[cpwilson80]

I was talking to my sister the other day and she was telling me how John Doyle was helping out with her club team. Now, this may be standard practice elsewhere, but I NEVER had the chance to talk soccer with some of my old favorites. So, chilling at work here, I was thinking of the 5 players I would most like to meet and chat about some soccer (the 'people to dinner' thing is trite )

My 5:
1. Claudio Reyna - my favorite player ever, the guy I always wanted to be like when I was playing...so I'm only 7 years younger than him, he was the coolest. I'd love to talk with him about the change from '94 to '98 to today.

2. Wade Barrett - San Jose hero. Went from my Clash cult favorite to national team pool player. The guy with whom you could chill out at the bar with all your buddies.

3. Roberto Baggio - Italian hero...I can't see cheering another Azzurri member the same way.

4. Eric Cantona - Man U hero. I was wearing his shirt back in '96 when my family went to Epcot Center, and all the people in the French cafe started cheering "Ooh, Ahh Cantona!" You really can't beat that.

5. Andri Shevchenko - Milan hero. Yes, van Basten, Baresi and Maldini are all up there, but Sheva was my boy from the Kiev days. Plus, I've seen Milan play 4 times over the past two years, so there is the added bonus of seeing him in person (something, unfortunately, never happened with Baggio and Cantona.)

[toot86]

My 5 HEROS

1. Luis Hernandez (La Galaxy / America) showed me to never give up and to always try my hardest and in soccer thats not that easy..

2.Cuauhtemoc Blanco (America) Made me see the fun side of soccer and to always be spectacular and to be good at playing it.

3.Jared Borgetti (Santos) Showed me that if you stay cool and calm miracles can happend on the field i learned to never loose my coolness with him.

4. Fransico Palencia (Cruz Azul) Showed me that to always try harder then the next person and to like it

5.Christian Veri (Inter) He showed me the skill of determination

[nicodemus]

1. Pablo Mastroeni for teaching me not to punch jackasses like Cuauhtemoc Blanco when he's threatening a man with a yellow card.

2. Ryan Giggs because he's awesome and doesn't seem to have a big ego.

3. Ole Gunnar Solsjkaer because he isn't a whiner and scores tons of goals off the bench, the ultimate team player.

4. Landon Donovan because he's from America and will destroy the world in Germany 2006

5. Pele - how can you not love the man? Goals goals and more goals. Plus he give the USA respect.

[Syncope]

Gerd Müller – 365 goals in 427 club matches. 68 goals in 62 national team matches. Still holds Golden Boot record in BL, 40 goals in one season. Still holds record for total goals scored in WC, 14 (two tournaments). Won everything possible in the sport. Hardest shot ever.

Ruud Krol – A most tenacious defender that could not be out-dribbled. No one could beat this guy. Composed, precise, effective.

Ferenc Puskas – Perhaps the best player ever. Couldn’t play for two years and came back at the age of 31 not having lost any of his skill and deadliness—perhaps being even better. 35 goals in 39 European matches for Real Madrid (on top of all his other achievements).

Sir Stanley Matthews – Played professionally until he was 50, and was damn good at it all the time. European Player of the Year at age 41(!!!). Never received a single booking.

Zico Over 100 goals in his first two seasons of club play. A scoring midfielder if there ever was one: 650 career goals.

Müller, Krol, and Zico I saw play (not in person), so it was easy to pick them. They were the best in their positions while they were active. Puskas and Matthews I didn’t see play, but they fascinate me as human beings, not just as players.

[helmzgk]

Peter Schmeichel- Showing me how a tall keeper should own a game.

Kasey Keller- showing me how to become more calm as a young keeper.

Brad Friedel- For the awesome reflex saves.

Eddie Pope- Even after injuries, never gives up

Roy Keane- For his viciousness, his leadership, but definitley not his mouth.

[copaantl98]

Brian McBride- For proving me wrong that he can finish during crunch time.

Claudio Reyna- He proved to me that he was not Ewing in disguise.

Tab Ramos- One of the founders of MLS. What would have happened if he played for Uruguay?

Eric Wynalda- All-time leading scorer for US. Enough said.

Clint Mathis- When he came to the Metrostars, I thought he would be worthless. Now he's one of the best in the country.

[mundial]

1. Roy Keane - tough and tenacious
2. Bixente Lizarazu - I just admire his playing style
3. Claudio Reyna - Always appreciated him
4. David Beckham - so pretty (his crosses and free-kicks)
5. Marcel Desailly, circa 1998. He was just unbeatable. Defenders who are that good in the air frustrate me to no end.

[Ictar]

Ronaldo - The guy plays with flare, real style. Watching clips of him dribbling with a circle of literally four defenders marking him and seeing him make them all fools is stunning. He always knows exactly where to move next to keep all of his opponents off balance.

Eric Wynalda - I wonder if he had been in his prime for this 2002 team what it would have been like. I'd probably meet Eric Wynalda if I could meet anyone.

Kahn - He's got that "I"m a bad ass" look about him. He's just plain scary.

Carlos Valderrama - When I was little I thought his hair was great and I wanted mine just like it. Now I watch him because his passes are dead on the money, and he's got great vision.

Pablo Mastroeni - He can definitely keep calm under pressure. It was great of him not to do anything back to Blanco, who deserved to have his teeth knocked down his throat that day.

[usscouse]

I’m not big on the term “Hero” for someone who gets paid for playing a sport but the players I looked up to were:-

Billy Liddell Liverpool was known as ‘Liddellpool’ in his playing days.

Sir Stanley Mathews Saw him play Liverpool at Stoke City when he was in his late forties and he was still great then.

DiStefano and Puskas in their Real Madrid days.

and

Pele He may not be the brightest off the field but on it he was magic…!

[AFCA]

Edgar Davids - a friggin' bulldog. Eats any of the heroes named above alive. That's why I like him and hope he'll return to Ajax one day.

Frank Rijkaard - One of the greatest players of these times. A true club man too. Something you don't see a lot these days.

Marco van Basten - No comment needed.

Johan Cruyff - for being right and showing so.

Stefan Petterson - my Ajax youth idol

Jari Litmanen - great footballer whom I wish all the best. Couldn't leave him out of this.