S8 Theme Week

[Andy]

For myself, my dream team would probably be in Israel for SSL. The first reason stemming from being Jewish. The second is that soccer is very popular there already. Like any middle eastern country there is soccer anywhere there is flat ground and two/three poles put together to make a goal. You see it on the beaches with trash cans, you see it in the dessert with whatever they have laying around. It also dominated public parts with soccer goals being put into them. Not only is regular soccer popular there but they also have a version of volleyball that is soccer only. This is also known as footvolley. This is very popular on all of the beaches. You also see it on TV as it does get sports network coverage. The team would definitely be blue and white, the same colors as the national flat. Also due to its location it is not far form a lot of the European teams, so traveling for games would not be a problem. There are also international airpots as well trains that go through Israel. Many of the other professional sport leagues are also attached to European leagues so an SSL team would be an easy addition. I think the team name would possibly just be the Tel Aviv stars because most likely that is where they would playI think a team in Israel would be a dream team and would be awesome as part of the SSL.

[C9Van]

I mean, I think my dream team is fairly obvious. The location has to be the big evil city of Sydney, Surely!

Oceania is now one of the only areas not represented now out of all of these expansions but even if you are not doing Sydney, Australia has a lot of beautiful cities we can run for here.

The colours would once again be purple & yellow. Purple is always a great team colour which does not get picked up & yellow compliments the colour very well. It just is perfect. Now instantly they will have to be hated but I mean at least we would make the league competitive rather than D1 be the french league with 1 good team that'll win the league every season.

I was legit blessed with having an entire team wanting to play for me & build them correctly so realistically I have had the rare opportunity to fill this dream team situation out & win & dominate the league. I do not think I would change anything about the experience either. You just cannot go wrong with having this already being played out.

We did not have a motto so I guess we could add like a fun aussie chant like "Aussie! Aussie! Aussie! Oi! Oi! Oi!" to Sydney maybe? Or perhaps "DRINK AND WIN!" instead of fight & win? Something fun like that perhaps.

[231 words]

[Runningman434]

As Assistant GM of Buenos Aires, I already have my dream team so I can't in good faith answer this question, but I thought it would be fun to see what our good friend ChatGPT suggests for a team. After some creative probing, the AI suggested that the new SSL team would be, drumroll please..... Empire State FC! Based in, you guessed it, New York City, the new team would feature a sleek black and silver kit, and sport the motto, "Built for the Big Stage." ChatGPT's new team is sure to impress in this snazzy new kit. The New York team will almost certainly be rivals with Hollywood (unfortunately for them) give they're both from the United States, as well as Montreal due to how close they are geographically. The team would play an ultra-aggressive pressing 3-4-3 that would surely lead to a lot of offensive, but probably lead to them giving up a lot of goals with only 3 defenders. It's a high risk-high reward play style that will surely endear them to the city of New York as they fly around the pitch doing battle. All in all, I think the team would serve as a fine addition to the SSL. Future GM's take note!

[KZBZ]

The Dream Team(s) I would definitely wouldn love to see in SSL, would be an all Aussie rivarly. The below is the premise I would like to have for that scenario:

The rivalry between the Torquay Dolphins and the Melbourne Kings is one of the most intense and storied in the world of soccer. The Dolphins, a team with a rich history and a strong tradition of promoting players from their academies, are a beloved institution among fans of the sport. The Kings, on the other hand, are a relatively new team with a much different approach to building a successful franchise.

The Dolphins, owned by the fans, have always placed a strong emphasis on developing young talent and building from within. Their academy system is second to none, and many of the game's greatest players have come through their ranks. This commitment to homegrown talent has endeared the Dolphins to their fans and made them a perennial contender for titles.

The Kings, on the other hand, are owned by a wealthy Prince from Emirates and have based their success on buying expensive players from around the world. While their approach has certainly paid dividends in terms of on-field success, it has also made them a polarizing figure among soccer fans. Some admire their willingness to spend money to win, while others see them as lacking the true spirit of the sport.

Despite these differences in approach, the rivalry between the Dolphins and the Kings remains intense. Each year, when the two teams face off, it is an event that captures the attention of fans around the world. Whether you are a supporter of the Torquay Dolphins or the Melbourne Kings, one thing is certain: this is a rivalry that will continue to be talked about for generations to come.

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[jeffie43]

I think my dream team would be the Toronto CN Towers. The CN Tower is a building that is very iconic in Toronto's skyline and one of the largest freestanding structures that have been manmade. It used to be the biggest but the Burj Khalifa had changed things there unfortunately. Toronto is a beautiful and bright city with a large population and has a well-developed sports market with the Maple Leafs, Raptors, Argos, Blue Jays and the Marlies. With the entertainment value of the SSL, the league would easily be able to tap itself into a great market. Toronto is also a great sports city with a lot of athletes going on to say they love the place. The MLS team, the Toronto FC has a solid following and in fact, just got a new field they could put to good use. Toronto is also known as a multicultural city that has a lot of people from all over the globe and this really helps their soccer fandom as people tend to get crazy over the sport with the city's great diversity. Also the city has a lot of great sports academies and youth programs that could really help the team thrive as it moves along in the future. With the sport gaining in popularity thanks to its national team starting to thrive, I think there is potential for the city to do well in the SSL.

[Hoovuh]

[liamcowboys]

My dream team consists of an Australian team that is based in South West Sydney I think of this because one I'm an Aussie and there is a lot of houses being built out that way which means South West Sydney will consist of a plethora of young talent. I am a big fan of having kits that are black as that represents the Western Sydney area of sports teams. The stadium I'd have for this dream team is a suburban ground with a hill for fans to sit on with 2 stands either sides of the ground. This just massively represents Western Sydney grounds the classic sitting on the hill atmosphere with family is awesome. My dream team would have a motto of "never stop believing" this is because this is something Aussies have built in us even when we are backed into a corner that is when Aussies pounce. Something that would be brilliant about this dream team is the atmosphere they would get at games it would be never seen before stuff in the SSL. In whole an Australian team would be awesome for the fans in Australia but the only worry is do we get a repeat of the last team in Australia eventually having to relocate.

[Shnitzl]

Being german myself, I feel like the german-speaking area of the footballing world is grossly underrepresented in SSL.

My dream team, however, would not be based in Germany. In my opinion, neither Munich (I personally hate Bayern Munich with a passion, and many other german football fans do as well), nor Berlin (Union is cool, but lets see them have some sustained success first, nor any of the many Ruhrpott teams could bring what I would hope this team can do: Give german-speaking SSL players a place to call home. My city choice would be Vienna, Austria.

Why, Vienna, you ask? Well, they do speak some kind of german, and historically Vienna has been the heart and soul of german-speaking empires for almost 400 years. As a club name I would choose "Vienna Imperia F.C." - clearly internationalized, but with the obvious connection to the long-standing history all germans share with the Holy Roman Empire.

The team would play in classic black-and-yellow colorscheme, copying the consistent color pallet all Imperial Coat of Arms shared. Red will be added as a third color to represent all three german-speaking countries (Germany, Austria, Switzerland - and I guess the two Belgians that speak german can also feel included here), as they all have red as an element in their modern day national flags.

There will be obvious rivalries on the European continent, but given the historic foundation of this club the main rival will likely be Paris. Interestingly enough, the French club doesn't claim to play for all of France, mirroring the centralistic approach of French Kings in medieval times, while Vienna Imperia F.C. took the decentralised approach (again historically correct), which adds another interesting twist to this rivaly.

(286 words)

[Reno]

Coming soon to a Sweden near you

[Frenchie]

The dream team is not about having the best players, the best pitch, the best stadium, the best shirts, the best coaching, and backroom staff or even the fullest coffers. The dream team has to be centered on having the best experience, the best story and a deserving place among topflight teams. If it were my team, my call, I’d choose to establish a team where football is everything : England.

Sure this might seem very cliché, but the passion for the fans has to be considered. Call me biased, but I truly believe that the best fans are there. As such, I believe the team to warrant an expansion that could benefit from the immense fanbase would be some small village in England and my choice has stopped at Farnham. Inspired by an existing club, Farnham, with its 117 year history, would make the jump to the SSL. After being acquired by a passionate lifelong fan, they would get budget for stadium renovations, budget for transfers and a spot in the coveted Simulation Soccer League.

They would keep their light blue, burgundy and yellow colors, modernise their logo and redesign shirts to try and bring in extra money. They would most definitely be a powerhouse in the making and an exciting team to watch out for!

(217 words)