For those unfamiliar with soccer, I'll give a quick rundown on the positions and some abbreviations.
Goalkeeper (GK) - Stays in the net, keeps the ball out using any part of their body. Fairly striaghtforward.
Center-Back (CB) The two defenders directly in front of the keeper. They try to keep the oppositions offense in check.
Full Backs, or Right/Left Back (RB/LB) - These go on the outer edges of the Center Backs, providing defense against the wide attacking players of the offense. Can also range forward to provide assistance on Offence.
Central Midfield (CM, CDM, CAM) - Central Midfielders come in three flavors: Attacking, Defensive and standard. CAM are your Central Attacking Midfielders, they play closer to your strikers and provide some extra pressure on the defense. Your Defending Midfielders help shore up your defense and help you control the ball more. Your standard Central Midfielders are a mix of the two and play close to the center line. They can move up or down as needed as each possession plays out.
Right/Left Midfielder (RM/LM) Some teams have a midfielder out wide to help spread out the defense, and bring the ball up the sides. These midfielders can also become Wingers if they push forward enough.
Right/Left Wing (RW/LW) - These guys play on the outside, providing support for the offense. They can whip crosses into the box for the striker and other winger, or they can try to cut inside to find gaps in the defense.
Striker (ST) - Your primary point man and typically the spear of your offense. THey line up centrally, between the wingers and try to put the ball in the net.
Different formation suse different combinations of these players. For example, a 4-4-2 lineup uses 4 players on the defensive line, LB CB CB RB, 4 in the midfield, LM, CM, CM, RM, and two Strikers out front. The RM and LM provide support by ranging forward into the open space.
Now that we've got that out of the way, let's look at team Super Smash Bros
Super Smash Bros Ultimate
Formation: 4-1-4-1 - 4 defenders, 1 CDM, then a line of LM-CAM-CAM-RM, and a single strikerGK - Zero Suit Samus
LB - Rosalina
CB - Ganondorf
CB - Ike
RB - Simon
CDM - Fox
LM - Marth
CAM - Luigi
CAM - Wii Fit Trainer
RM - Shiek
ST - Shulk
Bench
ST - Sonic
CB - King K Rool
CM - Ryu
CM - Link
CB - Snake
Let's go over these decisions.
Zero Suit Samus is pretty tall in game, and has great agility. Excellent skills for keeping out shots coming from all angles.
Ganondorf and Ike are big bruisers in the backline. They're not quick, so I don't expect to have them come forward much, but they can probably batter the opposition. Ganondorf would have a tendency to pick up Yellow cards for being too aggressive, which is why we have some extra bodies on the bench. Snake and K Rool will make great late-game set piece finishers. Simon is a converted CB. His offensive game and speed aren't great, so he won't be pushing the ball up the pitch, but his slide tackles will save some breaks for his team. Rosalina provides some quickness and additional set piece support from the left fullback position.
In the Midfield, we have Fox as our anchoring presence. Low to the ground, bulky with some surprising speed, he should be able to muscle weaker attacking players off the ball. In front of him, Luigi and Wii Fit Trainer build the attack, with Luigi playing a bit further up. Luigi can sneak in for some surprise headed goals from crosses, while Wii Fit Trainer acts like the fulcrum for the offense through the midfield. Marth and Shiek provide some speed on the outside. Shiek is also shifty enough that they can slip by defenders unexpectedly and push the ball up the middle. The Rosalina/Marth counter attack up the left side can be dangerous as well, as Marth can quickly turn defense into offense. On the bench, Link is the utility player that can fill in anywhere on the middle of the field. Versatile to play defense or offense. Ryu on the other hand can be an emergency fill in in the back line, but would rather play in the central midfield.
Our attach is headed off by Shulk. Surprising vertical for someone his size, and he always has another gear when he needs it. He's got the speed to chase down over-the-top passes, and can finish with little chips over a rushing keeper. Sonic used to be the lead striker, but was benched due to repeated offsides penalties costing his team possession. He could not use his blazing speed in an effective manner, and was moved to the bench.
Overall, team Smash wants to play a counter heavy style of play. They are essentially playing 5 stout defenders, and they then want to build their break up the left hand side with Marth. Luigi and Shulk are dangerous in the box, and threats to head balls home, while Shulk can slip past and makes a dangerous cut back scorer.
Let's see how they stack up to...
Team Final Fantasy
Formation: 4-3-3GK - Kain
LB - Faris
CB - Snow
CB - Gladiolus
RB - Cloud
CM - Tifa
CM - Zell
CAM - Wakka
LW - Locke
ST - Tidus
RW - Zidane
Bench
CM - Bartz
FW - Yuffie
CB - Steiner
ST - Fran
CM - Lightning
Kain is another athletic keeper, with powerful jumping ability that lets him reach across the net. Questionable decision making at times, but when he's locked in, he's a top net-minder.
Ahead of him, Snow and Gladiolus stand guard. Gladiolus and Snow are picture perfect CBs, with a great combination of height, speed, and power. While they don't have the raw power of their counterparts, they make up for it with extra speed, making them dangers to leak forward and assist the attack. Faris provides some attitude for the defense, and with some straightforward, no-nonsense defending. She can set the tone for that back line and keep opposing wingers from having a good day. Cloud keeps up the trend with Gladiolus and Snow by having plus-athleticism for his position, which can put his team in position to have an extra attacker. Steiner is the lone defensive sub. He's a more plodding defender, but strong on the ball. Quick strikers can give him rouble if he can't mark them properly.
In the midfield, we have Tifa and Zell roaming. They play closer to CDM positions, but they also range forward, to clog up the space. Keeping with the trend, these two are highly athletic midfielders, but Zell can sometimes suffer from a lack of concentration. If he gets riled up, hes prone to make mistakes that his physical gifts can't cover for. Off the bench, Team Final Fantasy went for straight versatility with Bartz and Lightning. Both can play CDM, CM, CAM, and even on the wings in a pinch. They are the perfect subs if the team needs a major mid-match adjustments, such as changing formations.
The attack is focused around the connection between Wakka and Tidus. While this isn't fair to take actual sports stars and put them on this team... wait, it totally is fair. Wakka has the skills to take the long shots form outside the bog and slide them home, while Tidus's ridiculous vertical leap and shotmaking skills has helped carry the team in the past. Serving them up is Locke and Zidane. Both are sneaky good passers from out wide and are great at knifing their way past defenders for the small bit of space needed for a shot or pass. Yuffie has the ability to play either winger positions, but her slight frame makes it easy to push her off the ball. She does share a trait with the two starters though, as all three of them are experts at stealing the ball back. Defense is an often overlooked part of the Forward attacker's game, but these three know that stealing possession that deep in enemy territory is invaluable. Fran somes in as a reserve striker and can deal with taller defenders. She's less of a pure scorer than Tidus, but she's a good passer from the striker position, and is comfortable setting up her teammates, or putting a shot on goal.
This team may not have some of the focus of the Smash team, but they are athletic across the board. Their raw physical gifts can cover some mistakes, and when they're all on their game, they are one of the most dangerous teams out there.
So what's the final score for this match? I'm going to go with Team Final Fantasy, in a close one: 2-1.
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