The great players have a certain 'silhouette', a certain posture as they handle the ball, run, score a goal. I think it would be nice to have a thread for such images, a thread capturing these classic images of great players. I don't mean their goal celebrations, I mean their unique playing demeanors, caught in media res, on the field. I'll start with Maradona, and I hope others will add more photos. It is not easy to find the perfectly iconic image though. Maradona: This is pure Diego for me: the chest swollen in pride, the stocky figure, the look of wild concentration, bursting forward, ball ready to be played with the left foot.
The Dutch boys on Big Soccer are going to kill me, but... When I think of Johan Cruijff, the first image is of him pointing his fingers, giving directions and talking/yelling. There are other images of him that show his athletic prowess, but if we are honest, if you were painting a collage of him an image like this would be prominent in the piece.
This picture of Florian Albert is one of my favorites. I think if we were to believe in the existence of Plato's world of forms, and we were to look for the perfect form which defines the meaning of 'striker', this is exactly what we would find.
Come on. No Pelé yet? Or is it heresy to post images of God himself? The perfect bicycle kick: Pelé & Moore:
Enough of the style, let's go for some substance. Simply put, don't mess with Dave Mackay. You don't get much closer to actually wearing your heart on your sleave.
Difficult to get good pictures... but this (or something like this) would be the iconic image of Johnny Haynes - best passer of the ball that England (and among the best the world) has ever seen.
I like this one better: He hasn't even gotten onto the pitch yet, but he's started already. That's my hero!
Van Basten: How surprising, he scored a goal. Rensenbrink: Het 'slangenmens' dribbled past yet another player. Bergkamp: Where his goals come from.
Baggio in motion: This is how I think of him, feet close together, a small, elusive figure, shifting left and right like a top through the penalty area, seducing defenses with his feints and turns.
I love this picture of Maradona, from the 86 WC final match. Forster and Schumacher, two all-time great German players, almost collide as they dive at his feet, and we see another fallen German player in the background, as well as several from both teams standing around watching from a distance. I think this picture exemplifies as well as any the dominance of Maradona during that World Cup.
Here is one of Garrincha dribbling. Look at the expression on his face, and at his extended arms. Here's a player who used every trick in the book to fake out his opponents.
These are two favorites of mine: That's Nat Lofthouse after the 1958 FA Cup. There sooo much in this photo that defines the era-the pint glass, the cigarette, the scar, his hands-it ranks among my top 5 photos. That's Liverpool's Tommy Smith. And I think it captures the two sides of his personality. Theres the smile-the guy who's giving the needle and taking the piss in training. But there's also something ominous as well; "yeah it's fun and games, but don't f_*k with me!"
Ahhh, Garrincha. vs. two Czech João's hitting the brakes typical Brazil 1958 - Garrincha down the right, hits a powerful cross which Vavá knocks in. This one against Sweden (Brazil in blue)
Pelé cries on Didi's shoulder after fulfilling his promise to his father o winning a World Cup for Brazil
Sometimes it's off the pitch where a team's true character comes through the lens... This is Real Madrid in Paris the day before the first European Cup. Look at these guys-Di Stefano is like Sinatra leading the Rat Pack! The recent Galacticos, having nothing on these boys. Confidence, swagger-it's all there. Football & Politics via Socrates
This picture literally defines George Best. The rough edges and 'dark side' of him in the mud on his legs and hairy nature, the grace and skill he had with how the ball just seems frozen dead, despite the fact he is running at a fair pace, how the Man United team was at times Best + 10 by the time this photo was taken, and the general free spirited style with which he played the game, which is evident in his body language. This is how Georgie often held his stance (much like the Baggio & Maradona pictures above), and the picture really just is the embodiment of George Best.
Again, this picture sums up the player it shows brilliantly. In it, you can see Cantona's unique and eccentric swagger and arrogance (most notably in the collar), as he doesn't look like a player on the field of play, but rather somebody just strutting around their home. The captain's armband lets you know just how inportant Eric was to Manchester United at the time, leading from the front. He even seems to be walking with grace and style, but also has that not-to-be-messed-with look about him, and a powerful build to back it up. On top of that, the sheer visibility of his name and number let you know immediately who Cantona was, because during his time at Manchester United you could literally sit somebody who had never watched football in their lives in front of the screen, turn off the commentary and have them know who Cantona was inside 20 minutes of play.