Custom Team Football Formation

Starting Lineup

Pagliuca (Juventus) · J. César (Juventus) · D. Passarella (C) (Fiorentina) · J. Herrera (Cagliari) · L. Júnior (Torino) · Alemão (Napoli) · T. Cerezo (Sampdoria) · Falcão (Roma) · Zico (Udinese) · D. Maradona (Napoli) · Careca (Napoli)

Focusing on a direct and vertical style of play, this team utilizes a 5-3-2 formation to dominate transitions. The lineup is built to absorb pressure before hitting the opposition with rapid movements in the final third. By using a heavy defensive block and a concentrated midfield, the side aims to create chaos through quick ball movement.

Pagliuca guards the goal while a back five provides a dense defensive block. Alemão and Daniel Passarella, the captain, occupy the central roles where Passarella uses his strength to win the header and lead the line. J. César acts as the right-sided center back to cover the space behind the wing back. L. Júnior and J. Herrera play as attacking wing backs, tasked to spread wide and provide width during build up. This unit stays compact to deny the turn to any oncoming attackers.

The midfield operates as a three man midfield with a carrier and a playmaker. Zico sits in the hole as an attacking ten behind the strikers, using his vision to find the feet of the strikers. T. Cerezo and Falcão operate in the half spaces to connect the defensive and attacking lines. Cerezo works to win the second ball and recycle possession, while Falcão looks to carry the ball forward and drive into the space between the lines. This trio helps to squeeze the space when the team presses in a mid block.

Two forwards in a partnership lead the attack, using Careca and Diego Maradona to stretch the defence. Careca acts as a pressing centre forward to trigger a press from the front, while Diego Maradona operates with more freedom to drop into the hole and link up play. They use runs in behind to exploit any high line. The wing backs, L. Júnior and J. Herrera, push high to create wide overloads, allowing the forwards to focus on central combinations.

A major advantage for this lineup is the ability to shift between a deep block and a sudden counter at pace. The presence of Zico and Diego Maradona in advanced roles allows the team to bypass the midfield quickly. This setup provides numerical superiority in the central zones, making it hard for opponents to find space between the lines.

This 5-3-2 formation relies on a strong central core to control the tempo and execute quick transitions. It is best suited for matches against teams that play with a high line and leave space behind their defenders.