Everyone would name Beckham in their top wingers list - thanks to his form from 98-02 for ManU and England. Nedved was a special case as he can play wide from wing or middle, agree. WINGERS are players who is capable to work on the flank (thin line) from their own half to opponent's top corner - in order to CREATE space for team mates in middle park and provide crossing in ... Most "wide FW" now aday (Robben, Ribery, CR7, Messi ...) started from flank but then TURN into middle box or just passing back ... and running into box - hence made the BOX even crowder !!! Most FW today have WEAK in shooting - compare to "pure scorers" of old days in Muller, Batistuta, Romario ... or lesser extent Owen, Klinsman, Crespo ,Vieri, Inzaghi Nisterooy and Trezeguet ... These lads can score from UGLY positions. FW todays running more though - and soemtimes a bit too much like headless chickens ... LOL last point, Spain did great from 08-10 with WC210 were a bit more lucky in few games ... Anyhow , park in the bus could stop or reduce "tiki taka" style but not neccessary the"best defense" - for exampel, last WC10, a N.Korea parking the bus OK gainst Brazil, but then FAILED totally against Portugal (as they played WIDER than Brazil and Spain) = last game, China did same and Spain was (once again) excaped with a 1goal WIN at near end!
Their biggest threat is that Spain signed finally international anti-doping protocols in late 2011 and government officials acknowledged in early 2012 that they had a "serious doping problem", in the words of the minister of sports. That is their biggest challenge, maybe.
there were actual "controversial theory" that FIFA fixed Italy and Spain in last WC's in order to SAVE them from misery (especially in their own leagues crisis) But I have no comment here
Article of 16 May 2010: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/fo...-of-planning-to-bribe-World-Cup-referees.html And http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Eufemiano_Fuentes
Then everyone would be wrong, because Beckham was not a winger. He was a wide midfielder who could (and still can) cross the ball extremely well. Wingers are wide attacking players who are quick, explosive dribblers, good crossers and can take players on 1v1 on the flanks. Beckham was only an extremely good crosser, but he wasn't quick, explosive dribbler who could take players on. Giggs was a winger in those days. Ribery, Robben, CR7 and Messi (in his earlier days) are "inverted wingers" playing on the side of their weaker foot. Therefore, they don't look to cross as old-fashioned wingers, but instead look to cut inside, shoot, score, pass. Traditional wingers and traditional strikers have evolved into something else pretty much at the same time in the last decade or so. I don't think modern FW are necessarily weaker in shooting. If anything they often have to take more shots outside of the box as they are not waiting for service anymore in the box. They are more mobile and more balanced, capable of participating in the build-up of the attacks, instead of just waiting to be at the end of attacks. It's a result of the necessity for attacking plays to be more flexible and creative in order to defeat well organized group defending. [/QUOTE] Everyone needs luck sometimes, regardless of what style they use. Brazil and Portugal do not play tiki-taka though. I have no idea why would you use their games vs N.Korea to prove any point.
Everyone uses some kind of doping until they ban the substances used. Then they discover something else that hasn't been banned yet and so it goes. The thing about doping though is that it doesn't help the players unless they are fit and prepared anyway.
Do either England or France have a chance of upsetting Spain in the Quarter Finals? http://soccersagacity.wordpress.com/2012/06/11/euro-2012-day-four-5-things-we-learned/
According to historical STATS, both France and England got better against Spain ... plus everything is possible per se in Football (!) However, Spain NT are among the most experience and skillful squad in this tournament!
Italy had a doping problem in the past and cleaned their mess in court. The Netherlands had also their problems with Jaap Stam, Frank de Boer and Edgar Davids in 2001. It was a case pursued by domestic authorities. The FA tried to intervene with arguments like "football is different than other sports" and so on but in the end, the government-backed anti-doping authorities won. If you look at Spain, there were no authorities. Because they had not signed international protocols nor made they a priority of it. This is recently admitted by themselves. Some even say that it is sanctioned by the government and part of their project since the 1992 Olympics to make of Spain a sports powerhouse. In other words. Your excuse "everyone uses" misses the culprit.
At major tournaments, such as World Cups and Euros, FIFA or UEFA conduct random doping tests of players from all participating teams. Has anyone found out anything about any Spanish players from these tests? No. The only time any of these tests have revealed something was in 1994 against Maradona after Argentina's game vs Nigeria. As a result he was suspended and didn't play against Bulgaria and Romania. In addition, UEFA conducts random doping tests of players from team who participate in the CL and Europa League. My comment that "everyone uses" is still valid, because everyone uses some kind of doping, which are still not banned. When the various organizations ban whatever it is being used, a new substances are created. These substances are mostly for quicker recovery of the players between games, rather than to stimulate or enhance performances. However, since it helps with recovery, a recovered player is able to perform better and sooner at his maximum again in the next game.
Just an FYI... There were two others before Maradona who were expelled from the World Cup after failing doping tests: Ernst Jean-Joseph of Haiti in 1974 and Willie Johnston of Scotland in 1978.
The selection of which players from each team test for doping after each game is random. There are occasions when testing is done on a whole team. And those might not be so random, like when UEFA tested Barca's players last year, because some people (*cough*Mourinho*cough*) were starting to get suspicious of them.
People talked about the Barcelona-Real madrid rivalry spilling over to the national team, but I do not recall the Spainards ever fought each other in a tournament. The Dutch fought all the time in the camp. Now, the French fought in th last two. I reclled the Germans did in the 1980's. The Americans did in 1998. Did the spainards ever fight each other on the camp? I am asking a question, not making a statement.
And some posters are making the same mistake by underestimating Spain in the "Who will win 2014 WC" thread. Some people never learn....