Forum Tournament Group Stage - Group C

[Matty]

Marquinhos will never have to face Tevez one on one because there will always be extra defensive help thanks to the fact that Besic and Medel are playing instead of Pirlo and Xabi.

[ATL Boy]

Marquinhos will never have to face Tevez one on one because there will always be extra defensive help thanks to the fact that Besic and Medel are playing instead of Pirlo and Xabi.

Medel tracking back a few feet to help dispossess Tevez won't leave much of a gap in the middle.

[Matty]

And lets say you have Medel backtracking on Tevez alongside Marquinhos, Iniesta and kuba are on the wings dealing with my wingers, now you have Besic in the middle dealing with Ramsey and Thiago advancing, how are you planning on stopping both of them moving forward with a player that just came from the Hungarian league? It looks like a defeated game plan to me.

[ATL Boy]

And lets say you have Medel backtracking on Tevez alongside Marquinhos, Iniesta and kuba are on the wings dealing with my wingers, now you have Besic in the middle dealing with Ramsey and Thiago advancing, how are you planning on stopping both of them moving forward with a player that just came from the Hungarian league? It looks like a defeated game plan to me.

Not at all. When going one on two against two very good defensive players Tevez will get dispossessed or lose the ball, he's a player that loves dribbling and trying to create for himself more so than for his teammates, and that'll be his downfall. But let's entertain the hypothetical notion of Tevez passing the ball to Ramsey or Thiago or one of your wingers. You're seriously underestimating Besic because of his former league, he wasn't just some player in Hungary he was the best player in the Hungarian league by a wide margin. He also completely shut Messi down in Bosnia's game against Argentina, up until his own teammate (Bicakcic) tackled him in the 2nd half, which led to Messi's goal. Besic will be just fine taking on Ramsey or Thiago one on one, and if both of them advance at the same time then Medel or Marquinhos should have enough time to recover and help out. Also, it won't be Iniesta and Kuba covering your wingers, it'll be my backs: Marcelo and Lichtsteiner, which will give Iniesta and Kuba the chance to get back and help out whoever needs help, if need be.

[Matty]

Also, it won't be Iniesta and Kuba covering your wingers, it'll be my backs: Marcelo and Lichtsteiner, which will give Iniesta and Kuba the chance to get back and help out whoever needs help, if need be.

As if I needed more ammo. This will give Carvajal and Boetang the green light all game to attack your flanks while your side backs are handling Valbuena and Lucas.

To end off my pitch, because it doesn't look like the people voting are checking out the stats:

My front trio - 51 goals
ATL's entire lineup, 41 goals. 42 if you count the goalkeeper.

[ATL Boy]

Also, it won't be Iniesta and Kuba covering your wingers, it'll be my backs: Marcelo and Lichtsteiner, which will give Iniesta and Kuba the chance to get back and help out whoever needs help, if need be.

As if I needed more ammo. This will give Carvajal and Boetang the green light all game to attack your flanks while your side backs are handling Valbuena and Lucas.

To end off my pitch, because it doesn't look like the people voting are checking out the stats:

My front trio - 51 goals
ATL's entire lineup, 41 goals. 42 if you count the goalkeeper.

Me saying Iniesta and Kuba can help out whoever because they're free is only if your backs don't venture forward. If they do then Iniesta and Kuba will certainly be covering them. You're also just re-enforcing my notion that if one of your players gets dispossessed (Besic and Medel are natural ball winners), then your team is subject to a lethal counter thanks to Iniesta's dribbling ability and Kuba's breakaway speed. If you're sending Boetang and Carvajal forward then it'll basically be 4 on 2 the other way when your team loses the ball.

[Foye]

Man I always had to refuse to vote for the 2nd tie reading Boetang and Blazyzchkowski. How shall I believe you have seen these players play and use them in your favour when you can't even spell their names?

In all fairness, Kuba probably has the most difficult name ever, though.

[Ted Lasso]

There will be a run-off between a Foye win and a DD12 win.

ATL Boy has defeated Matty.

[ATL Boy]

Same Formation and philosophy going against Foye:

Offense:
Just like against Matty, defense will lead to offense through counter attacks. Bale, Isco, De Bruyne, and Rakitic all like to get forward and help out with attack, and so do Alaba and Kyle Walker. Besic and Medel have insanely high motors and are natural ball winners. All it'll take is for one of them, or one one of my defenders, to take the ball away and it'll be off to the races for Kuba and Iniesta. If Alaba and Walker get caught cheating forward in attack (which they will because they're more offensive minded players) then the only thing standing in between a possible 4 on 2 break will be Herrera: who isn't fast enough to keep up with Kuba (or maybe even Iniesta) and who would get beaten by Iniesta one on one. Maybe Rakitic might track back but by the time the ball gets to Kuba or Iniesta and they're off to the races it'll be too late because they'll be in full stride. Lukaku and Benteke will be a nightmare in the air, but Iniesta or Kuba can also bring the ball in and get it to one of the clinical finishing Belgians after they've gotten the CBs' attention.

Defense:
With six defensive minded players on my side of the field, the defense will be difficult to penetrate. Yilmaz will be shut down by Cahill, and the only real concern will be Bale: who will be forced farther out to the wing by Lichsteiner, where his only options will be to: A) cross it into the box where the only real threat in the air (Yilmaz) will be shadowed by my best and tallest defender, or to cut in where he'll be met by Marquinhos who will be giving support to Lichsteinter. Passing lanes to a possible incoming Isco or Rakitic will be closed off by my CDMs. If Bale isn't forced farther out to the wing, and decides to cut right away instead, then he'll be met head on by Medel. Because Foye's midfielders are short and his only aerial threat in Yilmaz will be in Cahill's pocket, all his crosses will be futile, and the only way to create real chances will be to go through the middle which will be blanketed by Besic and Medel giving support to my defenders, and which will make it easier to take the ball away and force a quick counter attack.

Just like last game, when I'm up in the 2nd half, I'll take out Benteke for Kolasinac (a third CB) and create an indestructible full bunker. When his players go all out attack, looking to salvage a result, a back breaking counter will be inevitable when my ball winners take the ball away.

[Ted Lasso]

El treizco has defeated Matty.

ATL Boy has defeated Foye.

Foye has defeated DD12.

[Ted Lasso]

ATL can you post your lineup again please? I think the link may be dead.

[ATL Boy]

ATL can you post your lineup again please? I think the link may be dead.

Sure, this is the lineup I used the last two games.

[DD12]

Use this11.com for drawing your football tactics

Veratti-Paulinho will do fine with back four. Lukaku-Benteke is an appetizer for Chiellini-Mascherano. Ashley Cole will be fine against Kuba. Nagatomo getting help from Paulinho-Veratti-Mascherano will do fine against slow and non-physical Iniesta.

As soon as we get the ball, our main guy is Mata. With Mata moving the ball forward, Robben and Gervinho on the sides with Dzeko up front.

[ATL Boy]

Defense:
Defense will be extremely hard to break. Love Dzeko but he won't do anything against Cahill: on the ground or in the air, therefor crosses are taken out of the equation. Mata is good on the ball but isn't very good when he doesn't have it, so he shouldn't be that hard to cover when he's without the ball. Robben is on the left side so he shouldn't be that difficult to stop when he cuts in (which he LOVES to do) because then he'll have to work with his right foot. Lichsteiner shouldn't have too difficult of a time dealing with him when he cuts in, and if he does then Medel will be there for support. If his players get caught cheating in attack the counter option on the wings is always there, although it's not my main philosophy like it was last game.

Offense:
Iniesta, Farfan, and Pirlo (who's in a strictly attacking position, and won't have to do any defending) are all very good play-makers and should be able to maintain most of the possession and find Lukaku with a perfect ball to beat the defense. If Iniesta draws too much attention from too many of his defenders he can lay it off to Pirlo who will have space to execute a deadly pass to Lukaku. Cole also isn't that great, I like Farfan's chances against him. If we lose the ball at all in midfield there won't be any chance for a counter since we have so many defensive minded players on our side of the field.

If we're up in the 2nd half, we bring in Kolasinac (as a third CB) for Pirlo, and Kuba for Farfan (because of the speed) and let the opponent go all in with an attack before sealing it with a quick counter.

[treiz]

2 wins out of 2, might as well roll with the same line up

[Ted Lasso]

DD12 has defeated ATL Boy.

El treizco has defeated Foye.

[DD12]

What a come back!!

[Ted Lasso]

Foye has defeated Matty.

El treizco has defeated DD12.

[Foye]

So what are we gonna do if we have three guys tied?

[Ted Lasso]

El treizco has won the group.

ATL Boy has placed 2nd.*

*This group is inevitably going to cause some confusion. Since head-to-head was the tie-breaker of choice, i applied its progressive criteria as dictated by the Champions League's official regulations.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2013%E2%80 ... iebreakers