Team Isotope ------------------------------------------- Team harms
Team Isotope
Additions of Frank Rijkaard (for his defensive nous) and Denis Irwin (attacking threat) further enhance the Team’s balance and quality.
The Team lined up in a normal 4-4-2/4-4-1-1 formation that turn into 4-2-3-1 when having the ball. The Team has tactical identity of devastating pace, ability to make key passes from almost every position, the use of inside runs from wide, and drifting position of forwards.
The attack are led by Ronaldo, Kaka, and Figo. All are Ballon d’Or winners within their stated peak periods.
Ronaldo: Ballon d'Or 1997, 2002; World Player of the Year 1996, 1997, 2002
Kaka: Ballon d'Or 2007; UEFA Team of the Year 2006, 2007, 2009
Luis Figo: Ballon d'Or 2000, World Player of the Year 2001
Battle Review
When on defence
When attacking
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Team harms
Yes, I'm going with 3-5-2 again. And yes, it still has the option of transforming to 4-4-2, even though it's a more loop-sided 4-4-2 than the previous one.
Billy Costacurta was picked as he doesn't only have an impeccable reputation as a centre back, being an integral part of the greatest defense that club football had ever seen, but also has experience of covering for right back — even though I really hoped that Tassotti wouldn't get injured. The most notable of those would be in the infamous 2003 CL final between AC Milan and Juventus, arguably the most boring final in history of the competition, but that's a good thing when you're assessing defensive performances. So, tactically, I really like him here.
Both Andrés Iniesta and Gaizka Mendieta fit into my niche obsession — central midfielders that feel very comfortable out wide and often operate in the inside/outside wide channels (Bonhof, Lerby, young Schuster, Neeskens, Breitner etc.). They are very different players — and they have very different partners. Iniesta has Evra (whom Ferdinand very appropriately described as "the best left-back of our generation between the boxes") who is perfect for the potential interplay and one-twos, as well, as a peak Cristiano who still had a lot of flair and creativity left in him. On the right, Mendieta is going to be doing his best Robson impersonation (really, this is the closest player that I can compare him to — although with a tendency to peel out wide that Robson didn't have; obsessively chasing the ball all over the pitch, making last-ditch tackles only to score from a cross 30 seconds later...) & Beckham is going to play his natural game. They're different enough to compliment each other instead of getting in each other's way, but they are also comfortable enough in multiple roles to comfortably interchange positions if they'll feel the need too.
In Sheva I get one of the most dynamic & clinical strikers of all-time and my personal football hero. He has a tendency of creating fruitful forward partnership — from Protasov to Inzaghi, and in him Cristiano will find a perfect partner. Sheva will still act as the main striker, allowing Cristiano more freedom (something that I overlooked in the previous set up where Cristiano would've been forced to play like the 2015'th version of himself), his off-the-ball runs are brilliant and he is more than good enough creatively to provide assists to Cristiano, even though he's not a selfless Santa's little helper like Benzema. He's also an absolute genius on his own who had proved himself in the toughest league possible — and yes, L. Ronaldo did what he did and he did it better, but Sheva came about as close as a human can to that level of performance. Here's a beauty that he scored against Juventus side with Ferrara, Montero, Thuram, Buffon, Davids etc.
Crucial advantage
Overall, it's hard to speak ill of Isotope's team as it's simply brilliant, especially the Ronaldo-Kaka duo, but I believe that I have a crucial advantage in one area — goalkeepers. In Čech I have genuinely one of the greatest keepers of his time at his very best, while Iso's choices are relatively underwhelming compared to mine.
Team Isotope
Additions of Frank Rijkaard (for his defensive nous) and Denis Irwin (attacking threat) further enhance the Team’s balance and quality.
The Team lined up in a normal 4-4-2/4-4-1-1 formation that turn into 4-2-3-1 when having the ball. The Team has tactical identity of devastating pace, ability to make key passes from almost every position, the use of inside runs from wide, and drifting position of forwards.
The attack are led by Ronaldo, Kaka, and Figo. All are Ballon d’Or winners within their stated peak periods.
Ronaldo: Ballon d'Or 1997, 2002; World Player of the Year 1996, 1997, 2002
| Year | Game | Goal | Assist |
| 1996-97 | 57 | 56 | 12 |
| 1997-98 | 65 | 46 | 10 |
| 1998-99 | 36 | 19 | 7 |
| Year | Game | Goal | Assist |
| 2006-07 | 62 | 24 | 13 |
| 2007-08 | 50 | 23 | 17 |
| 2008-09 | 40 | 17 | 15 |
| Year | Game | Goal | Assist |
| 1999-00 | 61 | 21 | 17 |
| 2000-01 | 65 | 22 | 27 |
| 2001-02 | 56 | 17 | 17 |
Battle Review
When on defence
- Harms attack are up against the rock solid Bergomi-Ferrara-Montero-Irwin, rearguard by the imposing midfield of Rijkaard-Vieira. Ferrara-Montero is a proven partnership of that great Juventus side. Brilliant trio (Dunga-Iniesta-Medieta) on the ball and decent enough off it but they are up against two towering physical units in Rijkaard-Vieira, and the sheer explosiveness of Kaka. Let's not forget, Vieira went toe to toe with Keano of all people. Do Iniesta and Mendieta have the physicality or the defensive prowess to deal with Vieira's & Rijkaard's exquisite blend of power and flair?
- Adding to Rijkaard & Vieira as two immense defensive presences, are the industry of Donadoni and Figo dropping back and working as a midfield unit off the ball.
When attacking
- Please note that if Harms’ midfield overcommits, an isolated Dunga will find it tough to keep up with Kaka's sheer explosiveness. Dunga was a good all round midfielder but his one weakness was his glaring lack of pace, and Kaka is primed to expose it.
- Dunga's lack of pace could be exposed against Kaka. A supporting CM with defensive nous (ala Vieira/Schweinsteiger/Vidal etc) could have helped out Dunga against Kaka but not Iniesta or Mendieta. Both of whom were known for their work rate, not so much for their defensive nous. In the sense that they are brilliant as the 3rd CAM in a midfield trio alongside a balanced CM. Not 2 of them together at the same time.
- Battle on the flanks is equally interesting. On the left flank, Donadoni-Irwin axis will be against (a possibly out of position) Beckham. With Figo on the other flank against Evra (who need to be cautious going forward).
- Also, Ronaldo already has history of getting the better of Rio (not a prime Rio but not prime R9 either).
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Team harms
Yes, I'm going with 3-5-2 again. And yes, it still has the option of transforming to 4-4-2, even though it's a more loop-sided 4-4-2 than the previous one.
Billy Costacurta was picked as he doesn't only have an impeccable reputation as a centre back, being an integral part of the greatest defense that club football had ever seen, but also has experience of covering for right back — even though I really hoped that Tassotti wouldn't get injured. The most notable of those would be in the infamous 2003 CL final between AC Milan and Juventus, arguably the most boring final in history of the competition, but that's a good thing when you're assessing defensive performances. So, tactically, I really like him here.
Both Andrés Iniesta and Gaizka Mendieta fit into my niche obsession — central midfielders that feel very comfortable out wide and often operate in the inside/outside wide channels (Bonhof, Lerby, young Schuster, Neeskens, Breitner etc.). They are very different players — and they have very different partners. Iniesta has Evra (whom Ferdinand very appropriately described as "the best left-back of our generation between the boxes") who is perfect for the potential interplay and one-twos, as well, as a peak Cristiano who still had a lot of flair and creativity left in him. On the right, Mendieta is going to be doing his best Robson impersonation (really, this is the closest player that I can compare him to — although with a tendency to peel out wide that Robson didn't have; obsessively chasing the ball all over the pitch, making last-ditch tackles only to score from a cross 30 seconds later...) & Beckham is going to play his natural game. They're different enough to compliment each other instead of getting in each other's way, but they are also comfortable enough in multiple roles to comfortably interchange positions if they'll feel the need too.
In Sheva I get one of the most dynamic & clinical strikers of all-time and my personal football hero. He has a tendency of creating fruitful forward partnership — from Protasov to Inzaghi, and in him Cristiano will find a perfect partner. Sheva will still act as the main striker, allowing Cristiano more freedom (something that I overlooked in the previous set up where Cristiano would've been forced to play like the 2015'th version of himself), his off-the-ball runs are brilliant and he is more than good enough creatively to provide assists to Cristiano, even though he's not a selfless Santa's little helper like Benzema. He's also an absolute genius on his own who had proved himself in the toughest league possible — and yes, L. Ronaldo did what he did and he did it better, but Sheva came about as close as a human can to that level of performance. Here's a beauty that he scored against Juventus side with Ferrara, Montero, Thuram, Buffon, Davids etc.
Crucial advantage
Overall, it's hard to speak ill of Isotope's team as it's simply brilliant, especially the Ronaldo-Kaka duo, but I believe that I have a crucial advantage in one area — goalkeepers. In Čech I have genuinely one of the greatest keepers of his time at his very best, while Iso's choices are relatively underwhelming compared to mine.
Petr Čech (2004-2007)
Simply incredible goalkeeper. Not the flashiest one, but his control of the box was simply unparalleled. Schmeichel will always be my choice if only for a sentimental value, but Čech has a very strong claim on being the greatest PL goalkeeper ever if we combine the level of his performances with his incredible longevity.
I doubt that I need to talk much about him. Integral part of our greatest ever defensive unit, fire to Ferdinand’s ice, fearless and fearsome captain, he’ll fecking murder you (I’m legally obliged to specify that he actually won’t).
Rolls-Royce of a defender, he really had it all — pace, power, composure & leadership ability. Sometimes it felt simply unfair to the opposition when Rio would gracefully and visibly effortlessly break their attack & stride forward with the ball at his feet.
Alessandro Costacurta (1992-1995)
I'm not sure how long should I make this write-up as surely everyone knows him. This is his absolute peak — he has his three seasons with the most appearances for AC Milan, wins the 1993/94 Serie A with an astonishing record of 15 goals conceded and becomes a mainstay in Italy's national side, most notably shining throughout the 1994 World Cup (he missed the final due to suspension though).
Patrice Evra (2008-2011)
The integral part of our best ever defensive unit and all-round nice guy. After 2011 he started getting a bit dodgy in defense but before that he was absolutely brilliant — Neville appropriately named him the best fullback in the world between two boxes. You can find a more productive player in the final third, you can find a sturdier defender, but you'd find it hard to find a player that influence the overall play more than Uncle Pat.
Dunga (1992-1995)
A player that got a whole era named after him! «Dunga Era» was a bit of a misrepresentation of him to be honest, he was not just a thug, but a very technically refined player with an outstanding passing range — even with an outside of his boot. Still, I can’t ask for a better player to patrol the zone in front of my defense. Scarily consistent, physical, with methodically accurate passing — with his performance in the World Cup final of 1994 being the highlight of that era.
Gaizka Mendieta (1998-2001)
Becoming UEFA Club Midfielder of the Season is no mean feat — let alone doing it twice in a row while competing with peak Redondo, Keane and Davids. Before his inexplicable failure at Lazio Mendieta was on his way to becoming a modern version of Johan Neeskens — starting out as a right back he developed in a fantastic all-rounded midfielder with endless energy, great passing range & dribbling and, of course, a special knack for scoring all sorts of goals. His performances from that peak period were borderline genius — winning multiple trophies with Valencia & leading them to two consecutive Champions League finals. Maybe I’ll do a gif of a moment from the game against Real Madrid that explains him the best — first he makes a last-ditch tackle on Raúl, who is already getting ready to shoot & a minute later he finds himself on the other side of the pitch, scoring the first goal of the game. Mendieta in a nutshell.
David Beckham (1998-2001)
The man could run for days, created chance after chance with incredible consistency and scored some crucial goals — both from free kicks and from an open play. Cristiano would've loved playing with him
Andrés Iniesta (2009-2012)
Don Andrès is football. He doesn’t pull rabbits out of his hat, he pulls out big, beautiful peacocks.
Cristiano Ronaldo (2009-2012)
Weirdly enough, it’s somehow easy to forget just how good he was during his first years in Madrid, especially when you look at him now. He still had that flair & creativity, he was able to beat players for fun & even scored free kicks on a regular basis — all while scoring 50-60 goals per season. Best player in the draft.
Andriy Shevchenko (2003-2006)
Monstrous player at the very peak of his powers, scoring for fun against the toughest defences in the world & shining in Europe. As a post-Soviet citizen I can't love him enough, I won't try to claim him from Ukraine, but he's the best thing that happened to post-Soviet/Slavic football after the disband of the Soviet Union. Fantastic personality as well.
Simply incredible goalkeeper. Not the flashiest one, but his control of the box was simply unparalleled. Schmeichel will always be my choice if only for a sentimental value, but Čech has a very strong claim on being the greatest PL goalkeeper ever if we combine the level of his performances with his incredible longevity.
- Most clean sheets in a season for Chelsea: 28 clean sheets in 2004–05.
- Most consecutive clean sheets for Chelsea in all competitions: 7 in 2005–06 (shared record)
- Most Premier League clean sheets in a season: 24 in 2004–05.
- Best European Goalkeeper: 2005, 2007
- UEFA Club Football Awards Best Goalkeeper: 2005, 2007
- UEFA European Championship Team of the Tournament: 2004
- Premier League Golden Glove: 2004–05
- PL record of 1,025 minutes without letting in a goal (later beaten by VDS)
I doubt that I need to talk much about him. Integral part of our greatest ever defensive unit, fire to Ferdinand’s ice, fearless and fearsome captain, he’ll fecking murder you (I’m legally obliged to specify that he actually won’t).
- Premier League Player of the Season: 2008–09, 2010–11
- Sir Matt Busby Player of the Year: 2008–09
- Manchester United Players' Player of the Year: 2008–09
- ESM Team of the Year: 2008–09, 2010–11
- PFA Team of the Year: 2008–09 Premier League, 2010–11 Premier League
- FIFA FIFPro World XI: 2009, 2011
Rolls-Royce of a defender, he really had it all — pace, power, composure & leadership ability. Sometimes it felt simply unfair to the opposition when Rio would gracefully and visibly effortlessly break their attack & stride forward with the ball at his feet.
Alessandro Costacurta (1992-1995)
I'm not sure how long should I make this write-up as surely everyone knows him. This is his absolute peak — he has his three seasons with the most appearances for AC Milan, wins the 1993/94 Serie A with an astonishing record of 15 goals conceded and becomes a mainstay in Italy's national side, most notably shining throughout the 1994 World Cup (he missed the final due to suspension though).
Patrice Evra (2008-2011)
The integral part of our best ever defensive unit and all-round nice guy. After 2011 he started getting a bit dodgy in defense but before that he was absolutely brilliant — Neville appropriately named him the best fullback in the world between two boxes. You can find a more productive player in the final third, you can find a sturdier defender, but you'd find it hard to find a player that influence the overall play more than Uncle Pat.
Dunga (1992-1995)
A player that got a whole era named after him! «Dunga Era» was a bit of a misrepresentation of him to be honest, he was not just a thug, but a very technically refined player with an outstanding passing range — even with an outside of his boot. Still, I can’t ask for a better player to patrol the zone in front of my defense. Scarily consistent, physical, with methodically accurate passing — with his performance in the World Cup final of 1994 being the highlight of that era.
Gaizka Mendieta (1998-2001)
Becoming UEFA Club Midfielder of the Season is no mean feat — let alone doing it twice in a row while competing with peak Redondo, Keane and Davids. Before his inexplicable failure at Lazio Mendieta was on his way to becoming a modern version of Johan Neeskens — starting out as a right back he developed in a fantastic all-rounded midfielder with endless energy, great passing range & dribbling and, of course, a special knack for scoring all sorts of goals. His performances from that peak period were borderline genius — winning multiple trophies with Valencia & leading them to two consecutive Champions League finals. Maybe I’ll do a gif of a moment from the game against Real Madrid that explains him the best — first he makes a last-ditch tackle on Raúl, who is already getting ready to shoot & a minute later he finds himself on the other side of the pitch, scoring the first goal of the game. Mendieta in a nutshell.
David Beckham (1998-2001)
The man could run for days, created chance after chance with incredible consistency and scored some crucial goals — both from free kicks and from an open play. Cristiano would've loved playing with him
Andrés Iniesta (2009-2012)
Don Andrès is football. He doesn’t pull rabbits out of his hat, he pulls out big, beautiful peacocks.
Cristiano Ronaldo (2009-2012)
Weirdly enough, it’s somehow easy to forget just how good he was during his first years in Madrid, especially when you look at him now. He still had that flair & creativity, he was able to beat players for fun & even scored free kicks on a regular basis — all while scoring 50-60 goals per season. Best player in the draft.
Andriy Shevchenko (2003-2006)
Monstrous player at the very peak of his powers, scoring for fun against the toughest defences in the world & shining in Europe. As a post-Soviet citizen I can't love him enough, I won't try to claim him from Ukraine, but he's the best thing that happened to post-Soviet/Slavic football after the disband of the Soviet Union. Fantastic personality as well.
Watch any game of his and check how often does he cover for his right back or wins the ball back in midfield. I'm not expecting Iniesta to do this as it's obviously not his game, but Mendieta pressed the opponent like crazy and winning the ball back was just as important for him as scoring the goals were. He even started out as a right back.
