All Around Sports Team Draft - Soccer Voting

[larrymcg421]

Participants drafted a team of 13 athletes, 11 of which were required to have regular positions and two of which would be reserves. All reserves have to play a minimum of 5 minutes per match and owners put a 5 minute tag on those who will strictly be held to that number.

Please vote in this thread for the top three squads. Participants may vote, but no voting for yourself. I'll set a deadline of Wednesday midnight and then we will play some football.


Canton Raiders (Owner: jbergey22)

Head Coach: Pat Riley

F Lionel Messi
F Wayne Gretzky
W Deion Sanders
M Gaucho Ronaldinho
M Steven Gerrard
W Jesse Owens
WB Johan Santana
D Brian Jordan
D Dave DeBusschere
WB Ronald Curry
GK Hakeem Olajuwon

Reserves: W/M Joe Montana, D/WB Antonio Gates

Strategy Note: Speed wins will be our strategy. We arent very big so we will do our best to play uptempo in basketball, pass a lot in football, while winning with speed/defense in baseball. I love the soccer squad I put together. They will attack from the start and all game long.


The Jacks (Owner: ColtCrazy)

Head Coach: Vince Lombardi

F Jim Thorpe
F Roberto Clemente
W Lou Gehrig
M Pele
M Derek Jeter
W John Wooden
D Franz Beckenbaur
D Kevin Gernett
WB Stone Cold
WB Shane Warne
GK Edwin Van de Sar

Reserves: Jeff Saturday (5 minute), Anthony Munoz (5 minute)

Strategy Note: (Pele was listed as an Attacking Midfielder). Most teams have gone for offense, relying on a few playmakers. Van de Sar gives our team tremendous defense to stop the occasional threat, with world class defender Beckenbaur keeping the chances to a minimum. Pele can create enough scoring chances to win games.


Road Kill Cafe (Owner: Danny)

Head Coach: Paul "Bear" Bryant

F Ronaldo
F Gordie Howe
M Kaka
M Diego Maradona
W Jackie Robinson
W Rafer Johnson
D Julius Peppers
D Tim Duncan
WB Albert Pujols
WB Tom Brady
GK Wilt Chamberlain

Bench: Reggie White (5 minute), Walter Johnson (5 minute)


New Orleans Oilbirds (Owner: Karlifornia)

Head Coach: Tom Osborne

F Eusebio
F Zlatan Imbrahimovic
W Cristiano Ronaldo
M Allen Iverson
M Willie Mays
W Michael Vick
WB Floyd Mayweather
D Bobby Orr
D Amar'e Stoudemire
WB Reggie Bush
GK Tom Glavine

Bench: D Deacon Jones (5 min), WB Barry Bonds


Wake Forest Cougars (Owner: Radii)

Head Coach: Phil Jackson

F Roy Halladay
F Thierry Henry
W Carl Lewis
M David Beckham
M Charlie Ward
W Manny Pacquaio
WB Ray Lewis
DC Michael Jordan
DC Jerry Rice
WB Bill Russell
GK Iker Casillas

Reserves: Greg Maddux, Ted Williams


Huevos Rancheros (Owner: NorvTurnerOverdrive)

Head Coach: Rinus Michels

F Johann Cruyff
W Steve Young
M Greg InglisM Zinedine Zidane
M Kobe Bryant
W Roy Jones
WB Tony Gonzalez
D Scott Burrell
D LeBron James
WB Jeff Samardzija
GK Lev Yashin

Reserves: Babe Ruth - 5 min, Ty Cobb

Strategy Note: Big guys in back, bulldogs as DM's. Playmakers forward.

Commish note: This is a 4-3-2-1 formation. Cruyff is the most forward striker, while Zidane and Bryant are in an attacking midfield role.


Williamsburg Superstars (Owner: Wade Moore)

Head Coach: Bill Belichick

F Michael Johnson
F Rickey Henderson
W Jason Witten
M Shaquille O'Neal
M Alex Rodriguez
W Martin Dihigo
WB Muhammed Ali
D Peyton Manning
D Terrell Owens
WB Kareem Abdul-Jabbar
GK Oliver Kahn

Subs: Allison Stokke, Brock Lesnar

Strategy Note: I don't think any team will have the combined speed up-front that we have here with Johnson and Henderson. At minimum, I don't see any defense having the speed to stop them. Oliver Kahn is one of the best GKs ever, making up for some of the defficiencies in our soccer skills.


Overwrought Message Board Enthusiasts (Owner: Subby)

Head Coach: Mike Ditka

F Wayne Rooney
F Steve Nash
W Randy Moss
M Mia Hamm
M Bo Jackson
W Usain Bolt
WB Vinnie Jones
D CC Sabathia
D JR Richard
WB Brett Favre
GK Bruce Lee

Reserves: Randy Johnson, Tony Gwynn


West Hollywood Stars (Owner: digamma)

Head Coach: John Heisman

F Carl Crawford
F Calvin Johnson
W Kyle Rote
M Tiger Woods
M Herschel Walker
W Joe Mauer
WB Dave Winfield
D Roger Clemens
D Dwight Howard
WB Alexander Karelin
GK Tim Howard

Reserves: Al Oerter - 5 minutes, Lawrence Taylor


Los Angeles Letterman (Owner: hahnkim)

Head Coach: Red Auerbach

F Kirk Gibson
F Dwyane Wade
W Roger Federer
M John Elway
M Bob Gibson
W Alexander Ovechkin
WB Jim Brown
D Paolo Maldini
D Magic Johnson
WB Patrick Willis
GK Gianlugi Bufon

Reserves: D Hakuho Sho - 5mins, D Jonathan Ogden - 5mins

[ColtCrazy]

larry - please edit my GK, first name is Edwin. Thanks!


I really think my team is one of the better ones in this group. Van de Sar and Beckenbaur give us some pretty good defense and Pele should be a master at helping set up goals for the less soccer experienced players on the team.

Since I can't vote for mine...

1. LA Letterman - The other team I think will play good defense and score enough goals to win.
2. Canton - This team will give up goals, but they'll score a ton themselves. Best attacking side I think.
3. Williamsburg - If I don't have the best GK, he does. Can't underestimate a solid GK in a game with so many inexperienced players.

[jbergey22]

Hakeem the dream was a very good goalkeep in Nigeria before he decided to take up basketball. My team will attack from the very start and try to control possession. I feel I have the most athletic team with 1 of the best playmakers in world and 2 world class strikers. Wayne Gretzky is always one step ahead of the defense and should prove very successful in setting up other players.

[jbergey22]

1. Road Kill Cafe
2. New Orleans Oilbirds
3. Wake Forest Cougars

The Jacks were very close but I couldnt figure out who would score for that team other than Pele. In any case this was very difficult for me without seeing actual strategies set.

I needed to see atleast 1 world class forward on a team for me to consider that team. Being that most of the players are so inexperienced playmakers will be at a premium. While goalkeeper is a very important position in the Premier league I dont think a goalkeeper is going to be a deciding factor in something like this where the defense is going to be very poor. I was looking for teams that can keep possession and limit chances.

[ColtCrazy]

Our strategy would be running a 4-3-1-2 with Pele playing in the attacking half in the midfield. The offense would run through him, having him in scoring position or setting up the two forwards to score. Jeter would be more of a DM, with his baseball ball hawking skills coming in handy as a defensive stopper in front of the backline.


Beckbaurer, a good coach in his own right, would be the captain helping Lombardi in this version of football.

EDIT: I see your point jbergey...for me, I think a solid defender and a great GK can limit the chances of a great forward. You need people that can create goal scoring opportunities (which is why I liked your team) but I also liked teams with solid defenders and GK that limit scoring, but still have playmakers to create scoring chances.

[digamma]

Strategy note: I intended for Kyle Rote to be in the middle of the mid-field, not on the wing. Probably my error. We feature an athletic goalie, lots of athletic height with aerial skill and bruising size to beat up wade's fast guys.

My vote:
1. Canton
2. New Orleans
3. Roadkill

[Alf]

1 - Huevos Rancheros
2 - Wake Forest Cougars
3 - The Jacks

[larrymcg421]

digamma, your post just listed 4 midfielders (and 4 defenders). I thought you were using the same format as others and listing them how they'd appear on the field so I made the first and last midfielder as wingers, and first and last defenders as wingbacks. I can edit it however you want.

[bhlloy]

1) Canton - Messi, Ronaldinho and Gerrard are going to score a ton, and the wingers are so damn fast that if they can just dribble a ball, that adds to how scary this team will be going forward. They're going to be weak at the back but I think they can score 10+ in every game and it might not matter

2) The Jacks - this team is solid right up the middle and I'm really putting a premium on teams that have RL soccer goalies, because I think that would be absolutely key. That just pushes them ahead of the other teams on my list. Pele has the most goals in soccer history at any level, who cares if nobody else on the team can score. Beckenbaeur in his prime was an athletic freak who may be the best defender in the game, ever.

3) New Orleans - a poor mans Canton with 3 great attacking soccer players who will score a ton and a bunch of athleticism across the team. I have a feeling Bobby Orr probably played some soccer growing up and his skillset means he'll be a great CB. They drop to 3 for me because they have slightly less speed than Canton and I'm absolutely not sold on putting a baseball pitcher in the goal.

Close - Road Kill Cafe, very similar team to New Orleans but with slightly less overall athleticism IMO.

2 things I'm surprised about here.... 1) that nobody picked up Chad Johnson as a great athlete with combo Football and Soccer skills and 2) nobody thought out of the box and spread their talent out across their team a bit more. A lot of awesome attacking soccer players, but guys whose skills aren't going to translate to many other sports. IMO center backs are probably the best overall soccer athletes and guys like Terry or Ferdinand would be way better at all the other sports than guys like Messi or Pele.

[Butter]

1. New Orleans
2. Wake Forest
3. Canton

[Izulde]

1. Road Kill Cafe
2. Canton Raiders
3. Huevos Rancheros

I think Roadkill's proven attack and the height factor on defense with Duncan and Chamberlin combined with the team's athleticism is just enough to give them the edge over Canton, whose merits others have discussed.

None of the teams really struck me as a clear-cut third so I went with Huevos, who have my favorite soccer player of all time in Zidane.

[larrymcg421]

Bump. Final day of voting and then we play football.

[jbergey22]

Thanks to those that have voted. I am hoping we can get some more votes in today.

[MIJB#19]

1. Huevos Rancheros
2. The Jacks
3. Canton Raiders

[wade moore]

1. LA
2. Canton
3. Jacks

[larrymcg421]

Voting closed. Final results:

1. Canton Raiders 21
2. New Orleans Oilbirds 12
t3. Huevos Rancheros 11
t3. Road Kill Cafe 11
5. Los Angeles Lettermen 10
6. The Jacks 8
7. Wake Forest Cougars 7
8. Williamsburg Superstars 1
t9. Overwrought Message Board Enthusiasts 0
t9. West Hollywood Stars 0

[wade moore]

Which sport is next?

[larrymcg421]

Football will be next. I might not be able to post the thread until tomorrow, though.

[ColtCrazy]

Didn't do as well here as I had hoped. Oh well. football should be an interesting one across the board.

[lordscarlet]

It's interesting that this scoring system will be very much in the "rich get richer" category. If you're 4th on every person's list in every category you walk away with 0 points in total.

[larrymcg421]

Originally Posted by lordscarlet

It's interesting that this scoring system will be very much in the "rich get richer" category. If you're 4th on every person's list in every category you walk away with 0 points in total.

True, but the only way to avoid that would be to have people from 1-10 and I think that would limit voting participation too much.

[wade moore]

Bump?

[lordscarlet]

Originally Posted by larrymcg421

True, but the only way to avoid that would be to have people from 1-10 and I think that would limit voting participation too much.

Agreed that is the only way to fix it. I'm not sure it would affect voting participation, but it is a definite possibility. I can't really think of a better solution -- good thing this is just for fun so who cares?

[larrymcg421]

Sorry for the delay. I'm working on the next thread as we speak.

[larrymcg421]

I have everything ready to go, but while typing it up I noticed one of the football lineups was invalid. I will post the new thread as soon as I get the corrected lineup.

Plus, I still need a volunteer to submit a valid baseball lineup for Huevos.