Michaelf7777777/cubemine vs. Enigma_87/The Red Viper
Michaelf7777777/cubemine
Our team will play a 5-3-1-1 formation looking to restrict the opposition from creating chances, control the midfield and provide chances to sharer and Moreno as well as Tardelli going box to box. Our only involuntary acquisition Michel van de Korput will play as a spare CB covering for Blanc and Ondrus which is a role he should be capable of performing adequately given he had 23 caps for the Netherlands including playing in all their games at the 1980 euro's a mere two years after they had reached their second straight world cup final.
Our teams main area of strength is in the midfield. At the bae of the midfield we have Fernando Redondo who was regarded as one of the greatest midfielders of his generation and was both a brilliant tackler and a brilliant deep lying playmaker with the ability to control the tempo of his side. In front of him on the right hand side of central midfield we have Jozsef Bozsik who according to a 1950's Honved, Hungary and Real Madrid scout was as good as Beckenbauer (link: https://www.xtratime.org/forum/9024953-post87.html). Bozsik's strengths were his technique, his passing range, and his decisionmaking and vision which meant that he could spot the best option for a pass and wait for the right time to do the pass. In front of Redondo on the left hand side of central midfield we have Marco Tardelli who is playing as a box to box midfielder and had great tackling skills and a high level of stamina who had a good shot and was capable of passing the ball well with either foot. Our attacking midfielder is Jose Manuel Moreno who was ranked by the International Federation of Football History and Statistics as the 3rd best Argentinian player of the 20th century, the 5th best South American player of the 2oth century and one of the top 25 players in the world in the 20th century. Moreno was a great dribbler and was also a very good finisher both on the ground and in the air as well as being a good passer.
Enigma_87/The Red Viper
Formation:- 5-3-2 direct, counter attacking.
Defensive line:- Normal. Nilton and Jorginho pushing up to create width in the attacking phase.
Style:- Solid defensive line marshaled by Scirea, counter attack at every opportunity. Stretch the flanks so it would allow space through the middle for Puskas, Zidane and Greaves.
GK:- Michel Preud'homme - one of the best and complete goalkeepers in the 80's and early 90's. Phenomenal reflexes and he was great organizer at the back and always dependable in collecting crosses and in the air.
LWB:- Nilton Santos - One of the greatest left backs in history. Defined an era and pioneered the overlapping style that nowadays has become a must for every modern attacking full back.
LCB:- Guido Buchwald - Guido Buchwald was a key player during Stuttgart's greatest era and makes this list for his strong performances for club and country at center-back.
The Berlin-born defender only won the Bundesliga twice, but in 1991-92 it was his late goal in the final matchday that made the difference. Although he was not called up to the Germany team for the 1986 World Cup, four years later he was a starter in the team that won the title in Italy.
RCB:- Claudio Gentile - The Italian defender wore his reputation as a tough, uncompromising defender, or as the more clickbait YouTube video titles would have you believe, ‘The Hardest Man in Soccer’, as a badge of honour. It is impossible not to admire the tenacity and discipline with which he played the game, as well as his innate ability to consistently play on the very precipice of what was acceptable over 90 minutes. The contrasting defensive pairing with Scirea in terms of style, which expertly combined silk and steel together with the experienced Zoff as the last line of defence, saw Juventus claim the 1974/75 title. Gentile played 29 of 30 league games and was integral to a Bianconeri side which only conceded three goals at home in the league all season.
RWB:- Jorginho - Much like his compatriot he was one of the most famous Brazillian full backs, being able to contribute in both phases and being instrumental in Brazil's 94 WC win with 2 direct assists .
CM:- Dave Mackay - Mackay, often seen as the hardman of English football, loathed it. 'I don't like it because it portrays me as a bully, which I am not and never have been.' Mackay's portryal as a hard man betrayed his skill on the pitch; he scored 43 times for Spurs and was the foundation on which Nicholson's title-winning team was built. Still, you don't get a reputation as being hard as nails for no reason and the fact he was able to come back from two leg breaks in succession was a testament to his character.
CM:- Phillip Cocu - A tireless general in the midfield, Dutchman Philip Cocu made a name for himself under Louis Van Gaal at Barcelona. It was a bit of bad luck that Cocu played for Barcelona in their darkest times as the world failed to recognize his potential on the field.
Cocu replaced Giovanni in the midfield and partnered Luis Enrique, proving to be the driving motor in the Van Gaal era at the Nou Camp. He is one of the rare species to convert positions successfully. His versatility allowed him to be an equally effective defensive midfielder as an attacking playmaker.
Before the arrival of Lionel Messi, Cocu boasted the most number of appearances by a foreigner for Barcelona. The playmaker appeared 291 times in a course of six seasons and scored 31 goals for the club. For is relentless services to Barca, Cocu rightly walks the hall of fame at the Nou Camp.
Libero:- Gaetano Scirea - One of the greatest defenders in history, who will organize the back, initiate attacks and step up in midfield when needed in a true libero role at his peak.
AMC:- Zinedine Zidane - The Ballon D'or winner was one of the most exciting players ever. He consistently controlled matches and could set the tempo for an entire team himself.
SS:- Ferenc Puskas - One of the most prolific scorers in history. Ferenc Puskas was a Hungarian who is regarded as one of the greatest players of all time. He was a great and sharp forward who scored 84 goals for his International Hungary side and 514 goals for the clubs he played for. Truly, a great player who was the best in what he did at that time, scoring goals - loads and loads of great goals.
ST:- Jimmy Greaves - Greaves went on to become one of the greatest goal scorers ever in the history of the English game. His incredible ability to find the net saw him make a name for himself, not just on these shores, but across Europe too. The ultimate goal-scoring machine, still remains the highest scorer in the history of English top-flight football and has also netted more hat-tricks for England than anyone else. So deft was the forward when rounding defenders and beating goalkeepers, that his playing style was once described as the football equivalent of closing the door on a Rolls Royce. By his own admission, Greaves didn’t score too many spectacular goals or spend lots of time practicing his finishing, but instead relied on his incredible dribbling ability and a natural instinct when it came to finding the net.
Defence:- Marshaled by Gaetano Scirea at his peak, alongside his partner in crime in Claudio Gentile we have a proven fit, especially when it comes to pairing him with another excellent stopper with world class credentials as Buchwald. Nilton Santos and Jorginho are well known and one of the best Brazillian full backs, operating in their favorite roles - commanding their flanks and providing width in attack.
Midfield:- Our midfield unit is composed of two all action midfielders, who are prepositionally and tactically excellent and solid in their defensive game. Both would provide the base and stage for our attacking trio to decide the game.
Attack:- We are boasting with probably one of the best attacks in the first round. Zidane will pull the strings in the heart of the attack, whilst Puskas and Greaves would most likely be at the end of his passes and finish chances.
vs Michaelf777777/cubemine:- We have the advantage not to field any sheep in our team and M. van de Korput is the main liability between the two teams, especially when he comes in a zone Puskas and Greaves are likely to operate. That alone would be the match decisive moment. We have advantage both in attack and defence, whilst our midfield would hold his own and neither Cocu or Mackay are pushovers.
Safe to say no one is doing any kind of counter attacking here
