Rankings Finishers 1) Porto/Varela 2) Schiaffino/Gomez 3) Scarone/Andrade 4) Francescoli/Pereyra 5) Cubilla/Rocha Chance Creator 1) Schiaffino/Gomez 2) Scarone/Andrade 3) Cubilla/Rocha 4) Porto/Varela 5) Francescoli/Pereyra Controller 1) Porto/Varela 2) Scarone/Andrade 3) Cubilla/Rocha 4) Schiaffino/Gomez 5) Francescoli/Pereyra Defender 1) Cubilla/Rocha 2) Schiaffino/Gomez 3) Scarone/Andrade 4) Francescoli/Pereyra 5) Porto/Varela Goalkeeper 1) Porto/Varela 2) Cubilla/Rocha 3) Scarone/Andrade 4) Francescoli/Pereyra 5) Schiaffino/Gomez Overall It is really close between the three oldest generations with Cubilla/Rocha right behind them and Francescoli/Pereyra bringing up the rear.
Interesting that the 40s (lost generation) topped the list in 3 out of 5 categories. Overall the Olympic generation had the most consistent rankings
On next to England. I have not to really dipped to deep into players born before 1900 so that is roughly where I will start with England despite the large number of top players they had who were older. The first generation is based around the teams of the late 20s and early 30s that finally overcame Scotland and contained some of England's most famous goal scorers. The Dean/Hapgood generation is from 1902 to 1909 Finisher Dixie Dean George Camsell Bobby Gurney George Brown Thomas Waring Fred Tilson Jack Bowers Jimmy Hampson W.G. Richardson Chance Creator Eric Brook Sammy Crooks Joe Hulme Ellis Rimmer Ray Bowden Harry Burgess Dick Spence Controller Wilf Copping Willis Edwards Cliff Britton Ernest Hart Jackie Bray Defender Eddie Hapgood Ernest Blenkinsop Roy Goodall Tom Cooper Jack Barker Alf Young Goalkeeper Harry Hibbs Frank Moss The finisher group is strong and headed up by two of England's most famous and prodigious goalscorers. Following them Gurney, Brown, Warning, and Tilson all provide solid depth. I am unsure if the next three (Bowers, Hampson, and Richardson) are really worthy of inclusion if the inflated goalscoring stats of the time give them a better record then they might have otherwise. The chance creator group is decent, with two great players in Brook and Crooks. The controller group is also solid. Along with the finishers the strength of this generation is the defenders. Hapgood, Blenkinsop, and Goodall were all fantastic players. All three were the cornerstones one of the top sides of the time winning multiple trophies (Hapgood: Arsenal 5 First Divisions 3 FA Cups, Blenkinsop: Sheffield Wednesday 2 First Division, Goodall: Huddersfield Town 3 first divisions 1 FA Cup), all three racked up massive cap totals for their time (Hapgood 30, Blenkinsop 26, and Goodall 25), and all three captained England. There is solid depth behind them as well. Hibbs and Moss are solid keepers.
The next group of players is split into two generations and in my opinion has the best chance of rivaling the World Cup winning generation for England's best ever. This is the generation of football players who lost much of their prime to the war. Although many of the players do not have the accomplishments of players of other generations due to WWII they are thought of by some as in contention for England's best ever at their position in an absolute sense (Tommy Lawton, Raich Carter, Wilf Mannion, Stan Cullis, Neil Franklin etc). Both generations hold the same core of players who had their careers effected most severely by WWII born between 1915 and 1919 (Matthews, Cullis, Mannion, Lawton). The first generation also includes older players who were peaking in the late 30s before the war interrupted their careers (Bastin, Carter, Swift). The second generation includes younger players who were peaking as part of the great national team immediately post war (Mortensen, Finney, Franklin). The first generation would have been the core of a fictional team playing in the 1942 World Cup while the second would be the core of an England team playing in the fictional 1946 World Cup. Both teams would be favorites along with Argentina in my eyes. The Carter/Matthews generation is from 1912 to 1919 Finisher Tommy Lawton Ted Drake Freddie Steele Frank Broome Jesse Pye Chance Creator Stanley Matthews Raich Carter Cliff Bastin Wilf Mannion Len Goulden Jimmy Hagan Willie Hall Bobby Langton Johnny Hancocks Stan Pearson Jackie Robinson Alf Kirchen Albert Geldard Controller Joe Mercer Ken Willingham Phil Taylor Allenby Chilton Leslie Compton Defender Stan Cullis Harry Johnston Laurie Scott Bert Sproston Jack Howe Goalkeeper Frank Swift The finishers are solid led by Lawton, who may have been England's greatest striker ever but never had a chance to fully prove it. Drake was an excellent player for the great Arsenal side and was peaking in the late 30s before the war curtailed him. Steele, Broome and Pye were solid players and provide some depth. The chance creator group may be England's best ever, with its closest competition coming from the generation it shares many players with. The overall depth is great, the all time great players are there, and the all time great level players are deep. Mannion being the #4 ranked chance creator is very impressive. Matthews and Bastin are two of the top three wingers all time for England in my opinion. It is shocking to look at Matthews career accumulation of statistics and then to think he missed what was literally the peak of his playing ability for seven seasons! Raich Carter is a bit of an enigma but is talked about by some as England's greatest number 10 ever but was poorly utilized in the national team. He also lost the core of his career to the war as he had excellent spells on either end. Mannion was one of the stars of the immediate post war team and Goulden is a very highly rated player by some who lost his prime to the war. Hagan was another great creative inside forward who missed his best years because of the war. Seven more chance creators are listed who all had strong careers, giving excellent depth to the position. The controllers are the weakest group of this generation, featuring one player thought of as great in Joe Mercer. He was the center half teamed with Lawton at Everton who had won the first division in its last season before the war and were poised to have an amazing run with a great young core. The defender group has good talent and adequate depth. Cullis was poised to become one of England's greatest defenders ever. By the age of 22 and the outbreak of the war he had already been capped 12 times and named captain. His career, unlike some of his contemporaries, did not take back off after the war as he retired after only one season season with injury issues. Harry Johnston and Laurie Scott had an excellent careers on both sides of the war. Howe and Sproston provide depth. Swift is one of England's greatest keepers ever. The nest generation skewed to slightly younger players loses some of the incredible depth at chance creator but makes up for it with additions in other areas. The Matthews/Finney generation is from 1915-1922 Finisher Tommy Lawton Stanley Mortensen Jack Rowley Freddie Steele Frank Broome Jesse Pye Chance Creator Stanley Matthews Tom Finney Wilf Mannion Jimmy Hagan Ivor Broadis Bobby Langton Les Medley Johnny Hancocks Stan Pearson Len Shackleton Jackie Robinson Controller Jack Froggatt Henry Cockburn Phil Taylor Allenby Chilton Defender Neil Franklin Stan Cullis George Hardwick Alf Ramsey Harry Johnston John Aston, Sr. Laurie Scott Jack Howe Goalkeeper Bert Williams Ted Ditchburn Gil Merrick The group of finishers improves in the this generation with the addition of an all time England great in Mortenson and great depth of players overall. Despite adding one of England's greatest players ever in Finney I would say the chance creator group overall took a slight step back losing Carter, Bastin, and Goulden and having less total depth. It will still be one of England's greatest groups ever in the grand scheme of things. The controllers are once again probably the weakest group of the generation. The defenders are vastely imporved and one of England's best groups ever. The top three players from the previous group are all retained with top players like Franklin, Hardwick, Ramsey, and Aston all added. The goalkeeper group has better depth now but none of the players are of the class of Swift.
Possible starting 11s for 42 and 48 World Cups 1942 Bastin-------------Lawton-------------Matthews ---------Goulden---------------Carter -------Mercer----------------Willingham Hapgood----------Cullis-----------Male ---------------------Swift 1946 Finney-------------Lawton-------------Matthews -------Mortenson------------Mannion --------Mercer----------------Wright Hardwick-------Franklin----------Cullis ---------------------Swift
The nest generation is is not as highly celebrated as the those immediately before and after it. As this is the generation of players most closely associated with the disappointment of the 1950 and 54 World Cups, as well as the resounding defeats against Hungary. This is the generation that presided over the period when England had to unequivocally admit they were not the top footballing nation in the World. Despite that England was still a good team during this period and sported some excellent players. This generation slightly overlaps with the previous. The Finny/Wright generation is from 1922-1929 Finisher Nat Lofthouse Jackie Milburn Dennis Wilshaw Roy Bentley Chance Creator Tom Finney Peter Harris Ivor Broadis Jimmy Mullen Don Revie Eddie Baily Len Shackleton Johnny Berry Johnny Morris Controller Jimmy Dickinson Ray Barlow Jack Froggatt Bill Slater Jimmy Adamson Eddie Lowe Defender Billy Wright Neil Franklin Roger Byrne Jeff Hall Bill Eckersley Laurie Hughes Ron Staniforth Goalkeeper Gil Merrick The finisher group has four excellent players. The chance creator group has good depth, but outside of Finny the top quality is now absent. The Controller group is the one area where we probably see some improvement over the previous two generations. The defender group is very strong in depth and top quality and is a match for any England generation. It is really interesting to image what kind of defensive group England could have had if Franklin and Bryne could have had longer careers with the national team. Merrick was an adequate goalkeeper but he has no depth behind him.
The next generation is center around the squad that won the 1966 World Cup. It also includes some of the older all time greats and players who were not able to have full international careers due to the Munich Air Disaster. This in my mind is surely England's greatest generation The Charlton/Moore generation is from 1934 to 1941 Finisher Jimmy Greaves Roger Hunt Geoff Hurst Gerry Hitchens Ray Crawford Derek Kevan Chance Creator Bobby Charlton Johnny Haynes Bryan Douglas George Eastham John Connelly Terry Paine Alan A'Court Terry Dyson David Pegg Controller Duncan Edwards Alan Mullery Ronnie Clayton Ron Flowers Peter Swan Gordon Milne Jimmy Melia Defender Bobby Moore Ray Wilson Jimmy Armfield Jack Charlton Don Howe George Cohen Keith Newton Maurice Norman Brian Labone Tony Book Gerry Byrne Goalkeeper Gordon Banks Peter Bonetti Ron Springett The strength of this group is immediately apparent as every position/role is led by a player thought to be England's greatest ever for that role. The total depth of players is also immediately obvious. The finisher group is excellent, lead by possibly England's greatest striker ever in Greaves. He is supported by two more all time greats who were instrumental in the 1966 success Hunt and Hurst. Hitchens, Crawford, and Keven all had excellent careers but caps were very limited between them behind Greaves, Hunt, and Hurst. The chance creator group is headed by England's greatest player ever followed by possibly there most talented and skilled number 10 ever in Haynes. Behind that there is a solid group of wingers who may not be as well known as they were excluded from he 1966 team due to tactical changes (wingless wonders). Edwards leads the controllers, England's greatest what if. He was poised to be the linchpin of England's midfield for at least three consecutive World Cups (58, 62, 66) as he was only one year older than Charlton. Behind him is a solid but starless support group with Mullery, Clayton, and Flowers having strong careers. The defender group is deep and talented and led ny the great Bobby Moore. Following him are possibly England's two greatest fullbacks ever in Wilson and Armfield. Jack Charlton was an excellent player in his own right with a great club career as Leeds Captain during there strongest period and and excellent England career. The depth is great throughout the group with Howe, Cohen, Newton, Norman, and Labone all having excellent careers for club and country and Book and Byrne were club legends. The Goalkeeper group is likely England's best as well with there all time #1 Banks supported by two excellent keepers in Bonetti and Springett.
The next generation has great depth and had great potential but never made good on its promise at the World Cup. Some of the players were key members of the 1966 squad (Ball, Peters) as young players but could not take the team to the same heights in the 1970s as leaders of the team. There are also a number of players who had great potential that was never fulfilled on the national stage due to poor luck and timing with injuries (Brooking, Bell, McFarland). There is also the beginning of the group of players central to English clubs dominance of the European Cup in the late 70s and early 80s (Hughes, Shilton, Clemence). The Ball/Shilton generations is from 1942 to 1949 Finisher Francis Lee Martin Chivers Mick Channon Allan Clarke Peter Osgood Rodney Marsh Jeff Astle Chance Creator Martin Peters Trevor Brooking Peter Thompson Mike Summerbee Dennis Tueart Controller Alan Ball Colin Bell Nobby Stiles Paul Madeley Ian Callaghan Mike Doyle Colin Harvey Defender Roy McFarland Emlyn Hughes Dave Watson Mick Mills Norman Hunter Colin Todd Terry Cooper Paul Reaney Chris Lawler Larry Lloyd Tommy Smith Ron Harris Goalkeeper Peter Shilton Ray Clemence Gordon West Alex Stepney The finishers are deep but lack really top players, with Lee being the best of the bunch. The chance creator feature two very good players in Peters who had an amazing career for England and Trevor Brooking, one of England's forgotten greats in my opinion. The controller group is strong led by Ball, an all time England great. Colin Bell was another forgotten great in my opinion who was unable to stay fit for the national team but had a wonderful career with Man City. He was one of the players whose legacy was hurt the most by England's failure to qualify for 1974. The defender group is great. McFarland was great but could have been so much more, especially if he, Bell, and Gerry Francis did not break down with injuries leading up to WC 1978. McFarland or Neil Franklin had all the tools to be Bobby Moores partners in an England all time 11 but did not live up to their talent for different reasons. Hughes was a mainstay for England and Liverpool, accumulating a massive trophy cabinet. The depth of solid players in this group is excellent. The goalkeeper group is probably England's best ever edging the previous generations offering. Shilton is an all time great and Clemence is right there behind him. The only thing preventing Clemence from being one of the top 10 or so keepers in football history were all the caps he lost to Shilton. Stepney and West were both very good keepers who never got a chance for England.
This group has some overlap with the previous generation and is centered around the group of players central to English clubs dominating the European Cup in the late 70s and early 80s. The Shilton/Keegan generation is from 1947 to 1954 Finisher Trevor Francis Paul Mariner Mick Channon Malcolm Macdonald Peter With Peter Osgood Chance Creator Kevin Keegan Trevor Brooking Terry McDermott Tony Morley Ray Kennedy Dennis Tueart Controller Tony Currie Gerry Francis Steve Perryman Alan Hudson Dennis Mortimer Defender Roy McFarland Emlyn Hughes Phil Thompson Phil Neal Kevin Beattie Mick Mills Colin Todd Larry Lloyd Goalkeeper Peter Shilton Ray Clemence The finishers are similar to last generation with one strong players and solid but unspectacular players behind him. The chance creators are strong with Keegan and Brooking leading the way followed by some European Cup heros. The controller group could have been much stronger but Currie never really translated his excellent talent to the national team and played for small clubs. On Gerry Francis I will quote an excellent all time England top 100 list I found "Captain of England at 23, effectively finished by 25, a case of what might have been for Francis. A good all round midfield, who liked to run at defenses and unload pile drivers, there were times (5-1 over Scotland in 1975) when Francis and Colin Bell made England look like potential world beaters." The defenders are again a strong point with McFarland and Hughes joined by Thompson and Neal among others. The goalkeepers retain there top two stars. http://stirlosports.wordpress.com/2013/05/03/100-greatest-english-footballers-of-all-time-2/
This generation is centered around the players who were parts of the relatively successful England teams that participated in the 1982, 86 and 90 World Cups. This group was also a part of a very strong English domestic league that was still winning European trophies until the ban on English teams went into affect in the mid 80s. The Robson/Linker generation is from 1956 to 1963. Finisher Gary Lineker Ian Wright Mark Hateley Alan Smith Kerry Dixon Clive Allen Garry Birtles Cyrille Regis Chance Creator John Barnes Glenn Hoddle Chris Waddle Peter Beardsley Trevor Steven Laurie Cunningham Paul Walsh Controller Bryan Robson Stuart Pearce Ray Wilkins Peter Reid Gordon Cowans Defender Terry Butcher Viv Anderson Kenny Sansom Gary Stevens Mark Wright Jeff Hall Nigel Winterburn Goalkeeper David Seaman Tony Coton The attacking players from this generation are its strength with both finishers and chance creators having great depth and great top end talent. The chance creator group is especially impressive and rivals the WWII generations for the most talented ever, but players like Barnes, Hoddle, Waddle, and Cunningham never achieved there full potential in some part of their career. The controllers are good strong led by Robson. The defenders are decent but lack the class and quality of previous generations. The goalkeepers are solid.
This generation is focused on players who performed well in the 90s. Many of the players were key figures as young players in the 1990 World Cup all the way to Key players in Euro 96, both good tournaments for England. This generatrion lacks the depth of other England generations but has top talent. The Gacoigne/Shearer generation is from 1965 to 1972. Finisher Alan Shearer Teddy Sheringham Les Ferdinand Andrew Cole Chance Creator Paul Gacoigne David Platt Steve McManaman Matt Le Tissier Darren Anderton Paul Merson Controller Paul Ince Graeme Le Saux David Batty David Rocastle Defender Tony Adams Des Walker Gary Pallister Gareth Southgate Martin Keown Goalkeeper David James Nigel Martyn Tim Flowers The finisher group has four excellent players led by Shearer. The chance creators are also a very talented group. The controllers lack an all time great for England and have relatively poor depth. The defenders are solid but again lack an all time great or major depth. The goalkeepers adequate.
The final generation of England players is the so called Golden Generation. Many of its players were international stars and centerpieces for the English leagues success in European competitions in the 1990s and 2000s. However the group of players failed to ever gel and make a major impact in international tournaments. The Beckham/Gerrard generation is from 1974 to 1981. Finisher Micheal Owen Robbie Fowler Emile Heskey Chance Creator David Beckham Steven Gerrard Frank Lampard Paul Scholes Joe Cole Controller Michael Carrick Owen Hargreaves Gareth Barry Nicky Butt Nick Barmby Kieron Dyer Defender Rio Ferdinand Sol Campbell John Terry Ashley Cole Gary Neville Jamie Carragher Ledley King Jonathan Woodgate Wayne Bridge Phil Neville Goalkeeper Paul Robinson The strikers lack depth but Owen was an excellent player for club and country. The chance creator group is a major strength of this generation but Gerrard, Lampard, and Scholes never found a way to integrate together in the national team. The controllers are an average group with no real top players. The defenders are excellent with great talent, achievement, and depth. Goalkeeper is a major weak point.
Rankings Finisher 1) Charlton/Moore 2) Camsell/Dean 3) Matthews/Finney 4) Robson/Linker 5) Finney/Wright 6) Carter/Matthews 7) Gacoigne/Shearer 8) Beckham/Gerrard 9) Ball/Shilton 10) Shitlon/Keegan Chance Creators 1) Carter/Matthews 2) Matthews/Finney 3) Robson/Linker 4) Charlton/Moore 5) Beckham/Gerrard 6) Shitlon/Keegan 7) Finney/Wright 8) Gacoigne/Shearer 9) Camsell/Dean 10) Ball/Shilton Controller 1) Ball/Shilton 2) Robson/Linker 3) Charlton/Moore 4) Finney/Wright 5) Camsell/Dean 6) Shitlon/Keegan 7) Carter/Matthews 8) Gacoigne/Shearer 9) Beckham/Gerrard 10) Matthews/Finney Defender 1) Charlton/Moore 2) Finney/Wright 3) Beckham/Gerrard 4) Matthews/Finney 5) Ball/Shilton 6) Camsell/Dean 7) Shitlon/Keegan 8) Carter/Matthews 9) Robson/Linker 10) Gacoigne/Shearer Goalkeeper 1) Ball/Shilton 2) Charlton/Moore 3) Shitlon/Keegan 4) Carter/Matthews 5) Camsell/Dean 6) Matthews/Finney 7) Robson/Linker 8) Gacoigne/Shearer 9) Finney/Wright 10) Beckham/Gerrard Overall 1) Charlton/Moore 2) Matthews/Finney 3) Robson/Linker 4) Carter/Matthews 5) Ball/Shilton 6) Camsell/Dean 7) Finney/Wright 8) Beckham/Gerrard 9) Shitlon/Keegan 10) Gacoigne/Shearer For overall number one was clear and after that 2-7 were all very close.
Shouldn't it be named Lineker/Hoddle? Robson was hardly a factor at WCs 86 and 90, or Euro 88 and Hoddle is a more important figure in the footballing annals, I would say. Did Beckham, Gerrard, Scholes, Lampard and Cole ever play in a tournament together?
Next on to Argetina. Their first great generation was that of the late 20s and early 30s. The national team preformed well in this time despite losing some of its top players from the national team oversea (Libonatti, Orsi, Monit etc). If they had had their full compliment of players the two big finals they lost to Uruguay could have turned out different. The Orsi/Monti generation is from 1901 to 1908 Finisher Manuel Seoane Julio Libonatti Domingo Tarasconi Roberto Cherro Guillermo Stabile Alejandro Scopelli Alberto Zozaya Chance Creator Raimundo Orsi Carlos Peucelle Manuel Ferreira Renato Cesarini Mario Evaristo Cesáreo Onzari Miguel Lauri Carlos Izaguirre Controller Luis Monti Adolfo Zumelzú Juan Evaristo Rodolfo Orlandini Defender Pedro Arico Suarez Juan Carlos Iribarren Fernando Paternoster Alberto Chividini José della Torre Goalkeeper Ángel Bossio Juan Bottaso The group of finishers is fantastic. Seoane was great for Independiente and the national team, keying two Copa America victories (1925 and 1927). Libonatti had a great career in Argetina and Italy. With Argentina he was capped 15 times scoring 8 goals and led the team to the 1921 Copa America, Argentina's first where they defeated the dominant team of the time Piendibane's Uruguay. With Italy he was capped 17 times scoring 15 goals and was vital to the 1927-30 Central European Cup victory where he was joint top scorer. He was also part of Turin's great inside trio winning two titles in Italy. Tarasconi and Cherro were both excellent forwards for Boca Jr, the dominant club in Argentina at the time, and had excellent goalscoring numbers for Argentina. Stabile was one of the stars of the 1930 World Cup. The chance creators are great as well lead by two of Argentina's greatest wingers Orsi and Peucelle. Orsi could have pushed Argentina over in top in 1930 had he not moved to Italy. Manuel Ferreira was a great playmaking inside forward and was a key player for Argentina in the late 20s. Cesarini had an excellent career in Italy pairing with country Orsi at Juventus. There are four more players at the position providing excellent depth. Luis Monti was considered one of the top center halves in the world throughout his career, and Adolfo Zumelzú was also an international class player. The defenders and goalkeeper are the weaker part of the generation with none of the players outside of maybe Pedro Arico Suarez considered one of the bets in the world at their position.
Th nest generation keeps some of the youngest players from the previous group and combines them with the players peaking in the mid to late 30s, the group that won the first really big Copa America in 1937. It is once again heavy one attackers but not as strong with defenders and midfielders. The Ferreyra/Sastre generation is from 1907 to 1913 Finisher Francisco Varallo Bernabe Ferreyra Herminio Masantonio Roberto Cherro Alejandro Scopelli Alberto Zozaya Chance Creator Antonio Sastre Carlos Peucelle Enrique Garcia Enrique Guaita Miguel Lauri Mario Evaristo Attilio Demaría Controller José María Minella Defender Pedro Arico Suarez Jorge Alberti Oscar Tarrío Alberto Cuello Alberto Chividini Goalkeeper Fernando Bello Sebastian Gualco The finishers are led by a very strong top four with Varallo, one of the best inside forwards of the time who was Boca's star player. Ferreyra was a star for River Plate but he lost out on most of the national team caps at center forward to another great of the generation Masantonio. Cherro, Scopelli, and Zozaya are all carryovers from the previous generation providing excellent depth. The chance creator group is once again excellent, led by an all time great in Sastre, and possibly the two top wingers in the world in the late 1930s Carlos Peucelle and Enrique Garcia. Another great winger from Argetina was Enrique Guaita, who made his biggest mark for Italy in the 1938 World Cup victory. The controller is short on depth and top talent. The Defender group is slightly upgraded from last time with Jorge Alberti added to Pedro Arico Suarez to give Argentina two international class defenders. The goalkeepers are also slightly improved in my opinion, but are still not thought of as top all time Argentina keepers.
The nest generation is the group that peaked in the late 30s and early 40s, slightly overlapping with the previous generation. It contains players who were the core of some of the most celebrated club teams in history, Independiente of the late 30s and River Plate of the early 40s. This generation continued the tradition of great attackers but also saw a significant upgrade with defenders and controllers. The Sastre/Moreno generation is from 1911 to 1918 Finisher Angel Labruna Atilio García Jaime Sarlanga Emilio Baldonedo Juan Marvezzi Chance Creator Jose Manuel Moreno Adolfo Pedernera Antonio Sastre Enrique Garcia Vicente de la Mata Aristobulus Deambrossi Controller Ernesto Lazzatti Angel Perucca Bartolomé Colombo Aarón Wergifker Defender Jose Salomon José Marante Jorge Alberti Goalkeeper Fernando Bello Sebastian Gualco Claudio Vacca The finishers are a solid group headed by Labruna and Garcia both at certain times were thought to be among the best center forwards in the world. Saralanga was a very important player at centerforward for a strong Boca team that challenged River and Independiente. The chance creator group is full of legends, and as good as the last groups were, it is probably the best yet. The controllers and defenders and are much improved with the addition of a number of top class players like Lazzatti, Perucca, and Salomon among others.
This generation has a chance to be Argentina's best ever in my opinion, center around the group of players that won three consecutive Copa America's in great style (45, 46, 47) in the late 40s. It includes some of the Argentina legends from the previous generation as the oldest players in this group and combines it with a new generation that created the very successful dynamic of the team in the late 40s. The Moreno/Pontoni generation is from 1916 to 1923. Finisher René Pontoni Angel Labruna Mario Boyé Jaime Sarlanga Emilio Baldonedo Rubén Bravo Chance Creator Jose Manuel Moreno Adolfo Pedernera Rinaldo Martino Norberto Méndez Felix Loustau Vicente de la Mata Manuel Pelegrina Juan Carlos Munoz Ezra Sued Armando Farro Aristobulus Deambrossi Ernesto Vidal Controller Carlos Sosa Natalio Pescia Angel Perucca Bartolomé Colombo Norberto Yacono Defender Jose Salomon Juan Carlos Colman Oscar Basso Rodolfo de Zorzi Goalkeeper Julio Cozzi The finishers are led by Pontoni, one of Argentina's greatest ever who's career ended abruptly after a 1948 injury. He is joined by the previously mentioned Labruna who was peaking in the mid 40s, and goalscoring winger/center forward Mario Boye who was a decisive player for multiple title winning domestic sides. The chance creator group is staggering and is in contention for one of the greatest of all time from any country. A player like Norberto Méndez could only rank fourth in this group, who was so good in the three Copa America victories that the greatest player in Argentina's history and a living legend at that point, Jose Manuel Moreno, was required to occupy a new position on his return to Argentina in the late 40s to not disturb Méndez. The controller group is Argentina's strongest yet with the additions of Sosa, Pesica, and Yacono. The defenders may be slightly weaker than the previous generation losing Marante and Alberti for Colman and Basso. Cozzi is one of the top keepers of the time.
Great posts, however, it seems to me Pedernera enjoys a greater standing in Argentine football than either Sastre or Pontoni, shouldn't he be named alongside Moreno for these generations?
Moreno and Pedernera were both common to the two generations so I need a name from the older (in Sastre's case) or (younger in Pontoni's) case groups to give the generations unique names. I listed Pedernera above Sastre (the order I list them in is a rough order of standing in my opnion).
The nest generation is somewhat of a lost generation for Argentina, as it peaked in the early 50s when Argentina failed to take teams to the 1949 or 1953 South American Championships, or the 1950 or 1954 World Cups. It is centered around one of Argentina's greatest players ever Alfredo di Stefano, who was not available for national team selection during the time when most of these players were hitting there peak for the national team. Many of the other top players of this generation spent significant time abroad and were not availible for national team selection for major parts of thier career (Hohberg, Rial, Rossi). the Di Stefano/Carrizo is from 1922 to 1929 Finisher Alfredo di Stefano Mario Boyé Juan Hohberg Ernesto Alvarez Rubén Bravo José Borello Chance Creator Norberto Méndez Felix Loustau Hector Rial Ernesto Grillo Ernesto Cucchiaroni Ezra Sued Santiago Vernazza Armando Farro Juan José Pizzuti Controller Nestor Rossi Natalio Pescia Eliseo Mourino Juan Francisco Lombardo Pedro Dellacha Juan Carlos Colman Oscar Basso Goalkeeper Amadeo Carrizo Julio Cozzi Julio Musimessi The finisher group is led by di Stefano but is overall not very deep outside of Boye and Hohberg, who was an excellent player in Uruguay for both club and national teams. The chance creators are strong, but a not rivaling the last generation. Rial, Grillo, and Cucchiaroni are all important additions to holdovers from last generation, Mendez and Loustau. The controllers are very strong with Pesica being joined by Rossi, one of Argetina's best ever, and the very solid Mourino. The defenders are solid as well with the additions of Lombardo and Dellacha. The goalkeeper group is one of Argentina's best ever.
The nest two generations are slightly different takes on one core group, the young attackers that lead Argentina to its massively impressive victory in the 1957 Copa America (Sivori, Corbatta, Angelillo). This generation then lost most of its top attackers to Italy and never had a chance to truly rival Brazil's greatest generation in the 1958 and 1962 World Cups (Argentina beat Brazil handily in the 1957 Copa America). The first generation would be centered around the attacking core as the younger part of the generation, similar to the team available in 1957. The second generation combines the core attackers with a great group of defensive minded younger players that could have formed an excellent team for the 1966 World Cup. The Sivori/Corbatta generation is from 1931 to 1938. Finisher Luis Artime Jose Sanfilippo Antonio Angelillo Pedro Manfredini Rubén Héctor Sosa Alfredo Rojas Mario Rodríguez Chance Creator Omar Sivori Omar Corbatta Humberto Maschio Raúl Belén Osvaldo Cruz Hector de Bourgoing Controller Antonio Rattin José Varacka Defender José Ramos Delgado Federico Sacchi Jorge Griffa Rubén Navarro Carmelo Simeone Roberto Ferreiro Goalkeeper Rogelio Domínguez Antonio Roma The finishers are very strong with four top quality players leading the way. The chance creators are also strong led by the Sivori, Corbatta, and Maschio. The controller group is weak in depth but Rattin is an all time great. The defenders are deep but the top quality is slightly lacking. The goalkeepers are excellent with two top class players. The Sivori/Perfumo is from 1935 to 1942 Finisher Luis Artime Jose Sanfilippo Antonio Angelillo Pedro Manfredini Rubén Héctor Sosa Alfredo Rojas Mario Rodríguez Norberto Raffo Chance Creator Omar Sivori Omar Corbatta Ermindo Onega José Pastoriza Raul Bernao Raúl Savoy Controller Antonio Rattin Juan Carlos Sarnari Jorge Solari Carlos Bilardo Defender Roberto Perfumo Silvio Marzolini José Ramos Delgado Federico Sacchi Rafael Albrecht Jorge Griffa Roberto Ferreiro Raúl Madero Néstor Togneri Goalkeeper Miguel Ángel Santoro Edgardo Andrada Almost no changes are made to a strong group of finishers. At chance creator the overall quality stays relatively similar with Onega and Pastoriza in for Maschio and Belen. The controllers have slightly more depth but no major talent additions. The defenders receive a huge upgrade and are probably Argentina's best group ever. The two goalkeepers are a set down from the previous groups.
Next generation has massive depth and was the core of the 1978 World Champions. The Passarella/Kempes generation is from 1948 to 1955 Finisher Mario Kempes Daniel Bertoni Carlos Bianchi Jorge Valdano Delio Onnis Leopoldo Luque Creator Ricardo Bochini Miguel Ángel Brindisi Rene Houseman Norberto Alonso Carlos Babington Ruben Ayala Héctor Scotta Ernesto Mastrángelo Juan José López Alejandro Sabella Mario Zanabria Controller Osvaldo Ardiles Marcelo Trobbiani Claudio Marangoni Américo Gallego Defender Daniel Passarella Jorge Olguin Alberto Tarantini Quique Wolff Jorge Carrascosa Luis Galvan Ricardo Rezza Vicente Pernía Ramón Heredia Goalkeeper Ubaldo Fillol Ramón Quiroga The finishers have one all time great player and a very deep group a strong/solid players behind. The chance creators are also extremely deep although many of these players failed to make a major impact with the national team. The controllers are led by one of Argentina's all time greats in Ardiles. The defenders are very strong led by Argentina's greatest defender ever in Passarella with excellent depth behind him. The goalkeepers are very strong as well with Fillol Argentina's 1a or 1b all time at the position.