Countries that got to the World Cup Final but haven't won it yet - All Time 11's

[PDG1978]

This is an aside to the other thread someone did about the best 11's of the World Cup winning nations best all-time sides. As with that ranking the rules shall be that the players do have to have played in the World Cup for the nation in question to qualify so as there could be no Di Stefano in the Argentinian side there can be no Arnold Muhren in the Dutch side for example. The teams are:

Czechoslovakia (and Czech Republic and Slovakia) - Bican didnt play for them in the World Cup if you were wondering
Hungary
Sweden
Holland

Also how about a side of players to play for any other nation at the World Cup and one of players never to play at the World Cup. It would be then up for debate which of the sides was best out of the 13 in total (I was only able to have a decent go at 12 as wasn't sure about Uruguay in the other post).

[PDG1978]

Here's my attempts:

Czechoslovakia:
---------------------------Cech-------------------------

Grygera---------Kadlec-----------Ujfalusi------Jankulovski

Masny----------Rosicky------------Masopust-------Nedved

-----------------Nejedly----------Skuhravy---------------
Subs: Viktor, Rozenhal, Panenka, Nehoda, Poborsky, Moravcik, Baros.
As they missed a few world cups quite a few players can't make it including Ondrus from Euro 76.

Hungary:
---------------------------Grosics------------------------

Bozsik-----------Sarosi--------------Lorant------------Lantos

------------Albert-----------Detari----------Czibor----------

---------------------------Hidegkuti-----------------------

----------------------Kocsis---------Puskas---------------
Subs: Disztl, Buzanszky, Sipos, Nyilasi, Bene, Tichy, Kiss.

Holland:
--------------------------van der Saar--------------------

Suurbier----------Rijkaard-------------Krol-----------van Tiggelen

--------------Gullit---------Neeskens-------Sneijder----------

-------------Bergkamp------van Basten-----Cruyff------------
Subs: van Breukelen, R.Koeman, Winter, Overmars, Rensenbrink, Rep, Huntelaar.

Sweden:
---------------------------Ravelli------------------------

Nilsson---------Gustavsson------------P.Andersson------Ljung

Hamrin---------Gren-----------------Liedholm-------Skoglund

----------------Brolin---------------Larsson---------------
Subs:Hellstrom, Eriksson, Bergmark, Thern, A.Svensson, Edstrom, Ekstrom.

Non-Finalists:
--------------------------Yashin------------------------

Petrescu--------Charles------------Hansen-----------Sergi

-----------------Scifo-----------Hagi--------------------

-----------Figo-------------------------M.Laudrup--------

-----------------Eusebio----------Dalglish---------------
Subs: Schmeichel, Sivebaek, Hierro, Dzajic, B.Laudrup, Savicevic, Shevchenko.
All these played at a World Cup but as with all the teams they are not based on just World Cup performances but whole careers and high points of them generally.

Never played in World Cup:
---------------------------Southall------------------

Rob Jones---------Ondrus-----------Hyypia-------Edwards

Best-------------Di Stefano---------Kubala--------Giggs

---------------Cantona------------Weah--------------
Subs: Spink, Agger, Schuster, Kanchelskis, Ginola, Litmanen, Lawton.

[johan neeskens]

Huntelaar has yet to play a world cup game. And even if he had he certainly doesn't deserve to be in any all time Holland XI!

[PDG1978]

Ah yes he's only played Euro 2008 and admitedly not much of it. I remember him being touted as if he should have been in the World Cup squad in 2006. I think youtube can sometimes over convince you that someone is world class but on the other hand he did score the goals shown on various compilations and has been signed by Real Madrid. I probably would have to put van Nistelrooy on the bench then but maybe you think another midfield player -van Hanegem or someone?

[lanman]

For Hungary you would just try and squeeze Albert into the 54 side.

[lanman]

Bozsik and Edwards were not full backs.

[johan neeskens]

Ah yes he's only played Euro 2008 and admitedly not much of it. I remember him being touted as if he should have been in the World Cup squad in 2006. I think youtube can sometimes over convince you that someone is world class but on the other hand he did score the goals shown on various compilations and has been signed by Real Madrid. I probably would have to put van Nistelrooy on the bench then but maybe you think another midfield player -van Hanegem or someone?

Van Hanegem definitely and Kluivert is about a billion times more deserving than Huntelaar as a striker on the bench. Even more so, Rep and Rensenbrink.

[PDG1978]

Thanks I've seen you are an expert on historic teams from other threads. I've only seen bits on youtube and read the general description of such players. Don't you think Edwards would be very useful as an attacking full back though even if he'd be better employed in central midfield. I've heard he'd be good as a centre-back too. I guess the right half and left half would be the equivalent of deep lying midfield players with responsibility to track the inside forwards? With Hungary I wanted to keep the other 6 in the team including Albert and Detari plus the deep-lying striker Hidegkuti in the 'hole' and thought if I didnt pick Bozsik at full back I'd have to go 3 at the back, Bozsik with Detari in the centre and Albert as a wing back. It's difficult converting an older formation into one which would be effective against the other all time sides although if Hungary played as they did in 1953 maybe they could just try to outscore everyone.

[guado]

no nordahl for sweden?

you have gren and liedholm, but larsson and brolin over nordahl?

also, since you tried to explain your positioning of players, i don't think bergkamp would be useful on teh wing.

[PDG1978]

I was following the same rules as the other thread (see World Cup winning nations all time 11's) whereby the players have to play in the World Cup to qualify which Nordahl didn't. The Dutch side doesn't have 2 wingers as such but a fluid total footballing front 3which is how Holland played in the 70's although you could say that Rep and especially Rensenbrink did spend a lot of time wide. Bergkamp did play wide I think for Ajax a bit but this 4-3-3 is designed for him and Cruyff to have freedom to move all over the front line (more than a traditional winger). You can do an aternative team though if you like...as can anybody...

[johan neeskens]

--------------------------Van Breukelen--------------------

--------Suurbier----------Rijkaard------Haan-------Krol-----------

--------------Neeskens----Cruyff---Van Hanegem----------

-------------Bergkamp------van Basten-----Rensenbrink------------

Subs: Gullit, Van Persie, Cocu, Van Tiggelen, Stam, Rep

Manager: Rinus Michels

[PDG1978]

Pretty good team and not that dissimilar to mine. Cruyff in midfield would let him dictate the game more I guess and allows Rensenbrink to be in attack. Do you think this team would have a good chance against the other all time sides such as Brazil and France?

[Auriaprottu]

Did Jens Jongbloed (sp?) never play for Holland in a Cup?

[johan neeskens]

Pretty good team and not that dissimilar to mine. Cruyff in midfield would let him dictate the game more I guess and allows Rensenbrink to be in attack. Do you think this team would have a good chance against the other all time sides such as Brazil and France?

THh main difference is that you left Haan and Van Hanegem out. The latter is considered one of the best five Dutch footballers ever in the Netherlands, he in fact is in the top three according to some of the experts, but he seems little known outside the NL which is kind of odd.

I think they'd stand a chance against anyone!

[johan neeskens]

Did Jens Jongbloed (sp?) never play for Holland in a Cup?

Jan Jongbloed. He was our keeper in 78.

[Auriaprottu]

Jan Jongbloed. He was our keeper in 78.

That's what I remembered. Thanks for the spelling correction. Seems like there was some rift betwen him and Cruyff and I wasn't certain if he'd played or not. Not good enough to be on anyone's list?

[johan neeskens]

That's what I remembered. Thanks for the spelling correction. Seems like there was some rift betwen him and Cruyff and I wasn't certain if he'd played or not. Not good enough to be on anyone's list?

Nah Cruyff mainly disliked the PSV camp and Jongbloed wasn't in that camp. My choice was between Van der Sar and Van Breukelen to be honest. Van Breukelen was not our most talented goalkeeper but he's one of those who always showed up in important games.

[Lisa11]

Also how about a side of players to play for any other nation at the World Cup and one of players never to play at the World Cup. It would be then up for debate which of the sides was best out of the 13 in total (I was only able to have a decent go at 12 as wasn't sure about Uruguay in the other post).


Lisa11