Billy No Mates Draft: R1 - RedTiger/Marty vs Tuppet

[Physiocrat]

Red Tiger/Marty

Our team sets up as a very solid 4-2-3-1 with attacking wing backs and outstanding defensive cover from one of the best in the business in Vieira. Matthaus' hard work, leadership, creativity and energy from the middle of the park will help to dictate the pace of the game. Without the ball Vieira/Matthaus provide a rock solid wall in front of the back four. With it, they both have the pace and ball control to counter attack or pass the ball around and work openings for the genius Puskas or Neymar/Matthews on the wings.

Without the ball our team can quickly become and 5-3-2 with Matthaus dropping back and Vieira just in front. When attacking it will be more like a 4-2-4 with Neymar and Matthews both providing excellent width, with Surrbier and Roberto Carlos overlapping.

Neymar will love to cut inside as he does for Brazil and Barca and that won't be a problem with Carlos behind him. Carlos will fill the gap and be able to provide crosses for Sanchez/Puskas to get on the end of. Likewise Matthews will provide trickery and excellent service to the front two and can also tuck in to the middle of the park when needed, allowing Suurbier to overlap down the right.

At the back we have two proper tough nuts. If the ball gets past Gentile, Muller won't! How ironic that his name means 'delicate'.....there's nothing delicate about this guys defending. He's as strong as an ox and will do whatever it takes to win.

Our players fit perfectly into this formation. There a numerous ways the team will move and react around the pitch to be able to cope with Tuppet's team.

From set pieces we have Carlos, Sanchez, Matthews, Matthaus, Puskas and Neymar - who are all excellent from dead ball situations. Vieira, Matthaus, Gentile and Ayala also provide the aerial threat in the box (either in defense or attack).

With all the creativity in our team nearly every player provides an attacking threat. Sanchez, the 4th highest scorer in La Liga history and Puskas who averaged nearly a goal a game throughout his entire career (and a better scoring record than Di Stefano) will give Tuppets back line a torrid time.



[/SPOILER]A tight game, as all of these will be, but overall our team has the edge.

Tuppet

 

[Physiocrat]

This squad is build around the genius of Di Stefano. I don’t think I need to sell him as one of the greatest of all time, but if you need convincing head over to this fantastic thread where some really knowledgeable posters have shared their thoughts. I would be posting some excerpt here from it later.

In front of Di Stefano is a front line full of goals, with Gerd Muller as one of the greatest striker flanked by Jairzinho and Boniek frees up Di Stefano from goal scoring duties. Di Stefano does of course provide an insane goal threat himself, but here he can drop safely deeper knowing he can rely on his front men to score anytime he provide them an opportunity.

With Coluna and Hierro to share playmaking duties with De Stefano there won’t be any shortage of chances either, both of them provide a great shield in front of my defense while also possessing brilliant passing range and technique. Coluna would play his favorite attacking box to box role where he excelled and created many chances for Eusebio, while Hierro would be in his element as a deep lying playmaker, spraying ball to my pacy wingers. His ability to drop as a defender when Passarella moves forward is also very special to make sure we always have numbers in the back to counter the striking duo of our opponent.

This all mean Di Stefano can do what he does best, that is being everywhere he is needed and set the rhythm of the game. I believe his energy, vision and intelligence would help us to control the game and shape of our team would change from 4-2-3-1 to 4-3-3 to 4-2-4 as dictated by the blond arrow.

Both of my fullbacks have played as wide midfielders and while in possession would join the midfield to help in the “midfield battle” and share playmaking duties. Junior in particular was known for his penchant of playmaking from left side of defense and provide yet another outlet for ball from my defense. While Andrade was a physical specimen, his great stamina and speed combined with his defending and marking (he marked zizinho out of the 1950 final) means Neymar would hardly get any joy on the wing.

Finally my defense is made of two of the greatest world cup winning captain. Passarella I feel needs no introduction. A complete defender who was fantastic with ball while also imperious in air he would be ball playing center back of my duo.

The best defender I ever saw in my life. The best at heading the ball and at both ends. Something that Argentine football is missing these days. -- Maradona

Jose Nasazzi might be a lesser known entity and I have done a much expanded piece on him here, but rest assured along with Passeralla, Figueroa and De guia he is one of the 5 greatest defenders to come from South America. Infact he was voted 26 greatest south american player by IFFHS ahead of the likes of Romario. Only defender to win best player in a world cup, he was also named best player in 2 Copa America, now thats some pedigree.

Argies will tell you Passarella was their best ever defender, Brazilians that it was Da Guia, Chileans that it was Figueroa and Uruguayans that it was Nasazzi. Santamaria is the only one of the set who was also hugely successful in Europe and in Spain they would likely say he was better than any of the other four. So that leaves you with things nicely spread around and with three ball-playing defenders and two stoppers. As far as South American CBs goes don't look beyond them, complete waste of time. Peruvians would argue Chumpitaz belongs in there but I reckon he just about misses out. Everyone else is out.

He would be more of a covering defender (Stopper) in my defense. He was fast, strong and fantastic in air albeit with limited technical ability. But with Passarella beside him and Hierro in front he doesn’t really need to do much with ball.

Why would we win -

I feel the major advantage for our side in this game would be on wings. While RedTiger/Marty have a great team, I am predicting their tactic would be a bit gung ho. I think they would be playing something like a 4-2-4, with Puskas as a deep lying striker. They are sporting 2 ultra attacking wingbacks in Carlos and Suurbier with no holding midfielder and with wingers who would not track back. Neymar is more of a forward and is not someone who could be relied upon to track back, while Matthews said himself

I never felt Walter Winterbottom appreciated my style of play. He wanted a right-winger to track back, tackle and help in defence. That was never my style.

This creates a big problem with Boniek vs Suurbier. I have never been convinced with Suurbier’s defensive ability especially and Boniek’s seering pace, physicality and dribbling is going to be a big outlet for my team. On the other flank “the Hurricane” Jairzinho is also bound to have some joy against Roberto Carlos. Now I don’t expect Jairzinho to help a lot in defense either, which is why Andrade would be more defensive minded and that is totally his territory and he would also be supported by Hierro on that flank. On the other hand Boniek would run himself to ground helping Junior against Matthews + Suurbier. I think Boniek’s incredible work rate with Juinor’s defensive skills would be enough to keep Matthews in check.

Matthaus and Viera would have a task on their hand to cover for the wingbacks while also battling with Stefano, Coluna and Hierro in midfield, its a classic case of 3 vs 2 in mid and I can see my team controlling the game and having major share of possession. Also if Matthaus is playing as the deepest and most disciplined midfielder against Di Stefano, that is taking away a lot from their best midfielder, he is so much more than a defensive midfielder. That is not to say he can’t do a job there, actually I think he has to, because Vierra has neither the attitude not the ability to counter Di Stefano. Vierra defending against Coluna and Di Stefano has disaster written all over it. Vierra pretty much always worked with a more defensive partner (Gilberto Silva) and his true strengths are in attacking.

Puskas is a superlative player, no two ways about it, but in Passarella and Hierro I have two fantastic defenders with great game intelligence to counter his threat, while Nassazzi’s no nonsense attitude and his strength and pace is perfect antidote for Hugo Sanchez. On the other hand I can see Gerd Muller giving a torrid time to Gentile who is playing as a center back as opposed to a catenaccio type free defender and can not resort to fouling Muller inside his penalty area. He is anyway going to be dragged wide by Boniek, to cover for Suurbier. I see my front line of Muller-Boniek-Jairzinho-Di Stefano combo to give a torrid time to his defense.

Another issue I see with RedTiger/Marty team is the lack of outball from defense. Neither Gentile nor Ayala are known for their on ball skills and Suurbier especially had terrible technique for a member of total football team.

It is said that he actually invented 'total football' because his crosses were so bad he included the crowd in the play when he blasted a ball into the stands.

Now Matthaus is definitely pretty great with the ball but he would have to drop really deep to receive the ball from defenders, which would only increase the pressure with the work rate and energy of Coluna and Di Stefano. I don’t see Gentile/Ayala pairing as ideal at all.

TL;DR

1. Numerical superiority would help us control the midfield.

2. Fantastic wingers vs not so defensively solid wing backs (esp Suurbier who is honestly not of the same caliber of other players on the field)

3. Opponent team has no good passer from deep, which would limit the potential of counter attack severely, when we press.

4. On the other hand in Junior, Hierro and Passarella we have fantastic passing from deep and an absolutely rapid attack, which means we can do a quick counter if needed.

5. His best players, Matthaus in particular but also Gentile are not playing in a system suitable to their need.

 

[Physiocrat]

@Tuppet @RedTiger @Marty1968

 

[Physiocrat]

@Rado_N

Can you put a 24hr poll on please with the following options (the most ever again!)?

RedTiger/Marty 1-0 Tuppet
RedTiger/Marty 2-0 Tuppet
RedTiger/Marty 2-1 Tuppet
RedTiger/Marty 3-0 Tuppet
RedTiger/Marty 3-1 Tuppet
RedTiger/Marty 3-2 Tuppet
RedTiger/Marty 0-1 Tuppet
RedTiger/Marty 0-2 Tuppet
RedTiger/Marty 1-2 Tuppet
RedTiger/Marty 0-3 Tuppet
RedTiger/Marty 1-3 Tuppet
RedTiger/Marty 2-3 Tuppet

 

[Rado_N]

@Rado_N

Can you put a 24hr poll on please with the following options (the most ever again!)?

Done!

 

[Physiocrat]

Red Tiger and Marty's Player Profiles

Defence.

Spoiler: Preud'homme

He was considered one of the world's best goalkeepers during his career for his amazing saves, terrific reflexes and agility, and the first winner of the Yashin Award as the best goalkeeper at the 1994 World Cup.

On club level, Preud'homme played for Standard Liège, Mechelen, and Benfica. With Mechelen, he won the Belgian Cup in 1987, the Cup Winner's Cup and the European Super Cup in 1988 and the Belgian league title in 1989. He also won the Portuguese Cup with Benfica in 1996. He retired as a player in 1999, aged 40. For Belgium, Preud'homme was capped 58 times, from 1979 to 1995. Other than the 1994 World Cup, he also played in the 1990 edition.

Spoiler: Roberto Carlos

He was nicknamed el hombre bala ("the bullet man") due to his powerful bending free kicks, which have been measured at over 105 miles per hour (169 km/h). He is also known for his stamina, running speed, technical skills, crossing ability, long throw ins and 24-inch (61 cm) thighs. In 1997 he was runner-up in the FIFA World Player of the Year. Considered one of the best left backs in history, he was chosen on the FIFA World Cup Dream Team, and in 2004 was named in the FIFA 100 list of the world's greatest living players.

Roberto Carlos started playing for the Brazil national football team in 1992. He played in three World Cups, helping the team reach the final in 1998 in France, and win the 2002 tournament in Korea/Japan. He was named in the FIFA World Cup All-Star Team in 1998 and 2002.

At club level he joined Real Madrid in 1996 where he spent eleven hugely successful seasons, playing 584 matches in all competitions, scoring 71 goals. At Real he won four La Liga titles and the UEFA Champions League three times. In April 2013, he was named by Marca as a member of the "Best foreign eleven in Real Madrid's history". In August 2012.

Spoiler: Gentile

Gentile appeared for Italy in two World Cup tournaments, and played for the winning Italian team in the 1982 final. His club career was notably spent with Juventus for whom he made almost 300 league appearances, winning six national titles and two major European trophies. A tough, strong, tenacious, aggressive, ruthless, and uncompromising defender, Gentile was regarded as one of the best defenders of his generation, one of the toughest ever players in his position, and as one of the greatest Italian defenders of all time. He was particularly known for his tight, heavy marking as well as his hard challenges. Alongside Juventus and Italy team-mates Dino Zoff, Cabrini, and Scirea, he formed one of the most formidable defensive lines in football history. In 2007, The Times placed Gentile at number 8 in their list of the 50 hardest footballers in history.

Spoiler: Ayala

nicknamed el Ratón (in English: "the Mouse"), is a former Argentine footballer who played as a centre back for the Argentine National Football Team, as well as the Spanish giant Valencia and prominent Spanish side Zaragoza, the Italian giants Milan and Napoli, and the Argentine powerhouse River Plate. Regarded as one of the best central defenders of his generation, he stood out for his leadership and ability in the air throughout his career. Ayala captained the Argentine national team in a record 63 matches. He played in three World Cups and made a total of 115 international appearances, with only Javier Zanetti getting more caps for Argentina. He inherited the nickname of Ratón from the Argentine 1974 World Cup player Rubén Ayala, although they are not related

 

[Edgar Allan Pillow]

Like Tuppet's team. It's nice and well balanced.

I don't think RT/Marty's is a 4-2-3-1, more like a 4-2-4. Puskas is a FW/IF/SS as you may call it and had Hidegkuti and di Stefano to do a bit of playmaking. Playing him as a #10 is not convincing.

Vieira and Matthaus is a dominating midfield pair, but they'd still struggle against Hierro/Coluna esp with Di Stefano dropping through the middle. And with the arrow on Vieira, don't see how Matthaus can make it a 5-3-2. Also with Junior moving up through the middle I see a good chance Tuppet will dominate through the midfield when he has the ball.

Boniek vs Suurbier is another mismatch I see in favour of Tuppet.

Overall I think Tuppet will win this comfortable 3-1. Open to change my mind though. Will wait to hear more comments before voting.

 

[Physiocrat]

Spoiler: Wim Suurbier

Suurbier was the eldest of two sons born of the first marriage Willem Kwint Suurbier and Nelly, and debuted on January 5, 1964 in defense of AFC Ajax . He played almost always as an emerging right fullback. In the period of Rinus Michels as trainer (January 1965-June 1971) was introduced by Michels total football, with emerging defenders and attackers meeverdedigende still unique. He made Ajax the heyday (1965 / 1966-1972 / 1973, the time of Johan Cruyff ) note: the lost European Cup Final in 1969 and won the finals of 1971, 1972 and 1973, and six national championships. Afterwards he was a seventh time champion with Ajax (1977). With it Dutch national team he was in the World Cup finals of 1974 and (as a substitute) in 1978 , at both tournaments with number 20. He also played at European Football Championship in 1976 , where Orange was 3rd. Between 1966 and 1978 Suurbier played 60 internationals in which he scored three times. Suurbier exchanged in October 1977 Ajax for FC Metz . In the same season (1977-1978) was FC Schalke 04 his employer. Then he disappeared into the American Los Angeles Aztecs back, returned briefly as a mercenary in the Netherlands ( Sparta , late '80, early '81) and then went back to the United States where a serious knee injury broke his professional career.

Midfield.

Spoiler: Patrick Vieira

Patrick Vieira (born 23 June 1976) is a French former footballer and current head coach of New York City FC, who played as a midfielder. He rose to prominence during a hugely successful spell at Arsenal from 1996 to 2005, where he eventually became club captain, and won three Premier League titles – one unbeaten – and four FA Cups. He transferred from Arsenal in 2005 and spent one season at Juventus, helping the team to the Serie A championship. Following Juventus' relegation for their part in a match-fixing scandal, Vieira moved to Internazionale and won three Serie A titles, before moving to Manchester City for two seasons, where he retired in 2011.

Vieira was a complete, powerful, tenacious and aggressive footballer, with outstanding physical and technical attributes.[105][106] He was a competent tackler, and a tactically intelligent midfielder, gifted with good ball skills, distribution, and vision, which enabled him to start attacking plays in midfield after winning back possession; he also excelled in the air. These attributes, in addition to his pace, strength, pressing ability, and stamina, allowed him to link up the defence with the attack effectively. In 2007, The Times placed him at number 33 in their list of the 50 hardest footballers in history.

Spoiler: Lothar Matthäus

(born 21 March 1961) is a German football manager and former player. After captaining West Germany to victory in the 1990 FIFA World Cup, he was named European Footballer of the Year. In 1991, he was named the first ever FIFA World Player of the Year, and remains the only German to have received the award.

He played in five FIFA World Cups (1982, 1986, 1990, 1994, 1998), more than any other outfield player in men's football, and holds the record for the most World Cup matches played by a single player (25 games). He also won UEFA Euro 1980, and played in the 1984, 1988, and 2000 UEFA European Football Championships. In 1999, aged 38, he was again voted German Footballer of the Year, having previously won the award in 1990.

Matthäus is the most capped German player of all time, retiring with a total of 150 appearances (83 for West Germany) in 20 years, and 23 goals. Matthäus is a member of the FIFA 100 list of the greatest living football players chosen by Pelé. Diego Maradona said of Matthäus, "he is the best rival I've ever had. I guess that's enough to define him", in his book Yo soy el Diego (I am the Diego).

A versatile and complete player, Matthäus was renowned for his perceptive passing, positional sense, well-timed tackling, as well as powerful shooting. During his career, he usually played as a box-to-box midfielder, although late in his career he played as a sweeper.

 

[Physiocrat]

Spoiler: Neymar

Neymar da Silva Santos Júnior (born 5 February 1992), commonly known as Neymar or Neymar Jr., is a Brazilian professional footballer who plays for Spanish club FC Barcelona and the Brazil national team as a forward or winger, and is also the captain of the national team.

At the age of 19, Neymar won the 2011 South American Footballer of the Year award, after coming third in 2010. He followed this up by winning it again in 2012. In 2011 Neymar won the FIFA Puskás Award for Goal of the Year. In 2015 he came third for the FIFA Ballon d'Or behind Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. Neymar is known for his acceleration, dribbling skills, finishing and ability with both feet. His playing style has earned him critical acclaim, with fans, media and former players drawing comparison to former Brazil forward Pelé, who has called Neymar "an excellent player", while Ronaldo, Ronaldinho and Lionel Messi have stated "he will be the best in the world".

Neymar primarily plays as either a central striker, second striker, winger or occasionally as an attacking midfielder, and has been described as "a true phenomenon". He often plays as a left sided forward for both club and country in the team's 4–3–3 formation, drifting infield, due to his energetic pace and playmaking skills; this position allows him to shoot with his stronger foot, or create chances for team-mates. Neymar's dribbling skills, tricks and playmaking ability are reminiscent of compatriot Ronaldinho. His common traits are his creativity, passing, finishing, dribbling, feints and technique, being described as both "electric" and "explosive". Although naturally right-footed, he is capable of scoring with both feet, as well as with his head, and is an accurate free-kick and penalty taker. He commented on his attributes saying: "I'm always trying to perfect everything – dribbling, shooting, headers and control. You can always improve".

 

[Physiocrat]

Spoiler: Sir Stanley Matthews

Sir Stanley Matthews, CBE (1 February 1915 – 23 February 2000) was an English footballer. Often regarded as one of the greatest players of the English game, he is the only player to have been knighted while still playing, as well as being the first winner of both the European Footballer of the Year and the Football Writers' Association Footballer of the Year awards. Matthews' nicknames included "The Wizard of the Dribble" and "The Magician".

A near-vegetarian teetotaller, he kept fit enough to play at the top level until he was 50 years old. He was also the oldest player ever to play in England's top football division and the oldest player ever to represent the country. He played his final competitive game in 1985, at the age of 70. Matthews was also an inaugural inductee to the English Football Hall of Fame in 2002 to honour his contribution to the English game.

He spent 19 years with Stoke City, playing for the Potters from 1932 to 1947, and again from 1961 to 1965. He helped Stoke to the Second Division title in 1932–33 and 1962–63. Between his two spells at Stoke he spent 14 years with Blackpool, where, after being on the losing side in the 1948 and 1951 FA Cup finals, he helped Blackpool to win the cup with a formidable personal performance in the "Matthews Final" of 1953. Between 1934 and 1957 he won 54 caps for England, playing in the FIFA World Cup in 1950 and 1954, and winning nine British Home Championship titles.

Franz Beckenbauer said that the speed and skill Matthews possessed meant that "almost no one in the game could stop him". John Charles noted that "he was the best crosser I've ever seen – and he had to contend with the old heavy ball". Johnny Giles said that "he had everything – good close control, great dribbling ability and he was lightning quick. He was also an intelligent player, who knew how to pass the ball". Despite his great talents, he rarely tackled opponents and was not adept at heading the ball or using his left foot.

Before 1937–38 he had scored 38 goals in four seasons, and full-backs began to mark him more tightly; because of this he decided to drop deeper to collect the ball and aim to play pinpoint crosses as opposed to going for glory himself. Though he would never again score more than six goals in a season, this made him more an effective team player and a greater threat to the opposition.

When running along Blackpool's beach, at 7 am, no matter the weather, Matthews wore shoes that contained lead, so that when he changed into his football boots, his feet felt light, giving himself the impression that he could run faster. Having trained to a level of fitness few other players would reach, by the mid-1950s he was able to cut back on his intense training as his level of fitness was by then ingrained in his body. He never smoked; instead, he was very conscious of every item of food and drink he consumed, and he maintained a rigid daily training regime from childhood up until his old age. In an interview with the FA he said, "I had some very good advice and started to eat more salads and fruit, and every Monday I had no food. Just one day, on a Monday, but I felt better." The only time he knowingly consumed alcohol was when drinking champagne out of the FA Cup in 1953.

In addition to his attention to detail in diet and fitness, he also afforded close scrutiny to his kit. 1950–51 he struck a boot sponsorship deal with the Co-op, though he instead began wearing a more lightweight pair of boots he had discovered on show at the World Cup – at the time they were not available to buy in England. He would wear the customized boots until his retirement, though they were so delicate that he got through countless pairs every season.

An avid student of the game, in the 1950 FIFA World Cup Matthews stayed on to watch teams such as Brazil and Uruguay compete in the tournament after England's elimination – the English FA, manager and media all returned home to, as Matthews said, "bury their heads in the sand." Matthews regularly condemned the "blazer brigade" at the FA in his autobiography, slating them as "conservative" and stressing that many of them were Old Etonians; in his view they treated players and supporters poorly, demonstrated arrogance by ignoring competitions they did not control (the World Cup and European domestic competitions), and viewed innovations with excessive suspicion (for example the FA sanctioned only the use of floodlights in 1952 despite artificial lighting having been experimented with as far back as 1878, and for years insisted on using outdated kit such as heavy "reinforced" boots). Writing about the fact that the FA allocated only 12,000 of the 100,000 available tickets for the 1953 FA Cup Final to Blackpool supporters, Matthews wrote: "I couldn't make my mind up whether they were dunderheads or simply didn't care about the genuine supporters who were the lifeblood of the game".

He was never booked or sent off throughout his entire career, and teammate Jimmy Armfield noted that Matthews would never retaliate to the many extremely physical challenges opponents would often make to try and take him out of the game. Indeed, he ran the full gauntlet of emotions that all footballers run, but always retained a level head on the pitch, never losing his temper or allowing his emotions to affect his game.

 

[Physiocrat]

Forwards

Spoiler: Ferenc Puskas

Ferenc Puskás (Hungarian pronunciation: [ˈfɛrɛnt͡s ˈpuʃkaːʃ]; 1 April 1927 – 17 November 2006) was a Hungarian footballer and manager, widely regarded as one of the greatest players of all time. He scored 84 goals in 85 international matches for Hungary, and 514 goals in 529 matches in the Hungarian and Spanish leagues. He became Olympic champion in 1952 and led his nation to the final of the 1954 World Cup where he was named the tournament's best player. He won three European Cups (1959, 1960, 1966), 10 national championships (5 Hungarian & 5 Spanish Primera División) and 8 top individual scoring honors.

Puskás started his career in Hungary playing for Kispest and Budapest Honvéd. He was top scorer in the Hungarian League on four occasions, and in 1948, he was the top goal scorer in Europe. During the 1950s, he was both a prominent member and captain of the Hungarian national team, known as the Mighty Magyars. In 1958, two years after the Hungarian Revolution, he emigrated to Spain where he played for Real Madrid.

While playing with Real Madrid, Puskás won four Pichichis and scored seven goals in two European Champions Cup finals. In 1995, he was recognized as the top scorer of the 20th century by the IFFHS.

After retiring as a player, he became a coach. The highlight of his coaching career came in 1971 when he guided Panathinaikos to the European Cup final, where they lost 2–0 to AFC Ajax. Despite his defection in 1956, the Hungarian government granted him a full pardon in 1993, allowing him to return and take temporary charge of the Hungarian national team. In 1998, he became one of the first ever FIFA/SOS Charity ambassadors. In 2002, the Népstadion in Budapest was renamed the Puskás Ferenc Stadion in his honor. He was also declared the best Hungarian player of the last 50 years by the Hungarian Football Federation in the UEFA Jubilee Awards in November 2003. In October 2009, FIFA announced the introduction of the FIFA Puskás Award, awarded to the player who has scored the "most beautiful goal" over the past year. He was also listed in Pelé's FIFA 100.

 

[Physiocrat]

Spoiler: Hugo Sánchez

Hugo Sánchez Márquez (born 11 July 1958) is a retired Mexican professional footballer and current manager. A prolific goalscorer known for his spectacular strikes and volleys, Sánchez is widely regarded as Mexico's greatest-ever footballer, and one of the greatest of his generation. In 1999, the International Federation of Football History and Statistics voted Sánchez the 26th best footballer of the 20th century, and the best footballer from the CONCACAF region. In 2004 Sánchez was named in the FIFA 100 list of the world's greatest living players. He is the fourth highest scorer in the history of Spain's top division.

Golden Aspirations

For Hugo it all began while watching his brother’s training sessions with Mexico’s amateur side, as a 15-year-old. The youngster would plead with the coaching staff to allow him to join in, and although he was repeatedly refused due to his age, they did eventually succumb to his wishes. Upon witnessing his terrific abilities, there was only one thing for them to do – invite him to join the team!

With Sánchez on board, and his exquisite performances in the Toulon Tournament and victory in the 1975 Cannes Youth Tournament, he earned the nickname ‘Niño de Oro’ (‘Golden Boy’). Sánchez had become a prized youth player of UNAM Pumas during his early years at the club (1972-’75).

GOOOOOL!

In 1976, the 18-year-old signed his first professional contract with UNAM Pumas, a professional team representing the National Autonomous University of Mexico (UNAM). Sánchez, not having lost sight of his studies, was on his way to attaining a Dentistry degree while playing for the first team.

Interestingly, Sánchez had started his career playing as a left winger, until his coach Velibor “Bora” Milutinović’s enlightened decision in making Sánchez the driving force of the attack. It was claimed that whenever Sánchez scored, as the Mexican commentator at the stadium cried “Goooooool!”, Sánchez would see how many backflips he could perform during those seconds!

With UNAM Pumas, Sánchez got to play regular football, scoring 99 goals in 183 matches in the domestic league alone. During his 5 seasons at the club, they won 2 Mexican Primera División championships (’77 and ’81), the CONCACAF Champions’ Cup (’80), and the Copa Interamericana (’81). During this period, Sánchez also won the CONCACAF Gold Cup in ’77 with Mexico’s national team.

Madrid’s Calling…

Sánchez’s exploits in front of goal caused quite a stir, and so, when Spain’s Atlético de Madrid came knocking, Sánchez answered…

In 1981, Sánchez transferred to Atlético Madrid, after having turned down many an offer, including that of English side Arsenal FC. But the youngster struggled to adapt to the style of play and lifestyle during his first year at the club. With a low goal tally and too much time on the bench, many thought that he would return to Mexico. Rumours were further stirred by Mexico’s (El Tri’s) shock elimination from the qualifiers for the 1982 FIFA World Cup in Spain. It was thanks to the support and encouragement from Atlético Madrid’s president, Vicente Calderón, who enabled Sánchez to finally find his feet and realise his dreams.

As Sánchez’s playing time and goal tally rose, he launched his journey to stardom and had a positive effect on Atlético Madrid’s end of season standings. In 1981-’82, Los Rojiblancos had finished the season in 8th spot, but for each of Sánchez’s following seasons, the team never finished below 4th position.

By the time the 1984-’85 season had arrived, it would ring in his best and last with Atlético Madrid. Los Rojiblancos won the Copa del Rey, finished in 2nd place in La Liga, behind FC Barcelona, and won the Supercopa de España. And to top it all off, Sánchez won his 1st Pichichi trophy as La Liga’s top goalscorer of the season, with 19 goals. By 1985, his tally with the club had reached 65 goals in 134 appearances in all competitions.

With all eyes on this marvel, it was not long before a club from nearby was bound to steal him away.



Magical Flight

By the time the 1985-’86 season came around, Sánchez was in a Los Blancos shirt at the Santiago Bernabéu – the timing of his arrival was impeccable as Real Madrid got Sánchez at his absolute best. He found himself surrounded by superstars, playing alongside the team’s nucleus, La Quinta del Buitre (‘Vulture’s Cohort’), consisting of Butragueño, Michel, Vázquez, Sanchís and Pardeza. Real Madrid was in the midst of a highly successful period in Spain and Europe during the latter part of the 80s, and Sánchez was given the platform on which to flourish!

Sánchez rallied glamourous performances. He had superb pace; was lethal in the air and from long range; and his perceptiveness guaranteed him to be in the ideal spot to receive the ball. All this, accompanied with a sublime touch and enthralling acrobatics, made Sánchez quite the catch for any club. His memorable bicycle-kicks (Huguinas) followed by celebratory somersaults (dedicated to his gymnast sister) and fist pumps immediately afterwards, created a spectacular show for the fans, including the opposing goalkeeper who happened to have the best seat in the house!



For Sánchez, the 1989-’90 season with Los Blancos could not have been more
perfect. His 5th Pichichi (4th with Real Madrid), earned him the nickname ‘Pentapichichi’ and made him only one of two others, Di Stéfano and Quini, to have 5 Pichichi trophies. (Only the legendary Telmo Zarra has 6.) Sánchez was also awarded the European Golden Shoe, equalling Zarra’s (1950-’51) Spanish league season’s record of 38 goals. It took 21 years for this record to be broken by Cristiano Ronaldo in 2011, when he scored 40 in La Liga. During this season, Sánchez scored one of his most extraordinary goals against Logroñés – an impeccably executed overhead-kick, which later became labelled the ‘Señor Gol’ (‘Great Goal’).

His glorious 7-year spell with Los Blancos (’85-’92) consisting of 207 goals in 283 games (in all competitions) earned the club 5 consecutive La Liga titles (’86-’90); 1 Copa del Rey (’89); 3 Supercopa de España (’88, ’89 ’90); and 1 UEFA Cup (’86).

Swift Expeditions

The next few years saw Sánchez travel around the globe to play for various clubs, but alas without any repeats of his previous form: Mexico City-based club América (’92-’93), winning the CONCACAF Champions’ Cup with the team in ’92; Rayo Vallecano (’93-’94); Atlante (’94-’95), Linz (’95-’96); Dallas (’96); and finally, Atlético Celaya (’97), where, after 450 goals in 756 career appearances, he retired aged 39.

Prior to his retirement, Real Madrid had organised a tribute match in honouring one of their legends. On the 29th May 1997, in a packed Santiago Bernabéu stadium – the match against Paris Saint Germain – Sánchez found himself in the place where he had achieved fame and which was overcome with memories of his glittering spell. Real Madrid was victorious, with Sánchez scoring a hat-trick in their 4-1 win, sealing one of his goals with a soaring scissor-kick!

Trials and Misfortunes

In 1977, Sánchez was selected to play for Mexico’s senior national team. By the age of 19, he represented his country at the 1978 FIFA World Cup in Argentina. It proved to be a disappointing campaign as El Tri finished bottom of their group and without any points, after having suffered defeats to Poland, West Germany and Tunisia.

Despair for Mexico ensued as they did not qualify for Spain 1982, receiving much criticism from their national media, and were disqualified from the 1990 FIFA World Cup, including all other international competitions, due to having utilised over-age player/s in qualifying for the 1989 FIFA World Youth Championship.

Wave of Hope

Eight months prior to the FIFA World Cup hosted by Mexico, the country was hit by a severe earthquake in September ’85. As no damage had been caused to the stadiums, the preparations for the tournament continued. Mexico’s hosting of the event did not put pressure on El Tri; rather, the fans’ support was a huge motivational factor for the players. This World Cup, which began in May ’86, was not only in the year declared by the United Nations as the International Year of Peace, but it also gifted the world with the phenomenal Mexican wave!

Although Sánchez missed a penalty in the group phase, in a 1-1 draw with Paraguay, it had no consequence on the outcome of their group. Paradoxically, although Sánchez was heartbroken to have missed the penalty, he felt it showed people that he was only human, especially after his incredible performances in Spain. With Milutinović at the helm, Mexico wrapped up their group stage in top spot, followed by a 2-0 triumph over Bulgaria in the knockout stage. Mexico lost to West Germany 4-1 on penalties in the quarter-finals, after extra-time’s 0-0 scoreline – Mexico having had a legitimate goal disallowed.

At this tournament, the world also witnessed Argentina’s captain, Diego Maradona, score the famous ‘Hand of God’ goal in the quarter-finals against England, and Argentina going on to win the trophy after beating West Germany 3-2 in Mexico City’s Estadio Azteca.

From 1977 ’til 1994, Sánchez was capped on 58 occasions and netted 29 goals.

 

[Chesterlestreet]

Not that it's a huge deal, but given the nature of this particular draft I wish the managers would name their subs in the write-up - because, well, I'm lazy. And the subs, even in the first round, are more interesting than what is usually the case.

 

[VivaJanuzaj]

Two obvious problems:
A. Tuppet is going to domiante that RW with Jairzinho and Andrade against the very lightweight(defensively) Neymar and R.Carlos in that 4-4-1-1. That's very good news for team Tuppet and a clear route to goal.
B. Passarella isn't being propely used as @antohan would've suggested, which is a shame for a huge CB.

I really like the Viera-Matthaus combo with Puskas-Sanche atop, but not sure it's better than that attack from Tuppet which is crazy. Seriously, Zibi-Di Stefano-Jairzinho-Müller?!

 

[Marty1968]

Let's respond to each of these points....

1. Numerical superiority would help us control the midfield. How so? Puskas was just as capable of defending as Di Stefano would be for you. Matthews also used to tuck in to the middle at times and so would also help out here so it's not a clear mismatch at all. Matthaus would be box-to-box mid which was definitely his best role. There will be times during the game where Di Stefano will have to go forward to support Muller. And in a clear 2 v 2 battle Matthaus and Vieira win over Coluna/Hierro for me.

2. Fantastic wingers vs not so defensively solid wing backs (esp Suurbier who is honestly not of the same caliber of other players on the field)
The same could be said for your team really. Andrade against one of the quickest, most skillful wingers on the planet currently. Neymar loves to cut inside and so Andrade is either forced to follow him or let Hierro pick him up. Either way you've either lost the 'numerical advantage' in the middle or have opened a huge gap down your left hand side which Roberto Carlos will exploit no problems.

3. Opponent team has no good passer from deep, which would limit the potential of counter attack severely, when we press.

Again wrong. Vieira was a tough nut but also extremely skillful on the ball. Just watch some of his through balls on the clip below. For a tall guy his touch was sublime. With Lothar alongside him as well, we have two outstanding passer's in the middle and certainly on a par with Coluna and Hierro. If you can show us some videos of incredible distribution from both of them then I will stand corrected........


4. On the other hand in Junior, Hierro and Passarella we have fantastic passing from deep and an absolutely rapid attack, which means we can do a quick counter if needed. Have covered the passing from deep. Vieira is one source, Matthaus another, Ayala and Gentile, whilst tough tackling defenders were very capable with the ball at their feet and with the pace of Neymar, Matthews, Puskas and Sanchez they have plenty of avenues to attack.

5. His best players, Matthaus in particular but also Gentile are not playing in a system suitable to their need.

How so? Matthaus can roam forward happily with Vieira sitting in. Gentile will battle Muller all game long.

 

[Marty1968]

Two obvious problems:
A. Tuppet is going to domiante that RW with Jairzinho and Andrade against the very lightweight(defensively) Neymar and R.Carlos in that 4-4-1-1. That's very good news for team Tuppet and a clear route to goal.
B. Passarella isn't being propely used as @antohan would've suggested, which is a shame for a huge CB.

I really like the Viera-Matthaus combo with Puskas-Sanche atop, but not sure it's better than that attack from Tuppet which is crazy. Seriously, Zibi-Di Stefano-Jairzinho-Müller?!

The same could be said for Tuppets RW defensively. Jairzinho is as good at tracking back as Neymar is.

Vieira and Matthaus are a perfect combination in the middle and win the battle over Coluna/Hierro.

As for Puskas/Sanchez vs Di Stefano/Muller - Puskas had a better scoring record in La Liga than Di Stefano averaging almost a goal a game! Sanchez is 4th on the all time scoring list in La Liga - ahead of Di Stefano!

Passarella is far too attacking and if anything would've had Hierro/Passarella swap places. But then that leaves Tuppet's team weak in midfield as Passarella was a ball player, not a hard man.

 

[Chesterlestreet]

Puskas was just as capable of defending as Di Stefano would be for you.

He really wasn't.

 

[Edgar Allan Pillow]

Puskas was just as capable of defending as Di Stefano would be for you.

Di Stefano was better described as a one man spine for the team. Puskas is a free roaming right IF, deadly in that role, but not a comparable point to Di Stefano's contribution to the midfield.

 

[VivaJanuzaj]

He really wasn't.

Yeah, that's a weird comment @Marty1968

 

[Tuppet]

Best of luck @Marty1968 @RedTiger

@Chesterlestreet My sub is Edgar Davids.

 

[Marty1968]

So Tuppet, which of your players is going to pick up Puskas then? Passarella certainly wasn't a man marker....Hierro? If so, then there's clearly no numerical advantage for you in the middle..

 

[Physiocrat]

Gone Tuppet 3-1. RedTiger and Marty are way to gung-ho even for me. If they had a proper DM and a RCB instead of Vieria and Suurbier I could see it working as a crazy counterattacking side but as it is they'll just be carved opened

 

[RedTiger]

It seems every draft, Roberto Carlos and wim suurbier are considered shit defenders, as if they played fullback because there wasn't any other position to play in.

Both were excellent defenders and to deny otherwise would be disingenuous.

 

[Tuppet]

Let's respond to each of these points....

How so? Puskas was just as capable of defending as Di Stefano would be for you. Matthews also used to tuck in to the middle at times and so would also help out here so it's not a clear mismatch at all. Matthaus would be box-to-box mid which was definitely his best role. There will be times during the game where Di Stefano will have to go forward to support Muller. And in a clear 2 v 2 battle Matthaus and Vieira win over Coluna/Hierro for me.

I guess others have covered it but no. Puskas is a phenomenal goal scorer, Helping midfield like Di Stefano ? thats not his forte and nor should you want him to do that.

The same could be said for your team really. Andrade against one of the quickest, most skillful wingers on the planet currently. Neymar loves to cut inside and so Andrade is either forced to follow him or let Hierro pick him up. Either way you've either lost the 'numerical advantage' in the middle or have opened a huge gap down your left hand side which Roberto Carlos will exploit no problems.

Again no, No doubt Neymar is fantastic, but the difference is Andrade is a lot more capable defensively than Suurbier. Andrade has clear legacy in marking out the best inside forward (Zizinho) at the time, while Suurbier was mostly known for his attacking contribution.

Again wrong. Vieira was a tough nut but also extremely skillful on the ball. Just watch some of his through balls on the clip below. For a tall guy his touch was sublime. With Lothar alongside him as well, we have two outstanding passer's in the middle and certainly on a par with Coluna and Hierro. If you can show us some videos of incredible distribution from both of them then I will stand corrected........

I don't dispute that really, Vierra while not possessing greatest of passing range, was still good enough with his passing. And I've already mentioned about Matthaus passing range. The problem is, its a 2 men midfield and how deep you want Vierra to drop really ? And that was not his game either. Anyway, if those are the instructions then, Vierra would have to drop really deep and it would only exacerbate your midfield situation.

When my forwards are pushing your defenders, a quick counter is hard to manifest because neither Gentile nor Ayayla are known for great passing and Vierra / Mattahaus have to drop really deep. Its a small point, but I am hoping to control the possession here and force the attack more, and as such needs to be more wary of your counter attack.

Have covered the passing from deep. Vieira is one source, Matthaus another, Ayala and Gentile, whilst tough tackling defenders were very capable with the ball at their feet and with the pace of Neymar, Matthews, Puskas and Sanchez they have plenty of avenues to attack.

Nothing of what I've seen of Ayala/Gentile convinces me that they were very capable with the ball at their feet, but alright, anyway already covered that I am not really talking about passing in midfield in general (which btw I think I have better in Coluna and Di Stefano) I am talking about passing from deep when I have my team forward, Gentile nicked a ball near his penalty area, what does he do now, he does not have the range of passing to consistently feed it to your attack for a counter. His best bet is to give it to say Carlos or Suurbier and hope they would sprint past everything. Its certainly possible but then it gives time for my team to regain shape.

How so? Matthaus can roam forward happily with Vieira sitting in. Gentile will battle Muller all game long.

Well I was assuming Matthaus is the one who is sititng in. Substitute Vierra for Matthaus then. Gentile's greatest achievements have come when he was a free role marking defender or as an auxiliary defender on either side, that is where his battles with Zico and Maradona have came from. He can do a CB role sure, but he can't be his dirty tackling self inside his penalty area, where a foul if it does not leads to a card would lead to a penalty.

 

[Tuppet]

B. Passarella isn't being propely used as @antohan would've suggested, which is a shame for a huge CB.

How did you figure that ? Passarella is being used with a stopper along with him, My full backs are not overly adventurous. V Andrade in particular was known for his defensive capabilities. I also have a deep midfielder who can drop in as a defender, which allows Passarella to move forward. IMO this is as ideal as a setup can get for him.

 

[Tuppet]

It seems every draft, Roberto Carlos and wim suurbier are considered shit defenders, as if they played fullback because there wasn't any other position to play in.

Both were excellent defenders and to deny otherwise would be disingenuous.

Well tbh Suurbier was a bit shit defensively. His great contribution was his stamina and attacking capabilities. Not that you should not use R. Carlos or Suurbier, but its more what is around them. I would have no problems with a Nedved - Suurbier combo on right for example, or say a Makelele protecting your defense would increase my faith in it by a lot.

 

[Marty1968]

Well tbh Suurbier was a bit shit defensively. His great contribution was his stamina and attacking capabilities. Not that you should not use R. Carlos or Suurbier, but its more what is around them. I would have no problems with a Nedved - Suurbier combo on right for example, or say a Makelele protecting your defense would increase my faith in it by a lot.

And what was generally around Roberto Carlos throughout his career?? Leonardo or Ronaldinho in front of him for Brazil and Robinho in front of him at Madrid. None of those attacking players renowned for their defensive abilities and yet did Roberto Carlos have to sit back as a left back or get rinsed every time he bombed forward?? NO!!

Carlos was able to get forward and recover if caught out of position to great effect. If he was such a 'liability' teams would've attacked that weakness all game. Same can be said for Suurbier.

 

[Tuppet]

And what was generally around Roberto Carlos throughout his career?? Leonardo or Ronaldinho in front of him for Brazil and Robinho in front of him at Madrid. None of those attacking players renowned for their defensive abilities and yet did Roberto Carlos have to sit back as a left back or get rinsed every time he bombed forward?? NO!!

Carlos was able to get forward and recover if caught out of position to great effect. If he was such a 'liability' teams would've attacked that weakness all game. Same can be said for Suurbier.

To answer your question lets see squads from 2 of Roberto Carlos greatest achievements -

And Suurbier is not in the same league as Carlos for me.

 

[Edgar Allan Pillow]

Tbh, I don't get why Carlos is a liability at all. What he offers to the whole flank more than enough compensates for any occasion positional advantage an opponent might gain. Jairzinho is a legend on his own and can be counted on to take advantage of those. Tbh, that flank is pretty even imo.

 

[RedTiger]

What will be hierro's role specifically? Will he be the deep playmaker or the guy marking puskas?

 

[Fergus' son]

@Tuppet takes this one for me.

 

[Snow]

Tuppet has like 6/11 players that I could see myself picking in this kind of draft so it's hard for me to look past that when the rest of his team just fits.

 

[RedTiger]

Another thing, me and Marty have the pace to break quicker than tuppets side, keep in mind that we are 532 When not in possession with extremely quick flanks to carry the ball forwards

 

[RedTiger]

Tuppet has like 6/11 players that I could see myself picking in this kind of draft so it's hard for me to look past that when the rest of his team just fits.

Do none of our players stick out for you?

 

[Snow]

Do none of our players stick out for you?

O sure, you have a very good team. The two teams feel very similar to me overall with players mostly sharing similar roles but the standout for me is the Di Stefano-Muller combo and how that would work compared the Puskas and Sanchez.

 

[Tuppet]

What will be hierro's role specifically? Will he be the deep playmaker or the guy marking puskas?

He is a deep lying playmaker, but would definitely pick up on the man on his zone. He is more about breaking moves and plugging fires rather than man marking anyone. This is not an unusual role really, Carrick does it all the time for us, similarly Busquets for Barca.

 

[Tuppet]

Another thing, me and Marty have the pace to break quicker than tuppets side, keep in mind that we are 532 When not in possession with extremely quick flanks to carry the ball forwards

Well I don't see how 5-3-2 is coming from to begin with, is Vierra dropping in defense to make 5 ? That's so not his game, I really don't think Vierra is your guy if you want to do anything like that. You also don't want to go in a speed match with my side, its futile as I posses similar (probably even more) speed on the flanks, both Boniek and Jairzinho are extremely pacy and on the right side Andrade was supposedly so pacy that his captain Varela believed if a guy out ran him he must be offside.

 

[Tuppet]

Tbh, I don't get why Carlos is a liability at all. What he offers to the whole flank more than enough compensates for any occasion positional advantage an opponent might gain. Jairzinho is a legend on his own and can be counted on to take advantage of those. Tbh, that flank is pretty even imo.

I really really like Carlos, I've picked him before and I don't buy in the myth that he is a bad defender. But he is a special player and does require setup more tailored toward him, you can not let him run on the wing without anyone else covering for him. As you can see from the formations I posted its either 3 man defenses or an exceptional defensive midfielder or something that would be required to get the best out of him. I would gladly sacrifice a player to just cover for him, because of what he provides on the left wing, but thats not whats happening here.

Also Carlos's pace was probably the biggest reason he can afford to go forward knowing he would be able to outrun his winger if he has to. Thats not going to happen here, Jarizinho was known as the hurricane and he has similar if not more pace than Carlos and if Carlos lose ball high in the pitch, Jairzinho is likely going to out pace him with the space he leaves behind. It takes only 1 occasion really, Jairzinho did it to a defensively far superior player in Facchetti in 1970 WC final

 

[Edgar Allan Pillow]

I really really like Carlos, I've picked him before and I don't buy in the myth that he is a bad defender. But he is a special player and does require setup more tailored toward him, you can not let him run on the wing without anyone else covering for him. As you can see from the formations I posted its either 3 man defenses or an exceptional defensive midfielder or something that would be required to get the best out of him. I would gladly sacrifice a player to just cover for him, because of what he provides on the left wing, but thats not whats happening here.

Also Carlos's pace was probably the biggest reason he can afford to go forward knowing he would be able to outrun his winger if he has to. Thats not going to happen here, Jarizinho was known as the hurricane and he has similar if not more pace than Carlos and if Carlos lose ball high in the pitch, Jairzinho is likely going to out pace him with the space he leaves behind. It takes only 1 occasion really, Jairzinho did it to a defensively far superior player in Facchetti in 1970 WC final

Have to disagree there. You are making him look like a cheaper version of Zambarotta! He played in a flat back 4 for Real and I don't believe the presence of Makelele had anything to do with the way Carlos operates. He's one of the few players you can count to man the flank on his own. It is understood that he favours to attack, but not to an extent he is deemed as a defensive liability. And good full backs do not give up attacking duties just because they face equally good wingers.

 

[Tuppet]

Have to disagree there. You are making him look like a cheaper version of Zambarotta! He played in a flat back 4 for Real and I don't believe the presence of Makelele had anything to do with the way Carlos operates. He's one of the few players you can count to man the flank on his own. It is understood that he favours to attack, but not to an extent he is deemed as a defensive liability. And good full backs do not give up attacking duties just because they face equally good wingers.

Well its fair to disagree, but I just want to say I am in no way doing that. I think he is a very good defender. All I am saying that having him go on all out attack, while no one covering for him against a legendary winger, who can match him for pace is reckless and a good source of chances for my team. Nothing on Carlos, just feel its not a great tactic.