Football/Soccer World Cup Players Only Tournament

[cos88]

Will make the bracket in the next hours ( jasi and b1 have a free pass in the first round ).

All 14 players will post here their tactics . Also all have to vote for the other matches or else will start with a vote against them in their mathcup ( best way to get votes, it takes 10 seconds to write a name of who you think will win ).

[Jasi]

My tactical post will be looooong :D

[9erempiree]

You guys are getting pathetic.:facepalm

There are other tourneys not even finished.

Euros making American soccer fans look bad. It's not serious sistas.

[cos88]

You guys are getting pathetic.:facepalm

There are other tourneys not even finished.

Euros making American soccer fans look bad. It's not serious sistas.


this is the only one :facepalm :facepalm the other ones are finished

[9erempiree]

this is the only one :facepalm :facepalm the other ones are finished

Who won the all time and the current?

[cos88]

Who won the all time and the current?

jasi the all time tournament and b1imtf the current players tournament

[RagaZ]

F*ck tactics.

[9erempiree]

jasi the all time tournament and b1imtf the current players tournament

my bad then.

Jasi got good tactics and b1mtf....anytime you got Cristiano on your team, you are going to win it all.

[kurple]

my bad then.

Jasi got good tactics and b1mtf....anytime you got Cristiano on your team, you are going to win it all.
:cheers:

[cos88]

jasi had maradona and b1 had ronaldo. pretty hard to beat that.

[RagaZ]

This isnt NBA ffs.

[CeltsGarlic]

This isnt NBA ffs.

this. its just freaking ball kicking.

[alenleomessi]

http://www.footballuser.com/formations/2014/03/965120_Dream_Team.jpg

Subs: Freddy Guarin (CM), Joel Campbell (winger/SS), Alen Halilovic (AM).

Coach: Fabio Capello.

Captain: Gerrard.

Im not going to go player by player like last two time trying to hype up the more unknown players ( benatia, coleman) which didnt really work even though they are some of the best in europe


Starting with defense, Begovic is one of the most consistent GKs in the world and one of the reasons why Stoke are such a difficult team to score on. The CB's consist two strong and tall defenders in Vertonghen and Alves who are good passers and good in the air. Both will start for their nations in the upcoming WC. The full backs consist two very attacking players in Maxi Pereira and Filipe Luis which fits this formation. They will bomb forward regularly and stretch the pitch. Maxi was one of the key players in Uruguay's recent success in the WC and Copa. Filipe probably wont start over Marcelo even though you could argue that he's been better this season.

In the midfield, Gerrard will play the role of deep lying midfielder where he has been absolutely phenomenal this season. He will drop in to cover the defense when needed. His offense will be long balls and through balls. De Rossi and Pogba are good passers to fit the team and good defenders. Will cover for the full backs when they bomb forward. Specialists for making smart fouls. Pogba will go forward more than De Rossi and will shoot from outside when given the space. Basically the chances for a goal are 50/50 if that happens. All will be major pieces of their nations in the WC.

http://cdn.bleacherreport.net/images_root/article/media_slots/photos/000/676/632/GerrardpasstoSuarezvsSunderland_original.gif
http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/2040081/pogba.gif

As my attacking mid ill have the german maestro Gotze. Great passer and very comfortable with the ball in his feet. Great dribbler which gives me another option to put him on the right wing depending on the opponent. Aguero then will go on the left and Pogba will be more offensive minded. The versatility of those 3 players will be a problem for the opponents. Aguero was on par with Suarez before the injuries. Top 10 player in the world. Was scoring goals with ease. There are many great spanish players i could have taken but i went with Kun's amazing partner in crime-Negredo. Hasn't been in great form lately but im confident once his buddy gets healthy they will tear apart the opponents again. They fit together so nice. One is great dribbler and the other is great in the air. Both would be a constant threat on those long and through balls from Gerrard. Oh, and i almost forgot, two of the finest finishers you will ever find.

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-131xe9e5ab8/Um4fK-6DdUI/AAAAAAAAOSc/M-KtXgXJDb4/s1600/Aguero.gif
http://cdn.gifbay.com/2013/11/negredo_goal_vs_munich-97256.gif

[cos88]

that's all ? ^

[alenleomessi]

that's all ? ^
of course not.. ill post the rest tomorrow.. no one has posted anything anyway.. the draft isnt even finished

[cos88]

http://www.ultraimg.com/images/5uoKW.jpg

[Bosnian Sajo]

Why would Jasi and b1 get a bye when we got Waseem and foreverheat left to make their teams? I don't expext foreverheat to finish his, but Waseem has already gotten his starting 11 down. Idk why yall ignored that post.


Remy (France)--- Gomez(Germany)
Nani(Portugal) --- Thiago Alcantara (Spain) ---- Paulinho (Brazil) -- Lamela (Argentina)
Figueroa (Honduras) ---- Chedjou (Cameroon) ---- Vermaelan (Belgium) --- Glen Johnson (England)

[Bosnian Sajo]

How'd you make this bracket btw? On a site that randomizes it for you or did you pick the matchups yourself?

[cos88]

Why would Jasi and b1 get a bye when we got Waseem and foreverheat left to make their teams? I don't expext foreverheat to finish his, but Waseem has already gotten his starting 11 down. Idk why yall ignored that post.


Remy (France)--- Gomez(Germany)
Nani(Portugal) --- Thiago Alcantara (Spain) ---- Paulinho (Brazil) -- Lamela (Argentina)
Figueroa (Honduras) ---- Chedjou (Cameroon) ---- Vermaelan (Belgium) --- Glen Johnson (England)

waseem in the last 2 weeks was online 1 time, he made that team then deleted it. foreverheat is online often but does not post. don't want to wait another week for him to select players and pretty sure he wont make the tactics either. what do you guys think we should do?


the list is random, from here: http://challonge.com/tournament/bracket_generator

[Bosnian Sajo]

Well it's gonna take us a week anyways to get everyones tactics, only reason Waseem deleted his team is because yall kicked him out, which imo is kind of unfair. True, he wasn't around, but we wouldn't be having any drafts if it wasn't for him. Just let him complete his team, ffs.

[cos88]

Well it's gonna take us a week anyways to get everyones tactics, only reason Waseem deleted his team is because yall kicked him out, which imo is kind of unfair. True, he wasn't around, but we wouldn't be having any drafts if it wasn't for him. Just let him complete his team, ffs.

i just pm'd him if he wants to join he can make a squad and tactic no problem. foreverheat is online often and if he wants he can make his team if not jasi, the winner of the first tournament will have a free round.

[Overdrive]

I'm back in about 20 hours to post a tactic. I got no access to a pc in the meantime and I'M 100% sure doing it on the phone is a pain in the ass.

[Andrew Wiggins]

http://www.footballuser.com/formations/2014/03/965281_Champions_League_Team.jpg

Subs:
- Romelu Lukaku
- Sofiane Feghouli
- David Pizarro
Manager - Jose Pekerman

Defense
pepe and terry are two of the toughest, no nonsense defenders in the world. both anticipate well, dominate in the air, and are great positionally but have no problem making great last ditch tackles. since the team will play a higher line than most, pepe's recovery speed will be useful to makeup for terry's relative lack of pace. while neither are world beaters when it comes to distribution, they're tidy enough in possession to work in the style i wish to play.

maicon is my primary attacking fullback with his dangerous shot from distance and crossing ability making him a threat both cutting inside and moving outside to provide width on overlapping runs. schmelzer doesn't provide the offense that maicon does but he makes up for it with solid defense and support to the cbs when the opposition transitions into a quick counterattack.

Midfield
i chose michael bradley because i like that he keeps it simple. he's a very accurate passer and good tackler and knows his role when played strictly as a defensive mid. his high work rate and stamina make him useful for creating turnovers in the high pressing style i wish to employ. while he doesn't have much creativity to his game, i think he fits nicely sitting behind my two playmaking midfielders.

pjanic is a gifted player with the ball at his feet and will play the iniesta role in this lineup. while he isn't on iniesta's level (obviously), his vision, dribbling, and overall technique are all great fits to fill a similar role. additionally, pjanic is a major threat on free kicks and can deliver a precise ball over the top to unlock a defense.

xavi is the key to my offense. he's one of the GOATs in possession and dictates the tempo of the game like no other. xavi sitting back and delivering pinpoint through balls to di maria, suarez, and vela is a scary thought for opposing defenses.

Attack
carlos vela is a player that a lot of posters may be unfamiliar with because of the team he plays for. while griezmann may be the most well known player to those who don't regularly watch la liga, vela is sociedad's best player. he can play any of the forward positions and comfortably plays both wings. he fits very well in the high tempo, short passing style that my team intends to play. his pace, dribbling, and trickery with the ball constantly keeps defenders guessing and provides an element of unpredictability. he's a clinical finish when presented with opportunities in front of goal but has shown himself to be a more than capable playmaker over the years.

di maria is a world class dribble who can burst past any defender and provide quality service to the attack. he's an excellent playmaker and as evidenced by the number opportunities he created by himself in the most recent clasico but also has an eye for goal himself and a powerful shot from distance. he also provides very good inswinging crosses for pepe and terry and pound in from corners.

luis suarez is currently the best player in the premier league and his scoring rate speaks for itself. he's equally effective both out wide and as the primary cf which is perfect because my front 3 will remain fluid. again, his workrate and aggression will be key to my high pressing style and forcing turnovers in difficult spots.

Substitutes

lukaku - if i need a physical presence to hold the ball up, body up tough central defenders, and provide an aerial presence, lukaku is who i put in. he provides a drastically different look and challenge for defenses than suarez does. another plus is that they can play together if necessary.

pizarro - he's an excellent deep lying playmaker and can plug in for either pjanic and xavi without drastically hurting the team.

feghouli - feghouli is a player who can inject some pace late in the game combined with great technique and is always an attacking threat.

Manager
pekerman has always been known for tactical acumen and i trust his ability to run this team. he's been the chief architect behind colombia's recent resurgence on the international level.

[kc16]

I'll try and post my tactics later today or sometime this week, new week of school brings more assignments. I'll probably do what alenleomessi did and post my team and formation while working and editing my tactics as the week progresses.

[9erempiree]

http://www.footballuser.com/formations/2014/03/965281_Champions_League_Team.jpg

Subs:
- Romelu Lukaku
- Sofiane Feghouli
- David Pizarro
Manager - Jose Pekerman

.

Sick team.

[LJJ]

http://i.imgur.com/DJjjpWo.png

subs:
-Honda
-Wilshere
-Blind

Manager - Ottmar Hitzfeld

Defense
Not much needs to be said about Courtois. As opposed to my Dutch roots I don't put much importance in a keepers ability to play with the ball in his feet. Courtois in my opinion is the best pure stopper in the world right now with the best reflexes.

Debuchy and Alba are my fullbacks. Having good two-way fullbacks is essential in a proper 4-3-3 system and both of these guys contribute a lot on offense while not slacking off on defense. Alba made a lot of strides defensively this year. Both run the flanks and join the offense.

I guess N'Koulou isn't that big of a name given his youth and him playing in the Ligue 1, but he has been the consensus best CB in the ligue 1 over the past seasons other than Silva. Very powerful, dynamic CB. Can't believe I snagged up Barzagli in the last starter round, the best Italian CB. With his excellent positioning and defensive intelligence he runs the defense.

Midfield
I chose to field a very dynamic midfield with three pure box-to-box players as opposed to a lot of guys who field teams with more strictly defined defensive and offensive guys in midfield. All three guys can make runs for eachother, Modric and Moutinho are two of the best CM's in the world at providing the end pass. The free flowing midfield provides the most flexibility with excellent opportunities during possession (good dribblers too) and excellent link up play during the counter.

Modric serves as the primary playmaker and is free to dribble and set up the game as he pleases. Moutinho is the secondary playmaker and is the primary link to the right side of the field. Fernandinho uses his pace to make runs for either playmaker and run down cracks in the lineup on defense.

Offense
Gervinho and Lavezzi on the wings are relentless players who work tirelessly on offense, creatiing a lot of space for the CM's to move into. Gervinho is an absolute top-tier player when it comes to providing service from the wing, which he is proving again since being free from the specific tactical mold of Wenger. With his quickness and technical ability he can beat his man of the dribble, preferably going wide around his man and opening up play. Lavezzi plays the wing and can join the offense as an additional striker, he is a direct offensive player who confronts the defense and keeps the defensive line honest.

Jackson Martinez brings it all together as one of the few pure target men amongst top level strikers. He's formed a fruitful partnership with Moutinho before and he's is going to love the service he'll get on this team with Modric, Moutinho and Gervinho as he's the type of striker who thrives on service. Eyes on the goal striker who faces the goal, can beat the defensive line and never looks for assists.

Subs
Honda can play as a false wing on either side, but more importantly Honda can substitute for Gervinho or Lavezzi and change the lineup to a 4-3-1-2, roaming dangerously behind the strikers. A free-kick, distance shooting and long passing specialist. (this beauty last weekend http://gfycat.com/WaryWellwornChickadee)

http://i.imgur.com/25i6bj9.png
Lineup 2

Provides a lot of danger late in games when the play slows down. He also gives me the ability to play a midfield "pointed forwards" as we would say in Dutch, as an offensive midfielder supported by to CMs.

Blind can play as a more pure DM, making a midfield "pointed backwards" as we would say in Dutch. When the team dominates possession against an opponent Blind provides extra coverage against the counter with his excellent position and tackling. He can also play LB.

Wilshere can play the same role as Modric or Moutinho when necessary.

Manager
Hitzfeld is Germany's greatest manager ever. Good with the analyses and likes to change his formation to fit his player's strengths exploit his opponents weaknesses.




http://i.minus.com/i5mz9PTXn6qDP.gif

http://i.minus.com/iudir98iiKQlK.gif

[Jasi]

Well it's gonna take us a week anyways to get everyones tactics, only reason Waseem deleted his team is because yall kicked him out, which imo is kind of unfair. True, he wasn't around, but we wouldn't be having any drafts if it wasn't for him. Just let him complete his team, ffs.

Wait who kicked him out?
I just said that he should post a complete formation AFTER the draft ended, not during it, so that people wouldn't have players picked away from their availability.
If he or foreverheat want to post a formation now it's perfectly fine for me.

[kurple]

http://www.footballuser.com/formations/2014/03/965352_World_Cup_2014_Team.jpg

Subs: Valencia, Bacca and Alderweireld

Coach: Marc Wilmots

dont have time to look for gifs, so i'm just gonna write my thoughts about the team quickly

Vincent Enyeama has been fantastic this season. 33 games, 21 clean sheets and only 19 conceded goals. Looks even more impressive compared to the other top team in league 1. PGS have conceded 18 goals, Monaco 26, Lyon 37 and Maseille 33. Enyeama shouldnt get all the credit of course, but that defense doesnt look THAT good on paper. Best defender on the team is Simon Kjaer. Enyeama is having an EPIC season

Extremely happy with my defensive line. Zabaleta and Clichy gives me exactly what i want in fullbacks that can bomb forward without being exposed defensively. Even against talented opponents. They have been the regular starters on one of the best offensive and defensive teams in England the last few years. Zabba would have been my captain if i hadnt picked Gabi. 3rd best RB in the world the last few years

Miranda. My god i love that brazillian. Called him a top 3 CB a month ago and i'm sticking to it. Sure i'm biased as an Atletico fan. But we judge the players on this season, and what Atletico is doing is nothing short of amazing. And Miranda is a huge part of that. Chiellini might have lost some hype the last few years, but he's solid as a rock, experienced and the perfect partner to Miranda

My midfield is full of stamina, strenght, skill and will. I might go all homer again with Captain Gabi, but i have to. Chose him over Thiago Alcantara, but there was never any doubt i would. Thiago might be worth more in the transfer market, but this is about THIS SEASON and Gabi has been way better. Great both offensively and defensively with his passing, vision, stamina, strenght, workrate, possitioning and leadership. Kroos is also great, an complete football player. My favorite from this amazing german generation of footballer. Kroos has it all and is the perfect AM to this strong midfield. With Inler also being a good all-around CM/DM, cant i see any midfields bossing mine.

Attack. Best wingers in the draft. Ronaldo and Alexis has 75 goals and 33 assists between them this season. I dont think i have to say anything else. Ronaldo alone would make any attack dangerous.

Bony isnt a star or linked to every big club, but he's having a very good season with Swansea. Scoring 21 goals with 7 assists. I've enjoyed their Europa league campain this year as well. And i'm sure he'd be even better with better teammates.

I also have Bacca backing him up on the bench with his 19 goal and 9 assists so far this season. By his side sits Valencia, who can do it all on the right side of the pitch. Great crosser and tracks back defensively. Would likely switch to a 4-4-2 when bringing him on, with Ronaldo at LM and Alexis playing behind the striker. + a defensive sub in Alderweireld in case i need to secure a win.

[cos88]

[CENTER]http://www.ultraimg.com/images/Glw4d.png

STARTERS


[B]Rui Patr

[ArbitraryWater]

http://www.footballuser.com/formations/2014/04/965369_World_Cup_2014_Team.jpg

Substitutes: Fellaini, Criscito, Forlan.

Thought about who to play, Fellaini or Garay... may switch at times.

Tactics and all that will come later.


Offense:

Total firestorm up front with Costa and Drodga...

In Drodgba, one of the greatest scorers of all time, and one of the most experienced once at the moment. A complete beast in the air, as strong as bull, great finisher, always at the right spots in the right time, and can use both feet. He's aggressive and has a great mental game. Mourinho described him as the player he'd want to go to war with, not bad for the world cup... For Diego Costa this has been his breakout season, elevating him into one of the top 5 goal scorers in the world. He's scoring at a great rate with 25 in the League, the 2nd most only behind Ronaldo. He's got good control, good aerial player, great finisher, calm under pressure, high agression once again and like drogba, strong and great positionally. These guys will put any defense in fear, just they're presence.

Midfield:

To complete the attackers, they can be fed by Ozil, Ribery and Snejder... Ribery is pure fire, can get a shot off anytime, score himself and assist. Gifted little dribbler, great control of the ball. Ribery is not just good, but great at alot of things... such as dribbling, control, crossing, free kicks, speed, agility, great balance in one on one's, good passer and great vision. As complete offensively as it gets. A magician. Commited like only few others.
Ozil is a game manager, with a touch reminiscent of Zizou... Owns the finesse game, one of the greatest playmakers we've ever seen, impeccable vision coupled with top noth control, as creative as Zidane. Highly skilled. Can pass you the ball, short or long, cross it to you, or even backheel it to you, he will find you. Very reactional.
One the right I have Snejder, in my opinion, 2010's best football player of the year. Good combination of passing/scoring, can beat you in play, or off play from the free kick spot, with his cross field passing, remarkable ability to accelerate quickly while holding balance, and has work ethic that allowes him to track back and be a good defender as well. Strong and accurate, uses both feet and is fantastic on the counter attack.

The width in this team is amazing. Spacing as good as anyone. Players can roam up front and go into the open room, this team has the capability of making that through pass at any time, and to finish it off.. the spacing comes from alone.

Defense:

Essien is a great defender, especially at his peak he was. He still holds a very fast reactional game, interceptions balls, and tackling and annoying his matchups.. offensively he'll give you good passing, vision and even some more scoring in him... a midfield commander, great runner, spectacular work ethic. Used to be a real beast, insane stamina with unbelievable shooting power.
Garay is a very disciplined defender, can cover both sides, and is durable. fills open areas, good at finding positions.
Song is a bully, challenges a lot of attacks, marks his players nicely, not afraid of anything, can hold on to the ball, good passer and has high spirit. very composed, tough enforcer.
Marcelo is the best offensive defender in the world, he joins any attack if he wants/needs to, but has the stamina to track back and still defend.. very fast, incredibly tricky, typical brazilian. Can play multiple postions, defensively and offensively.. very versatile. Can open up the game. Excellent ball control, crossing ability, tackler, interceptional and reactional.. traits of every good defender.
Pereira plays for one of spains premier clubs in valencia, solid touch on the ball, agressive tackler, accelerates like few others, high stamina.. can run the pitch up and down, stops counter attacks, and another player that is offensively usable, even though this team wont need it at all times.

As Goalkeeper I have Joe Hart, one of the top 5 goalkeepers in the world. Very calm, great architect of the defense, insanely good shot stopper, great reflexes on short distance, can work the ball with his feet, very energetic. Destined to one day becoming the worlds best goalie.

Substitutes:

Cream of the Crop.

Forlan - Yet another superb striker in Forlan, can come in at any time, create danger by being who he is, variety of available shots, played fantastic at the world cup in 2010.
Fellaini - One of United's most expensive players, strong defender, explosive in the air, great controll of the ball, marks his man has a great strength/stamina combo.
Criscito - Another good defender, again high stamina. Both can come in at any time.

That's all.

[kurple]

the good ol' 2-1-2-1-2-2 formation

[Bosnian Sajo]

http://this11.com/play/abGEqmcajp.png

Substitutes
Cristian Rodriguez (LW)
Alan Dzagoev (CAM, RW)
Asamoah Gyan (ST)

One of the more balanced teams I have created, considering my past 2 were offense HEAVY.

Coach: Safet Susic is manager of the Bosnian national team and helped us qualify for our first major tournament in history. This man is a good coach, he is serious and stern, there ain't too much messing with this guy on the pitch. His formation for the qualifications usually included 2 strikers and 1 defensive mid, but he has said over and over how he plans to change that into the formation I am using for this current team, reason being so we can actually play with the big dogs in a balanced formation rather than a pure attack.

Goalkeeper: Sirigu, Italy's number 2 behind Buffon. Solid keeper, better than most of the ones available in other countries, so I am satisfied with this pick and believe he can defend the goal well, especially with how much help he has on defense.

Centerbacks: The pride and strength of my team, Hummels on the left, Mascherano on the right. Both very good defenders, I don't even need to explain how these guys will be like a stone wall in the back protecting Sirigu. Both players are good on the ball too, players can pass back in confidence that they won't mess up. Both players can bring the ball up to the midfield if need be, but I'd rather have them find and make the pass to one of the defensive mid's and have them decide where the ball will go. Good passers, good defenders, control of the ball...the perfect center back duo. Wish I had Pep from last draft, this team would be perfect for his tiki taka :lol

Fullbacks: Arguably the best left back in the world, Leighton Baines is strong in both defense and offense. During the 2012–13 season Baines created 116 chances for his teammates, more than any other player in Europe's top five leagues. A left back that can create chances like that? Not to mention our right back, Darijo Srna also excels at finding chances for teammates and running the ball up the right side to curve it into the middle. The best part is, they have a tall target to aim for up top.

Center Mids: The most important part of my team is the defensive mid, as these are the guys who will be starting our plays out. Xabi Alonso is a deep-lying playmaker, and every deep-lying playmaker needs a skilled box-to-box mid next to him to be successful, and he has the best in the world. Yes, I said it, Vidal is the best box to box mid in the world, counting yaya! He is an engine that never turns off, and will be all over the pitch helping out on defense vs stronger offensive opponents and being more offensive oriented vs teams that don't have an offense that is too threatening. Xabi can get the ball to anyone on the field at anytime, and he will be deciding how we will be attacking on offense. He can lay it off to one of the fullbacks and help them get past their defenders with quick passes and through balls to get them in the position to cross it into our one-touch striker, or he can give the ball off to one of the midfielders Vidal or Nasri and let them decide what to do with the ball. Xabi can also bring it up himself, but I don't really want him doing that much. I want him to stick to his role so this team can be successful. He is always available for a pass back, so it is nice insurance to know everyone on the team is able and willing to handle the ball. Our attacking mid will be Nasri, who has experience playing with the striker (and boy have the 2 made a bountiful amount of chances and goals this season for city). Nasri can do it all, and that is why I picked him. I need his versatility to be able to drift into either the left or right wing position if one of the wings do decide to attack head on. Having Xabi and Vidal on the team really takes the pressure off of Nasri, letting him be more himself and be able to effect the game in a more positive manner.

Wings: I had to do it, I always need 2 fast guys on the wings so they can take players head on and get passed them, and that is why I selected Lucas and Hazard. What I expect from them is this: I want them to play like Ribery and Robben played last year for Bayern. These guys have total freedom on the wings to demolish the opposition just by outrunning them, and I expect them both to have plenty of shots on goal all game, seeing as we are only playing with 1 striker. Hazard is becoming one of the best players in the world, and I need him to be the best offensive threat on this team. Lucas is speedy as hell, when he gets the ball he is OFF. Few fullbacks can stay up with his speed, and he will prove to be a problem for most defenses.

Striker: Perfect striker for the team, this man is well known throughout the premier league as the best one touch finisher. Edin Dzeko has the best supporting cast he could ever ask for, what with the fullbacks being able to cross the ball in for a header for Dzeko, Nasri being able to find his City teammate just as creatively as he does in club, and the wings being quick as hell, Dzeko will just be waiting for that pass to tap the ball into the goal. He has a great longshot too, but I need him to focus on scoring goals in the box, where he is absolutely lethal.

As for the substitutes, I picked them to replace specific players with fatigue problems. As good as Dzeko is, he is only good for about 70-75 minutes, so it is good to know that we have Gyan to jump into the lineup and switch up the gameplay. Rodriguez has experience, and the Uruguay international will be expected to be able to jump in for Hazard if he does end up getting tired and to not miss a beat. Dzagoev is a very good play especially in International games, and he can come in for either wing or Nasri. I'd like to see how the Russian/Bosnian combo would do. Not every game would all 3 subs come in, only when needed.

Every piece of this team fits like a puzzle, these guys are all team players and will play their roles effectively, as well as efficiently. I expect clean sheet victories to be the norm, and high scoring games in our favor to be expected.

[Jasi]

http://www.footballuser.com/formations/2014/04/965369_World_Cup_2014_Team.jpg

Substitutes: Fellaini, Criscito, Forlan.

Thought about who to play, Fellaini or Garay... may switch at times.

Tactics and all that will come later.

Damn.
An innovator, to say the least :D

[LJJ]

Damn.
An innovator, to say the least :D



Drogba-Costa
Ribery-Fellaini-Essien-Ozil
Marcelo-Garay-Song-Pereira
Hart

wouldn't even be that bad.

[alenleomessi]

dat width though :bowdown:

[Jasi]

Warning: LONG TACTICAL POST. English posters (and anyone not interested) are advised to skip it.

Straight from the start, this team has been conceived and selected with a specific football philosophy in mind: the one of Chile's coach, Jorge Sampaoli.
Sampaoli, an Argentinian, builds his ideas on Bielsa's 3-3-1-3, but he's less rigid than his inspirer, and often switches between that formation and a 4-3-3.
This is what he's been doing with the Chilean NT and what he will do with this Jasi's Allstar Team as well.
The formations can change, but the philosophy is always the same.

The key to everything is the ultra-high pressing performed during the whole game. The forwards press the defenders; the AM and other mids close the passing lanes, both in the centre and in the flanks.
The defenders stay very high, to keep the team short, so the mids can press better.
It is normal in Sampaoli's style to see the defenders on the halfway line, and only 20-25 m between the last defender and the striker.
The advantages of such tactic:
- less space to cover, therefore less fatigue, compared to a partial pressing;
- opponents don't have time to organize proper offensive plays, with cuts and so on;
- you win the ball back very high up the field, with only a few opponents behind the line of the ball, so very favourable situations arise.

Of course there are drawbacks to this system, mainly due to the high defensive line, which can get in trouble vs quick forwards.
The solution is twofold and depends on the opponent: sometimes it will be more effective to constantly use the offside tactic; other times the central defender will get a bit back and act as a sweeper in order to avoid solitary runs of opponents.
Defenders need to be very strong and also very quick to optimise this strategy. Our defenders (Mangala-Lovren-Sokratis) fulfill such requirements.

But let's take a look at the formations.
Like I said the team can switch at will between a 3-3-1-3 and a 4-3-3.

http://i60.tinypic.com/2iiie5c.jpg

The 3-3-1-3 needs:

- defenders as above; Eliaquim Mangala is a young beast, one of Porto's jewels who will earn them 20+ millions this summer. Dejan Lovren, one of the best young defenders in the scene as well, he is strong and quick and can distribute from his central position. Dortmund's Sokratis, still young but already very experienced Greek, can naturally play the right CB in a 3-men defense as he did in Genoa.

- outstading WBs in the midfield line; they have an essential role in this formation, as they will have to participate in both offense and defense. That's why we got simply the best in the world there, Dani Alves and Philip Lahm;

- a capable holding midfielder, also good on the ball (Miguel Veloso);

- an offensive midfielder who is also willing to track back, cover lot of ground, a very good passer and main playmaker, and a threat on goal: Ever Banega (may not be a household name now that he went back to play in Argentina but he's done very well in Valencia and has a starting spot in the Argentinian NT) - a role often played by Mati Fernandez (my sub) in Sampaoli's Chilean NT;

- two very quick and skillful wingers (David Silva and James Rodriguez), top-class at their positions;

- a striker in the hole, who can open up space for the wings and be the centerpiece of fast interplay during attacks. A role often played by Alexis in Sampaoli's Chilean NT, here it is given to one of the best footballers of the last 20 years, 38-yr old but still in form and effective like a 20-yr old guy. A genius in his own right with his ability to create football with just one touch and to score from everywhere. Francesco Totti, our captain.

When playing against very quick and wide teams, the team can switch to a more traditional back-4: Dani Alves will get back to a RB position, with Sokratis and Lovren as CBs and Mangala as a LB. Please notice that both Sokratis on the right and Mangala on the left are able to play both the CB and the RB position.
The midfield line will then be composed by Veloso in a similar CDM position, while Banega will position himself slightly more to the right, and Lahm shift as a proper LM. The forwards will keep their positions and roles. So we will have a D.Alves-Banega-J.Rodriguez right flank, and a Mangala-Lahm-D.Silva left flank.


The subs:
- Huntelaar, will give us an option to use a more traditional centre-forward when the opponents just park the bus. An always underrated killer with outstanding scoring averages.
- Mati Fernandez, El Crack, South-American Footballer of the Year some years ago, an actual Sampaoli player in the Chilean NT who can replace Banega but also play all other positions in the mid and on the wings.
- Joel Matip, maybe the least known guy in my squad, but he's surely known to German posters as he's one of the many promising youngsters coming out of the German meltin pot. A teammate of Huntelaar at Schalke 04, he can replace all my CBs but also the CDM.


I'll add a couple of fancy gifs as well :D

Our Captain Totti...
His one-touch assists :bowdown: :bowdown:
http://cdn.bleacherreport.net/images_root/article/media_slots/photos/000/770/483/tottibackheel_original_original.gif
His goals out of nowhere :bowdown: :bowdown:
http://stream1.gifsoup.com/view3/1294719/francesco-totti-gol-inter-o.gif

Ladies and gentlemen the Mati-Rabona!
http://stream1.gifsoup.com/view/1036805/rabona-del-mati-o.gif

And we keep him on the bench!

[LJJ]

God damnit Jasi. You just had to create swaggy tactical visuals.

[alenleomessi]

http://www.footballuser.com/formations/2014/03/965120_Dream_Team.jpg

Subs: Freddy Guarin (CM), Joel Campbell (winger/SS), Alen Halilovic (AM).

Coach: Fabio Capello.

Captain: Gerrard.

Im not going to go player by player like last time trying to hype up the more unknown players ( benatia, coleman) which didnt really work even though they are some of the best in europe


Starting with defense, Begovic is one of the most consistent GKs in the world and one of the reasons why Stoke are such a difficult team to score on. The CB's are two strong and tall defenders in Vertonghen and Alves who are good passers and good in the air. Both will start for their nations in the upcoming WC. The full backs consist two very attacking players in Maxi Pereira and Filipe Luis which fits this formation. They will bomb forward regularly and stretch the pitch. Maxi was one of the key players in Uruguay's recent success in the WC and Copa. Filipe probably wont start over Marcelo even though you could argue that he's been better this season.

In the midfield, Gerrard will play the role of deep lying midfielder where he has been absolutely phenomenal this season. He will drop in to cover the defense when needed. His offense will be long balls and through balls. De Rossi and Pogba are good passers to fit the team and good defenders. Will cover for the full backs when they bomb forward. Specialists for making smart fouls. Pogba will go forward more than De Rossi and will shoot from outside when given the space. Basically the chances for a goal are 50/50 if that happens. All will be major pieces of their nations in the WC.

http://cdn.bleacherreport.net/images_root/article/media_slots/photos/000/676/632/GerrardpasstoSuarezvsSunderland_original.gif
http://assets.sbnation.com/assets/2040081/pogba.gif

As my attacking mid ill have the german maestro Gotze. Great passer and very comfortable with the ball in his feet. Great dribbler which gives me another option to put him on the right wing depending on the opponent. Aguero then will go on the left and Pogba will be more offensive minded. The versatility of those 3 players will be a problem for the opponents. Aguero was on par with Suarez before the injuries. Top 10 player in the world. Was scoring goals with ease. There are many great spanish players i could have taken but i went with Kun's amazing partner in crime-Negredo. Hasn't been in great form lately but im confident once his buddy gets healthy they will tear apart the opponents again. They fit together so nice. One is great dribbler and the other is great in the air. Both would be a constant threat on those long and through balls from Gerrard. Oh, and i almost forgot, two of the finest finishers you will ever find.

http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-131xe9e5ab8/Um4fK-6DdUI/AAAAAAAAOSc/M-KtXgXJDb4/s1600/Aguero.gif
http://cdn.gifbay.com/2013/11/negredo_goal_vs_munich-97256.gif

update

[kc16]

http://www.footballuser.com/formations/2014/04/965389_Nigeria.jpg

Team Overview

First and for most my team was chosen in mind of picking versatile players. Players who are able to play attacking football as well as having a defensive game. Mind you, not every player I chose are defensive minded players, those are mainly my attackers anyway (Tevez, Ayew, and Van der Vaart). I assure you guys however that the majority of my players are are two way players and very good ones at that. On top of that the National Team coach I wanted for this team was luckily available during my pick. Very fortunate most of you showed up late for the coach picks :banana:. Anyway here are my formation, tactics, substitutes, etc.

Coach
[B]Joachim L

[iamgine]

http://www.footballuser.com/formations/2014/04/965501_Football_Manager_Team.jpg

Manager: Louis Van Gaal

Formation: 4-3-3

Substitute: Landon Donovan (FW), Radja Nainggolan (CM), H

[LJJ]

http://i.imgur.com/DJjjpWo.png

subs:
-Honda
-Wilshere
-Blind

Manager - Ottmar Hitzfeld

Defense
Not much needs to be said about Courtois. As opposed to my Dutch roots I don't put much importance in a keepers ability to play with the ball in his feet. Courtois in my opinion is the best pure stopper in the world right now with the best reflexes.

Debuchy and Alba are my fullbacks. Having good two-way fullbacks is essential in a proper 4-3-3 system and both of these guys contribute a lot on offense while not slacking off on defense. Alba made a lot of strides defensively this year. Both run the flanks and join the offense.

I guess N'Koulou isn't that big of a name given his youth and him playing in the Ligue 1, but he has been the consensus best CB in the ligue 1 over the past seasons other than Silva. Very powerful, dynamic CB. Can't believe I snagged up Barzagli in the last starter round, the best Italian CB. With his excellent positioning and defensive intelligence he runs the defense.

Midfield
I chose to field a very dynamic midfield with three pure box-to-box players as opposed to a lot of guys who field teams with more strictly defined defensive and offensive guys in midfield. All three guys can make runs for eachother, Modric and Moutinho are the two best CM's in the world at providing the end pass. The free flowing midfield provides the most flexibility with excellent opportunities during possession (good dribblers too) and excellent link up play during the counter.

Modric serves as the primary playmaker and is free to dribble and set up the game as he pleases. Moutinho is the secondary playmaker and is the primary link to the right side of the field. Fernandinho uses his pace to make runs for either playmaker and run down cracks in the lineup on defense.

Offense
Gervinho and Lavezzi on the wings are relentless players who work tirelessly on offense, creatiing a lot of space for the CM's to move into. Gervinho is an absolute top-tier player when it comes to providing service from the wing, which he is proving again since being free from the specific tactical mold of Wenger. With his quickness and technical ability he can beat his man of the dribble, preferably going wide around his man and opening up play. Lavezzi plays the wing and can join the offense as an additional striker, he is a direct offensive player who confronts the defense and keeps the defensive line honest.

Jackson Martinez brings it all together as one of the few pure target men amongst top level strikers. He's formed a fruitful partnership with Moutinho before and he's is going to love the service he'll get on this team with Modric, Moutinho and Gervinho as he's the type of striker who thrives on service. Eyes on the goal striker who faces the goal, can beat the defensive line and never looks for assists.

Subs
Honda can play as a false wing on either side, but more importantly Honda can substitute for Gervinho or Lavezzi and change the lineup to a 4-3-1-2, roaming dangerously behind the strikers. A free-kick, distance shooting and long passing specialist. (this beauty last weekend http://gfycat.com/WaryWellwornChickadee)

http://i.imgur.com/25i6bj9.png
Lineup 2

Provides a lot of danger late in games when the play slows down. He also gives me the ability to play a midfield "pointed forwards" as we would say in Dutch, as an offensive midfielder supported by to CMs.

Blind can play as a more pure DM, making a midfield "pointed backwards" as we would say in Dutch. When the team dominates possession against an opponent Blind provides extra coverage against the counter with his excellent position and tackling. He can also play LB.

Wilshere can play the same role as Modric or Moutinho when necessary.

Manager
Hitzfeld is Germany's greatest manager ever. Good with the analyses and likes to change his formation to fit his player's strengths exploit his opponents weaknesses.




http://i.minus.com/i5mz9PTXn6qDP.gif

http://i.minus.com/iudir98iiKQlK.gif


Changed my tactical visuals to be more swaggy like Jasi's.

[Jasi]

Eheheh well done

[9erempiree]

:facepalm

You guys got all these fancy tactics but you guys didn't even make team/country flags.

[CeltsGarlic]

Wow, awesome. Will post mine later.

[Jasi]

God damnit Jasi. You just had to create swaggy tactical visuals.

In the end, do you think Veltman would have been a better choice than Sokratis there?
Still not sure...

(But at least I could get Huntelaar, one of the best subs of the draft).

[LJJ]

In the end, do you think Veltman would have been a better choice than Sokratis there?
Still not sure...

(But at least I could get Huntelaar, one of the best subs of the draft).

I don't think so. As an Ajax follower obviously I'm plenty excited for Veltman. Great tackling technique, guts and good long passing and ball handling skills, he's exactly the type of defender we like. In many ways he's a young copy of his coach, Frank de Boer. Especially during possession his inexperience shows sometimes tho, couple of silly turnovers this season you should never ever make as a CB. And let's face it, he did well in the CL but he is largely untested against top quality competition.

Sokratis otoh has 5 seasons of top flight Serie A and Bundesliga football under his belt and is one of the most consistent players for Dortmund this season. He also has experience in the 3 CB lineup. Sokratis was on my contingency list and Veltman really wasn't.

I don't think any of the posters here would really rate Veltman either. He's only a 72 on FIFA.

[Jasi]

I don't think so. As an Ajax follower obviously I'm plenty excited for Veltman. Great tackling technique, guts and good long passing and ball handling skills, he's exactly the type of defender we like. In many ways he's a young copy of his coach, Frank de Boer. Especially during possession his inexperience shows sometimes tho, couple of silly turnovers this season you should never ever make as a CB. And let's face it, he did well in the CL but he is largely untested against top quality competition.

Sokratis otoh has 5 seasons of top flight Serie A and Bundesliga football under his belt and is one of the most consistent players for Dortmund this season. He also has experience in the 3 CB lineup. Sokratis was on my contingency list and Veltman really wasn't.

I don't think any of the posters here would really rate Veltman either. He's only a 72 on FIFA.

:oldlol:
:cheers:

[cos88]

updated with flags, now i have once again the sexiest presentation :rockon:

[alenleomessi]

In the end, do you think Veltman would have been a better choice than Sokratis there?
Still not sure...

(But at least I could get Huntelaar, one of the best subs of the draft).
he even has a theme song
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ntM-2DgSckk

[CeltsGarlic]

http://www.footballuser.com/formations/2014/04/965660_World_Cup_2014_Team.jpg

My team!

Look, let me start that there is a lot of creativity in middle, amrite?
Great height with a lot of skills. I must admit that I know more about bball than football, but damn this squad is nasty.


Defense
Two world class CBs in Spahic and Boateng. With adition of Witsel Im pretty safe when corners come. Other than that, Wiel and Asamoah are both more attacking orientated but its alright since my whole team is. Im prety sure Pirlo or Mata will see your runs, Wiel ;)
Navas is a killer of a GK also. He will be moving to big clubs soon.

Middle.

We just need to get possession of that ball. Damn, middle is packed with Mata and Pirlo creating for others. Dos Santos and Witsel might be different, but those 2 fellas are capable of scoring and both are great passers. Asamoah and Wiel are both ready to join the attack anytime.

FW

Yeah, a lot of firepower, I know. There are so many goal scoring threats I dont know where to start. Headers by Witsel, cuts by Wiel, skills or flops by Neymar, Dos santos 1vs1, Pirlo and Mata masterminds.. Goals on goals, stacks on stacks.

Bench.
Formidable, can you hear it, others? Formidable?
Shaqiri. Wow, can jump right into action. Quite young, true, but similar to dos santos with mad skills, and instant offense.
Fernandez. Great defender. Maybe we can slow it down a little after scoring 3 in the first half.
Zokora. Another DM when its time to back it up a little. Also great substitution.



How the game will be played. Well, we can do high balls or witsel, but mainly it will be quick passing, and pure offense. Aka barsa but more scoring orientated. Basically a joy for the whole family.

Dos Santos
http://cache.sharenxs.com/images/wz/cabb/cf/ag/cf/c-/DosSantos._2u5qu7i.gif

[cos88]

this is moving fast 11 tactics so far ( some incomplete ). 3 tactics remaining :cheers: good job guys

[pezt]

http://www.footballuser.com/formations/2014/04/965675_Fifa_Team.jpg

Subs: Martins Indi (CB, LB), Valon Behrami (CM, DM), Ricky Alvarez (CAM, CM)

Coach: Didier Deschamps

Formation: 4-2-3-1

Captain: Bastian Schweinsteiger

Co-Captain: Wayne Rooney





Defense: Cuadrado plays a great season for Fiorentina and will act as a super offensive RB in my lineup. He's basically the Dani Alves of my team and with his work rate and defensive abilities his defensive duties shouldn't be a problem.
He was linked with Barcelona as a Dani Alves replacement btw.
Both my CB's are having a great season as well and especially Koscielny is getting underrated imo. They should form a very good Duo that would cause every attackers problems.
And on the left side I have Coentrao who is one of the better LB's in the world.
Both my Full Backs are very offensive but that's how I want to play. I believe that having offensive full backs is one of the most underrated tactical aspects in football. There is nothing worse than having no open man on the sides because the Full Backs are chilling in their own half. Or having a Full Back who can't do anything besides passing the ball back.



Midfield: Schweinsteiger is my defensive mid. He also plays a great season since coming back from injury and is one of the best players in the best team in the world. He has the physical abilites to act as a defensive mid but also the technical abilities to
Moussa Dembele wasn't my desired CM tbh but he still is a great player who will fit perfectly besides Schweinsteiger linking the defense with the offense with his passing skills.
I don't have to say much about Iniesta I guess. One of the best players in the world and a true magician with the ball.
He will be supported by Wayne Rooney in the attacking mid who is playing this position for ManUtd behind Van Persie. He is basically their only player who isn't having a poor season and the only reason why United is still in the race for the EL spots.
Hulk is a player who is getting seriously underrated just because he is playing in Russia. He is extremely dangerous with his runs to the inside and finish with his left foot.
Hulk, Iniesta and Rooney are an incredibly dangerous trio with complementing skillsets. Every defense in the world would have huge problems with these 3 attacking.



Forward: Samuel Eto'o is another player who is getting underrated lately in my opinion. Sure maybe he isn't world class anymore but he still is an extremely dangerous striker who hasn't forgotten how to score goals. Having a forward with his technical abilities will surely be very helpful for my team.


Coach: Didier Deschamps is slowly turning France into a Darkhorse for the World Cup. The French are playing absolutely great in the latest friendlies and especially playing as team and not like 11 individuals like in the last years and that's mostly due to Deschamps' coaching. I believe he is the perfect coach for this team.

[Overdrive]

this is moving fast 11 tactics so far ( some incomplete ). 3 tactics remaining :cheers: good job guys

I'll be at home after the ManU-Bay game.

[cos88]

when should i start with the matchups?

some of you that have a match already have their tactics :confusedshrug:

[Bosnian Sajo]

Start with matchups where both players have their tactics set, I'll probably have mine tomorrow.

[cos88]

only 1 match has complete tactics, will post soon.

all matches will last 72h ( 3days ).

we are 14 in this tournament for the first round all 12 ( 14 - the two in the direct matchup ) have to vote. so you have 3 days to give a vote, pretty easy stuff you can either explain or note you do what you want but if you fail to vote for all other matchups you will be down 0-1 for the start in the next match in our tournaments. i think this is the only way to vote and not wait like last time a week almost to get a decisive vote.

[cos88]

First Round


celtsgarlic - ljj


http://www.insidehoops.com/forum/showpost.php?p=9738912&postcount=50

vs

http://www.insidehoops.com/forum/showpost.php?p=9736249&postcount=26

[kc16]

I'm going with ljj in this one, a closer battle than expected. I like Celtics forwards better but every other section of the field ljj is slightly better. Also not a fan of Pirlo as the loan CDM, he needs a more natural CDM to help him out.

[alenleomessi]

ljj
more balanced team and a much better def. team.. very solid mid.. celts team might be more talented but its a bit of a mess.. pirlo as a lone dm would be a disaster, you have witsel out of position and neymar is better on the wing.. full backs are also very offensive oriented and there are no mids on your team that will cover for them

[Jasi]

There is a striking unbalance in the way Celts' players are fielded.
You just cannot play a 4-1-3-2 with Pirlo as your only mid. He can cover ground and help a lot in the defensive phase, but he's just not quick enough to do that alone.
LJJ takes this.

[iamgine]

Close match but I concur with everyone. There are a few holes to be exploited by Ottmar. LJJ.

[Andrew Wiggins]

celtsgarlic

[cos88]

celtsgarlic made a better job in selecting better individual players but his team has so many flaws the way he put everybody on the pitch.

witsel is not a winger or even that advanced in the field, played all season long as a central midfielder/defensive midfielder, dos santos while underrated plays as a forward/second striker at villareal while pirlo even in his natural registra position still needs more help next or in front of him. no need to select mata when you have pirlo just pick someone who is better on defense. also as a minus i had to check the other thread to find out the coach of this team.


ljj has a more balanced team, even though he is reaching big time with some stuff he is saying ( barzagli ithe best Italian CB or Moutinho a top 2 CM in the world at providing the end pass). i like his presentation more, he made 2 great choices in alba and debuchy but not so sure about jackson martinez. sure he is great but there are many players just better than him with more experience for such a tournament.


LJJ with the win in a very close match

[cos88]

waiting for other posters with their tactics so i can make the next matchup.


also waiting for b1imtf, bosnian sajo, pezt, arbitrarywater, overdrive and kurple with the votes for this mathcup

[Bosnian Sajo]

Celts messed up in his formation and positioning of some of his players. Witsel should of been with Pirlo in the mid, Neymar and Gio on the wings, Mata CAM and Benzema ST. LJJ's team doesn't really beat you based on him having a better team, imo he beats you because you constructed your team so poorly.

LJJ

[LJJ]

( barzagli ithe best Italian CB or Moutinho a top 2 CM in the world at providing the end pass)


A good catch with Moutinho. I meant two say "two of the best CM at providing the end pass", not necessarily the two very best.

Barzagli was voted the best defender in the Serie A the last two seasons, I don't think it's very controversial to say he's the best.

[alenleomessi]

benatia is the best in seria a this season by a landslide

[LJJ]

benatia is the best in seria a this season by a landslide

Meh. Of course everybody is going to say their player is the best. Benatia is good but he is not that much better than he was the season before this one. I took care to try and not make any claims that can't be backed with facts.

[cos88]

A good catch with Moutinho. I meant two say "two of the best CM at providing the end pass", not necessarily the two very best.

Barzagli was voted the best defender in the Serie A the last two seasons, I don't think it's very controversial to say he's the best.


his juventus teammate chiellini is just better if you ask me by a good margin as we speak.


barzagli won the seria a best defender in 2012 ( can't find anything about his vote of best defender in the two season, it can be not saying no ). he was part in the serie a team of the year in the last year along chiellini. but we judge based on this season and barzagli was not on same tier as chellini and is debatable to me with bonucci, maybe the injuries had something to do. not biased not a juve fan i don't have any italian defender in my sqaud :confusedshrug:

[cos88]

let's go with the tactics we are stucked right now

[Bosnian Sajo]

http://this11.com/play/abGEqmcajp.png

Substitutes
Cristian Rodriguez (LW)
Alan Dzagoev (CAM, RW)
Asamoah Gyan (ST)


One of the more balanced teams I have created, considering my past 2 were offense HEAVY.

Coach: Safet Susic is manager of the Bosnian national team and helped us qualify for our first major tournament in history. This man is a good coach, he is serious and stern, there ain't too much messing with this guy on the pitch. His formation for the qualifications usually included 2 strikers and 1 defensive mid, but he has said over and over how he plans to change that into the formation I am using for this current team, reason being so we can actually play with the big dogs in a balanced formation rather than a pure attack.

Goalkeeper: Sirigu, Italy's number 2 behind Buffon. Solid keeper, better than most of the ones available in other countries, so I am satisfied with this pick and believe he can defend the goal well, especially with how much help he has on defense.

Centerbacks: The pride and strength of my team, Hummels on the left, Mascherano on the right. Both very good defenders, I don't even need to explain how these guys will be like a stone wall in the back protecting Sirigu. Both players are good on the ball too, players can pass back in confidence that they won't mess up. Both players can bring the ball up to the midfield if need be, but I'd rather have them find and make the pass to one of the defensive mid's and have them decide where the ball will go. Good passers, good defenders, control of the ball...the perfect center back duo. Wish I had Pep from last draft, this team would be perfect for his tiki taka :lol

Fullbacks: Arguably the best left back in the world, Leighton Baines is strong in both defense and offense. During the 2012–13 season Baines created 116 chances for his teammates, more than any other player in Europe's top five leagues. A left back that can create chances like that? Not to mention our right back, Darijo Srna also excels at finding chances for teammates and running the ball up the right side to curve it into the middle. The best part is, they have a tall target to aim for up top.

Center Mids: The most important part of my team is the defensive mid, as these are the guys who will be starting our plays out. Xabi Alonso is a deep-lying playmaker, and every deep-lying playmaker needs a skilled box-to-box mid next to him to be successful, and he has the best in the world. Yes, I said it, Vidal is the best box to box mid in the world, counting yaya! He is an engine that never turns off, and will be all over the pitch helping out on defense vs stronger offensive opponents and being more offensive oriented vs teams that don't have an offense that is too threatening. Xabi can get the ball to anyone on the field at anytime, and he will be deciding how we will be attacking on offense. He can lay it off to one of the fullbacks and help them get past their defenders with quick passes and through balls to get them in the position to cross it into our one-touch striker, or he can give the ball off to one of the midfielders Vidal or Nasri and let them decide what to do with the ball. Xabi can also bring it up himself, but I don't really want him doing that much. I want him to stick to his role so this team can be successful. He is always available for a pass back, so it is nice insurance to know everyone on the team is able and willing to handle the ball. Our attacking mid will be Nasri, who has experience playing with the striker (and boy have the 2 made a bountiful amount of chances and goals this season for city). Nasri can do it all, and that is why I picked him. I need his versatility to be able to drift into either the left or right wing position if one of the wings do decide to attack head on. Having Xabi and Vidal on the team really takes the pressure off of Nasri, letting him be more himself and be able to effect the game in a more positive manner.

Wings: I had to do it, I always need 2 fast guys on the wings so they can take players head on and get passed them, and that is why I selected Lucas and Hazard. What I expect from them is this: I want them to play like Ribery and Robben played last year for Bayern. These guys have total freedom on the wings to demolish the opposition just by outrunning them, and I expect them both to have plenty of shots on goal all game, seeing as we are only playing with 1 striker. Hazard is becoming one of the best players in the world, and I need him to be the best offensive threat on this team. Lucas is speedy as hell, when he gets the ball he is OFF. Few fullbacks can stay up with his speed, and he will prove to be a problem for most defenses.

Striker: Perfect striker for the team, this man is well known throughout the premier league as the best one touch finisher. Edin Dzeko has the best supporting cast he could ever ask for, what with the fullbacks being able to cross the ball in for a header for Dzeko, Nasri being able to find his City teammate just as creatively as he does in club, and the wings being quick as hell, Dzeko will just be waiting for that pass to tap the ball into the goal. He has a great longshot too, but I need him to focus on scoring goals in the box, where he is absolutely lethal.

As for the substitutes, I picked them to replace specific players with fatigue problems. As good as Dzeko is, he is only good for about 70-75 minutes, so it is good to know that we have Gyan to jump into the lineup and switch up the gameplay. Rodriguez has experience, and the Uruguay international will be expected to be able to jump in for Hazard if he does end up getting tired and to not miss a beat. Dzagoev is a very good play especially in International games, and he can come in for either wing or Nasri. I'd like to see how the Russian/Bosnian combo would do. Not every game would all 3 subs come in, only when needed.

Every piece of this team fits like a puzzle, these guys are all team players and will play their roles effectively, as well as efficiently. I expect clean sheet victories to be the norm, and high scoring games in our favor to be expected.



Update on da tactics.

[alenleomessi]

Meh. Of course everybody is going to say their player is the best. Benatia is good but he is not that much better than he was the season before this one. I took care to try and not make any claims that can't be backed with facts.
what do you mean meh? its meh for the other players but not for yours? benatia missed half season in 2012/2013 and thats why he didnt win that stupid award.. juve's team is full of great defenders on all positions and they play a passing game so thats the reason why they have so little goal conceded.. and anyway roma still has less goals ( only 15) and guess who is the reason for that?

[cos88]

First Round


bosniansajo - andrew wiggins


http://www.insidehoops.com/forum/showpost.php?p=9736518&postcount=32

vs

http://www.insidehoops.com/forum/showpost.php?p=9735922&postcount=23








ljj - celtsgarlic still on. b1, kurple, pezt, arbwater and overdrive have to vote for both matchups

[kurple]

Meh. Of course everybody is going to say their player is the best. Benatia is good but he is not that much better than he was the season before this one. I took care to try and not make any claims that can't be backed with facts.
Chiellini > Both of them

[kurple]

I vote for LLJ. His team isnt impressive, but Celtics ruined his team with that formation. Why put Witzel on the wing and keep Pirlo all by himself in the middle?

[ArbitraryWater]

LJJ....

Reasons have already been given. Would do some formational/tactical changes on celtics team.. not a bad team though.

[cos88]

well i think it's enough, it's 9-0 for ljj now anybody can vote for the new matchup sajo - wiggins, watched both teams for like 10 minutes and still can't choose a winner, both are better than the other two if you ask me. will decide later tonight after the games.

[ArbitraryWater]

well i think it's enough, it's 9-0 for ljj now anybody can vote for the new matchup sajo - wiggins, watched both teams for like 10 minutes and still can't choose a winner, both are better than the other two if you ask me. will decide later tonight after the games.

This. Its real close imo.. which is why i havent picked yet.

[Jasi]

his juventus teammate chiellini is just better if you ask me by a good margin as we speak.


barzagli won the seria a best defender in 2012 ( can't find anything about his vote of best defender in the two season, it can be not saying no ). he was part in the serie a team of the year in the last year along chiellini. but we judge based on this season and barzagli was not on same tier as chellini and is debatable to me with bonucci, maybe the injuries had something to do. not biased not a juve fan i don't have any italian defender in my sqaud :confusedshrug:
As the guy who watches Serie A more than anyone here I say Barzagli = Benatia >>> Chiellini

[Bosnian Sajo]

It is a close matchup, but imo my defense gives me the edge, especially the fullbacks.

[Andrew Wiggins]

my attack is better and while baines is great offensively, his one on one defending is quite weak

[Jasi]

Probably the closest matchup so far. Can one vote for a draw? :lol:

[Bosnian Sajo]

Wouldn't say his defending is weak at all(Better defender than Schmelzer :lol), but yea his offensive game is better than his defense, however because the rest of the defense is so solid, he shouldn't miss a beat. I mentioned my defense in my tactics post if you want to review it to see what I mean exactly.

Our attacks are very different, so while you might prefer yours, mine will be more efficient vs a team like yours. I say that because I really see your fullbacks being the main problem of your team, I don't see Maicon keeping up with Hazard at all. And on top of that, he has Baines to worry about, so he will be leaving Hazard over for someone else to guard, opening up a hole on the right side of your defense that I will be running circles around all game. Say you move Bradley over so he can help defend the fullbacks, that leaves my midfield open and able to operate with less pressure. Also, remember that Xabi Alonso is a deep-lying playmaker, which puts Bradley at a really awkward position.

You might have the better offensive players like Suarez and Di Maria, but as a whole my attack is stronger. Close matchup, sucks we gotta face off this early, but I have the advantage on both sides of the pitch.

[Overdrive]

Celts vs ljj - this is a case of talent vs team. Celts has the better players on average, but his team is poorly constructed.

One thing I don't agree with is that Celts has the better forwards, quite the opposite. Jackson is quick and dangerous, not the hype Neymar receives and not on a attacking line with Bale and Ronaldo, but high quality striker with good feel for goals and positioning, which is great being paired with quick runners like Lavezzi & Gervinho.

ljj for me.

Sajo vs Wiggins - undecided yet, Suarez makes Wiggin's team more potent on offense(although Dzeko's no slouch), but I feel Sajo's team's midfield can switch better to defense which is huge in a tournament like this.

This is my tactic, might elaborate further tomorrow if I'm still in the tournament by then.
http://insidehoops.com/forum/showpost.php?p=9744204&postcount=704

[Bosnian Sajo]

4 people vote undecided? :lol

[cos88]

Celts vs ljj - this is a case of talent vs team. Celts has the better players on average, but his team is poorly constructed.

One thing I don't agree with is that Celts has the better forwards, quite the opposite. Jackson is quick and dangerous, not the hype Neymar receives and not on a attacking line with Bale and Ronaldo, but high quality striker with good feel for goals and positioning, which is great being paired with quick runners like Lavezzi & Gervinho.

ljj for me.

Sajo vs Wiggins - undecided yet, Suarez makes Wiggin's team more potent on offense(although Dzeko's no slouch), but I feel Sajo's team's midfield can switch better to defense which is huge in a tournament like this.

This is my tactic, might elaborate further tomorrow if I'm still in the tournament by then.
http://insidehoops.com/forum/showpost.php?p=9744204&postcount=704


ok we will wait 1 more day if you want to post any updates.

[kurple]

Sajo, think he has a more complete team

[kurple]

http://www.footballuser.com/formations/2014/03/965352_World_Cup_2014_Team.jpg

Subs: Valencia, Bacca and Alderweireld

Coach: Marc Wilmots

dont have time to look for gifs, so i'm just gonna write my thoughts about the team quickly

Vincent Enyeama has been fantastic this season. 33 games, 21 clean sheets and only 19 conceded goals. Looks even more impressive compared to the other top team in league 1. PGS have conceded 18 goals, Monaco 26, Lyon 37 and Maseille 33. Enyeama shouldnt get all the credit of course, but that defense doesnt look THAT good on paper. Best defender on the team is Simon Kjaer. Enyeama is having an EPIC season

Extremely happy with my defensive line. Zabaleta and Clichy gives me exactly what i want in fullbacks that can bomb forward without being exposed defensively. Even against talented opponents. They have been the regular starters on one of the best offensive and defensive teams in England the last few years. Zabba would have been my captain if i hadnt picked Gabi. 3rd best RB in the world the last few years

Miranda. My god i love that brazillian. Called him a top 3 CB a month ago and i'm sticking to it. Sure i'm biased as an Atletico fan. But we judge the players on this season, and what Atletico is doing is nothing short of amazing. And Miranda is a huge part of that. Chiellini might have lost some hype the last few years, but he's solid as a rock, experienced and the perfect partner to Miranda

My midfield is full of stamina, strenght, skill and will. I might go all homer again with Captain Gabi, but i have to. Chose him over Thiago Alcantara, but there was never any doubt i would. Thiago might be worth more in the transfer market, but this is about THIS SEASON and Gabi has been way better. Great both offensively and defensively with his passing, vision, stamina, strenght, workrate, possitioning and leadership. Kroos is also great, an complete football player. My favorite from this amazing german generation of footballer. Kroos has it all and is the perfect AM to this strong midfield. With Inler also being a good all-around CM/DM, cant i see any midfields bossing mine.

Attack. Best wingers in the draft. Ronaldo and Alexis has 75 goals and 33 assists between them this season. I dont think i have to say anything else. Ronaldo alone would make any attack dangerous.

Bony isnt a star or linked to every big club, but he's having a very good season with Swansea. Scoring 21 goals with 7 assists. I've enjoyed their Europa league campain this year as well. And i'm sure he'd be even better with better teammates.

I also have Bacca backing him up on the bench with his 19 goal and 9 assists so far this season. By his side sits Valencia, who can do it all on the right side of the pitch. Great crosser and tracks back defensively. Would likely switch to a 4-4-2 when bringing him on, with Ronaldo at LM and Alexis playing behind the striker. + a defensive sub in Alderweireld in case i need to secure a win.
updated

[Overdrive]

ok we will wait 1 more day if you want to post any updates.

If I don't make it in time go ahead. These are my tactics, but the very raw version.

[CeltsGarlic]

Sajo has a better team and Wiggins has Bradley in his squad..

[NauruDude]

I request to join.

[Jasi]

All in all I think that the difference is made by a midfield which is more balanced, i.e. Sajo's. I think that Wiggins' team may end up being split in two halves, with Bradley blocked to manmark Nasri and act as a shield to the defense, the RBs also too concerned vs Sajo's wings to get runs forward; whereas Xavi-Pjanic and the three upfront would be disjointed.
This is also something that has happened to Pekerman's Colombia in the past.

[LJJ]

Sajo versus Andrew Wiggins.

Both line ups with very little room too criticize, which is why everybody makes the same comment that it's so close.

I'm not a huge fan of some of Sajo's choices. Mascherano can defend pretty well around the halfway line, which is why he can play as a center back in Barcelona's system, but his effectiveness is very dependent on being able to make the foul and he is tiny. So I don't trust Masch in the box.
Also not a fan of Nasri in this line up, they generally don't allow him to play centrally at City and it's not really the role he excels at. Especially with Dzeko up front and no real wingers I think a better link-up player would be more effective in that role.
Susic is probably the worst manager in the draft. Fired within a season at virtually every team he every was allowed to manage, the man is a liabilty.
But the rest of his team is quite good in terms of talent and synergy.

Wiggins has a couple more holes.

His offense is mouth watering. Vela and Suarez are going to score a lot of goals, I think they would combine very well together. Couple that Xavi and Pjanic provide support and it's a wonderful offense. Guys like Suarez and Vela also have the space they need, something not all people here take into account when they select players.
Not a lot of support from the fullbacks tho. Maicon is okay, but obviously not the player he was 4 years ago. Schmelzer is pretty mediocre, along with Bradley roaming the defensive midfield and an aging Terry this is no defensive powerhouse team from a stopping perspective or in regards to the offensive support they can provide.
Pekerman is a middling manager, he has more sense than Susic but he is not scoring that many more points for the team. He's doing pretty decent with Colombia right now, but the last time he managed a NT he screwed up royally. He favored playing guys like Bonucci and Collocini in an offensive fullback position over prime Zanetti which has to be some kind of deadly sin, and his general rotations and substitutions at the 06 WC were some of the worst I've seen.

All in all I think Sajo has enough balance to overcome Wiggins' obvious offensive superiority.

[Jasi]

^ Bonucci?

[Bosnian Sajo]

They don't allow Nasri to play in the middle because that is Silva's spot in City, and rightfully so. Nasri has played the middle in the past for Arsenal and still plays in the middle for France, and does a great job.

And who the hell is a real winger for you LJJ? :oldlol: 3 drafts and every time you say I don't have "real" wingers.



Any other matchups we can start? Doing 1 at a time will take forever.

[cos88]

will make another matchup soon.





I request to join.

in 1 week this will be over. maybe you can join the next one.

[cos88]

First Round


bosniansajo - andrew wiggins


http://www.insidehoops.com/forum/showpost.php?p=9736518&postcount=32

vs

http://www.insidehoops.com/forum/showpost.php?p=9735922&postcount=23



still on

[cos88]

First Round


kurple - alenleomessi


http://www.insidehoops.com/forum/showpost.php?p=9736365&postcount=28

vs

http://www.insidehoops.com/forum/showpost.php?p=9735063&postcount=13

[cos88]

ok as i said many times before ''this is the closest matchup so far in any tournament''. well this really is :lol

both teams have coaches in the same tier, feghouli is a very underrated player and overall wiggins has a better bench, not my much but i wonder what will happen for both posters if a defender goes out as both don't have one on the bench.

let's go with the starters, on the defensive line i never liked mascherano as my central defener. pep made this as he wanted a ball playing guy at that position and the fact that barca dosn't want to buy a defender and puyol gets injured so often is why he plays there. to be honest at least 10 central defenders in Europe better than mascherano and Safet is no Pep and doesn't play anything close to tiki taka for him to have that kind of a defender.

the midfield trio favors bosnian sajo i like the combination of vidal and xabi alonso, they would be great together. bradley doesn't have the same value as the other midfielders on the pitch, i think he is one of wiggins biggest flaws, same with the full backs. i would just select a better defensive midfielder than bradley or put a box to box midfielder instead of pjanic for better cover in the opponents final third.


suarez is a huge advantage over dzeko just way better than him, and a funny fact that from the 4 players up front for sajo 3 are usually reserves.

overall form me it's about wiggins bench + attack vs sajo's defense and midfield. i'll go with sajo but i'm really sorry for wiggins

[pezt]

In the first Matchup I vote for Sajo. I really like his midfield and think that his wings would cause Schmelzer and Maicon huge troubles. Also not sure how Bradley would handle all the pressure from Sajo's midfield. His team is also more balanced overall.

In the other matchup I vote for Alen. I'm not a big fan of Bruno Alves and Maxi Pereira but overall I just like his team more. His midfield is just dominant and Aguero and Negredo up front is a deadly duo.

[alenleomessi]

sajo doesnt have any flaws except when masche and dzeko have a day off which happens quite a lot lately to be honest.. good defense regardless and great midfield and players capable of scoring if dzeko is off ( hazard, lucas, vidal )
AW has two players in spectacular form -DM and Suarez.. but im not sure about the others.. that midfield is pretty weak compared to other drafts in this draft especially defensively.. bradley wont cut it.. also dont really like the vela pick..defense is big on names and most of them are pretty old..

im going with sajo

[Bosnian Sajo]

and a funny fact that from the 4 players up front for sajo 3 are usually reserves.



Dzeko, Nasri, and Lucas?

Dzeko and Nasri have played 38 and 36 games for City respectively this season, only 3 other players on the team have played over 38 games.

Lucas has appeared 40 times for PSG this season (Ibra 42, just for comparisson). I'd just like to know who you're talking about, I don't see any reserves in my starting 11 :lol

[kurple]

dzeko isnt 1st choice with everyone heathy

nasri is. and he as no problem playing in the middle

[iamgine]

It's a very equal team IMO. Both very good teams and it's hard to decide. Too bad they meet this early. I like the Bradley pick and since everyone's voting Sajo I'll add one for Wiggins.

[Bosnian Sajo]

dzeko isnt 1st choice with everyone heathy

nasri is. and he as no problem playing in the middle

Well it looks like he is ahead of Negredo in the pecking order atm, and the fact is all three Dzeko, Negredo, and Aguero have started 33 times each. Negredo was ahead at one point, I agree he was on fire in the beginning of the season, but Dzeko has won his spot back based on the recent fixtures.

[kc16]

I'll go with Sajo, I feel his team is a bit more balanced overall. I also think his wingers will give an aging Maicon and Schmelzer trouble.

[Bosnian Sajo]

8-1 in my matchup vs Wiggins atm

Kurple vs Alen

Ronaldo/Sanchez on the wings is probably the best in the draft, and having Kroos at AM fits very nicely. However, when you look at Alen's attack, Aguero and Negredo work great together, we have already seen proof at Man City. The rest of his midfield is straight up nasty. Gotze as the AM, Pogba box to box, De Rossi holding, and Gerrard as the deep-lying playmaker? Fantastic. However, then you look at the defense and the advatage there goes to Kurple for sure, but the GK position is important in this matchup. Begovic is used to being a keeper for teams that aren't too strong defensively (Bosnia and Stoke City), he shouldn't have too much problems keeping the ball out of the net.

Vote goes to Alen in this one, even though Kurple has Ronaldo on his team, Alen has the better attack and midfield.

[LJJ]

^ Bonucci?

I mean what's his face. Burdisso. Terrible at any rate.

[LJJ]

They don't allow Nasri to play in the middle because that is Silva's spot in City, and rightfully so. Nasri has played the middle in the past for Arsenal and still plays in the middle for France, and does a great job.

And who the hell is a real winger for you LJJ? :oldlol: 3 drafts and every time you say I don't have "real" wingers.



Any other matchups we can start? Doing 1 at a time will take forever.

A winger to me is a player who can make the back line and often plays in front of the center forward rather than behind him. Lucas is a winger but Hazard is not.

Nasri played in the middle at Arsenal a handful of times. He was used primarily as a side mid, and rightly so.

[cos88]

first of all i have to say i'm not going with kurple because he has ronaldo because pretty sure some of you guys did that the last tournament with him. i'm voting because the matchup favors kurple and i'll explain why.

nobody plays the 4-1-2-1-2 diamond tactic or any tactic without wingers in the whole world at this point, and by nobody i mean no big club except from liverpool from time to time and even they don't play that exact same on. even players like sturridge can drift to the sides and sterling as well he he comes in. the only one that can do this on alen's side is gotze.

you have only 2 players on each wing, that would be good if you had cafu and roberto carlos, players that are true complete wing backs but you have filipe luis and maxi pereira who never in their life had the whole flank just for them.


on kurple's attack you have ronaldo with the help of the pacey clichy vs only maxi pereira on the whole left side which is suicidal. not to mention both of your side guys will have 0 chances to advance.


the only way alen would win is if he had better wing backs or if kurple defense in the center park was sub par which is not.

so kurple for me

[LJJ]

first of all i have to say i'm not going with kurple because he has ronaldo because pretty sure some of you guys did that the last tournament with him.

That's a really petty comment man. Sore loser.

[cos88]

Dzeko, Nasri, and Lucas?

Dzeko and Nasri have played 38 and 36 games for City respectively this season, only 3 other players on the team have played over 38 games.

Lucas has appeared 40 times for PSG this season (Ibra 42, just for comparisson). I'd just like to know who you're talking about, I don't see any reserves in my starting 11 :lol


by reserves i mean players that are starting the game on the bench not players that are bench warmers and never get in. i also said are usually reserves as in not starters in a important match or if everybody is healthy.


lucas is on the bench when lavezzi/cavani/zlatan are healthy.
dzeko is on the bench when dzeko/aguero are healthy.
nasri is starting to play more often i can give you that.

[cos88]

That's a really petty comment man. Sore loser.

if i was a sore loser i wouldn't done this: http://www.insidehoops.com/forum/showpost.php?p=9735078&postcount=220


don't know what is your problem but some of the guys that can't say a word about why they chosed team a or team b are usually those guys that vote based on individual players and not by the whole team concept.

[Bosnian Sajo]

if i was a sore loser i wouldn't done this: http://www.insidehoops.com/forum/showpost.php?p=9735078&postcount=220


don't know what is your problem but some of the guys that can't say a word about why they chosed team a or team b are usually those guys that vote based on individual players and not by the whole team concept.

At the same time, that worked in your advantage in our matchup. Go back and check, 4-5 of the votes for you had no explanation, whatsoever.

[kc16]

This match is the toughest for me to choose from as both teams are very good.
Defensively I think both teams are similar, I personally like both back fours as well the midfields. Goalkeepers are a toss up, though I like Enyeama better. Though I'm a big fan of Ronaldo and Bony is a underrated striker for Swansea, it is hard for me not to admire the attack force of messi's team. Gotze and Aguero are a dangerous combination, add in the upcoming Pogba helping out as well De Rossi and Gerrard creative passing. Plus Negredo is capable of scoring with all the chances he can get. I do like Kurple's attackers as well, Kroos is a great CAM and Ronaldo and Sanchez make a great wing force. Overall though I like alenleomessi attacking slightly better, I think there team has a bit more goal scoring opportunities they can take advantage of.

[alenleomessi]

first of all i have to say i'm not going with kurple because he has ronaldo because pretty sure some of you guys did that the last tournament with him. i'm voting because the matchup favors kurple and i'll explain why.

nobody plays the 4-1-2-1-2 diamond tactic or any tactic without wingers in the whole world at this point, and by nobody i mean no big club except from liverpool from time to time and even they don't play that exact same on. even players like sturridge can drift to the sides and sterling as well he he comes in. the only one that can do this on alen's side is gotze.

you have only 2 players on each wing, that would be good if you had cafu and roberto carlos, players that are true complete wing backs but you have filipe luis and maxi pereira who never in their life had the whole flank just for them.


on kurple's attack you have ronaldo with the help of the pacey clichy vs only maxi pereira on the whole left side which is suicidal. not to mention both of your side guys will have 0 chances to advance.


the only way alen would win is if he had better wing backs or if kurple defense in the center park was sub par which is not.

so kurple for me

world cup 2010
http://img46.imageshack.us/img46/3885/uruguaysystem.jpg
same for copa 2011 when uruguay destroyed the competition.. fact is maxi does his job perfectly for uruguay.. filipe has proved this season to be one of the best two-way fullbacks.. and like i said pogba and de rossi will cover defensively on the flanks and gerrard will drop in the middle when needed.. also if you watched City this season you will notice that Kun likes to play on the wing often.. Same for Gotze.. so this formation switches quite easily to 4-3-3.. kind of similar to liverpool.. and its working for them perfectly.. you know why? because the attack is always the one that decides the games

[ArbitraryWater]

I'll be done by tonight... wait on me

[cos88]

At the same time, that worked in your advantage in our matchup. Go back and check, 4-5 of the votes for you had no explanation, whatsoever.


well it's not like this is my fault, it takes 10 minutes to see to posts about 11 players. i allways did some explanation it isn't even that hard to be honest.

[Jasi]

I have to pick up my debate with cos88 about 4-3-1-2 again it seems :D
The idea that the late trend of playing with wingers (4-3-3 or 4-2-3-1) makes this formation useless or ineffective is just wrong to me. On the contrary it can give an advantage vs all the wide formations, while still dealing with the opponents' width.
Again, it won't be just Ronaldo+Clichy vs Maxi Pereira. His right CM (Pogba, even though I'd put Gerrard there, as I write afterwards) will cover that flank too. The formations drawn on paper are not fixed on the pitch! The players can move you know :D and there is only one ball.
His FBs are the right type also, even though they are definitely not top-class, but they will do their job of both working on defense, and giving options for the attacks.

My concern with alen's formation is that I would flip Gerrard, Pogba and De Rossi (i.e. De Rossi CDM, Pogba leftside, Gerrard rightside). I know Gerrard's doing good at CDM this year, but I still think those positions are each player's best ones so no need to alter anything.

For the rest, his team is just on a different level talent-wise compared to kurple's. Bony, Inler, Miranda, Clichy... even Chiellini at cb in a back-4... they are "ok" picks, but compared to the average level of the matchup they are not as good.
So alenleomessi takes this imo.

[cos88]

any other matchup that should i post?

[kc16]

any other matchup that should i post?

You can start the matchup between you and overdrive, his tactics are on pg.6 post #84. Only matchup I saw with both tactics up, ask overdrive though if he is ready though.

[Overdrive]

I just like alen's midfield more. kurple took some players I really wanted, especially Enyeama and the diamond system is really odd, but it works. Alen has the midfield to come through the middle the whole game. His midfield is the most solid in the tournament. Best mix of creativity and defense brewness. It also helps if you use a tactic nobody uses in big tournaments even if they're old out of date tactics. Hell Greece basically used a sweeper in 2004.

Width is one of the most important things in modern football, but if you go wider than deeper you will have huge problems with teams that come strong through the mid.

The defense lines are on the same tier, with Enyeama being the better keeper imo. Midfield goes to alen, although I really really like the way Ilner & Kroos play. The attack is on kurple's side. Kun's great, so is Negredo and they have chemistry kurple's team might have or might not, but the individual class is just overwhelming at his wings.

Based on chemistry, coaching and the strong midfield I'd have to give the nod to alen. Based on talent and tactic it would go to kurple. I'm a total chemistry guy who believes in tactic over names, which makes it very hard to decide, but alen's midfield is just too great. I'd always take a great midfield over a great attack.

btw it would be great to make these tournees championship format instead of KOs. I would be quite interesting to see how guys would do against other opponents. kurple might win most duells, but I just feel I can feel alen's ideas better.

btw I updated my tactics and I'M ready to go:
http://insidehoops.com/forum/showpost.php?p=9744204&postcount=704

[Overdrive]

You can start the matchup between you and overdrive, his tactics are on pg.6 post #84. Only matchup I saw with both tactics up, ask overdrive though if he is ready though.

Yeah I am, refined them a little bit.

[Bosnian Sajo]

Pezt and Arbitrary have to finish their tactics or else they get dropped, holding up the tourny guys. Takes 20 minutes tops to type it out.

[ArbitraryWater]

Added Tactics and all that

[pezt]

http://www.footballuser.com/formations/2014/04/965675_Fifa_Team.jpg

Subs: Martins Indi (CB, LB), Valon Behrami (CM, DM), Ricky Alvarez (CAM, CM)

Coach: Didier Deschamps

Formation: 4-2-3-1

Captain: Bastian Schweinsteiger

Co-Captain: Wayne Rooney





Defense: Cuadrado plays a great season for Fiorentina and will act as a super offensive RB in my lineup. He's basically the Dani Alves of my team and with his work rate and defensive abilities his defensive duties shouldn't be a problem.
He was linked with Barcelona as a Dani Alves replacement btw.
Both my CB's are having a great season as well and especially Koscielny is getting underrated imo. They should form a very good Duo that would cause every attackers problems.
And on the left side I have Coentrao who is one of the better LB's in the world.
Both my Full Backs are very offensive but that's how I want to play. I believe that having offensive full backs is one of the most underrated tactical aspects in football. There is nothing worse than having no open man on the sides because the Full Backs are chilling in their own half. Or having a Full Back who can't do anything besides passing the ball back.



Midfield: Schweinsteiger is my defensive mid. He also plays a great season since coming back from injury and is one of the best players in the best team in the world. He has the physical abilites to act as a defensive mid but also the technical abilities to
Moussa Dembele wasn't my desired CM tbh but he still is a great player who will fit perfectly besides Schweinsteiger linking the defense with the offense with his passing skills.
I don't have to say much about Iniesta I guess. One of the best players in the world and a true magician with the ball.
He will be supported by Wayne Rooney in the attacking mid who is playing this position for ManUtd behind Van Persie. He is basically their only player who isn't having a poor season and the only reason why United is still in the race for the EL spots.
Hulk is a player who is getting seriously underrated just because he is playing in Russia. He is extremely dangerous with his runs to the inside and finish with his left foot.
Hulk, Iniesta and Rooney are an incredibly dangerous trio with complementing skillsets. Every defense in the world would have huge problems with these 3 attacking.



Forward: Samuel Eto'o is another player who is getting underrated lately in my opinion. Sure maybe he isn't world class anymore but he still is an extremely dangerous striker who hasn't forgotten how to score goals. Having a forward with his technical abilities will surely be very helpful for my team.


Coach: Didier Deschamps is slowly turning France into a Darkhorse for the World Cup. The French are playing absolutely great in the latest friendlies and especially playing as team and not like 11 individuals like in the last years and that's mostly due to Deschamps' coaching. I believe he is the perfect coach for this team.

updated

[kurple]

you guys are wack

[alenleomessi]

you guys are wack
you mad as f*ck bro :roll:
cant get past the first round, the t-mac of ish :roll: :roll: :roll:

[Bosnian Sajo]

We are ready to start voting on the rest of the matchups now, so when Cos comes on he can start that.

[cos88]

First Round


kc16 - ArbitraryWater


http://www.insidehoops.com/forum/showpost.php?p=9737241&postcount=39

vs

http://www.insidehoops.com/forum/showpost.php?p=9736484&postcount=30



cos88 - overdrive

http://www.insidehoops.com/forum/showpost.php?p=9736405&postcount=29

vs

http://insidehoops.com/forum/showpost.php?p=9744204&postcount=704




pezt - iamgine

http://www.insidehoops.com/forum/showpost.php?p=9738922&postcount=52

vs

http://www.insidehoops.com/forum/showpost.php?p=9738363&postcount=40

[kurple]

you mad as f*ck bro :roll:
cant get past the first round, the t-mac of ish :roll: :roll: :roll:
My team is better than yours if we judge on this season. Much better CB's, have no idea why Verthongen is rated so highly. You have an edge at LB, but my fullbacks are overall also better than yours

Gabi and Gerrard have had very similar seasons. so has Inler and DeRossi. Pogba gives your midfield an advantage, but your midfield would in no way dominate the game

And Ronaldo makes the difference, he and Clichy would destroy Maxi and Alves at the right side of the defense. I love Aguero more than everyone, but he has struggled with injuries this season and was a no show in CL. He aint no Ronaldo. And the Germans cancel eachother out. Negredo has really cooled off after his hot start. And Bony have had a better season, but you might still have a slight advantage there as well.

Add alexis on top of that + Enyeama being the better keeper.

Everyone in my team have had the best season of their career. except for maybe Inler and Valencia on the bench

[alenleomessi]

My team is better than yours if we judge on this season. Much better CB's, have no idea why Verthongen is rated so highly. You have an edge at LB, but my fullbacks are overall also better than yours

Gabi and Gerrard have had very similar seasons. so has Inler and DeRossi. Pogba gives your midfield an advantage, but your midfield would in no way dominate the game

And Ronaldo makes the difference, he and Clichy would destroy Maxi and Alves at the right side of the defense. I love Aguero more than everyone, but he has struggled with injuries this season and was a no show in CL. He aint no Ronaldo. And the Germans cancel eachother out. Negredo has really cooled off after his hot start. And Bony have had a better season, but you might still have a slight advantage there as well.

Add alexis on top of that + Enyeama being the better keeper.

Everyone in my team have had the best season of their career. except for maybe Inler and Valencia on the bench
if your full backs were great, city wouldnt have conceded that many goals with a class GK, CB and a mid combo
zaba is maybe slightly above average and clichy is pretty shit
vertonghen is very very good but playing out of positions for belgium this year and for the crappy spurs didnt help.. similar to kompany.. no matter how good you are if the players around you (demichelis+the fullbacks that you have) suck then there is nothing you can do
they've had simillar seasons based on what? stats? i dont even check stats when i make a team.. eye-test is the most important here.. you wanna compare inler and freaking gabi to de rossi and gerrard? you serious.. top 3 players on top 2 teams in the leagues.. please.. there are at least 3-4 players better than inler and gabi on their teams.. you overrate the hell out of atletico's players as seen in the drafts so far.. your homerism is the reason you dont do well.. you understand that simeone is the biggest reason why that team does so well?

CR makes the difference.. hmm thats very overused in this draft.. but fact is when a big game comes, he does not.. as seen in the euros, WCs, el clasicos, CL 1/2 finals and finals over the years..

kun was a no show against barca because he wasnt healed.. city missed him that much that he had to hurry.. but before the injury he and negredo were right there with suarez/sturridge as the best striker partnership in europe.. you cant deny that..

as for alexis, he is a brilliant individual player but he has problems playing with another star in messi.. not sure how better he will be playing alongside a more selfish player in CR.. his confidence will drop

enyeama better keeper than begovic? we'll have to disagree on that


obviously its your team and you have every right to think its the best and express your opinion, but please lets not overrate yours and underrated the opponent's players, in this case mine

[Bosnian Sajo]

Enyeama is for sure not the better keeper, wtf. What has he done to be considered better? Plays for Maccabi Tel Aviv, 2nd biggest team he has ever played on (Lille) :oldlol: :facepalm

[kurple]

Enyeama is for sure not the better keeper, wtf. What has he done to be considered better? Plays for Maccabi Tel Aviv, 2nd biggest team he has ever played on (Lille) :oldlol: :facepalm
Do you even watch football? He's been one of the best goalies in the world THIS SEASON

people seems to forget this. its pretty essensial

19 conceded goals and 19 clean sheets this season. With Simon Kjaer being the best defender on the team. not that i expect you to know who that is

PGS have conceded 18 goals with Thiago Silva, Monacco 26, Lyon 37 and Marseille 33

how is that not impressive? and better than Begovic

[kurple]

and alen hatin on the City fullbacks. We have had the best defence in England the last few years while playing with the most attacking team and fullbacks in England as well.

Had no problem defending Barca before Demi had to get himself sent of

and lol at comparing Verthongen to Kompany. Verthongen is an less annoying David Luiz. All hype because he can do stuff offensively, but is a liability defensively. Spurs have been shit all season long.

Miranda > Verthongen in 2013-14. No question about it. none. And do i need to say anything about Alves vs Chiellini?

and i know the greatness of kun. seen him play 7 times in my life (5 in atletico and 2 in city) but he aint no ronaldo. He and Negredo were deadly the firs 8-10 games, but the season is longer than that.

Dzeko has been our most important striker this season

[kc16]

I'm going with pezt over iamagine, pezt's attacking players will overwhelm iamgine's defense. Though the 3 striker combination is unique, I feel it is too much of a cluster in the box and with two player player makers in the midfield, Busquets has a lot of responsibility to handle with Iniesta, Rooney, and Hulk. I don't see Reus or Valbuena being much help on defense when the opponent has the ball.

The cos88 vs overdrive matchup is a bit tougher to choose as both teams are really good. I really like the width of overdrive's team and his DM really should help out with the weak link, Senderos, in the back line. Cos88 has great attacking force with him and his defense is good, though I'm not the biggest fan of having one good DM, more of a fan who likes two Midfielders who are good at both ends. With that said Cos backline should make up for it. It is tough one but i'll take Cos88 in a very close one, I feel if Messi is bottled up, as though as that is, cos88 has an excellent chance of winning. With defenders like Silva and Cahill I think it very possible to at least slow Messi a bit.

[Bosnian Sajo]

I know who Kjaer is -.- (mostly because he played for Roma)

I didn't know he only conceded 19 goals this season however, that is impressive. Then again, it is in the French League...Begovic has preformed at the top level for years now, and this season he was especially good as well. He has had 8 clean sheets this season for Stoke City, playing against top level competition in every game.

[alenleomessi]

no shit dude everyone is having the season of their careers for atletico.. but it has a lot to do with simeone and his playing style.. same for dortmund in the last 4-5 years.. they sold some of their best players (sahin, kagawa) and guess what happened to them? it turned out they were 'system' players... how do i know miranda and gabi are not like that? they were nothing before last season.. nobodies.
lille plays freaking slow-paced football ( so do most teams in the french league anyway) and dont really score and conceide goals.. most of the games end 0-0 or 1-0/0-1.. they have scored as much goals as the teams in the relegation zones..
so leave the stats alone.. i dont expect you to watch lille or nigeria.. i barely watch stoke myself but when i do its obvious how good begovic is.. in every match he makes 2-3 crucial saves.. he even scored a goal this season

[kurple]

they've had simillar seasons based on what? stats? i dont even check stats when i make a team.. eye-test is the most important here.. you wanna compare inler and freaking gabi to de rossi and gerrard? you serious.. top 3 players on top 2 teams in the leagues.. please.. there are at least 3-4 players better than inler and gabi on their teams.. you overrate the hell out of atletico's players as seen in the drafts so far.. your homerism is the reason you dont do well.. you understand that simeone is the biggest reason why that team does so well?
:facepalm

first everyone said Falcao was the reason Atletico were doing so well and now its Simeone? Sure its not Costa?

Why the **** does it has to be one person getting all the credit.

What makes Gerrard better than Gabi? Because he plays for Liverpool and take penalties? Get the **** out of here with that ignorence

Lets see what Gabi have led the team as a captain to the last few years. 2 Europa League titles, one Copa title, current leaders of La Liga and played 4 games against Barcelona this season without losing.

Did Simeone do all that? **** you. Arda, Koke, Filipe, Costa, Miranda, Gabi, Godin, Juanfran won those games

I lost all the respect i had for you as a football fan just now.

[kurple]

no shit dude everyone is having the season of their careers for atletico.. but it has a lot to do with simeone and his playing style.. same for dortmund in the last 4-5 years.. they sold some of their best players (sahin, kagawa) and guess what happened to them? it turned out they were 'system' players... how do i know miranda and gabi are not like that? they were nothing before last season.. nobodies.
lille plays freaking slow-paced football ( so do most teams in the french league anyway) and dont really score and conceide goals.. most of the games end 0-0 or 1-0/0-1.. they have scored as much goals as the teams in the relegation zones..
so leave the stats alone.. i dont expect you to watch lille or nigeria.. i barely watch stoke myself but when i do its obvious how good begovic is.. in every match he makes 2-3 crucial saves.. he even scored a goal this season
its sad that you refuse to give Gabi and Miranda more credit just because you want to beat me. you can win for all i care, but ignorant BS like that annoys the hell out of me

Why does Lille chose to play so defensively? Because of their amazing defenders?

Why have Marseille and Lyon conceded 33 and 37 goals in a pathetic league 1. Why havent PSG conceded less than 18?

[kurple]

i dont expect you to watch lille or nigeria.. i barely watch stoke myself but when i do its obvious how good begovic is.
no i dont, but i've always been a fan of his.

i'm sure you remember argentina vs nigeria last world cup. guess who was the keeper for nigeria?

first time i've ever seen him play (as sajo said, played for shit teams most of his career) but has been one of my favorite goalies ever since

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=li_vlSw0VIk

should check it out. great memories

he's also a great penalty taker, should it get so close

[Bosnian Sajo]

First Round


kc16 - ArbitraryWater


http://www.insidehoops.com/forum/showpost.php?p=9737241&postcount=39

vs

http://www.insidehoops.com/forum/showpost.php?p=9736484&postcount=30




cos88 - overdrive

http://www.insidehoops.com/forum/showpost.php?p=9736405&postcount=29

vs

http://insidehoops.com/forum/showpost.php?p=9744204&postcount=704




pezt - iamgine

http://www.insidehoops.com/forum/showpost.php?p=9738922&postcount=52

vs

http://www.insidehoops.com/forum/showpost.php?p=9738363&postcount=40



I'll give my votes a little later, just wanted to bump these matchups.

[LJJ]

same for dortmund in the last 4-5 years.. they sold some of their best players (sahin, kagawa) and guess what happened to them? it turned out they were 'system' players...

Lol, bullshit. All players are shit when they are utilized wrongly, like Kagawa at United. Forlan "failed" at United too. Pique "failed" at United too. Veron "failed" at United too. They are just a rigid team with pretty bad management when it comes to scouting top players that fit in their system. Just look at Mata and Fellaini this season.

Voting for the remaining matchups in a sec.

[Jasi]

kc16 vs Arbitrary. You would think a German know how formations work... the innovative 3-5-2 "star" designed by Arbitrary with two CMs on the sides between two more ranks of flanks fails to convince me about its balance.

[LJJ]

Kurple versus Alen

I'm on the fence over the whole 4-3-1-2 thing. On the one hand I agree that it's still a viable tactic. On the other hand Alen could have put a lot credibility to his tactics if he didn't wait until late in the draft to select a couple of average fullbacks. That should have been a priority for him drafting. Also I agree that his midfield is wrongly positioned. Lefty Pogba at LCM while playing one of De Rossi or Gerrard (preferably Gerrard) at RCM should be a no brainer, playing them on their weak foot side further decreases team width. The defense is pretty mediocre, but at least in terms of playing style it's good fit.
That said the offense is good. Negredo and Aguero are a proven lethal striker combo and G

[Jasi]

cos vs overdrive. Not sure about overdrive's choice to go 4231 rather than 433 considering the players he has. Messi would benefit, Motta would benefit, Matuidi and Rakitic would too.
On the other hand cos88's team, with Del Bosque coaching, is quite overwhelming and has virtually no flaw except a lack of strength in the mid.

[LJJ]

KC16 versus Arbitrarywater.

Abitrary's team has some fundamental flaws such as having only one CB. Would get stomped by any team in the draft, not going to waste much time.

kc16

[Jasi]

pezt vs iamgine. Very nice bunch of talents on iamgine's side, but the total is lesser than the sum of its parts here. Playing three strikers up front + two trequartistas in the mid? That's too much even for Van Gaal. One can afford this type of unbalance only with those hypothetical all-time teams with Pele, Maradona, Cruijff, Di Stefano etc all at once. Not here. Other teams in this draft, including pezt's well thought out squad, would easily exploit the unbalance.

[LJJ]

cos versus overdrive

Overdrive made some weird choices here building his team around Messi. Messi is incredibly versatile and I'd have no problem seeing Messi in his natural false 9 spot, on the wings, as a SS, as a trequartista, as an attacking midfielder.. he can do a lot of things. But as the lone striker, essentially in the role of target man? Not such a strong idea, Messi isn't the best target man and he doesn't need service. He needs to play further back so he can create and be Messi.
The midfield would be really good if it was pointed backwards with Matiudi-Motta-Rakitic. Well maybe not really good, but that would be a solid midfield.
I like the Nagatomo-Willian wing. Both hard workers who can cover for each other on both sides of the ball. But again, not with this striker.

Cos has a well balanced team. That frontline is beast with Robben, Pedro, M

[Overdrive]

cos vs overdrive. Not sure about overdrive's choice to go 4231 rather than 433 considering the players he has. Messi would benefit, Motta would benefit, Matuidi and Rakitic would too.
On the other hand cos88's team, with Del Bosque coaching, is quite overwhelming and has virtually no flaw except a lack of strength in the mid.

Not a fan of the classic 4-3-3 upon conquering the ball, I want my wingers to run wide without the ball on quick attacks and push to the middle with the ball.

When pushing the ball to the box on controlled attacks the difference is neglectable as indicated by the yellow arrows. Both wingers move to the box leaving space for the FBs. It basically becomes a 4-1-2-3.

[Bosnian Sajo]

Arbitrary water has the best midfield in the draft...:lol

You messed up with the formation homie, idek if you follow soccer trying to pass that ish off here.

Kc16 with the free win.

[Bosnian Sajo]

cos vs overdrive

I like the pairing of Rakitic and Messi, and Matuidi is a very solid defensive mid, but to be completely honest, the rest of your team is quite mediocre. Cos has a much more well balanced team, and his attack of Robben, Pedro, Higuain, and Muller would destroy your defense which looks very weak.

Pretty clear choice for me, cos.

[Bosnian Sajo]

Iamgine's team is just :facepalm

Playing 2 strikers is ify in this tournament, playing 3 is unheard of. And what position are Reus and Valbuena playing? Center mid?...the only real midfielder on this team is Busquets, other than that you have 5 pure attack players. Who is going to spread the ball around?

I don't like Rooney as a CAM and Cuadrado as a RB, but Pezt team is at least balanced.

Pezt

[Overdrive]

cos versus overdrive

Overdrive made some weird choices here building his team around Messi[...]

Messi is no lone striker, this the tactic that happens when I gain possession. I wrote and even put up a selfmade graphic - the one with the red spheres - that state my wings pushing to the box and my fullbacks joining the midfield when I have controlled possession this is nowhere close to my 4-5-1 with Mandzukic in the current player draft. I thought this would be clear after the sphery graphic. I think I would've needed an animation I guess. I don't think my CM is that unfitting.

When I'm home I'll put another graphic of my attack when I'm attacking high on the opponents box.

Jasi & LJJ, this one here

http://i62.tinypic.com/295uuso.jpg

I thought this made it clear that my system switches to basically 4-3-3 with high FBs the further I make it to the opponent's box. I will make his wingers defend and especially Robben will have to excert a lot of energy where he doesn't want to and get frustrated.

[LJJ]

Messi is no lone striker, this the tactic that happens when I gain possession. I wrote and even put up a selfmade graphic - the one with the red spheres - that state my wings pushing to the box and my fullbacks joining the midfield when I have controlled possession this is nowhere close to my 4-5-1 with Mandzukic in the current player draft. I thought this would be clear after the sphery graphic. I think I would've needed an animation I guess. I don't think my CM is that unfitting.

When I'm home I'll put another graphic of my attack when I'm attacking high on the opponents box.

Jasi & LJJ, this one here

http://i62.tinypic.com/295uuso.jpg

I thought this made it clear that my system switches to basically 4-3-3 with high FBs the further I make it to the opponent's box. I will make his wingers defend and especially Robben will have to excert a lot of energy where he doesn't want to and get frustrated.

I saw that graphic, but if you really want Mertens and Willian to play that way your graphic should have looked more clear like this:

http://i.imgur.com/KUVqPcW.jpg

The thing is, if you want Messi to play his natural false 9 position that needs to be accomodated. If you look at Barcelona they do this by putting players on the wing who are legitimate wing forwards like Neymar and Alexis. Or even players who are straight up center forwards like Henry or Villa.
Willian and Mertens aren't players who can do that. Willian is a player who sticks to the side and doesn't have the ability or drive to score goals at all. Mertens is more of a midfielder, he doesn't move that far towards the backline or in the box. So even if you want to play with more strikers, the players you selected don't really allow you to do it.

[Overdrive]

I saw that graphic, but if you really want Mertens and Willian to play that way your graphic should have looked more clear like this:

http://i.imgur.com/KUVqPcW.jpg

The thing is, if you want Messi to play his natural false 9 position that needs to be accomodated. If you look at Barcelona they do this by putting players on the wing who are legitimate wing forwards like Neymar and Alexis. Or even players who are straight up center forwards like Henry or Villa.
Willian and Mertens aren't players who can do that. Willian is a player who sticks to the side and doesn't have the ability or drive to score goals at all. Mertens is more of a midfielder, he doesn't move that far towards the backline or in the box. So even if you want to play with more strikers, the players you selected don't really allow you to do it.

It didn't turn out well for Henry and Villa, I wanted Sanchez badly, but IIRC he was already taken by the 3rd round. And Rakitic was a must for me and I doubt he would fell to the later rounds this time.

It's true both my wingers aren't the best choices, but I took their talent as players over strikers who play wings just to accommodate to Messi as this dissatisfied all of those who had to do it in recent years.

btw Mertens is more of a server than a striker, but from the Napoli games I watched this year it showed he's dangerous in two ways taking the ball to the box.

tbh I took Messi more for the name than the system as my good system in the CP draft didn't help me in any way.

[alenleomessi]

iamgine vs pezt.. iamgine has bunch of good players just thrown together.. busquets is the only guy that can and will defend in the midfield.. you should have taken someone instead of persie and rossi.. put cavani as a lone striker with valbuena and reus on the wings..defense is solid but a bit slow.. i think pezt should have done a better job building a team around iniesta but anyway his team is good enough to take this comfortably

overdrive vs cos.. i also think overdrive should have done a better job building around messi.. he needed wingers who can also play centre forwards in the lineup because messi likes to go on the wings and deeper in the mid often.. i dont really like the CB combo.. solid mid though.. bunch of underrated players.. but i feel cos's team is quite stronger.. his mid is weak defensively and i dont like the caseres pick.. higuain also is not the most dependable guy

arbitrary vs kc.. not sure if serious, yaya will run past your middle

[cos88]

will post the updated bracket after i post my picks from the other two matchups.


also just pm'd b1 for his tactics as he is the only one without that.

[ArbitraryWater]

Hah, I got the best midfield, great attackers, and solid D, but I'm supposed to lose because of some tactical flaw? :lol

Looking over lil johnny's team, I'd roll right over it...


Arbitrary water has the best midfield in the draft...:lol

You messed up with the formation homie, idek if you follow soccer trying to pass that ish off here.

Kc16 with the free win.

Nah homie I post on football boards like goallegacy on the regular, not sure y'all could hang over there though. (a bit pissed)

[Jasi]

Not a fan of the classic 4-3-3 upon conquering the ball, I want my wingers to run wide without the ball on quick attacks and push to the middle with the ball.

When pushing the ball to the box on controlled attacks the difference is neglectable as indicated by the yellow arrows. Both wingers move to the box leaving space for the FBs. It basically becomes a 4-1-2-3.

Well you're a fan of 4-1-4-1 though.
You could have had it this way:


Howard
Juanfran - Senderos - Mertesacker - Nagatomo
Motta
Rakitic ---------- Matuidi
Willian ------------------------ Mertens
Messi

This is a 4-3-3/4-1-4-1 that will give you plenty of coverage and use every player at his best imo.

[pezt]

Hah, I got the best midfield, great attackers, and solid D, but I'm supposed to lose because of some tactical flaw? :lol

Looking over lil johnny's team, I'd roll right over it...



Nah homie I post on football boards like goallegacy on the regular, not sure y'all could hang over there though. (a bit pissed)

Letting the tactics aside, your players aren't even that good. Im a Galatasaray fan and I can tell you that Drogba is beyond atrocious at this point and Sneijder isn't that good anymore either. Essien is done and Song barely plays.
Your team is just average and coupled with that formation you would lose to any team in this draft.

[NauruDude]

Hello to y'all

I asked to join this game a while ago and was rejected. One can only imagine why?

Is it because I am deemed not knowledgeable of football?
http://www.insidehoops.com/forum/showthread.php?t=227301 KISS MY FK ASS BYTCHES
- By reading this thread it is crystal clear that I know more about football than 100% of ISH posters and 99% of humanity.

Is it because I am from a country which couldn't qualify for the World Cup?
- Everyone who hasn't got their heads up their asses (like the majority of posters on this thread), would understand that since I am from a country of only 300 people.

I hope this post doesn't go unnoticed because it is scandalous that this game is even going on without me.

Best regards,
ND

PS: If you see this Jeff, you should lock this thread immediately.

[cos88]

pezt vs iamgine. not sure why iamgine plays that offensive, at least put 2 guys that are good-great on defense in the midfield. reus is out of position and i'm not seeing the compatibility between the 3 strikers. replace with rossi with nainggolan put cavani a little wider and advance reus and we have a good matchup. as i said 100 times before we are playing teams of similar values so we need to defend, we ain't playing osasuna. pezt


kc16 vs arbitrary water . why just why ??
Thought about who to play, Fellaini or Garay... may switch at times. :lol just 1 central defender? trollin i guess? kc16

[cos88]

http://www.ultraimg.com/images/Sb0P4.jpg



will let the following matchups still run a few more hours:

alen - kurple 6-1
cos88 - overdrive 5-0
pezt - iamgine 5-0
kc16- arbitrarywater 5-0



can still vote for those 4 ^

[Jasi]

Hello to y'all

I asked to join this game a while ago and was rejected. One can only imagine why?

Is it because I am deemed not knowledgeable of football?
http://www.insidehoops.com/forum/showthread.php?t=227301 KISS MY FK ASS BYTCHES
- By reading this thread it is crystal clear that I know more about football than 100% of ISH posters and 99% of humanity.

Is it because I am from a country which couldn't qualify for the World Cup?
- Everyone who hasn't got their heads up their asses (like the majority of posters on this thread), would understand that since I am from a country of only 300 people.

I hope this post doesn't go unnoticed because it is scandalous that this game is even going on without me.

Best regards,
ND

PS: If you see this Jeff, you should lock this thread immediately.

Go ahead, make a team.
Be sure to choose players who have not been chosen by other participants already, who won't be injured come WC time, and whose countries will take part in the WC, and a coach of a WC national team.

[kc16]

It seems I finally will get past the first round, third time is a charm they say. Though my match up didn't fear me when I first saw the bracket, proud I'm this close to the second round.

[cos88]

hope b1 isn't the new waseem, last time he was on was 2-3 days ago and ne didn't post any tactic so far and no vote.

[alenleomessi]

hope b1 isn't the new waseem, last time he was on was 2-3 days ago and ne didn't post any tactic so far and no vote.
he plays against me next round i wouldnt mind waiting
you can post the other 2nd round matchups in the meantime

[cos88]

will post jasi vs ljj when i am home later tonight, you can still vote for the other mathcups and ljj or jasi can make adjustments if they want.

[ArbitraryWater]

It seems I finally will get past the first round, third time is a charm they say. Though my match up didn't fear me when I first saw the bracket, proud I'm this close to the second round.



:lol :lol
Hopefully I don't play his team in the first round, as well as ArbitraryWater's team. Though ass teams with great formations.

:rolleyes:

Sajo repped it too now erryone be actin' like this some trash team :no:

[kc16]

:rolleyes:

Sajo repped it too now erryone be actin' like this some trash team :no:

That was sacrasm hahaha, we should've wrote it in italics to show it. Trust me no one was truthfully feeling your formation, no offense. We were pulling your leg and it seems you bought it :lol .

[Bosnian Sajo]

Nah homie I post on football boards like goallegacy on the regular, not sure y'all could hang over there though. (a bit pissed)


Why couldn't we hang? Tough crowd?

EDIT: and who's lil johnny?

[Jasi]

Why couldn't we hang? Tough crowd?

EDIT: and who's lil johnny?

Little Johnny Jewel = LJJ

[cos88]

Quarter Finals


jasi - ljj 2- 4 ( voting still on )


http://www.insidehoops.com/forum/showpost.php?p=9736604&postcount=36

vs

http://www.insidehoops.com/forum/showpost.php?p=9736249&postcount=26

[kurple]

Both teams lack starpower, surprised they made it past the first round, but both also have fancy tactics. Going with LJJ

[cos88]

unlike jasi's formations without wingers from the previous tournaments i think this could actually work. i really like his idea.


both teams have flaws jasi's middle is pretty weak, ljj's team is missing some pieces also not a fan of jackson martinez, pretty sure there were better strikers available. andrew wiggins who was eliminated has a team in the same tier or even better than both.


jasi , but this can go either way if you ask me

[kc16]

Not a big fan of either team, but I will lean towards ljj in this matchup. I feel his formation is fitted for his players more than jasi formation for his players.

[alenleomessi]

tough but ill go with ljj i think his midfield will be the key here.. none of the teams are title contenders though, imo

[cos88]

bump, other posters in this tournament should vote for that matchup and then i'll post what is left.

[Bosnian Sajo]

I like how Jasi went for something different, and honestly against Alba and Debuchy, I think it could work. Lahm and Alves would control the sides and having Silva and Rodriguez attacking makes me pick him over LJJ.


Jasi

[Bosnian Sajo]

bump ffs, no one can vote??

[CeltsGarlic]

LJJ Middle and defense seems better.

[Overdrive]

bump ffs, no one can vote??

I'm not home and comparing those long posts and pictures on my tiny phone is a pain in the ass. Will vote in the evening.

[cos88]

pezt, iamgine, wiggins ... you guys should vote :confusedshrug:


4-2 now for ljj, not enough to stop this.

[cos88]

Quarter Finals


jasi - ljj 2- 4 ( voting still on )


http://www.insidehoops.com/forum/showpost.php?p=9736604&postcount=36

vs

http://www.insidehoops.com/forum/showpost.php?p=9736249&postcount=26




cos88 - kc16


http://www.insidehoops.com/forum/showpost.php?p=9736405&postcount=29

vs

http://www.insidehoops.com/forum/showpost.php?p=9737241&postcount=39




b1imtf -alenleomessi

http://www.insidehoops.com/forum/showpost.php?p=9759528&postcount=705

vs

http://www.insidehoops.com/forum/showpost.php?p=9735063&postcount=13





bosniansajo - pezt

http://www.insidehoops.com/forum/showpost.php?p=9736518&postcount=32

vs

http://www.insidehoops.com/forum/showpost.php?p=9738922&postcount=52

[cos88]

even though i said i don't like alen's tactic it's pretty simple for me, a easy win. better midfield, better overall team. without the free first round b1's team would not reach the quarter finals. he had a hard time, choosing all players in the last rounds. alen

[kc16]

messi gets my vote by default, b1 kind of got stuck with the best players left since he came in late, plus no tactic information.

sajo gets my vote for his matchup, his team is a bit more balanced and Cuadrado at rb isn't going to pass in the later rounds.

[alenleomessi]

cos voted for me
http://i.imgur.com/i3ZWA.gif

[cos88]

^ nothing personal in the last tournament i voted for you in every round even in the semifinal vs b1 :D

[Andrew Wiggins]

i vote for jasi. i like the chilean high tempo possession style he employs and the personnel he has fit it. i felt totti was a bit of a weak selection but his he can still be useful in this style of play. i feel jasi has the edge in individual players too.

[Overdrive]

Jasi vs ljj is ljj for me. I like Jasi's idea of a system very out of the box. I don't like Totti irl nor in this role. Ljj has a more conservative approach and a fitting team. I honestly don't see why Martinez is a weak selection.

I'd love to see Jasi's team going to work, but ljj's front 3 explore Jasi's biggest weakness, D against quick attackers.

The other votes go to alen...
B1 has a big liability in David Luiz who plays an atrocious season and alen's team will exploit that. Don't feel the rest of the team either.

...and sajo. better overall team, really good midfield. Hazard is a gamechanger and that's pretty rare. pezt's team with Iniesta high on the left, Hulk, Rooney and Eto'o I think there's a giant gap in link up play between the mf and attack this team reminds me of dunsky in the AT draft.

undecided between kc and cos, leaning towards kc, but can't my finger on it why, so don't count my vote yet.

[Bosnian Sajo]

Alen, not only because B1 didn't post his tactics (automatic L in my book), but he has the better team.

kc16 gets my vote in the other matchup. Cos has an awesome attack, but I feel like kc16's defense, along with Neuer, is enough to stop him.

[alenleomessi]

sajo.. much better overall team..
kc and cos both have great defenses but cos's offense is much better plus he has the best coach at the WC

[Jasi]

cos88 and alen, they just have better teams with more solid positioning of their pieces.

sajo vs pezt is closer, similar tactics, both very good talentwise. need to think more.

[kurple]

Alen voting for Sajo right after Sajo votes for him
http://i.imgur.com/i3ZWA.gif

[kc16]

Alen voting for Sajo right after Sajo votes for him
http://i.imgur.com/i3ZWA.gif

what about alen and cos.

Coincidence or bribed lol.

We need fifa to intervene. :rant

[LJJ]

cos vs kc16

Such an interesting matchup, an absolute powerhouse team offensively versus an absolute powerhouse team defensively.

The reason I'm picking kc16's defensive dogs over cos more talented side is because I think kc will be quite lethal on the counter. Ayew and Ramires are fairly weak picks and don't do much else offensively, but they can sprint all day. Tevez is one of the best players in the world in that "lone striker in a team full of bruisers who has to perform with no help" role as he proved with City. And his midfield can bully the other midfield around here.

I think cos has no help on defense from the strikers and very limited help from midfield. Too little defensive chemistry and versatility for this matchup, I don't think they can really defend a proper counter.

[Jasi]

sajo vs pezt is very close for me. I've tried to think how this matchup could actually evolve and on the pitch the two teams would pretty much be equivalent imo.
There's a few minor details about pezt's team that make me vote sajo... Cuadrado at RB is definitely a waste (I know Montella has used him that way a couple of times but it didn't really work); Marchetti has been terrible this season, at that stage you could have picked 4-5 Italian keepers who are better than him.
Also, in such a balanced matchup the midfield battle could become fundamental and sajo's mid duo is better.

[cos88]

kc16 gets my vote in the other matchup. Cos has an awesome attack, but I feel like kc16's defense, along with Neuer, is enough to stop him.


I think there is a bigger gap between the difference of the my attack and his defense ( i'll put also the two defensive midfielders Obi vs Verratti ). Cole is a shell of himself, Lichtsteiner is underrated, having a great season and even though i have the best central defender in the world, a true leader in Silva the two cb pairings are pretty close, and if you ask me Cahill is better than Ramos for 2013-2014 season, but of course i may be biased.



cos vs kc16

I think cos has no help on defense from the strikers and very limited help from midfield. Too little defensive chemistry and versatility for this matchup, I don't think they can really defend a proper counter.

Not agreeing with anything you say.


Chemestry: from 2 full backs, 2 central defenders, one defensive midfielder, one central midfielder 5 play for 2 clubs ( 3 psg, 2 juventus ). If this isn't chemestry i don't know what is. I see Silva being able to play with any central back in the world as he is the most complete defender in the last 10 years, he is strong, good tackling, good marking, good positioning and very quick. he is an excellent complement for any type of defender.

Versatility: Cabaye for Newcastle played a more advanced role than he plays for Psg, where is many times he plays in the same line as Motta and Verratti so i don't see any problem for him to drop a little deeper as a potential deep-lying midfielder with playmaking vision. If you ask me Verratti is one of the most underrated defensive midfielders in the world this season, he also can play at least 2 positions in the middle.

Lichtsteiner is good on both ends and is used to have the whole flank just for him, which can be an advantage for my team. Caceres can cover in the center as he plays lb for Uruguay and cd for Juve.

[LJJ]

Chemestry: from 2 full backs, 2 central defenders, one defensive midfielder, one central midfielder 5 play for 2 clubs ( 3 psg, 2 juventus ). If this isn't chemestry i don't know what is. I see Silva being able to play with any central back in the world as he is the most complete defender in the last 10 years, he is strong, good tackling, good marking, good positioning and very quick. he is an excellent complement for any type of defender.

Versatility: Cabaye for Newcastle played a more advanced role than he plays for Psg, where is many times he plays in the same line as Motta and Verratti so i don't see any problem for him to drop a little deeper as a potential deep-lying midfielder with playmaking vision. If you ask me Verratti is one of the most underrated defensive midfielders in the world this season, he also can play at least 2 positions in the middle.

Lichtsteiner is good on both ends and is used to have the whole flank just for him, which can be an advantage for my team. Caceres can cover in the center as he plays lb for Uruguay and cd for Juve.

Verratti is not a good defender, he is more of a playmaker. He makes pretty bad decisions defensively and he is woefully underpowered, especially against kc's midfield.

You are exactly right when you say that at PSG Cabaye and Verratti play "as far back" as Motta. But you fail to realize that literally Motta's only role on PSG is to clean up for those players deficiencies defensively.

Lichtsteiner is better to play in his Juve role in midfield.

That leaves three players (albeit it good defenders) to cover the brunt of the defensive load while at kc's squad literally every player is amazing defensively at their respective position. That's what I mean by a lack of defensive chemistry on your squad.

[kc16]

Though I'm sure many feel Mikel isn't the best option at cdm, I believe he fits perfectly with this team. His length and strength is what we need at cdm, plus he controls the ball well and makes the right passes most of the time. Yes he is not getting playing but that is due to the Matic signing. He was playing pretty good before Matic came in.

Also Ramires is playing as a RM with Sagna coming to help as winger in attacking situations. I believe Ramires can play well as a RM especially since I'm using him as well Toure and Marchisico as box to box midfielders. I personally think cos attack will have more trouble with our defense mainly due to our stout midfielders and backline. Plus our attack can easily get pass his midfield IMO. His backline is very good but to me that and verratti won't be enough.

[cos88]

voting still on, everybody involved should give one for each matchup.

[cos88]

Also Ramires is playing as a RM with Sagna coming to help as winger in attacking situations. I believe Ramires can play well as a RM especially since I'm using him as well Toure and Marchisico as box to box midfielders. I personally think cos attack will have more trouble with our defense mainly due to our stout midfielders and backline. Plus our attack can easily get pass his midfield IMO. His backline is very good but to me that and verratti won't be enough.


if Muller - Pedro - Robben - Higuain with help from Lichtsteiner, Cabaye and Verratti is going to have trouble with your defense then what kind of attack should i have to get past them? :eek:

let's not act like your defense is top notch because it isn't. sure it's very good in this tournament but so is mine. you have Kompany who is top 2-3 cd in the world, and the best gk Neuer. Ramos is a good even with his stupid decisions sometimes but can you say that he is better that 2013-2014 Cahill? also there is a reason Cole is a reserve, even though he was one of Mou favorites last time he was at Chelsea.


Mikel is a little biased decision i think because you said you're from Nigeria but of course we will say Mikel > Verratti, Cahill > Ramos or Sagna > Lichtsteiner because we both want to win. 2-2 at this point in the closest matchup in this tournament, still a couple of days for people to vote their favourite.

[Bosnian Sajo]

I think there is a bigger gap between the difference of the my attack and his defense ( i'll put also the two defensive midfielders Obi vs Verratti ). Cole is a shell of himself, Lichtsteiner is underrated, having a great season and even though i have the best central defender in the world, a true leader in Silva the two cb pairings are pretty close, and if you ask me Cahill is better than Ramos for 2013-2014 season, but of course i may be biased.






:roll: :roll:

My god, how Ramos has become so underrated baffles me. Boy is a powerhouse.

[kc16]

if Muller - Pedro - Robben - Higuain with help from Lichtsteiner, Cabaye and Verratti is going to have trouble with your defense then what kind of attack should i have to get past them? :eek:

let's not act like your defense is top notch because it isn't. sure it's very good in this tournament but so is mine. you have Kompany who is top 2-3 cd in the world, and the best gk Neuer. Ramos is a good even with his stupid decisions sometimes but can you say that he is better that 2013-2014 Cahill? also there is a reason Cole is a reserve, even though he was one of Mou favorites last time he was at Chelsea.


Mikel is a little biased decision i think because you said you're from Nigeria but of course we will say Mikel > Verratti, Cahill > Ramos or Sagna > Lichtsteiner because we both wanMuller in. 2-2 at this point in the closest matchup in this tournament, still a couple of days for people to vote their favourite.

I definitely agree, you have one of the better attacks in this tournament but imo muller and robben are the only players I fear up front. Pedro is good but I think my team can slow him down. Higuain is inconsistent to me, I definitely feel we will slow him down. I feel if we mark Robben and Muller down, that's half the battle imo. Cabaye and Verratti are great but I believe my midfield is very capable of slowing them down.

Yes Ashley Cole has been in Mou's dog pound but I still feel he is still a very good lb but since we are going off this year I see your point. Still with that, my midfield is good enough to help him out on defense.

You did get me with the Mikel, he was a homer pick but I think he is an underrated cdm same as Verrati. I can say Verrati is better than Mikel but Verrati will have more of a work load in this matchup as he is the only midfielder who I see can defend well on your team.

No hard feelings towards you cos, that is just how I see it. It is a very close matchup indeed.

[Jasi]

The reason I gave the nod to cos88 is mostly because I think that both Marchisio and Ramires are quite oddly positioned.
If 2 of your 3 AMs are just CMs I see a lack of offensive weapons. The third being Ayew who is good but not great.

You know what, I would have preferred a 4-3-2-1 with


Ramires - Yaya - Marchisio
VdVaart - Ayew
Tevez

That would have also exposed more effectively cos88's lack of strength in the mid.

[Bosnian Sajo]

Yea, I don't like where Ramires is positioned either, but like I said his defense makes up for it in this matchup. Plus it shouldn't be too bad, what with Yaya having freedom in attack (Mikel staying back on defense) to do as he pleases. Lucas would of fit your team nicely as the Brazilian instead of Ramires, idk why you didn't pick him. He is the better player, actually plays RM, and would give you 2 very fast wingers.

[kc16]

The reason I gave the nod to cos88 is mostly because I think that both Marchisio and Ramires are quite oddly positioned.
If 2 of your 3 AMs are just CMs I see a lack of offensive weapons. The third being Ayew who is good but not great.

You know what, I would have preferred a 4-3-2-1 with


Ramires - Yaya - Marchisio
VdVaart - Ayew
Tevez

That would have also exposed more effectively cos88's lack of strength in the mid.


That is something I mentioned in my tactics, VD Vaart as well as Lulic will be subbed in this game for attacking purposes for this matchup, though I didn't use that formation.

[kc16]

Yea, I don't like where Ramires is positioned either, but like I said his defense makes up for it in this matchup. Plus it shouldn't be too bad, what with Yaya having freedom in attack (Mikel staying back on defense) to do as he pleases. Lucas would of fit your team nicely as the Brazilian instead of Ramires, idk why you didn't pick him. He is the better player, actually plays RM, and would give you 2 very fast wingers.

I was looking for a player who would help me on both sides of the ball and I thought Ramires would fit that role. I felt he would be a good RM with Sagna playing a wingback on the right side. Though it's not Ramires more natural position I think he can do well as a RM but I see where everyone is coming from.

Not sure Lucas was available or not but I picked him in the last draft and he didn't fear so well. Definitely see where he can make a difference on this team but I'm happy with my group of players.

[alenleomessi]

its a tough matchup really you cant go wrong.. kc's team can easily go all the way with a def. coach like mou

[LJJ]

The other matchups are less controversial I think.

Alen versus b1

I think if you get to select players from Germany, Brazil, France, Germany, Argentina, Ivory Coast, Spain and Italy in this type of draft, and you walk away with the likes of Sch

[cos88]

Quarter Finals


jasi - ljj 2- 4 ( voting still on )


http://www.insidehoops.com/forum/showpost.php?p=9736604&postcount=36

vs

http://www.insidehoops.com/forum/showpost.php?p=9736249&postcount=26




cos88 - kc16


http://www.insidehoops.com/forum/showpost.php?p=9736405&postcount=29

vs

http://www.insidehoops.com/forum/showpost.php?p=9737241&postcount=39




b1imtf -alenleomessi

http://www.insidehoops.com/forum/showpost.php?p=9759528&postcount=705

vs

http://www.insidehoops.com/forum/showpost.php?p=9735063&postcount=13





bosniansajo - pezt

http://www.insidehoops.com/forum/showpost.php?p=9736518&postcount=32

vs

http://www.insidehoops.com/forum/showpost.php?p=9738922&postcount=52


bump


iamgine, pezt, b1, andrew wiggins and others we want your vote especially in my matchup with kc16 as it is 2-2 now :D

[Bosnian Sajo]

...

[b1imtf]

Read your PM now cos88.


I vote for coss88. Better overall team... kc16 is playing with 9 players basically. Ramires is bad at right-wing and Mikel is Mikel lol.


And btw, sorry guys. I explained cos why I had to stop participating. But I'm gonna have new internet installed at home this week, I'll be ready for the next draft.

[CeltsGarlic]

Even tho I hate Cole, but the team kc16 put up is still more attractive if you ask me. His reasonings are also well done. I believe him.

[kc16]

It's 3-3 between me and cos, still need votes to determine a winner in this epic clash....Who will come out on top.

[Andrew Wiggins]

cos88 vs. kc16 - cos88 - i think his kc has the best defense in the draft but his offense is relatively weak for a tournament like this. ayew and ramires don't offer a ton of width and ramires especially isn't at his best out wide and his fullbacks don't get forward quite as much anymore so it leads to a really narrow attack. while cos' defense isn't quite as strong as kc's, i really like the way the attack is built with muller, robben, and pedro playing behind higuain who fits seamlessly with them.

sajo vs. pezt - this was a tough one for me but i'll have to give the slight edge to sajo. i think cuadrado would struggle mightily against the likes of lucas and hazard while using iniesta out wide doesn't maximize his incredible skills although he is still very good there. sajo's personnel fit a bit better and i think his team would have the edge in a lot of the individual battles.

b1imtf vs. alen - i have to go with alen here. his midfield is excellent and aguero and negredo have proven to be a lethal pairing. his defenders aren't world beaters but are quite good with solid two way fullbacks and a very good keeper. b1's selections per country were a bit weak. ogbonna from italy, gaitan from argentina, and zuniga from colombia all left me wanting better options.

[cos88]

http://www.ultraimg.com/images/v46rW.jpg





http://www.ultraimg.com/images/7ajWV.png


ljj - bosniansajo

http://www.insidehoops.com/forum/showpost.php?p=9736249&postcount=26

vs

http://www.insidehoops.com/forum/showpost.php?p=9736518&postcount=32

[CeltsGarlic]

Sajo 100%

[cos88]

tough matchup for ljj, he had a great tournament made it to the semis but this is where it stops. simply put sajo has a better team with very little flaws, if any.

[kc16]

I'm going with sajo as well, his team is just an overall tier higher than ljj. Sajo to me had the best team in his bracket with ljj second, it's good at least the best teams in there bracket battle out.

[Jasi]

Considering that LJJ had to pick his players all at once late in the draft, he did a great job. Close to beating Sajo's team, but he doesn't make it.
The midfield is especially where this match is decided, X.Alonso-Vidal is just too much.

[cos88]

Considering that LJJ had to pick his players all at once late in the draft, he did a great job. Close to beating Sajo's team, but he doesn't make it.


wow forgot about that one. he did a great job to be honest.

[Overdrive]

kc vs cos:

In case you didn't consider my semivote yet, I take kc for the same reasons I think my team could've won in a real game:

If you seperate M

[kc16]

O thank you overdrive, I'm not gonna lie I was nervous cos was gonna get another vote. 4-4 now, biting my nails here lol.

If I can make it past this round I'm changing my starting lineup, if that's okay...

[cos88]

it's like my matchup with bosniansajo all over again. vote people : ( http://www.insidehoops.com/forum/showpost.php?p=9759791&postcount=185 & http://www.insidehoops.com/forum/showpost.php?p=9772482&postcount=218 )

how the hell did i manage to be the last to pick and have the hardest part of the bracket i don't know considering i made them :lol

[alenleomessi]

sajo has better players on almost every positions.. still ljj did a good job considering he started towards the end and only had modric ( which was a questionable pick in the 1st round to begin with)

[Overdrive]

sajo has better players on almost every positions.. still ljj did a good job considering he started towards the end and only had modric ( which was a questionable pick in the 1st round to begin with)

Modric isn't that bad if you plan on having a classic playmaker.

[kc16]

it's like my matchup with bosniansajo all over again. vote people : ( http://www.insidehoops.com/forum/showpost.php?p=9759791&postcount=185 & http://www.insidehoops.com/forum/showpost.php?p=9772482&postcount=218 )

how the hell did i manage to be the last to pick and have the hardest part of the bracket i don't know considering i made them :lol

I think our bracket is much tougher than the other. I can honestly say some of the better teams were all bunched in our bracket.

[cos88]

vote people : ( http://www.insidehoops.com/forum/showpost.php?p=9759791&postcount=185 & http://www.insidehoops.com/forum/showpost.php?p=9772482&postcount=218 )


http://www.ultraimg.com/images/gtfzI.gif

[Bosnian Sajo]

Next vote for cos-kc decides it.

[kc16]

bump...

[Jasi]

what matches are still on ? I think I voted in all

[kc16]

what matches are still on ? I think I voted in all

Me and cos88, 4-4 tie right now.

[Bosnian Sajo]

Why didn't yall stop it at the same time when you started mine and LJJ's semi final matchup? It was 4-3 for cos, idk why yall kept that running at all.

[kc16]

Why didn't yall stop it at the same time when you started mine and LJJ's semi final matchup? It was 4-3 for cos, idk why yall kept that running at all.

I think it's because it is first to five and also you were blowing away your matchup. Plus overdrive didn't confirm his vote until yesterday.

[Bosnian Sajo]

bummppppppp 1 more vote..

[Bosnian Sajo]

:cry:

[cos88]

i even pm'd everybody we now played in this thread :lol 2-3 days ago that is

[Bosnian Sajo]

Can I just take my vote away? At least there will be a winner :lol

[cos88]

Can I just take my vote away? At least there will be a winner :lol


yes please. :D

[Lebowsky]

I think you guys need one extra vote to finish this match-up, so I give mine to cos88.
Both teams have some serious flaws imo. I'm seriously worried about ball movement and fluidity of kc's team. Despite the board's general feeling, I believe Ramires is rather limited and a complementary player at best, and definitely not a good choice at RMF/RW. Yaya has a tendency to run forward and lose position offensively, so that'd leave Mikel as pretty much the only player available to make the first pass out of the defense, which is critical in football, and he's also limited in that aspect imo. Additionally, there are no prolific scorers on the team other than Tevez and Yaya. He does have a remarkable defense, though. Ayew is good, but not great. Marchisio's best position is not OMF imo, but CMF.

Cos' team's defense is questionable at best. Caceres at LB? He struggled mightily at RB, and often even at his natural CB position when playing in high defenses. Fortunately for him, Ramires isn't much of a threat to exploit that. Verratti at DMF is also odd. None of those three midfielders are remarkable defenders.

Overall, I think Cos' offense would overcome kc's defense, and kc's offense I don't see working all that well or being dangerous enough all things considered.

Edit: it is close, though.

[cos88]

http://www.ultraimg.com/images/LBzv1.gif

thx for voting, i feel bad for kc16 he made such a great team but i'm sure we will make another tournament soon and he will have the chance to make it all through

[cos88]

will make the other semi matchup soon, i'm considering changing my team.

[Lebowsky]

http://www.ultraimg.com/images/LBzv1.gif

thx for voting, i feel bad for kc16 he made such a great team but i'm sure we will make another tournament soon and he will have the chance to make it all through

I do too, I feel bad about entering the thread for the first time and voting against him, but I do feel your offense would trump his defense.

[kc16]

Woke up and found out I lost ugggh. So close but oh well, good luck cos88 as well as others. Still though I like Ramires maybe not the best choice at RM. I should've changed up the lineup to fit Ramires better though.

Also sajo if your vote was gonna get removed, you better hope you don't get in a tie or a close matcup. Don't expect my vote :lol :lol.

[Bosnian Sajo]

Woke up and found out I lost ugggh. So close but oh well, good luck cos88 as well as others. Still though I like Ramires maybe not the best choice at RM. I should've changed up the lineup to fit Ramires better though.

Also sajo if your vote was gonna get removed, you better hope you don't get in a tie or a close matcup. Don't expect my vote :lol :lol.

Twas just a joke :cheers:


Cos, start your semi final matchup. I'm waiting in the finals :D

[cos88]

Twas just a joke :cheers:


Cos, start your semi final matchup. I'm waiting in the finals :D


i was editing my team when the power died for 10m in the whole neighborhood. will make them in the next couple of hours.

[Jasi]

i was editing my team when the power died for 10m in the whole neighborhood. will make them in the next couple of hours.

Dupa blocuri suntem noi, sa ne-ntelegi mai bine

BUG Mafia ftw

[cos88]

Dupa blocuri suntem noi, sa ne-ntelegi mai bine

BUG Mafia ftw

:lol :lol :applause: