Team of the Year 2018
Starting XI
GK: Phil The Fish (Lyon) – Leading off our 2018 PCN Team of the Year is none other than the aquatic shot stopping master known as Phil The Fish. Phil has been the most consistent goalie in PCN history with 5 straight TOTS honors (no other player has more than 3 in a row) and easily earned his spot in our TOTY after leading the league in both clean sheets (37) and saves (486) as he also grabbed 11 MOTM and conceded just 103 goals in 97 games. Phil added a Goalie of the Season award in S8 with River Plate and was part of the S7 Juventus team that won the treble (SL Title, Royal Cup, Super Cup). I’m sure all eyes will be on Phil in 2019 as he starts his journey in S10 with Manchester United and looks to continue to break records and set trends at the goalie position.
CB: qik (River Plate) – Putting up perhaps the most dominant two season run by a defender in PCN history during the first half of 2018, QIK has cemented his status as one of the greatest center backs in league history with a TOTY honor. QIK has set the standard for defenders in the league in 2018 as you can see with his 37 clean sheets (2nd), 224 interceptions (T-1st among DEF), 480 possessions won (3rd), 93 goals allowed, 217 passing points (1st among DEF), and 11 MOTM in 95 games played. QIK earned a TOTS and Defender of the Season in a Season 7 split between Dortmund and Man City before finding a home with River Plate in S8 and S9, where he earned another TOTS and Defender of the Season as well as that elusive SL Title with River Plate in S9. With a World Cup title with Spain after S8 also on his resume, QIK has finally started to win the trophies worthy of a player his quality and will look to add to his 
cabinet in 2019 starting with Minnesota United in S10.
CB: Matias7 (Juventus) – What can you say about Matias7 other than the guy constantly plays a key role for teams who do not concede goals and win trophies, and for that reason he was a shoo in for our TOTY. Matias led all players in PCN with 40 clean sheets (SL record 18 in S8) in 2018 (not to mention 20 cup clean sheets, 5 more than any other player) to go along with 10 assists (7 more in cups), 157 interceptions, 383 possessions won, and only 72 goals allowed in 88 games of league play in 2018. Matias was a key piece to the recently broken up Juventus core with TOTS honors in S7 and S8, a S7 SL Title, Royal and Super Cup victories in both S7 and S8, as well as a S7 Euros crown with Wales and S8 World Cup Best XI with Morocco. With Matias now playing with QIK over at Minnesota United, I for one wouldn’t bet against Minnesota having a dominant defense in S10 with a pair of TOTY defenders in the lineup each week.
CB: Snowboarder 778 (Atlanta United) – Perhaps the biggest breakout star of the past couple of seasons on the defensive side of the ball, Atlanta United’s Snowboarder 778 did enough in S8 and S9 to grab the last CB spot in our TOTY. Snowboarder only joined PCN halfway through S7 with Man City, but he made up for lost time and finished the year with 23 clean sheets, 224 interceptions (T-1st among DEF), 485 possessions won (SL record 222 in S8 with PSG and 2nd overall), and 14 MOTM in 86 league games. Snowboarder was the first name on the team sheet in both the S8 and S9 Super League TOTS, and he also added a Defender of the Season award to his resume in S9 with Atlanta United. While he was unable to win any team honors in 2018, I would expect that to change perhaps as early as this season as he continues his Atlanta career with a revamped squad under new manager Cazbon in S10.
RM: Conski 77 (Bayern Munich) – Starting off the midfield for the PCN TOTY is the Scottish wizard known as sF Batistuta, who is a danger to defenses everywhere no matter where he lines up. Bati was easily one of the most productive attacking mids in all of PCN in 2018 as is evidenced by his 45 goals (11 more in cups), 41 assists (17 more in cups), 102 interceptions, and 13 MOTM in 96 games played. Bati was able to win awards in each season during 2018 with a TOTS honor with Bayern in S7, a PCN Cup with Arsenal in S8, and a TOTS and Royal Cup with Man City in S9. The first of two Europeans to make our TOTY, Batistuta is proof that quality shines through regardless of where it comes from, and I would look for more good things to come from the Scot in 2019.
CDM: dorseyfurcal18 (Manchester City) – Our first of two repeat members in the PCN Team of the Year, the ever-present dorseyfurcal18 once again has made our team with another year of quality play from either defensive mid or center mid. “Dorseye” was as good as anyone in the league in 2018 when it came to winning the ball back for his team as he led all of PCN with 182 tackles, 275 interceptions, and 499 possessions won to go along with 11 goals, 13 assists (8 more in cups), 20 clean sheets, 219 passing points, and 14 MOTM (1st among MID) in 96 league matches. While the SL title still eludes him, Dorsey has continued to gather honors with a TOTS and PCN Cup in S7 with AC Milan, a TOTS in a S8 split between Lyon and Bayern, a World Cup Best XI with Brazil, and a S9 Royal Cup with Man City. Will 2019 be the year that other DMs in PCN finally pass the veteran, or will Dorsey continue to ignore the haters and play at a high level and continue to rack up crazy stats, earn awards, and win trophies?
CDM: iRealms (Juventus) – Pairing with Dorsey in the center of midfield could be none other than arguably the most underrated and valuable part of the Juventus dynasty in iRealms. Realms is the quintessential sturdy defensive mid who will stay back and do his job to shield the back four and rarely lose the ball for his team as he led all of PCN in passing points with 265 (SL record 120 in S8) in addition to his 34 clean sheets (1st among MID), 219 interceptions, and 428 possessions won in just 79 games in 2018. Realms will need to hire a carpenter to build a new case after claiming a S7 SL Title as well as the S7 and S8 Royal and Super Cups with Juventus, a TOTS and Defensive Mid of the Season in S8, and helping Spain win the World Cup in S8 as well. Another player who has had to move up after the breakup of PCN Juventus, it may be strange to see iRealms wearing a kit without the famous black and white stripes of the Old Lady, but it won’t be strange to see him continue to do the dirty work needed to help his teams win trophies in 2019.
LM: Nord Gaston (Bayern Munich) – Starting on the opposite wing from his longtime teammate sF Batistuta in our TOTY could be none other than the creative maestro known as the Great Dane, DK I Gaston. Gaston somehow continues to fly under the radar for some in the league, but he was the only midfielder to average over a goal + assist combined per game with 44 goals (30 more in cups), 46 assists (13 more in cups and 3rd overall), 133 key passes, 103 interceptions, and 269 possessions won in only 77 league games. Gaston matched his Man City teammate Bati to the tee with a TOTS honor with Bayern in S7, a PCN Cup with Arsenal in S8, and a TOTS and Royal Cup with Man City in S9. Perhaps now with a TOTY honor and some of the most impressive creative numbers in league history, Gaston will no longer be slept on as he continues to dazzle defenses with his trickery and elite production.
CAM: Ischwiftys (Manchester United) – Probably the most contentious spot in our TOTY, iSchwiftys narrowly edged out talented midfielders Cozy Bryant and Thiago ll 6 ll to grab the CAM spot in our team. While Schwifty is a player who can at times become embroiled in controversy, what can’t be denied is his elite play as he paced PCN with 54 assists (23 more in cups) and 151 key passes to go with 38 goals (11 more in cups), 163 interceptions, 328 possessions won, and 12 MOTM in 99 games in 2018. Like his S9 teammate Snowboarder at Atlanta United, Schwifty was unable to bring home any team silverware last year, but he did win TOTS honors in both S8 and S9 as well as the S8 Attacking Mid of the Season. After a brief banishment to the PCN Underworld, Schwifty has returned to play with Man United S10 as he looks to continue his great play and grab his first bit of silverware.
ST: x Erickson (River Plate) – It should come to no surprise that x Erickson leads our strike partnership in the TOTY as he continues to lead by example as to what a striker is supposed to do in the competitive clubs environment. Erick has continued to score goals no matter the FIFA and no matter his team as he led PCN with 109 goals (SL record 46 in S8 and 46 more in cups) in 2018 in addition to 37 assists (30 more in cups), 106 key passes, 212 passing points, and 25 MOTM (11 more in cups) in 103 league matches. Erick has been racking up honors all year long with Golden Boots in S7 with Lyon and S8 with Man City, TOTS and Striker of the Season awards in S7 with Lyon and S9 with River Plate, as well as finally claiming his elusive first bit of team silverware with a SL Title last season with River Plate. Now leading the line for the aforementioned Minnesota United, Erick has set a high bar going forward for his standard of play to continue to score more goals than anyone else in PCN.
ST: ITALIAN0 (Juventus) – Rounding out our 2018 Team of the Year for PCN is the second player to double up on this award as PCN legend ITALIAN0 did enough in our eyes to just edge out Magic Man OP for the second striker spot. While there are more strikers making noise and claiming their quality than ever before, ITALIAN0’s 2018 showed why he is still the king up top with 93 goals (20 more in cups and 3rd overall), 30 assists (18 more in cups), 183 passing points, and 21 MOTM in 87 games over the course of the year. Season 7 was a magical season for the former Juventus manager as he won a SL Title, Royal Cup, Super Cup, TOTS, and Manager of the Season as well as earning a Royal and Super Cup double in S8. After the breakup of PCN Juventus following 5 incredible seasons spanning almost two years, where ITALIAN0 and the rest of his former teammates go and what they can accomplish will be one of the storylines to watch in 2019.
Editor: dorseyfurcal18
Cards: iiFivio
Graphic: AutomatedSquid