TEAM JOGA BONITO
TEAM INVICTUS
TEAM INVICTUS
40s Draft QF3 : Joga Bonito 13-12 Invictus
- Thread starter Moby
- Start date
Team Joga Bonito
Players Write Ups (Click on the hyperlinked names below)
In depth Günter Netzer profile
A video that I made for those who haven't watched Netzer before
Detailed Denis Law write-up
Overview: The team retains its original tactical set-up and features, with new additions, Der Kaiser and his trusted lieutenant Schwarzenbeck slotting seamlessly into the side - in the process, reuniting with another famed duo in Netzer & Wimmer, thereby reconstituting the formidable core of the greatest German National team ever. It's a side boasting an imposing spine comprising Beckenbauer-Netzer-Law, which will thrive and elevate this free-flowing team. Needless to say, it derives inspiration from Germany '72 & Gladbach of the early 70s - sides that were built on traits such as fluidity, incisiveness and were centred on a passing game with elements of totaalvoetbal-ing universality.
DEFENSE
Thrice Bundesliga Goalkeeper of the Year, Schalke's legend, Norbert Nigbur stands guard between the sticks. He was a phenomenal shot stopper, saving 23 out of the 71 penalties that he faced whilst also holding the record for the consecutive clean sheets in the Bundesliga for over 10 years.
Nothing much needs to be said about the greatest defender of all time, Franz Beckenbauer. He will be a force to be reckoned with in a set-up that caters to his unique skill-set and has him surrounded with complementary personnel. Be it marshalling the defensive line or striding forward elegantly, Beckenbauer would be at the peak of his powers here.
Hans-Georg Schwarzenbeck, was an extremely reliable and a dogged stopper who dovetailed beautifully with Der Kaiser. The level of tactical nous required to play alongside a tactically exacting and the most adventurous libero ever, is a rather underrated art but Schwarzenbeck most certainly possessed it. Together they formed the foundation of the all-conquering Bayern and German sides which swept aside everything before them.
Leeds legend Paul Reaney was a top notch full back who was very well capable of keeping a certain George Best quiet. Reaney was officially ranked as the 9th greatest Leeds player ever and was voted into the greatest Leeds XI, whilst only Charlton and Bremner have made more appearances than him. Although he was primarily a sturdy defensive unit, Speedy Reaney was also a great attacking outlet capable of going on productive overlapping runs forward.
The Greatest Ranger Ever, John Greig provides both steel and class in equal measure at the full-back position. It was in this role that he was twice voted as the Scottish footballer of the year and netted a record 13 goals in the 67/68 campaign. The Scotsman was the bedrock around which the Scottish and Rangers defense were built around. He provided plenty of bite, defensive solidity and was an excellent man-marker, frequently being entrusted to square up against the tricky Jinky Johnstone.
John Greig said:
I had my usual tussle with wee Jimmy and I had him on top of those bales at regular intervals. By the time the teams trooped off at half-time, the wee man looked like Wurzel Gummidge because of the amount of straw he had in his hair.
Tommy Gemmell said:
Rangers would play John Greig at left-back against us to thump wee Jimmy. In one game, in the first five minutes, Greig went right through Jimmy and sent him off the park and on to the running track. I went right up to Willie Henderson and said, "Hey wee man, you're getting the same as Greig just dished out to wee Jinky". He turned and looked at me, alarmed, "What have I done to you?"
David Hay said:
John Greig was all hustle and bustle, putting himself about all over the pitch and giving everything for the cause. He could put in the welly, too, as Jimmy Johnstone could have told you! I'm not saying he was dirty, but he was hard and there is a world of a difference between the two.
I had my usual tussle with wee Jimmy and I had him on top of those bales at regular intervals. By the time the teams trooped off at half-time, the wee man looked like Wurzel Gummidge because of the amount of straw he had in his hair.
Tommy Gemmell said:
Rangers would play John Greig at left-back against us to thump wee Jimmy. In one game, in the first five minutes, Greig went right through Jimmy and sent him off the park and on to the running track. I went right up to Willie Henderson and said, "Hey wee man, you're getting the same as Greig just dished out to wee Jinky". He turned and looked at me, alarmed, "What have I done to you?"
David Hay said:
John Greig was all hustle and bustle, putting himself about all over the pitch and giving everything for the cause. He could put in the welly, too, as Jimmy Johnstone could have told you! I'm not saying he was dirty, but he was hard and there is a world of a difference between the two.
The Scot is a renowned clugger due to his uncompromising style but he was also a skilful footballer to boot. Greig was a great all-round player, with a keen eye for a pass and was capable of churning out Facchetti-esque numbers from the full back position.
MIDFIELD
Herbert 'Hacki' Wimmer is mainly known for being Netzer's water-carrier and an excellent defensive presence but he was much more than just that. Wimmer was more in the mould of a Haan than a Makelele, he was a complete midfielder who had great pace, intelligent movement both offensively and defensively, whilst being an excellent passer and a great dribbler - his nickname Hacki arose from his dribbling ability. In fact he took over the mantle of being the creative influence when Netzer left for Real and led Gladbach to 3 consecutive Bundesliga titles, an European Cup final and an UEFA Cup.
Günter Netzer is the orchestrator of the side, whom the team is built around. With the movement, pace and technique on offer here, Netzer would thrive being the hub of this team and will look to actively combine with Beckenbauer, create chances for the forwards with his sensuous passing, whilst rampaging forward whenever he spots an opening.
The effervescent and ubiquitous Alan Ball was a real livewire on the ball, capable of leaving one Schnellinger on his arse repeatedly, whilst being a real terrier off it and could cover every single blade of the grass. An unique footballing package with his infectious enthusiasm, sublime skill, boundless energy, goalscoring knack, sheer consistency, flame coloured hair, high pitched voice and white boots, Ball was a real whipper snapper. It was Ball who stepped up to the plate when Charlton was having an off day against ze Germans in the 1966 WC final, winning the MOTM and put in a virtuoso midfield performance.
OFFENSE
Robert Gadocha was an immense creative force whose pin-point crossing could create havoc in even the most organised defenses. With Netzer providing a steady stream of quality passes, Gadocha will have plenty of opportunities to exhibit his flawless crossing and his dribbling skills against Suurbier. In fact, of the 16 goals that Poland scored in the 1974 WC finals, 5 were directly assisted by Gadocha (the most assists in the tournament with Cruyff coming second with 3 assists) and two more were from crosses by Gadocha, which were headed down by Szarmach to Lato. It's no wonder that these two forwards ended up with the Golden Boot & Silver Boot with Gadocha in the team.
The ravenous and spirited Denis Law was a total footballing craftsman who loved getting in the thick of things and of course, putting them in the net by the dozens. He'd have all the freedom in the final third and would gobble up the quality wing-play from Gadocha, whilst constantly interlinking with the inside forward Byshovets. The "Russian George Best" Anatoliy Byshovets was a cracking player who thrived playing for Maslov's free flowing and revolutionary Kiev side, thrice finishing as their top scorer, and in the late 60s Soviet vintage. He left an indelible mark on the 1970 WC where he went on an one-man campaign, scoring 4 goals (and assisting another) out of the 6 goals that USSR scored, as he dragged the Soviet Union to the quarter finals almost single-handedly, where they just succumbed to an Uruguayan side due to a 117th minute goal in extra time
Specific Tactics/Instructions
Defense
Beckenbauer leads the charge from the back with his peerless build-up play and ability to surge forward elegantly. He would be looking to combine with chief instigator Netzer and dictate the passage of play. He will also be given a more proactive role off the ball, given that the opposition doesn't have a traditional centre-forward up front, meaning he could actively try and cut off supply lines and nip attacks in the bud or he could choose to drop deep and sweep up play. Schwarzenbeck would be his usual stopper role here, with a keen eye on Eusebio's bursts forwards and Jairzinho incisive runs inwards. Reaney would be playing a defensive side-back role to maintain defensive balance whilst Greig would reprise his barnstorming left wing-back role, whilst dealing with the tricky Jairzinho. No easy task, but he has experience in dealing with tricky speedsters as his duels with Johnstone would prove.
Midfield
The multi-faceted Wimmer would be the prime defensive cog in the engine room and off the ball, he would be mainly concerned with stifling Mazzola's influence on the ball, whilst keeping track of Eusebio dropping deep. On the ball, he will look to stretch play with his movement and drive forward in a supporting manner, if space opens up for him.
The flame-haired whipper snapper Ball would be reprising his usual RAM role here and would be the side's official minister of pressing, looking to stifle van Hanegem's influence and limit his time on the ball. Arguably the most industrious player on the pitch, Ball's ceaseless running and tireless pressing would stand the midfield in good stead off the ball, whilst also providing Wimmer with the room to express himself to a certain extent. On the ball, Ball would primarily function as the direct bridge between midfield and attack here. As is the case with Wimmer, Ball was excellent at covering the wings defensively and also at stretching and providing quality service from out wide, in addition to possessing a fine goalscoring threat (scoring 67 goals in 156 league games during 1965-69)
In tandem with Beckenbauer, Netzer would look to isolate defenders on 1v1s with his high-octane and direct passing and also rampage forward once the opportunity presents itself. Ball's and Wimmer's dynamic gameplay, and ability to ramp up the tempo of the match in an instant with a quick turn, one-two or a lung busting run forward means that they are the perfect midfield complements to the uber-direct Netzer's play.
Offense
Gadocha would be the fixed point in the offense, looking to stretch play, link-up with Greig, provide a great out-ball for Netzer and also deliver quality service for Law-Byshovets. Law is not playing as a traditional centre forward and functioning as a mere focal point up top, but rather as a roaming and mobile goalscoring forward. Be it probing across the entire forward line, attacking Netzer's & Gadocha's gloriously flighted balls, linking up with Byshovets or dropping deeper to receive Netzer's sublime in between the line passing, Law would flourish playing in such a fluid set-up and in such a dynamic role. Inside forward Byshovets would once again look to link up with Law and keep an eye out for Ball's surges forward or forays outwards. His goalscoring nous, in combination with his sheer pace and dribbling skills would stand him in good stead, in what proves to be an extremely fluid front trio.
Defense
Beckenbauer leads the charge from the back with his peerless build-up play and ability to surge forward elegantly. He would be looking to combine with chief instigator Netzer and dictate the passage of play. He will also be given a more proactive role off the ball, given that the opposition doesn't have a traditional centre-forward up front, meaning he could actively try and cut off supply lines and nip attacks in the bud or he could choose to drop deep and sweep up play. Schwarzenbeck would be his usual stopper role here, with a keen eye on Eusebio's bursts forwards and Jairzinho incisive runs inwards. Reaney would be playing a defensive side-back role to maintain defensive balance whilst Greig would reprise his barnstorming left wing-back role, whilst dealing with the tricky Jairzinho. No easy task, but he has experience in dealing with tricky speedsters as his duels with Johnstone would prove.
Midfield
The multi-faceted Wimmer would be the prime defensive cog in the engine room and off the ball, he would be mainly concerned with stifling Mazzola's influence on the ball, whilst keeping track of Eusebio dropping deep. On the ball, he will look to stretch play with his movement and drive forward in a supporting manner, if space opens up for him.
The flame-haired whipper snapper Ball would be reprising his usual RAM role here and would be the side's official minister of pressing, looking to stifle van Hanegem's influence and limit his time on the ball. Arguably the most industrious player on the pitch, Ball's ceaseless running and tireless pressing would stand the midfield in good stead off the ball, whilst also providing Wimmer with the room to express himself to a certain extent. On the ball, Ball would primarily function as the direct bridge between midfield and attack here. As is the case with Wimmer, Ball was excellent at covering the wings defensively and also at stretching and providing quality service from out wide, in addition to possessing a fine goalscoring threat (scoring 67 goals in 156 league games during 1965-69)
In tandem with Beckenbauer, Netzer would look to isolate defenders on 1v1s with his high-octane and direct passing and also rampage forward once the opportunity presents itself. Ball's and Wimmer's dynamic gameplay, and ability to ramp up the tempo of the match in an instant with a quick turn, one-two or a lung busting run forward means that they are the perfect midfield complements to the uber-direct Netzer's play.
Offense
Gadocha would be the fixed point in the offense, looking to stretch play, link-up with Greig, provide a great out-ball for Netzer and also deliver quality service for Law-Byshovets. Law is not playing as a traditional centre forward and functioning as a mere focal point up top, but rather as a roaming and mobile goalscoring forward. Be it probing across the entire forward line, attacking Netzer's & Gadocha's gloriously flighted balls, linking up with Byshovets or dropping deeper to receive Netzer's sublime in between the line passing, Law would flourish playing in such a fluid set-up and in such a dynamic role. Inside forward Byshovets would once again look to link up with Law and keep an eye out for Ball's surges forward or forays outwards. His goalscoring nous, in combination with his sheer pace and dribbling skills would stand him in good stead, in what proves to be an extremely fluid front trio.
Key Points
1) The symphony of the Maestros - von Karajan & Der Kaiser
2) The impenetrable barricade - Der Kaiser & Katsche
3) Goalscoring threat
1) The symphony of the Maestros - von Karajan & Der Kaiser
The puppet-masters of the greatest German vintage, both Beckenbauer and Netzer struck up a great chemistry, despite being the stars of arch-rivals Bayern and Gladbach and frequently going head to head against each other in the Bundesliga.
In theory, it was a partnership that should have never worked - two extraordinary yet divergent personalities and two extremely domineering players on the ball. However, just like great players always do, they somehow made it click together - understatement of the century. Beckenbauer deserves credit for putting the team before himself and for being willing to play a secondary yet equally important role on the ball, whilst the uber-direct Netzer too was willing to actively combine more with the more build-up oriented Beckenbauer.
And what a dazzling combination it was - the greatest German player and Germany's greatest playmaker wilfully taking the piss out of the bewildered opposition, together. It was a scary combination, given that you couldn't sit off them and give them room to exhibit their vision and tear you apart, and neither could you close them down, given their potent link-up and dribbling abilities. During their euphoric amalgamation, they demonstrated that perfect mid-point between hard-hitting, high-octane football and the more measured and probing infiltration brand of football, to perfection.
Many must have wondered just what the Germans were doing when Netzer dropped into defense and Beckenbauer stepped into midfield or why their wide players didn’t just hug their flanks but came inside and dropped back. It was Netzer and Beckenbauer’s blind understanding that was at the heart of Germany’s wonderful performances, the two combining a total of 20 times in the England match alone. Germany were practising the kind of total football that most became familiar with two years later thanks to Johan Cruyff and the Netherlands. But in the Euro 1972 it was Germany that was capturing the imagination of the football world.
With the constant flux of motion on show here and a team that is immersed in total footballing philosophy, Beckenbauer and Netzer would revel in this platform.
In theory, it was a partnership that should have never worked - two extraordinary yet divergent personalities and two extremely domineering players on the ball. However, just like great players always do, they somehow made it click together - understatement of the century. Beckenbauer deserves credit for putting the team before himself and for being willing to play a secondary yet equally important role on the ball, whilst the uber-direct Netzer too was willing to actively combine more with the more build-up oriented Beckenbauer.
And what a dazzling combination it was - the greatest German player and Germany's greatest playmaker wilfully taking the piss out of the bewildered opposition, together. It was a scary combination, given that you couldn't sit off them and give them room to exhibit their vision and tear you apart, and neither could you close them down, given their potent link-up and dribbling abilities. During their euphoric amalgamation, they demonstrated that perfect mid-point between hard-hitting, high-octane football and the more measured and probing infiltration brand of football, to perfection.
Many must have wondered just what the Germans were doing when Netzer dropped into defense and Beckenbauer stepped into midfield or why their wide players didn’t just hug their flanks but came inside and dropped back. It was Netzer and Beckenbauer’s blind understanding that was at the heart of Germany’s wonderful performances, the two combining a total of 20 times in the England match alone. Germany were practising the kind of total football that most became familiar with two years later thanks to Johan Cruyff and the Netherlands. But in the Euro 1972 it was Germany that was capturing the imagination of the football world.
With the constant flux of motion on show here and a team that is immersed in total footballing philosophy, Beckenbauer and Netzer would revel in this platform.
2) The impenetrable barricade - Der Kaiser & Katsche
Beckenbauer and Schwarzenbeck were quite simply, one of the greatest central defensive duos ever and arguably the most successful defensive combination of all time - 3 European Cups, 1 World Cup, 1 European Championships, 4 Bundesligas, 3 DFB Pokals, 1 UEFA Cup winners Cup and 1 Intercontinental Cup.
Whilst Der Kaiser's elegance, ability to orchestrate play and vision are unparalleled and well-renowned, his leadership qualities and off the ball work does tend to be overlooked a wee bit. Der Kaiser's reading of the game was phenomenal but so too was his ability to marshal and fortify the back-line whilst constantly providing defensive master-classes. Be it shackling one of the greatest players of all time in Bobby Charlton, in the form of his life,in a man-marking spectacle or even more impressively, commanding a three man defensive shield (with Vogts on man-marking duties) to an imperious display against Cruyff's Holland in the WC final, Der Kaiser was a shrewd tactician capable of shutting down the greatest forwards by one way or another.
Putting a man in hospital for having the temerity to try and nutmeg him, striding up to the referee in a World Cup final, after he's awarded a penalty against you, to nonchalantly claim "You are an Englishman" (an undeniably accurate statement - you could hardly be more English than Jack Taylor - but also a cunning piece of spontaneous footballing psychology designed no doubt to increase the pressure on the honest official should, say, Germany have a penalty claim in the near future) and influencing the referee in an European Cup final to chalk off a legitimate goal are anecdotes that you'd typically associate with Varela or Keane, but that's exactly what Beckenbauer was capable of. For all of Der Kaiser's elegance and Rolls Royce like smoothness, he was equally as ruthless, cunning and unyielding.
Schwarzenbeck was tough as nails and a brutally efficient defender but his tactical nous and his understanding with Beckenbauer was nothing short of remarkable. Be it defending in a high line when his side was dominating possession, setting the stall up in tight games, covering for Breitner when he went on his unpredictable runs forward or most importantly, single handedly covering for Beckenbauer, Schwarzenbeck was a terrific defender, who was more than your 'average' limited stopper. He was also a fine player on the ball and was capable of striding forward powerfully in a supporting manner, when the occasion called for it - scoring the equaliser in an European Cup final and assisting the second goal in the European Championship 1972 final.
Whilst Der Kaiser's elegance, ability to orchestrate play and vision are unparalleled and well-renowned, his leadership qualities and off the ball work does tend to be overlooked a wee bit. Der Kaiser's reading of the game was phenomenal but so too was his ability to marshal and fortify the back-line whilst constantly providing defensive master-classes. Be it shackling one of the greatest players of all time in Bobby Charlton, in the form of his life,in a man-marking spectacle or even more impressively, commanding a three man defensive shield (with Vogts on man-marking duties) to an imperious display against Cruyff's Holland in the WC final, Der Kaiser was a shrewd tactician capable of shutting down the greatest forwards by one way or another.
Putting a man in hospital for having the temerity to try and nutmeg him, striding up to the referee in a World Cup final, after he's awarded a penalty against you, to nonchalantly claim "You are an Englishman" (an undeniably accurate statement - you could hardly be more English than Jack Taylor - but also a cunning piece of spontaneous footballing psychology designed no doubt to increase the pressure on the honest official should, say, Germany have a penalty claim in the near future) and influencing the referee in an European Cup final to chalk off a legitimate goal are anecdotes that you'd typically associate with Varela or Keane, but that's exactly what Beckenbauer was capable of. For all of Der Kaiser's elegance and Rolls Royce like smoothness, he was equally as ruthless, cunning and unyielding.
Schwarzenbeck was tough as nails and a brutally efficient defender but his tactical nous and his understanding with Beckenbauer was nothing short of remarkable. Be it defending in a high line when his side was dominating possession, setting the stall up in tight games, covering for Breitner when he went on his unpredictable runs forward or most importantly, single handedly covering for Beckenbauer, Schwarzenbeck was a terrific defender, who was more than your 'average' limited stopper. He was also a fine player on the ball and was capable of striding forward powerfully in a supporting manner, when the occasion called for it - scoring the equaliser in an European Cup final and assisting the second goal in the European Championship 1972 final.
3) Goalscoring threat
The side boasts a remarkable goalscoring threat, with every outfield player bar Schwarzenbeck and Reaney being legitimate goalscoring menaces. Greig holds a record 13 goals from the FB position, being voted as the Scottish player of the year (no mean feat given the quality of Scotland back in the day with Bremner, Baxter, Law, Johnstone, Mackay, etc) and reached double figures a total of five times in his career, despite playing from defensive positions. Beckenbauer too was a notable goalscorer despite primarily being a creative presence.
Netzer scored 108 goals in 297 appearances for Gladbach whilst Wimmer had a cracking long range shot and boasted a respectable 51 goals in 366 appearances for Gladbach, despite predominantly being a rather defensive presence. Ball scored a ridiculous 67 goals in 156 league games during 1965-69 despite being an all-purpose midfield player.
Gadocha is the 4th highest goalscorer in Legia Warsaw history and had a one in three goalscoring record for them, in spite of being primarily the creative presence on the left. Law's goalscoring exploits are the stuff of legend and his 46 goals in a single season were so good, that he stunningly pipped Euro 1964 Player of the Tournament and European Cup 1964 Final's MOTM Luisito Suárez to the ballon d'Or. Had it not been for pesky knee injuries later on in his career, his goalscoring average would have been even better. Byshovets finished as top scorer for Dynamo Kiev thrice and scored 49 goals in 139 appearances for Maslov's Kiev whilst scoring 4 of USSR's 6 six goals in the 1970 WC campaign. His notable goals, notwithstanding the WC ones, include 2 great solo efforts to knock out defending champions Celtic in a 3-2 victory in the European Cup, a winner in the Euro 1968 quarter final and an overhead kick that was voted as the goal of the season in Europe. Unfortunately, he was a bit like Hoeneß in that his career ended early when he was 27 due to injuries but at his peak, Byshovets was an electrifying goalscorer for both USSR and Dynamo Kiev.
Netzer scored 108 goals in 297 appearances for Gladbach whilst Wimmer had a cracking long range shot and boasted a respectable 51 goals in 366 appearances for Gladbach, despite predominantly being a rather defensive presence. Ball scored a ridiculous 67 goals in 156 league games during 1965-69 despite being an all-purpose midfield player.
Gadocha is the 4th highest goalscorer in Legia Warsaw history and had a one in three goalscoring record for them, in spite of being primarily the creative presence on the left. Law's goalscoring exploits are the stuff of legend and his 46 goals in a single season were so good, that he stunningly pipped Euro 1964 Player of the Tournament and European Cup 1964 Final's MOTM Luisito Suárez to the ballon d'Or. Had it not been for pesky knee injuries later on in his career, his goalscoring average would have been even better. Byshovets finished as top scorer for Dynamo Kiev thrice and scored 49 goals in 139 appearances for Maslov's Kiev whilst scoring 4 of USSR's 6 six goals in the 1970 WC campaign. His notable goals, notwithstanding the WC ones, include 2 great solo efforts to knock out defending champions Celtic in a 3-2 victory in the European Cup, a winner in the Euro 1968 quarter final and an overhead kick that was voted as the goal of the season in Europe. Unfortunately, he was a bit like Hoeneß in that his career ended early when he was 27 due to injuries but at his peak, Byshovets was an electrifying goalscorer for both USSR and Dynamo Kiev.
Team Invictus
Good luck @Joga Bonito! 
Wim Van Hanegem is the best pure central midfielder in the draft. A legendary player for the Netherlands national team, he is considered to be the greatest central midfielder in the history of Dutch football with Frank Rijkaard and Johan Neeskens; and the most talented player after the likes of Johan Cruyff and Marco Van Basten. Van Hanegem enjoys cult status at Ajax's fierce rivals, Feyenoord, whom he guided to the European Cup title in 1970, vs Jock Stein's Celtic; while playing under the iconic Ernst Happel.
Known as De Kromme (The Crooked), Van Hanegem was bending footballs before David Beckham was even born, and was famous for delivering the ball on a curve using the outside of his boot. Blessed with supreme vision, an imposing physique, playmaking skills, brilliant passing technique - both short and especially long, excellence in the air, endless stamina, and tactical intelligence (as is customary with most Dutch legends), Van Hanegem is one of the greatest and most passionate central midfielders to have ever played the game. And to top it all off, Van Hanegem scored a handsome 100 goals in 300 games for Feyenoord to underline his threat in front of goal.
To add to his playmaking skills, Van Hanegem was a comprehensive midfielder renowned for his legendary and aggressive box-to-box abilities, allying his supreme passing range and vision, with determination, blue collar team-work, doggedness, and tackling nous. Here he is playing for 1974 World Cup finalists Holland:
He is joined by the best pure right winger in the draft, a superstar of the greatest national team of all time - Brazil 1970, and the only player to have ever scored in each match of the World Cup for the eventual champions. The Brazilian legend, the greatest right winger in the world from the late 60s to mid 70s, the rightful heir to Garrincha for both Brazil and Botafogo, the man they called The Hurricane - Jairzinho.
A supremely gifted athlete, Jairzinho was a devastating offensive threat - renowned for his powerful runs, bamboozling dribbles, superb short passing, scintillating pace, and lethal shooting ability, evidenced by 33 goals for Brazil, 200+ goals for Botafogo, and an incredible 9 goals at the World Cups, third highest for a Brazilian player after Ronaldo and Pelé; and the highest for a winger after Helmut Rahn. To this day, Jairzinho is considered the greatest Brazilian winger after Garrincha, and a true national icon.
Jairzinho in action at the 1970 World Cup in Mexico, where he played a crucial role in winning the title for Brazil after facing Italy in the final. Scored 7 goals in 7 seven games, including the finals, and won the Silver Boot in the process:
Known as De Kromme (The Crooked), Van Hanegem was bending footballs before David Beckham was even born, and was famous for delivering the ball on a curve using the outside of his boot. Blessed with supreme vision, an imposing physique, playmaking skills, brilliant passing technique - both short and especially long, excellence in the air, endless stamina, and tactical intelligence (as is customary with most Dutch legends), Van Hanegem is one of the greatest and most passionate central midfielders to have ever played the game. And to top it all off, Van Hanegem scored a handsome 100 goals in 300 games for Feyenoord to underline his threat in front of goal.
To add to his playmaking skills, Van Hanegem was a comprehensive midfielder renowned for his legendary and aggressive box-to-box abilities, allying his supreme passing range and vision, with determination, blue collar team-work, doggedness, and tackling nous. Here he is playing for 1974 World Cup finalists Holland:
He is joined by the best pure right winger in the draft, a superstar of the greatest national team of all time - Brazil 1970, and the only player to have ever scored in each match of the World Cup for the eventual champions. The Brazilian legend, the greatest right winger in the world from the late 60s to mid 70s, the rightful heir to Garrincha for both Brazil and Botafogo, the man they called The Hurricane - Jairzinho.
A supremely gifted athlete, Jairzinho was a devastating offensive threat - renowned for his powerful runs, bamboozling dribbles, superb short passing, scintillating pace, and lethal shooting ability, evidenced by 33 goals for Brazil, 200+ goals for Botafogo, and an incredible 9 goals at the World Cups, third highest for a Brazilian player after Ronaldo and Pelé; and the highest for a winger after Helmut Rahn. To this day, Jairzinho is considered the greatest Brazilian winger after Garrincha, and a true national icon.
Jairzinho in action at the 1970 World Cup in Mexico, where he played a crucial role in winning the title for Brazil after facing Italy in the final. Scored 7 goals in 7 seven games, including the finals, and won the Silver Boot in the process:
Link to player profiles minus new additions
Defense
Ivo Viktor is the 11th outfield player. A marvelous shot stopper and dominant in the air, he had excellent control over his area, was comfortable on the ball, and can even be the genesis of the team's attacking moves. Keepers generally get marginalized in Fantasy Drafts, but against a striker like Law, Ivo's expertise in the air and bravery will definitely come in handy, qualities that made him one of the rare class of keepers to finish Top 3 in the Ballon D'Or.
The defensive line is marshaled by of one of the greatest central defenders and charismatic leaders of all time, and the second greatest South American defender of the 1960s : 'El Mariscal' Roberto Perfumo - the legendary Argentina captain who was famous for his toughness, positional intelligence, anticipation and covering skills. Joining him at the heart of the central defense is a man who complements him perfectly : 'The Bull', West German international Wolfgang Weber, a Köln legend and one of the best stoppers in the history of Germany who specialized in man marking, uncompromising stoutness, and tracking movement.
They are flanked by the no-nonsense Brazilian international Rildo da Costa, a star of Pelé's Santos team, and a player considered to be the most defensively astute Brazilian leftback of all time. Superb at marking, physically dominant, agile and an expert at slide tackling, he can isolate any dangers on the left side of the field.
Suurbier vs Real Madrid in the European Cup. Great blend of attacking venom, and defensive awareness.
Rounding up the defensive line is Wim Suurbier, The Flying Dutchman, one of the most legendary attacking rightbacks of all time, and the greatest Dutch rightback ever, who owned the entire right flank for both Ajax and The Netherlands during their Golden Age in the 1970s. More on Suurbier later, because stereotypical arguments regarding him might be forthcoming, and are expected.
Central Midfield
Although 2 players have been listed under his header, it's much more flexible than that. The advanced midfielder - Sandro Mazzola offers the versatility, defensive astuteness, tactical intelligence and experience to drift deeper, and flood the center of the pitch if need be, or form a marvelous transitional link. Arie Haan needs no introduction. An Ajax and Dutch legend, and a man renowned for being the most Total footballer even in Cruyff's totaalvoetbal team, he can be plugged in any position in the midfield and defense, and he'll do a superb job of it. Equally comfortable in defending, breaking down plays, marking, passing, covering for Suurbier like he did for Krol, or going for goal, he is one of the most intuitive and complete defensive midfielders of all time.
He is joined by his countryman, and the best [ire central midfielder in the entire draft - a man they called De Kromme, Wim Van Hanegem. He will help set the rhythm for the game, even with all the attacking and defensive talent on the pitch on both sides. His passing range is exceptional, his vision, technical ability, range, and tactical foresight in midfield is second to none in the draft. He can be the playmaker, the long passer, and a box-to-box simultaneously, and as a bonus - he provides an extremely gritty presence in the center of pitch with his exceptional tackling ability, and is a defensive buffer.
To quote Johan Cruyff “Van Hanegem has an advantage over me. When I have a bad game, I’m useless. When Van Hanegem has a bad game, he rolls up his sleeves and starts tackling”.
Advanced Midfield
This is where things start to get very, very tasty for those who prefer attacking football - this trio consists of some of the most decorated and the greatest attacking talents of time, and form IMO the greatest tandems in the entire draft. 9 time Ballon D'Or nominee Sandro Mazzola was the iconic attacking heart for some legendary Internazionale teams, led Italy to the 1968 European Championship, and the finals of the 1970 World Cup. And to add to his attacking genius, his work-rate was second to none, a quality which needs to be appreciated in tightly contested matches.
He is joined by 4 time Ballon D'Or nominee, the Bulgarian legend, Hristo Bonev. A god of the art of play making, he can dribble past opponents with ease, which allied with his superb vision, excellent positioning skills and awe-inspiring passing range makes him perfectly suited to the team. A tactically versatile player, he can stay out wide, or drift inside, he can take his markers out wide opening up spaces for the central attackers, he can come in to add to the volume when we need to attack, he can swing in crosses, and he scored about 250 goals for club and country.
To round things off, we have Jairzinho, one of the greatest wingers of all time, and the best pure right winger in the draft. A supremely gifted athlete, he was strong, and a devastating offensive threat - renowned for his powerful runs, bamboozling dribbles, superb short passing, scintillating pace, and lethal shooting ability, evidenced by 33 goals for Brazil, 200+ goals for Botafogo, and an incredible 9 goals at the World Cups, third highest for a Brazilian player after Ronaldo and Pelé; and the highest for a winger after Helmut Rahn.
Forwards
The Black Pearl, The Black Panther, O Rei, whatever you want to call him. Eusébio. 11 times Ballon D'Or nominee, multiple Golden Boot winner, the second highest European Cup scorer of all time, a frightening one man army, Eusébio doesn't even need any help to demolish a defense. And like the other attackers, he is versatile in his movement, passing, ultrafast, with exceptional dribbling skills, apart from providing yet another goal outlet - 679 goals in 678 games per FIFA, not too shabby that.
Gameplan
The team will play a balanced style, and seek to counter-attack when the opportunity presents itself, especially with two speed demons in Eusébio and Jairzinho. We will seek to dictate the flow of the game, and aim to control possession, but won't be super obsessed about it, let it become stale, or leave the defense stranded. Well timed runs, organisation, and team ethic when the ball is lost and we need to press - all the outfield players were tireless workers both offensively and defensively.
The defense will play a medium line, with only Suurbier allowed much positional freedom. The Marshal, Perfumo will be the leader of the pack, and will constantly bark positioning orders to maintain the integrity of the setup. It is stout enough to handle inevitable bombardments to Law, especially with Viktor's aerial prowess and feline shot-stopping skills.
On to the next level, both the central midfielders are ideal vanguards with their blend of positional intelligence, stamina, work-rate, wide array of passing, and grit. They are the ideal players for the scheme. With Haan, Van Hanegem and Mazzola, we can produce midfield trios that complement each other brilliantly, all of them are energetic and defensively aware, and highly composed on the ball. Haan is the do-it all type, who can mix roles between being a traditional defensive midfielder and a sweeper building from the back. Van Hanegem has immaculate touch, pass timing, and vision to go with great defensive responsibility, determination and tackling skills. Mazzola can effortlessly link the midfield to attack, and in Van Hanegem, he has a player not very dissimilar to 1960 Ballon D'Or winner Luis Suárez Miramontes, who had a telepathic link with Mazzola. Expect Van Hanegem and Mazzola to link up brilliantly in midfield areas, which will enhance the Haan-Suurbier-Van Hanegem link.
In attack, there is a core of 4 dynamic players who can all score (1500 goals between the lot), can all dribble, create chances for team-mates, 3 excellent headers of the ball in Bonev, Jarizinho and Eusébio, excellent free kick takers, all very hard workers and dynamic, and in Jairzinho and Bonev I have 2 attackers who can stretch the field, be goal-ward threats, or make all sorts of mazy runs to free space for Eusébio (who is multifunctional and can also recede deeper when needed) and Mazzola, be it sticking to the flank or drifting inwards. The opposition will have a very hard time countering the collective tempo of the attack, and extremely diverse goal threat and creativity they will provide.
Another key feature is the cross field and through ball passing ability of Van Hanegem and Mazzola. The former tied up with Suurbier for many moons, but the linkup with Jairzinho seems even more exciting for both Mazzola and Van Hanegem. One brilliant pass from Van Hanegem can help unleash The Hurricane on the opposition, not to mention an onrushing Eusébio. And in Arie Haan, Van Hanegem has the perfect partner. Haan bears uncanny resemblance to Wim Jansen, Van Hanegem's partner in crime at Feyenoord, and one might argue Haan is a superior player to Jansen. Expect the Dutch trio to transition all that into this match.
Why we should win
1. Extremely threatening, fluid and diverse attack with multiple match-winners. Eusébio and Jairzinho are forces of nature, not just great footballers, but marvelous athletes, who will need to be double marked to reduce their effectiveness just a tad. Then there are Mazzola and Bonev, not to mention Van Hanegen, Haan, and Suurbier who add more goal threat. Feel that the attacking unit is packed to the rafters. We will seek to, and likely outscore the opposition. Another beautiful aspect is the wonderful blend of physicality, defensive work-rate, creativity, and finishing ability I have in the unit, which will resonate throughout the rest of the team.
2. Balanced, hardworking, and technically superb midfield, combined with chemistry. With Haan acting as the defensive screen, Van Hanegem is his usual conductor/ flex box to box role/, and Mazzola providing an outlet as the roving attacking midfielder who can also tuck in deeper, this area of the the pitch is both a steely buffer in front of the backline, and the platform for the attack. Haan played for Holland with Van Hanegem, and is similar to Van Hanegem's Feyenoord team-mate Wim Jansen. Van Hanegem is also similar to Mazzola's Le Grande Inter cohort, Luis Suárez Miramontes, with whom Mazzola formed a telepathic understanding. Feel that the trio will mesh really, really well and operate on a similar mental wavelength as a consequence. It also opens up the opportunities for some exquisite triangles: Van Hanegem-Mazzola-Jairzinho, Van Hanegem-Mazzola-Bonev, up top to Eusébio, out wide and drifting in, Suurbier stretching the field further for his Dutch team-mate Van Hanegem's fabled long passes, and Rildo overlapping with calculated forays forward. The possibilities are endless.
3. Stable, and complementary defense that knows its assignments. The team might not have a marquee player like Beckenbauer, Moore or Figueroa in the central defense, but Perfumo is a defensive legend in his own right. With Weber, he forms a gritty, compact, solid center-back pairing, who know their assignments, and are very well rounded from a defensive standpoint. Perfumo especially is an all-time great, a well known leader, and will always look to align the defensive line. Rildo was a man marker extraordinaire and a balanced leftback for Brazil and Santos; and on the opposite side is Holland's greatest ever right back - Wim Suurbier, who boasts infinite stamina in recovery to go with his significant attacking menace. Haan and Van Hanegem form solid foils for the defense, and will stop the opposition from pouring forward centrally, and possess magnificent work-rate to go with their tackling ability.
A few individual match-ups and positions will be addressed in-game.
The team will play a balanced style, and seek to counter-attack when the opportunity presents itself, especially with two speed demons in Eusébio and Jairzinho. We will seek to dictate the flow of the game, and aim to control possession, but won't be super obsessed about it, let it become stale, or leave the defense stranded. Well timed runs, organisation, and team ethic when the ball is lost and we need to press - all the outfield players were tireless workers both offensively and defensively.
The defense will play a medium line, with only Suurbier allowed much positional freedom. The Marshal, Perfumo will be the leader of the pack, and will constantly bark positioning orders to maintain the integrity of the setup. It is stout enough to handle inevitable bombardments to Law, especially with Viktor's aerial prowess and feline shot-stopping skills.
Whilst the opposing team has Franz Beckenbauer - the standout defensive presence in this match, or any other match for that matter, take a load of these guys:
Wolfgang Weber is the illustrious West German defender from Köln's glory days with GOAT candidate left-back Karl-Heinz Schnellinger, and Wolfgang Overath; who led the club to 2 Bundesliga titles; was 3 times runner up in the Bundesiga, 3 times German Cup winner, and 3 times German Cup runner up. He had 53 caps for the West German national team, was voted the best defender in the Bundesliga, reached the finals of the 1966 World Cup, and was famously the player who leveled the scores against England at Wembley. A tough tackler, and a gritty no-nonsense blue collar worker, he is a brick wall for opposition attackers. Rated World Class 3 times in 4 seasons by Kicker, and International Class 8 times. That's a mighty impressive record if I may say so myself.
He's also rated among the top 5 stoppers in the history of the German national team:
Weber's central defensive partner and the brain of the backline is one of the greatest defenders in the history of football - former Argentine legend, captain of the national team, Copa Libertadores and Intercontinental Cup winning defensive stalwart Roberto Perfumo - who was known as 'El Mariscal' or The Marshall of defense, for his ability to single-handedly control the entire defensive line, lead the back four with his tactical insight and vocal presence, and having the knack for always being in the right place at the right time to avert danger. His positioning skills and intuition for defense were a sight to behold, and infact, he was considered the best central defender in South America behind only Elías Figueroa for the bulk of the 1960s, and the greatest Argentina defender of all time after two time World Cup winner, Daniel Passarella. It's no coincidence that he's an ever-present figure in almost every Argentina all time XI.
Maradona on his fellow Argentine legend:
http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2002/may/19/worldcupfootball2002.football2
So while Beckenbauer is Beckenbauer, no doubt about it; as a combination - Perfumo and Weber are a scary duo. And they perfect for each other in terms of their individual skillset - tackling, shrewdness, toughness, marking, being thorough in their defensive assignments - you name, they have it all. Another aspect to their style of play is that they are both pure defenders. No frills, no showboating, no barnstorming runs. They are gritty men at work, armed and ready for trench warfare from the very beginning; and stopping any and all attempts at goal.
With Ivo Viktor (one of only 6 keepers to ever place in the Top 3 in the Ballon D'Or - superb in the air and an expert at blanketing crosses or lofted deliveries; a dominant, acrobatic, heroic figure that led unfancied Czechoslovakia to victory in EURO 1976) behind them; Santos legend Rildo da Costa (one of the greatest Brazilian leftbacks of all time, and arguably the greatest defensive leftback out of the country); and Wim Suurbier with his relentless energy and work-ethic flanking them, they have the capacity to be unyielding, and suffocate the opposition attacker(s). Especially when operating with a screen of Haan and Van Hanegem, and to a lesser extent Mazzola ahead of them.
Wolfgang Weber is the illustrious West German defender from Köln's glory days with GOAT candidate left-back Karl-Heinz Schnellinger, and Wolfgang Overath; who led the club to 2 Bundesliga titles; was 3 times runner up in the Bundesiga, 3 times German Cup winner, and 3 times German Cup runner up. He had 53 caps for the West German national team, was voted the best defender in the Bundesliga, reached the finals of the 1966 World Cup, and was famously the player who leveled the scores against England at Wembley. A tough tackler, and a gritty no-nonsense blue collar worker, he is a brick wall for opposition attackers. Rated World Class 3 times in 4 seasons by Kicker, and International Class 8 times. That's a mighty impressive record if I may say so myself.
He's also rated among the top 5 stoppers in the history of the German national team:
Weber's central defensive partner and the brain of the backline is one of the greatest defenders in the history of football - former Argentine legend, captain of the national team, Copa Libertadores and Intercontinental Cup winning defensive stalwart Roberto Perfumo - who was known as 'El Mariscal' or The Marshall of defense, for his ability to single-handedly control the entire defensive line, lead the back four with his tactical insight and vocal presence, and having the knack for always being in the right place at the right time to avert danger. His positioning skills and intuition for defense were a sight to behold, and infact, he was considered the best central defender in South America behind only Elías Figueroa for the bulk of the 1960s, and the greatest Argentina defender of all time after two time World Cup winner, Daniel Passarella. It's no coincidence that he's an ever-present figure in almost every Argentina all time XI.
Maradona on his fellow Argentine legend:
http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2002/may/19/worldcupfootball2002.football2
So while Beckenbauer is Beckenbauer, no doubt about it; as a combination - Perfumo and Weber are a scary duo. And they perfect for each other in terms of their individual skillset - tackling, shrewdness, toughness, marking, being thorough in their defensive assignments - you name, they have it all. Another aspect to their style of play is that they are both pure defenders. No frills, no showboating, no barnstorming runs. They are gritty men at work, armed and ready for trench warfare from the very beginning; and stopping any and all attempts at goal.
With Ivo Viktor (one of only 6 keepers to ever place in the Top 3 in the Ballon D'Or - superb in the air and an expert at blanketing crosses or lofted deliveries; a dominant, acrobatic, heroic figure that led unfancied Czechoslovakia to victory in EURO 1976) behind them; Santos legend Rildo da Costa (one of the greatest Brazilian leftbacks of all time, and arguably the greatest defensive leftback out of the country); and Wim Suurbier with his relentless energy and work-ethic flanking them, they have the capacity to be unyielding, and suffocate the opposition attacker(s). Especially when operating with a screen of Haan and Van Hanegem, and to a lesser extent Mazzola ahead of them.
On to the next level, both the central midfielders are ideal vanguards with their blend of positional intelligence, stamina, work-rate, wide array of passing, and grit. They are the ideal players for the scheme. With Haan, Van Hanegem and Mazzola, we can produce midfield trios that complement each other brilliantly, all of them are energetic and defensively aware, and highly composed on the ball. Haan is the do-it all type, who can mix roles between being a traditional defensive midfielder and a sweeper building from the back. Van Hanegem has immaculate touch, pass timing, and vision to go with great defensive responsibility, determination and tackling skills. Mazzola can effortlessly link the midfield to attack, and in Van Hanegem, he has a player not very dissimilar to 1960 Ballon D'Or winner Luis Suárez Miramontes, who had a telepathic link with Mazzola. Expect Van Hanegem and Mazzola to link up brilliantly in midfield areas, which will enhance the Haan-Suurbier-Van Hanegem link.
In attack, there is a core of 4 dynamic players who can all score (1500 goals between the lot), can all dribble, create chances for team-mates, 3 excellent headers of the ball in Bonev, Jarizinho and Eusébio, excellent free kick takers, all very hard workers and dynamic, and in Jairzinho and Bonev I have 2 attackers who can stretch the field, be goal-ward threats, or make all sorts of mazy runs to free space for Eusébio (who is multifunctional and can also recede deeper when needed) and Mazzola, be it sticking to the flank or drifting inwards. The opposition will have a very hard time countering the collective tempo of the attack, and extremely diverse goal threat and creativity they will provide.
Another key feature is the cross field and through ball passing ability of Van Hanegem and Mazzola. The former tied up with Suurbier for many moons, but the linkup with Jairzinho seems even more exciting for both Mazzola and Van Hanegem. One brilliant pass from Van Hanegem can help unleash The Hurricane on the opposition, not to mention an onrushing Eusébio. And in Arie Haan, Van Hanegem has the perfect partner. Haan bears uncanny resemblance to Wim Jansen, Van Hanegem's partner in crime at Feyenoord, and one might argue Haan is a superior player to Jansen. Expect the Dutch trio to transition all that into this match.
Why we should win
1. Extremely threatening, fluid and diverse attack with multiple match-winners. Eusébio and Jairzinho are forces of nature, not just great footballers, but marvelous athletes, who will need to be double marked to reduce their effectiveness just a tad. Then there are Mazzola and Bonev, not to mention Van Hanegen, Haan, and Suurbier who add more goal threat. Feel that the attacking unit is packed to the rafters. We will seek to, and likely outscore the opposition. Another beautiful aspect is the wonderful blend of physicality, defensive work-rate, creativity, and finishing ability I have in the unit, which will resonate throughout the rest of the team.
2. Balanced, hardworking, and technically superb midfield, combined with chemistry. With Haan acting as the defensive screen, Van Hanegem is his usual conductor/ flex box to box role/, and Mazzola providing an outlet as the roving attacking midfielder who can also tuck in deeper, this area of the the pitch is both a steely buffer in front of the backline, and the platform for the attack. Haan played for Holland with Van Hanegem, and is similar to Van Hanegem's Feyenoord team-mate Wim Jansen. Van Hanegem is also similar to Mazzola's Le Grande Inter cohort, Luis Suárez Miramontes, with whom Mazzola formed a telepathic understanding. Feel that the trio will mesh really, really well and operate on a similar mental wavelength as a consequence. It also opens up the opportunities for some exquisite triangles: Van Hanegem-Mazzola-Jairzinho, Van Hanegem-Mazzola-Bonev, up top to Eusébio, out wide and drifting in, Suurbier stretching the field further for his Dutch team-mate Van Hanegem's fabled long passes, and Rildo overlapping with calculated forays forward. The possibilities are endless.
3. Stable, and complementary defense that knows its assignments. The team might not have a marquee player like Beckenbauer, Moore or Figueroa in the central defense, but Perfumo is a defensive legend in his own right. With Weber, he forms a gritty, compact, solid center-back pairing, who know their assignments, and are very well rounded from a defensive standpoint. Perfumo especially is an all-time great, a well known leader, and will always look to align the defensive line. Rildo was a man marker extraordinaire and a balanced leftback for Brazil and Santos; and on the opposite side is Holland's greatest ever right back - Wim Suurbier, who boasts infinite stamina in recovery to go with his significant attacking menace. Haan and Van Hanegem form solid foils for the defense, and will stop the opposition from pouring forward centrally, and possess magnificent work-rate to go with their tackling ability.
A few individual match-ups and positions will be addressed in-game.
Everything seems A-OK for team #2. Cheers @Aldo!
Wait, could you please delete the spoiler under the Gameplan bit @Aldo? Don't think everything got linked, a few screencaps and quotes are missing. Might be a better idea for me to paste it here itself.
Whilst the opposing team has Franz Beckenbauer - the standout defensive presence in this match, or any other match for that matter, take a load of these guys:
Wolfgang Weber is the illustrious West German defender from Köln's glory days with GOAT candidate left-back Karl-Heinz Schnellinger, and Wolfgang Overath; who led the club to 2 Bundesliga titles; was 3 times runner up in the Bundesiga, 3 times German Cup winner, and 3 times German Cup runner up. He had 53 caps for the West German national team, was voted the best defender in the Bundesliga, reached the finals of the 1966 World Cup, and was famously the player who leveled the scores against England at Wembley. A tough tackler, and a gritty no-nonsense blue collar worker, he is a brick wall for opposition attackers. Rated World Class 3 times in 4 seasons by Kicker, and International Class 8 times. That's a mighty impressive record if I may say so myself.
So while Beckenbauer is Beckenbauer, no doubt about it; as a combination - Perfumo and Weber are a scary duo. And they perfect for each other in terms of their individual skillset - tackling, shrewdness, toughness, marking, being thorough in their defensive assignments - you name, they have it all. Another aspect to their style of play is that they are both pure defenders. No frills, no showboating, no barnstorming runs. They are gritty men at work, armed and ready for trench warfare from the very beginning; and stopping any and all attempts at goal.
With Ivo Viktor (one of only 6 keepers to ever place in the Top 3 in the Ballon D'Or - superb in the air and an expert at blanketing crosses or lofted deliveries; a dominant, acrobatic, heroic figure that led unfancied Czechoslovakia to victory in EURO 1976) behind them; Santos legend Rildo da Costa (one of the greatest Brazilian leftbacks of all time, and arguably the greatest defensive leftback out of the country); and Wim Suurbier with his relentless energy and work-ethic flanking them, they have the capacity to be unyielding, and suffocate the opposition attacker(s). Especially when operating with a screen of Haan and Van Hanegem, and to a lesser extent Mazzola ahead of them.
Whilst the opposing team has Franz Beckenbauer - the standout defensive presence in this match, or any other match for that matter, take a load of these guys:
Wolfgang Weber is the illustrious West German defender from Köln's glory days with GOAT candidate left-back Karl-Heinz Schnellinger, and Wolfgang Overath; who led the club to 2 Bundesliga titles; was 3 times runner up in the Bundesiga, 3 times German Cup winner, and 3 times German Cup runner up. He had 53 caps for the West German national team, was voted the best defender in the Bundesliga, reached the finals of the 1966 World Cup, and was famously the player who leveled the scores against England at Wembley. A tough tackler, and a gritty no-nonsense blue collar worker, he is a brick wall for opposition attackers. Rated World Class 3 times in 4 seasons by Kicker, and International Class 8 times. That's a mighty impressive record if I may say so myself.
He's also rated among the top 5 stoppers in the history of the German national team:
Weber's central defensive partner and the brain of the backline is one of the greatest defenders in the history of football - former Argentine legend, captain of the national team, Copa Libertadores and Intercontinental Cup winning defensive stalwart Roberto Perfumo - who was known as 'El Mariscal' or The Marshall of defense, for his ability to single-handedly control the entire defensive line, lead the back four with his tactical insight and vocal presence, and having the knack for always being in the right place at the right time to avert danger. His positioning skills and intuition for defense were a sight to behold, and infact, he was considered the best central defender in South America behind only Elías Figueroa for the bulk of the 1960s, and the greatest Argentina defender of all time after two time World Cup winner, Daniel Passarella. It's no coincidence that he's an ever-present figure in almost every Argentina all time XI.
Maradona on his fellow Argentine legend:
http://www.theguardian.com/sport/2002/may/19/worldcupfootball2002.football2
So while Beckenbauer is Beckenbauer, no doubt about it; as a combination - Perfumo and Weber are a scary duo. And they perfect for each other in terms of their individual skillset - tackling, shrewdness, toughness, marking, being thorough in their defensive assignments - you name, they have it all. Another aspect to their style of play is that they are both pure defenders. No frills, no showboating, no barnstorming runs. They are gritty men at work, armed and ready for trench warfare from the very beginning; and stopping any and all attempts at goal.
With Ivo Viktor (one of only 6 keepers to ever place in the Top 3 in the Ballon D'Or - superb in the air and an expert at blanketing crosses or lofted deliveries; a dominant, acrobatic, heroic figure that led unfancied Czechoslovakia to victory in EURO 1976) behind them; Santos legend Rildo da Costa (one of the greatest Brazilian leftbacks of all time, and arguably the greatest defensive leftback out of the country); and Wim Suurbier with his relentless energy and work-ethic flanking them, they have the capacity to be unyielding, and suffocate the opposition attacker(s). Especially when operating with a screen of Haan and Van Hanegem, and to a lesser extent Mazzola ahead of them.
Went for joga, after reading his write up on netzer in the game against skizzo. Meant to vote then for him too but couldnt be online in time.
I'm not voting in this one because I can't pick between the two -- both write ups are excellent though.
I thought you were going to vote for Skizzo when I saw this
Anyway, don't vote for me just because of my write-up/effort aloneSorry @Skizzo, I just got home now. Bad day in office(Yes, I had to go in on a weekend too
, that makes me feel bad and it's not like Invictus hasn't put in a lot of work too. Just vote for the better team mate.Anyway @Invictus that's a fine team right there. Straight off the bat, I'm not quite sure whether that is an optimal role for Bonev in an outside left role, esp with the rather defensive minded Rildo as the left back behind him. From what I've seen of him, he seems like an elegant central playmaker with fine ball-carrying abilities and a keen eye for goal. Don't recall him playing a role akin to the one he is playing now. Ultimately, imo, that fairly narrow left side results in a fairly lopsided side which might prove to be slightly detrimental to the fluidity that you are trying to achieve overall.
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This is close! Wow to both teams.
btw, I didn't miss your game vs Aldo? When is it?
Think I said this last match, Mazzola and Eusebio are not complimentary at all. Both prefer to attack from Inside Right channel and I certainly think pushing Eusebio left will not get the best out of him. Add in a cutting in Jairzinho, it'll be a lot of overlaps.
Still with van Hanegem too, he has loads of individual star power to hammer in a goal. I think Wimmer is a bit out matched in here. Kaizer would help out ofc, but I think Invictus will still get a score or two.
Not sure who has the edge. Will read more...
Still with van Hanegem too, he has loads of individual star power to hammer in a goal. I think Wimmer is a bit out matched in here. Kaizer would help out ofc, but I think Invictus will still get a score or two.
Not sure who has the edge. Will read more...
Our write up is with Aldo since day before. He should have had ample time writing a line by line counter to our tactics, huh @Aldo?
Bonev was always quite famous for his ability to be a play-maker from wider areas mate. Modern football sometimes has a tendency to pigeon hole certain players into extremely myopic roles, which doesn't do multi positional experts like Bonev any justice. And not just the left flank, he was quite adept on the right flank too.
Also, whilst Rildo was defensive minded, he was defensive minded for a Brazilian leftback, which is probably balanced for the attacking standards of football everywhere else (even scored in his Brazil debut after surging forward!). He will definitely try to overlap when the opportunity arises, no doubt about it. One could compare him to a Marzolini for example. Not qualitatively, of course, Silvio is arguably a Top 10 all time contender for fullbacks. But in the sense that he won't shirk his defensive responsibilities whilst also participating in the attacking game.
Furthermore, I can also create width with Van Hanegem and Eusébio operating in their favored left channels. Width is more than covered IMO.
Both teams deserve a semi-final spot.
The way I see it is that I'd have the edge in the possession stakes here, with the best player on the pitch in Beckenabauer and arguably the best playmaker on the pitch in Netzer (van Hanegem was the more all-round playmaker but in terms of pure playmaking I'd give Netzer the edge myself) - a proven combo to boot too. Tbf, Invictus is well within his rights to claim otherwise given that he sports an excellent creative trio in Mazzola-van Hanegem-Haan but it's hard to overlook Beckenbauer-Netzer who blended incisive and possession football to perfection for the 1972 German vintage.
Invictus's team possesses tremendous pace and goalscoring threat, esp on the counter with Eusebio and Jairzinho in particular. This is where I think Beckenbauer and Schwarzenbeck would come in handy imo, (have a peek at the 2nd point under Key points in the OP if you can). They were a complementary pair but the beauty in their partnership was that they were both comfortable at sitting deep and setting the stall up, or playing a more proactive game, in matches where they dominate possession like in Euro 1972 for example, with Beckenbauer playing a proactive presence and Schwarzenbeck sweeping everything behind him. They were capable of reversing that role too, both on the ball and off - immense chemistry and tactical nous it has to be said.
That in addition to Wimmer who was nicknamed Iron Lung for his boundless energy reserves and his unmatched ability to be an ubiquitous presence all over the pitch. His intelligent gameplay tends to be underrated given that, not only was he required to function as a defensive player in midfield, he was also required to provide plenty of movement on the ball, constantly stretching play and provide runs in a supporting manner. All that in addition to being well versed in the defensive art of covering in a fluid total footballing side. I'd upload a gif or two to highlight his rather unique gameplay and also his brilliant dribbling and ball-carrying ability. Wimmer here shouldn't just be judged on his individual ability alone and he was an excellent individual, but on what he brings to the side as a whole. In fact I even passed up on the best pure holding midfielder in the draft to get Wimmer, so it wasn't just a case of me trying to reunite Netzer with Wimmer and tbh, the only player that I'd have above him in this set-up is Haan.
Keep in mind that Ball would actively take part in the defensive side of the game and he was real terrier like presence on the pitch. Constantly harrying and hounding whilst never shirking from his defensive duties. He was a player who could actively influence proceeding on both halves of the pitch, providing quality service, endless movement, width and ability to stifle opposition players, track runners etc. He is arguably the most industrious player on the pitch and even then I'm not so sure with Wimmer in the side as well. Would post a gif or two of him later too.
My defense sports the greatest Rangers player of all time and someone who was frequently tasked with dealing one Jimmy Johnstone. A player who was the Scottish captain and one of their best players ever in an era boasting the likes of Johnstone, Bremner, Mackay, McNeill, Jardine, Law etc. Likewise Reaney can lay claim to the herculean feat of being George Best's chief tormentor. Not saying that it means they are going to shut down Jairzinho or Bonev but they would do their best to stifle their impacts on the match, without being overmatched. Invictus has a great attack but my defense isn't one that will be breached easily imo,
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Here is a great article on the Euro 1972 winning team that Germany had for those interested.
Given the prickly history of the country, it’s not exactly surprising that the German national team have been given a somewhat militarised reputation. The ice-cool, brutal effectiveness associated with the nation’s footballers may not be as menacing as its combatant equivalent – in fact, there’s little in the way of real negatives to take from the stereotypes beyond the issue of stereotyping itself – but the white-shirted machine gives the German team an unjust air of evil. The attractive football of the youthful 2010 side went some way to shifting the reputation, yet the multicultural make-up of the team simply prompted discussions about social change in Germany – which is a nice little narrative but only really seems to solidify the original stereotype of the German team.
The prime example of this is their 1974 World Cup win, where they defeated the Johan Cruyff-led Dutch side that had won the hearts of neutrals. A goal from Gerd Muller may have stolen the trophy for the duller team that day, however, just two years before, West Germany had been playing football entertaining enough to rival the more famous Dutch side.
Coming out of the 1970 World Cup, the three favourites for the European Championship were West Germany, England and Italy. England had been knocked out at the quarter final stage by the West Germans and they had been knocked out in the “game of the century” by Italy, who went on to lose to Brazil in the final. Without Brazil to worry about, the trophy was all but guaranteed to head to one of that trio – each of them waltzing undefeated through the group stages of qualifying.
The now outdated fixture set-up meant what was essentially the quarter-finals was the last stage of qualifying, a two-legged play-off taking place about a month before the official tournament. For the second time in just under two years, rivals England and West Germany were drawn together – the first major test for Helmut Schoen’s men.
Despite the much-discussed contrasts of the side two years later, the 1972 West German team were remarkably similar to the Dutch Total Football team: lined up in a 1-3-3-3 formation, playing a passing game with elements of universality. They didn’t mimic the pressing game of the Dutch, but then no one really has matched it in the 40 years since they caught the attentions of football fans the world over. Like most teams of the time, they sat back, opting to only close down on an individual basis sporadically.
Ahead of legendary goalkeeper Sepp Maier was Franz Beckenbauer at sweeper. In their previous clashes with England, Beckenbauer had been played in midfield but the retirement of Willi Schulz meant he dropped back into the defence. Schulz had been a conservative sweeper – a very good defender who was neat yet unspectacular with the ball. Beckenbauer was not. Regularly pointed out as one of, if not the, best liberi of all time, Beckenbauer was world class as a midfielder, so his elegance and attacking ability was unmatched by any other defender at the time.
He was positioned alongside Hans-Georg Schwarzenbeck, his defensive partner at Bayern Munich. What Schwarzenbeck lacked in Beckenbauer’s elegance, he made up for with his physical man-marking and tough tackling. As he said himself, “Franz reminds me of my old teacher in the printing office. He handled printing ink all day long but still his hands always were clean. I, however, only had to look at the printing machine and I already would get dirty!” Nevertheless Schwarzenback was a very good defender in his own right and his eleven-year partnership with Beckenbauer allowed them to develop a perfect understanding, complementing each other excellently.
At full-back were Paul Breitner and Horst-Dieter Hoettges – Breitner’s reputation precedes him, but Hoettges was also very comfortable going forward as well as being a tough defender. The two were also happy to switch sides at will, although Breitner was nominally the left-back and Hoettges the right-back. Having them alongside Beckenbauer meant West Germany had three defenders able to carry or pass the ball out from the back, making it easier for them to build attacks and outnumber the opposition.
In midfield, Herbert Wimmer did most of the defensive legwork on the left side of the trio. Starting out as a winger, “Iron Lung” became a more defensive player as his career progressed. Despite his strong running and pinpoint passing, he essentially just did the donkey work for Borussia Monchengladbach teammate Gunter Netzer, the undoubted star of the West German team. Beckenbauer’s name may resonate more today, but it was Netzer who pulled the strings for that side – his outright refusal to do any defensive work gifting him the ability to drift around the pitch, finding the space to link play. It was said his large feet gave him extra control over the ball, enabling his long raking passes and bursting dribbles.
On the right of the midfield was the surprisingly attacking choice of Uli Hoeness. Typically more of an attacker, the youngster was moved into a deeper role, but it was barely noticeable. Along with left winger Siegfried Held, Hoeness roamed all across the field, popping up anywhere there was space. Jurgen Grabowski played more rigidly, spending most of his time wide on the right, while Muller led the line. Even he, goalscorer extraordinaire, would frequently look to drop between the opposition defence and midfield though.
Seemingly their own progression from the Mighty Magyar Hungarian side of the 1950s, West Germany had the same slick movement and passing carousel of the Dutch side. As everyone did, they headed to Wembley as underdogs, but nevertheless looking a stern test for England.
Alf Ramsey set up his team in a 4-3-3 formation – a possible reaction to the retirement of Bobby Charlton or the repositioning of Beckenbauer. In their previous meetings, Charlton had been the one to keep Beckenbauer busy – his substitution the point where England lost their footing in the 1970 quarter final – but with him now retired someone else had to do it. With Beckenbauer now moved into defence, his direct opponent would have to be a forward, resulting in the 4-3-3 and also replacing Charlton’s missing goal threat. The removal of an extra midfielder, particularly one as good as Charlton, called for the midfield trio to be more creative. Although it could have simply been Ramsey underestimating West Germany, the midfield of Alan Ball, Colin Bell and Martin Peters looked good for England’s own chance creation, yet lacked the Nobby Stiles figure that could help stop the Germans from creating chances of their own.
The result was that West Germany were able to manipulate space to the point were England could barely compete. They could confront the West German defenders, but their comfort on the ball meant they could simply roll it out to the midfield. The midfield, with Netzer as its fulcrum, would slowly probe, hitting it wide then pulling it back into the centre; forwards would come deep, giving a short option only to lay it off again; eventually, enough space would be found and the killer pass would slip through. It was good even by today’s standards, so imagine its impression at a time when the idea of movement was still quite fresh.
It took West Germany 27 minutes to break the deadlock, Hoeness finishing off some neat interplay after the English defence sloppily gave the ball away, but they could have had quite a few more before England got some control of the game, managing to equalise through Francis Lee. The constant stretching the West Germans forced them to endure had left the English tired though, so it was little surprise when, with little over five minutes to go, the aging Bobby Moore tripped up Held to concede a penalty. Netzer slotted it away and Muller made sure of the victory a few minutes later with one of his trademark spins.
England could not reply over the course of the return leg in Berlin, so West Germany were the ones to head to Belgium, drawn against the hosts in the semi-finals. Against the odds, Belgium had defeated the other favourite, Italy, with a set-piece and some back to the walls defending. West Germany, with their flexible attacking, found it easier to break them down – Muller getting a brace to send them through to the final. The Soviet Union seemed resigned to their fate, probably pleased to have gotten that far, as the West Germans tore them apart in their 3-0 win.
West Germany had conquered Europe in style and two years later they would conquer the world on home soil, while those who had been their main competition for the European Championship would collapse: England not even qualifying and Italy exiting at the group stages. The World Cup win was notably less stylish however – the maverick Netzer replaced by the excellent but more conservative Wolfgang Overath. The Germans became more pragmatic, gaining a reputation for efficiency instead of beauty, although had they continued along the path they unveiled at Euro 72, they could today be seen more akin to the Dutch.
The prime example of this is their 1974 World Cup win, where they defeated the Johan Cruyff-led Dutch side that had won the hearts of neutrals. A goal from Gerd Muller may have stolen the trophy for the duller team that day, however, just two years before, West Germany had been playing football entertaining enough to rival the more famous Dutch side.
Coming out of the 1970 World Cup, the three favourites for the European Championship were West Germany, England and Italy. England had been knocked out at the quarter final stage by the West Germans and they had been knocked out in the “game of the century” by Italy, who went on to lose to Brazil in the final. Without Brazil to worry about, the trophy was all but guaranteed to head to one of that trio – each of them waltzing undefeated through the group stages of qualifying.
The now outdated fixture set-up meant what was essentially the quarter-finals was the last stage of qualifying, a two-legged play-off taking place about a month before the official tournament. For the second time in just under two years, rivals England and West Germany were drawn together – the first major test for Helmut Schoen’s men.
Despite the much-discussed contrasts of the side two years later, the 1972 West German team were remarkably similar to the Dutch Total Football team: lined up in a 1-3-3-3 formation, playing a passing game with elements of universality. They didn’t mimic the pressing game of the Dutch, but then no one really has matched it in the 40 years since they caught the attentions of football fans the world over. Like most teams of the time, they sat back, opting to only close down on an individual basis sporadically.
Ahead of legendary goalkeeper Sepp Maier was Franz Beckenbauer at sweeper. In their previous clashes with England, Beckenbauer had been played in midfield but the retirement of Willi Schulz meant he dropped back into the defence. Schulz had been a conservative sweeper – a very good defender who was neat yet unspectacular with the ball. Beckenbauer was not. Regularly pointed out as one of, if not the, best liberi of all time, Beckenbauer was world class as a midfielder, so his elegance and attacking ability was unmatched by any other defender at the time.
He was positioned alongside Hans-Georg Schwarzenbeck, his defensive partner at Bayern Munich. What Schwarzenbeck lacked in Beckenbauer’s elegance, he made up for with his physical man-marking and tough tackling. As he said himself, “Franz reminds me of my old teacher in the printing office. He handled printing ink all day long but still his hands always were clean. I, however, only had to look at the printing machine and I already would get dirty!” Nevertheless Schwarzenback was a very good defender in his own right and his eleven-year partnership with Beckenbauer allowed them to develop a perfect understanding, complementing each other excellently.
At full-back were Paul Breitner and Horst-Dieter Hoettges – Breitner’s reputation precedes him, but Hoettges was also very comfortable going forward as well as being a tough defender. The two were also happy to switch sides at will, although Breitner was nominally the left-back and Hoettges the right-back. Having them alongside Beckenbauer meant West Germany had three defenders able to carry or pass the ball out from the back, making it easier for them to build attacks and outnumber the opposition.
In midfield, Herbert Wimmer did most of the defensive legwork on the left side of the trio. Starting out as a winger, “Iron Lung” became a more defensive player as his career progressed. Despite his strong running and pinpoint passing, he essentially just did the donkey work for Borussia Monchengladbach teammate Gunter Netzer, the undoubted star of the West German team. Beckenbauer’s name may resonate more today, but it was Netzer who pulled the strings for that side – his outright refusal to do any defensive work gifting him the ability to drift around the pitch, finding the space to link play. It was said his large feet gave him extra control over the ball, enabling his long raking passes and bursting dribbles.
On the right of the midfield was the surprisingly attacking choice of Uli Hoeness. Typically more of an attacker, the youngster was moved into a deeper role, but it was barely noticeable. Along with left winger Siegfried Held, Hoeness roamed all across the field, popping up anywhere there was space. Jurgen Grabowski played more rigidly, spending most of his time wide on the right, while Muller led the line. Even he, goalscorer extraordinaire, would frequently look to drop between the opposition defence and midfield though.
Seemingly their own progression from the Mighty Magyar Hungarian side of the 1950s, West Germany had the same slick movement and passing carousel of the Dutch side. As everyone did, they headed to Wembley as underdogs, but nevertheless looking a stern test for England.
Alf Ramsey set up his team in a 4-3-3 formation – a possible reaction to the retirement of Bobby Charlton or the repositioning of Beckenbauer. In their previous meetings, Charlton had been the one to keep Beckenbauer busy – his substitution the point where England lost their footing in the 1970 quarter final – but with him now retired someone else had to do it. With Beckenbauer now moved into defence, his direct opponent would have to be a forward, resulting in the 4-3-3 and also replacing Charlton’s missing goal threat. The removal of an extra midfielder, particularly one as good as Charlton, called for the midfield trio to be more creative. Although it could have simply been Ramsey underestimating West Germany, the midfield of Alan Ball, Colin Bell and Martin Peters looked good for England’s own chance creation, yet lacked the Nobby Stiles figure that could help stop the Germans from creating chances of their own.
The result was that West Germany were able to manipulate space to the point were England could barely compete. They could confront the West German defenders, but their comfort on the ball meant they could simply roll it out to the midfield. The midfield, with Netzer as its fulcrum, would slowly probe, hitting it wide then pulling it back into the centre; forwards would come deep, giving a short option only to lay it off again; eventually, enough space would be found and the killer pass would slip through. It was good even by today’s standards, so imagine its impression at a time when the idea of movement was still quite fresh.
It took West Germany 27 minutes to break the deadlock, Hoeness finishing off some neat interplay after the English defence sloppily gave the ball away, but they could have had quite a few more before England got some control of the game, managing to equalise through Francis Lee. The constant stretching the West Germans forced them to endure had left the English tired though, so it was little surprise when, with little over five minutes to go, the aging Bobby Moore tripped up Held to concede a penalty. Netzer slotted it away and Muller made sure of the victory a few minutes later with one of his trademark spins.
England could not reply over the course of the return leg in Berlin, so West Germany were the ones to head to Belgium, drawn against the hosts in the semi-finals. Against the odds, Belgium had defeated the other favourite, Italy, with a set-piece and some back to the walls defending. West Germany, with their flexible attacking, found it easier to break them down – Muller getting a brace to send them through to the final. The Soviet Union seemed resigned to their fate, probably pleased to have gotten that far, as the West Germans tore them apart in their 3-0 win.
West Germany had conquered Europe in style and two years later they would conquer the world on home soil, while those who had been their main competition for the European Championship would collapse: England not even qualifying and Italy exiting at the group stages. The World Cup win was notably less stylish however – the maverick Netzer replaced by the excellent but more conservative Wolfgang Overath. The Germans became more pragmatic, gaining a reputation for efficiency instead of beauty, although had they continued along the path they unveiled at Euro 72, they could today be seen more akin to the Dutch.
Fair enough, then. He really was a quality player and he was impressive whenever I managed to catch him in the WC matches. Will try and dig up more on him later to see how he functioned from a wider role.
Yes, I would largely agree with that. From what I've seen of him he'd handle a wide-ish playmaker role very well – both left and right, as you suggest. From out wide he'll be able to function as an actual crosser (aiming for runners into the box) as well. So, in short, I easily buy him in that role as long as it's clear that he isn't playing some sort of traditional winger part (and I believe you've made it sufficiently clear that he isn't).
What could be said, though, it that the actual formation pic has him precariously close to the chalk - in other words, just going by the illustration, one could easily think he's supposed to play as a (traditional) winger who cuts in a bit. And that would be a stretch, I reckon.
But it's a criticism of the pic - not of the actual role you have in mind for him.
But it's a criticism of the pic - not of the actual role you have in mind for him.
Not that you mention it, the arrow does seem a bit weird. Though a lot of times, this whole ShareMyTactics shtick can be ambiguous. Basically, I just wanted to convey that he can choose to go vertically if he wanted to, maybe attempt a few crosses; apart from drifting in, otherwise he would look like some monotonous one trick pony that just goes in one direction. Maybe one of the arrows should've been slightly blurred compared to others to adequately portray that.
I find that Ball/Byshovets "combo" interesting. One potential problem there, just a first impression, is that if you want to unleash Ball fully, he would tend to work than flank - even if he's being deployed as more of a CM per default. In other words, you could be accused of fielding both a right-ish midfielder AND a right winger (albeit one who cuts in plenty).
It could work, though - it certainly could. Ball is one of them neither-fish-nor-fowl players (but in a good way) which I personally have a lot of time for.
It could work, though - it certainly could. Ball is one of them neither-fish-nor-fowl players (but in a good way) which I personally have a lot of time for.
Yeah, those formation sites are severely lacking in many ways - very hard to actually get more subtle points across, as it were.Not that you mention it, the arrow does seem a bit weird. Though a lot of times, this whole ShareMyTactics shtick can be ambiguous. Basically, I just wanted to convey that he can choose to go vertically if he wanted to, maybe attempt a few crosses; apart from drifting in, otherwise he would look like some monotonous one trick pony that just goes in one direction. Maybe one of the arrows should've been slightly blurred compared to others to adequately portray that.
My impression here, though, is that he's - simply - too close to the sideline. It would've been easier to see him in the actual role (as I interpret your description of it) if he was placed further infield. As it stands, his position looks like a pendant to Jairzinho's.
It's not a big deal, though - we have to presuppose that people who actually consider his suitability for the part will read what you've written and not just ogle the formation pic.
Ok, I was bored.
Eusébio : O Rei.
Football fans called him the Black Panther, in the manner of the day, because he was from Mozambique, playing for Portugal, but there was little feline about Eusébio. At the age of 24, he was the most captivating player of the 1966 World Cup. He was the center of gravity in that tournament. It was his time. Eusébio’s legacy is best seen and heard in the documentary, “Goal! The World Cup,” issued in 1967, with commentary by Brian Glanville. In the third match of the first round, a Portuguese player steamrollered the sport’s greatest star, Pelé, already playing with an injury. Eusebio stood by Pelé as the medics attended to him. The rumor was that Eusébio chastised his teammate, but he said, no, he stood by Pelé because “He is my friend.”
Eusébio's Portugal eliminated Brazil, but then fell behind, 3-0, to North Korea in the first 25 minutes. He then personally willed Portugal back from a shocking 3-0 deficit to North Korea to win the match 5-3, the strangers who had already stunned Italy into a tomato barrage back home.
Eusébio had carried Portugal to a third-place finish at the World Cup in 1966, after seven failures to qualify. In 1998, a panel of 100 experts gathered by FIFA, soccer’s world governing body, named him one of the sport’s top-10 greats of all time. Unfortunately Eusébio would never play in another World Cup again even though he took part in both the 1970 and 1974 qualifying series.
IFFHS named him the 9th greatest footballer of all time in the World Player of the Century rankings, 6th in the Europe Player of the Century rankings, and he is undoubtedly the greatest Portuguese Player of the 10th century.
http://www.rsssf.com/miscellaneous/iffhs-century.html
Eusébio was awarded the Ballon d’Or in 1965 as Europe’s player of the year, and made the Ballon D'Or shortlist an astonishing 11 times - among the highest ever for a footballer - finishing 2nd in 1962 and 1966, 4th in 1964, 5th in 1963 and 1967, among others. He won won the Golden Boot twice - in 1968 - the year the Golden Shoe was introduced, and 1973 - for being the top scorer in Europe, and the European Cup Top Scorer three times. Measuring only 5 feet 9 inches, and weighing 160 pounds in his prime, Eusébio somehow seemed much bigger, and intimidating on the football pitch. Perhaps that was because he stood up tall and did not waste motion or energy. He was dignified, in a sport that encourages nasty little shoves and exaggerated stumbles, in search of the slightest advantage. And the possessor of one of the most fearsome shots to have graced the planet, powerful stamina and strength, great in air, and also had sublime dribbling and passing skills. At his peak, Eusébio was a one man army, someone who could single-handedly dismantle a defense, and change the outcome of an entire game all by himself - the scariest and most devastating attacker in European football, the kind that had to double and triple marked just to reduce his effect on the game.
Eusébio had many, many great moments for his club Benfica. In one of his first games for Benfica, Eusébio scored a hat-trick against Pelè's Santos. He won the Portuguese First Division's top scorer (Bola de Prata) seven times from 1964 to 1973, helped Benfica to 11 league championships (1961, 1963–1965, 1967–1969, 1971–1973, 1975) and 5 Taça de Portugal Cup wins (1962, 1964, 1969, 1970, 1972). He also reached 4 European Cup finals, and some even claim he was one of the main reasons why Catenaccio was invented in the first place by Helenio Herrera and Nerio Rocco.
Eusébio against a Real Madrid team boasting the talents of Alfredo Di Stéfano, Ferenc Puskás, Francisco Gento, José Santamaría, and Luis del Sol.
After some injury issues that plagued his later years at Benfica, like many other stars of that era, Eusébio headed out west to America to play in the North American Soccer League towards the end of his career, he made appearances for a number of clubs in Mexico and USA. Eusébio retired in 1978 and is today regarded as one of the greatest strikers in the history of the game. Overall, Eusébio scored 473 goals in 440 matches wearing Benfica's jersey, including 317 goals in 301 Portuguese league matches, scoring a total of 679 goals in 678 official games according to FIFA. At the time of his retirement, Eusébio was the highest scorer in Benfica's history, the highest scorer for the Portuguese national team by far with 41 goals in 64 games, and the second highest scorer in history of the European Cup with 46 goals in 65 matches, 3 goals behind Di Stéfano's haul of 49 goals in 58 matches. That mark stood for decades until Raúl surpassed both him and Di Stéfano in the 2000s with Real Madrid.
Football fans called him the Black Panther, in the manner of the day, because he was from Mozambique, playing for Portugal, but there was little feline about Eusébio. At the age of 24, he was the most captivating player of the 1966 World Cup. He was the center of gravity in that tournament. It was his time. Eusébio’s legacy is best seen and heard in the documentary, “Goal! The World Cup,” issued in 1967, with commentary by Brian Glanville. In the third match of the first round, a Portuguese player steamrollered the sport’s greatest star, Pelé, already playing with an injury. Eusebio stood by Pelé as the medics attended to him. The rumor was that Eusébio chastised his teammate, but he said, no, he stood by Pelé because “He is my friend.”
Eusébio's Portugal eliminated Brazil, but then fell behind, 3-0, to North Korea in the first 25 minutes. He then personally willed Portugal back from a shocking 3-0 deficit to North Korea to win the match 5-3, the strangers who had already stunned Italy into a tomato barrage back home.
The semifinal was supposed to be played in Liverpool, where Portugal was ensconced, but it was hurriedly shifted to Wembley, outside London, for its great capacity. Playing in its national stadium, England seemed truly at home. The match ended in a 2-1 win for England, Eusébio himself scored his ninth goal of the World Cup in the third-place victory over the Soviet Union, the fourth highest in a single edition behind Just Fontaine, Sandor Kocsis, and Gerd Muller; winning 1966 FIFA World Cup Golden Shoe, and the Bronze Ball. People in England were so impressed by Eusébio's performances that he was immediately added to Madame Tussaud's collection of waxwork.
Eusébio had carried Portugal to a third-place finish at the World Cup in 1966, after seven failures to qualify. In 1998, a panel of 100 experts gathered by FIFA, soccer’s world governing body, named him one of the sport’s top-10 greats of all time. Unfortunately Eusébio would never play in another World Cup again even though he took part in both the 1970 and 1974 qualifying series.
IFFHS named him the 9th greatest footballer of all time in the World Player of the Century rankings, 6th in the Europe Player of the Century rankings, and he is undoubtedly the greatest Portuguese Player of the 10th century.
http://www.rsssf.com/miscellaneous/iffhs-century.html
Eusébio was awarded the Ballon d’Or in 1965 as Europe’s player of the year, and made the Ballon D'Or shortlist an astonishing 11 times - among the highest ever for a footballer - finishing 2nd in 1962 and 1966, 4th in 1964, 5th in 1963 and 1967, among others. He won won the Golden Boot twice - in 1968 - the year the Golden Shoe was introduced, and 1973 - for being the top scorer in Europe, and the European Cup Top Scorer three times. Measuring only 5 feet 9 inches, and weighing 160 pounds in his prime, Eusébio somehow seemed much bigger, and intimidating on the football pitch. Perhaps that was because he stood up tall and did not waste motion or energy. He was dignified, in a sport that encourages nasty little shoves and exaggerated stumbles, in search of the slightest advantage. And the possessor of one of the most fearsome shots to have graced the planet, powerful stamina and strength, great in air, and also had sublime dribbling and passing skills. At his peak, Eusébio was a one man army, someone who could single-handedly dismantle a defense, and change the outcome of an entire game all by himself - the scariest and most devastating attacker in European football, the kind that had to double and triple marked just to reduce his effect on the game.
Eusébio had many, many great moments for his club Benfica. In one of his first games for Benfica, Eusébio scored a hat-trick against Pelè's Santos. He won the Portuguese First Division's top scorer (Bola de Prata) seven times from 1964 to 1973, helped Benfica to 11 league championships (1961, 1963–1965, 1967–1969, 1971–1973, 1975) and 5 Taça de Portugal Cup wins (1962, 1964, 1969, 1970, 1972). He also reached 4 European Cup finals, and some even claim he was one of the main reasons why Catenaccio was invented in the first place by Helenio Herrera and Nerio Rocco.
Eusébio against a Real Madrid team boasting the talents of Alfredo Di Stéfano, Ferenc Puskás, Francisco Gento, José Santamaría, and Luis del Sol.
At the time of Eusébio's passing :
After some injury issues that plagued his later years at Benfica, like many other stars of that era, Eusébio headed out west to America to play in the North American Soccer League towards the end of his career, he made appearances for a number of clubs in Mexico and USA. Eusébio retired in 1978 and is today regarded as one of the greatest strikers in the history of the game. Overall, Eusébio scored 473 goals in 440 matches wearing Benfica's jersey, including 317 goals in 301 Portuguese league matches, scoring a total of 679 goals in 678 official games according to FIFA. At the time of his retirement, Eusébio was the highest scorer in Benfica's history, the highest scorer for the Portuguese national team by far with 41 goals in 64 games, and the second highest scorer in history of the European Cup with 46 goals in 65 matches, 3 goals behind Di Stéfano's haul of 49 goals in 58 matches. That mark stood for decades until Raúl surpassed both him and Di Stéfano in the 2000s with Real Madrid.
That is a good point but Byshovets was much more of an inside forward, second-striker-ish player than a wide presence like Gadocha. He was someone who occasionally loved dropping to the flank but he was someone who ideally loved occupying the channels. Ball was a player who loved operating in vast swathes of the pitch and he has the freedom to impose himself on the match, with Reaney in a more reserved role and Byshovets being primarily a wide forward who loved cutting in, exploiting the flanks etc.
Alessandro Mazzola : Like Father, Like Son.
With great power, comes great responsibility, reads a great line from a very famous flick. In the case of Sandro it was - with a legendary surnames, comes great expectations. Life is never easy for a son who plies the same trade as his father, who was a legend in his times. Valentino Mazzola was more than a legend, he was one of the best footballer the world had ever seen. Sandro Mazzola carried the legacy of his father and did it with style.
That famous moustache . The receding hairline. Sandro Mazzola was unmistakable on the pitch. As he weaved his way through the hoards of Italian defenders during the peak of catenaccio-based football, the Turin-born megastar would build a career that took him to the very heights of what was possible in an Internazionale shirt. To this day, few can boast the achievements of Baffo.
How differently life began, however. Born to one of Italy’s most revered players, Valentino Mazzola, in November 1942 – a week after his father signed for Torino – tragedy would strike at the very heart of this institution of an Italian family in 1949. Valentino, a star in arguably the greatest Italian club side to date, was to perish in the Superga Air Disaster; a plane crash that took the lives of the entire Grande Torino team as they made their way back from Lisbon. Valentino, a handsome, supremely gifted and diminutive number 10 is still considered by some to be the greatest Italian player of all time. Indeed, his 118 goals in 195 appearances for il Granata lends heavy weight to the assertion.Valentino exuded a calm elegance on the field, gliding past players as an inside forward and dominating games in a way that few Italians had managed at the time. He was the pin-up boy of calcio; a man, at 30, with everything to gain and nothing to lose. Until Superga, of course. A legacy of legend was left behind and the seeds were sewn in the mind of a man who would later guide Internazionale to two European Cups and four scudettos.
For Sandro, the death of his father unsurprisingly hit hard. After his parents divorced in 1946, it was Valentino who raised a young Sandro and taught him the early art of dribbling, striking and passing. Perhaps the agony, the anger and the sheer frustration at losing his sole guardian in life were what motivated Sandro to reach the heights he ultimately scaled. Along with his brother – another talented young player – Ferruccio, he would sign for Inter in 1960. The story of how the brothers came to join the Nerazzurri is both heart-warming and tragic. Life was tough growing up without a father and the prevailing financial conditions only made things tough. Sandro, who had been born with a silver spoon in his mouth, went from being the son of the best footballer in the country to barely being able to make ends meets. He might not have been blessed with luck, but he was certainly bestowed with the best of talents to play football. Still, growing up in the footsteps of his father was tough and it was Valentino’s former team-mate Benito Lorenzi who stepped in to help the Mazzolas.
All in all, Sandro Mazzola scored 158 goals for Internazionale, was shortlisted for the Ballon D'Or an incredible 9 times from 1964 to 1973, finishing second behind Johan Cruyff in 1971, and in the Top 10 three more times. His individual achievements and trophy hauls were extensive - ranging from 4 Serie A titles (1963, 1965, 1966 and 1971), two European Cups (1964 and 1965), two more European Cup final appearances, two Intercontinental Cups (1964 and 1965); to the 9 Ballon Do'r shortlists mentioned above, European Golden Boot, Serie A Top Scorer award (Capocannoniere), and getting nominated into the Italian Football Hall of Fame.
In addition to his notable success for Inter, Mazzola was also part of a great era for wider Italian football. While the Azzurri didn’t pick up the trophies that their talent deserved, he helped guide Italy to the 1968 European Championship, overcoming a famously talented Yugoslavia side in the final. His performances over the course of the week-long event elevated him in to the UEFA Team of the Tournament, alongside team-mates Dino Zoff, Giacinto Facchetti, Luigi Riva, and Angelo Domenghini.
http://www.uefa.com/uefaeuro/finals/news/newsid=1602162.html
It was just reward for a player who didn’t score during the finals but was a constant threat throughout, turning defence into attack with the same intelligence that his father demonstrated two decades earlier. A World Cup runner up in 1970 – when the world held its breath to watch both Mazzola and Gianni Rivera in the same side (something that was ultimately a pipe dream as Rivera was used sparingly) – Sandro finished with 22 goals in 70 national team appearances and three World Cup appearances for The Azzurri.
With great power, comes great responsibility, reads a great line from a very famous flick. In the case of Sandro it was - with a legendary surnames, comes great expectations. Life is never easy for a son who plies the same trade as his father, who was a legend in his times. Valentino Mazzola was more than a legend, he was one of the best footballer the world had ever seen. Sandro Mazzola carried the legacy of his father and did it with style.
That famous moustache . The receding hairline. Sandro Mazzola was unmistakable on the pitch. As he weaved his way through the hoards of Italian defenders during the peak of catenaccio-based football, the Turin-born megastar would build a career that took him to the very heights of what was possible in an Internazionale shirt. To this day, few can boast the achievements of Baffo.
How differently life began, however. Born to one of Italy’s most revered players, Valentino Mazzola, in November 1942 – a week after his father signed for Torino – tragedy would strike at the very heart of this institution of an Italian family in 1949. Valentino, a star in arguably the greatest Italian club side to date, was to perish in the Superga Air Disaster; a plane crash that took the lives of the entire Grande Torino team as they made their way back from Lisbon. Valentino, a handsome, supremely gifted and diminutive number 10 is still considered by some to be the greatest Italian player of all time. Indeed, his 118 goals in 195 appearances for il Granata lends heavy weight to the assertion.Valentino exuded a calm elegance on the field, gliding past players as an inside forward and dominating games in a way that few Italians had managed at the time. He was the pin-up boy of calcio; a man, at 30, with everything to gain and nothing to lose. Until Superga, of course. A legacy of legend was left behind and the seeds were sewn in the mind of a man who would later guide Internazionale to two European Cups and four scudettos.
For Sandro, the death of his father unsurprisingly hit hard. After his parents divorced in 1946, it was Valentino who raised a young Sandro and taught him the early art of dribbling, striking and passing. Perhaps the agony, the anger and the sheer frustration at losing his sole guardian in life were what motivated Sandro to reach the heights he ultimately scaled. Along with his brother – another talented young player – Ferruccio, he would sign for Inter in 1960. The story of how the brothers came to join the Nerazzurri is both heart-warming and tragic. Life was tough growing up without a father and the prevailing financial conditions only made things tough. Sandro, who had been born with a silver spoon in his mouth, went from being the son of the best footballer in the country to barely being able to make ends meets. He might not have been blessed with luck, but he was certainly bestowed with the best of talents to play football. Still, growing up in the footsteps of his father was tough and it was Valentino’s former team-mate Benito Lorenzi who stepped in to help the Mazzolas.
The world had to wait for 12 years, before they saw the return of a Mazzola on the football pitch after the Turin air crash, as Sandro made his debut for Inter against Juventus in 1961. The life of son, whose father has been a legend, is never easy. People expect you to carry the legacy of your father. Everything that Sandro did on the football pitch was compared with Valentino. He had to take lots of criticism in his early days as a footballer. Renowned coach Helenio Herrera was managing Inter at that time. Alongside the likes of former Barcelona midfielder Luis Suárez, Mario Corso, Armando Picchi and the great Giacinto Facchetti, Sandro would form the backbone of 'La Grande Inter', a team that would go on to dominate Italian football and the European game in the 1960s under the great Helenio Herrera. His name was etched in the history books after a superb performance in the European Cup final against the mighty Real Madrid in which he scored two goals in a 3-1 win over the Los Blancos and helped his club lift the trophy for the first time in their entire history.
Blessed with superb creativity, sensational dribbling skills, and a natural feel for the game helped by his passing range and close control, Sandro Mazzola became one of the greatest footballers of all time. He often played as a creative attacking midfielder, or a support striker, or an inside forward; and did impressive quality in defensive game. He then scored in the Intercontinental Cup to help Inter to victory. His personal influence was even more colourfully vivid as he helped the club lift the 1964 European Cup as the tournament’s joint top-scorer. A year later the Nerazzurri would defend their crown against Benfica, Mazzola again proving to be the catalyst in attack.
All in all, Sandro Mazzola scored 158 goals for Internazionale, was shortlisted for the Ballon D'Or an incredible 9 times from 1964 to 1973, finishing second behind Johan Cruyff in 1971, and in the Top 10 three more times. His individual achievements and trophy hauls were extensive - ranging from 4 Serie A titles (1963, 1965, 1966 and 1971), two European Cups (1964 and 1965), two more European Cup final appearances, two Intercontinental Cups (1964 and 1965); to the 9 Ballon Do'r shortlists mentioned above, European Golden Boot, Serie A Top Scorer award (Capocannoniere), and getting nominated into the Italian Football Hall of Fame.
In addition to his notable success for Inter, Mazzola was also part of a great era for wider Italian football. While the Azzurri didn’t pick up the trophies that their talent deserved, he helped guide Italy to the 1968 European Championship, overcoming a famously talented Yugoslavia side in the final. His performances over the course of the week-long event elevated him in to the UEFA Team of the Tournament, alongside team-mates Dino Zoff, Giacinto Facchetti, Luigi Riva, and Angelo Domenghini.
http://www.uefa.com/uefaeuro/finals/news/newsid=1602162.html
It was just reward for a player who didn’t score during the finals but was a constant threat throughout, turning defence into attack with the same intelligence that his father demonstrated two decades earlier. A World Cup runner up in 1970 – when the world held its breath to watch both Mazzola and Gianni Rivera in the same side (something that was ultimately a pipe dream as Rivera was used sparingly) – Sandro finished with 22 goals in 70 national team appearances and three World Cup appearances for The Azzurri.
Not much of an achievement, eh?
Also, Mazzola wasn't just some forward that can't coexist with the Black Panther.
1. Eusébio despite dropping deeper when he wanted do has the perfect skillset to play as a #9.
2. Mazzola was a intelligent enough, and experienced enough to not overlap with Eusébio, when the latter chooses to drop into the right channel.
eg. He can go left when Eusébio goes to the right to free up Jairzinho's burst forward.
Also, Eusébio was brilliant when the went to the left channel too, in fact he was famous for drifting to the left.
eg.
Don't see many issues with the duo. Mazzola is perfectly played to be the fantisisti type attacking midfielder, with Eusébio as the forward. Assuming that they won't coexist is erroneous, considering the caliber of both players. To cite a similar example, just because Ferenc Puskás played behind Sándor Kocsis doesn't mean he can't operate as the forward himself (which is Eusébio's role here, I'm not professing him to be an in-the-box targetman).
1. Eusébio despite dropping deeper when he wanted do has the perfect skillset to play as a #9.
2. Mazzola was a intelligent enough, and experienced enough to not overlap with Eusébio, when the latter chooses to drop into the right channel.
eg. He can go left when Eusébio goes to the right to free up Jairzinho's burst forward.
Also, Eusébio was brilliant when the went to the left channel too, in fact he was famous for drifting to the left.
eg.
Don't see many issues with the duo. Mazzola is perfectly played to be the fantisisti type attacking midfielder, with Eusébio as the forward. Assuming that they won't coexist is erroneous, considering the caliber of both players. To cite a similar example, just because Ferenc Puskás played behind Sándor Kocsis doesn't mean he can't operate as the forward himself (which is Eusébio's role here, I'm not professing him to be an in-the-box targetman).
I think I voted prematurely
That's a fair point to bring up. My initial thought would be this:
If you look at the early 60s Benfica incarnation, Eusebio worked his magic mainly in that channel you mention - behind or alongside a straight-ass striker. In other words, a role not unlike the one Mazzola played for Inter. If you watch the famous '67 final against Celtic, for instance, that would seem to be precisely the role he plays - behind the straight-ass Cappellini.
However, if we look at another famous match, featuring a more mature Eusebio - the '68 final against United - he's simply the main focal point of the attack, operating as the main striker by most definitions.
Formation pics again. Perhaps this one gives one the - undue - impression that Eusebio is actually "pushed left". That isn't how I'd read it myself. More like this:
That's what I'd do with Bonev, BTW - just push him inside a bit.
EDIT And then one could, of course, add all manner of arrows to Eusébio to emphasize that he isn't - as Invictus says - some sort of static centre forward, even if he is the main striker.
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Let's also take the time to appreciate the genius that was Arie Haan. Just to illustrate the completeness of his midfield and defensive game, not many players can boast the ability to start as a midfielder, and a central defender in consecutive World Cup Finals.
He defends, he scores screamer like these:
And he can be a significant presence in possession from midfield:
PS: Not sure how Joga will have an edge in possession to be honest (like he mentioned in one post), unless it's passing at the back in defense, when they'll be playing with fire against Eusébio and Jairzinho. Van Hanegem, Haan, Mazzola were brilliant in possession; so I'm lost on the opinion that Wimmer and Ball can necessarily compete with that, no slight on either player mind. I'm also not too sold on the thought that Netzer is a better playmaker than the Mazzola-Van Hanegem axis, which is easily the best creative combo on the pitch. Infact I'm not even sold on the thought that Netzer was a superior play-maker than Mazzola. The way I see it, Rivera was the best pure play-maker of the era. And Mazzola-Netzer were on the following level.
He defends, he scores screamer like these:
And he can be a significant presence in possession from midfield:
PS: Not sure how Joga will have an edge in possession to be honest (like he mentioned in one post), unless it's passing at the back in defense, when they'll be playing with fire against Eusébio and Jairzinho. Van Hanegem, Haan, Mazzola were brilliant in possession; so I'm lost on the opinion that Wimmer and Ball can necessarily compete with that, no slight on either player mind. I'm also not too sold on the thought that Netzer is a better playmaker than the Mazzola-Van Hanegem axis, which is easily the best creative combo on the pitch. Infact I'm not even sold on the thought that Netzer was a superior play-maker than Mazzola. The way I see it, Rivera was the best pure play-maker of the era. And Mazzola-Netzer were on the following level.
He didn't score that match, did he? And, I don't recall Eusebio ever playing with a Mazzola type player behind him (Happy to be proved wrong) Either he was that player behind Torres or there were none. For me, the big thing about Eusebio was his pace. His powerful runs and thunderous shot were the famous aspects of his game play and in this role, I don't see much of both happening. Yes, he could play this role and will do a good job there, but can he score to win? Maybe, maybe not.
You are severely underestimating the impact of Beckenbauer and Netzer and the proven combo that they were. Anyone who's ever watched the Germany 1972 (their greatest national team ever) play would never agree with that statement. I've watched all their matches and I'm obviously biased here, so I'd tag neutrals who've probably watched those matches themselves @Brwned @Balu and I'm sure would back up my statements.
Also no slight on Mazzola but he isn't on level with Netzer when it comes to playmaking. He was much more of a creative and roaming second striker type of a player than a dictating maestro ala Rivera/Netzer. He frequently played in roaming forward duo for Inter and was given full freedom, with Inter employing defensive shut-out tactics.
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Heh - no.
You're right that he didn't play with a Mazzola style AM/second striker, of course. But I'm not big on "proven". The question here - as always - is theoretical: Would this work, in theory (it never worked in practice for the obvious reason that it never happened on a real football pitch)?
I don't see any heavy reason why it wouldn't. Eusébio as the focal point and the de facto main striker (a role he mastered in practice, there's no theory involved there) - Mazzola as an attacking midfielder of sorts, doing a quite different job at the end of the day.
It's been a long long time since I watched that match but I could have sworn that Jose Torres was playing as the centre-forward in that match. Or perhaps I'm mixing that game with the AC Milan final that Benfica played.
Anyway the debate seems to be around whether Eusebio is being played in his peak role here, which is the free roaming second striker role where he had all the freedom in the world. Unfortunately, Mazzola too played in that EXACT SAME role for La Grande's Inter, so would they complement each other well and tailor each others movements etc? Tbf, I'd say it'd work but it isn't fully optimal imo, esp with Bonev on the left too - a combination which still has me unconvinced.
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