Which team would win based on players solely rated on their listed tournament performance?
-------------TEAM GIO/THEON------------------------------TEAM MOBY
TEAM GIO/THEON
PETER SCHMEICHEL, EURO 1992
Regarded as the most influential goalkeeping performance of all time, Schmeichel dragged a workmanlike Danish side to success in the unlikeliest of circumstances. Having dispatched France and England in the group stages, he became increasingly unbeatable as the tournament wore on, producing two man-mountain displays against holders Holland in the semi-finals and world champions Germany in the final.
MATTHIAS SAMMER, EURO 1996
In what was perhaps the greatest libero tournament display of all, Sammer was Germany's best defender, midfielder and attacker all rolled into one package at Euro '96. Sammer's organisation saw Germany keep three clean sheets to stroll what had been coined the 'group of death' as a stacked Italy squad tumbled out of the tournament. The libero stepped up another gear in the quarter finals, almost single-handedly dismantling a brilliant Croatia side, winning the penalty for the opener then scoring the winner - both goals coming after trademark bursts forward to cut open the opposition like a hot knife through butter. His performances saw him fend off peak Ronaldo to earn the 1996 Ballon D'Or later that year.
GUIDO BUCHWALD, WORLD CUP 1990
A strong performer at Italia '90 illustrated most notably by shackling Diego Maradona in the final. Buchwald shone throughout and was an all-action hero in the crunch second round clash with Holland. Grizzly and physically dominant man-marker who played on the side of a back three and enjoyed great success at club level complementing Sammer for Stuttgart. His showing in the summer of 1990 was rewarded with an impressive 10th place in that year's Ballon D'Or, remarkable for such an unfashionable player getting into the top 10 of such an attacker-focused award.
FABIO CANNAVARO, WORLD CUP 2006
The Berlin Wall drove Italy to the title with an impeccable series of flawless performances throughout the tournament. The highlight was a man-mountain display in the famous semi-final to overcome hosts Germany. But Cannavaro's overall tournament portfolio is arguably unmatched in its defensive prowess. Joins Sammer as one of only three defenders to win the Ballon D'Or.
ROBERTO CARLOS, WORLD CUP 2002
Twice in the team of the tournament, it is the 2002 version which is on show here. That Roberto Carlos played in a 3-5-2, liberated to own the flank in the same way he did every week alongside Zidane for Real Madrid. Called El Hombre Bala - the bullet man - in Spain for his searing pace, tree-trunk thighs and cannonball shot.
JAVIER ZANETTI, COPA AMERICA 2004
Argentina's most capped player started off his international career scoring the best set-piece goal of the 1998 World Cup in a rollercoaster match against England. His best international tournament though was the 2004 Copa America where his endless stamina, power and poise dominated his right flank in every game, gaining high praise:
BASTIAN SCHWEINSTEIGER, WORLD CUP 2010
The man who made it a personal crusade to win the World Cup as ultimately shown by his man-of-the-match efforts in the 2014 final. Went very close in 2010 where he dictated games with aplomp, using his brilliant passing range, physicality and positional discipline to give Germany a solid platform to go forward. Special mention to his second-round performance in making mincemeat out of Maradona's wayward Argentina while marking Messi out of the game. An obvious choice for team of the tournament with 3 assists to his name.
LOTHAR MATTHAUS, WORLD CUP 1990
In what was surely the most influential central midfield performance of any World Cup, Matthaus was in dominant form in 1990 scoring 4 goals from the heart of midfield (the 3rd top scorer in the competition). The apex was the 4-1 demolition of pre-tournament dark horses Yugoslavia, as the box-to-box dynamo netted two bristling goals from outside the area. A step ahead of the game throughout as he not only won all those little battles that are the bread-and-butter fare of the proper central midfielder, but also made repeated match-winning impacts.
ZINEDINE ZIDANE, EURO 2000
In the summer of 2000, Zidane reached a tournament pinnacle that in the modern era was only clearly bettered by Maradona 14 years earlier. At the peak of his powers, he married that characteristic elegance with the decisiveness that he occasionally lacked during his domestic league career. His mastery of the ball was thrilling to watch and he delivered the knockout blows to both Spain (a 30-yard free-kick) and Portugal (the golden goal penalty) in the knockout stages.
DRAGAN DZAJIC, EURO 1968
Player of the tournament lighting up an otherwise fairly drab and defensive Euros. Dzajic was in rampant form, clocking up 3 goals and 3 assists out of 8 goals Yugoslavia scored against France, England and Italy for Euro '68. Those defences boasted some top class personnel - he ghosted in behind Bobby Moore and lobbed Gordon Banks to knock out the world champions - and Dzajic combined both productivity and the dazzling dribbling we fame him for in unlocking them. Top scorer in 1968 and again in the team of the tournament in 1976, this time giving Berti Vogts the runaround, Dzajic has a strong case for producing the best tournament performances of any left-sided attacker.
RONALDO, WORLD CUP 1998
Golden Ball winner thanks to a number of electric displays from the Brazilian at the peak of his powers. Scored 5 goals in 1998 on his way to 15 World Cup goals, he created countless chances for himself and was the very definition of a one-man attack who tore a generation of great defenders to bits.
Basic Player Roles & Tournaments
Goalkeeper - Walter Zenga - World Cup Third Place 1990, Italy
Attacking Left Back - Giacinto Facchetti - Uefa Euro 1968 Winner, Italy
Playmaking Right Back - Carlos Alberto Torres - World Cup Winner 1970, Brazil
Sweeper - Gaetano Scirea - World Cup Winner 1982, Italy
Stopper - Riccardo Ferri - World Cup SF 1990, Italy
Dynamic Defensive Midfielder - Luis Monti - World Cup Winner 1934, Italy
Creative Central Midfielder - Xavi Hernandez - Uefa Euro Winner - 2008, Spain
Flamboyant Attacking Midfielder - Luis Suárez Miramontes - Uefa Euro Winner - 1964, Spain
Adventurous/Goalscoring Left Wing Forward - Rob Rensenbrink - World Cup Runner Up 1978, Netherlands
Goalscoring Right Wing Forward - Grzegorz Lato - World Cup Third Place 1974, Poland
Center Forward - Marco van Basten - Uefa Euro 1988 Winner, Netherlands
Tactical Brief
The team is playing a quick tempo, attack minded possession brand of football. We will look to rely on several mouth watering combinations from front to back and across the pitch and play a highly creative and flamboyant free flowing style with the emphasis on constantly bringing the ball forward.
Outstanding Defensive Foundation
At the back guarding the goal is Walter Zenga, who set the record for consecutive clean sheets in 1990 which still stands. In defense we have combined no nonsense defensive astuteness with the required ability on the ball to fit in this design. Gaetano Scirea will be operating the leader of that defense, marshalling the unit and starting attacking with his creativity and vision on the ball. Partnering him would be Riccardo Ferri, a pillar in the standout Italian defense of 1990 who brings in tons of strength, combativeness and physicality to compliment Scirea perfectly, not to mention he rejoins his no.1 Zenga in goal. Out wide is the captain of the greatest national team ever, Carlos Alberto Torres, who will be adding his tremendous defensive nous and intelligence to the back four while providing an excellent outlet going forward, particularly with his passing and vision. That amount of greatness and tournament impact is matched well on the other flank by none other than Giacinto Facchetti, making it a sensational duo out wide. One of the greatest left backs of all time, Facchetti will have the license to play his natural game, providing width on the outside with his trademark attacking forays with immense pace and stamina, something that would be complimenting Rensenbrink brilliantly while being at the heart of an incredible watertight backline next to two other Italians.
Game-Changing Midfield Domination
Anchoring the midfield is Luis Monti, known for his world class two-way game, he will be shielding the back four and provide the required technical ability to instantly take the ball forward, not to mention a further Italian presence at the defensive core of the team. Next to him is Xavi in his flamboyant playmaking version of Euro 2008, pre tiki taka yet still technically flawless on the ball, the heart of every move, spraying the ball forward with massive intent and controlling the tempo of the game. The third midfielder is Luis Suarez Miramontes in his attacking incarnation that he performed for Spain in 1964. He will form a beautiful partnership with Xavi here, with both of them combining constantly to provide an array of unpredictable, swift and penetrating passing which will be a huge task to handle for any opposition.
Flying Down the Flanks
The team uses quality width in the form of Rob Rensenbrink and Grzegorz Lato, both of whom shone brightly in 1978 and 1974, respectively. Lato was the World Cup top scorer, combining blistering pace, dribbling and goalscoring into one scary package. With the service from central core as well as the back four, he will be an incredible outlet here. Four years ago Carlos Alberto made a fantastic partnership with Jairzinho down the right flank and a similar outcome can be expected here with Lato being devastating getting at the end of CAT's passes.
On the left would be Rensenbrink, who would be more creative and penetrative than the counterpart, as a change for this game we are calling upon his 1978 incarnation, which was in a post Johan Cruyff Netherlands team and required someone to step up as the leader of that attack, which was none other than Rob. He finished with 5 goals, one behind the top scorer Kempes and he came as close as hitting the post in the final to not only gifting Netherlands their maiden World Cup win but also likely ending the tournament as top scorer and the Golden Ball.
Not only are both the wingers extremely capable of breaking down defenses on their own but here the combination of Facchetti + Rensenbrink and Carlos Alberto + Lato will combine down both the flanks while going forward and can be expected to overwhelm the opposition. It's one of the most important weapons of this team!
The Focal Point
Lastly, the man to lead the line for this team is none other than Marco van Basten. If there is one iconic image from all the European Championships, it is that of van Basten hanging in the air at an atrocious angle from goal about to smash the ball past the Iron Curtain Rinat Dasaev with a bicycle kick. One of the greatest tournament performances as a #9, he would be the primary goal scorer and the focal point of the team. With the two wingers out wide, his physical frame and ability in the air will be of immense value here, but more importantly his elite technique, awareness, movement will combine beautifully with the rest of the team in terms of keeping the ball and moving it around. He is a complete center forward who can both score and create for others, which will be very important in bringing in the goalscoring ability of the two wide players.
Multi Dimensional, Beautiful, Effective and Complete Football
The team is clearly based on the foundations of technique, creativity and fluidity along with complimenting that with the required width, pace, goal threat and strong mentality throughout. The key players occupy the most important positions and would be in their element here, all of Scirea, Xavi, Suarez are natural leaders and would form a spine that would give up a fight, work hard for the entire match and provide quality at both ends while having the apt support system. Van Basten will be the star of the team and convert the possession dominance and technical and creative prowess into end product, however there are no characters who would let down their teammates, and can be expected to work well together. The likes of Ferri and Monti bring the required steel to not make this a lightweight outfit and they will be prepared for any physicality that can be thrown at them.
Building from the Back
The amount of elite quality on the ball flows absolutely throughout the team - in defense all of Scirea, CAT and Facchetti are far above the average of what a defender would be able to provide and would be setting the platform beautifully for the rest of the team. Not much needs to be said about the midfield trio. To complete the theme, all three attacking players are going to add to the technical genius. Both Lato and Rensenbrink played as proper wingers and not as modern day wing forwards who only contribute in final third. Both of them dropped to the midfield line time and again, especially Rensenbrink was a very dynamic wide midfielder and picked up the ball at various positions before driving it forward. Similarly, Lato would use his immense pace and direct dribbling to create constant inroads. And if there is a #9 to bring this all together and finish the chain, it is van Basten.
Containing the Opposition
A quick word for the defensive foundation and that the team isn't solely all about pretty football and can very easily compliment that with ruthless defending at the back - a unit of Walter Zenga, Carlos Alberto, Gaetano Scirea, Riccardo Ferri and Giacinto Facchetti shielded by Luis Monti [I'd like to refer to it as the Italian Death Trap] comprises of immense mental toughness, no nonsense discipline, years of experience of defending against the best players the game could throw and a virtually error-free backline that can be expected to hold to fort for 90 minutes without getting their shorts dirty. 4/6 of that backline won their respective tournaments while Zenga and Ferri together formed one of the meanest defenses in WC history in 1990, and are being marshalled by another fantastic defensive leader here in Scirea. They would be further encouraged by the fact that the team is playing a brand of football where they would not lose the ball often and defend through possession at the back, and in the events of either being in a 1v1 scenario or covering each other against surprise runs or opposition movement, they would be called upon to deliver without making many mistakes, if any. It's not just great defenders but also great footballers all of whom are regarded for incredible intelligence, leadership and would take responsibility against the most dangerous scenarios.
There isn't any one particular inspiration for this effort however the players are all familiar with this style and approach, have had similar players around them at their respective tournaments and can be expected to recreate that while being more than the sum of the parts. Teams like Spain 2008, Netherlands 1974, Brazil 1982 and the likes contribute to a lot of the background here, basically all those who prioritized dominating teams while being entertaining, free flowing, allowing players to express themselves and getting the reward for that. That's the biggest motive here.[/QUOTE]
-------------TEAM GIO/THEON------------------------------TEAM MOBY
TEAM GIO/THEON
PLAYER PROFILES
PETER SCHMEICHEL, EURO 1992
Regarded as the most influential goalkeeping performance of all time, Schmeichel dragged a workmanlike Danish side to success in the unlikeliest of circumstances. Having dispatched France and England in the group stages, he became increasingly unbeatable as the tournament wore on, producing two man-mountain displays against holders Holland in the semi-finals and world champions Germany in the final.
MATTHIAS SAMMER, EURO 1996
In what was perhaps the greatest libero tournament display of all, Sammer was Germany's best defender, midfielder and attacker all rolled into one package at Euro '96. Sammer's organisation saw Germany keep three clean sheets to stroll what had been coined the 'group of death' as a stacked Italy squad tumbled out of the tournament. The libero stepped up another gear in the quarter finals, almost single-handedly dismantling a brilliant Croatia side, winning the penalty for the opener then scoring the winner - both goals coming after trademark bursts forward to cut open the opposition like a hot knife through butter. His performances saw him fend off peak Ronaldo to earn the 1996 Ballon D'Or later that year.
GUIDO BUCHWALD, WORLD CUP 1990
A strong performer at Italia '90 illustrated most notably by shackling Diego Maradona in the final. Buchwald shone throughout and was an all-action hero in the crunch second round clash with Holland. Grizzly and physically dominant man-marker who played on the side of a back three and enjoyed great success at club level complementing Sammer for Stuttgart. His showing in the summer of 1990 was rewarded with an impressive 10th place in that year's Ballon D'Or, remarkable for such an unfashionable player getting into the top 10 of such an attacker-focused award.
FABIO CANNAVARO, WORLD CUP 2006
The Berlin Wall drove Italy to the title with an impeccable series of flawless performances throughout the tournament. The highlight was a man-mountain display in the famous semi-final to overcome hosts Germany. But Cannavaro's overall tournament portfolio is arguably unmatched in its defensive prowess. Joins Sammer as one of only three defenders to win the Ballon D'Or.
ROBERTO CARLOS, WORLD CUP 2002
Twice in the team of the tournament, it is the 2002 version which is on show here. That Roberto Carlos played in a 3-5-2, liberated to own the flank in the same way he did every week alongside Zidane for Real Madrid. Called El Hombre Bala - the bullet man - in Spain for his searing pace, tree-trunk thighs and cannonball shot.
JAVIER ZANETTI, COPA AMERICA 2004
Argentina's most capped player started off his international career scoring the best set-piece goal of the 1998 World Cup in a rollercoaster match against England. His best international tournament though was the 2004 Copa America where his endless stamina, power and poise dominated his right flank in every game, gaining high praise:
BASTIAN SCHWEINSTEIGER, WORLD CUP 2010
The man who made it a personal crusade to win the World Cup as ultimately shown by his man-of-the-match efforts in the 2014 final. Went very close in 2010 where he dictated games with aplomp, using his brilliant passing range, physicality and positional discipline to give Germany a solid platform to go forward. Special mention to his second-round performance in making mincemeat out of Maradona's wayward Argentina while marking Messi out of the game. An obvious choice for team of the tournament with 3 assists to his name.
LOTHAR MATTHAUS, WORLD CUP 1990
In what was surely the most influential central midfield performance of any World Cup, Matthaus was in dominant form in 1990 scoring 4 goals from the heart of midfield (the 3rd top scorer in the competition). The apex was the 4-1 demolition of pre-tournament dark horses Yugoslavia, as the box-to-box dynamo netted two bristling goals from outside the area. A step ahead of the game throughout as he not only won all those little battles that are the bread-and-butter fare of the proper central midfielder, but also made repeated match-winning impacts.
ZINEDINE ZIDANE, EURO 2000
In the summer of 2000, Zidane reached a tournament pinnacle that in the modern era was only clearly bettered by Maradona 14 years earlier. At the peak of his powers, he married that characteristic elegance with the decisiveness that he occasionally lacked during his domestic league career. His mastery of the ball was thrilling to watch and he delivered the knockout blows to both Spain (a 30-yard free-kick) and Portugal (the golden goal penalty) in the knockout stages.
DRAGAN DZAJIC, EURO 1968
Player of the tournament lighting up an otherwise fairly drab and defensive Euros. Dzajic was in rampant form, clocking up 3 goals and 3 assists out of 8 goals Yugoslavia scored against France, England and Italy for Euro '68. Those defences boasted some top class personnel - he ghosted in behind Bobby Moore and lobbed Gordon Banks to knock out the world champions - and Dzajic combined both productivity and the dazzling dribbling we fame him for in unlocking them. Top scorer in 1968 and again in the team of the tournament in 1976, this time giving Berti Vogts the runaround, Dzajic has a strong case for producing the best tournament performances of any left-sided attacker.
RONALDO, WORLD CUP 1998
Golden Ball winner thanks to a number of electric displays from the Brazilian at the peak of his powers. Scored 5 goals in 1998 on his way to 15 World Cup goals, he created countless chances for himself and was the very definition of a one-man attack who tore a generation of great defenders to bits.
WHY WE WILL WIN:
- Our midfield is well set up to contain and stifle Moby's tidy ball players to exercise meaningful control. Lothar Matthaus and Zinedine Zidane at their absolute tournament peak will be too hot to handle. Schweinsteiger is a serial tournament performer who is a perfect fit to get the best out of both players. Throw in a well-timed overload run from Sammer and it should be decisive.
- The better attack, illuminated by some sensational tournament showings from Zidane, Dzajic and Ronaldo, which should cause all sorts of problems for Moby's defence, particularly through the Ferri/Scirea axis.
- Exceptional tournament defence marshalled by Matthias Sammer, Fabio Cannavaro and Peter Schmeichel, each of whom have a strong case to have delivered the greatest tournament performance in their respective positions.
- Clear tactical fit with players well versed to the 3-5-2. Sammer reprises his libero role from 1996, Buchwald renews his side-centre-half spot from 1990, Carlos and Zanetti in their swashbuckling wing-back gigs from 2002 and 2004, while Matthaus is in the same 3-5-2 set-up he shone so brightly in 1990. Every player is fulfilling the same function they had at their tournament best.
Team MobyBasic Player Roles & Tournaments
Goalkeeper - Walter Zenga - World Cup Third Place 1990, Italy
Attacking Left Back - Giacinto Facchetti - Uefa Euro 1968 Winner, Italy
Playmaking Right Back - Carlos Alberto Torres - World Cup Winner 1970, Brazil
Sweeper - Gaetano Scirea - World Cup Winner 1982, Italy
Stopper - Riccardo Ferri - World Cup SF 1990, Italy
Dynamic Defensive Midfielder - Luis Monti - World Cup Winner 1934, Italy
Creative Central Midfielder - Xavi Hernandez - Uefa Euro Winner - 2008, Spain
Flamboyant Attacking Midfielder - Luis Suárez Miramontes - Uefa Euro Winner - 1964, Spain
Adventurous/Goalscoring Left Wing Forward - Rob Rensenbrink - World Cup Runner Up 1978, Netherlands
Goalscoring Right Wing Forward - Grzegorz Lato - World Cup Third Place 1974, Poland
Center Forward - Marco van Basten - Uefa Euro 1988 Winner, Netherlands
Tactical Brief
The team is playing a quick tempo, attack minded possession brand of football. We will look to rely on several mouth watering combinations from front to back and across the pitch and play a highly creative and flamboyant free flowing style with the emphasis on constantly bringing the ball forward.
Outstanding Defensive Foundation
At the back guarding the goal is Walter Zenga, who set the record for consecutive clean sheets in 1990 which still stands. In defense we have combined no nonsense defensive astuteness with the required ability on the ball to fit in this design. Gaetano Scirea will be operating the leader of that defense, marshalling the unit and starting attacking with his creativity and vision on the ball. Partnering him would be Riccardo Ferri, a pillar in the standout Italian defense of 1990 who brings in tons of strength, combativeness and physicality to compliment Scirea perfectly, not to mention he rejoins his no.1 Zenga in goal. Out wide is the captain of the greatest national team ever, Carlos Alberto Torres, who will be adding his tremendous defensive nous and intelligence to the back four while providing an excellent outlet going forward, particularly with his passing and vision. That amount of greatness and tournament impact is matched well on the other flank by none other than Giacinto Facchetti, making it a sensational duo out wide. One of the greatest left backs of all time, Facchetti will have the license to play his natural game, providing width on the outside with his trademark attacking forays with immense pace and stamina, something that would be complimenting Rensenbrink brilliantly while being at the heart of an incredible watertight backline next to two other Italians.
Game-Changing Midfield Domination
Anchoring the midfield is Luis Monti, known for his world class two-way game, he will be shielding the back four and provide the required technical ability to instantly take the ball forward, not to mention a further Italian presence at the defensive core of the team. Next to him is Xavi in his flamboyant playmaking version of Euro 2008, pre tiki taka yet still technically flawless on the ball, the heart of every move, spraying the ball forward with massive intent and controlling the tempo of the game. The third midfielder is Luis Suarez Miramontes in his attacking incarnation that he performed for Spain in 1964. He will form a beautiful partnership with Xavi here, with both of them combining constantly to provide an array of unpredictable, swift and penetrating passing which will be a huge task to handle for any opposition.
Flying Down the Flanks
The team uses quality width in the form of Rob Rensenbrink and Grzegorz Lato, both of whom shone brightly in 1978 and 1974, respectively. Lato was the World Cup top scorer, combining blistering pace, dribbling and goalscoring into one scary package. With the service from central core as well as the back four, he will be an incredible outlet here. Four years ago Carlos Alberto made a fantastic partnership with Jairzinho down the right flank and a similar outcome can be expected here with Lato being devastating getting at the end of CAT's passes.
On the left would be Rensenbrink, who would be more creative and penetrative than the counterpart, as a change for this game we are calling upon his 1978 incarnation, which was in a post Johan Cruyff Netherlands team and required someone to step up as the leader of that attack, which was none other than Rob. He finished with 5 goals, one behind the top scorer Kempes and he came as close as hitting the post in the final to not only gifting Netherlands their maiden World Cup win but also likely ending the tournament as top scorer and the Golden Ball.
Not only are both the wingers extremely capable of breaking down defenses on their own but here the combination of Facchetti + Rensenbrink and Carlos Alberto + Lato will combine down both the flanks while going forward and can be expected to overwhelm the opposition. It's one of the most important weapons of this team!
The Focal Point
Lastly, the man to lead the line for this team is none other than Marco van Basten. If there is one iconic image from all the European Championships, it is that of van Basten hanging in the air at an atrocious angle from goal about to smash the ball past the Iron Curtain Rinat Dasaev with a bicycle kick. One of the greatest tournament performances as a #9, he would be the primary goal scorer and the focal point of the team. With the two wingers out wide, his physical frame and ability in the air will be of immense value here, but more importantly his elite technique, awareness, movement will combine beautifully with the rest of the team in terms of keeping the ball and moving it around. He is a complete center forward who can both score and create for others, which will be very important in bringing in the goalscoring ability of the two wide players.
Multi Dimensional, Beautiful, Effective and Complete Football
The team is clearly based on the foundations of technique, creativity and fluidity along with complimenting that with the required width, pace, goal threat and strong mentality throughout. The key players occupy the most important positions and would be in their element here, all of Scirea, Xavi, Suarez are natural leaders and would form a spine that would give up a fight, work hard for the entire match and provide quality at both ends while having the apt support system. Van Basten will be the star of the team and convert the possession dominance and technical and creative prowess into end product, however there are no characters who would let down their teammates, and can be expected to work well together. The likes of Ferri and Monti bring the required steel to not make this a lightweight outfit and they will be prepared for any physicality that can be thrown at them.
Building from the Back
The amount of elite quality on the ball flows absolutely throughout the team - in defense all of Scirea, CAT and Facchetti are far above the average of what a defender would be able to provide and would be setting the platform beautifully for the rest of the team. Not much needs to be said about the midfield trio. To complete the theme, all three attacking players are going to add to the technical genius. Both Lato and Rensenbrink played as proper wingers and not as modern day wing forwards who only contribute in final third. Both of them dropped to the midfield line time and again, especially Rensenbrink was a very dynamic wide midfielder and picked up the ball at various positions before driving it forward. Similarly, Lato would use his immense pace and direct dribbling to create constant inroads. And if there is a #9 to bring this all together and finish the chain, it is van Basten.
Containing the Opposition
A quick word for the defensive foundation and that the team isn't solely all about pretty football and can very easily compliment that with ruthless defending at the back - a unit of Walter Zenga, Carlos Alberto, Gaetano Scirea, Riccardo Ferri and Giacinto Facchetti shielded by Luis Monti [I'd like to refer to it as the Italian Death Trap] comprises of immense mental toughness, no nonsense discipline, years of experience of defending against the best players the game could throw and a virtually error-free backline that can be expected to hold to fort for 90 minutes without getting their shorts dirty. 4/6 of that backline won their respective tournaments while Zenga and Ferri together formed one of the meanest defenses in WC history in 1990, and are being marshalled by another fantastic defensive leader here in Scirea. They would be further encouraged by the fact that the team is playing a brand of football where they would not lose the ball often and defend through possession at the back, and in the events of either being in a 1v1 scenario or covering each other against surprise runs or opposition movement, they would be called upon to deliver without making many mistakes, if any. It's not just great defenders but also great footballers all of whom are regarded for incredible intelligence, leadership and would take responsibility against the most dangerous scenarios.
There isn't any one particular inspiration for this effort however the players are all familiar with this style and approach, have had similar players around them at their respective tournaments and can be expected to recreate that while being more than the sum of the parts. Teams like Spain 2008, Netherlands 1974, Brazil 1982 and the likes contribute to a lot of the background here, basically all those who prioritized dominating teams while being entertaining, free flowing, allowing players to express themselves and getting the reward for that. That's the biggest motive here.[/QUOTE]
