Crossing Broad
World Cup #content.
I made a starting XI using Philadelphia athletes from the “four major” teams:
What I did here was pick a formation and fit the players to the formation. This isn’t an exercise in taking the best 11 Philadelphia players and putting them on a team. I went for a group of guys who would work together well in a defined shape and structure, which is a 3-5-2 with wingbacks and an inverted triangle midfield.
It’s modeled after the Juventus teams of 15 years ago, which used three center backs to protect a creative passer in front of them.
goalkeeper: Dan Vladar
You need a netminder in good form who inspires confidence and commands the box. We feel very comfortable with Darth Vladar in goal. “Sidney Crosby, I am your father.“
center back: Joel Embiid
The central CB in a three-man backline is often a physical presence who can anchor the middle of the park. That’s Joel Embiid, or at least it used to be. For the purposes of this exercise, we’ll say it’s 2018 Joel defensively. He’s also a big soccer fan, so this feels like a natural choice.
right and left center backs: Jamie Drysdale and Quinyon Mitchell
The formation requires guys with mobility at right and left center back. Sometimes the wingbacks will be pushed up and the LCB and RCB will be asked to defend in space, and/or transition, and in that case I like Drysdale’s maneuverability and Quinyon’s penchant for blanket coverage. With Embiid protecting the rim, err, the top of the 18, I think having lockdown guys on either side is preferable.
deep lying playmaker / #6: Jalen Hurts
I need a quarterback running the offense, literally and figuratively.
In this case, Hurts will sit in front of the backline and spray the ball around. He’s going to hit long diagonals to the wing backs and play line-breaking passes to the box 8s and look for the forwards over the top. He’s going to make smart decisions on the ball and not turn it over. He’ll play within himself and keep things consistent and steady. He’s our Regista in this formation.
wing backs: Owen Tippett and Devonta Smith
We’ll require players to bomb the flanks in a 3-5-2, and for me that’s Tipper on the right Smitty on the left. Just think about how beautiful it could be to watch this. Jalen Hurts is on the ball and picks out Tippett on a frozen rope. God damn! Or, he looks to his left and sprays one over to Smitty, just like The Dagger from Super Bowl 59. I’m looking for speed and directness on the flanks and I’ve got it in the Slim Reaper and his Flyers counterpart. I also went for chemistry by putting two Eagles on the left and two Flyers on the right.
box-to-box midfielders: Zack Baun and Cooper DeJean
Since we’ve got Hurts running the show as a defensive midfielder, we’re going to put...
