August 27 marks the twentieth anniversary of the Richmond Kickers winning the US Open Cup. In the long history of the trophy, this is a noteworthy tournament because it serves as a transition between the old guard and the arrival of MLS clubs. Teams with ethnic identities, ones that seem relatively grassroots, were often the winners; the final match in '94 was a three-nil victory for Greek-American of San Francisco over Bavarian of Milwaukee, and it drew only 400 to United German-Hungarian Field in Oakford, Pennsylvania.
In 1995, a new era began, one in which contenders for the trophy are clubs with shorter histories representing a metropolitan area, state, or region. Also, they're in the top divisions of American soccer, like many of the winners in the period before the NASL, and these top divisions are not strictly regional leagues. Though the US Open Cup has been almost exclusively a prize for MLS teams, second- and third-division clubs have surfaced in the final occasionally, while former champions stay small in the lower tiers. The championship match is held not in May, June, or July, as is the case with other nations' cups, but in September or October, near the end of the MLS season.
The Kickers' greatest year came at that turning point for American club soccer. In their run for the US Open Cup, they started against a team from the tournament's old guard, the Spartans of Fairfax. On June 11, Richmond won 5-2, but a replay was held a week later because the Spartans, according to my source, "filed a protest that they were not given enough notification of a change in kickoff time." On June 18, Richmond beat them even worse, with a score of 6-1.
In July against the A-League Atlanta Ruckus (Richmond was in a lower-level league at the time, the USISL Premier League), the Kickers pulled off an upset, winning 2-1. Their opponent in the semifinals was a fellow USISL team that defeated an A-League team in the quarterfinals, the Chicago Stingers, who beat the New York Centaurs. The Kickers won that match against the Pro League club 4-3.
Finally, sixteen days after winning their league championship, Richmond played the final with USISL Pro club El Paso Patriots hosting and 7,378 in attendance. With the score knotted up at 1-1 after extra time, a penalty shootout was in order, and the Kickers won that 4-2.
Dennis Viollet, a former Manchester United player who survived the crash of '58, managed the team, and current manager Leigh Cowlishaw, a U of R man, played. The most notable name on the team was that of local Rob Ukrop of the supermarket family.
More research would enable a writer to provide sufficient coverage.
EDIT 7/8/2019: Removed "the late" and a dubious part of the last sentence
I've had a fling with soccer, but baseball and I have an understanding.
Thursday, August 13, 2015
Wednesday, July 16, 2014
An Apology to Germany
I said in the '70s team brief for Franz Beckenbauer that they'd won the World Cup only twice going into this one (congratulations, by the way). I forgot the 1954 title, for which, if I have any readers at all and any of them happen to be Germany fans, I'm sorry. Enjoy permanent ownership of the World Cup trophy you first won 40 years ago (if they're doing that, because for marketing purposes they might not).
Tuesday, January 14, 2014
All-Time Team
And now, my ultimate foray into talking soccer like I know what I'm talking about.
Taking the teams listed on "World All-Time Teams" into account, I assigned players points based on how long ago teams were named and how many of each type of player were on each team. Two of these were all-time World Cup teams from 1994 and 2002, and that skews things quite a bit.
In order of points:
GK - Lev Yashin
DF - Franz Beckenbauer, Bobby Moore, Paolo Maldini, Djalma Santos, Nilton Santos, Carlos Alberto
MF - Johan Cruyff, Diego Maradona, Michel Platini, Bobby Charlton
FW - Pele, Garrincha, Alfredo di Stefano, Ferenc Puskas, Giuseppe Meazza
This is why I call it my "All-Time XVI" instead of "All-Time XI:" because many of the things I'm saying about formation and player styles might not be correct. Should anyone actually find this team, I ask: What would YOU do with this group of sixteen? Here's the formation I used at first.
Goalkeeper: Lev Yashin
Outside backs: Djalma Santos and Nilton Santos
Inside backs: Franz Beckenbauer and Paolo Maldini
Center back: Bobby Moore
Wide midfielders: Johan Cruyff and Diego Maradona
Center midfielder: Michael Platini
Forwards: Pele and Garrincha
Substitutes: Carlos Alberto - Bobby Charlton - Alfredo di Stefano, Ferenc Puskas, Giuseppe Meazza
The first arrangement I devised for each player was a 5-3-2 because I didn't really want to have Djalma Santos without Nilton Santos, and besides that, they were so close in terms of points. But that would mean Beckenbauer and Maldini might be confined to either side of Moore, which doesn't suit their style of play... or does it?
Anyway, I came up with another formation to accommodate Beckenbauer as a sweeper.
Goalkeeper: Lev Yashin
Sweeper: Franz Beckenbauer
Outside backs: Djalma Santos and Nilton Santos
Center back: Bobby Moore
Outside midfielders: Johan Cruyff and Diego Maradona
Inside midfielders: Bobby Charlton and Michel Platini
Forwards: Pele and Garrincha
Substitutes: Carlos Alberto, Paolo Maldini - Alfredo di Stefano, Ferenc Puskas, Giuseppe Meazza
And when I subtracted one of the two World Cup teams much later, I came up with this one.
Goalkeeper: Lev Yashin
Fullbacks: Bobby Moore and Nilton Santos
Wing-backs: Franz Beckenbauer and Paolo Maldini
Midfielders: Johan Cruyff, Diego Maradona, and Michel Platini
Forwards: Pele, Garrincha, and Alfredo Di Stefano
Substitutes: Djalma Santos, Carlos Alberto - Bobby Charlton (who now trailed Schiaffino) - Ferenc Puskas, Giuseppe Meazza
By the way, the reserves include goalkeeper Gordon Banks; defenders Roberto Carlos and Franco Baresi; midfielders Juan Schiaffino and Zinedine Zidane; and forwards Roberto Baggio, Romario, and Gerd Muller. Each of these players was named to one team among the ones I consulted.
And, cards on the table, here are the rest of the players scoring points: defenders Frank Rijkaard, Paul Breitner, and Jose Leandro Andrade; midfielder Marco van Basten; and forward Francisco Gento.
More on each player can be found in the shorter bios accompanying the All-Decade Teams, except in Meazza's case because he played earlier than the others.
Finally, I dedicate this entry to the defenders Santos and Santos, whose deaths I learned about at the start of December when researching a list of those we lost in the sports world in 2013.
Lev Yashin
1929-1990
Goalkeeper
Soviet Union 1954-1967 (75 appearances)
Dynamo Moscow (URS) 1950-1970
When you have an all-time team, I understand Lev Yashin is always the goalkeeper. FIFA knew that when they named him Keeper of the Century in 2000. An agile and athletic keeper, he was awarded the Ballon d'Or for best European player of the year fifty-one years ago, and he's still the only keeper to have received that honor.
Djalma Santos
1929-2013 (RIP)
Defender
Brazil 1952-1968 (98 appearances)
Portuguesa (BRA) 1948-1959; Palmeiras (BRA) 1959-1968; Paranaense (BRA) 1969-1970
Djalma Santos only played in the last (and deciding) match of the '58 World Cup, but he was vital enough to his squad that he made the all-tournament team. Four years later at the final, he made a difficult cross that resulted in a key goal.
Franz Beckenbauer
born 1945
Defender
West Germany 1965-1977 (103 appearances)
Bayern Munich (FRG) 1964-1976; New York (USA) 1977-1980; Hamburger SV (FRG) 1980-1982; New York 1983
The emergence of the sweeper as we know the position is associated with Franz Beckenbauer. And why not? He could do defense very well once he made the transition from midfielder early in his career, but retained capability in passing. A brilliant dribbler and a brilliant mind.
Bobby Moore
1941-1993
Defender
England 1962-1973 (108 appearances)
West Ham United (ENG) 1958-1974; Fulham (ENG) 1974-1977; San Antonio (USA) 1976, Seattle (USA) 1978; Herning Fremad (DEN) 1978
The most beloved sports team in England remains the '66 team, and its most beloved player is Bobby Moore. Not only was he a great player, but a good sportsman as well, as seen when he rose above the scandals surrounding him leading up to the 1970 World Cup and soon exchanged jerseys with Pele.
Paolo Maldini
born 1968
Defender
Italy 1988-2002 (126 appearances)
Milan (ITA) 1985-2009
The first defender that World Soccer ever awarded the title of best player on the planet, Paolo Maldini exemplified in his time what a good defender could do. He emerged as a leader for Milan and helped them earn trophy after trophy.
Nilton Santos
1925-2013 (RIP)
Defender
Brazil 1945-1962 (75 appearances)
Botafogo (BRA) 1948-1964
No relation to Djalma, Nilton Santos is still to be linked with him as one of the two full-backs on those World Cup-winning teams. How often did defenders go upfield in those days? Apparently not as much as he did.
Johan Cruyff
born 1947
Netherlands 1966-1977 (48 appearances)
Ajax (NED) 1964-1973; Barcelona (ESP) 1973-1978; Los Angeles (USA) 1979-1980; Washington (USA) 1980-1981; Levante (ESP) 1981; Ajax 1981-1983; Feyenoord (NED) 1983-1984
So many teams name Johan Cruyff as a midfielder that I couldn't bear to adjust after realizing he was primarily a forward. He was fine with playing deep, and his mathematician's mind combined with Rinus Michels's "total football" style would be conducive to this position.
Michel Platini
born 1955
Midfielder
France 1976-1987 (72 appearances)
Nancy (FRA) 1972-1979; Saint-Etienne (FRA) 1979-1982; Juventus (ITA) 1982-1987
Without a doubt, Michel Platini was the best in the game during the three years he was voted European Player of the Year (1983-1985). He came through in the clutch for France and Juventus many times, and he's a legend with both.
Diego Maradona
born 1960
Midfielder
Argentina 1977-1994 (93 appearances)
Argentinos Juniors (ARG) 1976-1981; Boca Juniors (ARG) 1981-1982; Barcelona (ESP) 1982-1984; Napoli (ITA) 1984-1991; Sevilla (ESP) 1992-1993; Newell's Old Boys (ARG) 1993-1994; Boca Juniors 1995-1997
Diego Maradona shares FIFA Player of the Century honors, but in some circles, it's no contest. What can be said for sure is that Diego Maradona was the superstar of the '80s, considering his transfer fees and his performance in '86.
Garrincha (Manoel Santos)
1933-1983
Forward
Brazil 1955-1966 (50 appearances)
Botafogo (BRA) 1953-1965; Corinthians (BRA) 1966; Portuguesa Carioca (BRA) 1967; Atletico Junior (BRA) 1968; Flamengo (BRA) 1968-1969; Olaria (BRA) 1972
Garrincha was already 20 years old when he made his club debut, but the word "phenom" could still apply to this quick dribble-master. Nine years later, the spotlight shone on him at the World Cup, and he proved for sure to be a difference-maker.
Pele (Edson Nascimento)
born 1940
Forward
Brazil 1957-1971 (113 appearances)
Santos (BRA) 1956-1974; New York (USA) 1975-1977
Pele is the first international legend whose name most people learn (at least in Brazil and in the US). He had a complete game like Michael Jordan's, racked up legendary numbers like Wayne Gretzky did, and is linked with a golden era for his team and for the game like Babe Ruth is.
Carlos Alberto (C.A. Torres)
born 1944
Defender
Brazil 1964-1977 (53 appearances)
Fluminense (BRA) 1963-1966; Santos (BRA) 1966-1974; Fluminense 1974-1977; Flamengo (BRA) 1977; New York (USA) 1977-1980; California (USA) 1981; New York 1982
In Carlos Alberto's time, a defender with such skills on every part of the pitch was still quite new, but he pulled it off, especially in that most spectacular goal of his in the 1970 World Cup final.
Bobby Charlton
born 1937
Forward
England 1958-1970 (106 appearances)
Manchester United (ENG) 1956-1973; Preston North End (ENG) 1974-1975; Waterford United (IRL) 1976
With his shot power and mentality, Bobby Charlton was one of the driving forces for the '66 World Cup winners and for a Manchester United team that rebuilt itself over ten years. Moore may be more revered, but Charlton is "Sir Bobby."
Alfredo Di Stefano
born 1926
Forward
Argentina 1947 (6 appearances); Colombia 1949 (4 appearances); Spain 1957-1961 (31 appearances)
River Plate (ARG) 1945-1949; Huracan (ARG) 1946 [loan]; Millonarios (COL) 1949-1953; Real Madrid (ESP) 1953-1964; Espanyol (ESP) 1964-1966
Alfredo Di Stefano has quite a backstory regarding how he got to Real Madrid, but his impact was obvious from the time he arrived. This high-scoring star helped the club reach new heights, and he has a place in the highest tier among the game's luminaries.
Ferenc Puskas
1927-2006
Forward
Hungary 1945-1956 (85 appearances); Spain 1961-1962 (4 appearances)
Honved (HUN) 1943-1956; Real Madrid (ESP) 1958-1966
Before he joined Di Stefano on Real Madrid, Ferenc Puskas was the most prominent player on the Hungarian juggernaut team. Whether he played for Hungary, Honved, or Real, he had almost as many goals as he did games.
Giuseppe Meazza
1910-1979
Forward
Italy 1930-1939 (53 appearances)
Internazionale (ITA) 1927-1940; Milan (ITA) 1940-1942; Juventus (ITA) 1942-1943; Varese (ITA) 1944; Atalanta (ITA) 1945-1946; Internazionale 1946-1947
Captain of the Italian team for their back-to-back World Cup victories in the '30s, Meazza was THE soccer superstar of his time. He scored great amounts of goals, but also had the stuff to help his teammates find the net.
And there it is. Like all things soccer, it's subject to debate and bound to draw personal insults. And it comes with acknowledgment of Eusebio's recent passing, although none of the teams I consulted named him. Thanks for reading.
Taking the teams listed on "World All-Time Teams" into account, I assigned players points based on how long ago teams were named and how many of each type of player were on each team. Two of these were all-time World Cup teams from 1994 and 2002, and that skews things quite a bit.
In order of points:
GK - Lev Yashin
DF - Franz Beckenbauer, Bobby Moore, Paolo Maldini, Djalma Santos, Nilton Santos, Carlos Alberto
MF - Johan Cruyff, Diego Maradona, Michel Platini, Bobby Charlton
FW - Pele, Garrincha, Alfredo di Stefano, Ferenc Puskas, Giuseppe Meazza
This is why I call it my "All-Time XVI" instead of "All-Time XI:" because many of the things I'm saying about formation and player styles might not be correct. Should anyone actually find this team, I ask: What would YOU do with this group of sixteen? Here's the formation I used at first.
Goalkeeper: Lev Yashin
Outside backs: Djalma Santos and Nilton Santos
Inside backs: Franz Beckenbauer and Paolo Maldini
Center back: Bobby Moore
Wide midfielders: Johan Cruyff and Diego Maradona
Center midfielder: Michael Platini
Forwards: Pele and Garrincha
Substitutes: Carlos Alberto - Bobby Charlton - Alfredo di Stefano, Ferenc Puskas, Giuseppe Meazza
The first arrangement I devised for each player was a 5-3-2 because I didn't really want to have Djalma Santos without Nilton Santos, and besides that, they were so close in terms of points. But that would mean Beckenbauer and Maldini might be confined to either side of Moore, which doesn't suit their style of play... or does it?
Anyway, I came up with another formation to accommodate Beckenbauer as a sweeper.
Goalkeeper: Lev Yashin
Sweeper: Franz Beckenbauer
Outside backs: Djalma Santos and Nilton Santos
Center back: Bobby Moore
Outside midfielders: Johan Cruyff and Diego Maradona
Inside midfielders: Bobby Charlton and Michel Platini
Forwards: Pele and Garrincha
Substitutes: Carlos Alberto, Paolo Maldini - Alfredo di Stefano, Ferenc Puskas, Giuseppe Meazza
And when I subtracted one of the two World Cup teams much later, I came up with this one.
Goalkeeper: Lev Yashin
Fullbacks: Bobby Moore and Nilton Santos
Wing-backs: Franz Beckenbauer and Paolo Maldini
Midfielders: Johan Cruyff, Diego Maradona, and Michel Platini
Forwards: Pele, Garrincha, and Alfredo Di Stefano
Substitutes: Djalma Santos, Carlos Alberto - Bobby Charlton (who now trailed Schiaffino) - Ferenc Puskas, Giuseppe Meazza
By the way, the reserves include goalkeeper Gordon Banks; defenders Roberto Carlos and Franco Baresi; midfielders Juan Schiaffino and Zinedine Zidane; and forwards Roberto Baggio, Romario, and Gerd Muller. Each of these players was named to one team among the ones I consulted.
And, cards on the table, here are the rest of the players scoring points: defenders Frank Rijkaard, Paul Breitner, and Jose Leandro Andrade; midfielder Marco van Basten; and forward Francisco Gento.
More on each player can be found in the shorter bios accompanying the All-Decade Teams, except in Meazza's case because he played earlier than the others.
Finally, I dedicate this entry to the defenders Santos and Santos, whose deaths I learned about at the start of December when researching a list of those we lost in the sports world in 2013.
Lev Yashin
1929-1990
Goalkeeper
Soviet Union 1954-1967 (75 appearances)
Dynamo Moscow (URS) 1950-1970
When you have an all-time team, I understand Lev Yashin is always the goalkeeper. FIFA knew that when they named him Keeper of the Century in 2000. An agile and athletic keeper, he was awarded the Ballon d'Or for best European player of the year fifty-one years ago, and he's still the only keeper to have received that honor.
Djalma Santos
1929-2013 (RIP)
Defender
Brazil 1952-1968 (98 appearances)
Portuguesa (BRA) 1948-1959; Palmeiras (BRA) 1959-1968; Paranaense (BRA) 1969-1970
Djalma Santos only played in the last (and deciding) match of the '58 World Cup, but he was vital enough to his squad that he made the all-tournament team. Four years later at the final, he made a difficult cross that resulted in a key goal.
Franz Beckenbauer
born 1945
Defender
West Germany 1965-1977 (103 appearances)
Bayern Munich (FRG) 1964-1976; New York (USA) 1977-1980; Hamburger SV (FRG) 1980-1982; New York 1983
The emergence of the sweeper as we know the position is associated with Franz Beckenbauer. And why not? He could do defense very well once he made the transition from midfielder early in his career, but retained capability in passing. A brilliant dribbler and a brilliant mind.
Bobby Moore
1941-1993
Defender
England 1962-1973 (108 appearances)
West Ham United (ENG) 1958-1974; Fulham (ENG) 1974-1977; San Antonio (USA) 1976, Seattle (USA) 1978; Herning Fremad (DEN) 1978
The most beloved sports team in England remains the '66 team, and its most beloved player is Bobby Moore. Not only was he a great player, but a good sportsman as well, as seen when he rose above the scandals surrounding him leading up to the 1970 World Cup and soon exchanged jerseys with Pele.
Paolo Maldini
born 1968
Defender
Italy 1988-2002 (126 appearances)
Milan (ITA) 1985-2009
The first defender that World Soccer ever awarded the title of best player on the planet, Paolo Maldini exemplified in his time what a good defender could do. He emerged as a leader for Milan and helped them earn trophy after trophy.
Nilton Santos
1925-2013 (RIP)
Defender
Brazil 1945-1962 (75 appearances)
Botafogo (BRA) 1948-1964
No relation to Djalma, Nilton Santos is still to be linked with him as one of the two full-backs on those World Cup-winning teams. How often did defenders go upfield in those days? Apparently not as much as he did.
Johan Cruyff
born 1947
Netherlands 1966-1977 (48 appearances)
Ajax (NED) 1964-1973; Barcelona (ESP) 1973-1978; Los Angeles (USA) 1979-1980; Washington (USA) 1980-1981; Levante (ESP) 1981; Ajax 1981-1983; Feyenoord (NED) 1983-1984
So many teams name Johan Cruyff as a midfielder that I couldn't bear to adjust after realizing he was primarily a forward. He was fine with playing deep, and his mathematician's mind combined with Rinus Michels's "total football" style would be conducive to this position.
Michel Platini
born 1955
Midfielder
France 1976-1987 (72 appearances)
Nancy (FRA) 1972-1979; Saint-Etienne (FRA) 1979-1982; Juventus (ITA) 1982-1987
Without a doubt, Michel Platini was the best in the game during the three years he was voted European Player of the Year (1983-1985). He came through in the clutch for France and Juventus many times, and he's a legend with both.
Diego Maradona
born 1960
Midfielder
Argentina 1977-1994 (93 appearances)
Argentinos Juniors (ARG) 1976-1981; Boca Juniors (ARG) 1981-1982; Barcelona (ESP) 1982-1984; Napoli (ITA) 1984-1991; Sevilla (ESP) 1992-1993; Newell's Old Boys (ARG) 1993-1994; Boca Juniors 1995-1997
Diego Maradona shares FIFA Player of the Century honors, but in some circles, it's no contest. What can be said for sure is that Diego Maradona was the superstar of the '80s, considering his transfer fees and his performance in '86.
Garrincha (Manoel Santos)
1933-1983
Forward
Brazil 1955-1966 (50 appearances)
Botafogo (BRA) 1953-1965; Corinthians (BRA) 1966; Portuguesa Carioca (BRA) 1967; Atletico Junior (BRA) 1968; Flamengo (BRA) 1968-1969; Olaria (BRA) 1972
Garrincha was already 20 years old when he made his club debut, but the word "phenom" could still apply to this quick dribble-master. Nine years later, the spotlight shone on him at the World Cup, and he proved for sure to be a difference-maker.
Pele (Edson Nascimento)
born 1940
Forward
Brazil 1957-1971 (113 appearances)
Santos (BRA) 1956-1974; New York (USA) 1975-1977
Pele is the first international legend whose name most people learn (at least in Brazil and in the US). He had a complete game like Michael Jordan's, racked up legendary numbers like Wayne Gretzky did, and is linked with a golden era for his team and for the game like Babe Ruth is.
Carlos Alberto (C.A. Torres)
born 1944
Defender
Brazil 1964-1977 (53 appearances)
Fluminense (BRA) 1963-1966; Santos (BRA) 1966-1974; Fluminense 1974-1977; Flamengo (BRA) 1977; New York (USA) 1977-1980; California (USA) 1981; New York 1982
In Carlos Alberto's time, a defender with such skills on every part of the pitch was still quite new, but he pulled it off, especially in that most spectacular goal of his in the 1970 World Cup final.
Bobby Charlton
born 1937
Forward
England 1958-1970 (106 appearances)
Manchester United (ENG) 1956-1973; Preston North End (ENG) 1974-1975; Waterford United (IRL) 1976
With his shot power and mentality, Bobby Charlton was one of the driving forces for the '66 World Cup winners and for a Manchester United team that rebuilt itself over ten years. Moore may be more revered, but Charlton is "Sir Bobby."
Alfredo Di Stefano
born 1926
Forward
Argentina 1947 (6 appearances); Colombia 1949 (4 appearances); Spain 1957-1961 (31 appearances)
River Plate (ARG) 1945-1949; Huracan (ARG) 1946 [loan]; Millonarios (COL) 1949-1953; Real Madrid (ESP) 1953-1964; Espanyol (ESP) 1964-1966
Alfredo Di Stefano has quite a backstory regarding how he got to Real Madrid, but his impact was obvious from the time he arrived. This high-scoring star helped the club reach new heights, and he has a place in the highest tier among the game's luminaries.
Ferenc Puskas
1927-2006
Forward
Hungary 1945-1956 (85 appearances); Spain 1961-1962 (4 appearances)
Honved (HUN) 1943-1956; Real Madrid (ESP) 1958-1966
Before he joined Di Stefano on Real Madrid, Ferenc Puskas was the most prominent player on the Hungarian juggernaut team. Whether he played for Hungary, Honved, or Real, he had almost as many goals as he did games.
Giuseppe Meazza
1910-1979
Forward
Italy 1930-1939 (53 appearances)
Internazionale (ITA) 1927-1940; Milan (ITA) 1940-1942; Juventus (ITA) 1942-1943; Varese (ITA) 1944; Atalanta (ITA) 1945-1946; Internazionale 1946-1947
Captain of the Italian team for their back-to-back World Cup victories in the '30s, Meazza was THE soccer superstar of his time. He scored great amounts of goals, but also had the stuff to help his teammates find the net.
And there it is. Like all things soccer, it's subject to debate and bound to draw personal insults. And it comes with acknowledgment of Eusebio's recent passing, although none of the teams I consulted named him. Thanks for reading.
EDIT 2-12-24: Put in a word that had been missing all these years; I chose "accompanying."
Monday, December 30, 2013
All-Time Team Coming Soon
I guess in less than a month I'll reveal my all-time team once I can get some write-ups done. In the meantime, here are some alternative '80s, '90s, and '00s teams based entirely on Onze Mondial annual elevens. All are in 4-4-2 formation, not necessarily arranged from right to left here.
Eighties: Bats - Forster, Bossis, Cabrini, Gerets - Maradona, Platini, Rijkaard, Tigana - Rummenigge, van Basten
Nineties: Barthez - Maldini, Thuram, Blanc, Koeman - Deschamps, Matthaus, Desailly, R. Baggio - Ronaldo, Papin
Noughties: Casillas - Roberto Carlos, Nesta, Terry, Evra - Zidane, Vieira, Ronaldinho, Figo - Henry, Cristiano Ronaldo
Happy New Year.
Eighties: Bats - Forster, Bossis, Cabrini, Gerets - Maradona, Platini, Rijkaard, Tigana - Rummenigge, van Basten
Nineties: Barthez - Maldini, Thuram, Blanc, Koeman - Deschamps, Matthaus, Desailly, R. Baggio - Ronaldo, Papin
Noughties: Casillas - Roberto Carlos, Nesta, Terry, Evra - Zidane, Vieira, Ronaldinho, Figo - Henry, Cristiano Ronaldo
Happy New Year.
Thursday, November 28, 2013
All-'00s Soccer Team
And here we are. The decade all-star team of which I'm least sure. The one at which the soccer world would debate the most. But I'm just sticking with source material (or at least as much as I could find). After the '50s, the '60s, the '70s, the '80s, and the '90s, it's time for that decade whose name is also debatable. But I'm sure most fans would call it the...
GK #1 Buffon
Gianluigi Buffon was near-unstoppable at the 2006 World Cup, and that was a major factor in Italy's victory. Despite Juventus's scandal, he stayed faithful to his club and recently helped them win back-to-back titles.
DF #17 Cannavaro
Fabio Cannavaro was the foundation of the Italian defense and the national team's captain in the '00s. After being there for a great period with Parma, he led Juventus to a pair of titles, and he did the same for Real Madrid after Juve's were stripped.
DF #14 Nesta
Alessandro Nesta was one of the best defensive players in the world at the height of his powers. After elevating Lazio to new heights, he went to Milan and won the Champions League twice. A member of the '06 World Cup champs, he now plays in Montreal.
DF #6 Terry
John Terry has been captain for Chelsea in their recent run of league-and-cup-winning performances, including their 2012 Champions League title. A very accurate passer, he was England's only 2006 World Cup All-Star.
DF #5 Puyol
Born and raised in Catalonia, Carles Puyol has been the captain of Barcelona for nine years and led them to three titles at the Champions League. A strong, tenacious defender, he is one of the reasons Spain has been such a winner internationally.
MF #13 Ballack
Michael Ballack has had various degrees of success with his various clubs, including four Bundesliga titles and three times bringing always-losing Leverkusen within reach. For Germany, he led the 2002 World Cup field in assists.
MF #10 Totti
Francesco Totti can be an attacking midfielder or a second striker. His scoring and passing led Roma to a Serie A title in 2001, and he helped Italy win the 2006 World Cup with metal plates in his broken leg.
MF #8 Veron
Juan Sebastian Veron made creative contributions to Lazio as they pulled off a double in 2000, and if nothing else, he was there for titles won by Man United and by Inter. He helped Argentina go deep in the '98 World Cup.
MF #80 Ronaldinho
Ronaldinho was great at getting goals and assists at his peak. A 42-yard free kick that found the net is just one of many things he did for Brazil at the 2002 World Cup. He flourished at Barcelona, winning awards for himself and for his club.
FW #7 Shevchenko
Andriy Shevchenko first got noticed bringing Dynamo Kiev to the Champions League. His hot scoring continued with Milan as he brought them a league title and a Champions League crown. With 48 goals, he's set a standard for the young nation of Ukraine.
FW #9 Ronaldo
Ronaldo was considered the Pele of the late '90s and '00s when it came to Brazilian players. A high scorer whose health often failed him, he was a difference-maker in one way at the 2002 World Cup and in a more unfortunate way in '98.
Substitutes
FW #22 Ruud van Nistelrooy
FW #11 Raul
FW #12 Thierry Henry
MF #24 Patrick Vieira
MF #23 David Beckham
Note: All four defenders are center backs and all four midfielders are second strikers. I need to make different selections.
NOUGHTIES
Formation: 4-4-2GK #1 Buffon
Gianluigi Buffon was near-unstoppable at the 2006 World Cup, and that was a major factor in Italy's victory. Despite Juventus's scandal, he stayed faithful to his club and recently helped them win back-to-back titles.
DF #17 Cannavaro
Fabio Cannavaro was the foundation of the Italian defense and the national team's captain in the '00s. After being there for a great period with Parma, he led Juventus to a pair of titles, and he did the same for Real Madrid after Juve's were stripped.
DF #14 Nesta
Alessandro Nesta was one of the best defensive players in the world at the height of his powers. After elevating Lazio to new heights, he went to Milan and won the Champions League twice. A member of the '06 World Cup champs, he now plays in Montreal.
DF #6 Terry
John Terry has been captain for Chelsea in their recent run of league-and-cup-winning performances, including their 2012 Champions League title. A very accurate passer, he was England's only 2006 World Cup All-Star.
DF #5 Puyol
Born and raised in Catalonia, Carles Puyol has been the captain of Barcelona for nine years and led them to three titles at the Champions League. A strong, tenacious defender, he is one of the reasons Spain has been such a winner internationally.
MF #13 Ballack
Michael Ballack has had various degrees of success with his various clubs, including four Bundesliga titles and three times bringing always-losing Leverkusen within reach. For Germany, he led the 2002 World Cup field in assists.
MF #10 Totti
Francesco Totti can be an attacking midfielder or a second striker. His scoring and passing led Roma to a Serie A title in 2001, and he helped Italy win the 2006 World Cup with metal plates in his broken leg.
MF #8 Veron
Juan Sebastian Veron made creative contributions to Lazio as they pulled off a double in 2000, and if nothing else, he was there for titles won by Man United and by Inter. He helped Argentina go deep in the '98 World Cup.
MF #80 Ronaldinho
Ronaldinho was great at getting goals and assists at his peak. A 42-yard free kick that found the net is just one of many things he did for Brazil at the 2002 World Cup. He flourished at Barcelona, winning awards for himself and for his club.
FW #7 Shevchenko
Andriy Shevchenko first got noticed bringing Dynamo Kiev to the Champions League. His hot scoring continued with Milan as he brought them a league title and a Champions League crown. With 48 goals, he's set a standard for the young nation of Ukraine.
FW #9 Ronaldo
Ronaldo was considered the Pele of the late '90s and '00s when it came to Brazilian players. A high scorer whose health often failed him, he was a difference-maker in one way at the 2002 World Cup and in a more unfortunate way in '98.
Substitutes
FW #22 Ruud van Nistelrooy
FW #11 Raul
FW #12 Thierry Henry
MF #24 Patrick Vieira
MF #23 David Beckham
Note: All four defenders are center backs and all four midfielders are second strikers. I need to make different selections.
Sunday, November 17, 2013
All-'90s Soccer Team
Four highly debatable squads relying on second-or-third-or-twelfth-hand information down, two even more uncertain ones to go. The "best of the century" and such lists thankfully offer few players from the '90s and even fewer who'd play in the '00s (which I'm typing as oh-oh's, though I could also call it "aughts"), but for these teams' purposes, this meant I had to derive a lot of them from other sources.
Also, by the time I stopped typing about these squads, I hadn't assigned numbers to all of the '90s players or to any of the '00s (again, I type it as oh-oh's) players. I prepare these offline and don't always have the resources to determine what numbers they'll have. So I did some quick image searching while online, made some decisions, and boom. Here we go.
GK #1 Schmeichel
Peter Schmeichel was the best of at least the early '90s. He could quite often pull off magnificent-saves, and he kept his defenders alert. After inspiring Denmark to an unlikely title at Euro 92, he helped usher in a new age for Manchester United.
DF #2 Cafu
Cafu made his mark playing Brazil's right wing, and he played in three consecutive World Cup championship matches, two of which his team won. Along with those high accolades, he's won the Copa Libertadores twice and the Champions League once.
DF #6 Desailly
Marcel Desailly had a robust defensive game that made a big difference for France as they won the '98 World Cup and Euro 2000. Twice in a row he won the European Cup, once with Marseille and once with Milan.
DF #20 Hong
Hong Myung-Bo was the premier sweeper in Asia during his time. Eight years after some key scores for the Republic of Korea in the '94 World Cup, he captained his team to greater heights. He was also one of the stars of the K-League.
SW #8 Maldini
Paolo Maldini had the skills at defense and in aiding the attack that were useful whether he played sweeper or halfback. He played a quarter-century with Milan as they won trophies of all kinds, and was captain of Italy for nine years.
MF #7 Hagi
Gheorghe Hagi was "the Maradona of the Carpathians." In his club career, he scored big for Steaua Bucharest in the late '80s and for Galatasaray in the late '90s. With the Romanian national team, he shone particularly bright at the World Cup.
MF #12 Laudrup
Michael Laudrup had great technique, and his passing was like magic. A key player on Barcelona's "Dream Team," he was also a favorite with Real Madrid. The Dane brought his skill to the World Cup twice, but unwisely decided to skip Euro 92.
MF #19 Gascoigne
Paul Gascoigne was greatly talented with the ball and able to handle it well. He was a superstar in his native England, and he had a rocky career, to say the least. The well-travelled "Gazza" won an FA Cup with Tottenham and a treble with Rangers.
MF #10 Zidane
Zinedine Zidane is probably the most celebrated player of his time. With vision, pace, and goal-scoring ability, he led France to titles at the '98 World Cup and Euro 2000, and helped bring trophies to Juventus and Real Madrid.
FW #18 Baggio
Roberto Baggio has scored plenty of goals, some of them quite amazing. A playmaker and second striker, "the Divine Ponytail" scored in every World Cup of the '90s (the last without said ponytail). He's one of Italy's all-time favorites.
FW #9 Weah
George Weah, the African Player of the Century, starred for Monaco and PSG, winning a French league title with the latter and leading the '94-95 Champions League in scoring. The Liberian then joined Milan and helped them win Serie A twice.
Substitutes
FW #11 Romario
FW #16 Hristo Stoichkov
FW #17 Gabriel Batistuta
DF #5 Laurent Blanc
DF #15 Lilian Thuram
Note: I'm pleased with the variety of nations represented in this team, but that variety wouldn't work for all the teams. Contrary to that, I could take Didier Deschamps over Thuram if I want a midfielder on the sidelines. And don't worry, Ronaldo fans, you'll see him on the Noughties team.
Also, by the time I stopped typing about these squads, I hadn't assigned numbers to all of the '90s players or to any of the '00s (again, I type it as oh-oh's) players. I prepare these offline and don't always have the resources to determine what numbers they'll have. So I did some quick image searching while online, made some decisions, and boom. Here we go.
NINETIES
Formation: 4-4-2GK #1 Schmeichel
Peter Schmeichel was the best of at least the early '90s. He could quite often pull off magnificent-saves, and he kept his defenders alert. After inspiring Denmark to an unlikely title at Euro 92, he helped usher in a new age for Manchester United.
DF #2 Cafu
Cafu made his mark playing Brazil's right wing, and he played in three consecutive World Cup championship matches, two of which his team won. Along with those high accolades, he's won the Copa Libertadores twice and the Champions League once.
DF #6 Desailly
Marcel Desailly had a robust defensive game that made a big difference for France as they won the '98 World Cup and Euro 2000. Twice in a row he won the European Cup, once with Marseille and once with Milan.
DF #20 Hong
Hong Myung-Bo was the premier sweeper in Asia during his time. Eight years after some key scores for the Republic of Korea in the '94 World Cup, he captained his team to greater heights. He was also one of the stars of the K-League.
SW #8 Maldini
Paolo Maldini had the skills at defense and in aiding the attack that were useful whether he played sweeper or halfback. He played a quarter-century with Milan as they won trophies of all kinds, and was captain of Italy for nine years.
MF #7 Hagi
Gheorghe Hagi was "the Maradona of the Carpathians." In his club career, he scored big for Steaua Bucharest in the late '80s and for Galatasaray in the late '90s. With the Romanian national team, he shone particularly bright at the World Cup.
MF #12 Laudrup
Michael Laudrup had great technique, and his passing was like magic. A key player on Barcelona's "Dream Team," he was also a favorite with Real Madrid. The Dane brought his skill to the World Cup twice, but unwisely decided to skip Euro 92.
MF #19 Gascoigne
Paul Gascoigne was greatly talented with the ball and able to handle it well. He was a superstar in his native England, and he had a rocky career, to say the least. The well-travelled "Gazza" won an FA Cup with Tottenham and a treble with Rangers.
MF #10 Zidane
Zinedine Zidane is probably the most celebrated player of his time. With vision, pace, and goal-scoring ability, he led France to titles at the '98 World Cup and Euro 2000, and helped bring trophies to Juventus and Real Madrid.
FW #18 Baggio
Roberto Baggio has scored plenty of goals, some of them quite amazing. A playmaker and second striker, "the Divine Ponytail" scored in every World Cup of the '90s (the last without said ponytail). He's one of Italy's all-time favorites.
FW #9 Weah
George Weah, the African Player of the Century, starred for Monaco and PSG, winning a French league title with the latter and leading the '94-95 Champions League in scoring. The Liberian then joined Milan and helped them win Serie A twice.
Substitutes
FW #11 Romario
FW #16 Hristo Stoichkov
FW #17 Gabriel Batistuta
DF #5 Laurent Blanc
DF #15 Lilian Thuram
Note: I'm pleased with the variety of nations represented in this team, but that variety wouldn't work for all the teams. Contrary to that, I could take Didier Deschamps over Thuram if I want a midfielder on the sidelines. And don't worry, Ronaldo fans, you'll see him on the Noughties team.
[EDIT 2-12-24: Removed "gonna," as was part of my job for over six years at the newspaper]
Saturday, November 9, 2013
All-'80s Soccer Team
I've started posting, and I'm going to continue posting. But I wrote these about a month ago just to be sure. As for the previous teams, here's one for the '50s, one for the '60s, and one for the '70s.
GK #1 Ravelli
Thomas Ravelli played keeper for Sweden 143 times in an international career that included clutch penalty saves at the '94 World Cup. Reportedly, he's an odd fellow, but his skill got him on the IFFHS's 20th-century top 20 keepers.
RB #17 Rijkaard
Frank Rijkaard played defender and midfielder at Ajax before moving to full-time midfielder at Milan. He played a key role in Milan's late '80s run and was essential in the Netherlands' Euro 88 victory, but got nasty at a nasty 1990 World Cup.
DF #2 Baresi
Franco Baresi is a favorite among Milan fans, having played all 20 seasons of his career in red and black. Great on defense and giving attack support as well, this Italian was the best sweeper in his prime and captain of two European Cup winners.
CB #6 Passarella
Daniel Passarella was a natural leader, and at 25, he was the captain of Argentina's first World Cup-winning team in '78. He did much more than a typical defender's share of attacking and scoring.
DF #5 Scirea
Before Baresi, Gaetano Scirea was Italy's sweeper. He collected all kinds of hardware with Juventus, and he helped his country win the World Cup in '82. And he left this world too soon.
LB #3 Brehme
Andreas Brehme had roles for each of his feet: penalties for the right, set pieces for the left. He was really good at both. The West German helped his club teams to win titles and cups, and he scored the winning goal in a World Cup with no winners.
MF #10 Maradona
The man, the myth, Diego Maradona. In the same match of the '86 World Cup came his most notorious goal ever and his most spectacular goal ever. His career's also a dichotomy, one of glory and controversy. Though 5'5", he was larger than life.
MF #8 Zico
Zico has a reputation as a playmaker and free-kicker. Whether scoring or making an assist, he played a big part on the Brazilian team and on his clubs. In '81, he brought Flamengo to victory in the Copa Libertadores and the Toyota Cup.
MF #9 Platini
Michel Platini lifted the French team to where they needed to be to win Euro 84. His free-kicking and passing were terrific, and he could score, all right. He was great for both France and Juventus, and he retired near the top of his game.
FW #11 Rummenigge
Karl-Heinz Rummenigge was West Germany's best striker of the late '70s and '80s. In his first two years with Bayern Munich, the club maintained its hold on the European Cup, and he served up the corner for Horst Hrubesch to win Euro 80.
FW #12 Van Basten
Marco van Basten had a goal-filled, albeit abbreviated, career for Ajax, for Milan, and for the Netherlands. His goals in the '88 European Championship exemplify his brilliance, including the volley that won it for his country.
Substitutes
FW #14 Paolo Rossi
FW #16 Roger Milla
FW #19 Hugo Sanchez
MF #18 Lothar Matthaus
MF #4 Ruud Gullit
Note: Matthaus nearly got a starting spot instead of Scirea, but I can't do 4-4-2; that formation didn't become the standard until the '90s! Also, are Baresi and Scirea both going to be sweepers? There can't be two sweepers, so what do these two do?
And what do I post here once I've gotten all of these teams up?
EIGHTIES
Formation: 5-3-2GK #1 Ravelli
Thomas Ravelli played keeper for Sweden 143 times in an international career that included clutch penalty saves at the '94 World Cup. Reportedly, he's an odd fellow, but his skill got him on the IFFHS's 20th-century top 20 keepers.
RB #17 Rijkaard
Frank Rijkaard played defender and midfielder at Ajax before moving to full-time midfielder at Milan. He played a key role in Milan's late '80s run and was essential in the Netherlands' Euro 88 victory, but got nasty at a nasty 1990 World Cup.
DF #2 Baresi
Franco Baresi is a favorite among Milan fans, having played all 20 seasons of his career in red and black. Great on defense and giving attack support as well, this Italian was the best sweeper in his prime and captain of two European Cup winners.
CB #6 Passarella
Daniel Passarella was a natural leader, and at 25, he was the captain of Argentina's first World Cup-winning team in '78. He did much more than a typical defender's share of attacking and scoring.
DF #5 Scirea
Before Baresi, Gaetano Scirea was Italy's sweeper. He collected all kinds of hardware with Juventus, and he helped his country win the World Cup in '82. And he left this world too soon.
LB #3 Brehme
Andreas Brehme had roles for each of his feet: penalties for the right, set pieces for the left. He was really good at both. The West German helped his club teams to win titles and cups, and he scored the winning goal in a World Cup with no winners.
MF #10 Maradona
The man, the myth, Diego Maradona. In the same match of the '86 World Cup came his most notorious goal ever and his most spectacular goal ever. His career's also a dichotomy, one of glory and controversy. Though 5'5", he was larger than life.
MF #8 Zico
Zico has a reputation as a playmaker and free-kicker. Whether scoring or making an assist, he played a big part on the Brazilian team and on his clubs. In '81, he brought Flamengo to victory in the Copa Libertadores and the Toyota Cup.
MF #9 Platini
Michel Platini lifted the French team to where they needed to be to win Euro 84. His free-kicking and passing were terrific, and he could score, all right. He was great for both France and Juventus, and he retired near the top of his game.
FW #11 Rummenigge
Karl-Heinz Rummenigge was West Germany's best striker of the late '70s and '80s. In his first two years with Bayern Munich, the club maintained its hold on the European Cup, and he served up the corner for Horst Hrubesch to win Euro 80.
FW #12 Van Basten
Marco van Basten had a goal-filled, albeit abbreviated, career for Ajax, for Milan, and for the Netherlands. His goals in the '88 European Championship exemplify his brilliance, including the volley that won it for his country.
Substitutes
FW #14 Paolo Rossi
FW #16 Roger Milla
FW #19 Hugo Sanchez
MF #18 Lothar Matthaus
MF #4 Ruud Gullit
Note: Matthaus nearly got a starting spot instead of Scirea, but I can't do 4-4-2; that formation didn't become the standard until the '90s! Also, are Baresi and Scirea both going to be sweepers? There can't be two sweepers, so what do these two do?
And what do I post here once I've gotten all of these teams up?
Subscribe to:
Comments (Atom)