Goalkeeper: Banks or Buffon Left back: Brehme Right back: Breitner Centre backs: Baresi & Kevin Beattie Midfield: Jim Baxter, Beckenbauer, Boszik Attackers: Best, Baggio Centre forward: Bican or Batistuta The only possible player there in my opinion that perhaps wasn't world class was Jim Baxter, but I can't think of anyone else of left sided calibre who could slot in. Brehme would cover his defensive duties. The name Kevin Beattie would be unknown to many, but he was world class.
This would be quite a fun concept to do for every letter of the alphabet I reckon that M would win in the end
Buffon Bergomi - Beckenbauer - Baresi - Breitner Ballack - Busquets Baggio - Bergkamp - Best Batistuta
Same here! Boredom is great for such exercises. How about Italian XI without players' surnames that end with an 'i'? Or German players' names that don't with "er"?
This can be my variation on the 'B' XI (possibly with Bican in for Batistuta like in the original post too!): Christmas Tree 4-3-2-1 Banks; Battiston, Beckenbauer, Baresi, Breitner; Beckham, Bozsik, Best; Bergkamp, Baggio; Batistuta
Trying that....starting with an attempt for Italy in their Zona Mista formation... Gianluigi Buffon; Gaetano Scirea; Alessandro Costacurta, Alessandro Nesta, Gianluca Zambrotta; Dino Baggio; Franco Causio; Valentino Mazzola; Gianni Rivera; Roberto Baggio; Silvio Piola Somehow I didn't get Meazza in there, but there are some others from olden times! And the German challenge too, going back to the Christmas Tree.... Oliver Kahn; Manfred Kaltz, Willi Schulz, Werner Liebrich, Andreas Brehme; Lothar Matthaus, Toni Kroos, Wolfgang Overath; Pierre Littbarski, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge; Jurgen Klinsmann Carrying on the theme of an old era player that could be a wildcard choice, how about Bert Trautmann in goal...
The question is I guess, whether a team with only surnames ending in 'i' and 'er' respectively would better isn't it I've got these as the teams to compare with the above (with for Italy, still Zona Mista but with a defensive sweeper and attacking centre back kind of combination, more like the old centre half and wing half partnership, and for Germany a switch to a 3-5-2 with a playmaking right wing back/midfielder) Italy - Enrico Albertosi; Armando Picchi; Paolo Maldini, Franco Baresi, Giacinto Facchetti; Marco Tardelli; Roberto Donadoni; Giovanni Lodetti; Giussepe Giannini; Francesco Totti; Paolo Rossi Germany - Manuel Neuer; Matthias Sammer; Karl-Heinz Forster, Jurgen Kohler; Thomas Hassler, Gunter Netzer, Franz Beckenbauer, Fritz Walter, Paul Breitner; Gerd Muller, Uwe Seeler
I reckon you're on to something big time here. I only was thinking for 15 mins, & I came up with half a SQUAD already! Maier Maldini McGrath / Moore / Monti Matteus / Masopust / Mazzola (Valentino) Maradona / Matthews / Meazza Mazzola (Sandrino) / Muller
A couple of points guys. 1) I see no harm in attempting to come up with a team, using letters U & Z, or another difficult letter to merge a fine team, that mightn't even be world class, but a good attempt. 2) In my original team, I could have put Blanchflower, Bremner, Burgnich, & Blokhin in, but I really needed players who could play against a genuine all-time best XI & hold firm, & I didn't feel these were, hence no Beckham or Busquets for me. Also, the key is BALANCE. We all know this. Hence with Brehme as strong attacking fullback, I felt Baxter (pre-broken leg Jim, who played for rest of the world XI in 1963) could survive with his beautiful elegant left foot. I had young Beckenbauer at centre of midfield, marshalled by the great Hungarian Boszik, who was the dynamo of the mighty 1950's side, in many ways. Breitner is a great choice for any team, so dynamic at full back & in attack.
France : -------------------Barthez----------------- ----Battiston--Boli--Blanc--Bossis---- ----------Bathenay----Bonnel----------- ----------Ben Barek---Bereta----------- ------------Baratte----Benzema-------- Subs : G : Bats (also Bertrand-Demanes, Bernard, Baratelli, Bergeroo...). D : Bosquier (Libero), Bibard, Bieganski, Budzynski, Baeza, Bracci, Blondeau, Bréchet... M : Bastien, Biancheri, Broissart, Bijotat, Bonifaci, Bravo, Boghossian, Ba, Ben Arfa, Ben Tifour... F : Beck, Boyer, Bongiorni, Bellone, Berdoll, Blanchet, Baronchelli, Bruey, Buscher, Ben Yedder... Brisson, Buron, Bihel, Bliard... Coach (player-coach) : Batteux. Nice team (good to know). Although wingless on the right (see Blanchet or Baronchelli, or Ba at midfield, or Bibard at the back too). We had a goalie named Eugène Battmann too, at Mulhouse and Sochaux.
France Z : -----------------Luca Zidane------------ ---Zimny---Zitouni---Zouma---Zébina ------------n'Zonzi-----Zanon----------- ------------Zidane-----Zénier------------- ------------Zatelli-----Zimako------------- Subs : Jules & Victor Zvunka (D), Zermani, Zitelli (F). Zimako is a nickname for Jacques Atre but he's better known as Zimako, by far. The Marseille connection should do wonders in attack (Zidane and Zatelli).
Zamora Zambrotta Zmuda Zebec Zanetti Zito Zizinho Zico Zischek Zarra Zidane Zoff, Zuberbühler... "Zaki"... Zenga... Zoco, Zapata, Zuñiga, Zozimo... Ziege... Zé Maria's, Procopio... Zabaleta... Zanetic, Zhirkov, Zötsche Zarraga, Zagallo, Zenden... Zielinski's... Zewlakow's... Zagorakis, Zyrianov... Zsengeller, Zavarov... Zhekov... Jesus Maria Zamora, Zambo (LW Hungary), Zungul, Zurawski... Zigic, Zambata, Zalayeta, Zlatan... Zuidema, Zidane...Djamel. Coach : Zaccheroni ? Who elze? What elze? Playerz who have the same initial for their firzt name and for their lazt name?
That's impressive mate! Trying your new challenge (since I tried Gregoriak's too, but hopefully I don't take things too off topic), with the same initials.... 1 - Gyula Grosics 2 - Angelo Anquiletti 3 - Hugo Hovenkamp 4 - Domingos Da Guia (I think this is eligible, but Velibor Vasovic would be another option, or Bernard Bosquier) 5 - Virgil van Dijk/Robert(Bobby) Moore (whichever is deemed more eligible, otherwise Roberto Rosato I guess) 6 - Valery Voronin 7 - Jimmy Johnstone 8 - Zinedine Zidane 9 - Rob Rensenbrink 10 - Roberto Rivelino (or Giussepe Giannini) 11 - Dragan Dzajic Grosics Anquiletti Domingos da Guia Van Dijk Hovenkamp Zidane Voronin Rivelino Johnstone Rensenbrink Dzajic
Yeah, true - I did think about that, and another option (although less a true centre forward and at Hamburg even more an AM arguably it seems) could be Kevin Keegan. I thought Rensenbrink in the Cruyff-esque false 9 role was ok if it's a total football kind of line-up, but if allowed to nominate a substitution, either him and Dzajic or him and Keegan could be down for a half each! I don't see why Rivelino would be disallowed necessarily, but maybe Cesar Cueto is more of a like-for-like replacement in some ways if he was too.
I have a harder challenge now: Italy with players that do not end with a vocal, only consonants and German players the opposite, only ending with vocals, no consonants.
Buffon Burgnich- Vierchowod - Darmian Fuser - El Shaarawy - Pellissier - Kean Having trouble with the rest. Will circle back
From the top of the head only, this time : -------------------Köpke---------- -Brehme----Süle----Stielike---Ziege ------------Khedira---Mai------- Neuville--Kuranyi---Riedle--Labbadia (stopped as soon as when having 11 players)