Edgar Allan Pillow
Ero-Sennin
.......................................... Team @Jayvin ................................................................... Team @The Red Viper ........................
TEAM JAYVIN
OVERVIEW:
An impenetrable backline and a midfield that blends work rate, defensive strength and tidy passing gives my attacking players the perfect platform to shine; with the pace and trickery of Overmars and Figo stretching the play and creating space for Romario.
The team will play a 4-2-3-1 formation with Boban coming into the side for Mendieta. Boban's selflessness and work rate is the perfect foil for Romario, as well as having the added benefit of another body in the attacking third to occupy Dunga, with the overall aim to limit the Brazilians ability to cover for Sergi on the left flank.
The midfielders will sit deep, shielding the back four with Deschamps doing his best to limit the effectiveness of Scholes and tracking his runs into the penalty area, while Alonso's impeccable positioning and interceptions will help in winning the ball back.
Attacks will mostly be targeted down the flanks, where my team will look to create 1v1 opportunities against TRV's fullbacks. Boban's role is key in this; when in possession he will attempt to draw Dunga towards him and away from TRVs left flank before passing it wide for Figo to run at Sergi.
The exceptional long passing of Alonso also gives my team the option of picking out the wingers early, attempting to catch both Dunga and TRV's fullbacks offguard.
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TEAM THE RED VIPER
THE TEAM
We will play a 4-2-3-1 formation. Oliver Kahn is the goalkeeper. Willy Sagnol and Sergi Barjuán would be the full-backs while Nemanja Vidić and Jaap Stam would be the centre-backs. The midfield comprises of a three man midfield of Dunga, Paul Scholes and Bastian Schweinsteiger. Dunga would be the defensive minded midfielder who would look to break the plays and win back the possession for us. Bastian Schweinsteiger would play as the central midfielder while Paul Scholes would play as an advanced midfielder/attacking midfielder in a three man central midfield.
The attacking triumvirate comprises of Thierry Henry, Samuel Eto'o and Arjen Robben. Samuel Eto'o would lead the lines and look to play on the shoulders of the last defender. Arjen Robben would play as a right wing forward in a free role. It would be similar to the role he plays at Bayern Munich where he takes on his man by isolating him in one-on-one situations. Thierry Henry would play off Samuel Eto'o as the left sided second striker. A role, similar to what he played under Pep Guardiola's Barcelona but here, he would have more freedom since he is the main man in attack. Throughout his career, he loved drifting out wide on the left and then attacking that space between the right back and right centre back. Here, he would do the same as well. Most of his trademark goals, especially the ones from the counters have usually come from that flank.
THE TACTICS
Jayvin's front three have got a lot of pace in them. In order to negate that speed of Marc Overmars, Luís Figo and Romario, we would sit back deep and hit them on counters. Sergi Barjuán has the pace to keep up with Luís Figo but he would require help to restrict Luís Figo's influence and that is where, Bastian Schweinsteiger would help him out by doubling up on Figo whenever he has the ball. I know that, by sitting deep, we are inviting Jayvin's team, especially Luís Figo and Bixente Lizarazu to attack us with crosses. But, in Nemanja Vidić and Jaap Stam, there are two towers at the back who were brilliant aerially. So, I am confident, we can deal with the crosses. Dunga has played with Romario for plenty of years. He has trained with him and knows the movement pattern of Romario. His role would be ensure that he plugs those spaces or routes to where Romario likes to receive the ball. He would look to cut the supply for Romario and make him drop deeper to get into the game. Xabi Alonso is the most creative player in the team. Didier Deschamps wasn't rubbish on the ball, but he wasn't someone who known for creating from deep or controlling the tempo of the game. Whenever Xabi Alonso has the ball, Paul Scholes would look to press him. Paul Scholes may not have been a great tackler but he was good at pressing. Even if he doesn't win the ball back, he would ensure Xabi Alonso doesn't get much time and space on the ball, thereby making Jayvin's transition from defence to attack slower.
On the other end of the pitch, Paul Scholes and Bastian Schweinsteiger are key to initiating the counter-attacks from the back. Both have fantastic range of passing. Thierry Henry's attack that space between William Gallas and Marcel Desailly, and look to drag Marcel Desailly out of his position so that it leaves Laurent Blanc isolated. Laurent Blanc was a very good cultured defender but he was quite slow. Considering the speed-demons that Arjen Robben and Samuel Eto'o are, both would look to exploit that in one one one conditions.