Ultimate 5-a-side: TEAM 2

Van De Sar: In my personal opinion Van De Sar is the worst of the four goalkeepers on show. That is not to say he is a bad goalkeeper, just that the is not as good as the others, I wouldn't pick him. However, he has a great record, a wealth of experience and is of course still and all round outstanding goal keeper. He will of course be difficult to beat. 

Terry: As John Terry has aged it has become widely considered that he potentially has the greatest defensive brain of anyone who has ever played the game. That's quite an expansive statement but there is no question that he is one of the greats. He is also a fantastic ball player and no one can question his commitment. His main weakness is his speed and always has been, more often than not his footballing brain finds a solution to that problem. 

Xavi: It's easy to forget how good Xavi was at his peak. He was a no nonsense footballer who paved the way for Barcelona gold. He has had an incredible career for club and country and is known for being the 'pass master'. Playing for Barcelona he knows how to tackle and get stuck in and his footballing brain and technical ability would serve him well on a 5-a-side pitch.  

Iniesta: I think Iniesta is an astounding player. 2013 Copa America final, Brazil beat Spain 3-0 and while his team weren't up to the challenge there was no question in my mind who the best player on the pitch was, and that was Iniesta. Not necessarily for what he achieved but his general composure on the ball, he was a cut above. With many attributes similar to Xavi it is easy to see why Iniesta would be feared on the 5-a-side pitch.

Henry: Awwhh wonderful, graceful, deadly Thierry Henry. What a player he was in his prime. 30+ goals in the premier league 3 years in a row, that takes some doing. Watch a video filled with all of Thierry Henry's goals for Arsenal and you will see just how lethal he was. Pacey, tricky and a great finisher, Thierry Henry is as good as anyone. With some Barcelona knowledge too, he probably wouldn't let the side down defensively. The opposition will wish he was their side. 

Strengths: Passing, Creativity, Possession. Energy. 

Weaknesses: Defending style. 

A lot of people I have spoken too has earmarked this team to win. Well there is one potential problem I see with this team and it's actually something that I have highlighted as strengths for Xavi and Iniesta. The Barcelona style of play isn't particularly geared to 5-a-side despite the fact that it is generally considered to have derived from a 5-a-side pitch. It may have been slightly altered since Guardiola has left but Barcelona's ethos is basically to expend energy while off the ball and then pass the ball a lot to conserve there energy while they have the ball. This eventually leads to a tiki-taka style. Again many think this is the 5-a-side dream but it isn't, don't get me wrong, it could work and teams will struggle against players who are immediately in to tackle them, however, a one-two or a quick turn of pace in 5-a-side gets you to the other side of the pitch and that means that one movement will create an opportunity for the opposing team. While they are trying to make the tackle, what this style essentially does is force the opposition into a mistake, this is more likely to happen when the ball has to travel 100 yards, when it only has to travel 20 yards it won't work as well. That being said, here we have 4 fantastic passers, all with bags of energy and all willing to get physical, all very clever, all with a great understanding of the game both technically and positionally and finally all capable of scoring goals (although John Terry probably won't score too many headers). All that could well be enough. 

Would this team come out on top?

Agree with how they would play?

Let me know:
Twitter @Jonny_Troy
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