I think many folks feel that the likes of Barcelona could win the World Cup given their cohesion as a team having played together for much longer than National teams, but how far down do you have to go before that no longer can overcome talent shortcomings? [result]Yes, it's a little inane, but the other poll ideas I had were related to the finals and would have ended like all the other threads on this topic.[/result]
So your asking if a mid table club team could be national teams for the World Cup? Are things really that slow?
Is it really that obvious? I'm sort of surprised that so many folks agree with you. Do you think Barcelona or Chelsea could win the World Cup?
Bearing in mind that you don't need to win one game in either 90 or 120 mins and can just get by on penalty shoot outs in the knock-out phase, it's possible... but bloody unlikely. Don't forget, the WC's only 7 games even if you get to the final and the last 4 don't need to be won in normal play.
Both could. Don't forget, a national team is made up of the best players a country has to offer. An elite club team is made up of the best players the entire planet has to offer.
The top teams could easily win a world cup. Any of Barca/Chelsea/Milan/Juve even would go so far as to say Lyon would have as good odds as the top 2 or 3 national teams in the world. Teams like ManU/Arsenal/Liverpool/Madrid/Valencia/Inter/Bayern would all stand a good chance as well.
That was my initial reaction, too. Then I realized the intent of the question: how do national teams compare to club teams. I voted for Everton/Bolton lifting the cup, because I didn't see the kind of cohesive defending in the World Cup, that we see on a week-in-week-out basis in the EPL. Everton/Bolton both had what I would call subpar (and why does that mean "bad" when in golf it's good...) in 05/06. I expect both to bounce back this season, as they both had a decent run in. But, I think the kernel of the idea is: could a club squad just below European competition level compete. And I say yes. Most of the players at that level are international level or darn close, and certainly the USA can't field an 11 as strong as Everton and we did make it to the Q-finals in 2002. Plus, it's a knockout tournament, so maybe Brighton could win it. Of course, if Brighton won the World Cup, they'd get relegated for the next one! The thing that surprised me about the World Cup was that a well organized, lower tier team, didn't go further in the tournament. I'm not sure anyone takes the World Cup 100% seriously as a team, sporting event. There was a lot of indivual flair (and diving) on display, but little to remind us of how Greece won Euro2004. Maybe Germany was as close as we got. South Africa 2010 might finally show us an organized African team winning the World Cup. Portugal had all the flair of Chelsea, grinding out win after win, only to be felled by their own trust in fate. I got an appreciation for why non-Chelsea fans don't like watching us very much.
Why ya gotta be picking on Everton, DK? Of course we could win the World Cup. We're going all the way this year, Chelsea be damned!
ill say yes like andy bennett pointed out u dont need to win the last 4 games in normal or extra time to advance also if greece won the euros why not anyone else for WC? greece didnt have any world class players with the closest being dellas,stelios,charisteas and karagounis if a team like bolton who had a great defensive home record last year could do that again in the WC it would be just like greece and it just might work nolan or davies in the air might nick them and extra time goal
The Bolton Wanderers was ever on my list to win the world cup. Such a Powerful, amazing, wonderful, tricky playing and full forwarding with intelligence power playing team will beat all the other. Aber nur wenn die gerade Kaffee Pause machen.
You don't need to win the ones before it either. I think someone once worked out you can get through with 3 draws if one of the other teams beat the other 2 sides and they only manage a draw in their game. This would leave you with... Country A - 7 points Bolton/Everton - 3 points Country B - 2 points Country C - 2 points
Play the football like a realman,that the Everton and Bolton club's soul.Though expressive,but it's for them to get the title.Because football depands on real strength
But they might. I am hearing rumors that the 32nd team may have to play off against the top club team with no World Cup internationals. Which team would that of been this past World Cup? Edgarr I am counting on you to come up with the answer.
No, Everton or Bolton can't make the World Cup. Barca? Real Madrid? Juventus? Milan? Inter? Yeah. EPL isn't THAT great that a non Chelsea, ManU, or Arsenal team could win...
an interesting test of this would be to see a match where a big club played a good national side. there were rumors last year that the Might Blues (chelsea blues, not everton) were going to be matched up against a full Brazil side. it never happened, but it would have been interesting to see. i'm in the camp that the cohesiveness, daily training, and the ability to select players from outside your borders would make a club team the better side.
I would almost always take a quality club. The extra time together and cohesiveness, along with the ability to mix and match talents and choose from a more diverse pool means advantage clubs. For example, if you are the British manager you are lacking in depth and a quality target man at striker. You can't do anything about it, unless some player steps up. If you are a manager, you go buy someone!
Just thought I'd add this into it. Mexico played AC Milan prior to the WC 2002 in a warm-up game. These club vs country games do happen usually before World Cups I have noticed. http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport3/worldcup2002/low/team_pages/mexico/newsid_1998000/1998082.stm It ended 2-1 for Mexico. Milan of course had no Italian WC players, but still had a number of good players on display that day including Kaladze, Serginho, and I believe Ambrosini, as well as others. In other words it was a decent Milan team. Even in this case its still very debatable whether this game means anything as for Milan there was no real incentive to play the game really, and for Mexico it was a warm-up game. Thought Kaladze was red-carded.
there was a brazil sevilla game that ended 2-2 also with kanoute scoring read it on uefa.com a while back
Yes, there were some very decent players, but you cant forget that those were players who werent our starters. Maldini didnt play as far as I know. Cafu, Nesta, Kaka, Pirlo, Gattuso, Dida, Gilardino, sheva, inzaghi, and vogel would have been missing (8 starters 2 subs). Which means it was deep reserves mixed with primavera players. These players havent played together either (just like Mexico) and many would be lacking form from not playing consistent first team games. Ambrosini had just come back from injury, which means his form could have severly been lacking. Remember that.