Since I've been watching the game, started around '95 or so, the best second strikers I've seen have been Baggio, Del Piero, Totti and Rivaldo.
Whe you say hog it, I assume you mean an unwillingness to pass. Maradona certainly was on the ball a lot, but he created for others as much as he created for himself. So I would go with him. Ronaldinho at his peak was similar.
As far as strikers who can play deep, create chances for his teammates and also score goals, Mario Kempes was one of the best.
Wasn't Pele a second striker? Cruyff, Zico and Charlton are other half-decent #10s that come to mind.
- Dennis Bergkamp - Rivaldo - Roberto Baggio - Francesco Totti - Alessandro Del Piero - Kaká - Bebeto I'm not sure about that position in an all-time analysis.
- Maradona - Puskas - R Baggio - Zico - ADP I label Pele, Eusebio and Di Stefano as #9s with the characteristics of a #10.
I did not see Pele at Santos, but he was the frontman for Brazil in 1970. Tostao was the second striker behind him. They lined up differently than they actually played.
the Best I've seen over a prolonged career is probably Gabriel Batistuta. the best I've seen for a specific period of time were MArcelo Salas in 97-98 (was scoring in every single game he played) and Ronaldo around the same time
actually tostao was the CF and pelé the second striker. its very difficult to say who is second striker and who is the "ponta-de-lança" (the one in 4-3-1-2) or the attacking midfielder. for me the classic second striker is bebeto. great playmaking inner the box, not so good as attacking midfielder, great score hability and pass. other very good second striker was Edmundo, Evaristo de Macedo, Kempes... in present i classify Palacios, Robinho and Messi as the best second strikers.
You hit that one on the head. Del Piero has been an absolute joy to watch this year with his play off Trezegue. It's like he hit the fountain of youth in Serie B or something.
I'm just going to name the one's I've seen play on numerous occasions. Totti, Rivaldo, Kaka, and Del Piero.
Rivaldo was more of an attacking midfielder than anything else(and talk about ballhog...) Edmundo, Roberto Baggio, Totti, Cryuff, Kempes, Rudi Voller, Di Stefano, Puskas, Roger Milla.
Even though he would be classified as a second striker, maybe most of the other posters look at him as a #9. There some second strikers that are hard to catagorize because they have some characteristics that are associated with mostly true #9s.
Dennis Bergkamp for me. He might have not been as explosive and flashy than say Rivaldo, Baggio and etc but if we're talking about a player who excels in the role of a text-book second striker behind a classic CF, then it's gotta be Dennis Bergkamp. Not to mention the fact that the man was purely elegant with the ball.
The second striker is a player located somewhere between the striker and the midfielder, who can play this role effectively because of his vision, technical skills, creativity and ability to pass. A player of this type is a clever and attack-minded midfielder or a creative striker who can score and create opportunities for the goal. In Italy, this role is also known as "rifinitore" or "seconda punta", while in Brazil it is known as "ponte de lança". The best second striker in history is unquestionably Pele !! He was a complete player, who overflowed as an extreme, created plays as an attacking midfielder or defined in the area as a center forward. Pele in the National Team of Brazil played behind vava and Tostao (9) Http://otaviopinto.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/d4996e95-111b-3b82-8de4-6b6dc6fe8fc2.jpg In Santos FC the forward centers were Coutinho and Toninho Guerreiro.(9) Http://otaviopinto.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/07/santos-1962.jpg Other great seconds strikers were Puskas, Schiaffino, Sivori, Zico and Maradona in 1986. In the 1990s Roberto Baggio and Dennis Bergkamp, at the turn of the century Rivaldo and currently Lionel Messi.