BigSoccer All Eras Draft : write-up, lineups.
F.C LA GRINTA
The All-Eras XI :
Bench/ Subs : Banks (g), Segarra (d, m), Modric (m), Schiaffino (m), Luis Suarez (f).
By Eras :
- "Amateur Era" (1872-1929) : Ricardo Zamora.
- "Classic Era" (1930-59) : Valentino Mazzola, Juan Alberto Schiaffino, Joan Segarra.
- "Modern Era" (1960-89) : Diego Maradona, K-H Rummenigge, Manuel Amoros, Gordon Banks, Graeme Souness.
- "Nowadays" (1990-2020) : Fabio Cannavaro, Alessandro Nesta, Pavel Nedved, Andriy Shevchenko, Luka Modric, Ashley Cole, Luis Suarez.
A 4-1-2-1-2 and 4-3-3. There's no specific zones/ sides of the pitch assigned to Maradona of course nor to the two "golden arrows" Rummenigge and Shevchenko but more of an impression about who will operate more or less the nearer from the goals (in general). Having Rummenigge slighlty on the left and Sheva slighlty on the right whould have reminded more the original Giordano-Maradona-Careca of Napoli but anyway : it's a combination of complete players who can operate in multiple ways. Etc. (see below).
THE SQUAD :
Profiles incl. wich role(s) they can play on the team.
G_ Banks : "Save of the Century", a goalkeeping legend that trenscends generations. Our second GK pick looks perfect to keep all this gold safe.
G_ Zamora : The Hero of the 1920 Olympics in Antwerp where he was downright nicknamed "El Divino" and immediately became a legend at 19 years old. Celebrated in Europe and in the whole world, he was alternatively the keeper of Barça and Espanyol during the 1920's with whom he won the Cup. He then joined Real Madrid with whom he won la Liga in the early 30's alongside Quincoces. He was soon injured after this transfert if not a bit before - as he already wear a bandage - but he still was the keeper of thee best defense though. Mistake-prone since some years and not expected anymore at the 1934 World Cup, against all odds, he managed to deliver here a performance that finished to settle his status of living legend and eternal. In 1926, When Piendibene scored against him during a RCD Espanyol tour in Uruguay, it was celebrated as an impossible feat. He was considered the best and greatest goalkeeper of all-time over four decades from the 1920's to the 1950's. Until Yashin, and there was still a debate for the older football afficionados. In 1917-1918, when he greatly helped Espanyol to win the Catalan championship, he was already rated as one of the best European keepers (
source : Paris-Soir Sportif), at only 16-17 years old. https://gallica.bnf.fr/ark:/12148/bpt6k7640518c/f4.item.r=Ricardo%20Zamora.zoom
He should play in the last game of the groups, once qualified, if everything goes right. Ready to deliver another one godly performance.
D _Amoros : the "grinta" down the right flank. Can be used on both flanks for equal level of performance, both defensively and offensively. The "Best Young Player" of the Mundial '82 was also the best full-back at the Mundial '86 and he was certainly the world best at his position in 1986 and 1987 - and one of the best during a whole decade. Still a great performer in the early '90s with more maturity and as a leader for both OM (after Monaco) and France (captain) with whom he knew the "Generation Platini" and the "Generation Papin-Cantona" wich was unbeaten at the end of the Euro '92 qualifiers then knew more difficulties. On what Amoros, accustomed to the beautiful game and playing the first roles in tournaments, said "stop". The one who ranked 4th at the Ballon d'Or 1986 should enjoy to play on Maradona's team, and vice-versa.
D_ Nesta : Nesta + Cannavaro = one of the best CB partnerships ever, if not the best.
D_ Cannavaro : Cannavaro + Nesta = the same if I'm good in maths. Everybody knows that they can neutralize anybody. Cannavaro won the Ballon d'Or in 2006 after he won the World Cup.
D_ Ash. Cole : his contribution in the offensive build-ups and his great positioning and strict marking in defense are unvaluable. 7 F.A Cup triumphs equal well a Ballon d'Or. And he won the Champions League.
D_ Segarra : "El Gran Capità" was the figurehead of both the "Barça de les Cinc Copes" and the "Barça d'Helenio Herrera". Formerly most of all deployed at a side-back position then at a half-back position (mostly left hand in both cases), he could also play as central defender and we'll see more precisely in wich configurations he can be useful to the team below. This player of defense who was elegant on the ball and endowed with high-class distribution skills made an apparition in the Ballon d'Or ranking in 1959. This year, he had scored one goal against Inter in the Fairs Cup and another one against Milan, in the European Cup.
M_ V. Mazzola : formerly a left winger at Venezia with whom he won the Coppa in '41 (heyday of the club), Valentino Mazzola was turned in an inside left at Torino FC that would became "Il Gran Torino" under his leadership (5 times Serie A champions, 1 domestic Cup and a world fame, maintained by many tours...). At an individual level, Mazzola was the Capocannoniere in '47 with 29 goals including 4 hat-tricks. He was most of all regarded as one of the best and most complete players worldwide. His leadership was not only technical but also at a mental level. An outstanding playmaker and attacker he was also the first to defend and played equally well at inside left, half-back or even at the back. The radius of action of this IL was large. In his teams (Torino and the italian NT, wich were about the same), he played with two advanced wingers, the inside right was the true spearhead in Loik and yet there was obviously a centre forward ahead of them. In today's football, as he was, for his qualities and position in the economy of the team, he'd be an Iniesta - yet, with more grinta. For his importance in world football, he was the Maradona or the Messi of his time.
M_ Souness : the fighting-spirit, the steel, the goals and also a very good conductor, as shown more than ever in Italy, at Samp. A 'DM' who could project himself forward, a 'Box-to-Box'... in two words, a great midfielder. 3 times European Cup winner.
M_ Nedved : especially like he did with the Czech team or with Lazio, "La Furia Ceca" will be our "piston" down the right, where he will make use of his intextinguible breath, of his tactical awareness (he's not glued to the right hand of the pitch, he can move, e.g. in diagonal... he's a good shield for Amoros going forward too as well as against the opponent left-back... he has the two feet so with him, Modric is not forced to play on the right where he looks a bit less natural imo (although he has both feet too) and he has technical abilities both defensively and offensively (as with his passes or his shoots). He can play on the right hand or on the left hand. Ballon d'Or, complete player.
M_ Modric : The Ballon d'Or 2018 will be deployed behind Maradona that he will allow to drop less often at midfield and concentrate more on making the difference in the last third (although he does what he wants). Their "technical relationship" is mouth watering. The Croatian maestro will be lined-up on the left half of the midifled in order to benefit more easily of his shooting although he's supple enough to find good positions and score coming from the right hand too. Left hand, right hand... middle... he's our "libero of the midfield" anyway, the one who gives the tempo by his perfect handling and protection of the ball as well as with his impeccable short or long passes. He has also that sense for the defensive positioning as well as for the pressing. Like Nedved, he knows what "playing for the team" means.
M_ Maradona : Maradona. El Diez. "Goal of the Century". A quartet of attack in oneself. A technique and inventivity that go beyond what the mortals can do or even imagine. Also, let's not forget that he was a great athlete - and that he was working for the collective. "Ballon d'Or d'Honneur FF" in 1995.
F_ Rummenigge : a goal-scoring winger machine who can also start his actions from deep with a never-say die attitude as shown in the Semi-finals of 1982, even from him who was seen more like a soloist in German football (in spite of many assists... but he became way more collective since the Euro '80). Very good in the air, strong, fast and quite agile (dribbling, scissor-kicks), he is the prototype for C-Ron to wich he is not inferior at free-kicks. Double Ballon d'Or 1980-1981.
F_ Shevchenko : at the image of the Dynamo Kiev's duo Blokhin-Onischenko, 'Sheva' and 'Kalle' have the attributes of the deadliest wingers but in addition to that, it is clear, way better finishing skills. In addition to Maradona, this should be enough to be able to torn apart any defense. The slowest ones don't stand a chance anyway. No need to introduce Shevchenko more I guess, the CL '03 and Ballon d'Or '04 winner with AC Milan who reavealed himself with Dynamo Kiev against Barcelona in particular. He has the two feet and everything, perfect.
F_ Luis Suarez Diaz : another forward who is complete, who is a lethal finisher, who can prepare the offensive, make the last pass, work down the wings. Who would not, but he especially should do wonders with Maradona too. Two times "Golden Boot " (in 2014 with 31 goals + 12 assists at Liverpool, in 2016 with 40 goals + 16 assists at Barça). CL 2015.
M_ Schiaffino : an inside forward of the midfield who "had a radar for a brain" according to Cesare Maldini, wich says everything. A "number 10", a maestro, who also scored some goals like at the World Cup, that he won in 1950 (scored the equalizer in the Final), or in the 1957-1958 European Cup including one in the Final against Real that this Milan side was on the verge to beat, but no. Di Stéfano said that the team of Schiaffino and co. was their best opponent and would have been a well-deserved winner. But we can't win everything. Schiaffino still has three serie A titles in addition to the World Cup, without forgetting the titles in Uruguay and the Latin Cup.
Not sure if they'll ever have to play together given who the starters are, but Schiaffino plus Suarez would be nice to see. They're both Uruguayans of course and they share together the culture of the "garra charrua", the spirit wich Schiaffino demonstrated in several occasions too in spite of his frail allure, in spite of his preference for the technique and the offensive : by defending like any other on the team, by winning.
Review by lines (naturally, they're all interdepedant) :
The attack :
Again, with the likes of 'Sheva', 'Kalle' and El Diez, there's no preference for the right side or left or... this trio will be just unpredictable.
Can see the three starters of the forefront doing things like this (with Maradona instead of Kaka obviously and not Inzaghi as the third guy but Rummenigge, who can also be a "fox" but also do other stuffs. Shevchenko is complete as well, as we can see) :
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UA9FUIq2PFQ
Suarez (Liverpool and noticeably Barça, where he played an important role) can easily integrate this way of playing.
The midfield :
As seen before in the profiles section. To sum it up, we have here like three box-to-box : Souness is at the base of it, he is the one who is the nearest from the back-line, like for Liverpool and Scotland. On the right, Nedved his our "piston", our "man-machine", who also has great technical abilities. On the left, our first playmaker with also great combativity and the ability to recover the ball : Valentino Mazzola. As for Modric, he can play on either side with any of the latter two. Technique, vision, combativity, pressing, sense for covering all the areas and recovering the ball before to transmit it cleanly or make assists, shooting abilities, running, strenght, all is there. In terms of dribbling, we'll think of Modric and Mazzola first. And there's of course Maradona, still, who navigates between the midfield and the front of the attack. Although they can play together, Schiaffino is, in the main, the back-up for Maradona, unless it is Mazzola (sometimes we recruit players mostly for they don't play for another side in the end : perhaps it's Schiaffino who is in this case here. Something wich was practiced a lot by Milan in the 90's who had way more foreigners that they could line-up at once). At last, Segarra can be played at a defensive midfielder position even though registered as a defender (but it will not be the main use of his talents).
The defense :
Very solid. A CB pairing that it is not needed to introduce anymore since a long time or, since they started. Well, to go further a bit but just summing it up finally : of the two, Nesta has the best quality of exit of the ball and distribution in addition to his 'great pure defensive skills', is one of the most elegant yet effective defenders ever, while Cannavaro is a bit the "ultimate stopper" isn't he?
On the sides, two ultra-balanced full-backs in Manu Amoros and Ash. Cole in the sense that they combine "steel" and "technicity". Intimidating for the opponents and creating danger going forward. They connect well with the CB pairing plus DM and connect well with the offensive players being themselves very technical. They have the right "spirit" too. Cole will take up any challenge as he proved it so many times against a lot of famous forwards/ wingers and we know how much Amoros is able to go back and forth on the wings never letting his defense alone in spite of his repentless offensives, as shown at both Mundiales of 1982 and 1986. They are two proud full-backs dedicated to their role that we're proud of, just like we are proud of the most famous stars of the team. As for Segarra, as a left-back, half-back or central defender, he'll be usefull as a "second stopper", in case of the use of a back-5. In this configuration, we'll favor Nesta as the libero who can quickly intervene anywhere although Segarra has great distribution of the ball too wich can be precious for the exit of the ball at the transition between defense and midfield.
Between the woods :
Thus we have "El Divino" Ricardo Zamora, one of the greatest goalkeepers of all-time and one of the most celebrated footballers in short during his career and "The Bank of England", Gordon Banks : what was more natural than to reunite the author of the "Save of the Century" with the author of the "Goal of the Century"?
Our two keepers make the World top-5 of the (20th) Century by the IFFHS : Zamora ranks 5th and Banks is 2nd behind Lev Yashin.
The A-Team :
Could not choose between Mazzola and Modric. As for the goalkeeping, we just picked the 2nd best GK of the Century over the 5th best.
The latter formation already countains the 4-3-3 :
Or Modric_Nedved, or Rummenigge_Maradona but there's not a specific side assigned for the latter two anyway. As for Modric and Nedved they can move too, of course. In concordance, of course. The "preferential zones" can be assigned according to the opponent eventually.
Now the more or less flat 4-4-2. With two slighlty different examples, same as previously, the side assigned for Nedved and Maradona can depend on what we have agaisnt :
That's the Croatia '08 pattern basically.
Now, the revolutionnary back-5's that win tournaments... with the choice between a
5-1-2-2 and a
5-2-1-2 :
There's also the
5-4-1 :
And why not the
4-1-4-1 :
More "offensive" now, the
4-2-2-2, presented here with our two Celeste's players :
Looks very good in our opinion but there's little chance we would use it.
And finally, the
4-2-4 (without the 4-2-3-1 disguise) :
And, to be very complete, a
3-5-2...
A long post for a long road.
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