World Cup Draft Match One: Mitch Connor v Mr. Guappa

The Volt

Welcome to the first knockout phase of the Boards.ie World Cup Draft. This thread is for the competitors only so if you want to discuss the happenings of the game then please make use of the discussion thread.

The floor is now open to Mitch Connor and Mr. Guappa to post their team, formation and some in-depth analysis as to why their team would progress. Voting will remain open for 24 hours. In the unlikely event of a tie then a poll will be added and the Forum will be used as a tiebreaker.

Good luck to all participants and these matches should make for some good banter and interesting discussion.

Mr. Guappa

Mitch Connor

My Team:



My team is very solid at the back, with one of the top goalkeepers in the world behind two of the best centre-halfs around. My full backs are both very good defensively and will be given licence to bomb forward when the oppurtunity presents itself.

In front of my back four, van Bommel and Zokora will offer protection. Both have plenty of energy to hassle opposition players and to supplement the attack on occasion.

Muller has been one of the best players at the World Cup. Himself and Dempsey will work hard to help out the full backs and also offer a huge goalscoring threat themselves. Fabregas will be given a free role to go and influence the game, while Eusebio will be a constant threat up top, while also dropping deep on occasion and switching positions with Muller.

Mitch Connor

...........Benalgio

Friedrich - Toure - King - Criscito

........De Rossi - Scholes

Di Natale---Sneijder---Mata

---

Muller

A solid league winning keeper playing as number 1 in the meanest team in World Cup history.

Two solid and experienced, strong, pacey centre backs. tough to get past.

An experienced right back who has played regularly for a team famed for its defensive ability. A promising left back for a team usualy known for its quality defending.

In midfield I have 3 absolutely fantasic passers of the ball, and in Scholes and De Rossi I have two players who like to put a tackle in, giving me good bite and plenty of experience in the important middle of the park.

Out wide I have Di Natale, who was a bit of a let down in the competition I will admit. I was fooled by these bunch of ametuer hacks...;-D

Still he is a proven goal scorer in italy with a good bit of creativity and pace.

Mata on the wing has been one of the top wingers in Spain over the last couple of seasons - pace, trickery (see him making a fool of Albiol in training), and a good goals and assists record too.

Up top though - Gerd Muller - one of the best goal scorers in international football history, in world cup history, in club football history - one of the very best strikers to play the game and an absolute guarantee of goals.

I think, over all, my team is the better in this pairing.

Mr. Guappa

Mitch Connor

I think that my team is by far the stronger in this tie. I would question the defensive strength of Mitch's team. I've never been convinced that Kolo Toure is a good central defender, he is liable to fall asleep and lose his position a couple of times a game. Ledley King didn't get a real chance to prove himself at this World Cup but in the warm up game against Mexico, Franco had him in all sorts of trouble. I don't think that these two will be able to deal with my attackers.

Eusebio will be pulling into the inside right channel on occasion and in combination with Muller and van der Wiel, he will destroy Criscito. I don't see Mata and di Natale being disciplined enough to track back and offer support to Friedrich and Criscito when Cole and van der Wiel head forward.

In the centre of the park, I think that van Bommel and Zokora will be able to stifle Sneijder and reduce the creativity of your side. Scholes was a poor pick IMO: A great player in his prime, he is not able to consistently influence a game anymore.

I'm confident that Chiellini and Bruno Alves will be able to keep Gerd Muller in check and if he somehow got through he would still have to beat Cech.

Overall, I think that my team has a far greater goal threat with Eusebio, T.Muller, Dempsey, Fabregas my main threats.

Mitch Connor

greater goal threat in your lot?

Di Natale scored near 30 goals last season, Muller is one of the best goal scorers ever and Mata is more than capable of matching the goal haul any of your midfield options would offer - along with Scholes being good for a few (and bossed more than a few games last season - given more than a 3 day break between games and Scholes still has the ability to dictate and boss a game with the best of them) added to that Di Rossi and you are going to ave a tough time in midfield. On top of that I have sneijder who was one of the best players in the world last season.

As for players not showing much in the world cup... chech has hardly distinguished himself in the world cup. Neither has Alves or Chielini. Can't have a go at Toure without pointing out the inability of the midfield to protect him, the midfield with Zakora in it. Toure was a key member of the Arsenal '49ers'. Ain't easy to get past.

Your gonna big up Eusebio in comparison to Muller for goal threat? Mullers goal ratio is almost as good playing in a better league (imo) and he has a far better international record.

Mr. Guappa

Mitch Connor

As for players not showing much in the world cup... chech has hardly distinguished himself in the world cup

Cech was not at the World Cup so it would have been pretty difficult for him to distinguish himself. He was my non-World Cup round pick, and is one of the best in the world.

Yes my team has a greater goal threat. At international level di Natale has 10 goals in 36 appearances, while Mata has 3 goals in 9 appearances. At this World Cup, Di Natale struggled to get into a poor Italian team, while Mata has played a grand total of 20 minutes.

Zokora actually started alongside Toure at the centre of the Ivory Coast defence. He is a more than capable defensive shield, and along with van Bommel plus Muller and Dempsey will offer a solid bank of 4 in midfield when you have the ball. Nice attempt at deflecting attention away from the fact that Toure is a poor defender though! A top of his game Sol Campbell was beside him during Arsenals undefeated run. When Toure was called on to be a leader himself in the seasons that followed he was badly exposed.

Muller played in a great German team, while Eusebio dragged an ordinary Portugese team to the semi-finals in 1966.
In any case Muller will have a tougher job scoring against my defence than Eusebio will against your defence.

Mitch Connor

Mr. Guappa wrote: »

Cech was not at the World Cup so it would have been pretty difficult for him to distinguish himself. He was my non-World Cup round pick, and is one of the best in the world.

Edit: I see you have realised that you have realised that Cech was not at the World Cup!


Yes my team has a greater goal threat. At international level di Natale has 10 goals in 36 appearances, while Mata has 3 goals in 9 appearances. At this World Cup, Di Natale struggled to get into a poor Italian team, while Mata has played a grand total of 20 minutes.

Zokora actually started alongside Toure at the centre of the Ivory Coast defence. He is a more than capable defensive shield, and along with van Bommel plus Muller and Dempsey will offer a solid bank of 4 in midfield when you have the ball. Nice attempt at deflecting attention away from the fact that Toure is a poor defender though! A top of his game Sol Campbell was beside him during Arsenals undefeated run. When Toure was called on to be a leader himself in the seasons that followed he was badly exposed.

Muller played in a great German team, while Eusebio dragged an ordinary Portugese team to the semi-finals in 1966.
In any case Muller will have a tougher job scoring against my defence than Eusebio will against your defence.

So Mata has what, one less goal than Muller and a few less minutes at the world cup than Fabregas, you going to discount your two picks on the same grounds you are discounting mine?

As for Cech - he was at the 2006 world cup, and conceded 4 goals in the goup games, helping CR to finish third in their group (seem to remember one particularly bad howler, though that may have been in the EC) So when he has been at the WC, he has not distinguished himself as one of the best.

Your italian CB was one of those culpable for their poor performance - he looked shocking - looked an awful lump of a defender. I know that is not his usual standard, usually he is one of the best CBs around, but at this WC he was way below par.

As for Toure - shocking that a CB would look better with another good CB beside him. You'd never say that about Rio (with Vidic and vice versa) or Terry (with Carvalho). CBs rely on their partner probably more than any other pairing on the pitch and the fact is Toure was a rock with Campbel - they both needed each other and we all saw Toure as a freaking rock in that Arsenal defence.

Mr. Guappa

Mitch Connor

So Mata has what, one less goal than Muller and a few less minutes at the world cup than Fabregas, you going to discount your two picks on the same grounds you are discounting mine?

Muller has 4 goals and 3 assists in 5 games at the World Cup, Mata scored his 3 goals in Qualifying matches against the might of Estonia, Armenia and Bosnia. Fabregas started in the Spanish XI that won the Euro 2008 final.

As for Cech - he was at the 2006 world cup, and conceded 4 goals in the goup games, helping CR to finish third in their group (seem to remember one particularly bad howler, though that may have been in the EC) So when he has been at the WC, he has not distinguished himself as one of the best.

This would be the same Euro 2008 group in which a Switzerland team featuring your goalkeeper finished bottom.

Your italian CB was one of those culpable for their poor performance - he looked shocking - looked an awful lump of a defender. I know that is not his usual standard, usually he is one of the best CBs around, but at this WC he was way below par.

Meanwhile you have three members of this Italian team.

As for Toure - shocking that a CB would look better with another good CB beside him. You'd never say that about Rio (with Vidic and vice versa) or Terry (with Carvalho). CBs rely on their partner probably more than any other pairing on the pitch and the fact is Toure was a rock with Campbel - they both needed each other and we all saw Toure as a freaking rock in that Arsenal defence.

It's the current Kolo Toure that you have though, not the "freaking rock" that played for Arsenal. You have the guy that frequently looks lost at the back for Man City.

I don't think that your team is defensively strong, and I don't think that your midfield and wide players will offer enough protection to your back four. I don't see di Natale tracking back with Ashley Cole when he goes forward. I can imagine my full backs having a field day as they bomb forward and are played in behind your defence.

The Volt

Mitch Connor

Poll added.

Boskowski

Forgive me but this is stupid

SlickRic

Mitch Connor

Boskowski wrote: »

Forgive me but this is stupid

who took a dump in your cornflakes?

Frisbee

Boskowski wrote: »

Forgive me but this is stupid

Why?

Boskowski

Sorry wasn't thinking meant to post it in the discussion thread but my opinion stands.

Frisbee

Boskowski wrote: »

Sorry wasn't thinking meant to post it in the discussion thread but my opinion stands.

Why is it stupid is the question I asked.

Mitch Connor

SlickRic wrote: »

who took a dump in your cornflakes?

Mr Guappa - I saw him do it! He did a little spin and said 'GUAPPA!!!' as he did it too.

Vote for me people, i won't take a dump in your cornflakes!

Boskowski

Frisbee wrote: »

Why is it stupid is the question I asked.

Because it's totally ambiguous and subjective and basically just an 'I can talk a better game ' pissing contest

Mitch Connor

Boskowski wrote: »

Because it's totally ambiguous and subjective and basically just an 'I can talk a better game ' pissing contest

1. If you don't like it, don't join in, at all.
2. These threads are for the competitors only.

Frisbee

Boskowski wrote: »

Because it's totally ambiguous and subjective and basically just an 'I can talk a better game ' pissing contest

Then don't post in the thread as essentially what your doing here is threadspoiling and attempted flaming, both of which I could infract you for. The people taking part in this draft have put a lot of time and effort in so if you don't like the idea just stay out of the threads.

Boskowski

Mitch Connor wrote: »

1. If you don't like it, don't join in, at all.
2. These threads are for the competitors only.

Sorry my mistake will go away now