What an honor to be named on the Ideal 11 this week not once, but twice this week for Max Ogawa.

Max is a center mid-fielder playing for his new team, AD Cala Pozuelo in the Preferente division of Madrid.

Selected by Balon a Tierra which is a station that brings the latest in news from 2B to Regional each week straight from Madrid.

Do you agree that Max deserves to stand in the Ideal 11? You can watch the game on YouTube and decide for yourself.

But first, what is the Ideal 11?

There is an obsession to choose from the competition, what an “Ideal 11” – a team of the 11 best players from the club or the competition would look like.

It’s an honor to be chosen on these lists and a recognition of the hard work a player has put on the field for the week. It doesn’t matter if the team won or lost and celebrates an individual’s contribution to the team, rather than the ranking or winning of the team itself.

At the end of the day, it’s always nice to be noticed. And to be noticed in a line-up of exceptional players for the week is extra sweet.

Starting with the 11 Positions on the field

Football is an 11 v 11 format, with 10 player positions plus a Goalkeeper. The four main position groups in in Ideal 11 will consist of 1 Goalkeeper, Defenders, Midfielders and Forwards.

Roles on the field vary on the team, depending on how the coach likes to position the players on the field, each with their own job to do. For example, there will be strikers in the forward line-up, while the midfielders can roam from the center to left or right. Midfielders may run forward in attack or drop back in defense. Max as a midfielder has the opportunity to get many touches on the ball and facilitate play. But always the goal of the midfielder is to create goal scoring opportunities.

You can read below how the mid-fielder will adapt to the 3-4-3 formation. As midfielders always have to be creative and be able to play in very tight spaces.

Ideal Coach and Formation for the Ideal 11

Looking at the Ideal 11 for Preferente, you can see the best coach and the best formation of the week. The formation that the ideal coach for the week would favor for this fantasy football team is 1-3-4-3 (or 3-4-3 as it is more commonly known).

AD Cala Pozuelo’s Ideal 11 of the week

Choosing from all players at the club, including youth, the club publishes their Ideal 11 line-up for the week.

An honor indeed for Max to wear the AD Cala Pozuelo colors and join the club’s ideal 11 for the week.

Ideal 11 for the Balon Tierra

And then for Preferente Group 1, with the club back in contention for Promotion to Tercera at the end of the season, Max occupies the center Mid position and joins the Ideal 11 players from all the clubs in the Group.

WM Formation for the Ideal 11

The Double Pivot of the 2 Midfielders

Max’s role on in the Ideal 11 when in possession is crucial in playing the ball both forward and back. This position is responsible for switching and feeding. So it’s a very dynamic role in the center of the field controlling the direction of the ball, the pace and the momentum.

For switching, play is to the center backs. For feeding, the center mid looks for penetrative forward passes that will allow one of the wings or forwards to take a run to the goal.

The Ideal 11 when not in possession

This is where the center mids show their versatility. They are able to drop back to help the defenders (5-2-3) and create a solid block in defense. Of course it should not stay that way for long as the team fight to re-gain possession.

Or, they might switch to a 5-4-1 style of play. The key is to pivot and adjust the formation to meet where the ball is. If they can, they will push forward to meet a high press.

If the high press fails, the center mids ensure the opposition don’t find gaps in the defensive line. They always play strategically and are adaptive. You will see their eyes move around frequently to keep up with the play.

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