He is already my starter. In fact, no one replaces him on my team. Argentina needs a classic #9 and he is the best.
Put Tardelli in as the DM although he was really more of a box-to-box midfielder. I'm not so keen on Baresi and Scirea together in a flat back four. If you are willing to go for a sweeper system, use Scirea as the sweeper and Baresi as a CB.
My All-Time Argentina XI: ------------------------------------------- Ubaldo Fillol ---------------------------------------------- - Javier Zanetti --- Roberto Perfumo --- Daniel Passarella --- Silvio Marzolini - ----------------------------- Luis Monti ------ Fernando Redondo --------------------------- --- Alfredo Di Stéfano ---------- Diego Maradona ----------------- Omar Sívori ------- ----------------------------------------- Gabriel Batistuta ------------------------------------------
My All-Time Brazil XI: ------------------------------------------- Cláudio Taffarel ------------------------------------------- - Carlos Alberto --- Domingos da Guia ---- Luís Pereira ----- Roberto Carlos --- ------------------------------------- Didí ------------------- Dunga ----------------------------------- ------------- Garrincha ---------------------- Zico ----------------------- Pelé -------------------- ------------------------------------------------ Ronaldo -------------------------------------------------
My All-Time Italy XI: ------------------------------------------ Gianluigi Buffon ------------------------------------------ ------------------------------------------ Gaetano Scirea ------------------------------------------ - Claudio Gentile --- Alessandro Nesta --- Franco Baresi ----- Paolo Maldini - ------------------------------------------- Marco Tardelli -------------------------------------------- -------- Roberto Baggio ----------- Gianni Rivera ------------------ Bruno Conti ------- ----------------------------------------- Giuseppe Meazza ----------------------------------------
England ------------Banks----- Armfield--- Moore---Wright---Sansom/Wilson Matthews---Edwards----Robson----Finnery Greaves-----Charlton
With 2 excellent wingers in Matthews and Finney, I would rather play Charlton at midfield and put in a target man. There are lots of options too, Dean, Lofthouse, Lawton, Shearer...etc.
My All-Time England XI: ------------------------------------------- Gordon Banks ------------------------------------------- ------- Phil Neal ------- Bobby Moore ------- Billy Wright ------- Ray Wilson ------- ---------------------- Duncan Edwards ------- Steven Gerrard ------------------------------ Stanley Matthews --------------- Bobby Charlton ----------------------- John Barnes ------------------------------------------ Jimmy Greaves ------------------------------------------
Using the method Fifa did for WC'06 and the randomise function on Microsoft Excel I had a go at a possible draw. I included 14 European teams and assumed neutral Switzerland would host the tournament. I included the CONACAF and Asia teams there was a clear concencus on (see page 1 and 2 of this thread) but decided on Algeria and Ivory Coast for two of the African spots on the basis of their best players really. The seeds were the 7 winners plus Holland who have two appearances in a World Cup final plus a European Championship victory. Yugoslavia were the European team in a seperate 'pot' to be drawn with a South American seed, on the basis that they haven't been to a World Cup final or won the European Championships, unlike Spain, Sweden, Czechoslovakia, Denmark, Hungary, or Soviet Union. Poland and Portugal have played in WC semi-finals (Poland twice 3rd place, Portugal have Eusebio plus Figo etc too). The draw came out as follows: Group A Costa Rica Cameroon Germany Portugal Group B S Korea France Poland Algeria Group C Peru Holland Mexico Sweden Group D Japan Denmark Chile England Group E Saudi Arabia Ivory Coast Soviet Union Italy Group F USA Nigeria Spain Argentina Group G Iran Czechoslovakia Uruguay Ghana Group H Brazil Hungary Yugoslavia Australia I'm assuming team 1 plays team 2 first, then team 3, then team 4 in the Group Stages. Then in the all-important knockout phase Group A pairs with Group C and B with D with the winner playing the runner-up (and the same in the Groups E to H). The winners of adjacent groups play each other in the Quarter Finals unless a runner-up gets through. Then the top half and bottom half of the draw ' winners' are decided in the semi's and play each other in the Final. I hope this makes sense and is close to what happens in the World Cup (and not closer to Wimbledon tennis lol) - the draw itself was definately based on WC'06 but with qualification based on WC2010! I havent got as far as predicting what might happen yet.
My all-time France XI --------------Barthez-------------- --Thuram-----Blanc----Tresor---Amoros ----------Tigana-----Vieira---------- ------Kopa----Platini------Zidane---- --------------Fontaine-------------
I think this could be the France squad: Goalkeepers Joel Bats Fabien Barthez Hugo Lloris Defenders Laurent Blanc Robert Jonquet Maruis Tresor Marcel Desailly Lilian Thuram Patrick Battiston Manuel Amoros Bixente Lizarazu Midfielders Patrick Vieira Alain Giresse Jean Tigana Michel Platini Zinedine Zidane Robert Pires Forwards Raymond Kopa Just Fontaine Thierry Henry Eric Cantona Dominique Rocheteau Jean-Pierre Papin with the backup players being maybe Coupet, Bossis, Angloma, Deschamps, Djorkaeff, Ginola, Piantoni
Some minor tweaks for better XI: -A Sweeper is infront of the defenders, not behind! - Fachetti is a better fullback than Maldini - Maldini can replace Nesta in CB (if we have to include him) - Rossi is a MUST as among the successful striker in WC history! ------------------------------ Dino Zoff ------------------------------------------------------------------ ------------------- Franco Baresi ----- Paolo Maldini ---- - Claudio Gentile-------------- Gaetan Scirea ------------- Fachetti ------------------------------------------------------------------ ---------B. Conti ----- Gianni Rivera -------------- G. Meazza -----------------------------------------R.Baggio ---------------- ------------------- P. Rossi ---------------------------------------
* Brazil XI Possession & attack 4 3 2 1 ---------------------------- Gilmar --------------------------- -------------- C. Alberto ------------ De Guia --------------- D. Santos ------------------------------------------N.Santos ----------------- Didi@ -------------- Socrates -------------- ------- Garrincha ---------- Pele* --------------- Zico ------- -------------------------- Ronaldo -------------------------- ( @ Captain, * free role playmaker) * Italy XI Catenaccio 5 3 2 -------------------------- Dino Zoff @ ------------------------------------------------------------- ------------- Franco Baresi ---------- Paolo Maldini ---- Claudio Gentile---------- Gaetan Scirea*------------- Fachetti ------------------------------------------------------------- --------B. Conti -------- Gianni Rivera ------- G. Meazza ---------------------------------------R.Baggio ------------- ------------------- P. Rossi ---------------------------------- ( @ Captain, * Libero) * Holland XI total Football 3 4 3 ------------------------Van Der Saar ----------------------- --------- R. Krol ---------F. De Boer --------R. Koemann ---- --------------- Rijkaard ----------- Van Hanegem ------------ --J. Neesken ---------- ---------------------------Rensenbrink ----------------------------- J.Cruijff @* ------------------------ -------------D.Bergkamp ----------------------------------- --------------------------------------------V. Basten -------- (Cruijff is captain + free role playmaker) * FRance XI Midfield Dominance 4 5 1 -------------------- --Barthez-------------------------- -------------L. Blanc-------------Tresor--------------- Thuram ----------------------------------------Amoros ------------Tigana------------------Vieira---------- -----Kopa* -------------Zidane--------------Platini@* --- -----------------------Fontaine----------------------- (Platini captain+free role with Kopa to swap/fill up position, while Zidane is main link up)
Great teams James but man Brazil would get pounded! Socrates was more of an AM. Didi - was a playmaker/CM. If you want to use him properly you would need to put him in a 3-man midfield. One more thing I would have/line-up: --------------RIJKAARD------------DAVIDS--------- in midfield both were box to box midfielders capable of destroying and creating at will!
Great squad. I think it's too early to include Lloris however. I think Bernard Lama would be a better pick at that point. Also I would pick Bossis instead of Battiston (Maxime had greater skills) and Piantoni instead of Pires (both had similar skills but Roger had a greater impact in WC).
You haven't seen line-ups with the sweeper being played behind the defence? I've seen them done in the way Peru FC has done it many times. I've only seen a few people do it in the way you did it. Being a World Cup team, Rossi is a great choice, especially with his 9 goals at two World Cups. Meazza would be a bad choice at LM. He never played in that position. At least Gigi Riva started as a left-winger.
Not really mate, actually a sweeper is commonly the last man of the defensive line in the penalty kick point as demarcation, just also can play in front because is a free agent wherever between the defensive positions. Question of likes, I consider better to Maldini, also the second best ever in that position behind Roberto Carlos. As Excape Goat clarified its idea wasn't based only in the performances in the World Cups, I'd consider first Meazza or even Riva before to Rossi.
Rossi could be a good backup. We should try not to come up with an all-star team. It's a serious World Cup Finals. Riva would have been the perfect lone striker. I also rated him higher than Rossi.
Well I thought the thread name " ... to an ALL TIME WC finals" so I pick Rossi Other than that, I agree both Meazza and Riva are more skillful and more complete forward than Rossi