What if the Avengers played soccer?

Editor’s note: You can read Villarreal players, past and present, as Avengers here.

In honor of Marvel Cinematic Universe week here at SBN, my son and I, on the heels of the fun we had with the Muppets, decided to pitch in and put together a Game Day 18 of Avengers. We went with a 3-4-1-2 to maximize the roster’s defenders, speed and Vision (you’re gonna get some puns today). We mix up the players so that we have what we need at every level on the field and we have stocked our bench with studs the world would have trouble matching. Without further ado, here’s our Game Day Avengers CF:

Smart Hulk – GK – Smart Hulk (think Hulk as we see him in Infinity War) has a huge presence literally but also so smart. Between being big and fast, he will fill the net with ease. He will also be excellent at distribution from the goalie slot.

Ant Man – CB – If Ant-Man is huge, who can he not cover? If Ant-Man is small, he would be able to trap anyone in the offside trap. He is the perfect cover for the right side of our CB trio. (Ant-Man could be any size and Gil Manzano would still get the offside call wrong, but I digress)

Thor – CB – He is the lockdown center back. He is fast, can move with agility and let’s be honest, can forwards really get past Mjolnir? What if Gonzalo Rodriguez had Mjolnir?

Black Widow – CB – Black Widow can beat up just about anyone. But also, as we see in Civil War, she is the wise and responsible member of the Avengers. She can keep everyone’s head screwed on straight and also, she can get under people’s skin. Think Jose Gimenez from Atleti.

Spider-Man – LWB – Spider-Man has speed – which is something you want from a wingback required to play offense and defense. Can you imagine an offensive player trying to slip in behind someone with spidey-sense? Also, his post-End Game spidey suit has extra legs. How are you gonna mark a guy with six total legs?

Hawkeye – RWB – Hawkeye is a defensive machine. He has a very dark side but he is so accurate. His delivery into the box will be world class. But cross him and well, you saw what happened to the folks in Japan after his family disappeared.

Doctor Strange – CDM – The good Doctor can see into the future and can transport people. Imagine Ronaldo is running at Strange – he whips up a circle thingy and voila, CR7 is in a park by himself, no threat to the team. His anticipation will make Xabi Alonso look slow.

Captain America – 8 – “I could do this all day”. When you need a guy to be your box to box midfielder, you want someone who could do that all day. If he misses more than one minute in a season, color me shocked. Captain of America, Captain of the team. Captain America runs the midfield. The Captain clearly wears the armband here.

Black Panther – CAM – T’Challa has speed, power, skill, intellect, wisdom. He is the perfect guy to be advanced and pulling all the strings. He can score on his own but he is also the consummate teammate willing to share the glory with others. Think Riquelme but with panther speed.

Scarlett Witch – ST – She can manipulate minds. She is a magician. She will make goalies look foolish constantly.

Iron Man – ST – Typically strikers are the flamboyant, flashy, over the top guys on your team. Look no further than Tony Stark. He is so full of himself and so arrogant and yet, when it’s crunch time, if he can pull of a time heist, he can definitely steal some goals.

Bench:

Falcon – winger – Falcon is the prototypical backup winger. I mean, HE HAS WINGS.

Valkyrie – CDM – Valkyrie always cares about others and looks to others first – a great trait for a CDM.

Heimdall – Emergency GK – HE IS THE PROTECTOR OF THE BIFROST. HE CAN PROTECT A NET.

Star Lord – ST – Star Lord can be so easily distracted which is why he has to be on the bench. But come in for 5-10 minutes, throw him up top and he’ll have the skill to help you win.

Vision – MF – Between shape shifting and invisibility, Vision plays a great midfield role. He can drop deep, he can press forward, and he can do just about anything. Problem is he has a constant headache which is why he has to be on the bench. Plus he and Wanda on the field at the same time could distract both of them.

Bucky – GK – Bucky’s communication skills were honed by the Americans and Russians. He can communicate with anyone in the world. Plus, with his metal right arm, he could handle any player’s hard shot with ease.

Gamora – ST – Having grown up in the Thanos household, Gamora channels her aggressiveness to be focused on goals and goals only.

Staff:

Owner – Stan Lee – Stan is the mastermind behind all of this. It’s sad he’s no longer here with us, but he will always own this club.

Club President – Pepper Potts – Pepper runs the business of the club. She delegates well and also manages people with skill.

Director of Football – Russo Brothers – their work in assembling the cast for the MCU is second to none.

Manager – Happy Hogan (Jon Favreau) – Happy (aka Jon) is the guy who took the fantastic stories created by Stan and brought them to life in the MCU.

Backroom Technical Lead – Shuri (T’Challa’s sister) – her understanding of computers and technology allows this team to succeed in every way. She provides the tools they’ll need for success.

Assistant Coach – Nick Fury – Dude is just a bad ass. That’s all.