World cup dream team

[Amin_]

Yashar jan, it was really hard not to include Pirlo there. Next to Canavaro, he was Italy's most influential and most important player. He was a true general on the field.

C. Ronaldo was not bad, but not as impressive and important as Pirlo was imo.

Viera also deserved to be there, but I was really impressed with Maniche and wanted to play a 4-4-2 formation, so I had to make a choice in that case...


I like your 2nd line-up tho (besides C. Ronaldo - Pirlo).

[Kaveh Ahangar]

Really? I'm not sure Bolton fans would be well positioned to tell which is the best team or the most attractive having to regularly watch the kind of anti-football Fat Sam plays

I don't think a zereshk is "well-positioned" to discuss any football related matters.

Argentina went out of the tournament due to penalties and some bad coaching decisions. And they were unbeaten.

Continue with your stubborn arrogance. I guess England went out the tournament because of "penalties and some bad coaching decisions", they "were unbeaten" too, eh?

Germany were a better and more consistent side than Argentina? Well, how come a "below par performance" from Argentina against Germany saw them through to penalties with nearly 60% possession, more shots on goal and - aside from the 30 minutes where Germany were desperately searching for an equaliser - took the game to Germany for the entire match.

Germany have always been an efficient, ruthless team that grind out results and consistently play well. Argentina disappoint in most tournaments, but occasionally there is substance beneath all that fanciful style. It is no coincidence that this German side has now finished 2nd and 3rd in consecutive world cups.

As for consistency, when beating Serbia (who finished top of Spain's qualifying group) 6-0 you really can't keep that football up for the whole tournament. How many teams came up to the standard of football that Argentina produced? Certainly not Germany. When it mattered most they got played off the park against Italy and this despite getting the home team refereeing decisions for much of this match and the Argentina one.

Are you seriously saying that this Serbia side was the same one that played in WC qualifying? (Before you bring out BS about how the players are the same, yes, they are....but the whole team had a different, negative, and defeatist mentality in this world cup. They were a world away from the side that only conceded one goal in qualifying.) As for the referee decisions, put the stupid conspiracy theories away please, this is utter crap.

And in terms of Germany's consistent performances up to the qf I don't think the likes of Costa Rica, Poland, Ecuador and Sweden can be compared with Ivory Coast, Serbia, Holland and Mexico. Do you?!

Yes. Serbia were simply horrible in this world cup, did you even watch their games or do you just sit there and talk? Costa Rica were similiar to Serbia in their poor display. Ivory Coast played very good football and still didn't qualify for the knock-out stage, just like Poland. Ecuador are a strong and organised side that are not far behind the over-rated and disappointing Mexico. Sweden are a solid European side, but like Holland they too have weaknesses. So, you see, comparisons can be drawn between different teams.

Don't get me wrong, Germany were a very good team that deserved a good run, but to say they were more deserving than Argentina is fanciful.

that is your own opinion.

Well, not all the British media conscribed to the anti-Ronaldo witch hunt that was a p*ss take. Some of them are intelligent, well-observed journalists who lamented the early exit of what they saw as the most complete technical team who deserved to go a lot further.
Well that argument doesn't really wash since none of the final four teams managed to win the tournament without the need for penalties. Indeed only France managed to reach the final without needing a penalty shoot out and some may argue that this might have been different but for a couple of dubious decisions given to Henry....

your hatred for Henry is clear to see. The Spain incident was a shame, but in the Portugal match few will argue that it was not a penalty. France deserve credit for magnificent displays against Spain and Brazil in particular. In the Portugal match they went to defend their 1 goal advantage, but the old guard still held out well.

[yashar_fasihnia]

Yashar jan, it was really hard not to include Pirlo there. Next to Canavaro, he was Italy's most influential and most important player. He was a true general on the field.
C. Ronaldo was not bad, but not as impressive and important as Pirlo was imo.
Viera also deserved to be there, but I was really impressed with Maniche and wanted to play a 4-4-2 formation, so I had to make a choice in that case...
I like your 2nd line-up tho (besides C. Ronaldo - Pirlo).

very true, and thats why an army always has only 1 general, and in our army (both urs and mines), its zidane!

pirlo was a very influential player true, infact he was chosen as the 3rd best player of the worldcup after zidane and cannavaro, but i think looking at the players in our formations, specially my second 4-2-3-1, ronaldo would suit the team much better than pirlo. he has more speed, acceleration and "ensejam" just like ribery.
besides speed, ronaldo also adds more creativity, aerial dangers and in general more offense than pirlo.
zidane can be the creative but slow leader in our team

anyways, this is just my opinion and i guess just 1 player wouldnt make that much of a difference, specially when the other 10 players are also superstars!

[Darvish11]

-----------------buffon--------------
kaebi---zambrotta----cannavaro---thuram---grosso

m. rodriguez----pirlo---zidane-----j. cole

-----------------drogba-------------------

i know a few are out of position; this is more like a list than a lineup

[nosferatu]

---------------------Toni----Torres---------------------

-------Ribery------Pirlo----Riquelme-------Maxi Rodriguez-

---------Grosso----Terry----Cannavaro-----Zambrotta--

-------------------------Buffon--------------------------

[MoJo23]

----------------------Buffon---------------------
-----------Canavaro------------Thuram----------
---Zambrotta---------------------------Lahm----
--------------------Maniche--------------------
-------Ribery-----------------------Pirlo--------
--------------------Zidane---------------------
-----------Henry-------------Klose-----------

I think i have to go with this lineup as well.

[zereshk-ali]

I don't think a zereshk is "well-positioned" to discuss any football related matters..

Continue with your stubborn arrogance. I guess England went out the tournament because of "penalties and some bad coaching decisions", they "were unbeaten" too, eh?

Yes, that is correct - England were unbeaten, went home on pen's and this was, in part, due to some bad coaching decisions. But, then again, England were also shown in the tournament to be lacking in ideas, creativity and at no point showed any spark to suggest that they would be a danger to the top sides. Apart from in their own inflated egos they were never a real threat - something you cannot label against the Argentines.

I would not really call it stubborn arrogance to continue to believe in my opinion that Argentina were the best side in the tournament. I think many would share that view.

Germany have always been an efficient, ruthless team that grind out results and consistently play well. Argentina disappoint in most tournaments, but occasionally there is substance beneath all that fanciful style. It is no coincidence that this German side has now finished 2nd and 3rd in consecutive world cups.

yes, but why does consistency suggest that they were a better team this tournament? When a "consistent" Germany comes up against a "below par" Argentina and still draws on home soil then that in no way proves the point.

Using "a lack of consistency" against Argentina because they reached higher peaks of performance than the Germans is a logically erroneous argument.

Are you seriously saying that this Serbia side was the same one that played in WC qualifying? (Before you bring out BS about how the players are the same, yes, they are....but the whole team had a different, negative, and defeatist mentality in this world cup. They were a world away from the side that only conceded one goal in qualifying.) As for the referee decisions, put the stupid conspiracy theories away please, this is utter crap.

Well, aside from the 6-0 drubbing from Argentina they were hardly whipping boys, losing by a single goal in the other encounters in the "Group of Death". You also quite rightly point out their impressive qualification record and their poor performance in this tournament. But a poor performance in a tough group is a lot more respectable than in a group like group A....hence your assertion that Serbia are on a par with Costa Rica is akin to saying that U.S.A played at the level of the Saudies.

As for the refereeing, if you don't believe me, then watch the matches again and decide for yourself how many decisions go Germany's way in the semi and qf. I never suggested a conspiracy theory - it's quite common that referees are influenced by a home crowd, particularly at world cups.

Yes. Serbia were simply horrible in this world cup, did you even watch their games or do you just sit there and talk? Costa Rica were similiar to Serbia in their poor display. Ivory Coast played very good football and still didn't qualify for the knock-out stage, just like Poland. Ecuador are a strong and organised side that are not far behind the over-rated and disappointing Mexico. Sweden are a solid European side, but like Holland they too have weaknesses. So, you see, comparisons can be drawn between different teams.

I can't believe you are comparing the two groups in terms of quality of opposition. FIFA rankings, qualifying record, pre-tournament form, performances in the tournament...whichever way you look at it I think you'll find Argentina had a harder set of opposition.

If you take an honest look at all of the comparisons you are making surely you have to admit that in each case the Group A teams and Sweden come out as the lighter teams.

And if Poland played some "very good football" in this tournament then I think we've been watching a different world cup.

your hatred for Henry is clear to see. The Spain incident was a shame, but in the Portugal match few will argue that it was not a penalty. France deserve credit for magnificent displays against Spain and Brazil in particular. In the Portugal match they went to defend their 1 goal advantage, but the old guard still held out well.

I don't hate Henry - In fact I think he is a fantastic player, and I love watching Arsenal. I agree that most of the time he is a good sportsman but I think his behaviour this tournament has been far from exemplary and I have been disappointed with him.

I agree France were excellent against Brazil, and were good against Spain but, for me, the manner in which they won a tight match took the shine off their performance.

[karimi8]

------------Henry-----------Toni-----------

--------------------Zizou--------------------

------Ze Roberto----Pirlo------Gattuso--------

Grosso-----Cannavaro----Materazzi-----Zambrotta

-------------------Buffon--------------------