The 4-Way Draft - Finals: Tuppet vs 2mufc0

With players at career peak, who will win the match?


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Joga Bonito

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Not exactly but thats mostly because he always played in a 4-2-4 / 4-2-3-1 . For what its worth the 1970 side actually had less width on left than my side here, Everaldo was a defensive fullback to balance Carlos Alberto while Rivelino was mostly playing tucked in. here is an Annah quote from an earlier draft game -
Agreed with that appraisal myself.

Regarding the lopsided asymmetrical discussion on the nature of Downcast's formation, there have been quite a few historical set-ups which have been severely lopsided with barely any width coming from one side etc. Brazil 1970 for example had Everaldo playing as a defensive LB, who barely ventured forward as a counter-balance to Carlos Alberto's more expansive and cerebral game on the right. Rivelino as an inside left, rarely provided width and you could probably count the number of times he ventured to the left touchline and put in a cross on one hand (one of them incidentally being the assist for Pele in the final, funnily enough). Tbf that side wasn't exactly a straightforward and an orthodox set-up and was fairly nuanced in terms of the players movement/interchanging of positions etc.

IIRC, Germany in the 1966 final also seemed to distinctly lack width on the right with Haller being more of a creative goalscoring central influence and Hottges being a purely defensive tucked in RB. Tbf they didn't really seem to have that much of width on the left either with Schnellinger frequently cutting into midfield but Held as an inside forward who cut in as an inside forward from the flank/channels probably helped - frequently exchanged position with Emmerich if I remember correctly.

For what it's worth, it's quite clearly a divisive issue with some buying the Vogts-Bergomi duo being a great counter-measure for that outrageous Facchetti-Best flank, whilst others are underwhelmed by that overly defensive duo in a back 5, esp with only Cabrini (who whilst being a great fit is no great shakes in this rarefied field) being capable of providing genuine width in that set-up. If I'm not wrong, harms used a similar set-up in his Manager Draft Final with Gentile, Bergomi, Kohler, Scirea and Cabrini. Although Gentile was in a man-marking role and his forward line had Baggio and Boniek.

https://www.redcafe.net/threads/manager-draft-final-harms-vs-edgar.398384/
(his initial formation pic isn't there for some reason)

My 2 cents - I don't think you need conventional touchline hugging wingers to stretch defenses, but most of Downcast's midfield and attacking cast are too centrally inclined for my liking. It was close deciding my vote mind,and I just think Downcast requires that tad bit more variety to his side - could be a more expansive RB or quite simply an inside forward who is comfortable out wide. Or perhaps even Neeskens instead of Monti, given that it's actually a back 5 and you don't really require a holding midfielder there (Monti was more well-rounded tbf but Neeskens as a RCM makes more sense in this set-up).

That forward trio of R9-Maradona-Puskas being supported by Matthäus is truly fantastic though. I initially thought Downcast might be going down the Italy 1982 route with Scirea, Bergomi, Cabrini and Conti in his side - but this is definitely a thought-provoking and an interesting set-up.
 

2mufc0

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Rich coming from the guy who can't stop looking at the voters' 'demographics' and cooking up conspiracy theories while blatantly being the mouthpiece of his pakistani mate everytime he's involved in a game and pretending to be neutral.
Hey man don't get me involved in your thing with @MJJ.
 

2mufc0

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Nedved natural foot is right @Tuppet.
 

Tuppet

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Mario Zagallo says hi.

But my criticism of you is not that you have no width on the left but that it will likely lead to Pele having to drift too far left to optimise him or having a gaping hole out left out of possession putting Nedved and Matthaus on N.Santos.

This is essentially the same criticism I had with Engima's side. It's true a more orthodox winger than Nedved could do more damage but in finals there are very fine margins
I have always been a big Zagallo fan and I am not denying that he was an important tactical piece especially in 1958 world cup. It can't be denied though that Garrincha was the primary offensive winger on the right side with Zagallo's main role was to provide defensive balance in both midfield and defense so much so that Brazilian tactic is called a 4-3-3.

Now Pele won't be going out of his way to provide width on the left side that much is clear, we won't be wasting the best player on the field to do something that is not optimal for him. But Nilton is very much capable of doing it himself, there is no gaping hole on the left side. I mean its only there if you think any team with left wingback and inside forward combo has a gaping hole, say Brazil 2002 with Carlos-Rivaldo or various Italian teams with Cabrini and Facchetti. Its clearly been done enough time for it to be dismissed. Also if Matthaus is drifting wide to double up on Santos, surely my midfield would offer support as well that's only natural that rest of my players won't just stay in rigid positions when defending while another players is getting double teamed.
 

MJJ

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Hey man don't get me involved in your thing with @MJJ.
There is no thing, he is just a sad person who is sore about losing. I am your AM despite not voting in the closest match you probably had this draft and voting against you vs the Pep side but vish voting is alright for him :houllier::lol:
 
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Physiocrat

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I have always been a big Zagallo fan and I am not denying that he was an important tactical piece especially in 1958 world cup. It can't be denied though that Garrincha was the primary offensive winger on the right side with Zagallo's main role was to provide defensive balance in both midfield and defense so much so that Brazilian tactic is called a 4-3-3.

Now Pele won't be going out of his way to provide width on the left side that much is clear, we won't be wasting the best player on the field to do something that is not optimal for him. But Nilton is very much capable of doing it himself, there is no gaping hole on the left side. I mean its only there if you think any team with left wingback and inside forward combo has a gaping hole, say Brazil 2002 with Carlos-Rivaldo or various Italian teams with Cabrini and Facchetti. Its clearly been done enough time for it to be dismissed. Also if Matthaus is drifting wide to double up on Santos, surely my midfield would offer support as well that's only natural that rest of my players won't just stay in rigid positions when defending while another players is getting double teamed.
I wasn't saying that Zagallo was a primary offensive player just that the 58/62 teams had genuine width both sides.

Ok, if Nilton Santos defends the left flank on his own Djalma will have to tuck in as an RCB and the rest of the defense switch leftwards - that makes sense and can work. The issue is Garrincha won't defend so there's a lot of space for Boniek; Zito could mitigate this but I wouldn't want him vacating the middle much. This isn't a problem in back threes as there's another wingback nor in a zona mistake as the right side wide man (can't remember the exact Italian name at present) tracks back.

I agree my point about a gaping hole with respect to N.Santos was incorrect. My above statement is really my main concern.
 
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2mufc0

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There is no thing, he is just a sad feck who is sore about losing. I am your AM despite not voting in the closest match you probably had this draft and voting against you vs the Pep side but vish voting is alright for him :houllier::lol:
Tbh I'm not interested in these politics, it derails the match so I would kindly request both of you to shut the feck up.
 

antohan

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The width on left side mostly came from Pele-Tostao interplay and that is one of Pele's absolute best performance.
While I agree Rivelino wasn't exactly a winger, Brazil sometimes swapped him and Jairzinho if width/pace/directness was more relevant on the left.
 

harms

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By the way, what's the general opinion on Nilton as a width-provider? I think he gets shoehorned to the wingback category too often because he was more attacking than Djalma, but he wasn't a relentless overlapper. More of a playmaker from the back, and he rarely crossed the half line. Even though he scored a few after his dribbling runs (but, again, cutting inside).
 

harms

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That's what made Platini-Boniek so powerful. All eyes on Platini, then the creeping doubt "where the feck is the Pole? what is he up to?", and as you locate him and move to neutralise him you realise you've lost track of... oh shit!
Goal.
:lol:
Brilliant description
 

Tuppet

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I wasn't saying that Zagallo was a primary offensive player just that the 58/62 teams had genuine width both sides.

Ok, if Nilton Santos defends the left flank on his own Djalma will have to tuck in as an RCB and the rest of the defense switch leftwards - that makes sense and can work. The issue is Garrincha won't defend so there's a lot of space for Boniek; Zito could mitigate this but I wouldn't want him vacating the middle much. This isn't a problem in back threes as there's another wingback nor in a zona mistake as the right side wide man (can't remember the exact Italian name at present) tracks back. I agree my point about Matthaus and Nedved was poorly expressed. This is really my main concern.
Yeah, I don't disagree. There are areas 2mufc0's team can take advantages and Garrincha's not tracking back is going to cause defensive problems. But then he always compensated it in attack, and that is where I am hoping to win this. For example Nedved is going to work hard but then Garrincha is going to give a wide threat of different level, otherwise we are just saying that we both have right sided wide players but Nedved is going to work hard and Garrincha is not so 2mufc0 won which is absurd ( I know you are not saying that) because Garrincha is a far superior player. In my opinion Garrincha is going to give Maldini a harder time than Nedved to Nilton Santos. I have spent the football currency on my attack and for all my defeciancies in midfield and defense there is no way 2mufc0 can stop my attack say for example when Garrincha beats Maldini as he will a fair few times, Kohler would have to track him wide but then you have Pele/Ronaldo/Zico running toward the penalty are providing every possible option for Garrincha and with their insane finishing, you better hope that Kohler would win that ball or it would be a goal.
 
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Physiocrat

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By the way, what's the general opinion on Nilton as a width-provider? I think he gets shoehorned to the wingback category too often because he was more attacking than Djalma, but he wasn't a relentless overlapper. More of a playmaker from the back, and he rarely crossed the half line. Even though he scored a few after his dribbling runs (but, again, cutting inside).
I agree. He didn't get forward that much. He did relative to his day but nothing like Marcelo. That said he may have been more attacking at club level but there's little to no footage. This seems similar to Marzolini.
 

Tuppet

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By the way, what's the general opinion on Nilton as a width-provider? I think he gets shoehorned to the wingback category too often because he was more attacking than Djalma, but he wasn't a relentless overlapper. More of a playmaker from the back, and he rarely crossed the half line. Even though he scored a few after his dribbling runs (but, again, cutting inside).
He was not a compulsive overlapper like Marcelo but he was certainly a good attacker and I don't think it had anything to do with Djalma being defensive. He was one of the first if not the first fullback to provide overlaps and width and his nickname Encyclopedia was a result of his cultured attacking technique, in the sense that he can do everything.

Santos was also a pioneer of the exhilarating overlap in an era when most full-backs ventured forward only rarely. Never were his attacking instincts illustrated more vividly than at Uddevalla in Sweden in the Brazilians’ opening game of the 1958 World Cup, which ended in a 3-0 win over Austria. After winning the ball deep in his own territory, he carried it to the halfway line, where he passed to Jose Altafini. Then, instead of retreating to his defensive slot as was expected of full-backs at the time, he continued surging forward, accepted a return pass and scored with a powerful shot.
As Santos dribbled, his coach Vicente Feola had been close to apoplexy, fearful of the gap being left at the back, and he was heard to shout: “Crazy, crazy... Oh, well done!” That spectacular manoeuvre fired the imagination of full-backs the world over, and the game became all the more entertaining as a result.
It also helped that he started the game as an attacker and played that way for quite some time in his career.

Santos made his initial impact with the Rio de Janeiro club Botafogo, joining from junior football as a 23-year-old attacker in 1948. At first he wasn’t thrilled by the suggestion that he should switch to the back line, but he did so and put his inimitable stamp on his fresh role. He became a loyal one-club man, helping to garner serial silverware, including the state championships of 1948, 1957, 1961 and 1962.
 

Physiocrat

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Yeah, I don't disagree. There are areas 2mufc0's team can take advantages and Garrincha's not tracking back is going to cause defensive problems. But then he always compensated it in attack, and that is where I am hoping to win this. For example Nedved is going to work hard but then Garrincha is going to give a wide threat of different level, otherwise we are just saying that we both have right sided wide players but Nedved is going to work hard and Garrincha is not so 2mufc0 won which is absurd ( I know you are not saying that) because Garrincha is a far superior player. In my opinion Garrincha is going to give Maldini a harder time than Nedved to Nilton Santos. I have spent the football currency on my attack and for all my defeciancies in midfield and defense there is no way 2mufc0 can stop my attack say for example when Garrincha beats Maldini as he will a fair few times, Kohler would have to track him wide but then you have Pele/Ronaldo/Zico running toward the penalty are providing every possible option for Garrincha and insane finishing, you better hope that Kohler would win that ball or it would be a goal.
That's a good point. You will score in this game , it's just I think 2mufc0 will score more. As I stated earlier I would prefer a more attacking full back on his side and a more orthodox right winger. I just think there's more of a structural problem in your side which he could exploit - also AI think it is easy to resolve by making Zico drift wide left when defending. It will make little difference for your attack but shore it up at the back
 

2mufc0

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Yeah, I don't disagree. There are areas 2mufc0's team can take advantages and Garrincha's not tracking back is going to cause defensive problems. But then he always compensated it in attack, and that is where I am hoping to win this. For example Nedved is going to work hard but then Garrincha is going to give a wide threat of different level, otherwise we are just saying that we both have right sided wide players but Nedved is going to work hard and Garrincha is not so 2mufc0 won which is absurd ( I know you are not saying that) because Garrincha is a far superior player. In my opinion Garrincha is going to give Maldini a harder time than Nedved to Nilton Santos. I have spent the football currency on my attack and for all my defeciancies in midfield and defense there is no way 2mufc0 can stop my attack say for example when Garrincha beats Maldini as he will a fair few times, Kohler would have to track him wide but then you have Pele/Ronaldo/Zico running toward the penalty are providing every possible option for Garrincha and with their insane finishing, you better hope that Kohler would win that ball or it would be a goal.
While I won't deny Garrincha will cause problems, but Maldini is truly a GOAT defender and on the other hand I can see instances where he would nick the ball off him and carry the ball forward and double up on the right back with Boniek.
 

antohan

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By the way, what's the general opinion on Nilton as a width-provider? I think he gets shoehorned to the wingback category too often because he was more attacking than Djalma, but he wasn't a relentless overlapper. More of a playmaker from the back, and he rarely crossed the half line. Even though he scored a few after his dribbling runs (but, again, cutting inside).
I have him down as a slightly more attacking Carlos Alberto. By slightly I mean closer to him than to Cafú or Carlos.
 

Tuppet

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While I won't deny Garrincha will cause problems, but Maldini is truly a GOAT defender and on the other hand I can see instances where he would nick the ball off him and carry the ball forward and double up on the right back with Boniek.
That works on our side as well, Nilton can nick the ball off Nedved and run down on the flank with Pele in support something like this -



And I would say this is more likely since -
a) Nilton unlike Maldini is not facing greatest winger of all time.
b) He is better in attacking
c) There is the proven partnership with Pele on similar roles that won them 2 world cups.
 

SirMattBugsby

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Thoughts on Rijkaard vs Zico? How effective Pele and Ronaldo are, slightly depends on this duel. Matthäus might be the difference-maker in this regard with his b2b role.
 

Enigma_87

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Great game with two great sides.

For Tuppet's side I really don't rate Pereira and Da Guia considering the opposition fields Scirea and Kohler. So as a defensive unit the edge is to 2mufc0.

Apart from that it's an excellent side - 2 GOAT full backs, complimentary pairings all round (Pele, Garrincha, Djalma Santos, Zito, Nilton Santos), the inclusion of Fenomeno and Zico... Mouthwatering attack really and a team which is really easy to imagine going forward.

For 2mufc0 I'd really like a Cabrini attacking full back on that left side. I agree that his attack in this sense is a bit more central oriented which Dunga/Zito are well chosen to counter as the base of the midfield.

The rest of the team is great.

Gone with Tuppet with slightest of margins. His team IMO is better prepared to the test 2mufc0 will offer and he also has the best player on the park (Pele), best winger in Garrincha and a slight advantage in the #9 department.

Will follow the discussion as 2mufc0 defensive unit is really giving me a second thought here.
 

2mufc0

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Great game with two great sides.

For Tuppet's side I really don't rate Pereira and Da Guia considering the opposition fields Scirea and Kohler. So as a defensive unit the edge is to 2mufc0.

Apart from that it's an excellent side - 2 GOAT full backs, complimentary pairings all round (Pele, Garrincha, Djalma Santos, Zito, Nilton Santos), the inclusion of Fenomeno and Zico... Mouthwatering attack really and a team which is really easy to imagine going forward.

For 2mufc0 I'd really like a Cabrini attacking full back on that left side. I agree that his attack in this sense is a bit more central oriented which Dunga/Zito are well chosen to counter as the base of the midfield.

The rest of the team is great.

Gone with Tuppet with slightest of margins. His team IMO is better prepared to the test 2mufc0 will offer and he also has the best player on the park (Pele), best winger in Garrincha and a slight advantage in the #9 department.

Will follow the discussion as 2mufc0 defensive unit is really giving me a second thought here.
I would be the first to put my hand up and say he has a great attack but that is offset with the quality of my defence and midfield which individually is far superior to the Brazil lineup. While I can see Platini and MvB causing trouble against those CB's.
 

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That works on our side as well, Nilton can nick the ball off Nedved and run down on the flank with Pele in support something like this -



And I would say this is more likely since -
a) Nilton unlike Maldini is not facing greatest winger of all time.
b) He is better in attacking
c) There is the proven partnership with Pele on similar roles that won them 2 world cups.
The difference here is the work rate of Nedved vs Garrincha, you can bet on Pavel busting a gut getting back if he loses the ball.
 

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The difference here is the work rate of Nedved vs Garrincha, you can bet on Pavel busting a gut getting back if loses the ball.
But thats not the comparison, Garrincha doesn't need to bust a gut going back because he has arguably the greatest defensive right back behind him, the one with whom he formed an exceptional partnership as well. While Nedved is manning the right side alone. I was talking more on my left / your right side, where the battle is between Nilton Santos and Pavel Nedved and it could go either way.
 

2mufc0

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But thats not the comparison, Garrincha doesn't need to bust a gut going back because he has arguably the greatest defensive right back behind him, the one with whom he formed an exceptional partnership as well. While Nedved is manning the right side alone. I was talking more on my left / your right side, where the battle is between Nilton Santos and Pavel Nedved and it could go either way.
If it's 2v1 it doesn't matter if he's the best of all time.

I feel Maldini is bizzarly getting under rated here, if you had to choose any left back over time to play against Garrincha I would wager he would be high on most people's lists. It won't be easy for Garrincha at all.
 

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If it's 2v1 it doesn't matter if he's the best of all time.

I feel Maldini is bizzarly getting under rated here, if you had to choose any left back over time to play against Garrincha I would wager he would be high on most people's lists. It won't be easy for Garrincha at all.
He is not getting underrated mate :) look at the score. Its mostly on the back of your defensive prowess. He would definitely do well against Garrincha than most but obviously he won't (can't ) be completely shut down. All I am saying is Garrincha would have more joy against Maldini than Nedved against Nilton. But that's just one battle you have advantages in other areas as well.
 

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With Garrincha at one side and Nilton Santos on the other, and Pele / Ronaldo / Zico providing auxilary width, how is that threat mostly central. I mean how much width one can possibly want ?
On second thoughts, you are right. Not much of a difference here.
Thoughts on Rijkaard vs Zico? How effective Pele and Ronaldo are, slightly depends on this duel. Matthäus might be the difference-maker in this regard with his b2b role.
Ideally it should be Rijkaard on Pele. Being comfortable at CB and DM, he can follow Pele both ways. Zico will be playing deeper than Pele and Matthaus will be best placed to hound the ball off Zico.
How fecking dare you? :nono: Baggio was carrying an injury BTW :mad:
I came here to post exactly that :lol:
 

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An Interesting point would be if Rijkaard does manage to take out Zico, In Pele, Garrincha & Ronaldo we still have three players who can carve out the opposition defense. There is too much creativity in our attack to be completely shut down. On the other hand Platini is the heart beat of team 2mufc0 if he is stopped that would cut the primary source of supply for his attack. Now its all relative ofcourse, Boniek/Nedved/Matthaus are all capable of providing the attacking thrust but neither of them will provide the world class creativity that a Pele or a Garrincha does.

This is all predicated on the basis of Platini being stopped ofcourse which is easier said than done. We are fielding two fantastic defensive midfielders though, both having a single minded task of defending the area where Platini operates.

Thats one of the big reasons of getting Ronaldo, his pace, dribbling, physicality and movement was enough to carve out chances for himself without relying on someone else to create his chances. I am not sure as great a defender as Scirea was he is not going to relish the battle with Ronaldo. Nesta for example who I rate on par with or better than Scirea defensively could not handle him at all -


Full game here -

 

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Ideally it should be Rijkaard on Pele. Being comfortable at CB and DM, he can follow Pele both ways. Zico will be playing deeper than Pele and Matthaus will be best placed to hound the ball off Zico.
If that is the case (Rijkaard on Pele, Matthäus on Zico), then it feels like @2mufc0 is inviting pressure on his defence. I know his backline is the strength of his team but against that attack? Not such a good idea.

It also severely hampers his midfield's influence in attack. Platini might often find himself alone against Dunga and Zito. I know Lothar is a beast but dealing with Zico and then joining the attack is not something that can be done regularly throughout the game imo. Especially when he moves up and find he's up against Dunga.

An Interesting point would be if Rijkaard does manage to take out Zico, In Pele, Garrincha & Ronaldo we still have three players who can carve out the opposition defense. There is too much creativity in our attack to be completely shut down. On the other hand Platini is the heart beat of team 2mufc0 if he is stopped that would cut the primary source of supply for his attack. Now its all relative ofcourse, Boniek/Nedved/Matthaus are all capable of providing the attacking thrust but neither of them will provide the world class creativity that a Pele or a Garrincha does.

This is all predicated on the basis of Platini being stopped ofcourse which is easier said than done. We are fielding two fantastic defensive midfielders though, both having a single minded task of defending the area where Platini operates.
Yeah, that's how I see it as well. It's a very close contest, but the individual quality of Pele and Ronaldo, plus their potential partnership :drool:, shades it for me.

I don't know what I find more surprising, that you were actually allowed to do this or..the score.
 

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Platini might often find himself alone against Dunga and Zito. I know Lothar is a beast but dealing with Zico and then joining the attack is not something that can be done regularly throughout the game imo. Especially when he moves up and find he's up against Dunga.
How is that possible when both Nedved and Boniek are comfortable cutting inside too? When Platini drops back he'll have Nedved supporting him either through the middle or out wide. And Mvb is as good as R9 here.
 

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That game incidentally is against almost the same defense that Zico is playing today. Sure there are Rijkaard in place of Tardelli and Maldini in place of Cabrini but its not that big a difference and Zico cut them apart. It took an incredible hat-trick from Rossi to and a very unbalanced Brazilian squad with Serginho as striker to defeat them. Now Zico is surrounded here by Pele, Garrincha & Ronaldo, a much better defense and more balanced midfield. It goes to show that players of that caliber can destroy any defense.
 

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It seem odd to try to sell the greatest player of all time but sometimes he gets overlooked in tactical battles between two formations. Pele is the best player on the field and by a good margin. In his long and storied career he has faced all kind of defenses, especially defenders who were hell bent on hurting him as it was the only way to stop him. And yet he is probably the most decorated player of all time, which goes to show that having good defense is not really a solution against him. He is likely going to be the difference maker here, both teams have great playmakers in Platini and Zico, both have two great number 9s in Ronaldo and MVB. But Pele and Garrincha are the big differential in our attack and that is some differential, In my opinion you can't really make it up with a better defense. You really need a Maradona or Messi to counter that. Not to disregard the chemistry of Pele-Garrincha and their incredible undefeated record for Brazil.

He is indeed playing against a very good defense, so here are some of the great defenders and defenses Pele faced -




That's 3 of the greatest defenders of all time !

He was also instrumental in destroying one of the great Italian team riding the wave of Catenaccio, which made them European champions in 1968 & had players from Milan who were Champions league winner in 1969 and Inter's consecutive CL winners. Players such as Burgnich, Facchetti & Rosato, playing in a conservative Italian system and Brazil ripped them to shreds with Pele being the chief architect


Then there were Santos tours to Europe but Italy specifically where he tore more well drilled Catanaccio defenses down. The highlight was of course beating the Italian champions and CL runner up Inter Milan 4-1. That's a defense which let only 1 goal against the attack of Di Stefano and Puskas and no goals against an attack spearheaded by Eusebio.
There were some 44,000 at that game. That attendance set a US record for a soccer game for quite some time

Both teams were loaded with star players. Playing for Santos were such as Pepe, Edu, Clodoaldo, Carlos Alberto and Pele and for Inter such greats as Facchetti, Mazzola ,Jair and Suarez. Santos was spectacular and unstoppable playing their brand of Football and winning 4-1

Antohan summed it up pretty nicely as "The guy was a fecking machine" in this great post -

Great stats but what you failed to do there, which is far more impressive, is order it by date.

Those were gruelling tours Santos engaged in to raise funds and which ultimately enabled them to keep Pelé (although he didn't earn that much comparatively, even had a shoe store jointly owned with a couple of other players).

I tired to transfer to excel but the formatting went tits up, so just did 1959 for reference, and particularly for those questioning whether he would be fit enough to deal with the modern game:

19 games in 39 days
11 wins, 4 draws, 4 defeats
69 goals for, 36 against, 24 goals scored by Pelé (1.26gpg)

05-26-1959 1-0 - Royal Standard
05-27-1959 4-2 2 RSC Anderlecht
05-30-1959 1-2 – Gentoise
06-03-1959 3-0 1 Feijenoord Rotterdam
06-05-1959 2-3 2 Inter Milano
06-06-1959 6-4 1 Fortuna Düsseldorf
06-07-1959 3-3 – 1. FC Nuremberg
06-09-1959 4-1 1 Servette Geneva
06-11-1959 6-0 1 Selection Hamburg
06-13-1959 7-1 3 Selection Lower-Saxony
06-15-1959 5-0 3 Selection Enschede
06-17-1959 3-5 1 Real Madrid
06-19-1959 2-2 1 Sporting Lisboa
06-24-1959 4-4 1 FC Valencia
06-26-1959 7-1 4 Inter Milano
06-28-1959 5-1 2 FC Barcelona
06-30-1959 4-2 - Genoa
07-02-1959 0-3 – Austria Wien
07-05-1959 2-2 1 Betis Sevilla

Look again at the fixtures, they regularly had to travel back and forth, and probably spent much of their resting time on a plane or train (e.g. 24/6 Valencia, 26/6 Milan, 28/6 Barcelona, 30/6 Genoa, 2/7 Austria Wien and 5/7 Betis back in Sevilla!).

Another remarkable thing is that he actually scores more as the tour progresses and he gets the hang of how these European teams try to go about stopping him :lol:

The guy was a fecking machine.
Here's the post he was replying to with some great data -
I don't believe Pele was overrated. Many have said he didn't play in Europe, but he didn't have to. At the time the Brazilian league was a top league and Santos seem to be consistently touring Europe and playing all the top teams. Pele stood out in many of those games, over a ten year period in over 100 games Pele averaged about a goal and a half a game. Santos was a hell of a team in the early to mid 60's , in the Intercontinental Cup between the the European Cup winners and the South American Champions, Santos destroyed Benfica over two legs in 1962 and needed a third game to edge out AC Milan in 1963.

Taken from the statistical section of the 1977 book "My Life And The Beautiful Game" by Pelé.


AUSTRIA
07-02-1959 0-3 – Austria Wien
1 defeat
0-3 goals
0 goals scored by Pelé

BELGIUM
05-26-1959 1-0 - Royal Standard
05-27-1959 4-2 2 RSC Anderlecht
05-30-1959 1-2 – Gentoise
05-19-1960 4-3 1 Royal Standard
05-28-1960 6-0 2 RSC Anderlecht
05-31-1960 10-1 4 Royal Beerschot
06-11-1960 5-2 2 Gentoise
06-12-1960 3-1 – Selection Antwerp
06-04-1961 4-4 – Selection Antwerp
03-01-1972 0-0 – RSC Anderlecht
03-06-1973 1-0 – Royal Standard
8 wins, 2 draws, 1 defeat
39-15 goals
11 goals scored by Pelé
73 % won
28 % of Santos goals scored by Pelé
Average result: 4-1, 1 goal by Pelé

CSSR
02-15-1959 3-4 – UDA Duklas
01-16-1965 6-4 3 Selection CSSR
01-13-1968 4-1 – Selection CSSR
2 wins, 1 defeat
13-9 goals
3 goals scored by Pelé
67 % won
23 % of Santos goals scored by Pelé
Average result: 4-3, 1 goal by Pelé

ENGLAND
10-22-1961 4-2 1 Sheffield Wednesday
09-22-1969 3-2 2 Stoke City
09-21-1970 2-2 2 West Ham United
02-02-1971 1-0 – FC Chelsea
02-21-1972 1-2 – Aston Villa
02-23-1972 2-0 - Sheffield Wednesday
06-04-1972 4-2 3 Newcastle United
06-13-1972 2-2 1 Coventry City
5 wins, 2 draws, 1 defeat
19-12 goals
9 goals scored by Pelé
63 % won
47 % of Santos goals scored by Pelé
Average result: 2-1, 1 goal by Pelé

FRANCE
06-07-1960 5-3 1 Stade Reims
06-09-1960 4-1 1 Racing Paris
06-17-1960 3-1 1 Stade Reims
06-23-1960 3-0 2 FC Toulouse
06-07-1961 6-1 1 Racing Paris
06-09-1961 6-2 2 Olympique Lyonnais
06-13-1961 5-4 1 Racing Paris
10-17-1962 5-2 2 Racing Paris
03-31-1971 0-0 – Selection Marseille / St. Etienne
8 wins, 1 draw
37-14 goals
11 goals scored by Pelé
89 % won
30 % of Santos goals scored by Pelé
Average result: 4-2, 1 goal by Pelé

GREECE
06-28-1961 3-0 1 AEK Athens
06-30-1961 3-2 2 Panathinaikos Athens
07-04-1961 1-2 – Olimpiakos Piraeus
08-24-1966 1-0 – AEK Athens
3 wins, 1 defeat
8-4 goals
3 goals scored by Pelé
75 % won
38 % of Santos goals scored by Pelé
Average result: 2-1, 1 goal by Pelé

HUNGARY
02-10-1967 2-2 1 Vasas Budapest
01-23-1968 4-0 1 Vasas Budapest
1 wins, 1 draw
6-2 goals
2 goals scored by Pelé
50 % won
33 % of Santos goals scored by Pelé
Average result: 3-1, 1 goal by Pelé

IRELAND
02-26-1972 3-2 – Bohemians Drumcondra
1 win
3-2 goals
0 goals scored by Pelé

ITALY
06-05-1959 2-3 2 Inter Milano
06-26-1959 7-1 4 Inter Milano
06-30-1959 4-2 - Genoa
06-01-1960 3-2 1 AS Roma
06-03-1960 0-3 – Fiorentina
06-18-1960 2-0 1 Juventus Torino
06-21-1961 5-0 2 AS Roma
06-24-1961 4-1 1 Inter Milano
06-15-1963 4-3 2 AS Roma
06-19-1963 0-2 – Inter Milano
06-22-1963 0-4 – AC Milan
06-26-1963 3-5 1 Juventus Torino
10-16-1963 2-4 2 AC Milan
11-14-1963 4-2 – AC Milan
09-05-1966 4-1 1 Inter Milano
06-17-1967 2-1 1 Mantua
06-20-1967 1-0 – Venice
06-24-1967 5-1 3 US Lecce
06-27-1967 1-1 – Fiorentina
06-29-1967 3-1 1 AS Roma
08-26-1967 0-1 – Inter Milano
06-09-1968 2-1 – Cagliari
06-12-1968 2-0 1 Alexandria
06-21-1968 4-2 1 SSC Napoli
06-26-1968 6-2 2 SSC Napoli
06-28-1968 5-2 2 SSC Napoli
06-24-1969 1-0 – Inter Milano
09-24-1969 7-1 2 Combination Geneva / Genoa
06-23-1971 2-1 1 Bologna
06-27-1971 1-1 - Bologna
06-30-1971 1-0 1 Bologna
03-03-1972 2-0 – AS Roma
03-05-1972 3-2 2 SSC Napoli
04-29-1972 1-0 – SSC Napoli
05-01-1972 3-2 2 Cagliari
06-25-1972 7-1 2 Catanzaro
05-25-1973 3-0 1 Lazio Roma
05-28-1973 4-2 2 Lazio Roma
29 wins, 2 draws, 7 defeats
110-55 goals
41 goals scored by Pelé
76 % won
37 % of Santos goals scored by Pelé
Average result: 3-1, 1 goal by Pelé

NETHERLANDS
06-03-1959 3-0 1 Feijenoord Rotterdam
06-15-1959 5-0 3 Selection Enschede
2 wins
8-0 goals
4 goals scored by Pelé
100 % won
50 % of Santos goals scored by Pelé
Average result: 4-0, 2 goals by Pelé

PORTUGAL
06-19-1957 6-1 3 Belenses
07-23-1957 3-2 1 Benfica Lisboa
06-19-1959 2-2 1 Sporting Lisboa
06-15-1961 6-3 2 Benfica Lisboa
09-19-1962 3-2 2 Benfica Lisboa
10-11-1962 5-2 3 Benfica Lisboa
08-21-1966 4-0 1 Benfica Lisboa
08-18-1968 4-2 – Benfica Lisboa
09-01-1968 3-3 – Benfica Lisboa
7 wins, 2 draws
36-17 goals
13 goals scored by Pelé
78 % won
36 % of Santos goals scored by Pelé
Average result: 4-2, 1 goal by Pelé

SPAIN
06-17-1959 3-5 1 Real Madrid
06-24-1959 4-4 1 FC Valencia
06-28-1959 5-1 2 FC Barcelona
07-05-1959 2-2 1 Betis Sevilla
06-19-1960 2-2 – Espanol Barcelona
06-25-1960 1-0 – FC Valencia
07-02-1960 3-4 1 FC Barcelona
06-12-1963 0-2 – FC Barcelona
08-28-1967 1-4 – Deportivo Espanol Malaga
08-29-1967 2-1 – Malaga
09-17-1969 3-1 – Atletico Madrid
08-31-1974 0-2 – Espanol Barcelona
09-01-1974 1-4 1 FC Elche
09-03-1974 3-2 2 Real Zaragoza
5 wins, 3 draws, 6 defeats
30-34 goals
9 goals scored by Pelé
36 % won
30 % of Santos goals scored by Pelé
Average result: 2-2, 1 goal by Pelé

SWEDEN
01-12-1957 1-0 – AIK Stockholm
1 win
1-0 goals
0 goals scored by Pelé

SWITZERLAND
06-09-1959 4-1 1 Servette Geneva
06-01-1961 8-2 3 FC Basel
06-15-1968 4-5 1 FC Zürich
2 wins, 1 defeat
16-8 goals
5 goals scored by Pelé
66 % won
31 % of Santos goals scored by Pelé
Average result: 5-3, 2 goals by Pelé

WEST GERMANY
06-06-1959 6-4 1 Fortuna Düsseldorf
06-07-1959 3-3 – 1. FC Nuremberg
06-11-1959 6-0 1 Selection Hamburg
06-13-1959 7-1 3 Selection Lower-Saxony
05-27-1960 9-1 3 TSV 1860 Munich
06-01-1960 4-2 2 Eintracht
06-15-1960 4-2 1 Selection Berlin
06-03-1961 6-3 2 VfL Wolfsburg
06-26-1961 8-6 3 Karlsruher SC
10-20-1961 3-3 2 FC Hamburg
05-29-1963 3-2 1 Selection Lower-Saxony
06-02-1963 2-1 1 FC Schalke 04
06-05-1963 5-2 4 Eintracht
06-08-1963 3-1 1 VfB Stuttgart
06-13-1967 5-4 2 TSV 1860 Munich
06-17-1967 3-0 1 Selection Saarland
07-30-1971 3-1 – Hannover 96
02-27-1973 0-3 – Combination Bavaria
06-10-1973 5-0 1 Arminia Bielefeld
16 wins, 2 draws, 1 defeat
85-39 goals
29 goals scored by Pelé
84 % won
34 % of Santos goals scored by Pelé
Average result: 4-2, 2 goals by Pelé

YUGOSLAVIA
06-22-1957 1-1 1 Dinamo Zagreb
09-10-1969 3-3 1 Red Star Belgrade
09-12-1969 1-1 – Dinamo Zagreb
09-15-1969 4-4 1 Danick Kragulevac
09-19-1969 1-1 1 Zeljesnicar
5 draws
10-10 goals
4 goals scored by Pelé
0 % won
40 % of Santos goals scored by Pelé
Average result: 2-2, 1 goal by Pelé

You can see that Pele scored a high percentage of Santos' goals and how successful Santos was against European competition.

He is literally tier of his own here and he would make a difference !
 
Last edited:

mariner85

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Can't imagine how any team can beat that all star Brazil 11.
The chemistry between the players are also well established.
If nothing else they'll outscore the opponents.
Would have been mouthwatering to watch.