2018 Soccer Board Draft- Group B (BUCKnation, sleepyvato, Batu7, entourage)

[kdawg32086]

Rules:
-Post your default lineup ASAP.
-Voting begins on Wednesday and we are voting for all 3 matches in each group at the same time. Please post your vote as a response in each group thread, along with any commentary that you feel might be helpful in explaining your choice (not required).
-Top two in each group advance to the round of 8, along with the two 3rd place squads with the most points.

Group B
-BUCKnation
-sleepyvato
-Batu7
-entourage

Match Day 1:
-BUCKnation vs. sleepyvato
-Batu7 vs. entourage

Match Day 2:
-BUCKnation vs. entourage
-sleepyvato vs. Batu7

Match Day 3:
-BUCKnation vs. Batu7
-sleepyvato vs. entourage

[sleepyvato]

Subs

Arjen Robben
Marek Hamšík
Mateo Kovačić
Nicolás Otamendi

Tactics

My goal when building this team was to put together a highly experienced and well oiled machine that could not only play counter attacking football but also be able to hold possession effectively. Starting at the back, I have Alisson in goal, who with his outstanding reflexes and solid concentration, will do what he does best which is make great saves up close and from long range. In possession, he will focus on distributing the ball up the field in an effective manner.

My back four begins with two well rounded fullbacks in Alex Sandro and Héctor Bellerín, who will focus on providing extra width on the midfield, looking to cross or put in a through ball whenever the opportunity for each arises. When my team doesn't have the ball, they will focus predominantly on their defensive duties. Looking to win the ball back so that my team can quickly hit my opponent on the counter.

In the middle of my defensive back line, I have the legendary Italian CB pairing in Giorgio Chiellini and Leonardo Bonucci. Bonucci will focus on sweeping up balls from behind the defensive line with his great tactical awareness and strong intercepting abilities. Bonucci will also look to turn defense into instant offense with his fantastic passing. Chiellini will focus on stopping the opposing attackers, win the ball without giving away a free kick and get it cleared safely up field in a no-nonsense manner. He will have a stopper role, meaning that he will push ahead of the defensive line and close down players before they get to the area.

The center of my midfield contains two tactically astute and high work rate midfielders in Marco Verratti and Fabinho. Fabinho's main duty will be to sit in the hole between the defense and the midfield, intercepting moves, winning the ball and laying off simple passes to his more creative teammates. Verratti will focus on connecting my defense and attack with his pinpoint passing. Without possession, he will look to sit back in midfield and clog up my opponent's passing lanes in order to recover the ball.

On the left side of my midfield, Koke will push up to support the attack, often surging late into the box to get on the end of crosses and pull backs as well as providing a threat from distance. On the right side of my midfield, Ángel Di María will aim to beat his man on the outside, ready to surge into space. He will try and run at the defense in the final third, causing panic and indecision prior to shooting or attempting to make a through ball/cross to a teammate. Defensively, both Koke and Di María will aim to press the opposing full backs, win the ball high up the pitch and either hold it up for the rest of the team, get in a quick cross or put in a through ball.

In attack, I have two complete forwards in Luis Suárez and Sergio Agüero who's numbers this past season combine for a total of 61 goals and 25 assists. They will look to take advantage of any opportunities created for them and they will also look to play off of one another. Both are equally deadly finishers and solid chance creators. Suárez will drop back a bit looking to pick the ball up and work it forward to spearhead attacking opportunities, by using his pace, play making and dribbling abilities in his favor. Agüero will sit on the shoulder of the last defender, looking to break the defensive line and run onto through balls with his excellent positioning, movement and awareness. Both will track back to help the team on defense by pressuring the opponent's CB's into making mistakes that my team can quickly capitalize on.

Set Pieces

Set piece taker: Marco Verratti (except direct FK’s – Luis Suárez).
Penalty kick taker: Sergio Agüero.

[entourage]

Neymar ---- PierreEmerickAubameyang ---- Paulo Dybala
----------------- SergeMilinkovic-Savic ----------------------
---------- MoussaDembele ---- NemanjaMatic------------
BenjaminMendy - ThiagoSilva - JeromeBoateng - SergeAurier
------------------------- JanOblak -------------------------

Subs:
RW- Malcolm
FW- Richarlison
DF- David Luiz
MF- Marcelo Brozovic

Front to back, I believe I have put together the strongest team for this tournament. It's a 4-3-3 based on a strong backline with excellent passers, dominating midfield to break up play and get the ball quickly to attackers, and lethal pace+precision up front.

GK- Jan Oblak: arguably the world's current top GK, he's been in UEFA and LaLiga's Team of the Season 3 years running
RB- Serge Aurier: strong, physical right sided player who gets up and down the pitch and provides precision crosses
CB- Thiago Silva: has captained some of the strongest sides in the world, is quick, strong, with great passing
CB- Jerome Boateng: strong and excellent in the air, arguably the best passing CB in the world
LB- Benjamin Mendy: physical 2-way player who is the best crossing left back in the world and provides cover for Neymar cutting in
CDM- Nemanja Matic: the wall in front of the backline, breaks up everything, and keeps it moving
CDM- Moussa Dembele: physical, excellent passer, great ball retention
CAM- Serge Milinkovic-Savic: a stronger Paul Pogba who can pass, dribble, strike from long range. complete box to box midfielder
RW- Paulo Dybala: "the next Messi", single handedly knocked out Barca from the UCL, he's dynamite cutting in on his left foot.
ST- Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang: fastest ST in the world will stretch defenses, leaving space for Neymar and Dybala to cut in.
LW- Neymar: one of only a handful of true difference makers in the world. creates goals out of nothing.

Bench: Richarlison is one of the most inform forwards, capable of changing a game off the bench and can play across the front line. Width and pace with Malcolm, who could also start at RW with Paulo Dybala moving just underneath Aubameyang or even playing up top as the #9. David Luiz provides cover for the CB's and CDM's. Marcelo Brozovic gives us a more finesse midfield option to pair with Matic/Dembele.

[BUCKnation]

https://imgur.com/a/fH6Vdk1

Bench: Mertens, Sule, Lozano, Luiz Gustavo

This will be my go to lineup. It initially looks a bit light in the midfield, but with high work rate wingers like Reus and especially Willian, they can deal. Kante is Kante and can handle much of the defensive duties while Eriksen and Silva work they creative magic to free up the top 3. The back line is strong. All CB's can handle the ball with their feet and get it wide to the full backs.

Subs wise and in game switches consists of using Gustavo in Kante's place and moving Kante up the field for either of the two other midfielders. Mertens can cover any wing or striker, along with Reus. Lozano can burn tired legs and Sule can be potentially deployed as a 3rd CB to make the wing backs extra dangerous.

Another lineup could be potentially putting either one of SIlva or Eriksen out wide and running something like a 442 with Reus and Higuain up top.