How does your nation's squad break down?

[Dark Savante]

On paper, in every way England should be serious challengers for the WC. One of the most overwhelming factors in Brazil's favour of late has been their number of winners and the amount of big game experience their teams have. I realised that England have:

1st team

Robinson - CL Sfinalist,
A.Cole - Major tournament experience, CL finalist, multiple league winner, multiple Domestic cup winner
J.Terry - CL SFinalist, multiple league winner, domestic cup winner.
R. Ferdinand - (one of) WC 2002's outstanding players, CL QFinalist, league winner, Domestic cup winner
G.Neville - Major tournament experience, CL winner, multiple league winner, multiple Domestic cup winner
J.Cole - CL SFinalist, multiple league winner, domestic cup winner.
F.Lampard - CL SFinalist, multiple league winner, domestic cup winner.
S.Gerrard - CL winner, Uefa Cup winner, domestic cup winner
D.Beckham - Major tournament experience, CL winner, multiple league winner, domestic cup winner.
W.Rooney - (one of)EC 2004 outstanding players, CL experience, domestic cup winner and runner up, star player or club 2yrs running.
M.Owen - major tournament experience, Uefa Cup winner, CL experience, domestic cup winner

bench

S.Carson - no exp or titles
D.James - major tournament experience (Euro 2004)
W.Bridge - CL Sfinalist, league winner, domestic cup winner
S. Campbell - 2x (one of) defenders of WC and 1 EC, CL Finalist, multiple league winner, domestic cup winner.
J.Carragher - CL winner, Uefa Cup winner, domestic cup winner
O.Hargreaves - CL Qfinalist, multiple league winner, domestic cup winner
M.Carrick - No titles
S.Downing - Uefa Cup finalist, domestic cup finalist.
A.Lennon - No titles or exp.
T.Walcott - No top division exp
P.Crouch - domestic cup winner

These are all off the top of my head, forgive me if I've omitted anything or add it on. The average age of this 1st team is also 'just right' at 26.4, with Carrick instead of the injured Rooney, and 26 with him in. A question to England fans - is this the most decorated squad England have ever had prior to a WC (in terms of individual league winners and European Cups)? I should imagine only Brazil's squad has more individual winners than Englands and that's mainly because many are former WC winners or finalists.

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How does your nation's line-up look on paper? And how important do you think having big game experience and title winners is in attaining the World Cup?

[roverman]

yes i do beleive that!!! not also that there are alot of club captains or former captains in there as well, like gerradd, campbell, terry, neville, owen etc. These guys have been there done that so nothing fazes them anymore, i beleive only brazil have more winners!! (winning mentality that is)

[Cobo]

They're going to wish they had Darren Bent.

[Dark Savante]

yes i do beleive that!!! not also that there are alot of club captains or former captains in there as well, like gerradd, campbell, terry, neville, owen etc. These guys have been there done that so nothing fazes them anymore, i beleive only brazil have more winners!! (winning mentality that is)
That's a good point. There are 7captains in the squad.

[leg_breaker]

O.Hargreaves - CL Qfinalist, multiple league winner, domestic cup winner

Hasn't he won the CL?

[Rubbernose]

How does your nation's line-up look on paper? And how important do you think having big game experience and title winners is in attaining the World Cup?

Before I even start, Australia are not by any stretch of the imagination gonna win this WC. Just getting out of the group would be impressive, and perhaps one more win after that is as far as my imagination can stretch...but there's some decent experience in there for a relative minnow;

First X1

Harry Kewell - UEFA CL semi finalist, UEFA CL winner, UEFA Cup winner, FA Cup Winner, EPL Young Player of the Year (YPY) award, Confederations Cup finalist
Mark Viduka - SPL Top scorer, SPL player of the year, UEFA CL semi finalist, UEFA Cup finalist, FA Cup semi finalist, Confederation Cup finalist, WYC Semi finalist
Brett Emerton - Eredevisie winner, UEFA Cup winner, Confed Cup finalist
Mark Schwartzer - UEFA Cup Finalist, FA Cup semi finalist, Confed Cup finalist
Jason Culina - Eredevisie and Dutch Cup winner, UEFA CL quarter finalist
Tim Cahill - FA Cup finalist, EPL YPY award, Championships winner, EPL 4th place
Craig Moore - Captain as SPL winner, Scottish FA Cup winner, UEFA CL quarter finalist (it was final 8 or final 16, not entirely sure on that one), Confederation Cups finalist
Marco Bresciano - Confederations Cup finalist
Scott Chipperfield - Confederations Cup finalist

Of the first X1, I think Lucas Neill and Vince Grella are the only 2 who haven't had some level of experience in big match finals (with decent leagues) or big tournaments (apart from World Youth Cups, where a lot of the first X1 and bench have played semi's and finals)...if you'd even call the Confeds Cup a "big" tounament that is. Although between them they have considerable Serie A and EPL experience, which is always handy, and are ironically both key players for Australia.

[roverman]

im sure lucas neill played for blackburn in the 2002 league cup final in england!

[Rubbernose]

im sure lucas neill played for blackburn in the 2002 league cup final in england!

Actually, I thought you were right for a second there so I went and looked, but he actually wasn't in the squad that day;

http://www.soccerbase.com/results3.sd?gameid=355412

And then I'm wondering why, because he was a permanent fixture in the squad all season, and noticed that in the Premiership game the week prior, he was sent off;

http://www.soccerbase.com/results3.sd?gameid=354832

So I assume the poor bugger was suspended for the League Cup Final the following week.

Mind you, I did that list off the op of my head, so maybe he has played in some other final or other, at some point. Perhaps with Millwall? Dunno.

He is a tough character though, out of all the squad he's probably the least likely to choke or be overawed with stage freight. I don't mean to ramble off topic but it's kinda very relevant to experience and pressure on the big stage...and no-one else is flocking to use this thread....His penalty in Australia's qualification shootout with Uruguay (he went 2nd) would have to have been the most unbelievable pressure he's ever been under, ever. I mean, a lot of people would have dead set sh@t themselves - I would have, in fact I was and I was only watching from the stands - but he stepped up and buried what is the the most laughably cool, calm and clinical penalty I've probably ever seen;

http://media.putfile.com/LucasNeill

I don't think anything will phase him after that. Not even a shark attack. :D

[palpatine4363]

1st team :

Barthez -
1 World Cup,1 Confederation cup, 1 European Cup, 1 Champion's League
2 French league,2 England league

Sagnol-
1 Champion's League, 2 Confederation's cup, 1 French League, 4 German League, 3 German cup

Thuram-
1 World cup,1 Confederation cup, 1 European Cup, 1 UEFA cup, 4 Italian League, 1 Italian cup

Gallas-
1 Confederation cup,2 England league, 1 English cup

Abidal-
2 french league

Viera-
1 World Cup,1 Confederation cup, 1 European Cup, 2 Italian league, 3 french league,2 England cup

Makelele-
1 champion's league,1 french league, 2 spanish league, 2 england league

Zidane
1Golden ball,1 World Cup,1 Confederation cup, 1 European Cup, 1 Champion's League,2 Italian league, 2 spanish league

Malouda
3 french league

Henry
1 World Cup,1 Confederation cup, 1 European Cup ,1 french league, 2 england league,4 top scorer in england league,2 england cup


Trezeguet
1 World Cup,1 Confederation cup, 1 European Cup,2 french league,4 italian leaggue,1 time top scorer in italian league

[Grell]

Well put Dark Savante, I agree completely. I'm rooting for both England and France so it should be a good WC for me this year.

Reagrds,

Grell