Josep Gombau has finalised his Foxtel A-League All Stars squad for the glamour friendly against Juventus on August 10. But who will Adelaide United’s Spanish coach pick in the starting XI when the A-League’s best take on the Italian champions at ANZ Stadium?
Eugene Galekovic, Gombau's goalkeeper and club captain at Coopers Stadium, as well as a World Cup understudy for Australia in Brazil, is surely in pole position for the number one shirt, with the Newcastle Jets' Mark Birighitti likely to come on in the second half.
As the only specialist right and left fullbacks in the squad, Central Coast's Storm Roux and Josh Rose would appear to pick themselves, with Manny Muscat and Ali Abbas able to provide cover if required.
In the middle we've gone for Brisbane Roar's title-winning captain Matt Smith alongside Western Sydney Wanderers' World Cup Socceroo Matthew Spiranovic, with Sasa Ognenovski's lack of pace counting against him.
Albert Riera of Wellington Phoenix, on the back of a highly impressive debut season, albeit one cut short through injury, is a strong candidate to shield the back four, with his passing range and mobility earning him the nod ahead of Mariner Nick Montgomery.
Former Sydney FC coaches Ian Crook and Frank Farina will no doubt sympathise with Gombau, who is obliged to fit creaking superstar Alessandro Del Piero – already appointed captain for the valedictory clash with his former club – somewhere in the starting line-up.
With that in mind, we've opted for a 4-4-2 diamond, allowing Del Piero to occupy the space between midfield and attack.
The Roar's playmaker extraordinaire Thomas Broich will sit at the tip of the diamond, with Ali Abbas providing width and energy and hopefully replicating his strong understanding with Del Piero from their two seasons together in Sky Blue.
The right side of the diamond is a difficult vacancy to fill given the top heavy nature of the squad. If Gombau wants to opt for safety first, Muscat or Montgomery could do a job there, while one of those two, or even Spiranovic, could be deployed as the holder, freeing up Riera to play further forward.
However, given the friendly nature of the contest and it being incumbent on the All Stars to try and entertain, we think Gombau may find room for his chief Adelaide creator Marcelo Carrusca, who could – along with Del Piero and Broich – give the team a chance of retaining the ball and perhaps carve out some chances for Berisha up against Juventus' miserly defence.
An alternative approach, while still trying to accommodate guest of honour Del Piero, would be to load the attack with pace, and deploy two of speedsters Youssouf Hersi, David Williams and Bernie Ibini either side of the Italian veteran.
Broich or perhaps Carrusca would act as a playmaker and a link between midfield and attack, with dual holders Albert Riera and Nick Montgomery (or Muscat) shielding the defence.
Abbas shone as a converted left-back at times last season and his energy could be a useful alternative to Rose if the Mariner tires.
But as a Manchester United side who went on to endure a woeful season under David Moyes demonstrated with their 5-1 win over the inaugural All Stars, whoever Gombau picks, the Spaniard will have a tough task indeed moulding them into a team capable of stopping a touring outfit boasting the likes of Carlos Tevez, Andrea Pirlo and Claudio Marchisio, to name just a few.
