Custom Team Football Formation

Starting Lineup

MAIER (Sepp) (Borussia M'gladbach) · CARLOS (ALBERTO) (Botafogo) · NOVAK (Ladislav) (Dukla Praha) · SCHULZ (Willie) (Hamburg) · SHESTERNYOV (Albert) (CSKA Moscow) · VAN HANEGEM (Willem) (Feyenoord) · CAJKOVSKI (Zlatko) (FC Bayern) · OVERATH (Wolfgang) (Köln) · STRELSOV (Eduard) (Torpedo Moscow) · HAMRIN (Kurt) (Milan) · DZAJIC (Dragan) (Crvena zvezda)

Heavy emphasis on quick transitions and verticality defines this team and they operate with a 5-2-3 formation. This lineup seeks to hit teams on the break by utilizing wide areas and rapid forward movements once the ball is won. The goal is to exploit space behind the opposition defensive line through direct play.

Maier stays between the posts to organize the back line. The defensive unit functions as a back five featuring CAJKOVSKI as the central anchor. SCHULZ acts as the right centre-back to cover space, while SHESTERNYOV holds the left centre-back position. On the flanks, CARLOS operates as a right wing back to provide width, and NOVAK acts as a left wing back to stretch the play. The defenders work to maintain a compact block and ensure they do not get caught too high when the ball is lost.

A double pivot manages the central area to link the defense to the attack. VAN HANEGEM and OVERATH work as the two central midfielders tasked with controlling the tempo and recycling possession. VAN HANEGEM helps to shield the back five, while OVERATH looks to drive forward and carry the ball into the half spaces. They must be ready to win the second ball and immediately look to find the attackers to bypass the midfield.

The attacking front line is composed of three players designed to punish opponents in transition. STRELSOV leads the line as a lone striker to hold up the ball and engage the centre-backs. On the wings, HAMRIN and DZAJIC act as wide attackers who look to cut inside and create chances. They press the opposition back line high to force errors. The movement is built around overlaps from the wing backs and quick combinations to find STRELSOV in tight spaces.

This formation offers significant strength in terms of defensive compactness when sitting deep. By using five defenders, the team can squeeze the space between the lines and make it difficult for opponents to play through the middle. The wide overloads created by the wing backs and wingers allow the team to create numerical superiority on the flanks during attacking phases.

This 5-2-3 formation relies on a strong defensive base and lightning fast counter attacks. It is best suited for facing teams that dominate possession and leave large gaps behind their high defensive line.