World Cup Draft Match Five: Minto v Xavi6

The Volt

And we're back. Best of luck lads

Xavi6

Alright, let's get moving.

The first thing I like about my side is that it is very balanced. No players being fit in for the sake of it and all being played in positions to maximise their strength. I think this is a solid, and obvious, platform on which to build.

Goalkeeper - I chose Given in one of the special rounds as a player not at this World Cup. There is no doubting his consistency, and imo he is a lot better than the majority of the keepers in action in South Africa, hence him being good value for me. His shot stopping is outstanding, though people will question other aspects of his game.

Defence - Is there a better centre half combination in this? Maybe, but they would need to be pretty special to beat Lucio and Maldini. The former is the current Brazil captain and just won a domestic treble, while the latter is simply the best defender I have had the pleasure of seen playing. At full back we have Vidal who was part of the extremely impressive Chile side, and Nadir Belhadj. The Algerian has every attribute required of a full back. He is quick, gets forward well, can tackle, has good positional sense, and has a sweet left foot. I don't think we will concede too easy.

Midfield - It's all about balance in a midfield three and I feel I have covered all the bases. Diego Perez was a relative unknown prior to the World Cup but he was outstanding for Uruguay with his no nonsense attitude and tough tackling. The perfect player to sit in front of the defence. Slightly further ahead of him is our box to box midfielder Michael Bradley. Again he was in excellent form this summer with driving runs from midfield. At 6ft 2ins he has good stature about him and is also very comfortable on the ball. The final piece of the puzzle is Frank Lampard, the Chelsea star who knows where the net is. He will drive forward to support the lone striker and is pretty much a guaranteed goal getter.

Forwards - Stephen Pienaar was an absolute bargain signing for Everton and is now their highest paid player. His quick fit and great skill will sit nicely out right, and he wil be complimented by Angel Di Maria on the left. The Argentine has just signed for Real Madrid following some stunning displays for Benfica. Last but not least we have the man who brought Inter the Champions League trophy - Diego Milito. Criminally underused by Maradona, he is perfect for the one up top formation give his power, strength and ability to hold up the ball. He's also a lethal finisher.

Tactics - All of my side are comfortable on the ball so we will knock it around from the back. The left side will be the focus of a lot of our attacks given Belhadj's ability going forward, with Perez sitting deep to cover. Milito will of course hold the ball up no problem and bring Lampard into play. This should lead to goals.



The Opposition - I'll wait until I've seen a little bit more of them but the immediate weak link that springs to mind is Bocanegra, and he will be targetted with pace.

Over to Minto for now I guess.