@Lasha Kokaia
Why would this work?
Write this down you inferior being:
Random Peon: Hey Dagoods, why would you line-up MALDINI, as a CB when he was the greatest full-back of all-time?
Dagoods: You need to open your eyes and ears and take control of the limited ability you have to understand the words Dagoods is about to say.
This line-up works because of the following factors:
A) Buffon over Yashin?
Are you aware that LATIN AMERICANS were not eligible for the Ballon d' Or trophy back in those days? A certain O Rei Pele would have won the award in 63. In the 1963 Season, Santos, led by O Rei, won the Libertadores, The Intercontinental Cup (by defeating AC Milan), The Brazilian Serie A, and The Rio-Sao Paulo Tournament, respectively. O Rei managed to score 51 goals in 36 games. Furthermore, this team does not need a sweeper-keeper; instead, this team requires a natural born shot-stopper and nobody tops GIGI BUFFON in one-on-one situations. Buffon's positioning is flawless and he is good on the ball. He gets the nod over the great Lev Yashin;
B) The Back-Four. I could have easily opted for a more "traditional" back-four such as:
RB - Carlos Alberto
Lib - Beckenbauer (C)
Lib - Baresi
LB - Maldini
This is nice and dandy for PES and FIFA purposes, but in the real world this would not be an ideal back-four. First and foremost, you need some balance. You cannot have two Liberos/Sweepers. I understand that they would not play as Liberos (My CB pairing would refrain from joining the attack at will) and they would most likely operate as two ball-playing CBs. However, Franz and Franco are a tad too similar for my liking. I think this line-up would struggle against "Speedy Africans" and Athletic Strikers who possess great heading ability.
@Lasha Kokaia, you included a stopper in the form of Santamaria to play alongside Beckenbauer and I applaud you for that. You could have gone with either Desailly or Cannavaro as well, both are better options than Santamaria in my humble opinion.
So why did I choose Maldini then? Because in his prime, PAOLO MALDINI is quite possibly the greatest DEFENDER the world has ever seen.
Maldini in his prime was capable of playing as a stopper/man-marker. However, unlike most stoppers, Maldini was not a limited footballer (e.g. Puyol, Chiellini, etc.). Maldini was strong, physical, fast, good on the ball, good in the air, possessed great tactical sense and positioning, and could start an attack. Remember, this is the same MALDINI who shut down Romario and Stoichkov in the 94 UCL Final. Both Baresi and Costacurta missed the final and MALDINI played as a CB alongside Galli (some bloody scrub). A few months alter, MALDINI, once again, shut down prime Romario and Bebeto in the WC Final. Maldini played as a CB in the final, pairing up with BARESI who was not 100% fit. MALDINI in his prime is a mixture of a stopper/man-marker and a ball-playing CB. In other words, he is better suited to play as a CB in today's game. He played many a times alongside Baresi and or Costacurta and excelled as a CB. He also paired with Alessandro Nesta (ball-playing CB) and both complimented each other's ability, superbly. Therefore, I see this CB duo completing each other perfectly, in the center of my defence.
The fullbacks. Some may argue that both of my fullbacks were not great defenders. And that is true to some extent, they may have not been the very best but more than formidable. Again, I'm trying to put together a team that would be able to compete in today's game. Maldini, as a LB, was a two-way player who was capable of marauding up and down the left flank at will. However, as good as he was offensively, his offensive game pales in comparison when compared to what Roberto Carlos brings to the table offensively. Football has changed. Modern full-backs have to provide their team's width in attack, and historically nobody produces better fullbacks than Brazil. But why do I need offensive-fullbacks if I'm playing Maradona and Messi on the flanks?
Remember, MARADONA will be playing as a LAM/LW/MEDIA PUNTA. Maradona and Messi are not your typical wingers, but they possess the dribbling ability to drop players on the floor for fun. Both he and Messi were/are capable of playing on the flanks (I'll explain this further when discussing my offensive strategy). Thus, I need a player who is capable to link with Maradona on the left-flank. If you were around during the Galacticos era, you witnessed how RC and Zidane fed off each other. The Brazilian enabled the French Maestro to cut diagonally into the middle and so forth. Here, Maradona will not be required to move into the middle on every possession. Clearly, Maradona was more explosive and a far better attacker than Zidane. Also, let's not forget that Pele will be in the middle, as our CAM. Having RC join the attack, enables Maradona to play closer to the left edge of the box; thus, it frees him from solely remaining on the flank. Marcelo and Cristiano Ronaldo formed quite a duo on the left-flank, they both dominated that section of the pitch. Yes, I am fully aware that CR7 was more of a scorer than Maradona and what not, but again, I will cover this when discussing my offensive strategy.
Similarly, Cafu will have the responsibility of linking-up with Messi on the right flank. Messi is no stranger to this, he formed a superb partnership with one Dani Alves and both did some extraordinary things on the right-flank during their time together at Barcelona. Having Cafu join the attack, enables Messi to play closer to the left edge of the box; thus, it frees him from solely remaining on the flank. I think we all have a pretty good idea of how he would link with Cafu. In Messi's case, as soon as he has the ball a this feet, the opposition will focus on his next move. Messi, like has done his entire career, will wait for the overlapping fullback to make his run. Thus, Messi will wait for Cafu to surge forward, taking a marker with him and leaving more room to be exploited. Messi will then take advantage, breaking into the vacant space before scoring a beauty or assisting a teammate.
The Captain, Franz Beckenbauer. I could have easily opted for Franco Baresi, but Der Kaiser's ability to dictate play from the back gives him the nod. In today's football, pressing is the law of the land. Pressing, requires the forward line to rapidly close down opposition defenders in order to force a mistake when an attempt is made to play the ball out from the back. Overall, Beckenbauer was a great defender blessed with incredible game vision and flawless technique. Don't get me wrong, by no means do I want Der Kaiser to constantly join the attack or go in the box like a striker. Instead, this team will rely on his good skills on the ball and being able to pass quickly and accurately while under pressure.