The 1980's were amazing years for football (soccer). With great World Cups (ex:1986), Euro Cups (ex. 1988) and Club Teams (ex. Juventus, AC Milan, Liverpool). It was equal to the "Beautiful 1970's", which are considered by many as the "Golden Age" of football. The 80's produced some of the best individual players in the history of the game. Here is my 1980's Decade All-Star Lineup. Formation used 3-5-2: ----------------------------------------------------------------------- GOALKEEPER 1. RINET DASAJEV (USSR) Best Years 1982-1988 ----------------------------------------------------------------------- RIGHT BACK 2. JUNIOR (BRAZIL) Best Years 1980-1986 ----------------------------------------------------------------------- CENTER BACK 5. GAETANO SCIREA (ITALY) Best Years 1980-1986 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- LEFT BACK 3. ANTONIO CABRINI (ITALY) Best Years 1980-1986 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- DEFENSIVE MIDFIELD 4. FRANK RIJKAARD (HOLLAND) Best Years 1987-1993 14. JEAN TIGANA (FRANCE) Best Years 1982-1986 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ATTACKING MIDFIELD 7. MICHEL PLATINI (FRANCE) Best Years 1982-1986 10. DIEGO MARADONA (ARGENTINA) Best Years 1984-1990 8. ZICO (BRAZIL) Best Years 1980-1986 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- ATTACK 11. KARL-HEINZ RUMMENIGGE (WEST GERMANY) Best Years 1980-1986 9. MARCO VAN BASTEN (HOLLAND) Best Years 1987-1992 ------------------------------------------------------------------------- BENCH: Pfaff (G) (Belgium), Bergomi (RB) (Italy), Socrates (AM) (Brazil), Boniek (AM) (Poland), Lineker (AT) (England), Gullit (AT)(Holland), Matthaus (DM) (West Germany)
Agree so. Your team looked very good However, Socrates, Falcao could have EASILY PUT OUT Tigana in CM position
I really wanted to put one of them in. Their is no question they were much greater players.... but they were OFFENSIVE Players (Midfielders). So, I think 3 was enough, (Zico, Maradona, Platini). Tigana and Rijjkard were the holding midfieldiers for this offensive team. Just wanted to balance things
Great team. The most difficult position is GK I think. I would probably pick Shilton. In a 3 men backline I would pick a more defensive minded player than Junior. I'd pick either Bergomi or Bossis.
Okay, I admit, I would now put Falcao into the team. At least on the bench. I wasn't as familiar with him as with the others prior to posting this team. And yes, he was more of a central midfield player, so he could take Tigana's place. However, Socrates was purely an offensive midfielder, so he cannot take the place of Platini, Zico or Diego Maradona. He needs to stay on the bench. Its also possible to switch Junior for Bergomi and have an ALL Italian back three. However, Junior was an amazing player and probably deserves to be in the lineup.
I also think that Junior is very offensive minded defender for a back three deffensive line. In that case, you can add in the backline to Rijkaard or Matthaeus (amongt the players listed). I'm also not sure if 80s was the best decade for Scirea and if he get the enough peak seasons in this decade: probably 3 world-class seasons?
Tigana was in my view a more balanced player than Falcao. Falcao was maybe a central midfielder but a very offensive one. Luis Fernandez was of course the holding player in the French team, Tigana a bit advanced, Giresse even more advanced and with Platini pending between midfield and attack.
Falcao was no doubt a better skilled player than Tigana. Falcao could play virtually anywhere in midfield from CAM, playmaker, to side midfielder ... However, Tigana was more "solid" in DM position than him agree.
One of greatest three decades of football - what a time for someone to come of age watching the great players of that time! Two unforgettable WCs, two great Euros (84 and 88), a fantastic Copa America (87). My all-star team for the decade: Shilton Scirea-Passarella-Brehme Rikjaard-Falcao Socrates-Platini-Maradona Zico-Rossi
Good choices! And an interesting formation with only Rossi upfront. I think with this type of midfield....any forward would be able to score loads.
Paulo Roberto Falcão can't be left out of any 1980's team...as a matter of fact Falcão can be in any 1970's team also as his carrer started in 1974 and by 1979 led Internacional to be the Team of The Decade in Brazil winning the Brazilian Championship 3 Times. Here is the ultimate Falcão highlight video in Internacional and later in Roma and the Seleção. [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-R3IQbn9Fs"]Paulo Roberto FALCAO compilation (SC Internacional, AS Roma, Brasil) - YouTube[/ame]
I don't think Falcao was suitable for the side-midfield position.. I think Falcao was a bit too specialistic in his kind. A bit like Gerrard or Lampard who also can only flourish under a limited set of conditions. Next to Rijkaard I'll take Tigana (or Giresse) because, as I said, in my view they were more balanced players in midfield.
I think you rate Rummenigge's prime too long (and I would not include him anyway), Zico a bit too long (it started earlier and did not last until 1986, he was over his prime at 1986WC), Maradona a bit too long, Platini too short and Rijkaard too short (Rijkaard was voted as the second best Dutch player, after Blind, in 1995 when Ajax won the Champions League). An alternative for Tigana is his compatriot Giresse. Unlike Tigana, Giresse was a starter for the French NT before the 1982WC.
I think I will also agree. Its very good to have both Tigana and Rijkaard infront of the back three..... they would let Maradona, Platini and Zico operate wonders upfront. Would have been a GRANDE midfield!!!!
I tried to focus on the 1980's not so much on Ajax's 1995 success with Rijkaard. I think he had evolved into a different player by then. In terms of not including Rummenigge, who would you include along Marco Van Basten? Maybe Ian Rush?
Maradona as second-striker, Schuster in midfield (in terms of longevity, I think no central-midfielder can match him; his peak spans from 1980 to the late 80s). As an idea. Francescoli is also an option. Or Cerezo, as holding player?
I was kind of happy with the central-midfield of Rijjkaard and Tigana. We still need another stiker......or play with only Van Basten (Maradona as second stiker) and add another classy full back....? However, with two fantastic central midfielder's I think 3-5-2 would be effective....??? Hence, the more opinions I get on here, the more I see where my lineup is lacking in quality. It would be fantastic to summorize it all at the end and re-build the lineup a little, as best as possible Maybe we should hold a pool...voting ???
One thing I really don't understand about your line up is the Forward position. How can you select Rossi and not Van Basten???? Its like comparing a BMW to a FERRARI..... Rossi was a very good forward....but how can you select him instead of Van Basten??? He was one of the best players in the history of this game !!! Probably the most complete striker ever. With all respect to Rossi (he did help Italy win the World Cup), but he could carry Marco's shoes.
By saying such you don;t know Falcao at all. Falcao was a very skillful and versatile in his play = Gerrard lampard? please they are totally dissferent from Falcao, and they do not have the ball skills of Falcao while also very limited in their style. Falcao was like Xavi + Iniesta combined together with their best skills and then divide by two
I agree that in for a career, Van Basten comes ahead of Rossi (although it's not such a big gap as you imply). But Rossi's WC exploits make him my first-choice striker for the decade if I am building for a Cup tournament. I love Van Basten too, a greater striker than Ronaldo or Muller. In any event, Van Basten is top 20 all-time, Rossi top 30 - hence only a small margin separates them.
I agree that in for a career, Van Basten comes ahead of Rossi (although it's not such a big gap as you imply). But Rossi's WC exploits make him my first-choice striker for the decade if I am building for a Cup tournament. I love Van Basten too, a greater striker than Ronaldo or Muller. In any event, Van Basten is top 20 all-time, Rossi top 30 - hence only a small margin separates them.
Are you referring about an all-time striker's ranking?, because I'd say van Basten would be probably a top 5 while Rossi probably wouldn't into a top 50. I'm agree with leszek-antonio there is a big difference by sure.
1980's: Decade All-Southamerican Champions 1980: Nacional (URU) Champion of the Copa Libertadores 1980: Nacional (URU) Champion of the Copa Intercontinental 1980: Uruguay Champion of World Cup Winners 1981: Flamengo Champion of the Copa Libertadores 1981: Flamengo Champion of the Copa Intercontinental 1982: Peñarol Champion of the Copa Libertadores 1982: Peñarol Champion of the Copa Intercontinental 1983: Gremio Champion of the Copa Libertadores 1983: Gremio Champion of the Copa Intercontinental 1983: Uruguay Winner of the Copa America 1984: Independiente Champion of the Copa Libertadores 1984: Independiente Champion of the Copa Intercontinental 1985: Argentinos Juniors Champion of the Copa Libertadores 1986: Argentina Winner of the World Cup 1986: River Plate Champion of the Copa Libertadores 1986: River Plate Champion of the Copa Intercontinental 1987: Peñarol Champion of the Copa Libertadores 1987: Uruguay Winner of the Copa America 1988: Nacional (URU) Champion of the Copa Libertadores 1988: Nacional (URU) Champion of the Copa Intercontinental 1989: Nacional (COL) Champion of the Copa Libertadores 1989: Brazil Winner of the Copa America Total: Uruguay 10 titles Argentina 6 Brazil 5 Colombia 1 Here are some of uruguayan soccer players who stood out in that decade: Rodolfo Rodríguez, Hugo De León, Darío Pereyra, Fernando Morena, Rubén Paz, Jorge Da Silva, Enzo Francescoli, Antonio Alzamendi, Carlos Aguilera, Pablo Bengoechea, Ruben Sosa, etc, etc, etc, ... ...