WCs Stars Team by contemporaries - 50s

Interesting line up for the team A: especially with Juste Fontaine as an "inside forward" ( like Pele)
I thought Juste fontaine was like Vava type, a center forward with gifted scoring touch (more so than creating and making chances)

 

Dr. Becker tackled that indirectly when he said about Kopa:

Kopa: could just as well be declared a withdrawn linkman as Fontaine could be declared a center forward

 

Here are four "Best of 1954" selections done right after the 1954 World Cup.

Four renowned football experts each compiled their own selection for Germany`s "Kicker" football magazine. They were Dr. Friedebert Becker, Dr. Willy Meisl, Dr. Paul Tröger and Dr. Fritz Weilenmann. From their selections, Kicker compiled the "definitive" World selection 1954.


Dr. Friedebert Becker`s Teams:

Team A:

----------Czibor-----------Hidegkuti----------Julinho

-------------------Kocsis------------Puskas

-------------------Ocwirk------------Bozsik

--------Andrade-------------Wright------------D.Santos

-----------------------------Turgay


Team B:


----------Schäfer-----------Hügi-----------Klodt

------------------Schiaffino-----------F.Walter

------------------Cajkovski------------Eckel

--------Crnkovic------------Horvath------------Stankovic

-----------------------------Beara

His commentary:
"The best players were the linkmen. The two Hungarians Puskas and Kocsis, the Uruguayan Schiaffino and our own Fritz Walter can only be chosen according to the alphabet, for who would want to favour any of them? Even Maxl Morlock is approaching these world class players, in terms of shooting accuracy, he can take on even goal champion Kocsis! Wings didn`t shine as brightly as they did in 1934 (Lehner, Orsi, Puc, Guaita), but Schäfer and the Bernie Klodt of the Turkey match can be compared with any of the Greats from Overseas or central Europe. But the best winger of this tournament was without a doubt the Brazilian Julinho."


Dr. Willy Meisl`s Teams:

Team A:

----------Czibor-----------Hidegkuti----------Julinho

----------------Schiaffino------------F.Walter

-------------------Andrade------------Cajkovski

---------Neury-------------Wright------------D.Santos

-----------------------------Grosics


Team B:


----------Schäfer-----------Stojaspal----------Matthews

-------------------Kocsis--------------Puskas

------------------Ocwirk--------------Bozsik

------no player named-------Lorant------------Lantos

-----------------------------Parlier

His commentary:
"The best player? This is an unanswerable question. One could at best try to classify groups of players. But if I have to answer: number 1 was the bearer of a name of a player who already once before overshadowed every other player at a World Cup: Andrade is the complete footballer, a real 'black diamond'. Technically completed, an athlete and sportsman from head to toe, tactically, a football pitch-marshall. He is equally perfect at passing and taking balls, in destruction as in built-up."


Dr. Paul Tröger`s Teams:

Team A

---Schäfer-----Hidegkuti------Budai II

----------Kocsis--------F.Walter

----------Ocwirk--------Bozsik

------Andrade----Liebrich----Kohlmeyer

-----------------Turgay

He didn`t list enough players for a second team. The players he listed additionally were: Grosics (goalie), Horvath (stopper), Eckel (half), Schiaffino (linkman), Hügi (centre forward).

His commentary:
"Kocsis' inimitable way of scoring headers was the most impressive thing for me. He was the most dangerous forward of the tournament (Morlock was close in terms of jumping power as well as in the exactness of his heading). Uruguay`s Schiaffino (even if Milan just paid 300,000 Marks to Penarol) does not just reach him (maybe because he`s missing the accompanying players). Best strategic: Fritz Walter, who literally hypnotized his accompanying players, to act according to his ideas. Best performance in terms of defence: Liebrich in Geneva and Basel (despite Uruguay`s giant Santamaria, despite the self-sacrificing Neury). No goalie was outstanding. Decisive however were: Turek against Yugoslavia in the positive, Merrick (England vs. Uruguay) in the negative."


Dr. Fritz Weilenmann`s Teams are a bit too complicated to put into a tactical scheme. I will just quote what he said about his selections plus the general comment.

Goal: Beara, Turgay, Turek
Full Backs pair: Crnkovic-Stankovic
Left Full Back: Kohlmeyer
Right Full Back: Neury (he remarks that he unfortunately didn`t see D.Santos play)
Stopper: Liebrich, closely ahead of Horvath (he remarks that he didn`t see Wright play)
Halves pair: three almost equal pairs, Bozsik-Zakarias, Ocwirk-Koller & Cajkovski-Boskov.
Single half: Eckel (he remarks that Uruguay`s Andrade does not exactly belong into this position, but he wants to call him "the king of the classical outside-marking half backs")
Outside Right: Julinho, Milutinovic
Outside Left: Schäfer, Zebec, Czibor
Inside forwards/linkmen: F.Walter, Kocsis, Puskas (all equal), then Schiaffino
Centre forwards: Hügi (as executor), Hidegkuti (as "thinking" player), Stojaspal (as "gapless commuter").

His commentary:
"The best attack? The Hungarians, but closely followed by the Germans. Only the inside forward trio of Kocsis-Hidegkuti-Puskas outdid the German inside trio Morlock-O.Walter-F.Walter (from the 6-1 bashing of Austria). Kocsis is just unstoppable! Puskas is equalled by F.Walter as a selfless teamplayer and strategic. The best outside forwards: at the right doubtlessly Brazil`s Julinho, at the left Schäfer despite Czibor."


From the selections of these four gentlemen, Kicker magazine then went on to compile the 1954 "World XI".

Goal: Beara
Full Backs: D.Santos, Kohlmeyer or Crnkovic
Stopper: Wright
Halves: Ocwirk or Cajkovski or Bozsik (who would want to decide between them?)
Outside forwards: Julinho, Czibor or Schäfer
Inside forwards: Kocsis, F.Walter, Puskas or Schiaffino.

 

What do you know about him?

 

Yes, it is Ivica Horvat (who in the 1970s became an accomplished manager as well).

 

rightly so ... Kopa was more like a Cruijff/Puskas type of player... but so much Didi/Zidane.

Even Kocsis would be a better choice as "inside forward" than Just Fontaine

 

It's interesting to note that Billy Wright of Wolves & England gets mentioned in various All-Tournament (pre-official IIRC) XIs for Switzerland '54 AND Sweden '58; yet he often fails to get mentioned as a great and highly-effective player AND captain for England in international tournaments...

 

I need to start flaunting that I also have a Ph.D: Dr. RoyoftheRovers...

 

The "Dickinson" of this All-Tournament XI from Los Mundiales- was Portsmouth legend Jimmy Dickinson. "Jimmy D" usually lined-up as the "orthodox"-type of wing-half for both club and country...

 

Did you read about Dickinson's usual "orthodox" W-H position/role when I explained it before?

 

The IMDB listing for Billy Wright's episode of "This Is You Life":



http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0721503/




A bit of a historical curiousity for Wolves and England fans (or anyone really)...

 

Same as in the thread about the 30s: these teams are from Eurosport's website. Did they make it themselves or did they find them somewhere, in some newspaper of the time (contemporary to each World Cup) = ? / there are good chances it comes from something published at the time but what exactly? Mystery.

Once again , as it was presented :

1950

---------------------Ramallets-----------------
--------Bauer------Gonzales---------Nilsson--
---------------Varela--------Andrade-----------
--------------Zizinho----------Jair--------------
------Ghiggia--------Ademir--------Chico------


1954

--------------------Turek----------------------
----Santamaria---Varela----Kohlmeyer-----
---------Bozsik------------Happel------------
----Rahn--------Hidegkuti-------Czibor-----
-----------Kocsis------------Walter-----------


1958
------------------Yashin--------------------
---Bergmark-----Bellini--------Santos----
-------------Zito----------Didi--------------
------------Kopa--------Hamrin-----------
-Garrincha-----Fontaine--------Pelé------

 

The following is taken from the first 1955 issue of "kicker".

"Kicker" asked several German internationals who their hardest opponent was in 1954:

 

Translation of page one:

Toni Turek (goalkeeper):
Schäfer’s shots!
My most dangerous opponent last year was Hans Schäfer, the outside left of Köln and of our national team. He is immensely fast, has a very hard shot and an “eye” for the right moment. He virtually smells where and when goods can be made.


Fritz Herkenrath (goalkeeper):
Artful Coppens
More than my opponents in Oberliga games did the Belgian Coppens and the Portuguese Matateu afflict me in international games. Coppens, because he is so artful and Matateu because he is fast as lightning and because he has a startling shot.


Jupp Posipal (right back/center half):
What luck, that Uwe ….
My hardest opponent? Tom Finney! A man of few inches, but unpredictable in his endeavours, likes to cut inside a lot and has an enormous hunger for goals. By the way: what luck, that Uwe Seeler plays for Hamburg! If not, he would certainly be my strongest opponent!


Werner Kohlmeyer (left back):
The classic repertoire of Matthews with his constantly new tricks, his splendid ball control and last but not least his uncanny speediness brought despair to many a full back before me. He was by far the best opponent I ever had to face.


Horst Eckel (right half):
Left-footed Stojaspal
Without doubt the Austrian Stojaspal gave me most trouble in the semi final of the last World Cup in Basel. He is technically versed, equipped with tactical finesse and has great experience – things that demanded my highest commitment. But as a very pronounced left-footer he made my task a little bit easier because I knew how to adapt to his left-footedness.


Herbert Erhardt (right half/center half):
Whirlwind Mermans
If I had not known in our international game vs. Belgium that my opponent Jef Mermans was already 32 years old, I would have never been able to guess the age of this whirlwind! Like lightning his shots and he was the most wily chap who I ever had to deal with in my career so far.


Werner Liebrich (center half):
Even though the uninhibited Belgian Coppens, the technically outstanding Frenchman Kopa, the very good-trained, hard Englishman Allen and the nimble as a weasel Portuguese Matateu were all center forwards, it was still the Hungarian Hidegkuti who was the strongest and best player I had to face. Immensely determined, hard-shooting and matured due to his great experience, his vision and dangerousness allowed him a surprise move at any time, which demanded my utmost attention and commitment.


Karl Mai (left half):
Kocsis posed me a number of riddles during the final of the World Cup. Never before did I have to watch out for a player like him in that game. You could never anticipate what he would be doing and which new idea he was about to have. Kocsis is the greatest ball artist who I have ever faced.