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)

Prioritizing a heavy press and quick transitions, this team operates in a 5-2-3 formation. The lineup is built to win the ball high up the pitch and use the width of the field to stretch the opposition. Every player works to compress the space, making the team very difficult to play through once they settle into their defensive block.

Maier acts as the last line of defense in goal. The defensive unit uses a back three with CAJKOVSKI acting as the central defender to organize the line. SCHULZ operates as the right centre-back to provide cover, while SHESTERNYOV plays as the left centre-back. To provide width, CARLOS and NOVAK operate as attacking wing backs who push high up the pitch to support the attack. The defense stays compact, with the three centre-backs ready to step up and squeeze the space between the lines.

The midfield consists of a two-man central pairing. VAN HANEGEM and OVERATH work to control the center of the pitch. VAN HANEGEM acts to shield the defense and win the second ball, while OVERATH connects the defensive and attacking lines. They must work hard to cover the ground between the back three and the front three, often tracking back to help the wing backs when caught high. This duo is responsible for recycling possession and finding the players in advanced positions.

In the attacking third, the team utilizes three attackers to pin the opposition back. STRELSOV leads the line as a lone striker to hold up the ball and provide a focal point. DZAJIC and HAMRIN operate as wide wingers who stay close to the touchline to provide maximum width. This setup allows for quick combinations where the wingers can cut inside to find STRELSOV or overlap with the wing backs. When the team wins the ball, they look to break quickly and hit in behind the defense.

One major advantage for this team is the ability to create wide overloads from the overlapping wing backs. Because CARLOS and NOVAK push so high, they create numerical superiority against the opponent's full backs. Another strength is the ability to press high in coordinated waves, using the front three to trigger a press that forces the opposition into mistakes. The formation provides great cover when defending deep, as the five defenders can quickly shift to cover the width of the pitch.

This formation is designed for a high intensity game that relies on heavy pressing and rapid counter attacks. It is best suited for facing teams that play with a high defensive line and struggle to deal with wide runners.