All Time Soccer Tourney Group A Lehigh98 v Native (1 Viewer)

This is a thread for a match in the All-Time Soccer/Football Greatest XI Tournament.  Your votes will influence the shape of this match by assigning a team with a 60% supermajority in any given category useful advantages in our 12 dice rolling rounds that determine gameplay events.  Specifically, before each voting is accounted for each team is assigned 2 rolls (of a 20 sided die) against an "Advantage" table meant to denote a high probability of favorable game events, 2 rolls against a "Neutral" table with an equal distribution of positive and negative events, and 2 rolls against a "Disadvantage" table with a higher probability of negative game events for the rolling team.  Bonuses are accounted as followed.

• A team that 60% or more of voters believe will create more chances will receive one extra roll against the "Advantage" table that is more probably to generate goals and other positive gameplay events for that player in lieu of a roll against the "Neutral" table.  The team that receives less than 40% of that vote will receive one less roll against the "Advantage" table and will roll that event against the "Neutral" table instead.
   
  
• A team that 60% or more of voters believe will have better finishing will be entitled to roll a six-sided die on "near scoring events."  A roll of 5 or 6 converts that event to a goal.  A player may continue to use saving rolls for each near goal event until he has a successful savings roll. 
   
  
• A team the 60% or more voters believe will have a better defense will receive one fewer roll against the "Disadvantage" table and instead roll a "Neutral" roll.  A team with 40% of fewer of the votes in this category will receive one additional roll against the "Disadvantage) table instead of a Neutral roll.
   
  
• A team that 60% or more of the voters believe has better goalkeeping will be entitled to roll a six-sided die on any of his opponent's scoring events.  A roll of 5 or 6 will result in a Save instead of a goal on that event.  A player may continue to attempt savings rolls for each goal event until he has a successful savings roll.
   
  
• The team that 60% of voters believe is most vulnerable to a counter-attack will be subject to "Counter" savings rolls on "Counter" events on the Advantage and Neutral tables.  The team will roll a six-sided die.  A result of 1, 2, or 3 will result in a counter-attacking goal against that side.
   
  
• The team that 60% or more voters believe has better offensive subs may use the better of TWO D20 rolls on any one roll subsequent to the substitution (designated in advance).
   
  
• The team that 60% or more voters believe has better defensive subs may require his opponent to roll TWO D20 rolls on any Opponent roll subsequent to the substitution with only the worst result applying.
  

Please consider the home stadium and managers when voting if you believe that it would make a difference in the outcome of the game. 

I will present Lehigh98's lineup and tactics in a post below.  Native will post his own lineup and tactics. 

Interview with 


Inés Sainz








You open up your tournament with a game against  Lehigh 98, what are your thoughts on him passing up Lehigh 1 through Lehigh 97?

NATIVE- There have been many great Lehighs over the years. Lehigh 27-30 were probably the golden years of Lehigh. This 98 squad reminds me most of the famous Lehigh56 squad. They were a moody, tardy bunch as well but they played good football.

What are your thoughts on Matts Hummels wanting to leave Lehigh 98 for the greener pastures of Bayern Munich? 

NATIVE- Lol

That's a fairly unprofessional response

NATIVE- *STORMS OUT*

Rosters?

FC Native fields players from 12 different countries whose playing days span across the 20’s-30’s, 50’s-60’s, 70’s, 80’s, 90’s 2000’s and today. This is the team to beat. Let me tell you why:

Manager: Arrigo Sacchi, Milan – Architect of the one of the greatest soccer teams of all-time in the 80’s and 90’s. Brought Total Football and the Beautiful Game to Italy. Inspired Guardiola and many others

Assistant Manager: Diego Simeone, Atletico Madrid. My defensive mastermind 

Home Field: Old Wembley Stadium: ‘The cathedral of football. The Capital of Football. The heart of football’.

Roster:

1. Gilmar dos Santos Neves, GK Brazil and Corinthians/Santos: Legendary goalie for the 1958 and 1962 World Cup Champions. 5X Champion with Santos in the 60's

2. Giuseppe Bergomi, RB, Italy and Inter: WC Winner, noted hard-man and FIFA 100 selection. One of the best man-markers in the world

3. Daniel Pasarella, CB, Argentina and Fiorentina: Captain of 1978 Argentina WC winning squad, one of most prolific defensive scorers ever. Another all-time hard-man per The Guardian.

4. Klaus Augenthaler, CB, Bayern Munich and Germany: Legendary Captain of Bayern Munch, 1990 World Cup Winner and 7X Bundesliga Champion. A rifle for a right leg too.

5. Leo Junior, LB, Brazil and Torino: Started two World Cups for Brazil in 80’s, Former Serie A Player of the Year and FIFA 100 selection.

6. Redondo, DM, Real Madrid and Argentina: 3X Champions League and La Liga/Serie A Winner; Ball winner and distributor par excellence.  [SIZE=11pt]Fabio Capello once called him "a tactically perfect player"[/SIZE]

7. Xavi, CM, Barcelona and Spain: Preeminent passer of his era, Five Champions Leagues, Two Euros, seven La Ligas, one World Cup. Dominates possession like no other.

8. Gianfranco Zola: Forward, Italy and Napoli/Chelsea. ‘Magic Box’ was one of the most creative forwards of his era, EPL player of the year. Passing and scoring Forward.

9. Zlatan Ibrahimović, Center Forward, Sweden: 13 titles in 15 years speaks for itself. Half man, half deity.

10. Michel Platini, Attacking Midfielder, France and Juventus: 1 of only 2 players with three consecutive Ballon D’ors (Messi). Led France to ‘84 Euro; 3X Golden Boot in Serie A (as a MF!)

11. Alessandro Del Piero, Forward. Italy and Juventus:  300+ goals in 20 years. World Cup and Serie A Champion. Passing and playmaking from an advanced position

Bench:

12. Teofillo Cubillas, Forward , Peru and Porto. The ‘Pele of Peru’; only player to score 5 goals in two different World Cups. Technique, Skill, Grace, Speed.

13. Wesley Sneijder: Midfield, Holland Ajax/Real/Inter. 5 Domestic titles and one Champions League Crown. One of the best crossers in the world. Tenacious. Can play center or wide.

14. Alan Shearer: Center Forward, England and Blackburn/Newcastle: Most prolific goal scorer in EPL history

15. Sol Campbell, Center Back, England and Arsenal/Spurs: Defensive muscle in the air and on the ground. 3X EPL Champions

16. Diego Simeone: Defensive Midfielder, Argentina and Inter/Atletico: Midfield Enforcer and undisputed team leader. Provides Defensive mettle when needed

17. Jose Leandro Andrade: Right Back Uruguay and Penarol: Best player in the world in the 1920’s and 1930’s when Uruguay won three consecutive World Titles. "An exotic touch. A more purposeful, tactically complete game is hardly imaginable"

18. Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang: Winger, Gabon and Borussia Dortmund: One for the future; Fastest player in the world today; ~40 goals in Bundesliga this season. Speed on the wing.

Tactics & Formation

FC Native Formation 

The one with the ball controls the game – Xavi

Drafting at #15, I knew I wouldn’t get the opportunity to draft an all-time great forward (Pele, Cruyff,  Messi, etc.) to lead my line. So I decided very early on to build my team through the midfield. We would play the beautiful game by dominating possession through quick, one time passing and deft ball distribution. Much like the Total Football philosophy of Cruyff/Arrigi/Guardiola and today’s great Barcelona sides, my squad would be hand-picked with players who are all skillful on the ball. The objective is to become the greatest possession team in the world.

My team will take the shape of a 4-3-3 with balls flowing through the center of the pitch.  My coach Arrigio Saachi preaches a condensed formation with only 25-30 meters separating back line from front line. The tactics demand midfielders who can make short, quick passes and are strong in possession. The outside forwards often come back to the ball, execute give-and-go’s with the midfield, and find open space to exploit. My defenders need to be quick and disciplined. The plan is to play in the opposition’s half and create endless goal scoring opportunities.

I staunchly believe I have the best midfield in the tournament. My first two picks, Platini and Xavi, are arguably the two best passers in the history of the game. They form the foundation of a dream three man midfield triangle. Think of them as an even better Xavi-Iniesta partnership (if that’s even possible) with even more goal scoring prowess.  

Redondo sits at the base of the triangle and fits the defensive midfield role perfectly – he can not only win the ball but retain it. He has been called a “one-touch perfectionist” through which the entire game flows. He will often fall back to act as a quasi-fifth defender and then quickly distribute the ball up the field.

Given my possession-based philosophy, I hand-picked my two forwards based on their 1) intelligence 2) passing ability 3) Work Rate. Del Piero and Zola were my targets from the onset. They are both two footed and can link up with my midfield via one-touch, 1-2 passing to help the build-up. They both have the work rate to help ‘partial press’ when possession is lost. It’s a bonus that they both have a wonderful eye for goal (as does Platini, who led Serie A in scoring three years in a row playing in midfield).

Zlatan is my hammer in this format as my all-time Center Forward. He will be the beneficiary of all these passes and can score 100 goals in this lineup. I also picked him because he has the ability to fall back if needed to further help the build-up. Few defenders can match his size, strength and skill.

My Central defense suits my style of play. Pasarella and Augenthaler anchor the center of the defense. Both are former team Captains who are known for their aggressiveness and discipline. They both have pile-drivers for legs (Pasarella with his left, Augenthaler with his right) and are known for scoring numerous Golazo’s from the back.

My Fullbacks/Wingbacks provide a balance of pace and discipline. Leo Junior may be the least known of my players. He owned the Left Back for Brazil in the 80’s and can provide width down the left side. Giuseppe Bergomi is the hardest of my hard-men and provides defensive mettle down the other flank.

My goalkeeper is Gilmar -the legendary keeper who helped Brazil to two consecutive World Cups victories in 1958 and 1962.

Sub Strategy:

Wesley Sneijder: Will come in for Platini if he doesn’t feel like pressing to win the ball back. He can also come in for Zola/Del Piero in the event we want more width in the front three as his crosses to Zlatan can be deadly.

Alan Shearer: Can come on for Zlatan if we want more player movement on the front line between the three attacking forwards.

Teoffillo Cubillas: One could argue he deserves to start over Zola due to his magical passing and scoring from the forward position (though my Italian coach opts for his fellow countrymen).  Regardless, Cubillas can come on in the second half to keep pressing if/when our forwards tire.

Sol Cambpell:  If needed, can replace Augenthler against teams who try to defeat us through the air. Not many big forwards to worry about here but it’s a possibility

-----------------Zlatan---------------

----Del Piero-----------  Zola----

-----------Platini------Xavi-------------

-----------------Redondo---------------

Junior—Pasarella-Auenthaler-Bergomi

------------------Gilmar----------------

Lehigh98 is the home side in this matchup.  The game will be played at Camp Nou in Barcelona.  Lehigh98's side is managed by the legendary Dutch manager, Rinus Michels, the supposed inventor of "Total Football" and architect of the Ajax teams that won three straight European Cups in the early 70s and the Dutch National Side that captivated the world in the 1974 World Cup before falling to West Germany in the final.  Michels would go on to coach with some success at Barcelona and later in the United States in the NASL with the Los Angeles Aztecs. 

The "Total Football" style relies upon a free-roaming CF (here, Kenny Dailglish in the Johan Cruyff role) and hard charging wingers with license to themselves occupy the space vacated by the center forward.  Lehigh98 employs Brazilians Garrincha and Rivaldo in these wing roles.  Garrincha, who some place above even Pele as Brazil's greatest ever player is widely considered the greatest right winger of all time.  Rivaldo both in European club football and as part the "R,R,R" trio with Ronaldo and Ronaldinho was one of the most dynamic attackers in the period around the turn of the Millenium.

Lehigh98's 4-3-3 formation will employ two attacking midfielders who will probe the spaces left vacant by the dynamic runs of his front three.  Gheorge Hagi, "the Maradona of the Carpathians" is famous as one of the signature player in the 1994 World Cup in the United States and for a long, prolific club career in Europe, and particularly in Turkey where he almost as revered as he is in his native Romania.  Enzo Francescoli, "El Principe" is a Uruguayan attacking-midfielder most renowned as the anchor of his national team through the 80s and 90s and for two highly productive stints with River Plate in Argentina. 

In the holding midfield role, Lehigh 98 will employ Gunther Netzer, a German central midfielder who is widely regarded as one of the greatest passers in the history of the game.  Netzer's impeccable distribution skills will serve the team well.

On the back line, Lehigh98 boasts Carlos Alberto, the captain of the legendary 1970 World Cup Champion Brazilian side.  On the left, Lehigh98 employs Paul Breitner, who scored a memorable goal in the 1974 World Cup Final.  Breitner was renowned as left back for ranging far from his normal position, often popping up in central midfield (where he played for much of the latter part of his career).  Breitner offers unpredictability to an attack that already relies on fluid interchange of positions.   At centerback, Lehigh starts Bobby Moore, captain of England's 1966 World Cup winning team and widely considered one of the finest defenders of all time.  Partnering Moore is one of the most highly regarded centerbacks in the world today, Germany and Borussia Dortmund's Mats Hummels.

Finally, in goal, Lehigh starts the legendary Dino Zoff, who capped a long, brilliant career in Serie A by being named the best GK in the 1982 World Cup that he won with Italy at the age of 40.

Lehigh98  --  4-3-3

GK Dino Zoff

RB Carlos Alberto

CB Bobby Moore

CB Mats Hummels

CM  Gunter Netzer

AMR Enzo Francescoli

AML  Gheorge Hagi

RW  Garrincha

ST  Kenny Dailglish

LW  Rivaldo

Bench

Ole Gunnar Solskaer -- ST (substitute extraordinaire for Manchester United)

Just Fontaine -- ST (record holder for goals in a single World Cup tournament with 13 goals in six games)

Hong Myung-bo -D (leader of the fairy tale South Korean side that reached the World Cup semifinals in 2002)

Juan Sebastian Veron  -- CM (deep-lying playmaker twice named South American footballer of the year)

Rinat Dasaeyev -- GK (widely considered second only to the great Lev Yashin among Russian/Soviet goalkeepers)

Roberto Ayala -- D (longtime center back for Argentina)

Gary Lineker -- ST (Golden Boot winner in the 1986 World Cup and one of the finest strikers of his generation for Leicester City, Everton, Barcelona, and Tottenham Hotspur)

Manager:  Rinus Michels

Home Ground:  Camp Nou

You're a good man RHE 

3-0 to the home side

The Gator said:

3-0 to the home side

Click to expand...

Balls

Wait, to the visitors

I saw your post about Wembley and assumed you were home

Scouting Report

To:  Rinus Michels, Manager, Lehigh 98 FC

From:  Ramsay Hunt, Director of Scouting

re:  FC Native Advance Scouting

Gaffer, as directed I have assessed the capabilities and tactical tendencies of our first opponent in the tournament FC Native.

Strengths:  Ball possession, chance creation, composure on the ball, finishing, long distance shooting from CB Daniel Passarella, physical presence in the penalty area.

Potential weaknesses:  Ball winning, overall athleticism/defensive commitment in midfield, lack of natural width except for LB Junior.

Analysis:

FC Native employs a highly technical forward line and midfield, capable of retaining possession and creating chances in very tight areas.  In Ibrahimovic, they have a physical yet skillful striker who is perhaps unique in this competition.  Platini is one of the two best dual threat chance-creation/goal scoring midfielders in the tournament, but Native's formation will employ him in a slightly more withdrawn position that was typical for him.  The forward line and midfield employs all "piano players" and no "piano movers", although Redondo's immense footballing IQ will allow him to cover possible gaps even if he lacks the elite pace and competiveness of the most combative defensive midfielders.  Zola and Del Piero will each tend to play toward corner of the penalty area as opposed to stretching the defense to the touchlines.  Junior will provide overlapping width on the left side but Bergomi should primarily stay home.

While we are unlikely to win the possession battle in this game, our team is well situated to use our possession positively.  We have Netzer to distribute quickly and a dynamic, mobile front three that is likely to bypass the crowded midfield and present matchup problems for an isolated back four.  Defensively, we must deal with Ibrahimovic's presence in the box and Netzer must carefully track Platini's runs from deep.

Ramsay Hunt Experience said:

Lehigh98 is the home side in this matchup.  The game will be played at Camp Nou in Barcelona.  Lehigh98's side is managed by the legendary Dutch manager, Rinus Michels, the supposed inventor of "Total Football" and architect of the Ajax teams that won three straight European Cups in the early 70s and the Dutch National Side that captivated the world in the 1974 World Cup before falling to West Germany in the final.  Michels would go on to coach with some success at Barcelona and later in the United States in the NASL with the Los Angeles Aztecs. 

The "Total Football" style relies upon a free-roaming CF (here, Kenny Dailglish in the Johan Cruyff role) and hard charging wingers with license to themselves occupy the space vacated by the center forward.  Lehigh98 employs Brazilians Garrincha and Rivaldo in these wing roles.  Garrincha, who some place above even Pele as Brazil's greatest ever player is widely considered the greatest right winger of all time.  Rivaldo both in European club football and as part the "R,R,R" trio with Ronaldo and Ronaldinho was one of the most dynamic attackers in the period around the turn of the Millenium.

Lehigh98's 4-3-3 formation will employ two attacking midfielders who will probe the spaces left vacant by the dynamic runs of his front three.  Gheorge Hagi, "the Maradona of the Carpathians" is famous as one of the signature player in the 1994 World Cup in the United States and for a long, prolific club career in Europe, and particularly in Turkey where he almost as revered as he is in his native Romania.  Enzo Francescoli, "El Principe" is a Uruguayan attacking-midfielder most renowned as the anchor of his national team through the 80s and 90s and for two highly productive stints with River Plate in Argentina. 

In the holding midfield role, Lehigh 98 will employ Gunther Netzer, a German central midfielder who is widely regarded as one of the greatest passers in the history of the game.  Netzer's impeccable distribution skills will serve the team well.

On the back line, Lehigh98 boasts Carlos Alberto, the captain of the legendary 1970 World Cup Champion Brazilian side.  On the left, Lehigh98 employs Paul Breitner, who scored a memorable goal in the 1974 World Cup Final.  Breitner was renowned as left back for ranging far from his normal position, often popping up in central midfield (where he played for much of the latter part of his career).  Breitner offers unpredictability to an attack that already relies on fluid interchange of positions.   At centerback, Lehigh starts Bobby Moore, captain of England's 1966 World Cup winning team and widely considered one of the finest defenders of all time.  Partnering Moore is one of the most highly regarded centerbacks in the world today, Germany and Borussia Dortmund's Mats Hummels.

Finally, in goal, Lehigh starts the legendary Dino Zoff, who capped a long, brilliant career in Serie A by being named the best GK in the 1982 World Cup that he won with Italy at the age of 40.

Lehigh98  --  4-3-3

GK Dino Zoff

RB Carlos Alberto

CB Bobby Moore

CB Mats Hummels

CM  Gunter Netzer

AMR Enzo Francescoli

AML  Gheorge Hagi

RW  Garrincha

ST  Kenny Dailglish

LW  Rivaldo

Bench

Ole Gunnar Solskaer -- ST (substitute extraordinaire for Manchester United)

Just Fontaine -- ST (record holder for goals in a single World Cup tournament with 13 goals in six games)

Hong Myung-bo -D (leader of the fairy tale South Korean side that reached the World Cup semifinals in 2002)

Juan Sebastian Veron  -- CM (deep-lying playmaker twice named South American footballer of the year)

Rinat Dasaeyev -- GK (widely considered second only to the great Lev Yashin among Russian/Soviet goalkeepers)

Roberto Ayala -- D (longtime center back for Argentina)

Gary Lineker -- ST (Golden Boot winner in the 1986 World Cup and one of the finest strikers of his generation for Leicester City, Everton, Barcelona, and Tottenham Hotspur)

Manager:  Rinus Michels

Home Ground:  Camp Nou

Click to expand...

Thanks RHE, I really appreciate it!

K:

Need to read the stuff before voting

{Putting on my neutral hat}

I think this is a very interesting matchup.  I suspect that Native's team is going to be very popular in this competition, but I think there are elements of Lehigh's lineup that provide some matchup problems. 

Both teams will play an attractive style, but I do think that both teams could have used at least one more ball winner/ground coverer in midfield.  I'm not sure I'd trust any left back to lock down Garrincha on the right flank, but Junior is one of the better candidates.  I think he's carrying a ton of two-way responsibility, though.  By having a modern CB like Hummels, Lehigh is one of the teams best suited to handle Zlatan. 

I still gave Native the advantage in finishing and chance creation.  I gave Lehigh the advantage in goaltending.  I gave Native the advantage in defending by virtue of at least having a nominal DM.  Nevertheless I thought Native was slightly more susceptible to the counter if only because of the quality of Lehigh's wingers. 

We need @mr. furley in here

Will give my votes shortly. Just an opinion, we might want to do just one game per day, to make sure we have enough time to analyze the matchups.

Ramsay Hunt Experience said:

{Putting on my neutral hat}

I think this is a very interesting matchup.  I suspect that Native's team is going to be very popular in this competition, but I think there are elements of Lehigh's lineup that provide some matchup problems. 

Both teams will play an attractive style, but I do think that both teams could have used at least one more ball winner/ground coverer in midfield.  I'm not sure I'd trust any left back to lock down Garrincha on the right flank, but Junior is one of the better candidates.  I think he's carrying a ton of two-way responsibility, though.  By having a modern CB like Hummels, Lehigh is one of the teams best suited to handle Zlatan. 

I still gave Native the advantage in finishing and chance creation.  I gave Lehigh the advantage in goaltending.  I gave Native the advantage in defending by virtue of at least having a nominal DM.  Nevertheless I thought Native was slightly more susceptible to the counter if only because of the quality of Lehigh's wingers. 

Click to expand...

I thought that Native would be less susceptible to counters given the back 4 plus Redondo.  Even if Platini over commits going forward Xavi will be home covering the midfield.  Also, the LB/RB are less likely to commit to going forward with Junior having his hands full with Garrincha and Bergomi with Rivaldo.  It's a pretty conservative lineup so I don't think anyone with be out of position to get countered. 

For further analysis of this game, I'm interviewing soccer entrepreneur and confidante to legends Charlie Stillitano.

RHE:  Charlie, it's great to have you.

Good to see you too Ramsay.  I was just having high tea with Sir Bobby Charlton and he told me to say Hi to you.

RHE:  I don't know Sir Bobby.

Well, maybe it was J.P. Dellacamera ...

RHE:  So what do you think of today's matchup.

It's compelling.  I was talking to Sir Alex at lunch today and I thought he said something very interesting ...

RHE:  What were his thoughts on the game?

Oh, it wasn't about the game, but he said that he felt that Syrah was an underrated varietal and asked me if I planned to finish the bottle.

RHE:  Well, our viewers will want your insight into the game.  What do you think of Michel Platini?

A great dinner companion.  Normally orders the sole meuniere.

RHE:  Well, what about Del Piero, isn't he the X-factor in Native's team?

Listen, I can tell you about Del Piero.  Everybody remembers his amazing goal in the 2006 World Cup semifinals, right.

RHE:  Right, can he do the same against Lehigh98's defense.

Well the night before that goal, Marcelo Lippi and I were at this German/Turkish discotheque getting loaded on Sambuca ...

RHE:  Well, that's all the time we have for now.  Thanks so much for your insight, Charlie.

: lmao:

The Gator said:

: lmao:

Click to expand...

Even though a grand total of two people will probably get that joke, I couldn't resist.  His SiriusXM show with Phil Schoen is just brutal. 

He's a terrible name dropper so much so that I think you copied that from somewhere because that's EXACTLY how I imagine that interview would go

Rooney10 said:

I thought that Native would be less susceptible to counters given the back 4 plus Redondo.  Even if Platini over commits going forward Xavi will be home covering the midfield.  Also, the LB/RB are less likely to commit to going forward with Junior having his hands full with Garrincha and Bergomi with Rivaldo.  It's a pretty conservative lineup so I don't think anyone with be out of position to get countered. 

Click to expand...

That's just a polite way to say "neat bus, Jose Jr."

Ramsay Hunt Experience said:

{Putting on my neutral hat}

I think this is a very interesting matchup.  I suspect that Native's team is going to be very popular in this competition, but I think there are elements of Lehigh's lineup that provide some matchup problems. 

Both teams will play an attractive style, but I do think that both teams could have used at least one more ball winner/ground coverer in midfield.  I'm not sure I'd trust any left back to lock down Garrincha on the right flank, but Junior is one of the better candidates.  I think he's carrying a ton of two-way responsibility, though.  By having a modern CB like Hummels, Lehigh is one of the teams best suited to handle Zlatan. 

I still gave Native the advantage in finishing and chance creation.  I gave Lehigh the advantage in goaltending.  I gave Native the advantage in defending by virtue of at least having a nominal DM.  Nevertheless I thought Native was slightly more susceptible to the counter if only because of the quality of Lehigh's wingers. 

Click to expand...

Great write-up. Redondo is a unique player and is crucial to my team. He’s not merely a specialist ‘destroyer’ or a specialist ‘distributor’. Much like Busquets is today, he wears multiple hats. He falls back and acts like a 5th defender when needed, but also has ball retention/passing skills to keep the ball away from opposition attack. Had I not  drafted him,  I may have considered going for more of a destroyer type or field two DM’s.  But he is the pivot that solidifies my defense and sparks our attack.

@Christo needs to check in since he's unfortunately still around

The Gator said:

We need @mr. furley in here

Click to expand...

a hoy hoy

Did I get any baskets yet?

What time is kickoff?

MORE VOTES

PIK95 said:

What time is kickoff?

Click to expand...

Sometime when we have a lot more than 10 votes.

Wait until @Steve Tasker shows up

I can vote as WetDream, but Lehigh and Native will need to provide some shirtless pics.

Platini welcoming the ref for today's match

:limo:

Zlatan in mid-season form

And once @Sinn Fein is done sucking off Bernie he'll vote

The Gator said:

And once @Sinn Fein is done sucking off Bernie he'll vote

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Geez, do you kiss Cristiano with that mouth?

I wishs

No

Is 13 votes enough to start? Sure would like to be here when this happens!

Surprised by the votes so far.  I like Lehigh's offense much more.  Blowback from his drafting style?

Native said:

Is 13 votes enough to start? Sure would like to be here when this happens!

Click to expand...

I've normally tried to give games a PM and an AM to get votes.  I don't mind doing it early, but obviously Lehigh would have to agree first.  Right now, it's a decent split of bonuses.

Ramsay Hunt Experience said:

I can vote as WetDream, but Lehigh and Native will need to provide some shirtless pics.

Click to expand...

How about some comparison pics instead?

Hummels 1

Hummels 2

Ramsay Hunt Experience said:

I've normally tried to give games a PM and an AM to get votes.  I don't mind doing it early, but obviously Lehigh would have to agree first.  Right now, it's a decent split of bonuses.

Click to expand...

OK I see. Didnt realize. Just be aware Im out all day tomorrow at an offsite. So you will have to make due without my weak shtik.

Native said:

OK I see. Didnt realize. Just be aware Im out all day tomorrow at an offsite. So you will have to make due without my weak shtik.

Click to expand...

No, I knew that.  If we can do it tonight we will.  But I'm just about to leave the office here, and I'm out of pocket for a few hours myself. 

Nobody cares about lehigh's thoughts on starting

There, I said it

The Gator said:

Nobody cares about lehigh's thoughts on starting

There, I said it

Click to expand...

Noted.

Ramsay Hunt Experience said:

No, I knew that.  If we can do it tonight we will.  But I'm just about to leave the office here, and I'm out of pocket for a few hours myself. 

Click to expand...

I'll post shirtless pics in the interim

Platini scoring a free kick vs Zoff 

Native said:

Platini scoring a free kick vs Zoff 

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Hey goalie, there's a post there.

Native really sold his team well.  

Voted