Starting Lineup: DASAYEV BERGOMI ---- SCIREA GERETS ----------------------------- BREHME RIJKAARD ---- TIGANA ---- ZICO -------- PLATINI ------ MARADONA VAN BASTEN Substitutes: - SHILTON, Peter (England) - FILLOL, Ubaldo (Argentina) - KOEMAN, Ronald (Netherlands) - GENTILE, Claudio (Italy) - JÚNIOR (Brazil) - TARDELLI, Marco (Italy) - FALCAO (Brazil) - SÓCRATES (Brazil) - FRANCESCOLI, Enzo (Uruguay) - GULLIT, Ruud (Netherlands) - BONIEK, Zbigniew (Poland) - RUMMENIGGE, Karl-Heinz (Germany) - SÁNCHEZ, Hugo (Mexico)
I really like this formation and squad. I am now starting to see that when you got three amazing AM like this, including Maradona who can play as a second striker, you might not need Rummenigge in the starting line up. I think Van Basten would be alright all alone. This lineup is better balanced than the one I proposed. However, I don't think I would select Brehme for the starting line up. He just doesn't cut it. Bench would be better for him.
And not only Maradona played as a second striker, but also Zico and Platini, all of them also comfortable playing as defining deep-lying forwards.
Pretty low percentage of SA players - what do you think about Careca, Renato Gaúcho, Hugo Sánchez, Enzo Francescoli or Leandro?
The Bola de Prata in 1982 and 1985. Personally, I didn't pick Leandro to my squad because I had already to Gentile who could play as right-back (as Bergomi), but would be my first direct substitute to Gerets over Amoros and Kaltz.
True. Only 3 out of 11 in the starting line up are from SA (Junior, Zico and Maradona). However, I really don't see other candidates taking their place. Except MAYBE Falcao (whom I didn't include...taking one of the CM positions). That would make it 4 out of 11 and that's a pretty decent percent. From your list, I think only Enzo Francescoli would be able to compete for a bench place on my 80's All Star Squad. He could be on it.
Rossi was the hero of Italy's WC win in 82, the Italians played some of the most fantastic football ever played once the quarterfinals began. This alone puts Rossi almost on par with Van Basten. Saying that Rossi is not even top 50 striker is just a brainless rant. Maradona, Zico, Socrates and Falcao are all first-team. I would put Toninho Cerezo, Valderrama, Francescoli, Paz, Sanchez, Junior, Fillol and Burruchaga as either second or third team. There were far more great South American players during this time that you are willing to acknowledge.
Rossi also had a strong tournament in WC78, and while it's not the sole criteria, the WC is far more valuable than any other competition there is.
[FONT=Verdana, Helvetica, sans-serif]Yes, that's all there is to it. How many goals you scored in a World Cup. Van Basten's not fit to lace the boots of Salenko or Schillaci. [/FONT] Maldini didn't win the World Cup so he was clearly no Fabio Grosso.
I cannot agree here. Michel Platini needs to be in the first team, along Zico and Maradona ofcourse. You cannot leave a player like Platini out even for Socrates or Falcao.
Quite a discussion going on here about this decade. My 80s team: Dasaev Gentile Bossis Scirea Cabrini Tardeli Giresse Platini Maradona Van Basten Rossi Shilton, Baresi, Rijkaard, Tigana, Falcao, Zico, Gullit, Rummenige, Buttrageno.
with a bIG HOPE that Rossi could be "exorcised" by Meazza once more time to score a few important goals ... LOL In the 80': First half Zico was the best player and Maradona dominated the 2nd half , everyone knows it ... well except ... one or two in this forum LOL
Van Basten was great in 1988 and even in 1992 (while he didn't score but played great). The failure of 1990 was not his fault.
Only would be sensible if you just only referred to the history of the FIFA World Cups, but according to the overall dimensions of the footballers (as regards the comparison) Rossi is considerably below the ratio of van Basten and definitely wouldn't have a secure position into a top 50 of strikers. Just only from 80's were better strikers apart of van Basten as Sánchez, Careca and Rush, I'd say even Völler (Rummenigge and Butragueño as forwards).
I respect your opinion Yonko, but this doesn't make any sense. How is Zico a sub for Rossi or Giresse.
This is my team, the bolded are the untouchables of the 80's. -----------Dasayev Junior ----Gentile -----Scirea ------Cabrini --------Falcao -------Rijkaard Zico -------Platini --------Maradona ----------Van Basten Subs: Shilton, Fillol, Bergomi, Gerets, Amoros, Socrates, Francescoli, Rummenigge, , Butragueno, Boniek, Hugo Sanchez, Careca
Very good team. My only question would be can we really use this 1 Forward formation for the 80's ? Didn't most teams play with 2 Strikers back in those days? I know that Diego's 86 Argentina didn't (he was a SS), but what about other great from those days.... ex. Juventus, Liverpool, Brazil 82, France 84, Holland 88.....
Platini could be considered better than Zico the first half of the decade, but in truth, Maradona is correctly deemed the best player of the entire decade. A mere five-year reign would not be enough to make him widely regarded as one of the top two players of all-time, Maradona was the best player in football since 1978 in fact. Agreed it wasn't his fault, but it's worth noting that Van Basten was not injured for the WC. Also Gullit actually played well, especially against Germany, where Van Basten completely disappeared. I still regard him as the top striker of the decade, just not leagues ahead of Rossi or Klinsmann. Sanchez, Careca, Rush, Voller, and Butragueno were very good, but in no way should be considered ahead of Rossi. Only Rummenigge can challenge for a place ahead of him in an all-time ranking. Very good team, however Passarella, a technical genius, is ahead of Gentile. Brazil in WC82 also played with one striker, since Eder was really best as a wide left midfielder: --Cerezo-Falcao-- Socrates-Zico-Eder ----Serginho----
Just plain ridiculous. Van Basten scored in 1985/1986 37 goals in the league. The highest amount since Henk Groot in 1961. It is never equalled or beaten since. And that was just the start of his glory. Klinsmann was able to do one thing better: diving. Thats it. Van Basten played indeed bad at WC1990. Why? Because he was the leading proponent of Cruyff as national team coach! He was also the one who publicly attacked Michels for his decision to appoint Beenhakker. Van Basten was the spokesman of the Cruyff-clique, and got blasted and humiliated, literally humiliated, for that. Gullit played indeed somewhat better but also this has an background story. Gullit's status as captain wasn't so sure any more after a) lack of form for over a year and b) unable to be a conciliatory and inspiriting leader during some rows (including the national team coach appointment but also a row about racist comments of predecessor Thijs Libregts). Add another disappointing club season and he was motivated as hell, individually at least because his leadership was still questioned.
Also made one but I made a limitation: one footballer of each nation. I came to this: Dasaev Andreas Brehme ---- Humbero Coelho --- Scirea --- Kenny Sansom ----------Souness-------Ceulemans Zico ---- Platini ---- Maradona --------Van Basten------ Five subs: Neville Southall, Bruno Pezzey, Julio Alberto Moreno, Jan Molby, Zbigniew Boniek, Ian Rush Souness can also be replaced for Strachan but then you get balance issues so I sticked to Souness.