The Second RedCafe Sheep Draft

Dog acting as ramp for guinea pigs to enter Skizzo.

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Looks like we meet again @Raees
Good luck mate. You've assembled a fine team and I'm struggling to find weaknesses in them. Anyway when do you want to play our match?
 
Joga Bonito said:
Looks like we meet again @Raees
Good luck mate. You've assembled a fine team and I'm struggling to find weaknesses in them. Anyway when do you want to play our match?
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Soon as mate, I'm going to lose this anyway just want it out of the way haha.
 
Tuesday - MJJ vs NM


Wednesday - Raees vs Joga Bonito


Thursday - Harms vs VivaJanuzaj


Friday - Stobzilla vs KPS88


Saturday - Kazi vs Cutch


Sunday - available


Monday - available


Tuesday - available
 
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ok I'll do my write ups bu Monday morning UK time. I'm on US EST so will miss the start of the match.. I actually think we won't interact much due to the time difference. When I'm up, you will sleep and vice versa. Good luck.
 
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Quite possibly the greatest Spaniard ever (sorry Xavi :p), El Arquitecto was simply a playmaking maestro who had exquisite technique; possessed extraordinary footwork; exhibited an acute sense of tactical intelligence; was unrivalled when it came to his inch-perfect passing; thrived with creativity; and scored impressive goals.

He truly was in a class of his own. To date the only Spaniard to have won the prestigious Ballon d'Or, his individual pedigree was undeniable. From 1958 to 1965, he featured in every single Ballon d'Or shortlist, winning it on 1960, the silver ball on 1961, 1964, the bronze ball on 1965 and finishing 4th on 1959.

He is in the elite tier of footballers to have four top 3 Ballon d'Or finishes alongside Kopa, Cruyff, Ronaldo, Beckenbauer (5), Platini, Messi and C.Ronaldo.

Notice how the players in this esteemed list are either a goalscoring forward or a playmaking forward (except the freakish Kaiser) and not a deep playmaker in the vein of Suárez where he had three of his top 3 finishes.

Barcelona

Suarez began his ascension to the top at Barcelona, where he was the star (alongside Kubala) of a mouthwatering and a free flowing forward line featuring Kubala, Kocsis, Czibor and Evaristo - one of Barca's finest assembly of forwards ever. The mercurial Suárez led his side toe to toe with THAT Di Stefano's Real side featuring Puskas, Santamaria, Kopa, Rial and Gento.

Scoring a remarkable 112 goals in 216 games and creating many more as a goalscoring playmaker, he led Barca to 2 La Ligas, 2 Cops Del Rays and 2 UEFA Cups with that much vaunted Real side finishing second best at times.

In his final season for Barca, he had one of the most momentous games of his glittering career.

Having beaten the Belgian side Lierse by five goals in the first round, Barcelona were drawn once again with Real Madrid in the second round of the European Cup. With Herrera being dismissed as manager following Barca’s defeat in the previous season’s semi-finals against Real, much was at stake here.

Barcelona and Suárez faced an impossible task with Real having never lost a tie in the European Cup. Up until November 9th 1960, Real Madrid had played 15 home ties in the European Cup and had won them all with a combined aggregate score of 66-8, but on that day their run came to an end. Twice Real took the lead but twice their defence was unable to prevent an equaliser.

It was Luis Suárez who tore them a new one, scoring both goals for Barcelona, the first from a free-kick and the second a hotly disputed penalty just three minutes from the end. Barcelona, marshalled by the architect, won the tie back home and by doing so had done the unthinkable, nay the implausible. They had defeated Real feckin Madrid and that match more or less heralded the demise of Real's stronghold on Europe.

Any team that had finally ended Real’s European run would have celebrated wildly, but the fact that it was Barcelona, their deadliest rivals, meant that the celebrations were especially joyous with fireworks punctuating the Catalan night, with Suárez being hailed as a Catalan treasure for the ages.

Despite Suárez leading them to the final, Barca succumbed to Eusebio's Benfica due to those 2 accursed Hungarians :p.

Inter Milan

Falling prey to financial disarray, Barca had no option but to sell their star player to FC Internazionale of Italy for 25 million pesetas or €204,000, making Suárez the world’s most expensive footballer.

In Inter El Arquitecto displayed the true mark of a genius. He completely revamped his game from a playmaking 1 in 2 games goalscoring forward to a deep lying metronome. It only served to highlight his tactical nous and intelligence that he played both these roles to absolute perfection.

Suárez - "The Italian league had a reputation for being more defensive than it really was. Even so, teams' first priority was not to concede any goals and I came from a place with a different mindset," said the 74-year-old, on the contrast between Spanish and Italian football.

"At Barcelona I played as a goalscoring midfielder but (at Inter) I had to change for the good of the team and to win titles. At the end of the day, I think I was so successful because I made so many sacrifices for a sport I loved."

Suárez became the orchestrator and the lynch pin of the legendary La Grande Inter side featuring Facchetti, Picchi, Burgnich and Mazzola amongst others.

Although his goalscoring rate dropped drastically, Suárez delighted with his skills and tactical sense; his ability to direct play and launch toxic counterattacks, but still with the freedom of being his usual creative self. Helenio had once said of his playmaker, “Inter is great but Suárez is the prophet.” It was Suárez ’s job to create, which is how his new nickname ‘El Arquitecto’ (The Architect) came about. It was even said that he knew exactly where to place the ball even before receiving it!

Suárez still grappled onto the one thing which eluded him – the European Cup (UEFA Champions League). AC Milan had won it in ’63, and Inter was desperate to follow suit.

Just one year later the Nerazzurri got a chance by reaching the final for the first time in their history. And who would they face in the final? Well, none other than Los Blancos of course, who were still hunting their 6th title.

Memories came flooding back for Suárez as he once again faced off against the likes of Puskás, Gento and Di Stéfano. This time though, Inter came out victorious, thrashing Real Madrid to a 3-1 defeat with Suárez being the man of the match and the bane of Real yet again.

‘El Arquitecto’ also had the last laugh as he led his Inter to their second successive European Cup in ’65. Their opponents, Benfica, happened to be a team who Suárez had previously met, with Barça having lost the final. But this time fate would be on Suárez’s side – the winning side. In the Nerazzurri’s own San Siro stadium, Inter triumphed over the two-time former champions with a narrow 1-0 win, and for Suárez it was nothing short of a sweet, sweet victory.

With Inter Suárez won 3 Series A, 2 European Cups and 2 Intercontinental Cups to add to his already impressive trophy haul.

Importance to catenaccio tactics and Inter

Suarez's importance to Inter and their meticulous tactical plan can be accurately portrayed via their loss against Celtic in the 1967 European Cup final.

The European campaign had been going to plan with Inter dispatching holders Real with Suárez being imperious once again.

Just as in the final three years earlier, Real Madrid were defeated by Inter’s catenaccio tactics. They could find no way past the door bolt in Milan and were defeated by a single goal from Cappellini who had only just returned to Inter following a spell on loan to Genoa.

The second leg in the Bernabeu saw Real face the wrath of their 120,000 fans as they were comfortably despatched by the Italians. Their task was made almost impossible on 23 minutes when Real’s goalkeeper failed to hold on to a shot from Domenghini and Cappellini was the first to react and score his second goal of the tie.

Just before the hour, Suarez, who had brilliantly marshalled Inter’s solid defence, beat three defenders on a solo run before scoring the goal that put the tie beyond doubt.

This was all too much for the home supporters to take. One supporter hurled a live chicken at Gento after he missed an easy chance, while another fan ran onto the pitch brandishing a scarlet bullfighters cape. He proceeded to make several imaginary passes to show the Real players their way to goal. At the final whistle the Real players, several of them in tears, left the pitch to the sound of booing.

Real’s hopes of winning a seventh European title were finished, but Internazionale were safely into the semi-finals with their biggest threat knocked out.

Spanish fans and their poultry :lol::lol::lol:

Unfortunately Suárez was injured in the semi final and his absence in the final heavily crippled Inter despite the likes of Facchetti, Corso, Burgnich, Mazzola and Picchi still featuring.

Inter typically took the early 1-0 lead and sat back. They actually defended quite well and restricted Celtic to long shots. However, they lacked the crucial piece which completed the jigsaw puzzle and tied it all together, Luis Suárez.

Celtic’s two attacking wingers ran at the Inter defence, their two forwards caused havoc in the middle, their two central midfielders pressed forward, while Inter’s policy of leaving just one man up front left Celtic’s full backs free to join in with the attacks.

With no Suarez to set Inter away on their counter attacks, the Italians just fell back into their penalty area as wave upon wave of Celtic attacks rained in on them.

Without no outball and a lack of a counter threat, Inter inevitably succumbed to the relentless pressure. The gulf between the midfield was apparent for all to see with Auld and Murdoch running havoc unopposed in midfield.

Don't take my word for it, just watch the 3 CL finals that Inter played in the 60s and you'd know exactly what I'm talking about. Rarely could a playmaking genius have been so crucial to an extremely defensive tactic. Inter's quick and direct counter attacks, transition which ideally relied on no more than 3 direct passes, were almost solely dependent on Suárez.
 
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Continued...

Spain

The Architect didn’t just direct play for his club side.

Spain hosted the 1964 European Championships and Suarez was the tournaments star performer. At 29 he was the oldest member and the best player of the host’s youthful squad.


The Spanish Football Association had Suarez specially flown to each match with a private charter machine from Italy.

Boy was it worth it! In the semifinal Suarez provided the pass for right winger Amancio to score the winning goal in the 2-1 win against Hungary. In the final against the Soviet Union the then 29-year-old carved out both goals to gave the Spanish side a 2-1 win. The USSR keeper Lev Yaschin’s spell had been broken.

Spain’s brilliant footballers had succeeded in winning a major title with their national for the first and only time for 44 years till the 08 generation. 120,000 spectators in “Bernabeu” celebrated “Luis, the Spaniard” once more. One month earlier, Suarez had won the European Cup with Inter – after beating Real Madrid 3-1.


“Inter is great but Suárez is the prophet.” - Helenio Herrero

He was always in the game, recovering the ball and then launching our forwards. He had a perfect shot from thirty or forty yards - Nerazzurri legend Giacinto Facchetti on Suarez's importance
 
Apologies for that comprehensive post, had fun researching and watching him play. Just skim through it if you have the time :p
 
NM said:
ok I'll do my write ups bu Monday morning UK time. I'm on US EST so will miss the start of the match.. I actually think we won't interact much due to the time difference. When I'm up, you will sleep and vice versa. Good luck.
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I am going to need it :lol:
 
Tuesday - MJJ vs NM


Wednesday - Raees vs Joga Bonito


Thursday - Harms vs VivaJanuzaj


Friday - Stobzilla vs KPS88


Saturday - Kazi vs Cutch


Sunday - available


Monday - available


Tuesday - available
 
antohan said:
:lol: what a lovely chap @Raees is. I've just noticed he seemed to be under the illusion he lost Batistuta, and this is his reaction to finding he isn't even getting a replacement.
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He submitted his pick for the injured player round so that's not the case.
 
I am totally lost, I even submitted a side without Batistuta :/.. tempted to play on without him and rest him for the second round.
 
Skizzo canceled the injured player round, no injured players and no replacements from the legacy list.

Skizzo said:
In lieu of all the collusion, drama, and general tom foolery in this draft so far...I decided (possibly against my better judgement) to forget about this and do the draw. Finalized teams are in the OP. No Injuries. Reinforcements will be made in a snake draft format, based on the amount of sheep picks so far in the teams.

first round matches incoming shortly.

@antohan will be very disappointed that you've all escaped this unpunished btw.
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Again:

Skizzo said:
In lieu of all the collusion, drama, and general tom foolery in this draft so far...I decided (possibly against my better judgement) to forget about this and do the draw. Finalized teams are in the OP. No Injuries. Reinforcements will be made in a snake draft format, based on the amount of sheep picks so far in the teams.

first round matches incoming shortly.

@antohan will be very disappointed that you've all escaped this unpunished btw.
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