That's more a figure of rhetoric somebody used - and 'worked'. But of course - with Zizinho & before him - there were several others. Jair da Rosa Pinto, Ademir, Bauer, Barbosa, Fausto, Heleno, Domingos da Guia, Tim, Leônidas da Silva, Hércules, Pirilo, Perácio, Vevé, Marcos de Mendonça and of course the godfather of all Arthur Friendereich.
Although he was better known (or even a better player) as a right full back, he also used to play as a central defender in some instances.
It's the case of Leandro in his last years in Flamengo, and also of Piazza (a midfielder) playing as a central defender in 1970. And both excelled in the new function. Leandro even scored a fantastic goal against Fluminense playing as a central defender (and it wasn't the typical central defender 'header on a cross ball') ... Sometimes is good to be 'old': I was there that day (!!!) ... Fluminense scored in the beggining just to be literally bombarded by Flamengo during the whole game. Until the last minute, when Leandro hit that rocket. It was incredible: Flamengo losing during 89 minutes & its rooters were dancing in the whole stadium because Flamengo was offering a memorable spectacle. The rooters of Fluminense in silent awe (in spite of be winning!) just desperately expecting the final whistle to miraculously get out of that massacre with an important victory (!). Leandro's goal happened right before the whistle: & 100 000 rooters exploded as if Flamengo had won by goleada. Probably Fla's best game (without Zico) in the 80's. [ame="http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=jcF6G0YKdho&feature=related"]YouTube - Flamengo 1x1 Fluminense - Estadual 1985 (Leandro)[/ame] A subtle detail: Meninos, eu vi.
As your post itself. When it comes down to 'Football's All-Time Best', Brazil is a whole well of 'obvieties'. As say poets João Donato & Gilberto Gil: 'Beira do mar/Lugar-comum...' (or: 'Seashore/Commonplace...') [ame="http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=PlgPM-_Dc88&feature=related"]YouTube - Arnaldo Antunes - Lugar Comum[/ame] And Brazil is the shoreline of world football, a 'common place' where all continents love to stroll... _________________________ The whole lyrics in Portuguese: LUGAR COMUM Beira do mar Lugar comum Começo do caminhar Pra beira de outro lugar À beira do mar Todo mar é um Começo do caminhar Pra dentro do fundo azul A água bateu O vento soprou O fogo do sol O sal do senhor Tudo isso vem Tudo isso vai Pro mesmo lugar De onde tudo sai À beira do mar Lugar comum Começo do caminhar Pra beira de outro lugar À beira do mar Todo mar é um Começo do caminhar Pra beira de outro lugar Começo do caminhar Pra dentro do fundo azul _________________________________ Sorry, I got poetic...
KENYA'S CLASSIC XI Mohamed Abbas Musa Otieno Wanyama Zedekiah Otieno John Onyango John Muiruri Ken Simiyu Titus Mulama Joe Kadenge Dennis Oliech Robert Mambo
I'll add an all-time classic XI team, which will have the best players from the countries of the former republic of Yugoslavia, of course, in my opinion: Coach: Miljan Miljanic -------------------------Beara------------------------------ ----------Vidic---------Vasovic-----------Holcer------ --------------------------Zajec---------------------------- ----------Oblak------------------------Boban------------ -----------------------Stojkovic---------------------------- --------Savicevic--------------------Dzajic-------------- -------------------------Suker----------------------------- Beara: in my country he is big legend and an epitom of a great goalkeeper. According to many old-timers from my country, he was very close to Yashin, and certainly one of the most consistent and reliable goalkeepers ever produced in our sport, who often showed saves which were out of this world. Vidic: everyone knows this guy. Undoubtedly a world-class defender with excellent tackling abilities, who proved himself on the world's biggest stages for the last couple of seasons. Vasovic: another big legend from Eastern Europe. He was an exceptional and skillfull sweeper, and one of the pioneers of the concept of a defender who advanced up front from the backline to become an additional midfielder, a concept that later became very popular in the football world. And to his credit, he was the first foreign captain in Ajax's history, in a team which have a Cruyff close to his prime on their side, and that fact says a lot about him as a leader and organizer. Holcer: he was the member of one of the greatest backlines the former Yugoslavia has ever had: Paunovic-Pavlovic-Holcer. A great defender with good tackling abilities and with an exceptional timing in taking the ball, I believe he would perfectly link up with the other two from my backline. Probably the best defender from Yugoslavia during the mid-70s. Zajec: a complete, versatile and reliable player, with good vision and tackling abilities. A great organizer and distributor of the ball. I feel he was quite similar to Beckenbauer, in terms of game style. Oblak: some German fans may know him from his Bundesliga days, but his absolute best was shown at Hajduk Split. A very good and creative midfielder, with excellent and accurate passing, was the driving force of Hajduk's great period during the 70s. Boban: a great player, leader and organizer of the game, who always showed much passion into it, especially when he was playing for Croatia. Was capable to defend, attack, organize, control the flow of the game and bossing in the middle of the park. Stojkovic: at his prime, this guy was at least at the same level of Zidane or Laudrup. I really liked this player, and since Dzajic's prime years, no player dominated the ex-Yugoslavian league as he did. He was simply an exceptional playmaker with a very good scoring rate, lethal and effective and probably the be-all-end-all of the majority of the offensive actions of his club during the late 80s. Who knows what he could achieved if he just stayed for one more season at Red Star from Belgrade. Savicevic: a great player with outstanding close control, dribbling and vision, and one of the major contributors in winning the EC/CL with Red Star Belgrade in 1991 and with Milan in 1994. He also had a powerful left foot, and I'm sure he would link up with other creative players of my team. Dzajic: certainly an all-time great, and surely one of the best wingers our sport produced. At his prime, he was capable to dribble several opponents in a row and scoring on very consistent basis. He had an exceptional left foot, a very accurate shot, curle, and good passing skills. Suker: a world-class striker with an uncanny ability to score from every possible situation and position, who proved himself in the world's biggest competitions. At his prime during the mid-90s, I believe he was the best striker in the world, of course, after Ronaldo.
Wow, great sample on a most remarkable school in refined playing style. What a bunch for the bench could also be listed, I believe, the likes of Cajkovski, Sekularac, Mitic, Bobek, Zebec and Vukas, based in readings. Are these ones well-regarded as Beara too?
Yes, they are all highly regarded, and they also have a kind of special legend status there. They could be listed on the bench, but there are others too, like Prosinecki, B. Stankovic, Mihajlovic or Petrovic.
Great team, even without the players Fried listed and the likes of Jerkovic, Skoblar, Acimovic and Galic. What are your thoughts on Jugovic and Surjak? Why did you pick Miljanic as the coach? I thought Osim would be a better pick.
Certainly two good players, but they don't have any business in trying to get into a hypotethic all-time XI form ex-Yugoslavia, since the competition is very strong. Both were good midfielders, but I feel Jugovic was more skillfull with better passing and with a superior vision, although Surjak was far more versatile and more resistent. Both had important roles in their respective club squads, but they also were second fiddles to superior players (Surjak for Dzajic and Oblak, Jugovic for Stojkovic and Savicevic). I consider Miljanic a more knowledgeable person and expert regarding football matters than Osim. He was the only football coach from the former Yugoslavia region, who coached a big club like Real Madrid, where he achieved a lot of success, including a double and a back-to-back league title during the mid-70s. All that says a lot about him, and he also won a considerable amount of silverware during his time at Red Star from Belgrade, which had in their team a Dzajic at his prime. I've always enjoyed listen him and his commentaries about football matters. He was full of wisdom and had always something interesting to say. For instance, I remember listening him in a sport show right before the WC 1982, where he analized in great detail the infamous Brazil team of Tele Santana. I don't remember very much what was told back then, but he dissected every player of that team and analized them using various approaches. He talked about Falcao for more than a half of hour, by describing his weaknesses, abilities and characteristics. While I don't want to take anything away from Osim, who is respected by a big margin in my country (both as a coach and as a player), the majority of his silverware was won in weaker leagues by coaching the traditional powerhouses in those respective leagues, as far as I'm concerned.
[1st off, I'd just like to say that's a damn fine England XI IMO, andykeikei. I saw both of them play in person and I'd put one of your club's other midfield legends ahead of Edwards in your starting XI: "Captain Marvel" Robson. Edwards was undoubtedly a once-in-a-lifetime talent, but I don't think he did enough in his 18 caps to merit a spot in the starting lineup. I'd also add Tommy Lawton to your possible starters at the number nine spot. But it's nice te see you listing Dean, Lofty, & Shearer since those are three of my favourite England players of all-time.]
1 Buffon (Zoff) 2 Gentile 6 Baresi (Scirea) 5 Facchetti 3 Maldini 8 V.Mazzola 4 Tardelli 10 Rivera 7 B.Conti 9 Riva 11 Meazza
4-2-3-1 Maier Breitner Sammer Beckenbauer Kaltz Schuster Walter Rummenigge Overath Netzer Mueller Throwing the biggest names out there and hoping it works, pretty much
[In central defence, I'd go ahead and start Franklin in my XI and then decide who plays alongside him between Moore & Billy Wright. In your number nine spot I'd actually start Tommy Lawton because of his all-round dominance instead of your Dean/Lofty/Shearer toss-up. But overall that's a VERY good England "Classic" XI that you put together, andykeikei. On Wright talking about Franklin: Neil was a FANTASTIC number five. The war & then his move to the pirate Columbian lge. limited his number of appearances for both club & country. Have you ever got to see him play?]