PLEASE READ BEFORE VOTING: voting should be based on player performances in Serie A/Coppa Italia from the 90/91 season to 99/00. Performances outside this timeframe or other competitions do not count.
TEAM EAP
VS
TEAM HARMS
EAP TACTICS
DEFENCE:
+ Giovanni Galli a solid, efficient keeper, quick on his feet with good distribution skills mans the goal.
+ The defensive core of Alessandro Nesta and Jurgen Kohler is one of the strongest in this draft.
+ They are well flanked by Mauro Tassotti and Gianluca Pessotto, integral to the dominant defensive lines in Milan and Juventus respectively.
It is a super strong backline with stars who are proven in great teams and capable of hold their own against any attack.
MIDFIELD:
+ Massimo Ambrosini provides shields the defence with his tireless workrate and ball winning abilities.
+ He is supported by Alberigo Evani another tireless box-to-box Left Centrocampista who flexible to play left back.
Evani will play a slightly defensive role providing cover to Pessotto and Ambrosini and lending support to the backline. He will only move up when we have possession.
+Dejan Stankovic "Il Dragone" ("The Dragon") will play a Centre/Right Midfield Playmaker, a flexible role he played well for Lazio at turn of the century. Capable of drifting wide and moving to flanks or drifting in to add numbers to midfield, his intelligence, workrate and movement will be hard to handle for my opponent.
+ Roberto Donadoni, "the best Italian player of the 1990s - Michel Platini" will look romp along the left flank with Pessotto behind him. If harms plays Fuser as wingback, this will be a gross mismatch as Pessotto-Donadoni will own the flank.
ATTACK:
+ Tomas Brolin plays his favorite role free roaming second striker. Versatile to operate as a striker or inside forward on both flanks and/or to drop back as a playmaker creating for his teammates, he will be at his world class peak here. His workrate and freedom of movement will be hard to defend against and with Stankovic behind him, there will be numerous opportunities to score.
+ Marco van Basten leads the line. His personal Serie A best of 25 goals in 31 games (1991-92) and 13 goals in 15 games (1992-93) was integral in Milan having a unbeaten run of incredible 58 games! Absolutely lethal during his peak above, he'll have Brolin, Stankovic and Donadoni capable of feeding him chances all through the match.
HARMS TACTICS
Thoughts on the game:
Watertight defence and unstoppable attack, what else there is to say?
Talking points about Edgar's team:
Questionable midfield:
18-22 y.o. Ambrosini — is he good enough? I'm not sure. I don't even know if I rate peak Ambrosini, let alone a much younger version of him
20-21 y.o. Stankovic — another young talent, who spent half of his 2nd season on Lazio's bench — is he good enough?
Weak goalie:
32 y.o. Giovanni Galli — written off by AC Milan, a once great keeper spends his 90's in midtable mediocrity
Ronaldo vs Nesta:
PLAYER PROFILES
(Note — the time scopes and awards are only from the relevant seasons, from 90/91 to 99/00; so, for example, only 3 out of Ferrara's 7 Serie A titles would be shown. I also discarded all European trophies although there were many).
TEAM EAP
VS
TEAM HARMS
EAP TACTICS
DEFENCE:
+ Giovanni Galli a solid, efficient keeper, quick on his feet with good distribution skills mans the goal.
+ The defensive core of Alessandro Nesta and Jurgen Kohler is one of the strongest in this draft.
+ They are well flanked by Mauro Tassotti and Gianluca Pessotto, integral to the dominant defensive lines in Milan and Juventus respectively.
It is a super strong backline with stars who are proven in great teams and capable of hold their own against any attack.
MIDFIELD:
+ Massimo Ambrosini provides shields the defence with his tireless workrate and ball winning abilities.
+ He is supported by Alberigo Evani another tireless box-to-box Left Centrocampista who flexible to play left back.
Evani will play a slightly defensive role providing cover to Pessotto and Ambrosini and lending support to the backline. He will only move up when we have possession.
+Dejan Stankovic "Il Dragone" ("The Dragon") will play a Centre/Right Midfield Playmaker, a flexible role he played well for Lazio at turn of the century. Capable of drifting wide and moving to flanks or drifting in to add numbers to midfield, his intelligence, workrate and movement will be hard to handle for my opponent.
+ Roberto Donadoni, "the best Italian player of the 1990s - Michel Platini" will look romp along the left flank with Pessotto behind him. If harms plays Fuser as wingback, this will be a gross mismatch as Pessotto-Donadoni will own the flank.
ATTACK:
+ Tomas Brolin plays his favorite role free roaming second striker. Versatile to operate as a striker or inside forward on both flanks and/or to drop back as a playmaker creating for his teammates, he will be at his world class peak here. His workrate and freedom of movement will be hard to defend against and with Stankovic behind him, there will be numerous opportunities to score.
+ Marco van Basten leads the line. His personal Serie A best of 25 goals in 31 games (1991-92) and 13 goals in 15 games (1992-93) was integral in Milan having a unbeaten run of incredible 58 games! Absolutely lethal during his peak above, he'll have Brolin, Stankovic and Donadoni capable of feeding him chances all through the match.
HARMS TACTICS
Thoughts on the game:
Watertight defence and unstoppable attack, what else there is to say?
Talking points about Edgar's team:
Questionable midfield:
18-22 y.o. Ambrosini — is he good enough? I'm not sure. I don't even know if I rate peak Ambrosini, let alone a much younger version of him
20-21 y.o. Stankovic — another young talent, who spent half of his 2nd season on Lazio's bench — is he good enough?
Weak goalie:
32 y.o. Giovanni Galli — written off by AC Milan, a once great keeper spends his 90's in midtable mediocrity
Ronaldo vs Nesta:
Bits about my team:
- Del Piero and Ronaldo with Djorkaeff in behind is a simply amazing attacking unit that even Edgar's center backs won't be able to stop
- Proven partnerships all over the pitch — Ferrara-Montero; Ronaldo-Djorkaeff; Fuser-Thuram
- Carboni will play more conservatively in this game, seeing as Edgar's biggest weapon is his right flank; Seedorf and Montero, with their experience on the left, will help him out defensively, Seedorf and Del Piero — offensively
- Thuram tucking in and Ferrara centrally will try to limit van Basten — I'm not naive to thing that they, or anybody else for that matter, are capable of nullifying him, but they'll do enough to give me a good chance of outscoring my opponent
PLAYER PROFILES
(Note — the time scopes and awards are only from the relevant seasons, from 90/91 to 99/00; so, for example, only 3 out of Ferrara's 7 Serie A titles would be shown. I also discarded all European trophies although there were many).
GK — Cláudio Taffarel. Parma 1990-93, Reggiana 93/94
Brazil's best ever keeper, he was good enough for Parma to give one out of three foreign slots to a goalkeeper. In 90/91 he kept 19 clean sheets in 34 games and was voted the world's 3rd best goalkeeper by IFFHS in 1991.
RCB — Lilian Thuram. Parma 1996-00.
The best ever in his position — and right in the middle of his peak. His enormous success with France coincided with his spell at Parma, where he won Coppa Italia, UEFA Cup and proved himself as one of the greatest defenders of his time.
CB — Ciro Ferrara. Napoli 1990-94, Juventus 1994-00
One of the best defenders in the draft, tough as nails yet smart and elegant, he, alongside his partner in crime (sometimes literally) Paolo Montero was the foundation of the great Juventus team of the late 90's. In the words of Ryan Giggs, they were "...the toughest defenders [he] played against".
CB — Paolo Montero. Atlanta 1992-96, Juventus 1996-00
Strong in the air, the timing of both his tackles and his fouls is invariably exquisite. His sense of positioning is what you would expect from a player for whom defending is, in this case quite literally, second nature. But he is outstanding at what he does for the same reason all people are who are outstanding at what they do. His passion for the job. He has the heart and soul of a man for whom the entire meaning of life is contained in the principle of 'no pasarán' - they shall not pass.
LB — Amedeo Carboni. Roma 1990-97
Hardworking and athletic, Carboni was a brilliant left back, equally capable of defending and supporting an attack. He managed to earn 18 caps for his country despite having to fight for a place with the likes of Maldini and Benarrivo — and he when we look at his time in Serie A, we see a true Roman legend, ever-present in his 7 seasons apart from one long-term injury.
CM — Clarence Seedorf. Sampdoria 1995-96, Inter 1999-2000
Having spend only 1,5 seasons in Serie A of the 90's, you can argue that Seedorf's legacy isn't that big; but what counts here is the level of his performances — and they were, as it is usually with him, brilliant. Without a doubt the best midfielder on the pitch (not that the competition is very challenging), will make a bigger post about him in the thread.
CM — Wim Jonk. Inter 1993-95
A defensive midfielder in the mould of Carrick/Busquets, he was known for his spatial awareness and reading of the game, even though he was a combative and hard-working player. It's not surprising that he now leads Cruyff football institute, as his understanding of the defending itself is very much alike Cruyff's — it's all about the space. Had a cracking shot on him too.
AM — Yuri Djorkaeff. Inter 1996-99
One of my old favorites, he was nicknamed "The Snake" by Arsene Wenger (you never knew when he would strike). A very complete attacking midfielder — he was a great dribbler, possessed fantastic vision and was always going with something unexpected. His biggest moment at Inter was, of course, his glorious overhead goal against Roma, but the main reason why I picked him was because of his natural chemistry with Ronaldo.
RM — Diego Fuser. Fiorentina 1990-91, AC Milan 1991-92, Lazio 1992-98, Parma 1998-00
Fuser was a quick, hard-working, and energetic player, with good technique, and crossing ability, who excelled at making offensive runs down the right flank and assisting strikers with accurate crosses. A tenacious, and physically strong winger, he also possessed notable stamina, a powerful shot from distance, and was accurate from set-pieces. He's reunited with Thuram — they formed a great partnership on the right playing for Parma in the late 90's.
LF — Alessandro Del Piero. Juventus 1993-00
Unbelievable player, unbelievable talent. If you're spending your time reading some football forum, you know all about him already.
ST — Luís Ronaldo. Inter 1997-00
The best player in the draft, and in his 1997/98 form a strong contender for the greatest of all time striker position. Absolutely devastating at his best (and he is at his best).
Brazil's best ever keeper, he was good enough for Parma to give one out of three foreign slots to a goalkeeper. In 90/91 he kept 19 clean sheets in 34 games and was voted the world's 3rd best goalkeeper by IFFHS in 1991.
IFFHS World's Best Goalkeeper: Bronze ball 1991, 1994
The best ever in his position — and right in the middle of his peak. His enormous success with France coincided with his spell at Parma, where he won Coppa Italia, UEFA Cup and proved himself as one of the greatest defenders of his time.
Coppa Italia 1998/99
Supercoppa Italiana 1999
French Player of the year 1997
Guerin D'Oro (Best player in Serie A) 1997
ESM Team of the year 1998/99
Ballon D'Or — 7th place, 1998
Supercoppa Italiana 1999
French Player of the year 1997
Guerin D'Oro (Best player in Serie A) 1997
ESM Team of the year 1998/99
Ballon D'Or — 7th place, 1998
One of the best defenders in the draft, tough as nails yet smart and elegant, he, alongside his partner in crime (sometimes literally) Paolo Montero was the foundation of the great Juventus team of the late 90's. In the words of Ryan Giggs, they were "...the toughest defenders [he] played against".
Serie A 1994/95, 96/97, 97/98
Supercoppa Italiana 1990, 95, 97
Coppa Italia 1994/95
ESM Team of the year 1996/97
Supercoppa Italiana 1990, 95, 97
Coppa Italia 1994/95
ESM Team of the year 1996/97
Strong in the air, the timing of both his tackles and his fouls is invariably exquisite. His sense of positioning is what you would expect from a player for whom defending is, in this case quite literally, second nature. But he is outstanding at what he does for the same reason all people are who are outstanding at what they do. His passion for the job. He has the heart and soul of a man for whom the entire meaning of life is contained in the principle of 'no pasarán' - they shall not pass.
Serie A 96/97, 97/98
Supercoppa Italiana 97
Supercoppa Italiana 97
Hardworking and athletic, Carboni was a brilliant left back, equally capable of defending and supporting an attack. He managed to earn 18 caps for his country despite having to fight for a place with the likes of Maldini and Benarrivo — and he when we look at his time in Serie A, we see a true Roman legend, ever-present in his 7 seasons apart from one long-term injury.
Coppa Italia 1990/91
Having spend only 1,5 seasons in Serie A of the 90's, you can argue that Seedorf's legacy isn't that big; but what counts here is the level of his performances — and they were, as it is usually with him, brilliant. Without a doubt the best midfielder on the pitch (not that the competition is very challenging), will make a bigger post about him in the thread.
Surprisingly, there aren't any — his 1,5 seasons in Serie A were squashed between his spells in Ajax and Real (he won CL with both, being a key performer as well). So take a look at the video that I've made to support my pick
A defensive midfielder in the mould of Carrick/Busquets, he was known for his spatial awareness and reading of the game, even though he was a combative and hard-working player. It's not surprising that he now leads Cruyff football institute, as his understanding of the defending itself is very much alike Cruyff's — it's all about the space. Had a cracking shot on him too.
Sadly, only UEFA Cup 1994, which doesn't count here
One of my old favorites, he was nicknamed "The Snake" by Arsene Wenger (you never knew when he would strike). A very complete attacking midfielder — he was a great dribbler, possessed fantastic vision and was always going with something unexpected. His biggest moment at Inter was, of course, his glorious overhead goal against Roma, but the main reason why I picked him was because of his natural chemistry with Ronaldo.
Pirata d'Oro (Internazionale Player Of The Year): 1997
FIFA XI 1997
Ballon D’Or 9th — 1996; 11th — 1997
Serie A runner up 1997/98
FIFA XI 1997
Ballon D’Or 9th — 1996; 11th — 1997
Serie A runner up 1997/98
Fuser was a quick, hard-working, and energetic player, with good technique, and crossing ability, who excelled at making offensive runs down the right flank and assisting strikers with accurate crosses. A tenacious, and physically strong winger, he also possessed notable stamina, a powerful shot from distance, and was accurate from set-pieces. He's reunited with Thuram — they formed a great partnership on the right playing for Parma in the late 90's.
Serie A 1991/92
Coppa Italia 1997/1998, 98/99
Supercoppa Italiana 1999
Coppa Italia 1997/1998, 98/99
Supercoppa Italiana 1999
Unbelievable player, unbelievable talent. If you're spending your time reading some football forum, you know all about him already.
Serie A 1994/95, 96/97, 97/98
Supercoppa Italiana 1995, 97
Coppa Italia 1994/95
ESM Team of the year 1995/96, 96/97, 97/98
Serie A Italian footballer of the year 1998
Serie A-Top assist provider 1999/00
Ballon D'Or — 4th in 1995 and 1996
All-time leading scorer for Juventus
All-time appearances for Juventus
Italian player with the most seasons with 10 goals or more (17 seasons)
Supercoppa Italiana 1995, 97
Coppa Italia 1994/95
ESM Team of the year 1995/96, 96/97, 97/98
Serie A Italian footballer of the year 1998
Serie A-Top assist provider 1999/00
Ballon D'Or — 4th in 1995 and 1996
All-time leading scorer for Juventus
All-time appearances for Juventus
Italian player with the most seasons with 10 goals or more (17 seasons)
The best player in the draft, and in his 1997/98 form a strong contender for the greatest of all time striker position. Absolutely devastating at his best (and he is at his best).
Ballon D’Or 1997
Ballon D’Or 3rd — 1998;
FIFA World player of the year 1997 (silver in 1998)
Onze D’Or 1997
Bravo award 1997
Serie A Footballer of the year 1997/98
Serie A Foreign footballer of the year 1997/98
FIFA XI 1997, 1998
Pirata d'Oro (Internazionale Player Of The Year) 1998
Serie A Player of the decade 1997-2007
Serie A runner up 1997/98
Ballon D’Or 3rd — 1998;
FIFA World player of the year 1997 (silver in 1998)
Onze D’Or 1997
Bravo award 1997
Serie A Footballer of the year 1997/98
Serie A Foreign footballer of the year 1997/98
FIFA XI 1997, 1998
Pirata d'Oro (Internazionale Player Of The Year) 1998
Serie A Player of the decade 1997-2007
Serie A runner up 1997/98
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