....................................Team Tuppet/Viva.........................................................................................Team bleezy...........................................
Team Tuppet:
Formation: Fluid 4-2-3-1
Attack:
Our attack is based on the genius of one of history’s greatest and most unique attacking midfielder in Ruud Gullit. He is playing in his favored free attacker role here, in which he has full freedom of dropping deep to help in “Midfield battle” or use Benzema’s excellent hold up play to score or to drift right when Nedved drops deep. His versatility and physicallity means he is already a very very hard player to defense against, and in this particular match the lack of a proper defensive midfielder in Bleezy’s side and his overall average central defense means, Gullit is going to have field day. I don’t think that either Mendieta or Albertini would be able to stop him.
He is supported by a fellow Balon D’or winner in Pavel Nedved and one of best player in his generation Del Piero. A perfect combination of graft and trickery, Nedved is one of the best wide playmaker to ever play the game. Here he would be performing multiple functions, helping out Retuer against Stochikov whenever he naturally drifts to left side, providing overlaps for Reuter’s marauding runs, helping in midfield and playmaking from wide areas providing crosses and through balls for Gullit and Benzema to finish. Del Piero on the other hand is more of a left forward then a winger, he would be operating in his trademark “del piero zone” approaching from left flank to center of pitch. Equally good for goals, assist and general attacking trickery, he would be too much for Orue and I would assume Cafu has to spend a lot of time minding him.
Finally up top I have Benzema, immensely underrated the frenchman has been leading both his country and one of the best club sides in the world for sometime now. Benzema is a fantastic attacker with no real flaw to his game. Good at finishing, air, hold up play and technically impeccable, he provides a perfect foil for Gullit and Del pierro. His movement (very underrated btw) is going to cause all sort of problems for Bleezy’s defenders. This scenario is also very familiar to him as he is used to play in front of a trio of talented attacker in Ronaldo, James, Bale and his movement and technical proficiency has helped players behind him score shitload of goals. I can see something like this happening with Gullit - Benzema -
Midfield:
In center midfield we have the duo of Makelele and Van Hanegem. Both of these players are among best players in there position. In Van Hanegem I have one of the greatest and most complete central midfielder. Fantastic passing range, excellent in the air, great stamina and a tough tackler, he is an extraordinary playmaker. With the supporting cast around him (Makelele, Gullit, Nedved) he is going to own the midfield.
Makelele is going to play well, the Makelele role of which he is obviously the master. Shielding the back four and keeping tabs on Laudrup, would be his job. The Danish Maestro is the biggest source of creativity in Bleezy’s team and I can’t think of a player better than Makelele to keep him quite. Excellent in positioning and tactical discipline, he would expertly protect the back line. If Laudrup is playing too deep however (where he would not be too dangerous) and Stochikov is playing as more of an AMC, Makelele would go to work on him.
Defense:
Finally in defense I have the 2 Italian legends in Nesta - Costacurta. I don’t really have to say much about them, just that they are comfortably better than all of Bleezy’s defenders. On the right side I have another fantastic defender in Stefan Reuter, one of the best physical full back, equally good at attacking and defending. His great pace and physicality means he would be able to keep up with Stoichkov whenever he face him, and with Nedved providing overlap he would be a great attacking threat as well. On the left side Arbeloa is going to be his solid disciplined defender self. Now Arbeloa is no Maldini, but he is a reliable defender who has played in biggest tournaments and best club sides and has been always very consistent. Anyway there is no proper right winger in Bleezy’s team and I don’t think Arbeloa would face much problems.
Why would we win:
Bleezy has a great side, fortunately for us our side is perfectly suited to counter his strengths and attack his weak points.
1. We counter his attacking threats well, cutting supplies to Batigol all over the pitch. Makelele would keep Laudrup relatively quite while Stochikov drifting toward left side would play in Nesta - Reuter - Nedved zone, and I think they would be able to handle him most of the time. Stochikov could be deployed as a free attacker and could try his luck on the right side but there he faces Arbeloa - Costacurta which is not going to easy to break either.
2. Gullit has the freedom of the pitch, there is no one picking him. The best player in the park is given the license to do his will is not going to end well for any opposition. I think Albertini is probably going to be deployed as defensive midfielder but he is not the type to stop Gullit.
3. I am not sure how Orue would be deployed, from whatever I have read he seem an average Right back earning 3 caps for Spain and spending all of his career in Bilbao. But surely he won’t be starting over Cafu, so I think its going to be a 3 man defense, with Orue as an RCB. Its a very average central defense with Ayala - Alexanko - Orue, is without much midfield protection. I would back my quartet of Gullit - Nedved - Del Piero - Benzema to get the better of them.
4. Overall better midfield, with oodles of work rate and energy.
