Who makes your ballot for the tournament all-star team this year? Using the 2006 formula, list 3 keepers, 7 defenders, 9 midfielders, and 4 strikers. My team at the moment would be: STRIKERS -Miroslave Klose (GER) -Gonzalo Higuain (ARG) -David Villa (ESP) -Diego Forlan (URU) MIDFIELDERS -Wesley Sneijder (NED) -Thomas Muller (GER) -Keisuke Honda (JPN) -Kevin-Prince Boateng (GHA) -Alexis Sanchez (CHI) -Landon Donovan (USA) -Bastian Schweinsteiger (GER) -Mesut Ozil (GER) -Elano (BRA) DEFENDERS -Maicon (BRA) -John Heitinga (NED) -Gabriel Heinze (ARG) -Carles Puyol (ESP) -Phillip Lahm (GER) -Diego Lugano (URU) -Paulo Da Silva (PAR) GOALKEEPERS -Fernando Muslera (URU) -Maarten Stekelenburg (NED) -Justo Villar (PAR)
STRIKERS -Miroslave Klose (GER) -Gonzalo Higuain (ARG) -David Villa (ESP) -Gyan (GHA) MIDFIELDERS -Wesley Sneijder (NED) -Thomas Muller (GER) -Iniesta (ESP) -Kevin-Prince Boateng (GHA) -Diego Forlan (URU) -Landon Donovan (USA) -Bastian Schweinsteiger (GER) -Mesut Ozil (GER) -Messi (ARG) DEFENDERS -Maicon (BRA) -Tanaka (JPN) -Juan (BRA) -Phillip Lahm (GER) -Coentrão (POR) -Piqué (ESP) -Lugano (URU) GOALKEEPERS -Eduardo (POR) -Kingson (GHA) -Casillas (ESP) ---------------Eduardo Maicon----Piqué----Juan----Coentrão Muller----Schweinsteiger----Sneijder----Ozil ------------Villa----Klose
Going after past all star teams, the huge majority of the players will be from semi finalists, and the chances for players that did not make it into the quarters at least are almost nil. For comparison, 2006 had: 7 ITA, 4 FRA, 4 GER, 4 POR, 2 ARG, 1 ENG. Depends on who makes it into the final, obviously (I believe it's chosen after the semis?), if GER and NED will make it, it could look something like this: Keepers: Casillas (ESP) Muslera (URU) Stekelenburg (NED) Defenders: Maicon (BRA) Lahm (GER) Friedrich (GER) Lugano (URU) M Pereira (URU) Puyol (ESP) Mathijsen (NED) Midfielders: Müller (GER) Schweinsteiger (GER) Özil (GER) KP Boateng (GHA) Sneijder (NED) Kuyt (NED) Messi (ARG) Xavi (ESP) Iniesta (ESP) Strikers: Villa (ESP) Forlan (URU) Klose (GER) Higuain (ARG)
Dunno about FIFA, but this is the dream-team GK - Eduardo (Portugal) - Stekelenburg (Netherlands) - Villar (Paraguay) DF - Lahm (Germany) - Juan (Brazil) - Lugano (Uruguay) - Piqué (Spain) - Sergio Ramos (Spain) - Heinze (Argentina) - Fábio Coentrão (Portugal) MF - Schweinsteiger (Germany) - Özil (Germany) - Müller (Germany) - Xavi (Spain) - Prince Boateng (Ghana) - Dede Ayew (Ghana) - Sneijder (Netherlands) - Robben (Netherlands) - Honda (Japan) FW - Villa (Spain) - Suarez (Uruguay) - Forlán (Uruguay) - Gyan (Ghana)
GK Muslera (URU) Casillas (ESP) Kingson (GHA) DF Maicon(BRA) Heinze(ARG) Lahm(GER) Ramos(ESP) Pantsil(GHA) Demichelis (ARG) Pereira(URG) MID Sneijder (NED) Bradley (USA) Schweinsteiger (GER) Ozil (GER) Honda(Japan) Messi(ARG) Hamsik(SLK) Xavi (ESP) Robben (NED) FW Villa(ESP) Forlan(URG) Fabiano(BRA) Higuain (ARG)
1 Stekelenburg (Holland) 2 Lahm (Germany) 3 Capdevila (Spain) 4 Pique (Spain) 5 Carvalho (Portugal) 6 Schweinsteiger (Germany) 7 Muller (Germany) 8 Sneijder (Holland) 9 Villa (Spain) 10 Ozil (Germany) 11 Iniesta (Spain) I've gone with a 4-2-3-1 formation and tried to put players in the positions they've played in. Sneijder is deeper than he has played really but I felt it was still a valid choice and better than leaving him or Ozil out altogether. Villa has often lined up from the left of course. I was a bit unsure regading left-back certainly: ---------------------Stekelenburg--------------------- Lahm---------Pique----------------Carvalho------Capdevila --------------Schweinsteiger------Sneijder---------------- ----Muller-----------------Ozil-------------------Iniesta---- --------------------------Villa------------------------------ As for the rest of the squad at the moment I'd say: GK's - Neuer (Germany), Lloris (France) Def - Maicon, Lucio (both Brazil), Coentrau (Portugal) Mid - Yaya Toure (I Coast), Raul Meireles (Portugal), Kaka (Brazil), Rommedahl (Denmark) Att - Messi (Argentina), Forlan (Uruguay), Robinho (Brazil) Forlan would be closest to making the first XI, in it's current formation or a 4-4-2/4-3-3
Keepers: Muslera (URU) Stekelenburg (NED) Villar (PAR) Defenders: Maicon (BRA) Lahm (GER) Da Silva (PAR) Lugano (URU) Alcaraz (PAR) Puyol (ESP) Ferreira (POR) Midfielders: Müller (GER) Schweinsteiger (GER) Honda (JPN) Guardado (MEX) Sneijder (NED) Kaka (BRA) Messi (ARG) Xavi (ESP) Iniesta (ESP) Strikers: Villa (ESP) Suarez (URU) Klose (GER) Fabiano (BRA)
Eduardo Muslera Neuer Maicon Lahm Coentrao Lucio Juan Mensah Ayew Ozil Sneijder Alonso Annan Schweinsteiger Boateng Robben Messi Villa Klose Forlan Robinho
Keepers: eduardo (URU) Stekelenburg (NED) Villar (PAR) Defenders: Maicon (BRA) Lahm (GER) Juan (BRA) Lugano (URU) coentrao(BRA) Lucio (BRA) Salcido (MEX) Midfielders: Müller (GER) Schweinsteiger (GER) Honda (JPN) Gilberto Silva (BRA) Sneijder (NED) Ozil (GER) Messi (ARG) Xavi (ESP) Iniesta (ESP) Strikers: Villa (ESP) Suarez (URU) Robinho (BRA) Forlan (URU)
STRIKERS -Alexis Sanchez (CHI) -Asamoah Gyan (GHA) -David Villa (ESP) -Diego Forlan (URU) MIDFIELDERS -Wesley Sneijder (NED) -Thomas Mueller (GER) -Keisuke Honda (JPN) -Anthony Annan (GHA) -Michael Bradley (USA) -Enrique Vera (PAR) -Bastian Schweinsteiger (GER) -Mesut Oezil (GER) -Ki Seung Yong (KOR) DEFENDERS -Maicon (BRA) -Lucio (BRA) -Carlos Salcido (MEX) -Van Bommel (NED) -Phillip Lahm (GER) -Diego Lugano (URU) -Paulo Da Silva (PAR) GOALKEEPERS -Casillas (ESP) -Maarten Stekelenburg (NED) -Eduardo (POR)
Quick question. Why is everybody rating Eduardo so high in this WC because I don't remember any spectacular saves from him or any game in which he faced a ton of shots? Just because you have a good defense in front of you that doesn't allow many scoring chances doesn't make you a great keeper.
I'm surprised with all the outstanding strikers in this tournament that people are choosing Gyan. He scored one goal from the run of play and missed the biggest penalty of the tournament. If Ghana gets an all-star (likely), it will be Boateng.
I absolutely agree that Gyan should not be in the all-star-team, but: "all the outstanding strikers"? To me, there were only 2: Villa and Forlan. Klose was very good, Higuain had 1 great match, but he was completely invisible vs Germany, Robinho was decent enough as a supporting striker I guess, but I don't think there were that many great strikers. There were much more great midfielders, it's actually kind of tough to just select 9. Though it might have something to do with a lot of teams playing 4-5-1, there were simply many more of them around
Goalie : Kingston Defense : Lahm, Maicon, Lucio, Salcido Midfield : Schweinsteiger, Honda, Mueller, Ayew Offense: Forlan, Villa
Adjustments after the semi-finals: 1) I now put Neuer in goal instead of Stekelenburg. 2) Forlan into the team instead of Ozil, though it's up for grabs in the 3rd place play-off and the final in which Sneijder plays. 3) Xavi into the squad instead of Raul Meireles - Xavi was close to my first squad especially after instigating the goal against Paraguay with the pass to Iniesta. Definately in the squad now and with a chance to overtake Sneijder or Schweinsteiger, or Forlan.
Iniesta proceeded to dribble through the Paraguayan defense and lay off a beautiful ball to leave Pedro alone against the keeper...how did Xavi get credit for that one??
It was a good pass... but I didn't mean it was more impressive than Iniesta's part in the goal, which was excellent.
Villa (ESP) Forlan (URU) Klose (GER) Higuain (ARG) Sneijder (NED) Robben (NED) Xavi (ESP) Iniesta (ESP) Honda (JPN) Ozil (GER) Schweinsteiger (GER) KP Boateng (GHA) Donovan (USA) Puyol (ESP) Pique (ESP) Lugano (URU) Van Bronckhorst (NED) Lahm (GER) Da Silva (PAR) Maicon (BRA) Villar (PAR) Casillas (ESP) Stekelenburg (NED) Depending who wins on Sunday, I could see one of Xavi/Iniesta replaced by Kuyt and one of Puyol/Pique replaced by one of Heitinga/Mathijsen.
I hate Spain by way of Bacelona but... GK's Casillas Def Lahm Puyol Pique Gio Van B Mid Iniesta Arevalo Ozil Sneijder Strikers Villa Forlan 3 Subs Xavi Hernandez Muller Kuyt Reservers Robben Luis Suarez Shweinsteiger Kaka Mertesaker Fucile Messi (Maradona Sabotage to keep his "god" status) Stekelenberg
GK Eduardo (POR) Casillas (ESP) Kingson (GHA) DF Maicon (BRA) Mensah (GHA) Pique (ESP) Gio (NED) Lucio (BRA) Puyol (ESP) Lahm (GER) MF Sneijder (NED) Elano (BRA) Xavi (ESP) Oezil (GER) Mueller (GER) Iniesta (ESP) Schweinsteiger (GER) Ayew (GHA) Prince (GHA) ST Villa (ESP) Forlan (URU) Klose (GER) Tevez (ARG)
-------------------------Casillas--------------------- Maicon---------Pique----------------Puyol------ Lahm ----------------Busquets--------Xabi Alonso---------------- ----Muller-----------------Xavi-------------------Iniesta---- --------------------------Villa------------------------------
Villa (ESP) Boateng (GHA), Sneijder (NED), Silva (BRA), Schweinsteiger (GER), Iniesta (ESP) Salcido (MEX), Lucio (BRA), Lugano (URU), Lahm (GER) Stekelenburg (NED)