*** or **+ Romario Baggio Maldini Bergkamp Hagi Petrescu Marcio Santos Dunga Redondo Letchkov Matthaus Ravelli
I saw that on the 'soccernostalgia' page this day. The 1994 World Cup was the first tournament with an 'official' FIFA team (1982 the first with an 'official' golden ball). This was their expanded list: GK: Mihaylov (BUL), Ravelli (SWE) DF: Branco (BRA), Lalas (USA), Matthaus (GER), Myung Bo (KOR), Bratseth (NOR), Belodedici (ROU), Ferrer (ESP), Petrescu (ROU) MF: Ramos (USA), Dino Baggio (ITA), Redondo (ARG), Caminero (ESP), Schwarz (SWE) FW: Bebeto (BRA), Dahlin (SWE), Andersson (SWE), Bergkamp (NED), Batistuta (ARG), Salenko (RUS), Klinsmann (GER), Yekini (NGA), Raducioiu (ROU), Massaro (ITA), Kostadinov (BUL) The 'FIFA technical committee' was (on paper, at least) chaired by Pelé. Onze Mondial made this one
Maldini gets too much credit for the work of Franco Baresi, whom was the real marker that shadowed Romario.
Onze Mondial selected their XI at the end of the competition : ________________Ravelli______________ ____________Maldini__________________ ____Jorginho______Albert______Sergi__ ____________Redondo__________________ ______________________Jonk___________ ______Brolin____Baggio_______________ _____________Romario_____Stoichkov___ There's no comments on the selection itself but reports for every K-o games and some things about the groups too. (just see now before posting that the pic had disappeared in post #28)
I noticed some degree of similarity with the L'Equipe selection posted by wm, but I'm thinking maybe I could expand this by instead of having 10, 10 and then 20 in each group, making it 12, 12 and then 24. In theory that would be enough for four teams worth in a 4-4-2 formation plus another 4 players, given it could be that as suggested Dunga would get a * spot to add to the names I included originally. So potentially that could be this as the four teams worth (adding names to the list at goalkeeper and full-back positions not too surprisingly): Preud'homme (Belgium); Jorginho (Brazil), Aldair (Brazil), Maldini (Italy), Sergi (Spain); Brolin (Sweden), Thern (Sweden), Hagi (Romania), Luis Enrique (Spain); R.Baggio (Italy), Romario (Brazil) Tafarel (Brazil); Emmers (Belgium), Belodedici (Romania), Albert (Belgium), Benarrivo (Italy); Letchkov (Bulgaria), Jonk (Netherlands), Balakov (Bulgaria), Sutter (Switzerland); Bebeto (Brazil), Stoichkov (Bulgaria) Mihailov (Bulgaria); Petrescu (Romania), McGrath (Ireland), Baresi (Italy), Chamot (Argentina); Finidi (Nigeria), Mauro Silva (Brazil), Redondo (Argentina), Amunike (Nigeria); Bergkamp (Netherlands), Klinsmann (Germany) Ravelli (Sweden); Nilsson (Sweden), Grun (Belgium), M.Santos (Brazil), Ljung (Sweden); Hassler (Germany), Caminero (Spain), Garcia Aspe (Mexico), Dumitrescu (Romania), Caniggia (Argentina), Andersson (Sweden) That would leave Dunga (Brazil) potentially joining the attackers Batistuta (Argentina), Dahlin (Sweden) and Raducioiu (Romania) among the extras to make it 4 dozen. Although whether I'd definitively pick out Ljung for example more than Swiss right back Hottiger who signed for Newcastle after the World Cup (or indeed sticking to Switzerland alone ,the midfielder Bregy or central defender Geiger) is doubtful probably, but he did go further in the tournament so in that way (plus representing positions equally) it'd make sense.
After second thinking, and with the benefit of additional information, I also think Scifo played quite well this tournament. He had the 2nd highest successful dribbles per game, the 2nd highest wins of possession per game, and 2nd highest chances creation per game (from open play even better). Most notably he played well against Netherlands and Germany. Maybe that his stats are inflated a bit by the Morocco and Saudi Arabia games. Philippe Albert (who you list above) is a tricky player because he had penchant for memorable goals or moments, but you can't be immediately sure he also played/defended well by memory. I can't put a finger on Wim Jonk (I remember Koeman being excellent and incisive against Belgium) but Bergkamp surely played good/great against Brazil (and Belgium too) with also another excellent goal by him.
Yeah, to be honest I'm only partially recalling the play and partially recalling my memory of who I had in contention at the end (which is the most accurate up to 2 teams worth). I did remember your recent Scifo posts about this when I was posting also actually! I can't really be sure where I'd see him in the hierarchy of midfielders, but it could be he was contributing positive things but also losing some balls or whatever (I think he did lose the ball just before Owairan's wonder goal actually didn' he, not that it would normally end up as a significant one from that position! *maybe Owairan is also an arguable omission because his overall ratings seem pretty good to be fair) or just not quite influencing the ultimate outcome directly or indirectly as much as for example in 1990. I'd have thought his capabilities in 1990 might be better too overall, but could have doubts about it given his continued high status in Serie A and then it seems a good impact in Monaco (there was a video of his touches vs AC Milan in 93/94 I think on Youtube which did show plenty of promising play from him). Another Benelux player I might have mentioned (as a player that performed as right back feasibly more impressively than my 4th choice of left back, although like with Emmers too not as a consistently selected player in every game) is Winter of course, with the Brazil game as his stand-out one I think wasn't it.
Many players broke down at one point. Scifo and Thern in their last match from what I read (I don't have much recollections of Thern but it is a personnal impression just, also I think that Scifo played very well in the groups but maybe not since the very start of it). Baggio was incredible given what was his (real) physical form. The heat, humidity etc. About Albert I did not check for this Cup but it is generally admitted that he was great when he faced great opposition, in this cup perhaps it was the contrary though as you PvH say. From my recollections (... erm, well that's just what it is) I find that any goalkeeper mentioned by PDG above could be picked as the #1. As for the RB, I believe that Jorginho wins in a small pound as suggested by PDG too I think. Also I think that he performed well against teams that were very beatable, with nor real wingers or something against him, but when it becomes serious, against the Netherlands, the ball is suddenly played way more often in his back... also he's out of the final after a few minutes. Cafu shown immediately that he would be the successor at this position but did not play enough and other rB's are not better so yeah well... I'd keep him over a Petrescu tbh in the end. Or Nilsson. + Mazinho placed before him is not Jairzinho. Sergi in reality was a LM I think but it's common to choose this type of players as side-backs in an ideal XI. Perhaps it's a bit the same with Emmers in @PDG1978 's second best XI?. (edit : started to type before PDG's post... about "recollections" ahah)
It's also backed up here: https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/world-cup-comparisons/enzo-scifo-1994/ https://projects.fivethirtyeight.com/world-cup-comparisons/roberto-baggio-1994/
Yeah, I recall Sergi mostly as left back I think in this tournament (and Euro 96 but also getting forwards in that tournament such as in the game vs England), but particularly with Barcelona I can see that he'd often be seen as more a wing-back in function and sometimes he played on the left of midfield under Cruyff I think didn't he @PuckVanHeel (like in the 3-4-3 diamond occasionally I think). I'd need to re-view the games to be sure exactly how both Spain and Belgium lined up though. Everyfourthyear shows Emmers more as wing-back than full-back in their line-ups but it's not always 100% correct I think. Luis Enrique for Spain didn't always play as left winger though I don't think either did he (maybe up front or from the right a little bit too - his impressive goal vs Switzerland IIRC...from seeing again relatively recently...was from the right of the pitch), but I certainly remember I did have him included as such in my XI at the end of the tournament.
He had the 'luck' and moments on his side, but actually his shooting accuracy (and some other things) was very poor. Of course capable of great moments near the end of matches (with fatigue etc.). Had Italy gone out against Nigeria I don't think people would have seen him among the best players of the tournament. Against Bulgaria he was great throughout the game though.
It was common to have a sort of wing-back at LM in a 4-4-2 too in these years : I can think of Amoros at Monaco, Sergi with Spain I believe in k-o stages at least but I must re-check, Grenet or Croci at Bordeaux... in order to lock things in important matches, competitions, finals, things like that.
I might give those highlights of Belgium vs Germany a watch later as 20 minutes or so is a good length to give a good impression and reminder without being very long! For other examples of doubts about my team 3 and team 4, that watching it wouldn't necessarily resolve but it could help with, I'm wondering whether Helmer could have been in contention in real-time rather than some central defenders I named (but don't feel sure about that at all, and the others had clear reasons to be named in general in terms of overall acclaim for the tournament or particular acclaim in certain games), but also whether Hassler would really be best positioned as right midfielder overall (although I think when combining some different systems into 4-4-2 selections there would be some arguable calls, even including Hagi who played even as more of a forward vs Argentina I think didn't he).
Yeah, it looks to me like that's how it was vs Italy indeed, but for example looking at the opening moments of Spain vs Germany in the group stage then Sergi is behind Luis Enrique on the left (with Salinas at centre forward and Goicochea at right wing). Helmer of course is another who didn't play a big percentage of minutes I realise now btw.
Without checking it, I'm assuming the Spain line-up vs South Korea would have been similar for example, although I guess when Nadal got sent off Hierro would have moved into defence (Caminero for Guerrero at half-time seems like a midfielder for midfielder switch).
Actually no, since they started with a back 5 Hierro would have stayed in midfield. I did have a look at those highlights of Germany-Belgium now: I could see a few nice touches and skills definitely, and general signs of the quality and composure he possessed by Scifo and his free-kick before Belgium's first goal is kind of half an assist maybe (it was played pretty accurately into a danger area even if it was a bit of a ricochet that led to Grun having the chance to shoot)! Maybe one or two indications his age could be starting to show in terms of reaction speed or whatever that could lead him to be dispossessed at times (literally only one or two but maybe it triggered an idea that was perhaps a downside as opposed to how it was in 1990 if anything). There seemed to be enough from Hassler moving to the right (and playing some quality crosses in when he did) to make it seem reasonable to place him there in an XI (be it a 3rd or 4th choice or not), and enough scenes of Emmers to remind me what I'd have seen from him to persuade me towards including him at the time. Preud'homme still made some good saves but I suppose it's the game where he slipped slightly performance wise at certain moments when Germany scored (primarily Voller's header from the corner straight after one of the times he'd denied Klinsmann). Klinsmann's back-heel for his goal was as crucial as the actual finish, but hadn't survived in the memory so long I suppose (nice combination goal with Voller anyway). Overall it was among the most eventful games I think, and Belgium were still feeling they could comeback after Albert's goal it seems!
Redondo also fits that bill. 5 dribbles per game but loses the ball quite a bit. Especially for his position. Imho there is a logical/credible reason why he has more Champions League medals than league medals.
Overmars was officially voted best young player at this tournament... Compare: quarter final exit 1994 vs England in 2004. Yes Scifo was good in this match I thought. The referee (Rothlisberger) was a real scandal in this match, just as the Saudi referee in the Brazil match (another Saudi referee also officiated the Brazil vs NED match of 1998). It was some comfort to get out against the later (deserved) winner but e.g. Branco actually commits the foul himself (pushing Overmars in the face) before winning the decisive free kick. For the Brazil vs NED match of 2010 the Japanese referee allowed a lot again from the Brazilians, until Felipe Melo started to repeatedly stamp on other players legs and ankles with too much aplomb and got eventually dismissed. In 2004 there was a research showing it does matter who officiates a match: Favorable referees for Holland are referees from Eastern Europe and from Scandinavia. Unfavorable referees are from East and West Germany and also from the hierarchic/pedantic French referee corps. UEFA (and the superclubs running the show) knew exactly what they were doing when they assigned a number of times a South-German referee to Ajax matches the past couple of years.
Shot accuracy was 52%. 5 goals (1 penalty) in 17 shots. Chances created was 1.7 per 90 minutes (1.2 in 1990, 2.0 in 1998).
I suppose as an alternative to combining average ratings with own opinion (by watching, or re-watching full games which would be very time consuming for the whole tournament!) match reports that remain from 1994 can be quite useful. As with Euro 96 and some other tournaments, the Independent does have some such as this for Switzerland vs Romania (with take-away remarks like "bright opening spell, which was illuminated by Gheorghe Hagi's virtuosity" and " then Knup was gained a decisive touch with his head to a free-kick from Switzerland's excellent midfield orchestrator, Georges Bregy."): https://www.independent.co.uk/sport...lick-swiss-roll-over-hagi-and-co-1424535.html Helpful to check team formations at a glance too I suppose, again as an alternative to watching the opening minutes of each game. No player ratings there to accompany the report, but I do remember that there were some pages for Team of the Phase (like game 1, 2 or 3 in the groups) during Euro 96, so it's possible that was following a precedent from 1994 and I'll let you know if I spot anything similar.
Here is the Bulgaria vs Germany report for example too with comments such as "The pace and perception of forward players virtually unknown to English viewers before this tournament began was a joyous sight" and "The ubiquitous Lechkov was again at the heart of the move, releasing Stoichkov who cut the ball back for Krasimir Balakov to fire against the post." that help give a flavour for some of the impressions and chances created during the game https://www.independent.co.uk/sport...hkov-and-lechkov-strike-with-two-1413186.html
There don't seem to be a huge amount of those reports that I can find actually, but for example they are available for Italy's games vs Nigeria and Bulgaria too. I think it could be I'd add Bregy as well as Albertini if taking my own list up to a round 50 names. I'd imagine I'd pretty much have them both in contention for at least a 4th choice XI anyway too, among the various options, based on the vague memories plus what I'd looked at more recently to refresh those memories. I guess, although the most familiar formation for me at the time, using a 4-4-2 is a bit of an arbitrary call too, so if using a 4-3-3 and saying the central midfielder should be either the recognised main anchor player of his team always or often during the tournament or one of two who were equally so (which arguably includes Bregy and Albertini despite that they were orchestrators, while excluding Thern and Redondo because of Schwarz and Simeone perhaps), while the supporting forwards can be those who played more central or wide, more up front or just behind (again arguable as I'm including Brolin who played mostly as winger for such a slot, while leaving Hagi in midfield even though in a game or two he was pretty much a forward) things would change to this: Preud'homme; Jorginho, Aldair, Maldini, Sergi; Letchkov, Mauro Silva, Hagi; Brolin, Romario, R.Baggio Taffarel; Emmers, Belodedici, Albert, Benarrivo; Thern, Dunga, Balakov; Bebeto, Klinsmann, Stoichkov Mihailov; Petrescu, McGrath, Baresi, Chamot; Jonk, Albertini, Redondo; Bergkamp, K.Andersson, Luis Enrique Ravelli; R.Nilsson, Grun, M.Santos, Ljung; Hassler, Bregy, Garcia Aspe; Caniggia, Raducioiu, Dumitrescu * Arguably Jonk could be allowed at centre mid, or Bergkamp should go at centre forward I suppose * Arguably I could still put Sutter or Amunike in team 4 on the left of attack So just changing format would bring Letchkov and perhaps Mauro Silva into team 1 for Thern and Luis Enrique, and Dunga, Albertini, Bregy, Raducioiu into an XI rather than Caminero, the Nigerian wingers Finidi George and Amunike (both praised for previous play and in the game in that Italy-Nigeria report btw I noticed) and Sutter. A wing-back system was used by a few of the prominent teams of course, so settling on one formation is not very simple, but alternating between various ones between teams 1 to 4 could be tricky too and lead to more temptation to pick all-star type line-ups heavy on attackers even. I suppose PlanetWorldCup's stats provide a quick reference for goals and assists (even if there are probably goal compilations available that can be viewed fairly quickly anyway): GOALS & ASSISTS * (Goal 2 pts, assist 1 pt) Gls Ast Pts Hristo Stoitchkov (BUL) 6 1 13 Oleg Salenko (RUS) 6 1 13 Romario (BRA) 5 2 12 Kennet Andersson (SWE) 5 2 12 Roberto Baggio (ITA) 5 0 10 Jürgen Klinsmann (GER) 5 0 10 Tomas Brolin (SWE) 3 4 10 Gheorghe Hagi (ROM) 3 4 10 Martin Dahlin (SWE) 4 1 9 Florin Raducioiu (ROM) 4 1 9 Gabriel Batistuta (ARG) 4 0 8 Bebeto (BRA) 3 2 8 Dennis Bergkamp (NED) 3 1 7 Jose Caminero (SPA) 3 1 7 Ilie Dumitrescu (ROM) 2 2 6 Rudi Völler (GER) 2 1 5 Myung-Bo Hong (KOR) 2 1 5 Emmanuel Amunike (NGR) 2 1 5 Juan Goicoechea (SPA) 2 1 5 Thomas Hässler (GER) 0 5 5 MOST ASSISTS Thomas Hässler (GER) 5 Tomas Brolin (SWE) 4 Gheorghe Hagi (ROM) 4 Sergi (SPA) 3 Jorginho (BRA) 2 Bebeto (BRA) 2 Romario (BRA) 2 Roberto Donadoni (ITA) 2 Demetrio Albertini (ITA) 2 Giuseppe Signori (ITA) 2 Kennet Andersson (SWE) 2 Jonas Thern (SWE) 2 Zlatko Yankov (BUL) 2 Ilie Dumitrescu (ROM) 2 Marc Overmars (NED) 2 Carlos Hermosillo (MEX) 2 Rashidi Yekini (NGR) 2 Finidi George (NGR) 2 Omari Tetradze (RUS) 2
Having said all that, I am now wondering whether, based again on the vague recollections and/or what I viewed again more recently, if I was allocating slots specifically to anchor midfielders, Sunday Oliseh would be or would have been coming into the equation: potentially even as high as team 2. Likewise, if despite trying for balance between positions, I really wouldn't see Ljung or another left-back fitting in a proposed top 50, Oliseh could be a contender to be in that (perhaps I'd have Dunga, Albertini and Bregy all as borderline in or out too myself, although especially the first two would clearly be getting well within some people's selections I can see and the fact their teams went all the way to the Final with them as consistent cogs in the midfield in an extra persuasive factor above and beyond the level of play itself perhaps).