I've had a fling with soccer, but baseball and I have an understanding.
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."
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