All-'60s Soccer Team

A continuation of the decade series. The same intro as the one that started the All-'50s Team entry kind of applies.

SIXTIES

Formation: 4-2-4

GK #1 Banks
Gordon Banks had a complete set of skills in goal. He was responsible for England getting through the group stage of the '66 World Cup with only clean sheets.

OB #3 Facchetti
One of Italy's earliest two-way players, Giacinto Facchetti was a great left back (playing right back here) who also scored a noticeable amount with Internazionale, including the winner at the '65 European Cup.

CB #6 Moore
Bobby Moore was noted for his ability to "read the game." He made his name as a hero among heroes as captain of the '66 England squad, and he cemented his status as a good sportsman four years later.

CB #5 Schnellinger
Karl-Heinz Schnellinger played for West Germany in the World Cup finals four times in a row. He was among the stars of the late '60s Milan team that won the European cup in '68 and '69.

OB #4 Marzolini
Silvio Marzolini was the heart and soul of Boca Juniors for 13 years. A left back well suited for his role in a '60s backfield, the Buenos Aires native made it to the Argentine national team for the World Cup twice.

MF #18 Rivera
In his twenty years with Milan, Gianni Rivera could make the passes that made a difference for the club, which earned three league titles and two European Cup wins. He also played for Italy at four World Cup tournaments.

MF #7 Masopust
Josef Masopust was the first Czech to earn the Ballon d'Or, his team having finished in second at the '62 World Cup. Teams from western Europe wanted his ball control and stamina, but only Dukla Prague could have him for 16 years.

Wi #9 Charlton
Bobby Charlton was a master of crossing and long shots, and he could see opportunities to use those skills. Two years after he did his part for England's World Cup triumph and ten years after escaping fate, he led Man United to European Cup victory.

CF #8 Eusebio
Eusebio had such soccer talent that Benfica got him when he was supposed to go to Sporting. They got what they expected and dominated the league. "The Black Panther" also led Portugal to a big comeback over North Korea at the '66 World Cup.

CF #10 Pele
Pele could always find a way to score, and his first tallies for Santos and Brazil came when he was 15 and 16 respectively. Twenty years, three World Cup titles, and over a thousand goals later, he'd made it clear that he was the best of all time.

Wi #11 Garrincha
Garrincha dribbled, crossed, and scored his way to the top despite his legs not being ideal for soccer at first. He was a wild man and not all that easy to get along with, but this legend led Brazil to repeat World Cup titles.

Alternates
FW Omar Sivori
FW Denis Law
FW Uwe Seeler
Wi Francisco Gento
HB Mario Coluna
GK Gilmar

The wingers on this team are playing up front to match the prevalent formation of the decade. But the wingers on the '70s team will be marked as midfielders for formation purposes.

All-'50s Soccer Team

 

The Clueless About Soccer All-Time XVI (XVI because I don't really know how to best arrange them into an XI) is coming soon, but right now, here's something I haven't seen anywhere: all-decade teams for soccer. And even though I'm not as familiar with any soccer players as I let on, not having really seen them or read copious amounts about them, I'll try my hand anyway.

I started with top-100 lists from various sources compiled on RSSSF (here, here, and here), with players not appearing in The Complete Book of Soccer filtered out. To pick a few players for the '90s and '00s teams, I had to refer to the FIFA 100 as well as ESM XI and Onze Mondial listings from RSSSF. I have no file for exactly how I used ESM teams to fill in gaps in the '90s and '00s teams.

If any of the substitute listings look off or the teams look biased toward any nations in particular, I'd consider suggestions if I had readers.

It wouldn't be typical of me to emphasize the things these players did off the field or the things they had to overcome, but here I am doing that. My sources for player bios are The Complete Book of Soccer, World Soccer Yearbook 2002-3, and Wikipedia.

FIFTIES

Formation: 2-3-5

GK #1 Yashin
Lev Yashin is no doubt the best Soviet footballer of the Soviet era, and he monopolizes discussions of the best goalkeepers ever. An agile player with big hands, what he said about "the joy of a good penalty save" rang true when watching him.

RB #2 D. Santos
Djalma Santos is one of two players to make three All-World Cup Teams. He had the defensive skills expected of a fullback and then some, and on the Brazilian team, he could support the attack for Garrincha or, as seen in one '62 final, for Vava.

LB #3 N. Santos
Nilton Santos (no relation to Brazil teammate Djalma) was an early example of a two-way defender. He reportedly went so far forward against Austria at the '58 World Cup that it didn't make sense - until he scored, that is.

HB #4 Charles
John Charles was great at center-half and center forward. He shone with Leeds United and Juventus, and he led Wales to the World Cup quarterfinals in 1958.

HB #5 Didi
Didi, the Brazilian center-half and midfielder, could score from free kicks like nobody's business. His technical skill made him well-suited for his important position on a team that won back-to-back World Cup titles.

HB #6 Liedholm
Nils Liedholm was excluded from the Swedish team when he went pro. Their loss; he brought his creativity to Milan and contributed to their four Serie A titles in the '50s.

OF #7 Matthews
One of English soccer's luminaries, Stanley Matthews played at the club level until he was fifty! He earned every bit of his nickname, "The Wizard of the Dribble," by outmaneuvering defenders.

IF #8 Puskas
Ferenc Puskas was amazing at finding the net. This Hungarian hero had goal numbers in the hundreds for his two clubs and almost one goal per game for the Magical Magyars, a national side that dominated Europe in the early '50s.

CF #9 Di Stefano
Alfredo di Stefano used the many skills he had to produce big numbers and championships at the club level. One of the true greats of the game, he rivals Diego Maradona among all-time Argentine-born legends.

IF #10 Schiaffino
Juan Schiaffino scored the equalizer for Uruguay in their 1950 match against Brazil, and he was a sensation from the time he arrived in Milan for an unprecedented transfer fee.

OF #11 Hidegkuti
Nandor Hidegkuti played deep, and his role was key for the Hungarian powerhouse. That 6-3 win against England in '53? He scored half of Hungary's goals.

Alternates
IF Ladislav Kubala
IF Sandor Kocsis
CF Just Fontaine
CF Raymond Kopa
HB Obdulio Varela
GK Antonio Carbajal

Coming hopefully before the end of this year are the rest of the decades' teams (still have a lot to figure out regarding the '00s) and my consensus all-time team. Who do I think I am?