Top Ten Best Passers Ever

Sorry,

But now there is this weird trend among you of saying that nobodies in world football are 'the best' at this or that in the game.

Which 'world', buddy?...

Here in South America - where world football is confectioned - nobody knows who's this bud.

Care to tell us who the hell this pimp is? ...

 

Messi? He has strengths, but being a world class passer is not one of them.

 

Sure.

And those guys come with...Xavi.

 

Thank you The Double for including my childhood idol El Bocha, Ricardo Bochini, a superb playmaker and the inspiration for my screen name "enganche" which is a name for a playmaker in Spanish.

The one-twos between Bochini and Daniel Bertoni were magnificent to watch on some great Independiente teams, and as Jorge Burruchaga mentions in the clip you provided, Bochini was Maradona's idol growing up. Both Bochini and River Plate's Norberto Alonso were fantastic playmakers who may not be well known outside of South America because they remained in Argentina (I think Alonso may have had a short spell in Europe) and because first Cesar Menotti did not play with a pure playmaker and later Carlos Bilardo had Diego Maradona, neither Bochini nor Alonso played much for Argentina's national team. But both had great club careers winning many national and international titles and deserve mention as two of the best playmakers, and for purposes of this discussion, passers of all time. Alonso was the better goalscorer but Bochini the better passer of the two.

Another player not well known internationally and who only occasionally played for his country is Rodrigo "El Pony" Ruiz, a Chilean who at 37 or 38 is still playing in Mexico with Estudiantes Tecos. I don't have a You Tube clip for him as all I found were goals he scored not passes but Ruiz can still put a 30-40 meter diagonal pass right on a teammates head or foot. Jared Borgetti made a good living getting on the end of El Pony Ruiz' passes when both played for Santos Laguna. A very technically gifted player, Ruiz is still a joy to watch and a superb passer.

 

I don't mean to overhype Messi's passing, but I do like to show this video to people who haven't seen it. If you like passing, you will like this video. And yes, that's Messi not Xavi making these passes.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oTIEpqMwCbk"]YouTube- Messi Assists[/ame]

 

Yep.

Among others the fourth pass in the clip (00:27s) is a thing of beauty.

 

Surely not the player he used to be, but no love for Andrea Pirlo?

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9mw8rlvdPhs"]YouTube- Andrea PIRLO passing conpilation - christinayan[/ame]

 

How about as a team? This is why Inter didn't water the pitch on Tuesday.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n7nO9r80sqg&feature=player_embedded"]YouTube- TIKI TAKA PASSING GAME III - when football becomes an art[/ame]

 

How about passes without touching the ball?...

I don't know if Falcão was the best passer ever but for me this was the best 'pass' ever.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nbOVmlwdyx8&feature=related"]YouTube- The Brazilian Legend 1982 (special edition)[/ame]

 

What about head assists?...

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wr-KZT7iBQ8&feature=related"]YouTube- Um dos gols mais bonitos da história do futebol brasileiro[/ame]

Dam, again Falcão involved.

 

Nice, looked like a game of soccer volleyball on the beach!

I still remember that sensational Eder goal, can't believe it was 28 years ago.

 

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OwlwVEhS3DY"]YouTube- Los Pases De Carlos "El Pibe" Valderrama - Valderrama Assists[/ame]

 

Zico isn't behind:

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hid80MyFJcs&feature=related"]YouTube- Zico - Golaço 1982[/ame]

The rush, the pass (almost an assist to himself, 'using' a companion), the reception, the goal.

 

There is also the famous foot-volley goal (mostly using the head) by Zico in a game against Vasco in 1979 (Rio de Janeiro Chmpshp, decision 1st leg).
[ame="http://video.globo.com/Videos/Player/Esportes/0,,GIM1237605-7824,00.html"]Globo Vídeos - VIDEO - Em 1979, Zico marca um belo gol de cabeça pelo Flamengo em partida contra o Vasco@@AMEPARAM@@midiaId=1237605&autoStart@@AMEPARAM@@1237605[/ame]
Toninho (cross) - Reinaldo (head) - Luisinho (head) - Zico (head) - goal.

PS: The 'linha-de-passe' is a common training practice in which players exchange passes without letting the ball fall (which sometimes may include a goalie, posts & 'adversaries' till someone 'scores').

 

I like the fact that Toninho didn't stay on the floor like a modern player and made the play happen with his cross. I remember a time when men actually played this sport.

 

Agreed about Xavi. He's the genius behind this Barcelona. Take Messi away, and they can still function fine. Take Xavi, and they are done.

 

Well observed.

The adversary fouling him & Toninho still insisting on crossing triggered the whole sequence of headers.

 

Xavi is great, but this "take Messi away and they are fine" is very exaggerated. This season Barca have scored 108 goals total. Messi scored or assisted directly 50 of them.

I haven't found a really well-made Xavi comp, but this one is okay, good quality, and shows some great passes interspersed with other stuff.

[ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=65ymwsTzUIA&feature=watch_response"]YouTube- Xavi Hernàndez 2009/2010 part 2- By Sjurinho[/ame]

 

Well, Spain's National Team doesn't have Messi, but they play lovely football in great part thanks to Xavi. And Barcelona has won games without him, against Espanyol, Gijon, etc.

With the Argentinian NT, Messi requires a playmaker, and if the playmaker is marked out of the game, it's as if he weren't even there. Pathetico marked Xavi like clams, and Messi disappeared.

So yes, he's the best player of the world at the moment, and Barce is crippled without him (functionally fine = they can function, but far from optimal). But Xavi is even more necessary in a team than he is. A playmaker with the brains to lose his mark while still being able to hand excellent passes without slowing down is a rarity.

The guy is gifted, not just as a player but intellectually. You cannot be a great playmaker and dumb.

 

First, I agree Xavi control well the midfield for Barca, but he is always surrounded with very good players to brig the best of his skills from Barca to Spain. Both play bautiful games NOT BECAUSE of Xavi but they have the whole fine crew to so do i.e Iniesta, Ibra, Messi Henry ... (Barca) and Iniesta, Cecs, Xabi, Silva, Villa, Torres for Spain.

We'll see how Spain and Xavi will do in coming WC ... as high level test ...

 

I love how Spain plays but, frankly, I expect another choke from them. Xavi included.

 

I've always enjoyed your posts James. I have a huge collection of Maradona's matches and I can say his passes are a bit better than his dribbling. That's how much I rate his passing abilities.

 

Thanks for this post Gmonn !
Now Kingkong1 knows who's Xavi !

 

Didn't quite understand very reference to my person since I never made a value judgement of Xavi in this or any other thread.

Never paid much attention to him I concede simply cause I don't follow Euro football that extensively, which is the first requirement for you to judge a passer (even more than a striker).

Good passing is a matter of consistency.

It's definitely better having a good passer in a consistent way like him than a brilliant occasional one, and that's what I learn from Gmonn's video.

Nothing too flashy but very efficient. Congrats to Xavi! ...