OneNil
Tactics: Lighting Quick Direct Attacking and Counter Attacks.
This team is built in spirit of this generation. Traits like pace, athleticism, technique and professionalism take precedence. Like many successful teams of this era we are built from the back, with a strong versatile midfield and attacking flair and pace up front.
We look to control space and time on the ball of the opponent and then launch lethally quick counters. However we will look to dominate control of space this match and limit the opportunities of the opponent with team defense.
Henry operates in his favored inside-left channel with freedom to move outside or more centrally at will. Litmanen has the proper platform to both set up Henry and Caniggia and attack centrally himself. Caniggia and Maicon impose their will on that flank. Blistering pace combined with trickery and athleticism this side will provide an advantage for my team.
The defense combines experience and tactical nous with pace and power. Maicon is set to dominate his flank. Ramos has strict instructions to support and cover Maicon with il Capitano Maldini giving Sergio a talk about maintaining his discipline for this match. While Maldini will certainly come up against Messi often, we are not doing man marking. Instead Messi’s preferred area of the pitch will be contained by Maldini, Ferdinand and Mascherano in their primes. This trio is perfectly suited to restrict Messi’s influence on this game.
Supporting both the defense and offense are Mendieta and Marchisio. These two are naturally suited to their tasks for this match as CM shuttlers. Mendieta was excellent at supporting the flank and attacking at times while still maintaining presence in the center of the pitch. Marchisio is ideal for supporting Maldini and Mascherano against Messi and Cafu.
Henry and Caniggia also serve important defensive functions by always maintaining two open channels for counter attacking on left and right. This is going to keep Cafu honest and restrict his offensive influence.
Gio
Building a team around Lionel Messi without the benefit of anyone who has played with him required a couple of key principles. The first was a three-man attack as part of the 4-3-3 which he has shone in during his entire club career. The second was ensuring that his fellow attackers had the right attributes: that they were mobile, fluid, technically excellent and pacey. Players who were natural at stretching the play and could each excel across the front line. Messi operates as a false 9 here with Claudio Lopez and Brian Laudrup offering all sorts of threats inside and outside their full-backs, all with the ability to interchange as they see fit.
The midfield is formed around a similar premise. Getting the best out of Steven Gerrard needs a natural holder to provide him with the freedom to bomb forward and noboby better of that ilk than Claude Makelele. No wonder Mourinho tried to sign him three times. And if we look at how well Gerrard dovetailed with Alonso, then Prosinecki brings a similar and probably better passing range and vision as Alonso to the table. Prosinecki needs legs and energy around him with willing runners in wide areas in attack - and he has all of those attributes here to play to his considerable strengths.
The defence has strength and leadership through its core with two World Cup winning captains. A complementary pair of Brazilian full-backs, with Cafu more inclined to dominate his flank while Filipe Luis excels in a more disciplined Simeone set-up. Cannavaro and Naybet are a high-quality centre-half partnership who are both very well rounded with little-to-no apparent weaknesses. Behind them Oscar Cordoba is one of the greatest South American goalkeepers of all time despite flying somewhat under the radar repuationally in Europe yet whose peak with Boca and Colombia saw him win all sorts of awards.
Why we will win:
Onenil has pulled together an excellent squad, one of the standouts in the draft, so this will be a tough match-up. Nevertheless:
Tactics: Lighting Quick Direct Attacking and Counter Attacks.
This team is built in spirit of this generation. Traits like pace, athleticism, technique and professionalism take precedence. Like many successful teams of this era we are built from the back, with a strong versatile midfield and attacking flair and pace up front.
We look to control space and time on the ball of the opponent and then launch lethally quick counters. However we will look to dominate control of space this match and limit the opportunities of the opponent with team defense.
Henry operates in his favored inside-left channel with freedom to move outside or more centrally at will. Litmanen has the proper platform to both set up Henry and Caniggia and attack centrally himself. Caniggia and Maicon impose their will on that flank. Blistering pace combined with trickery and athleticism this side will provide an advantage for my team.
The defense combines experience and tactical nous with pace and power. Maicon is set to dominate his flank. Ramos has strict instructions to support and cover Maicon with il Capitano Maldini giving Sergio a talk about maintaining his discipline for this match. While Maldini will certainly come up against Messi often, we are not doing man marking. Instead Messi’s preferred area of the pitch will be contained by Maldini, Ferdinand and Mascherano in their primes. This trio is perfectly suited to restrict Messi’s influence on this game.
Supporting both the defense and offense are Mendieta and Marchisio. These two are naturally suited to their tasks for this match as CM shuttlers. Mendieta was excellent at supporting the flank and attacking at times while still maintaining presence in the center of the pitch. Marchisio is ideal for supporting Maldini and Mascherano against Messi and Cafu.
Henry and Caniggia also serve important defensive functions by always maintaining two open channels for counter attacking on left and right. This is going to keep Cafu honest and restrict his offensive influence.
Gio
Building a team around Lionel Messi without the benefit of anyone who has played with him required a couple of key principles. The first was a three-man attack as part of the 4-3-3 which he has shone in during his entire club career. The second was ensuring that his fellow attackers had the right attributes: that they were mobile, fluid, technically excellent and pacey. Players who were natural at stretching the play and could each excel across the front line. Messi operates as a false 9 here with Claudio Lopez and Brian Laudrup offering all sorts of threats inside and outside their full-backs, all with the ability to interchange as they see fit.
The midfield is formed around a similar premise. Getting the best out of Steven Gerrard needs a natural holder to provide him with the freedom to bomb forward and noboby better of that ilk than Claude Makelele. No wonder Mourinho tried to sign him three times. And if we look at how well Gerrard dovetailed with Alonso, then Prosinecki brings a similar and probably better passing range and vision as Alonso to the table. Prosinecki needs legs and energy around him with willing runners in wide areas in attack - and he has all of those attributes here to play to his considerable strengths.
The defence has strength and leadership through its core with two World Cup winning captains. A complementary pair of Brazilian full-backs, with Cafu more inclined to dominate his flank while Filipe Luis excels in a more disciplined Simeone set-up. Cannavaro and Naybet are a high-quality centre-half partnership who are both very well rounded with little-to-no apparent weaknesses. Behind them Oscar Cordoba is one of the greatest South American goalkeepers of all time despite flying somewhat under the radar repuationally in Europe yet whose peak with Boca and Colombia saw him win all sorts of awards.
Why we will win:
Onenil has pulled together an excellent squad, one of the standouts in the draft, so this will be a tough match-up. Nevertheless:
- Messi has the dribbling ability to cause Ramos all sorts of problems. Previous experience has shown that Messi tends to win that head-to-head, quite devastatingly at times.
- Messi loves the through-ball in behind the right-back and Claudio Lopez is custom-designed to burst onto those passes with his pace, left-footedness and all-round directness. I think he has a pace edge on Maicon there which, given how reliable that Messi is at delivering that ball, should give him a couple of chances during the game.
- I can probably pick on one hand the number of attackers who have gotten the better of Paolo Maldini over the years, but Brian Laudrup is one of those. His ability to twist and turn, go inside and out, and overall athleticism will keep Maldini at a minimum, honest and, as previous experience shows, potentially give him some real problems.
