[Albion] 2024 Fantasy Albion World Cup. Semi Final 1: Spain vs Americas A

[stewart12]

onto the semi's, I'll be running both face offs almost concurrently. 24 hours to vote

Spain
Manager: Oscar Garcia. Garcia managed Brighton for the 2013-14 season and guided his side to the Championship play offs.

Garcia brings a strong squad to Withdean for this tournament. Spain have a good goalkeeper in Sanchez and 4 good defenders, albeit they are all full backs. The midfield is unbelievably talented and technically gifted but there are questions marks about how robust they are. The Frontline is lacking firepower with the star man probably being Ansu Fati.

Story so far: Spain won Group A, fending off surprise package Sussex for top spot but still managed to amass an impressive 36 points. They then beat Asia & Oceania 10-5 in the Quarter Finals. Semi finalists last year, can they improve on that?

Star man: Vicente. The magical midfielder will be almost playing a different sport to his team mates, but can he stay fit?

Goalkeepers: Robert Sanchez
Defenders: Bruno, Inigo Calderon (captain), Martin Montoya, Marc Cucurella
Midfielders: Vicente, David Lopez, Andrea Orlandi, Jack Harper
Forwards: Fran Sandaza, Adrian Colunga, Ansu Fati, David Rodriguez, Johnny Dixon

Possible starting line up:

Sanchez

Montoya Bruno Calderon Cucurella

Lopez Vicente Orlandi

Fati Sandaza Colunga

vs

Americas A
Manager: Gus Poyet. Poyet managed the Albion from 2009-13 and won the League 1 title with the club.

Poyet turns up to Withdean with a squad that won the tournament last year. They will once again consider themselves to be favourites even though they have been drawn in the group of death. Their midfield is the envy of almost every side in the tournament and they have firepower upfront with the likes of Pedro and Ulloa. There are question marks about their goalkeepers and their defence is reasonable but they'll be hoping to simply outscore their opponents.

Star man: World cup winner Alexis Mac Allister is the most decorated player in this talented squad

Story so far: Gus' men emerged from the group of death with relative ease, finishing in 1st place with 30 votes. They then thrashed Scotland 18-0 in the Quarter Finals. They are the reigning champions so the expectation levels are through the roof.

Goalkeepers: David Gonzalez, Tony Meola
Defenders: Bernardo, Gonzalo Jara Reyes (captain), Igor Julio, Pervis Estupinan, Valentin Barco
Midfielders: Moises Caicedo, Alexis Mac Allister, Steven Alzate, Jeremy Sarmiento, Facundo Buononotte
Forwards: Jose Izquierdo, Leonardo Ulloa, Joao Pedro, Julio Enciso

Possible starting line up:

Gonzalez

Jara Bernardo Julio Estupinan

Caicedo

Mac Allister Alzate

Enciso

Ulloa Pedro

 

[stewart12]

Just think the Americas team is too balanced. Unreal midfield, goals goals goals up top and just about a good enough defence to cope with Spains dogshit Frontline

 

[Garry Nelson's Left Foot]

The America's team is unreal. It's only slight weakness is defense but Fran Sandaza and fellow league one/championship journeymen strikers aren't the ones to exploit it.

And if you can't exploit it your in trouble because the America's midfield and forward line is exquisite.