Auction Draft Chaos 2021 QF - Physio vs Synco

[2mufc0]

Physio

VS

Synco

Physio Tactics


Tactics – Direct/ Mixed

Formation - 442

Defensive Line Balanced/ Deep

Marking – Zonal

Sit moderately deep and compress the space. Maldini is the perfect LCB to deal with Messi in the half space between LB and LCB. Brehme can clearly also defend and will be helped out by Souness and Zagallo. This is an excellent setup to minimise the threat of Messi. Law will be tasked to harass Sync’s DM to disrupt his side’s rhythm.

Having Brehme join the back four gives me an additional great passer to get the ball forward quickly. Lightning counters instigated by DLP Scholes to Zagallo and Finney. Finney on Alba is a clear mismatch in my favour. Riva and Law as the dynamic front two. Law has licence to do whatever he wants and can play his favoured Di Stefano role. Riva and Law are excellent in the air and Rio and van Dijk’s major abilities lie elsewhere. Note however that we can slow it down and hold the ball too when the situation allows – having too little possession just creates unrelenting attacking from the opponent. When we do so Brehme will be involved more going forward exploiting his crossing and playmaking - Brehme can be covered by Zagallo making sure Messi isn’t left too much space on the counter.

Synco Tactics

Formation:
modern, ultra-compact 3-4-3; in possession frequently 3-4-1-2 with Messi in the hole

Style:
fast, flexible, aggressive - dominant whenever possible, dogged defense when necessary. In attack, alternating between possession play (featuring the most devastating false 9 ever) and rapid transitions.

Offensive & defensive key points:

• Messi, Rijkaard, and Junior to dominate the center and target Physio's midfield two
• Two grafters with Villa and Stoichkov at wide forward positions, defending and pressing the opposition's fullbacks out of possession
• Voronin as safeguard on Finney's side (I'll post his 1966 shutdown of Eusebio later)
• Back three shielding the midfield and wingbacks; all three CBs are excellent interceptors and strong passers, fitting the playing style perfectly
• The Messi-Alba connection as a potent weapon on the left, with Stoichkov - and situationally Junior - in the mix

 

[2mufc0]

Good luck @Physiocrat @Synco

 

[Synco]

Thanks for setting this up @2mufc0

And good luck Physio, let's get it on!

 

[Šjor Bepo]

Nice 442 by physio but Messi has this in the bag.

 

[Synco]

The key battle I want to win is in the middle of the park. My reasoning:

A 4-4-2 is usually a bit on the light side in central midfield. You can play deep to keep things tight, Law can drop, but a lot is asked of both CMs to hold it together against tough opposition. Physio's setup with Souness/Scholes reminds me a bit of United's Keane/Scholes CM, whose limits were shown up on the European stage.

I would back Rijkaard & Junior alone against that CM (I think they're a bit better balanced type-wise, and the individually superior unit). But then Messi comes into play, who I play as a false 9 to operate in exactly that space.

I don't want to talk down Scholes and do some hyperbolic statement about how he "cannot defend". (It's not true first of all, secondly teams defend collectively, and I generally dislike it when creative midfielders are treated that way.) But I do think Messi will ask him questions he can't answer all the time.

 

[Physiocrat]

Innovative line-up from Sync here. I wasn't expecting a a 343 and Junior in midfield is nice. I like the idea of it in particular to give Alba protection although I'm not sold on Voronin in the LCB role. I think Finney could get quite a lot of joy down Sync's left especially on the counter. Boeteng is individually the least good defender on the pitch and Law will be a serious thorn in his side. Also I don't see a particularly great header on the ball in Sync's back 3 and don't think they will do well with the expert crosses of Brehme, Finney and Zagallo fired in for Law and Riva.

@Synco On the 442 Keane Scholes comparison I think that unfair. Firstly, that Scholes was the attacking B2B version rather than the post-2006 DLP version. Also Law provides much more off the ball than Yorke. Also the playing style here is not the same. The pre-Veron Utd was 100 miles an hour English style without a proper playmaker. Stylistically this side is much more similar to the Utd side that lost to Barca in the 2011 UCL final however it should be noted that Souness is a massive upgrade on Giggs at CM.

 

[Synco]

I like the idea of it in particular to give Alba protection although I'm not sold on Voronin in the LCB role. I think Finney could get quite a lot of joy down Sync's left especially on the counter.

I spent quite some time learning about Voronin and watching harm's compilations.

From what I've seen, he was a true allround footballer and *extremely* versatile. Between 1962 and 1967 he played as a CB, as a DM man-marking the opposition's best attacker, or even in a creative B2B role. The compilations show him operating all over the pitch, including the entire defensive third left to right. It seems to me he was at times simply given the job the matchup demanded the most, because he was that good. As it is here.

Sure, it needs a bit of imagination, as the football of the 60s was different (especially when it comes to man-marking). But to me Voronin was a modern type of defender who would easily make the transition to today's football with its typical player roles. And imo, he has all the traits to do this particular job in a modern three man backline:

He's fast, agile, and athletic
He has great anticipation and spacial awareness, and doesn't overcommit in his positioning or tackling
He's very comfortable on the ball with a wide passing range
He's brilliant in 1:1s and can shut down quick and agile forwards, as shown in his display against peak Eusebio.
He's also strong in the air, and well equipped to do the CB part when asked to tuck in (say, to defend a cross from the other side)

----------------------
To illustrate, I've selected some scenes from his game against Eusebio (list see below).


Given the nature of his job (marking a player who roams all over the final third), he defends pretty much everywhere. But I want to point out scenes where he roughly does what I think he'd do in this draft game:

defending in a LCB position 1:49, 7:35 + 7:47
defending Eusebio on the left sideline 1:27, 2:11, 2:42, 3:32, 6:43
header in half-left midfield (as LCBs do when they move out against a long ball) 1:43, 2:26
buildup from the left 2:18, 3:32, 8:45 (end of sequence)
pace to match Eusebio's (not on the left side, but that's irrelevant) 5:40, 8:01

As I said, it takes a bit of good will to imagine him doing these things in a different role. But I think he'd be a great fit.

Finally, I don't know a comp showing him playing as an out-and-out CB (which afaik he did) - maybe @harms does?

 

[Isotope]

Excellent teams. I like that Phyisio's 4-4-2. All look balanced, from defence to attack. Synco's has strong spines.

 

[oneniltothearsenal]

Really creative side to get the most out of Messi. Physio has a nice 442 but definitely see Messi on a tear in this match. (feck I said basically the same things as Sjor)

 

[Edgar Allan Pillow]

Nice team from both. Messi looks for a good game, but with Zagallo and Law, Boateng/Maicon looks very suspect.

 

[GodShaveTheQueen]

If the idea was to play 3-4-3, Zebec probably should start ahead of Voronin at LCB. My disappointment grows @Synco

Of course didn't have much to do with my vote. Went with @Physiocrat as I like his side better.

Some good things from the fixture -

1. Junior making a high profile appearance in midfield.
2. Physio sticking with Zagallo
3. A non typical Messi team (Synco has been a welcome addition creative teams wise) .

I should probably have voted Synco as I have my eye on Law in the reinforcements if I do win my game of course. Hope Physio loses and I don't regret my vote

 

[GodShaveTheQueen]

Played Zebec at LCB once and I think he had a good reception

https://www.redcafe.net/threads/ludo-draft-r1-sjor-pat-vs-gstq.447143/

 

[Synco]

If the idea was to play 3-4-3, Zebec probably should start ahead of Voronin at LCB. My disappointment grows @Synco

I pondered that of course, and as you know researched both players quite a bit - to me Voronin is simply the superior CB. And not because I don't rate Zebec highly...

 

[GodShaveTheQueen]

to me Voronin is simply the superior CB

Fair enough, I have zero insight into that role of his. Will wait for your Eusebio post.

Edit: Looks like you already have posted it. Will check it out.

 

[Synco]

Also I don't see a particularly great header on the ball in Sync's back 3 and don't think they will do well with the expert crosses of Brehme, Finney and Zagallo fired in for Law and Riva.

Don't see that, tbh. Riva is 1.80, Law 1.75.

My back three is Rio 1.89, Boateng 1.90, Voronin 1.82, supported by Rijkaard (absolute monster in the air) 1.90. Sure, height isn't everything in aerial duels, and I know that at least Riva was really good, but 10-15cm height difference can't be overcome easily.

Voronin, the defender with the least height advantage, was a stunning athlete and dominant header.

This pic seems to be an offensive header, but the compilations show the same on the other end as well. I don't think crosses are a surefire route to goal for your team, may even be a waste of possession. Which limits the effectiveness of a classic 4-4-2 to an extent.

 

[Synco]

Forget the cringy title, but this video shows an aspect of my team's attacking game that may be overlooked - Messi's and Jordi Alba's telepathic understanding.


(needs to be watched on YT)

And while I'm glad that Messi's potential impact on this game has been acknowledged, Stoichkov and Villa are as good as it gets as wide/center forward partners in this setup. A diagonal pass from Messi to the onrushing Alba with the three forwards entering the box for the finish is a tasty Barca-themed attacking sequence, in my eyes.

I want to bolster this by a fact about Alba's end product that may not be known enough:

In the last four seasons (17/18 to 20/21), Alba's annual g+a average was 14.8. Just as a comparison, Marcelo in his best four year period (14/15 to 17/18) averaged 12.8 g+a per season.

 

[Gio]

Tough one to split. In a lot of ways a 343 v 442 is straightforward and it becomes a set of head-to-head battles. I like Physio's use of Maldini against Messi here and squeezing the midfield back to compress the space.

If the idea was to play 3-4-3, Zebec probably should start ahead of Voronin at LCB. My disappointment grows @Synco

Yeah, Zebec would have been a very natural fit there, particularly with the space-covering requirements and in opening up the play on the left flank. Although good work by Synco in demonstrating Voronin's comfort in defensive areas including that side.

 

[harms]

If the idea was to play 3-4-3, Zebec probably should start ahead of Voronin at LCB. My disappointment grows @Synco

It’s incredibly hard to judge Zebec defensively based on the footage, but Voronin is such a natural fit in Pep-esque system. He’d be perfect in today’s City side, he’s even better suited to it than he was to his Barca, with his physicality and directness.

 

[Synco]

I like Physio's use of Maldini against Messi here and squeezing the midfield back to compress the space.

Don't think Maldini will see too much of Messi until the final stages of an attacking move. Except if he lets himself get pulled out into central/defensive midfield, which I don't think he does. Otherwise the attacking players will be fluid around the box, so Messi might just as well end up facing Blanc for the final play.

That said, Maldini is of course a massive player to have at CB in any case.

 

[harms]

I wouldn’t buy Voronin at LCB as a perfect fit in just any 3-4-3, but in Pep-like system, he is perfect. A very creative, but effective way to use him.

 

[Synco]

I wouldn’t buy Voronin at LCB as a perfect fit in just any 3-4-3, but in Pep-like system, he is perfect. A very creative, but effective way to use him.

Yeah, the basic idea for this draft campaign is high line, possession (but with directness) whenever possible. Imo, that gives enough room to his sweeper/midfielder style on the ball and ability to control large spaces defensively.

 

[harms]

Don't see that, tbh. Riva is 1.80, Law 1.75.

My back three is Rio 1.89, Boateng 1.90, Voronin 1.82, supported by Rijkaard (absolute monster in the air) 1.90. Sure, height isn't everything in aerial duels, and I know that at least Riva was really good, but 10-15cm height difference can't be overcome easily.

Law was one of the most incredible headers of the ball with impeccable timing & leap tbf. Although I agree that your backline is very well-equipped to deal with aerial threats.

 

[Synco]

Law was one of the most incredible headers of the ball with impeccable timing & leap tbf. Although I agree that your backline is very well-equipped to deal with aerial threats.

Fair enough, wasn't my intention at all to talk down him or Riva. Just about the notion of a defensive weakness.

 

[Physiocrat]

Well played @Synco Very nice side and innovative approach I did not expect.

 

[Synco]

Well played @Synco Very nice side and innovative approach I did not expect.

Cheers, you had a very strong side that really threatened my defensive weak point on the left (Brehme on the other side was a great RR buy as well). And I love Maldini in the center even more than on the outside.

As for "innovative", it was in large parts a defensive move - Alba alone on the left flank would have been suicide, the rest was engineering to make the parts fit. Really had to squirrel around for solutions and ended up with 5 new players and only Ter Stegen in his former position