Decade's best XI

[uamiranda]

Following Gregoriak's threads on Best of Europe and Best of South America, I try here to choose the world best XI at each decade.

http://img33.picoodle.com/img/img33/3/1/25/f_WorldXI50sm_59ff5b5.jpg


http://img33.picoodle.com/img/img33/3/1/25/f_WorldXI60sm_24755c9.jpg


http://img33.picoodle.com/img/img33/3/1/25/f_WorldXI70sm_cec149f.jpg

[uamiranda]

Continuing...

http://img33.picoodle.com/img/img33/3/1/25/f_WorldXI80sm_ed44ee4.jpg


http://img33.picoodle.com/img/img33/3/1/25/f_WorldXI90sm_dde6df0.jpg


http://img33.picoodle.com/img/img33/3/1/25/f_WorldXI00sm_e47bc04.jpg

[vancity eagle]

Are you really trying to be taken seriously ? I mean in some teams you have up to 5 strikers and 1 attacking midfielder.

[Teso Dos Bichos]

My main issue, at first glance, is the composition of you midfields. In the 60's you have Rivera and Charlton (furthest back), in the 90's you have Baggio, Bergkamp and Zidane (furthest back) and in the 00's you have Ronaldinho, Zidane, Nedved and Beckham (furthest back). The most important thing in these XI's is to create a team that would function and therefore contain balance. Having someone to win the ball in midfield in part of that. I have some other issues, namely player selection, but that is more down to personal choice than anything else. Still, full credit for putting all of your teams up for scrutiny. Hopefully we can generate some good discussion out of it. One thing I would ask is if you could briefly justify some of your teams. The discussion would be better if we were better able to understand your standpoint (that applies to anyone who is going to post their own teams). I'll throw some up later on this afternoon. I'm currently in the bath and waiting to watch the second half of the Liverpool/Everton FA Cup tie. No, I will not be posting pictures... ;)


EDIT: Following on from that I don't suppose anyone knows of any waterproof keyboards or mice that would make things easier when in the bath?

[uamiranda]

My main issue, at first glance, is the composition of you midfields. In the 60's you have Rivera and Charlton (furthest back), in the 90's you have Baggio, Bergkamp and Zidane (furthest back) and in the 00's you have Ronaldinho, Zidane, Nedved and Beckham (furthest back). The most important thing in these XI's is to create a team that would function and therefore contain balance. Having someone to win the ball in midfield in part of that. I have some other issues, namely player selection, but that is more down to personal choice than anything else. Still, full credit for putting all of your teams up for scrutiny. Hopefully we can generate some good discussion out of it. One thing I would ask is if you could briefly justify some of your teams. The discussion would be better if we were better able to understand your standpoint (that applies to anyone who is going to post their own teams). I'll throw some up later on this afternoon. I'm currently in the bath and waiting to watch the second half of the Liverpool/Everton FA Cup tie. No, I will not be posting pictures...


EDIT: Following on from that I don't suppose anyone knows of any waterproof keyboards or mice that would make things easier when in the bath?I really appreciate your comment and I'll try to answer as well as possible.

I knew it would be confusing, but I didn't mean my team neither my criteria to be consensual (based on the thought that every unanimity is foolish). Besides a good discussion, I just wanted people tried to do their squads also, but not in a "mine is better", "mine is the right" sense.

Said that, I can tell that when I pick names for a best XI, I try the best to make a balanced side (believe you or not...lol). But when it comes from the imaginary and dream fields, I have to admit that sometimes I can inevitably be biased. BTW, I might not be right, one of my criteria was to pick the player(s) that would never be left out and try to fit him (them) into the squad. Specifically, achievements and awards can be a good starting point.

So, when I chose a midfield like my 00's, I thought that, in my best dreams, this formation could work. And you ask me: How? Well...my answer was on the past and old formations that history of football showed. For example: if Brazil'70 could fit 5 "nr.10s" in midfield and attack, only 1 'genuine' DM, 1 defender that was usually a DM, and this team played the best football ever, I questioned myself: why not? Another example? How could a team play apparently a 4-3-3 formation (in paper) but in fact have no formation identifiable, changing positions and confusing the opponent side (you know 'who' I'm talking about)? And besides that, stating a new revolution if football history! The most important: it worked! (although they didn't win any title...). And what is the common word that explain how could both of them be successfull? The answer is they both could ADAPT.

You may argue that this 00's team would never beat any team of its generation, but that falls off of my imaginary field. ;)

P.S.: 1. ok...No pictures needed...

2. I think you should find more interesting things to do in the bath than chatting at BS...:D:p

[Gregoriak]

First, here's a selection for Europe 1950 to 1959. I will follow up with one for South America and then I'll try to pick the best of both selections to form one European-South American selection for 1950-1959.

-----11-Francisco GENTO---------9-Gunnar NORDAHL-------7-Stanley MATTHEWS

-------------------10-Ferenc PUSKAS ------------8-Alfredo DI STÉFANO


---------------6-Danny BLANCHFLOWER------------4-Jozsef BOZSIK


---------3-Roger BYRNE------------5-Ernst OCWIRK--------2-Branko STANKOVIC


-------------------------------------1-Lev YASHIN


replacement players:

Czibor (for Gento)
Fontaine (for Nordahl)
Rahn (for Matthews)
Walter (for Puskas)
Kopa (for Di Stéfano)
Liedholm (for Blanchflower)
Marche (for Byrne)
Wright (for Ocwirk)
Bergmark (for Stankovic)
Beara (for Yashin)

[Gregoriak]

------------11-JAIR-----------9-ADEMIR---------7-GARRINCHA

---------------------10-PELÉ ------------8-DIDÍ


--------------6-Victor ANDRADE-------4-Nestor ROSSI


-------3-Nilton SANTOS----5-Obdulio VARELA------2-Djalma SANTOS


---------------------------1-Amadeo CARRIZO


replacement players:

Canhoteiro (for Jair)
Maschio (for Ademir)
Julinho (for Garrincha)
Schiaffino (for Pelé)
Zizinho (for Didí)
Santamaria (for Varela)
Maspoli (for Carrizo)

[Gregoriak]

The composite team of Europe and South America 1950 to 1959 now looks as follows:

-------11-Francisco GENTO-------9-ADEMIR--------7-GARRINCHA

----------------10-Ferenc PUSKAS ---------8-Alfredo DI STÉFANO


-----------------6-Victor ANDRADE-------4-Jozsef BOZSIK


-------3-Nilton SANTOS------5-Ernst OCWIRK------2-Djalma SANTOS


------------------------------1-Lev YASHIN

[minorthreat]

Hell, we're almost at the point where one could do a 2000-2009.

[Seaside Mafia]

First, here's a selection for Europe 1950 to 1959. I will follow up with one for South America and then I'll try to pick the best of both selections to form one European-South American selection for 1950-1959.

-----11-Francisco GENTO---------9-Gunnar NORDAHL-------7-Stanley MATTHEWS

-------------------10-Ferenc PUSKAS ------------8-Alfredo DI STÉFANO


---------------6-Danny BLANCHFLOWER------------4-Jozsef BOZSIK


---------3-Roger BYRNE------------5-Ernst OCWIRK--------2-Branko STANKOVIC


-------------------------------------1-Lev YASHIN


replacement players:

Czibor (for Gento)
Fontaine (for Nordahl)
Rahn (for Matthews)
Walter (for Puskas)
Kopa (for Di Stéfano)
Liedholm (for Blanchflower)
Marche (for Byrne)
Wright (for Ocwirk)
Bergmark (for Stankovic)
Beara (for Yashin)

Interesting team.

I'd have John Charles at centre back instead of Ocwirk, and Tom Finney instead of Stanley Matthews.

[Teso Dos Bichos]

I'm still undecided. :o

[minorthreat]

Interesting team.

I'd have John Charles at centre back instead of Ocwirk, and Tom Finney instead of Stanley Matthews.Charles was equally adept at center forward, so you could theoretically put him at either.

[BocaFan]

Hell, we're almost at the point where one could do a 2000-2009.

Yes, the one provided above is pretty poor. Apart from Henry & Nesta I don't agree with any of the selections. Ronaldo was injured or overweight or both for about 90% of this decade.

[Seaside Mafia]

Charles was equally adept at center forward, so you could theoretically put him at either.

I'm happy with Nordahl up front.

[uamiranda]

First, here's a selection for Europe 1950 to 1959. I will follow up with one for South America and then I'll try to pick the best of both selections to form one European-South American selection for 1950-1959.Actually, when I picked the names for my selection, I did the same as you: I combined S. America and Europe selections for each decade. So, these are mine.

Note: I admit that maybe some names were out of position, so here the formation is the WM.

S. America:
--------------Carrizo
D. Santos---Santamaria---N. Santos
-----O. Varela--------N. Rossi
--------Didi----------Zizinho
Garrincha----Di Stefano----Labruna

Subs: Maspoli, Victor Andrade, Zito, Ademir, Leonel Sanchez.


Europe:
--------------Yashin
---Bergmark---Ocwirk---Wright
-------Bozsik---------Netto
------Kubala----------Kopa
Matthews---Di Stefano---Puskas

Subs: Grosics, Stankovic, John Charles, Edwards, Rahn.



The composite team of Europe and South America 1950 to 1959 now looks as follows:
Mine is the same I've posted, but now in a different formation.
Combined:
--------------Yashin
D. Santos---Santamaria---N. Santos
-----O. Varela--------N. Rossi
--------Didi----------Kopa
Garrincha----Di Stefano----Puskas

[Gregoriak]

Europe 1960 to 1969:

--11-George BEST----10-Florian ALBERT----9 EUSEBIO---7-Amando AMANCIO


----------------8-Robert CHARLTON------------6-Mario COLUNA


-3-Giacinto FACCHETTI-4-K.H. SCHNELLINGER -5-Robert MOORE -2-T. BURGNICH


-----------------------------------1-Gordon BANKS

[Gregoriak]

South America 1960 to 1969:

--11-Leonel SANCHEZ----10- PELÉ----9-Alberto SPENCER---7- GARRINCHA


------------------------8-GERSON------------6-ZITO


-3-Silvio MARZOLINI-4-Raul SANCHEZ -5-Roberto PERFUMO -2-Luis EYZAGUIRRE


------------------------1-Ladislao MAZURKIEWICZ

[Gregoriak]

Combination of Europe and South America 1960 to 1969:

----11-George BEST------10- PELÉ------9 EUSEBIO-----7- GARRINCHA


----------------8-Robert CHARLTON------------6-Mario COLUNA


-3-Giacinto FACCHETTI-4-K.H. SCHNELLINGER -5-Robert MOORE -2-T. BURGNICH


-----------------------------------1-Gordon BANKS

[BongartzUndRivera]

My South American (late) '60's WANNA-WATCH-ELEVEN

--------------------------Ladislao Mazurkiewicz-------------------------


Carlos Alberto---Roberto Perfumo---Hector Chumpitaz---Luis Ubiñas


-------------------Pedro Rocha------------Gérson----------------------


Jairzinho------------------Pelé----------Tostão--------Roberto Rivellino




------------------------------------Vs.-----------------------------------




-----------------"Gigi" Riva--------Eusébio---------"Georgie" Best---------


--------------Gianni Rivera-----Bobby Charlton-------Franz Beckenbauer--


Giancinto Facchetti----K.H. Schnellinger----Bobby Moore---Tarcisio Burgnich


--------------------------------Gordon Banks---------------------------

My European (late) '60's WANNA-WATCH-ELEVEN

[kingkong1]

Hope Uamiranda forgives me, but I see a problem with 'decades'.

Although they are periods handier to visualize, player's careers do go beyond that span, and generally they don't start playing right at their very beginning, so most actively participate of two, sometimes even three decades (the case of Pelé).

It's obvious whoever tries to make their choices in this thread sometimes gets somewhat entangled with that problem.

For instance:

In order not to place Pelé in the 50's (although he actually boomed in 1958 & professionally played since 1956, being winner in 1957 of a Copa Rocca against Argentina, with 2 goals by him), UA was obliged to put him only in the 60's.

He doesn’t use though the same criterion for Garrincha.

Although his peak was in the 60’s (when he simply 'destroyed' the opponents in 62, its best Cup btw), he was obliged to also put him in the 50's, when of course he equally played an extraordinary Cup.

It’s obvious I understand UA placed Garrincha also in the 50’s because his career started in 1953 (although he only really started being noticed, like Pelé, in the late 50's [1957], when Botafogo, his club, became the RJ champion of that year).

D. Santos, Didi and N. Santos, who started playing even before 1950, & during the 50’s were already established as big stars – nonetheless had important participation in the 1962 title and in the clubs of the 60’s they defended.

The same with Di Stéfano, Puskas, Santamaria, who (although beginning to play in the anterior decade, or even before) commanded the famous team of Real Madrid in the 60’s.

For those reasons I think it'd be less limiting using periods of 20 years.

30-50, 50-70, 70-90, 90-10 and so on.

Which, BTW, coincidently or not, IMO, happen to be the great periods of football – when great eras die and other are born.