vs 
.........................................Team Raees .........................................................................................Team Isotope ................................................
Team Raees
THE TEAM (STYLE)
My team will line up in a fluid 3-4-3 capable of defending with 8 players as a collective (Left winger and Striker stay up top) and attacking with 6 (DM stays by centre circle supported by 3 CB’s behind him). My man between the sticks is Claudio Bravo and he is a perfect fit for my team of gritty technicians. His ability on the ball will be an important factor in my team’s ability to control the game when on the ball.
The defence will drop deep and features 2 of the world’s most gifted defenders at their peak in Mats Hummels and Giorgio Chielliini… supported by a third, potentially the best young centre back in the game outside of Varane in Marquinhos. Hummels brings composure and a proven ability to deal with pacey, technical forwards through his ability to anticipate (see his performances v Real Madrid/Bayern) and this complements Chiellini’s aggression, mobility and ability to organise. Marquinhos is fantastic 1 v 1 and brings pace, aggression and great natural ability to read the game…as proven in his mesmeric display against Messi & Hazard in CL football. All three are brilliant on the ball, rarely make reckless tackles and I have a RCB and a LCB that are just as accomplished in a defensive sense at full back as they are at CB.
In the engine room, I have Daniele De Rossi playing as defensive midfielder/deep lying playmaker, shielding my CB’s and starting attacks from deep. Dortmund’s metronome Gundogan is expected to stay close to the centre circle and give the side balance, he will ensure De Rossi is given plenty of defensive support and the same goes for Modric. He too will share the duties in midfield just as he does for Madrid, full of industry and craft.. he is the teams primary playmaker but it’ll be very hard to keep both him and Gundogan from controlling proceedings, both are two of the closest things to Xavi in this entire draft in terms of their ability to keep the ball and they will definitely be a threat with their passing. Where their roles differ is that Modric has the freedom when the sides in possession to go marauding and provide width if Ronaldinho goes inside whereas Gundogan will generally operate purely as a centre mid. Park Ji Sung completes this highly industrious quartet and provides it further steel and defensive coverage. Going forwards he’ll operate as a right winger and allow Isco to wreak havoc as an inside forward.
Up front I have Gonzalo Higuain. He can create goals out of nothing and in a team laden with extra-terrestrial creativity, both off the flanks and through the centre… he will be a menace. He will be supported in attack by arguably Madrid’s standout performer this year - Spanish genius Isco who will operate as a winger/number 10. His work rate is key in ensuring that this team is solid from back to front and that there is constantly an overload on the ball.. at times it will feel like it is 5 v 4 in my favour in terms of the midfield battle. On the other flank I will have Ronaldinho… one of the greatest footballers of all time, a global icon and the standout player on the pitch. He’ll be looking to cut in as well as go down the line and flip flap his way into everyone’s hearts. That front three has ‘Flair’ written all over it and you could say the same about the entire side as a whole.
THE TACTICS (MATCHUP)
Countering his Strengths
I must admit that during the last game I didn’t fear my opponents attack but I have a huge soft spot for his strike force. It is the best pairing in the draft and it is a very dynamic duo of attackers who would give any defensive pairing trouble. I can definitely see them scoring a goal but it is all about damage limitation for me. I think this is possible because this is peak Hummels and peak Chiellini, they were very good defenders against technical quick teams and I am up against a very technical and quick strike force. To help them though, I will be playing on the counter and reducing the space those strikers have to work with and I am using Marquinhos as a auxiliary centre-back so he can tuck it as he doesn’t really have a winger to face. He will be a key cog in ensuring that strike force doesn’t get the upper hand and both Eto’o/Suarez love drifting into wide positions, and here they’ll be up against one of the quickest and talented young defenders in the world. He was up against Hazard last game and did pretty well, he’s played CB v Messi & co so I am sure he can patrol the flank and ensure he isn’t made to look silly.
His other strength is his midfield. Any team that has 4 in midfield is always at a numerical advantage, but I have not only matched it but have the likes of Ronaldinho/Isco… guys comfortable in central positions and happy to drop deep and get on the ball. Whilst I’d prefer for those to stay out wide, there will be a numerical advantage for me in the midfield areas and I feel that on the quality front mine edges his in terms of being able to control the possession side of things – he simply doesn’t have a player who can control the midfield – there isn’t a central hub to his team, his only proper playmaker is Mata and I don’t think he can cut it in a game of such pace and intensity. His has more industry but mine can provide greater width, dribbling ability/ability to control possession and greater proven ability at the highest level… Vidal for all the hype has never featured at the business end of a champions league/world cup. Modric will be tracking him and I can’t see him controlling the game.
Koke will be up against Park Ji Sung.. and this is a mismatch in my favour. He will be nullified by the legendary Korean and he is going to struggle to follow Park as he bombs up and down that wing at a frenetic pace. He won’t get a moments breathing space.
That leaves Mascherano who I rate very highly but he’ll be seeing most of the ball in this game and Higuain coming back to apply pressure on him, I don’t see him having the passing range to hurt me.. he can keep it tidy but with all his other midfielders being tracked effectively, he’ll look very disjointed in possession or nullified at the very least.
Exploiting his weaknesses
Due to the narrowness of his midfield (no one is capable of providing genuine width in his midfield 4) all his play is likely to be through the centre and as I have players who can tuck in and follow their men, he is going to struggle a lot to create chances for that prolific duo up front. It’ll be very congested for him. It doesn’t help him that his full backs are average going forward too. On the other hand, when my team wins the ball back.. I’ve got runners in midfield who can bomb down the flanks if need be and provide genuine width. Modric used to play on the left for Spurs, Park is a winger by trade and that means his midfield is going to be stretched trying to keep tabs on my side.. which means Mascherano is going to have his work cut out if Isco/Ronaldinho decide to come inside into the number 10 space. Ronaldinho made a mug out the likes of Makelele so I can’t see Mascherano being able to keep the great man quiet.
Another weakness of his is the defence other than Jerome Boateng. His centre back pairing is reckless and both are capable of being sent off, focusing on Pepe alone.. he has a proven ability of being sent off in big encounters and against an attack like mine where 2 out of the three are geniuses at running with the ball.. he is going to struggle to keep his head.
Sagna v Ronaldinho Is a huge mismatch in my favour and one that will decide the game in my opinion. Sagna has no right to be playing in this match, Salgado got his arse torn apart by Goofy what chance does the bench warming Frenchman have against the Mr Joga Bonito. It doesn’t matter how good Boateng is being rated these days, Thiago Silva himself would struggle to hold this defence together against the running power and vision of Ronaldinho.
In summary I think against say a side which had two brilliant wing forwards and a Aguero up top, I’d struggle but the formation I am playing is well suited to negating Isotope’s strengths and exploiting his weaknesses. It packs men in the centre where I am stronger and at the same time I can introduce world class width into this game and stretch his side to create chances, he doesn’t have the personnel to do the same to me.
Just to reiterate… off the ball:
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On the ball:
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