliant on his ability to win matches on his own, as well as his electric pace and phenomenal dribbling ability to be an outlet. Batigol, brings more power, and a target. Not in the sense of a target man, though.
We expect our wingbacks/wide player to provide the width on offense, constantly hugging the touchline. Also sending a variety of crosses when they enter crossing distance. Early balls into the box will always be an option. I expect the threat of my two strikers to help stretch the field vertically, and give more time to my midfield on the ball.

I expect Gerson to release Ronaldo and Batitusta into space, if the counter is on. He will control the tempo, an I trust he will pick the right moments to go, and to keep the ball.

 

Totaal Wunder-Mannschaft F.C

Formation 4-3-3

Jürgen CROY (East Germany) 1974

Thomas BERTHOLD (Germany) 1990
Lilian THURAM (France) 2006
Elías FIGUEROA (Chile) 1974
Andreas BREHME (Germany) 1986

Torsten FRINGS (Germany) 2002
Arie HAAN (Netherlands) 1978
Fritz WALTER (Germany) 1954

Helmut RAHN (Germany) 1954
Gerd MÜLLER (Germany) 1970
Rob RENSENBRINK (Netherlands) 1978


Goalkeeper and Defence

Jürgen CROY (East Germany) 1974

GK

It was during the 1974 World Cup Finals that Jürgen Croy came to the attention of the football world. Jürgen Croy was in goal for East Germany's historic 1-0 victory against eventual winners, West Germany. Jürgen Croy’s East Germany progressed to the Second Phase, where his outstanding shot-stopping and amazing reflexes captured the admiring glances of many.

Games Played 6
Mins per goals conceded 108
Saves 18
Castrol Index 8.60


Thomas BERTHOLD (Germany) 1990

RB

An assured performer and solid part of West Germany’s success in Italy. Playing on the right side of a formidable defence, the West German’s dispatched the fancied Netherlands and England in the knock-out stages, and then shut-out Argentina 1-0 in the final.

World Cup Champion
Games Played 7
Passing Accuracy 87.7%
Tackles Won 83.3%
Duels Won 30
Recoveries 29
Castrol Index 9.13


Lilian THURAM (France) 2006

CB

Thuram's centre-back partnership with William Gallas was to be the foundation of France’s progress to the World Cup Final. After a masterclass in defending, Thuram was named the Man of the match in France's semi-final 1–0 victory against Portugal.

World Cup Finalist
World Cup All-Star Team
Games Played 7
Passing Accuracy 88.2%
Duels Won 24
Clearances 31
Interceptions 14
Recoveries 46
Castrol Index 9.58


Elías FIGUEROA (Chile) 1974

SW

Elías Figueroa captained the Chilean National Team, giving a courageous and memorable demonstration of his ability. Elías Figueroa was elected the best central defender of the World Cup. His leadership, distribution, anticipation and reading of the game was unmatched. Pelé: "If Figueroa would have won a World Cup he would be the best defender in history. Figueroa is the best Chilean player of all time, and probably the finest central defender in the history of football in the Americas." Franz Beckenbauer: "I’m the European Figueroa". Daniel Passarella: "Figueroa and Beckenbauer have been the only centre backs who are better than me in Football History".

World Cup All-Star Team
Games Played 3
Passing Accuracy 80.9%
Duels Won 25
Aerial Duels Won 75%
Tackles Won 77.8%
Clearances 35




Andreas BREHME (Germany) 1986

LB

A complete left-back, who demonstrated in 1986 why he was one of the greatest free-kick takers and crossers of all time. Planet World Cup: “Andreas was instrumental in the latter stages of the tournament scoring a goal in the semifinal against France and his two corner kicks in the final against Argentina, lead to two goals”. Brehme also thundered in an important penalty in the shootout versus Mexico in the Quarter Finals.

World Cup Finalist
Games Played 5
Goals 1
Passes 217
Passing Accuracy 87.1%
Chances Created 5
Castrol Index 8.18


Midfield

Torsten FRINGS (Germany) 2002

RCM

A tenacious and versatile performer in Japan/South Korea. Playing on the right side of a solid German midfield, Frings’ all-round game was demonstrated by his impressive passing and tackling statistics.

World Cup Finalist
Games Played 7
Assists 1
Chances Created 15
Passes 266
Passing Accuracy 80.8%
Successful Crosses 17
Duels Won 57
Recoveries 39
Clearances 28
Tackles Won 83.3%
Castrol Index 9.27


Arie HAAN (Netherlands) 1978

CM

At the 1978 World Cup Arie Haan was a combative defensive midfielder, demonstrating his sheer athleticism and all-round ability. Netherlands World Cup Blog: “he will be remembered as the formidable midfielder with the tremendous right foot. In 1978, he made headlines all over the world with that twice. He hit the ball from an extreme distance behind Sepp Maier – not a slouch – and some days later he repeated the feat, this time with Italian legend Dino Zoff. No one who saw those goals will ever forget them and it brought Oranje into another WC finals.”

World Cup Finalist
Games Played 6
Goals 2
Assists 1
Chances Created 19
Passes 272
Passing Accuracy 75.4%
Successful Crosses 11
Duels Won 48
Recoveries 38
Tackles Won 75%
Castrol Index 9.19


Fritz WALTER (Germany) 1954

LAM

Conti Soccer World: “His name stood alongside what is often described as one of the most important sporting successes ever achieved by Germany. Fritz Walter – his name will always symbolise the German 1954 FIFA World Cup triumph. The pleasant man of the Palatinate, who was cherished by millions of his fellow countrymen, led the German national team to their first FIFA World Cup title. Herberger was the architect of the winning performances; Fritz Walter, his most important player, implemented his coach’s ideas and led the team.
Franz Beckenbauer, who admired Fritz Walter as a young boy, considers the 1954 captain the “most important German football player”. Ulfert Schroeder, described Fritz Walter’s capabilities thus: “Let’s take the calmness and grasp of the game of Franz Beckenbauer, the talent, stirring ideas and grand gestures of Guenther Netzer, the feeling for the ball and danger in front of goal of Wolfgang Overath, the fighting spirit and courage of Uwe Seeler, finally the patriotic devotion and loyalty of Berti Vogts”.



Bronze Ball Winner
World Cup All-Star Team
Games Played 6
Goals 3


Attack

Helmut RAHN (Germany) 1954

RW

With two goals in the Final, Helmut 'Boss' Rahn became the hero of the 1954 FIFA World Cup. His late winner remains arguably the most famous goal that a German has ever scored.

Conti Soccer Online: “Rarely in the history of football was the career, even the whole life of a player, reduced significantly to one single moment as that of Helmut Rahn. Those seconds on July 4, 1954, when the ‘Boss’ got the ball in the right-half position at exactly 18:32 hrs in the World Cup final against Hungary, hinted that he would pass to Ottmar Walter standing free in the box, then left two Hungarian defenders standing, and netted the 3-2 winning goal with his left foot. The decisive goal, this one moment – that was Rahn – at least for the German public.”

The Guardian: “Rahn did not figure in the first and third German games, but scored in the fiasco of an 8-3 defeat by Hungary. In the quarter-final against Yugoslavia, his strong run and finish gave the Germans their second goal four minutes from the end. He failed to score in the semi-final, when Austria were thrashed 6-1 in Basle, but came into his own in the final at Berne.”

World Cup Champion
Bronze Boot Winner
World Cup All-Star Team
Games Played 4
Goals 4




Gerd MÜLLER (Germany) 1970

CF

The greatest poacher of all time, Gerd Müller proved to be the most prolific goalscorer at the highest stage.
Planet World Cup: “ The World Cup in Mexico 1970 saw "Der Bomber" at his very best. He knocked in 10 goals in 6 matches including successive hat-tricks against Bulgaria and Peru. It earned him the Golden Boot as topscorer and later a European Player of the Year Award, but there was no World Cup winning medal to go with it. Italy won 4-3 - despite two Müller goals - in a dramatic semifinal which went to extra time.”



World Cup Third Place
Golden Boot Winner
Bronze Ball Winner
World Cup All-Star Team
Games 6
Goals 10
Assists 3
Minutes Per Goal 54.5
Shooting Accuracy 76.9%
Passing Accuracy 85.6%
Passing Accuracy opp. Half 83%
Chances Created 14
Castrol Index 9.86


Rob RENSENBRINK (Netherlands) 1978

LW

Rensenbrink was a creative left winger, whose considerable talent would be put under the test in Cruyff’s absence. Netherlands World Cup Blog: “Rensenbrink got off to a flier at the start of the tournament, scoring a hat-trick in the opener against Iran, two of which were tucked away from the penalty spot as he’d taken over the duties from Johan Neeskens. Another Rensenbrink penalty put the Dutch one up, but two quick goals either side of half-time, followed by that Archie Gemmill wonder goal put the Scots in dreamland and Rensenbrink and his team-mates on the verge of an early exit. With 22 minutes left another Scottish goal would, incredibly, take them through, but Rep’s phenomenal strike clawed them back and they scraped through as runners-up on goal difference. The second phase of group matches were much better, Rensenbrink scored another penalty, his 4th of the tournament, as they thrashed Austria 5:1 in Cordoba. This was followed up with a classic ding-dong encounter with old foes West Germany, Rensenbrink helped to set up Rene van der Kerkhof’s fantastic late equaliser in a game that the Germans had led twice. Rensenbrink finished the tournament as the 2nd highest scorer, just behind Kempes, but if that last-minute shot had gone in (against Argentina in the final) then people would talk of the Dutchman in the same way that they now talk of Kempes.”

World Cup Finalist
Silver Boot Winner
World Cup All-Star Team
Games 7
Goals 5
Assists 3
Minutes Per Goal 73.3
Passing Accuracy 74.3%
Passes 191
Chances Created 15
Duels Won 48
Recoveries 25
Castrol Index 8.99


Totaal Wunder-Mannschaft F.C

Brief Tactics

Don Elías Figueroa will organise and command my back line. His leadership on the pitch, and dominance in the air will make his partnership with Thuram seemingly invulnerable. Lilian Thuram will play as a stopper, a highly dominant centreback, both quick, strong and intelligent. Berthold is a solid defensive fullback, who will play more conservatively than Brehme on the left, who will be encouraged to attack and provide support and crosses from the left wing. Jürgen Croy is in goal, a goalkeeper of such outstanding quality that the East and West German media of that time held him as an equal to the great Sepp Maier and Dino Zoff.

Haan, Frings and Walter offer great workrate going forward and defending. Haan will more likely hold, but when making his famous runs and long range efforts in the attacking third, Frings can cover. Walter is my attacking midfielder, an elegant playmaker comfortable on the ball and in front of goal.

Going forward, my team has excellent width with the agile Rob the "Slangenmens" ("Human snake") Rensenbrink on the left wing, and the powerful Helmut ‘Der Boss’ Rahn on the right wing. Both are superb dribblers, confident to cut in and shoot or set-up Gerd Müller who is the most lethal striker in and around the box.

A wonderfully balanced and highly technical team will make Totaal Wunder-Mannschaft F.C hard to beat.

 

DER HAMMERS




THE FORMATION



​

THE TACTICS

​

We will play a 5-2-1-2/3-4-1-2 formation. Viliam Schrojf is the goal-keeper. The three man central defence comprises of Roberto Ayala, who will be the left sided centre back, Gaetano Scirea, who will be the libero and Jürgen Kohler, who will be the right sided centre back. Both Roberto Ayala and Jürgen Kohler will be the stoppers with Gaetano Scirea playing in his natural role as a libero. He would have the license to go forward and contribute attacking-wise like he did for Italy in 1982 World Cup. Since he was very good on the ball, he plays a key role in initiating quick counter attacks from the back. When there comes a need to man mark an opposition striker, Jürgen Kohler will be assigned with that duty. Giacinto Facchetti and Javier Zanetti will be the wing-backs, who along with taking defending against the opposition wingers, will also provide the width down the wings. Both of them have great engine and could run up and down the flank all day long. Along with that they possess, a very good and lethal delivery from the wide areas. So, They could create chances from the flanks. Edgar Davids will be the defensive minded box-box midfielder while Phillip Cocu will be the holding midfielder. Both Edgar Davids and Phillip Cocu were very comfortable on the ball. Phillip Cocu would be given the license to join attacks and make the late runs into the box so that he can catch the opposition defence off the guard. The central defence and midfield lays a strong foundation for the front three to exploit in the final third. The attacking triumvirate comprises of three of the greatest footballers of all time in Diego Maradona, Pelé and Ferenc Puskás. Diego Maradona will be the central attacking midfielder. Ferenc Puskás will lead the line with Pelé playing off him as the second striker. They will be given complete freedom and with their dribbling, passing, link-up play, creativity and goal scoring ability, they can penetrate any defence no matter how good it is.

CAPTAIN:- Gaetano Scirea.

CORNERS:- Diego Maradona.

FREE KICKS:- Diego Maradona.

PENALTIES:- Pelé.


PLAYER PROFILES

​

Viliam SCHROJF 1962:- Viliam Schrojf, The Black Cat came into the 1962 World Cup as the first choice keeper of Czechoslovakia and was very instrumental in helping Czechoslovakia advance till the World Cup Final. Czechoslovakia lost in the Final against Brazil but Schrojf was in the 1962 World Cup All-Star Best XI and was also awarded The Best Goalkeeper In The Tournament.

Jürgen KOHLER 1990:- One of the best stoppers of all time, Jürgen Kohler's aggressive blood and thunder style of defending would complement very well with the calm and composed influence of Gaetano Scirea. Kohler was one of the best defenders in the 1990 World Cup and played an integral part for West Germany when they went on to win the 1990 World Cup.

Gaetano SCIREA 1982:- One of the best defenders to have graced the game, Gaetano Scirea was the defensive lynchpin of the Italian side which won the 1982 World Cup and the Juventus side who dominated in Europe. Scirea was selected in the Castrol Index Best XI of 1982 World Cup and was also the highest rated defender according to Castrol Index Rankings in that World Cup.

Roberto AYALA 2006:- One of the modern day great defenders. Like Jürgen Kohler, Roberto Ayala was a very good stopper and is ideal for this three man central defence. Argentina got knocked out in the quarter finals of the 2006 World Cup on penalties against Germany but Ayala was very good in that tournament. He was selected in the 2006 World Cup All-Star Team and was amongst the Top 10 players of Castrol Index Rankings in 2006 World Cup.

Javier ZANETTI 1998:- One of the best right backs of all time, El Tractor, is the ideal wing-back in a 3-5-2 system because of his strength, resilience, stamina and constant overlapping. Javier Zanetti like Giacinto Facchetti on the other wing will provide width in this system with their overlapping runs and delivery from wide areas.

Giacinto FACCHETTI 1970:- Arguably the greatest attacking full-back of all time, Giacinto Facchetti's attacking play, would be an asset to any team. Facchetti was the captain of the Italian side which finished runners-up to the Brazilian side in the 1970 World Cup. He lived up to his reputation as the best left back in the world and his his brilliant performance in that World Cup resulted in him being selected in the 1970 World Cup All-Star Best XI.

Edgar DAVIDS 1998:- Nicknamed as Pitbull due to his engine and work-rate, Davids is one of the best defensive minded midfielder in the last couple of decades. And, He didn't just contribute in the defensive end only. He scored the last minute winner against Yugoslavia in the Round Of Sixteen. He was one of the best midfielders in the 1998 World Cup and was selected in 1998 World Cup Team Of The Tournament.

Phillip COCU 1998:- One of the most versatile players in modern era, Phillip Cocu could play well in any role he is asked to. Be it as a left back, centre back, holding midfielder, creative midfielder or as a striker. In this team, he will reunite with Edgar Davids along with whom he formed a very good midfield for Orjane in the late nineties and early noughties. A semi finalist in the 1998 World Cup, Cocu was one of Oranje's best players in that tournament.

Diego MARADONA 1990:- While the Diego Maradona of 1990 World Cup wasn't quite as good as the Diego Maradona of 1986 World Cup, he was still a brilliant player. He was very instrumental for Argentina with his leadership and performances and guided them to a silver medal in the 1990 World Cup. He was much more mature as a player in the 1990 World Cup. His ability to dictated the tempo of the games at will was sensational in that World Cup and was ultimately awarded with the Bronze Ball in the 1990 World Cup for his performances.

PELÉ 1970:- The most successful World Cup footballer of all time. Took part in four World Cups and won three of them. Arguably the Pelé of 1970 World Cup was the best amongst them. That 1970 World Cup winning Brazil team is often considered the greatest International team of all time and Pelé was their star player as he was heart-beat of that team. Pelé's brilliant performances resulted in him being selected in the 1970 World Cup All-Star Best XI and he was also awarded with the Golden Ball for his exploits in that tournament.

Ferenc PUSKÁS 1954:- Often considered the best team not to win a World Cup, Ferenc Puskás was the captain of the Mighty Magyars team which lost out to West Germany in the 1954 World Cup Final. Puskás was selected in the 1954 World Cup All-Star Best XI and was also awarded with the Golden Ball as well as Bronze Boot for his performances in that World Cup.

​

 

-= Youthful Experience =-


Starting XI

Thomas Ravelli (GK) Sweden :: Third Place at USA 1994
José Santamaria (CB) Argentina :: All-Star and Fourth Place at Switzerland 1954
Jan Popluhar (SW/CB) Czechoslovakia :: Runner-Up at Chile 1962
Willy Sagnol (RB) France :: Runner-Up at Germany 2006
Danny Blanchflower (CM/HM) Northern Ireland :: All-Star at Sweden 1958
Kazmierz Deyna (CM/AM) Poland :: All-Star at West Germany 1974
Robert Prosinecki (LW/AM) Yugoslavia :: Best Young Player at Italia 1990
Marc Overmars (RW/RF) Netherlands :: Best Young Player at USA 1994
Uwe Seeler (SS/CF) West Germany :: All-Star and Runner-Up at England 1966
Gerd Müller (CF/ST) West Germany :: Champion at West Germany 1974​

Basic Team Formation

​

In Possession

* Twin CFs: Muller and Seeler will both look to alternate checking in front of and running behind the opposition backline. Uwe will roam wide or drop deep more often than Gerd.
* Twin CMs: Deyna and Blanchflower will play box-to-box as both look to dictate tempo and drive forward. Danny will sit deeper in midfield when needed to screen the back four.
* Crossing and Finishing: The team will look to widen the pitch with Overmars and Lahm who can both cut in and shoot or deliver service.​

Out of Possession

* Man Marking: Jose Santamaria will mark the best opposition forward and Popluhar will look to cover and cut off passing lanes through and behind. Blanchflower will take responsibility for opposition playmaker.
* Overloading Central Areas: With Prosinecki drifting in and Seeler dropping deep, we should be able to outnumber most defensive midfield pairing and maintain possession.​

When We Win the Ball

* Deep-Lying Playmaker: Deyna will drop deep to pick up the ball and create.
* Technical Fullback: Lahm will move higher and wider to create a point of attack from the left when playing out of the back and midfield.
* Counterattack: Seeler, Müller, and Overmars all offer a potent counterattack threat on long balls from Popluhar, Blanchflower, Lahm, or Deyna. ​

When We Lose the Ball

* 6-Man Block: Blanchflower and Deyna will both drop and complete a defensive block of 6 players.
* Tracking Back: Seeler will use his stamina and experience to pick out any deep-lying playmakers for the opposing team and harass them.
* Threatening Pace: Overmars and Prosinecki will use their attacking threat and speed to neutralize and pin back opposing fullbacks.​

 

I am not going to go into playing styles for any of the 11 players below since they are all ATGs who have been well-discussed on these boards and will stick to what their form/performances were in the drafted world cup.

Players who captained their national squads at the drafted WC - Yashin, Wright, Gerets, Ballack

Ballon d'or rankings for the drafted year
Lev Yashin 66 - 7th
Billy Wright 58 - 6th
Sol Campbell 02 - not nominated (official all-star wc team)
Eric Gerets 82 - 12th
Antonio Cabrini 78 - 13th
Josef Masopust 62 - 1st
Michael Ballack 06 - 27th
Leonel Sanchez 62 - n/a Bronze Ball Winner
Pele 58 - n/a Silver Ball Winner
Garrincha 58 - n/a (official all star xi)
Vava 58 - n/a (part of multiple lists)

Official FIFA WC awards

Silver Balls - Pele 58, Masopust 62
Bronze Balls - Sanchez 62

Golden Boot - Sanchez 62
Silver Boot - Pele 58
Bronze Boot - Vava 58

Best young player - Pele 58, Cabrini 78

All star xi/teams - Campbell 02, Ballack 06, Masopust 06, Sanchez 62, Garrincha 58, Pele 58

Team
Goalkeeper and defense
Lev Yashin 1966: The greatest goalkeeper of all time with arguably his best World Cup performance as he led Soviet Union to their best ever showing of 4th. He was not named the best GK of the tournament as Banks won that in the euphoria of a domestic WC for England but Yashin did rank 7th in the Ballon d'or that year (ahead of Banks) and had a Castrol rating of 8.90 for the tournament.


^^The Black Spider flying through the air to save a freekick against West Germany in the 66 semifinal

Couple of saves from the QF against Hungary and the semis against Germany


Longer highlights of the West Germany game



Billy Wright 1958: Arguably the best central defender at the 58 world cup despite England's early exit - see https://www.bigsoccer.com/community/...-by-contemporaries-50s.1987530/#post-27811843 for one such ranking.
He was also the most highly ranked defender in the 1958 Ballon d'or in 6th and was responsible and led the only team that denied champions and free scoring Brazil.

You can see him making a few clearances below (he is #5) in that game


Sol Campbell 2002: His partnership was Rio led to the best defensive performances from England I have seen in my lifetime which also led to Sol's inclusion in the all-star team for the 2002 WC. I believe he can replicate a similar partnership with Wright who was a similar player to Rio for his era.

He was also a consistent threat on setpieces scoring against Sweden and having a goal controversially disallowed 4 years earlier against Argentina.




Eric Gerets 1982: Another played who captained his team at the world cup. I will let billy's post argue his case

He was another player who while left out of the official world cup xi but was recognized by a lot of the national medias and the Ballon d'or where he was the highest ranked fullback in 1982. He also won the 1982 Belgium Golden Shoe for the best Belgian player.

He famously led the defense that shut out the defending champions in Argentina. Part 1 of the highlights are below (and can be used to access part 2 as well)

 

Antonio Cabrini 1978: Voted the best young player at the WC, this was the tournament that brought him to global attention.

See below for very extensive highlights




Central and left midfield

Josef Masopust 1962: Playing a dynamic 2-sided role, he was the driving force for Czechoslovokia's best ever finish in 2nd including scoring in the final against Brazil. Ballon d'or winner and the Silver Ball winner, he was at his peak.

His style of play then is best described by Pluskal as

in http://www.fifa.com/classicfootball/players/player=174738/

His runs from deep can also be seen in his opener in that final.

Full game


Michael Ballack 2006: While clearly not the player he was 4 years earlier, he captained a youthful German squad to 3rd place with a deeper role and some very impressive individual performances which resulted in "Man of the match" awards against Ecuador in the group stages and Argentina in the quarter finals.

These performances were deemed good enough to result in a place in the official all star team. Mch like Masopust, he was a player who excelled in a 2-sided midfield role and making those driving runs from midfield.



That 2006 quarter final against Argentina can be seen in full in HD for those who need to recall how good he still was for the Mannschaft.

 

Leonel Sanchez 1962: Golden boot and Bronze Ball winner in Chile's best ever performance at the WC in 3rd.

His goal and some exquisite dribbling skills with his left foot can be seen below from the semifinal against Brazil below

- watch until the end!
Full game



Attack - Brazil 1958

The formidable attack from one of the greatest teams in WC history in the champions of 1958 Brazil are reunited here with Pele, Vava and Garrincha - an attack that scored 10 (!) goals just in the semifinals and finals.

The final against Sweden is a great place to start from to see how well these 3 linked up where Vava scored twice, Pele scored twice and Garrincha assisted twice.


^^Garrincha setting up Vava in the final

Full match


Of course, the three greatest minutes in footballing history against Soviet Union isn't too bad either

 

After a mouthful and half, all that leaves is a quick tactical illustration.

With Garrincha not expected or capable of doing a lot defensively, Gerets is a very much stay-at-home right back where he can use his legendary man-marking skills and tuck in centrally when Wright moves forward as a right half-back. Depending on whether in possession or not, the formation alternates between a 4-3-3 and 3-3-4 with Masopust acting as the link between the defense and midfield.