The Euro Draft - Round 1 - ctp vs Joga Bonito

[Balu]

All players shall be judged only on their performances at the tournaments (From 1927 to 1960 the CEICs, from 1960 to 2012 the Euros). Please take this into account before voting. You can read up on the theme by clicking here.
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Team ctp:
​

„Attack wins games, defence wins championships“

In the spirit of that quote I’ll start with my defensive set-up:

At the start of the game:

Spoiler: Defensive Set-up

Quickly reacted a few minutes into the game:

Spoiler: New and improved defensive set-up

Joga has some very dangerous strikers, but I feel my defence matches up well against them. My team will keep a compact shape, a tight 5-3-2 with Mazzola dropping in between Nausch and Ocwirk. I’ll leave his centre backs undisturbed on the ball and start putting pressure on his midfielders as they receive the ball. Kluivert and Rummenigge will be on Pluskal and Effenberg to try and win the ball back with the three in behind closing off passing lanes.

At the heart of my set-up is the back five, marshaled by Gaetano Scirea, whose Italy conceded not a single goal in the group stages of the 1980 Euros and just a single one in the third place playoff. He is supported by England captain Tony Adams, who had a fantastic 1996 tournament (apart from conceding a pen vs Scotland), and Portuguese legend Fernando Couto. My defence is completed by two fantastic wingbacks, who are both excellent defenders and dangerous attackers. On the right, it’s another 1980 stalwart in Eric Gerets, the main man alongside Ceulemans in the Belgian side that finished runners-up. On the left, it’s the only Euro champion in my defence, Frenchman Bixente Lizarazu. He played as an orthodox left back in France’s successful Euro 2000 campaign, but he is equally adept at wing back, as he demonstrated in Hitzfeld’s Bayern side.

This defence will be able to cope with threat from the wings, as my wing backs will have the support of the centre back next to them or a defensive midfielder moving wide. Both, if necessary, in case one side gets overloaded. The centre will be closed off even further, with three strong central defenders and three midfielders in front.

If all that isn’t enough, I have young José Ángel Iribar in goal, who was talented enough to become Spain’s first choice goalkeeper at the tender age of 21, and was thrown in right at the business end of their Euro campaign (QFs). He conceded only two goals in two games at the final tournament, and showed a number of strong saves to deny the Soviet strikers in the final.

Spoiler: special plan that's needed now, so ignore it!

Not sure how Joga is going to line up his strikers, but I have a special plan prepared, if he plays Sindelar as a false nine. In that case Scirea is to move more to the left to cover for Couto, who will have a semi-man-marking job on his hands and is to follow Sindelar into midfield and put him under pressure any time the ball reaches him and to combat the numerical advantage he would give Joga’s midfield.

Defensive transition

Nothing special, really. No counter-pressing, just everyone back into position, taking care to close off passing options for counterattacks wherever possible.


Attacking transition

I have a good team to hit Joga on the counter if he loses the ball high up the field. Gerets and Lizarazu on the wings, and Mazzola, Rummenigge and Kluivert up front are all quick players, and I have some fantastic passers who can find them with a quick ball from the back in Scirea and Ocwirk especially.

A nice interception at the back, a quick pass to Ocwirk, a long ball for Gerets to run onto, a quality cross, a Kluivert header. A perfect counter that my team is well capable of.

If no counter is on, my team is comfortable attacking with a slower, more possession-orientated approach.


And we’re at the attacking set-up:

Spoiler: Attacking Set-up

My attacking set-up will be a rough 3-4-1-2. Gerets and Lizarazu move up to past the central midfielders in possession and make runs at the opposing full backs if necessary. Nausch and Ocwirk will be the playmaking platform, Mazzola the AM, with Rummenigge and Kluivert upfront.

The plan is to use good pass-and-move football to drag Joga’s defence out of position and create space for my fantastic attack to exploit. At the heart of this approach is my Austrian midfield duo. There’s Wunderteam captain Walter Nausch, who was a constituent part of that team’s “Scheiberlspiel”, exactly the kind of passing football I’m looking to implement. His partner is Ernst “Big Dunc” Ocwirk, who was discovered by Nausch’s midfield partner Smistik and declared his successor. Ocwirk is a complete midfielder, but the outstanding part of his game is his passing, especially diagonals and long balls over the top of the defence. His job will be to find the strikers with a through ball or a ball over the top after the pass-and-move game has created such an opportunity. Ocwirk was named the best player in Europe by France Football in 1952 and captained a Rest of the World XI against England in 1953 and 1954. Both are CEIC players, and their performances in that tournament are uncertain to a degree, so we’ll have to assume they displayed the level of quality they received accolades for in those games.

My attacking midfielder is Inter legend Sandro Mazzola. A Euro champion in 1968, his role is to create chaos in Joga’s defence, my “wild card” in attack so to speak. He is a quality passer of the ball and fits the general approach of my attack, but his main job is to use his mazy dribbling to beat defenders and draw more attention and players to himself, and as such open space for my strikers. He also has an excellent goalscoring record in general, so he’s definitely a threat with runs into the box, but he didn’t score at the Euros so I don’t know how much that is worth.

Upfront Rummenigge and Patrick Kluivert will score goals for my team. Both are very versatile forwards, but Kluivert has more attributes of a classic centre forward and will thus have the job of occupying Joga’s defenders and keep them pushed back. Kluivert is the opposite of Mazzola in that his goalscoring record at his Euro 2000 peak is much better than usual, scoring five goals in five games when he was generally more of a one in two striker. He will be a major goal threat with either foot or his dangerous headers, but also able to find a teammate with a clever pass in the box.

Karl-Heinz Rummenigge will play as a second striker around Kluivert and use his fantastic allround abilities to create and his striker’s instinct to score goals. In a team studded with stars he is perhaps the outstanding player, inspiring Germany to the Euro 1980 championship. He also won the Ballon d’Or that year for his performances. In the game he will often drop back into the number ten position, with Mazzola, the natural inside right, taking over his position. That movement is intended to disrupt Joga’s defence and hopefully create an opening for Rummenigge to exploit. If nothing else works, he can also find Kluivert’s head with a corner, like he did Hrubesch in the 1980 final.

 

[Balu]

vs

Spoiler: starting XI, changed 35minutes into the game

Sub : Anatoliy Demyanenko

Team Joga Bonito:​

Defensive Line : Normal

Set-Up : A 3-4-3 with two extremely industrious and tactically intelligent wide midfielders in McM and Hoeneß. They are tactically and physically exacting roles, no doubt but both my wide midfielders are more than capable of excelling in these roles and have the perfect skill sets for it.

In defense both Bergomi and Maldini are rock solid defenders who are well versed in the art of transitioning from a RCB/LCB position to a CB or FB position, relative to their opponent and my wide midfielders positions, at any given instance. Throw in one Bobby Moore and it makes for a water-tight back line guarding Platzer's goal. Whilst many of you are well aware of Moore's heroic defensive displays, do not make the mistake of underestimating his talent on the ball.

Spoiler: Bobby Moore

In midfield Effenberg-Pluskal form an irrepressible engine-room tandem, in which Pluskal will be the slightly more disciplined and defensive minded component of the duo, with Effenberg reprising his usual dynamic B2B role. Another player whose pin-point deliveries and ability to play rapier like through balls tends to be grossly underrated.

Spoiler: Der Tiger

As stated above, the indefatigable duo McM & Hoeneß will both play taxing but equally rewarding wide midfielder roles. Both of whom possess the explosiveness on the counter, tactical intelligence, creativity and the silky ball control needed to flourish in the wider role, allied with immense reserves of stamina, dynamic up-and-down wing play and the necessary tactical discipline to track runners to man their flanks single-handedly.

The lavishly talented Viennese whirl of speed and grace, Sindelar will have all the freedom in the world and the perfect platform, to waltz around the pitch and preside over proceedings here. Be it slaloming past befuddled markers, baffling the opposition with his elemental mastery of the ball, orchestrating play single-handedly with panache and class or finishing it all by himself after a mazy masterpiece, 'the Paper Man' is simply a force to be reckoned with.

Up top, the multi-faceted Villa and Elkjaer add the final dash of class and deadliness to cap it all off. As with my side backs, both my versatile forwards are also proficient in wider areas and channels, whilst possessing an acute sense of spatial awareness to better utilize space, in combination with a keen sense of positioning so as not to clog up the middle. With the likes of Sindelar, Hoeneß, McM, Effenberg and Moore supplying a never ending stream of quality service and my forwards being capable of fashioning chances by themselves, the side's incisiveness and creativity will never be found wanting.

Style of Play: On the ball, the fluid front trio will constantly be on the move stretching his defense, pulling defenders out of position, probing for any potential holes or space and linking up constructively between themselves. Sindelar will be in his element here as a goalscoring playmaker with all the movement, pace and incisiveness on show here. Hoeneß and McM will look to provide the orthodox wingsmanship and width from out wide, in addition to their reliable end-product and service. Effenberg's creativity and ability to keep things ticking will prove to be a crucial aspect in linking everything up between midfield and offense here.

Off the ball, both my spirited forwards will look to put pressure on Adams and Couto (if he plays with a back 3) as they weren't the most cultured defenders and could struggle to build play from the back, with the exception of Scirea of course. Both my wide midfielders will be tasked with keeping tabs on Gerets and Lizarazu's forward runs whilst Pluskal will be keeping a keen eye on Mazzola and Effenberg will be watching out for any potential driving runs from Ocwirk. Maldini will look to limit Rummenigge's impact as an inside right and there is no one better in the business for this LCB/LB role than Il Capitano.


One not to be overlooked : Uli Hoeneß

A complete player, both positionally and role wise, Hoeneß was an exhilarating player at his peak. Possessing great technique, an excellent goalscoring threat, vision, blistering pace in combination with sumptuous close control and a fine cross, Hoeneß really was a terrific player on the ball. However, it was his off the ball work which really made him a such a versatile threat and a fine connoisseur of totaalvoetball. He was in the mould of a Conti or say Nedved, in that he possessed immense reserves of stamina and could play bomb up and down the flank relentlessly throughout a match (thereby manning an entire flank single handedly), contributing both offensively and defensively in equal measure. In line with the unique 'total football' revolution at Bayern in the early 70s, his extreme versatility meant that he could play anywhere in a flat midfield trio, as a wide forward and also as a strike partner to Müller.

Hoeneß made the right sided wide box to box role for Germany in Euro 1972 his own and had a great tournament individually, finishing in the team of the tournament, as Germany won their first Euros. He personally had a stormer of a game against England (more famed for Netzer's heroics) whereby he scored a long range belter against Banks for the opener and assisted the third for Müller after jinxing past 2 players in their 3-1 win. Simply put, an electric player with an eclectic range of talents.


There is going to be no extended write-up from me this time as I really like the look of ctp's team and it is tactically spot on. In what promises to be a close match, I just believe my defense could prove to be the match-decider though. Good luck ctp!

Good luck @ctp & @Joga Bonito

 

[Balu]

@Rado_N @Damien, could one of you please add the poll to the thread? Thanks a lot.

Question:
Judged on the Euro performances, who will win the match?

- Team ctp
- Team Joga Bonito
- Draw

Poll for 24hrs. Public Poll. View results without voting. Can change votes.

 

[Rado_N]

@Rado_N @Damien, could one of you please add the poll to the thread? Thanks a lot.

Question:
Judged on the Euro performances, who will win the match?

- Team ctp
- Team Joga Bonito
- Draw

Poll for 24hrs. Public Poll. View results without voting. Can change votes.

Done.

 

[Raees]

Cracking matchup here.. damn

 

[Balu]

Fascinating match-up, a more attacking 3-4-3ish formation vs a classic 5-3-2 tournament set-up, both pulled it off really well.

 

[Moby]

This is really close.

 

[Joga Bonito]

His partner is Ernst “Big Dunc” Ocwirk,

That would be one insane hybrid.

Anyway, it really promises to be a close match and I for the life of me can't find too many faults in ctp's set-up or personnel. It will come down to tiniest of details making the difference here imo and both teams have certain minute aspects going for and against them.

Ultimately, the one minor critique I have of ctp's team is the appropriateness of his side-backs. In any set up which employs a back 3, the area between the defensive channels and flanks tends to be a potential zone of frailty which can be exploited by speedy and incisive attackers. Whilst the mobile Rummenigge and Mazzola are equally capable of causing troubles along these lines to my back line, I think Maldini and Bergomi are more suited to dealing with this specific type of threat than Couto and Adams. I'd also question their ball playing capabilities and their ability in bringing the ball out from the back (it is not their responsibility with Scirea there but hassling and harrying them on the ball could possibly result in errors as they weren't the most cultured of defenders on the ball) with Elkjaer and Villa relentlessly hounding them.

Minor flaws and not significant ones, no doubt and I'm nitpicking here but I have to say something here right .

 

[Gio]

Fascinating match-up, a more attacking 3-4-3ish formation vs a classic 5-3-2 tournament set-up, both pulled it off really well.

Yeah, this absolutely. Great to see.

 

[ctp]

That would be one insane hybrid.

It's what you get when you don't properly check the images you post.

@Balu Can you scrap the man-marking Sindelar paragraph. It's not really appropriate against this 3-4-3. I've also removed the arrow from Couto for the defensive line-up.

Spoiler: New and improved defensive set-up

 

[Balu]

It's what you get when you don't properly check the images you post.

@Balu Can you scrap the man-marking Sindelar paragraph. It's not really appropriate against this 3-4-3. I've also removed the arrow from Couto for the defensive line-up.

Spoiler: New and improved defensive set-up

Why scrap it? You put it nicely and because Sindelar is not playing as a false 9, everyone will ignore it anyway? I'll add the new and improved defensive set-up.

 

[ctp]

Anyway, it really promises to be a close match and I for the life of me can't find too many faults in ctp's set-up or personnel. It will come down to tiniest of details making the difference here imo and both teams have certain minute aspects going for and against them.

Ultimately, the one minor critique I have of ctp's team is the appropriateness of his side-backs. In any set up which employs a back 3, the area between the defensive channels and flanks tends to be a potential zone of frailty which can be exploited by speedy and incisive attackers. Whilst the mobile Rummenigge and Mazzola are equally capable of causing troubles along these lines to my back line, I think Maldini and Bergomi are more suited to dealing with this specific type of threat than Couto and Adams. I'd also question their ball playing capabilities and their ability in bringing the ball out from the back (it is not their responsibility with Scirea there but hassling and harrying them on the ball could possibly result in errors as they weren't the most cultured of defenders on the ball) with Elkjaer and Villa relentlessly hounding them.

Minor flaws and not significant ones, no doubt and I'm nitpicking here but I have to say something here right .

I agree with you in principle on the issue of the side centre backs. However, I'd contend that when I'm in a settled defensive shape, my players defend as a back five with real full backs who are good defenders in their own right. As such, my centre backs don't need to be CB-FB hybrid players.

Don't think my build up is a problem. Maybe you can put Adams or Couto under pressure, but I think they're quite capable of a simple sideways pass to Scirea or even finding my midfielders with a simple pass.

 

[antohan]

Tough one this.

Joga has the more accomplished and suited back three, which is particularly handy with Rummenigge and Kluivert being such a compelling partnership, let alone with Mazzola behind them. It seems to me though that Sindelar-Villa-Elkjaer, while lessser names, would be very well suited to exploit the RCB-LCB not being ideal for those roles. They'll get pulled around all over the place and won't be anywhere near as comfortable as Maldini and Bergomi.

The opposite is the case on the flanks, ctp's pair of Lizarazu and Gerets is top notch and will do a great job attacking and defending, while it's a bit of a stretch to expect McM-Hoeness to perform to a similar standard. Clearly not defensively, which sort of helps even out the previous point.

Can't call the midfields really. Joga's pairing is very complementary in Effenberg-Pluskal, while I would have both of ctp's as mainly DMs, with some occasional forwards forays and a lot of DLP work from Ocwirk. However, that may actually suit him here as he could better protect his weaker/least acccomplished part of the team, and dictate from deep to unleash his wingbacks and forwards.

Joga would have more control of the game, ctp will rely on a very strong and deadly counter-attack. Tough one.

 

[antohan]

Having read the writeups now, I'm not quite sure why ctp describes his attacking setup as a 3-4-1-2. I don't think that shape will actually be in place very often if at all, the gameplan sounded spot on up to then, it's basically deep defending, against a side that can control the midfield but whose frontline would be far more comfortable in space. The outside CBs issue all but disappears to a large extent. Then quick counters relying on Lizarazu/Gerets being far more familiar and adept at their attacking roles than Hoeness-McManaman would be with their defending ones, which will be the key factor in this game IMO, leaving Maldini/Bergomi to deal with 2v1 situations all too often.

 

[Raees]

Is Bobby Moore the right type of centre back you want in a back three with no defensive wing backs against Elkjaer?

 

[antohan]

Is Bobby Moore the right type of centre back you want in a back three with no defensive wing backs against Elkjaer?

They play in the same team mate But yeah, agree, Elkjaer would prefer to be playing this game for ctp, he would have an epic game.

 

[Raees]

They play in the same team mate But yeah, agree, Elkjaer would prefer to be playing this game for ctp, he would have an epic game.

.. that is what I get for sneakily trying to open this window up at work.

@Balu our write up is done by the way, Gio will send you it soon once he has collated it together.

 

[Balu]

@Balu our write up is done by the way, Gio will send you it soon once he has collated it together.

Tags don't work if you edit them in. I guess that's what you did, because I didn't get an alert for this post.

 

[Raees]

Tags don't work if you edit them in. I guess that's what you did, because I didn't get an alert for this post.

edit - I typed @b.. then your name popped up, is that what you mean?

 

[Joga Bonito]

I agree with you in principle on the issue of the side centre backs. However, I'd contend that when I'm in a settled defensive shape, my players defend as a back five with real full backs who are good defenders in their own right. As such, my centre backs don't need to be CB-FB hybrid players.

Fair enough, your FBs will most certainly help you in this regard. However, when they push forward - and they most probably will on most occasions when in possession, as they are prime providers of width in your team - it will leave a back 3 or 4 which requires your side centre backs to be more comfortable out wide which I don't think is the case here. Esp since they are facing a dynamic and fluid front trio in Villa-Sindelar-Elkjaer.

Don't think my build up is a problem. Maybe you can put Adams or Couto under pressure, but I think they're quite capable of a simple sideways pass to Scirea or even finding my midfielders with a simple pass.

Yeah, I phrased that wrong. You won't have trouble with building up with a great libero in Scirea. However, when in possession you generally require your side centre backs to possess a decent amount of technique and ball retention capabilities. Adams and Couto won't be bumbling messes constantly turning over possession but they are fairly limited and there is a possibility that they could misplace/mis-control a ball in light of Villa-Elkjaer's intense pressing, which could lead to a dangerous goal scoring opportunity.

Joga has the more accomplished and suited back three, which is particularly handy with Rummenigge and Kluivert being such a compelling partnership, let alone with Mazzola behind them. It seems to me though that Sindelar-Villa-Elkjaer, while lessser names, would be very well suited to exploit the RCB-LCB not being ideal for those roles. They'll get pulled around all over the place and won't be anywhere near as comfortable as Maldini and Bergomi.

Agreed.

The opposite is the case on the flanks, ctp's pair of Lizarazu and Gerets is top notch and will do a great job attacking and defending, while it's a bit of a stretch to expect McM-Hoeness to perform to a similar standard. Clearly not defensively, which sort of helps even out the previous point.

Yes that is the case here and I won't be trying to slither my way out of that one. With a rock solid back 3 in a draft with a scarcity of wide players and a prevalence of fairly narrow set-ups, it made more sense to go for a 3-4-3. Naturally, I hope the attacking impetus and more importantly the dynamism and industry of my wide midfielders helps compensate for this. I do have Demyanenko on the bench just in case I face a side with strong wingers backed by attacking wing-backs though.

but whose frontline would be far more comfortable in space. The outside CBs issue all but disappears to a large extent.

Hmm, you might be underrating my front trio in possession. Whilst they offer a sizeable threat on the counter or on quick transitions, they are equally capable of carving through packed defenses esp with Sindelar's creativity on the ball. Sindelar is someone who will particularly relish the challenge of unlocking packed defenses and in combination with the incisive (and brilliant dribblers) Villa and Elkjaer, I don't think my attack would find it hard to pick apart a compact and a deep lying defense. All three are great dribblers themselves and are also capable of the nifty link up play in possession to drag the likes of Couto and Adams in space as well as in tight areas.

Is Bobby Moore the right type of centre back you want in a back three with no defensive wing backs against Elkjaer?

Most certainly. I could understand your concern if he was used in a side CB role of sorts but that isn't the case here. His reading of the game and the presence of two intelligent defensive legends in Bergomi and Maldini, means he won't have any issues with the set-up. Don't forget his immense displays against the likes of Jairzinho and Pele who were nothing short of rapid.

As the great man himself once said

"OK, if speed is only a matter of taking yourself physically from A to B, then I'm not fast. But isn't it important to know earlier than the next man that it's necessary to go from A to B? Isn't speed of thought as vital as how fast you can move your legs? Of course, pace is a good thing to have, especially when it helps you to recover after you've been skinned. But I like to think I compensate for my slowness by seeing situations quickly, by anticipating and reacting before others realise what is happening."

As understatements go, that one should have been auctioned as a collectors' item.

 

[Balu]

edit - I typed @b.. then your name popped up, is that what you mean?

Yeah, but I only get an alert if you do it when you post. If you edit an already existing post and do it, I don't get an alert. Which is kinda the point of it, after all.

 

[Balu]

@antohan is such a liar

about Elkjaer in the draft thread:

You know what? Tough shit on whoever you play, I'll vote you however long you last and against you once you inevitably drop him to pander to the masses.

First game, anto votes for the opponent.

 

[Raees]

Yeah, but I only get an alert if you do it when you post. If you edit an already existing post and do it, I don't get an alert. Which is kinda the point of it, after all.

Ah sorry I get what you mean now, sorry pal I didn't know about that. Explains why no one seems to get an alert when we tag the next individual.

 

[harms]

On the right, it’s another 1980 stalwart in Eric Gerets, the main man alongside Ceulemans in the Belgian side that finished runners-up

@ctp you're asking for it, mate...

What a fantastic teams you have here! I was ctp's fan from the start but I lost my enthusiasm a little as the drafting went on... up until now. It looks brilliant. Rummenigge - Kluivert

I won't vote unless you change that Gerets line though, if you are insisting on it, you clearly haven't seen a minute from that Championship Van Moer for Ballon D'Or!

 

[antohan]

@antohan is such a liar

about Elkjaer in the draft thread:


First game, anto votes for the opponent.

Oh balls, completely forgot about that.

That said, if I now changed my vote to honour my promise the meltdown would be epic and could probably cost Joga more than it is costing him right now.

 

[antohan]

I won't vote unless you change that Gerets line though, if you are insisting on it, you clearly haven't seen a minute from that Championship Van Moer for Ballon D'Or!

 

[Joga Bonito]

if I now changed my vote to honour my promise the meltdown would be epic

You don't have to do that although you'd love the meltdown wouldn't you .

I'd just jot this down as a subconscious strike back at Elkjaer, for that game .

 

[ctp]

@ctp you're asking for it, mate...

What a fantastic teams you have here! I was ctp's fan from the start but I lost my enthusiasm a little as the drafting went on... up until now. It looks brilliant. Rummenigge - Kluivert

I won't vote unless you change that Gerets line though, if you are insisting on it, you clearly haven't seen a minute from that Championship Van Moer for Ballon D'Or!

I did like that van Moer-Vandereycken central midfield. And for a vote I'll concede that van Moer was the third main man and the most important of them to boot in that Belgian side.

Ballon d'Or is a bit of a stretch though. At some point during the research I did for this draft I saw a list someone posted of first place votes for the Ballon d'Or. Apparently, Rummenigge 1980 won the most first place votes of any player, 90-something percent picked him.

 

[Marty1968]

​

I'd fancy Joga Bonito to win this one. His back three are incredible and effenberg in front of them makes them solid as a rock. I'd fancy Sindelar to get plenty of space in behind the midfield duo of Nausch and Ocwirk and Villa is the ideal forward to feed of Sindelar's vision and McManamanamanamanamanamanan on the wing.

Tight game but just about fancy @Joga Bonito to edge it.

 

[ctp]

An interesting portrait of Ernst Ocwirk

Spoiler

One of Austria's most skilful players of the post-war era, Ernst Ocwirk was at the heart of the team which reached the semi-final of the World Cup in 1954. One of the last old-fashioned attacking centre-halves, he spent much of career with Austria Vienna but was also one of the first Austrians to make an impact in Serie A. His style of play later helped to define the position of a holding defensive midfielder.

Ocwirk was born in Vienna on 7 March 1926 and in his youth was a keen handball player as well as an extremely talented footballer. During his youth career with FC Stadlau, he most frequently appeared at centre-forward and he remained at that position after joining Floridsdorfer AC in 1942. It was while with Floridsdorfer that he encountered Josef Smistik, a member of Austria's 'Wunderteam' of the 1930s, who encouraged him to convert to centre-half.

Ocwirk quickly displayed great talent at his new position and in 1945 he made his first appearance for Austria in his country's first post-war international against Hungary. With Austria's leading clubs chasing his signature, Smistik wanted him to move to Rapid Vienna, where he had spent much of his own career. However, Austria Vienna made a move for him in 1947, offering to help find the renovation of Florisdorfer's home ground in return for Ocwirk's signature.

Ocwirk would spend the next nine years at Austria Vienna, developing a reputation as one of the most stylish and technically gifted centre-halves in the game. Such was his consistency on the pitch, the British media nicknamed him 'clockwork' in a play on his surname. He was particularly known for his aerial ability and range of passing, especially over longer distances. In his first season with Austria Vienna he helped the club to win the Austrian Cup, before being named in the national squad for the 1948 Olympic Games in London.

Austria fell in the first round after a 3-0 defeat to eventual gold medallists Sweden, but the following season would bring massive success at domestic level. Austria Vienna claimed the league title by two points from previous champions Rapid, before completing a double with a 5-2 cup final victory over Vorwärts Steyr. They would retain the title a year later and in 1951 Ocwirk was named as Austrian Sportsman of the Year.

As the 1950s progressed, attacking centre-halves in Ocwirk's style began to go out of fashion, replaced by much more defensively minded players. Ocwirk often found himself moved to a slightly more advanced position, gradually making more and more appearances at wing-half. After narrowly missing out for two years, he won the third league title of his career with Austria Vienna in 1953 and later that year was one of three Austrian players selected in the FIFA XI which drew 4-4 with England in the FA's 90th anniversary match.

Ocwirk was named captain of that select team, both for that match and another in 1954. He would also captain his country in that year's World Cup finals in Switzerland. Austria won both group matches, against Scotland and Czechoslovakia, to set up a quarter-final with the host nation. That match would prove to be the highest scoring game in World Cup history and Ocwirk even got on the scoresheet with a rare goal. Austria had trailed 3-0 inside 23 minutes, but Ocwirk's goal incredibly gave them a 4-3 lead less than ten minutes later. Having led 5-4 at half-time, they eventually won the match by the amazing scoreline of 7-5.

Unfortunately for Austria, the semi-final with West Germany was something of an anti-climax. They trailed 2-0 at half-time and this time had no answer, eventually losing 6-1. There was however the consolation of a 3-1 win over Uruguay in the third place match, with Ocwirk again on target, a feat which remains Austria's best World Cup performance. He was named in FIFA's team of the tournament, one of only two Austrians ever to receive that honour alongside Matthias Sindelar.

Regular big-money offers came in from foreign clubs and in 1956 Ocwirk made the decision to leave Austria. He signed for Sampdoria in Italy, impressed by the enthusiasm for the game in that country. Ocwirk scored within two minutes on his league debut and would be ever-present in his first season, scoring a career-high 12 league goals as he became further accustomed to his more advanced midfield position. His influence on the team was recognised when he was named club captain.

Ocwirk stayed with Sampdoria for five years, during which time they finished in a highest position of fourth in his final season of 1960-61. At the age of 35, he returned to Austria Vienna for a second spell and won the fourth league title of his career in 1962. Austria Vienna also reached the cup final, where with the match against Grazer AK poised at 1-1 midway through the second half he put his team back in front with a vital strike. Austria Vienna went on to win 4-1. During that season he even made a one-off appearance for the national team, having not been selected since his move to Italy.

Ocwirk's playing career came to an end early in the 1962-63 season, a campaign which would ultimately end in another league and cup double for Austria Vienna. He was immediately appointed manager of his old club Sampdoria, but his three years in charge were not a success. Sampdoria regularly found themselves battling relegation, staying in Serie A only after a play-off in 1964 and surviving by just a point a year later.

In 1965 Ocwirk returned to Austria Vienna as manager and two years later won the first major honour of his coaching career in the most bizarre circumstances. After an aggregate draw with LASK, the final was astonishingly decided on the toss of a coin, which Austria Vienna won. Ocwirk would later lead the club to back-to-back league titles in 1969 and 1970 before moving to West Germany to manage 1. FC Köln, who he led to a cup final against Bayern Munich in 1971, narrowly losing after extra-time.

Ocwirk's final managerial job was with the newly-merged Admira/Wacker, who he led for two years. His time in charge came to a sudden end when he tore an Achilles tendon running onto the field and in retirement his health quickly declined. Ocwirk suffered from multiple sclerosis and the disease eventually claimed his life on 23 January 1980, aged just 53. He died on the 41st anniversary of the death of Matthias Sindelar, another of the finest Austrian players of all time.

http://www.world-football-legends.co.uk/index.php/aut/90-ocwirk-ernst

 

[harms]

I did like that van Moer-Vandereycken central midfield. And for a vote I'll concede that van Moer was the third main man and the most important of them to boot in that Belgian side.

Ballon d'Or is a bit of a stretch though. At some point during the research I did for this draft I saw a list someone posted of first place votes for the Ballon d'Or. Apparently, Rummenigge 1980 won the most first place votes of any player, 90-something percent picked him.

Seriously though, he wasn't THAT good. Maybe their third most important player, on par with Pfaff - which is still an incredible achievement for a fullback. But Ceulemans was their magic upfront and Van Moer was what made them ticking, he doesn't come close (which Ballon D'Or vote shows).

Rummenigge won because he was the only one from the best Euro performers with world-class club performance in the strong league (hello Ceulemans) to back up his form. Van Moer finished 15th in the league this year, for example, and still was voted 4th, Schuster's Köln was 5th, Platini wasn't present at Euro's That was a strange year indeed.

 

[Raees]

@ctp not saying you can not but could you explain to me how your midfield intends to keep grips of Sindelar? it took probably the greatest defensive midfielder of all time or one of the greatest in Monti to keep him quiet in world cup football and not much has been said about him this game.

He was THE icon of the Wunderteam and revered greatly by the Coffee houses of Vienna at the time. He like Florian Albert in the other match rightfully in my opinion need to be highlighted as some of the most unique and gifted playmakers to grace the game.

He is the main attacking individual in Joga's lineup for me and how you stop him is central to negating his threat and ability to dictate proceedings.

@Joga Bonito .. have you discovered any footage of the great man in question?

 

[Physiocrat]

Really tight again bur I'm going for Joga. His wide midfielders probably aren't the best fit but I think Couto and Adams are a worse fit in a more crucial area. I just can't see ctp keeping his front three out especially from balls from Effenberg. And if Joga scores first he could bag a few.

 

[Joga Bonito]

@ctp not saying you can not but could you explain to me how your midfield intends to keep grips of Sindelar? it took probably the greatest defensive midfielder of all time or one of the greatest in Monti to keep him quiet in world cup football and not much has been said about him this game.

He was THE icon of the Wunderteam and revered greatly by the Coffee houses of Vienna at the time. He like Florian Albert in the other match rightfully in my opinion need to be highlighted as some of the most unique and gifted playmakers to grace the game.

He is the main attacking individual in Joga's lineup for me and how you stop him is central to negating his threat and ability to dictate proceedings.

@Joga Bonito .. have you discovered any footage of the great man in question?

Unfortunately no, apart from a few (repeated) snippets here and there in a few video tributes of him.

https://www.redcafe.net/threads/the-uefa-euro-fantasy-draft.403052/page-17#post-17337361

The write-up on him, if you haven't read it already. He was the star (and arguably the greatest player in the world in his prime) of the 2nd CEIC, whereby he led the Wunderteam to victory in what proved to be Austria's solitary major trophy to date. He scored 2 goals in a 2-1 win over Italy, a result which ultimately proved to be vital as Austria won the title by pipping Italy to the top spot by a fine margin of 2 points.

With ctp employing a fairly deep and defensive set-up (which does give him a nice counter-attacking threat tbf) I do believe the stage is set for Sindelar to play a match-winning role, alongside some complementary forwards, who are dangerous in their own right.

 

[Raees]

@Joga Bonito

Definitely, Villa drifting left to stretch that defence and dovetailing with Sindelar like he did Messi and Elkjaer the battering ram with knobs on against a packed defence. It is a great trio of forwards.

 

[antohan]

Seriously though, he wasn't THAT good. Maybe their third most important player, on par with Pfaff - which is still an incredible achievement for a fullback. But Ceulemans was their magic upfront and Van Moer was what made them ticking, he doesn't come close (which Ballon D'Or vote shows).

Rummenigge won because he was the only one from the best Euro performers with world-class club performance in the strong league (hello Ceulemans) to back up his form. Van Moer finished 15th in the league this year, for example, and still was voted 4th, Schuster's Köln was 5th, Platini wasn't present at Euro's That was a strange year indeed.

Kalle absolutely deserved winning it by a landslide.

I do agree Gerets's influence grew over the decade and that it is a bit exaggerated to refer to him as #2 to Ceulemans in 1980.

 

[Gio]

Really tight again bur I'm going for Joga. His wide midfielders probably aren't the best fit but I think Couto and Adams are a worse fit in a more crucial area.

Aye, fair points.

 

[Chesterlestreet]

Close as hell, really.

I like both teams and I have no real issues with the way they're set up either.

I'm not sold on that Couto-Scirea-Adams trio, though.

Nor am I sold on McManaman and Hoeneß on the flanks in those roles.

Joga's defensive trio is fearsome – absolutely fearsome. And I think they would work just like he wants 'em to.

I love his attacking trio too – well, I don't love David Villa (who does?) but he'd be very good in that combo.

Then again, in terms of pure quality, there's an argument to be made for ctp's trio. I rate Sindelar higher than most, I suspect, but the overall impression is nevertheless that ctp comes out on top here.

Have to factor in the Euro versions of these players too – which makes it even harder to make a call.

Have to come back to this one, I think.

 

[Balu]

Have to factor in the Euro versions of these players too – which makes it even harder to make a call.

Yeah, that's the thing. I went with ctp because I think that his players had a slightly bigger impact in success at Euros. But even that criterion is damn close.

 

[ctp]

@ctp not saying you can not but could you explain to me how your midfield intends to keep grips of Sindelar? it took probably the greatest defensive midfielder of all time or one of the greatest in Monti to keep him quiet in world cup football and not much has been said about him this game.

He was THE icon of the Wunderteam and revered greatly by the Coffee houses of Vienna at the time. He like Florian Albert in the other match rightfully in my opinion need to be highlighted as some of the most unique and gifted playmakers to grace the game.

He is the main attacking individual in Joga's lineup for me and how you stop him is central to negating his threat and ability to dictate proceedings.

@Joga Bonito .. have you discovered any footage of the great man in question?

I really rate Sindelar, too. In my write-up I had prepared a special plan to combat Sindelar as a false nine. The strong collective quality of my defence can deal with Sindelar as AM. I am happy and in control as long as he remains in front of my midfield line. By squeezing the space between that line and my back five I can reduce the area he is most dangerous in to a minimum. At a push Scirea or one of the side CBs (if they're closer) can step up and put him under pressure when he tries to receive the ball in that space.

I honestly feel very secure with my defensive set-up, and I don't think Joga would score once my defence is in a settled shape. I think by far the most dangerous situation for me is an unexpected loss of possession with my full backs caught up the pitch and Adams or Couto having to defend out wide against his wide strikers or midfielders.