[Excape Goat]

My original post meant to say: The non-WC teams tended to be overlooked. So which team is the best non-WC NT ever? Then, I realized that this is a non-issue. Hungary 1952-1954 will win by a mile. So I re-invented the topic and tried my best to take Hungary out of the equation. So which team is the "2nd best"? If you think Hyngary 1952-1954 is not the best, then state your best ever team and say why Hungary was not the best ever.

West Germany 1972: I am lending on this team as the 2nd best ever. They took out England in Wembley. That was a big thing at that time. They could have taken out Brazil 1970 if given their chance. They were better than West Germany 1970 and 1974.

France 1984: I really thought hard. Given their domination at the European Championship, they should be the best ever, but I took points away because they played at home. They had some luck in the last two matches.

Brazil Copa America 1997: The Ro-Ro line was awesome. Period. However, they were untested.

[benztown]

Holland 74 & 78

[unclesox]

Originally Posted by benztown

Holland 74 & 78

74 and 78 were World Cup years.
I think he's talking about the best ever national teams apart from World Cup sides.

Holland '88

[dor02]

2nd: West Germany 1972 - Great players all around. Played great football, coached by Helmut Schoen and they were a dominant force in the European game.

3rd: France 1984 - No team has ever been this dominant at home. Platini's Euro 84 is like Maradona's Mexico 86. A tornament in which one individual dominated like no other but Platini had a great support cast with Tigana, Giresse, Amoros and so on.

4th: Holland 88 - the best Dutch side post-Cryuff.

5th: Argentina 1957 - "Il Trio del la Muerte" were unbelievable. Maschio, Angelillo and Sivori were clearly the best in 1957's Copa America.

6th: Brazil 1949 - The great Brazilian team a year before the 1950 World Cup. Ademir was already a class act as well as Jair and co.

7th Italy 68 - their performances weren't to convincing but at least on paper, the Azzurri had one of their best squads ever. Riva, Anastasi, Facchetti, Burgnich, Domenghini and co were a bunch of world class players.

[lanman]

I think that England's post WWII team (47-48) deserves serious consideration. Players such as Swift, Wright, Franklin, Hardwick, Matthews, Finney, Lawton, Mannion and Mortensen were as good a bunch as any country could boast and they won 15 out of 18 games, losing only 1. They also inflicted Italy's join record post WWII home defeat winning 4-0 in Turin against a side containing 7 of the great Torino side of the day.

[Spartak]

I think France 2000 needs a shout.

[jerrito]

Brasil 1982.

[621380]

Originally Posted by Excape Goat

My original post meant to say: The non-WC teams tended to be overlooked. So which team is the best non-WC NT ever? Then, I realized that this is a non-issue. Hungary 1952-1954 will win by a mile. So I re-invented the topic and tried my best to take Hungary out of the equation. So which team is the "2nd best"? If you think Hyngary 1952-1954 is not the best, then state your best ever team and say why Hungary was not the best ever.

West Germany 1972: I am lending on this team as the 2nd best ever. They took out England in Wembley. That was a big thing at that time. They could have taken out Brazil 1970 if given their chance. They were better than West Germany 1970 and 1974.

France 1984: I really thought hard. Given their domination at the European Championship, they should be the best ever, but I took points away because they played at home. They had some luck in the last two matches.

Brazil Copa America 1997: The Ro-Ro line was awesome. Period. However, they were untested.

in copa amerika final 1997 brasil won only with luck..bolivia was better in this final .....the first goal of brasil and the match was blatant offside, bolovia was denid a penalty in my opinion and emerson wasnt send off for a violent action against bolivian player.....the last goal of brasil was scored in injury time in a time where bolvia was forced to play everthing or nothing...

[Excape Goat]

Originally Posted by dor02

7th Italy 68 - their performances weren't to convincing but at least on paper, the Azzurri had one of their best squads ever. Riva, Anastasi, Facchetti, Burgnich, Domenghini and co were a bunch of world class players.

They were on my mind when I started this thread, but then, I could not put them here because they won with a coin toss against the Soviet Union.

[dor02]

Originally Posted by Excape Goat

They were on my mind when I started this thread, but then, I could not put them here because they won with a coin toss against the Soviet Union.

That was my reason for not rating them too highly. It was very lucky win throughout.

On paper, Italy had the best team there. Performance wise, Yugoslavia played the best football.