Michael
Physio
Michael Tactics
My team will play a 4-3-3/4-2-3-1 hybrid based on the tactics of 1960's Penarol. According to Penarol winger Julio Abbadie Penarol were:
Source
My team will look to replicate this with the pace of Blokhin and Bican being unleashed by Bochini, Coluna, Conti, Leandro and Figueroa.
In Goal we have Ladislao Mazurkiewicz who was Goalkeeper in that mid to late 1960's Penarol side and was the best Goalkeeper at the 1970 World Cup. At Right Back we have Leandro whom Carlos Alberto Torres concluded was a better RB than both himself and Djalma Santos because Leandro had both the defensive skills of Djalma Santos and the attacking skills of Carlos Alberto (Source). At Left Back we have Victor Rodriguez Andrade who could play on both flanks (He played on the Left in Uruguay's 1950 World Cup win). He was the nephew of earlier Uruguayan right half back Jose Leandro Andrade who was one of the best players in the world in the 1920's. According to @antohan compared to his uncle Victor Rodriguez Andrade
Source
Andrade was comfortable dealing with both world class inside forwards like Zizinho (player of the tournament in the 1950 World Cup) in the de facto final of the 1950 World Cup and world class wingers such as Zoltan Czibor in the 1954 World Cup Semi Final in a performance which led Ferenc Puskas to conclude that Andrade was the best RB that he'd ever seen (Source). This should mean that Andrade is well placed to deal with whichever one of Eusebio and Finney that @Physiocrat starts on the right. Indeed, Andrade played against Finney in the 1954 World Cup Quarter Final where he performed this brilliant tackle on Finney:
Source
On the Right hand side of central defense we have Jose Nasazzi who was player of the tournament at the World Cup in 1930 and the Copa America in 1923 and 1935 as well as being included in the historical dream team of the Copa America and was superb both positionally and aerially. He is partnered by Elias Figueroa who in my opinion is the best defender in this draft. Figueroa was considered the best foreign player of the 20th century in both Brazil and Uruguay, as well as part of the best South American XI in the 20th century. Figueroa won the world's best defender every year from 1974 to 1977 as well as the South American Footballer of the Year every year from 1974 to 1976. Figueroa was a great marker who was brilliant at reading attacks and could also start attacks with short range incisive passes.
The more defensive of our two central midfielders is Obdulio Varela who was in the 1950 World Cup Team of the Tournament, the best player at the 1942 Copa America and is also included in the historical dream team of the Copa America. Varela was a dominant midfielder who could protect the defense and was also an effective passer. He will be partnered by Mario Coluna in a box to box midfield role. On the right hand side of midfield is arguably the greatest Italian winger ever in Bruno Conti who will be filling Abbadie's role in the 1960's Penarol side which required the decision making skills to know when to cross from deep, when to advance with the ball and when to pass the ball forward to the overlapping RB as well as helping out defensively. Conti has all the skills necessary to fulfill this role.
Our attacking midfielder is Ricardo Bochini who was Maradona's idol. Bochini was a brilliant passer who was an expert at timing passes perfectly with even after his retirement the term pase bochinesco (Bochiniesque pass) being used for a highly accurate pass that leaves a forward one on one with the goalkeeper. The pace of the forwards in my team will allow my team to make full use of Bochini's passing ability.
My left inside forward is Oleg Blokhin who won the Ballon d'Or in 1975 as well as being the Soviet Footballer of the year in 1973, 1974 and 1975. Blokhin was top scorer in the Soviet league 5 times (1972 through 1975 and 1977). My striker will be Josef Bican who was top scorer 10 times in the Czechoslovak league (including in 8 consecutive seasons) as well as being top scorer in Austria once. His season goal tallies at Slavia Prague include 56 goals in 26 games, 63 goals in 31 games and most incredibly 76 goals in 32 games. Bican was described by football historian Radovan Jelinek as follows:
Source
Physio Tactics
Tactics – Direct/ Mixed
Formation – Lopsided 433
Defensive Line - Balanced
Marking – Zonal
Eusebio has a free role from the left (Zebec is tasked with providing the width on the left in tandem with Netto) so he can drop deep and dribble, then cut inside and shoot – clearly his two best attributes. He can also appear at the far post for a cross by Finney from the right. Alberto Spencer spearheads the attack with his off the ball movement, pace, dribbling and of course heading ability which will be made good use of by Finney and Zebec on the overlap.
The midfield three are all technically good on the ball in particular the mastermind of the 3, Hungarian legend Josef Boszik who has complete control to run the midfield as he sees fit – the movement of the front 3 will give him ample options so too will his technically accomplished partners. Clearly the midfield three will put in a shift off the ball too so will be a defensively solid collective too. Netto will not only provide good passing but also some cover when Zebec gallops forward. Fernandez anchors the midfield with his clever positioning and tenacious tackling.
As mentioned before Zebec will be an attacking left-back with Djalma in a more balanced role although he will get forward more than he did behind Garrincha (Finney will link up better given he was more of a versatile winger). The all-rounder Carlos Mozer will be the more aggressive CB with Roma legend Aldair as more of the sweeper making use of his good passing range and organisation in defence. If they manage to pass the back 4 then one of the early sweeper keepers and excellent shot stopper Grosics will be difficult to pass.
Here’s another outing of Synco’s excellent Zebec video. Unfortunately there is no complete game of him online, but this collection of clips really gives you a good idea of what type of player he was.
Physio
Michael Tactics
My team will play a 4-3-3/4-2-3-1 hybrid based on the tactics of 1960's Penarol. According to Penarol winger Julio Abbadie Penarol were:
Source
My team will look to replicate this with the pace of Blokhin and Bican being unleashed by Bochini, Coluna, Conti, Leandro and Figueroa.
In Goal we have Ladislao Mazurkiewicz who was Goalkeeper in that mid to late 1960's Penarol side and was the best Goalkeeper at the 1970 World Cup. At Right Back we have Leandro whom Carlos Alberto Torres concluded was a better RB than both himself and Djalma Santos because Leandro had both the defensive skills of Djalma Santos and the attacking skills of Carlos Alberto (Source). At Left Back we have Victor Rodriguez Andrade who could play on both flanks (He played on the Left in Uruguay's 1950 World Cup win). He was the nephew of earlier Uruguayan right half back Jose Leandro Andrade who was one of the best players in the world in the 1920's. According to @antohan compared to his uncle Victor Rodriguez Andrade
Source
Andrade was comfortable dealing with both world class inside forwards like Zizinho (player of the tournament in the 1950 World Cup) in the de facto final of the 1950 World Cup and world class wingers such as Zoltan Czibor in the 1954 World Cup Semi Final in a performance which led Ferenc Puskas to conclude that Andrade was the best RB that he'd ever seen (Source). This should mean that Andrade is well placed to deal with whichever one of Eusebio and Finney that @Physiocrat starts on the right. Indeed, Andrade played against Finney in the 1954 World Cup Quarter Final where he performed this brilliant tackle on Finney:
Source
On the Right hand side of central defense we have Jose Nasazzi who was player of the tournament at the World Cup in 1930 and the Copa America in 1923 and 1935 as well as being included in the historical dream team of the Copa America and was superb both positionally and aerially. He is partnered by Elias Figueroa who in my opinion is the best defender in this draft. Figueroa was considered the best foreign player of the 20th century in both Brazil and Uruguay, as well as part of the best South American XI in the 20th century. Figueroa won the world's best defender every year from 1974 to 1977 as well as the South American Footballer of the Year every year from 1974 to 1976. Figueroa was a great marker who was brilliant at reading attacks and could also start attacks with short range incisive passes.
The more defensive of our two central midfielders is Obdulio Varela who was in the 1950 World Cup Team of the Tournament, the best player at the 1942 Copa America and is also included in the historical dream team of the Copa America. Varela was a dominant midfielder who could protect the defense and was also an effective passer. He will be partnered by Mario Coluna in a box to box midfield role. On the right hand side of midfield is arguably the greatest Italian winger ever in Bruno Conti who will be filling Abbadie's role in the 1960's Penarol side which required the decision making skills to know when to cross from deep, when to advance with the ball and when to pass the ball forward to the overlapping RB as well as helping out defensively. Conti has all the skills necessary to fulfill this role.
Our attacking midfielder is Ricardo Bochini who was Maradona's idol. Bochini was a brilliant passer who was an expert at timing passes perfectly with even after his retirement the term pase bochinesco (Bochiniesque pass) being used for a highly accurate pass that leaves a forward one on one with the goalkeeper. The pace of the forwards in my team will allow my team to make full use of Bochini's passing ability.
My left inside forward is Oleg Blokhin who won the Ballon d'Or in 1975 as well as being the Soviet Footballer of the year in 1973, 1974 and 1975. Blokhin was top scorer in the Soviet league 5 times (1972 through 1975 and 1977). My striker will be Josef Bican who was top scorer 10 times in the Czechoslovak league (including in 8 consecutive seasons) as well as being top scorer in Austria once. His season goal tallies at Slavia Prague include 56 goals in 26 games, 63 goals in 31 games and most incredibly 76 goals in 32 games. Bican was described by football historian Radovan Jelinek as follows:
Source
Physio Tactics
Tactics – Direct/ Mixed
Formation – Lopsided 433
Defensive Line - Balanced
Marking – Zonal
Eusebio has a free role from the left (Zebec is tasked with providing the width on the left in tandem with Netto) so he can drop deep and dribble, then cut inside and shoot – clearly his two best attributes. He can also appear at the far post for a cross by Finney from the right. Alberto Spencer spearheads the attack with his off the ball movement, pace, dribbling and of course heading ability which will be made good use of by Finney and Zebec on the overlap.
The midfield three are all technically good on the ball in particular the mastermind of the 3, Hungarian legend Josef Boszik who has complete control to run the midfield as he sees fit – the movement of the front 3 will give him ample options so too will his technically accomplished partners. Clearly the midfield three will put in a shift off the ball too so will be a defensively solid collective too. Netto will not only provide good passing but also some cover when Zebec gallops forward. Fernandez anchors the midfield with his clever positioning and tenacious tackling.
As mentioned before Zebec will be an attacking left-back with Djalma in a more balanced role although he will get forward more than he did behind Garrincha (Finney will link up better given he was more of a versatile winger). The all-rounder Carlos Mozer will be the more aggressive CB with Roma legend Aldair as more of the sweeper making use of his good passing range and organisation in defence. If they manage to pass the back 4 then one of the early sweeper keepers and excellent shot stopper Grosics will be difficult to pass.
Here’s another outing of Synco’s excellent Zebec video. Unfortunately there is no complete game of him online, but this collection of clips really gives you a good idea of what type of player he was.
