Chain Draft (Main Thread)

[The Stain]

Quick look at Schweinsteiger says the only year outside of the main Bayern side he'd be eligible for is 2002-03 with Bayern Munich II, and even then Lahm played with him that season . It's impossible for Sjor to even pick anyone now.

Edit: missed that Lahm was at Stuttgart in the 2003/04 or 04/05 seasons. Maybe a way out there?

Ye, i've found a few players. Might not be for the starting 11 but there are ways out.

 

[Marty1968]

Koeman only a 10th round pick? Will make a great partnership with Stam. Good picks @The Stain

Just out of interest as missed all of this draft...are the players to be judged on how they performed at each of the clubs listed or for their whole careers??

 

[Marty1968]

Ye, i've found a few players. Might not be for the starting 11 but there are ways out.

Surely he'll just pick a United player?

 

[The Stain]

Koeman only a 10th round pick? Will make a great partnership with Stam. Good picks @The Stain

Just out of interest as missed all of this draft...are the players to be judged on how they performed at each of the clubs listed or for their whole careers??

Cheers! Whole careers.

Surely he'll just pick a United player?

Has to have played 15 games.

 

[Joga Bonito]

Where art thou @Cal?

 

[Joga Bonito]

Where art thou @Cal?

Meh, take your time @Cal? . Looks like we might need some time to make our pick, so no hurry.

 

[Šjor Bepo]

@Šjor Bepo Has completely ruined our team

Who the feck are you going to pick next who did not play with both Lahm and Schwien

With Basti in my team im comfortable playing with 10 men

 

[Cal?]

Where art thou @Cal?

Long day today...

Leonardo (Milan)

On phone, pls add to list

 

[Šjor Bepo]

mazhar13: 1. R. Falcao 2. di Bartolomei (Roma) 3. Tassotti (Milan) 4. Savicevic (Milan) 5. Jugovic (Red Star) 6. J. Zanetti (Inter) 7. R. Carlos (Inter) 8. Rivaldo (Palmeiras) 9. Couto (Barcelona)
antohan: 1. Facchetti 2. Boninsegna (Inter) 3. Scirea (Juve) 4. Altafini (Juve) 5. L. Buffon (Milan) 6. Julio César Abbadie (Genoa) 7. O. Varela (Peñarol) 8. V. R. Andrade (NT) 9. Juan Eduardo Hohberg (Peñarol)
MJJ (crappy): 1. Romario 2. Guardiola (Barca) 3. Figo (Barca) 4. Vieira (Inter) 5. Henry (Arsenal) 6. Deschamps (Juve) 7. Kohler (Juve) 8. Sammer (Dortmund) 9. Kahn (NT)
Joga (Annah): 1. Didi 2. N. Santos (Botafogo) 3. J. Bauer (Botafogo) 4. M. Ramos (Sao Paulo) 5. Zito (Santos) 6. C. Alberto (Santos) 7. Rivelino (Fluminense) 8. Jairzinho (NT) 9. M.Tresor (Marseille)
Cal?: 1. Ribery 2. Robben (Bayern) 3. Cannavaro (Real) 4. Zambrotta (Juve) 5. van der Sar (Juve) 6. Evra (United) 7. Pirlo (Juve) 8. Djorkaeff (Inter) 9. Weah (Monaco) 10. Leonardo (Milan)
diarm: 1. R. Baggio 2. Tacconi (Juve) 3. Tardelli (Juve) 4. G. Baresi (Inter) 5. Klinsmann (Inter) 6. Campbell (Spurs) 7. Scholes (NT) 8. Cantona (United) 9. Amoros (Marseille) 10. Bokšić (Marseille)
green_smiley: 1. Nordahl 2. Schiaffino (Milan) 3. Ghezzi (Milan) 4. Rivera (Milan) 5. Collovati (Milan) 6. Causio (Inter) 7. Cabrini (Juve) 8. Marocchi (Juve) 9. Häßler (Juve) 10. Olsen (Koln)
Cutch: 1. Passarella 2. Bergomi (Inter) 3. Bergkamp (Inter) 4. Davids (Ajax) 5. Vierchowod (Juve) 6. Conti (Roma) 7. P. Rossi (NT) 8. Evani (Milan) 9. Donadoni (Milan) 10. Panucci (Milan)
bleezy: 1. M. Laudrup 2. Stoichkov (Barca) 3. Benarrivo (Parma) 4. Albertini (Padova) 5. Cafu (Milan) 6. Batistuta (Roma) 7. Ayala (NT) 8. Mendieta (Valencia) 9. Zubizarreta (Valencia) 10. Alexanko (Barcelona)
Sjor Bepo: 1. Gento 2. Amancio Amaro (Real) 3. Netzer (Real) 4. Bonhof (Gladbach) 5. Schumacher (Koln) 6. Forster (NT) 7. Papin (Marseille) 8. Babbel (Bayern) 9. Lahm (Stuttgart) 10. Schweinsteiger (Bayern)
EAP: 1. Breitner 2. K. H. Rummenigge (Bayern) 3. Zenga (Inter) 4. Brehme (Inter) 5. Augenthaler (Bayern) 6. Effenberg (Bayern) 7. W Sagnol (Bayern) 8. Ballack (Bayern) 9. Shevchenko (Chelsea) 10. Emerson (Milan)
Skizzo: 1. J. Charles 2. O. Sivori (Juve) 3. Del Sol (Juve) 4. Santamaria (Real) 5. Pirri (Real) 6. Camacho (Real) 7. Chendo (Real) 8. Hierro (Real) 9. L. Enrique (NT) 10. Riquelme (Barcelona)
The Stain: 1. Robson 2. Giggs (United) 3. Stam (United) 4. Kaka (Milan) 5. Essien (Real) 6. A. Cole (Chelsea) 7. Beckham (NT) 8. Van Nistelrooy (United) 9. Iwan (PSV) 10. Koeman (Feyenoord)
Pat_Mustard: 1. Sir B. Charlton 2. Law (United) 3. Rosato (Torino) 4. Schnellinger (Milan) 5. Zoff(Mantova) 6. Haller (Juventus) 7. Vogts (NT) 8. Simonsen (Gladbach) 9. Schuster (Barcelona) 10. Ruggeri (Real)
Kazi: 1. S. Mazzola 2. Luisito Suarez (Inter) 3. Kocsis (Barcelona) 4. Bozsik (Honved) 5. Kincses (Kispest) 6. Boniperti (Juve) 7. Hamrin (Juve) 8. Lodetti (Milan) 9. Picchi (NT) 10. Burgnich (Inter)
Tuppet (VivaJ): 1. Van Hanegem 2. Gullit (Feyenoord) 3. Costacurta (Milan) 4. Nesta (Milan) 5. Nedved (Lazio) 6. Del Piero (Juve) 7. Peruzzi (Juve) 8. Reuter (Juve) 9. Kopke (Nurnberg) 10. Makelele (Marseille)

BLOCKED PLAYERS:

Puskas, Di Stefano, Edwards, Garrincha, Pele, Eusebio, Best, Beckenbauer, Gerd Müller, Cruyff, Neeskens, Zico, Platini, Boniek, Maradona, Matthäus, F. Baresi, Maldini, Rijkaard, van Basten, Desailly, L. Ronaldo, Redondo, Seedorf, Keane, Zidane, Thuram, Ronaldinho, C.Ronaldo, Iniesta, Xavi, Messi.

@Joga Bonito @Annahnomoss

 

[antohan]

Picking Schuster used to be so easy. Now there is so much competition for him .

That's on you man. I picked him twice before you, piss easy, nobody cared. I jumped the gun a bit first time getting him at third ahead of Breitner, so next time I nabbed him at sixth. Then you started with your walls of text.

 

[antohan]

70s and 60s decade quota have screwed us a bit with Kahn pick.. only reason we went for him to get at least one of lahm and schwein.. not we will get neither

And you've used the NT card. On a goalie.

It was about time someone tipped your applecart!

 

[Šjor Bepo]

Have to admit, my hatred towards Markus Babbel is much smaller now as he was the main link towards Bastian. Who says that draft doesnt bring people together....

 

[The Stain]

Have to admit, my hatred towards Markus Babbel is much smaller now as he was the main link towards Bastian. Who says that draft doesnt bring people together....

Wasn't he better at RB, though? Anywho.. Tomasz Iwan is my new hero, should do a write up on him in his honor.. But i won't. Had someone picked Koeman i would have been majorly screwed after RvN..

 

[antohan]

Wasn't he better at RB, though? Anywho.. Tomasz Iwan is my new hero, should do a write up on him in his honor.. But i won't. Had someone picked Koeman i would have been majorly screwed after RvN..

You should. I assume your plan was curlyhatchet + Lahm?

 

[Šjor Bepo]

Wasn't he better at RB, though? Anywho.. Tomasz Iwan is my new hero, should do a write up on him in his honor.. But i won't. Had someone picked Koeman i would have been majorly screwed after RvN..

who said he wont play there?

 

[antohan]

The games for this are going to be such a clusterfeck of tactics, stars and personal favourites... You look at the roster and don't want to play against anyone in particular.

 

[The Stain]

You should. I assume your plan was curlyhatchet + Lahm?

That was one way, yes. Would have been difficult navigating my way down the years, though. This way works out better in the end. If my next pick gets picked i still have a backup plan.

who said he wont play there?

Looking forward to it. 3-3-3-1, here we come! (Lahm LB, ah k)

 

[diarm]

The games for this are going to be such a clusterfeck of tactics, stars and personal favourites... You look at the roster and don't want to play against anyone in particular.

I was thinking that the other day. There are a couple of sides you could be drawn against, and be tempted to say "nah feck it, vote for them!"

 

[Joga Bonito]

mazhar13: 1. R. Falcao 2. di Bartolomei (Roma) 3. Tassotti (Milan) 4. Savicevic (Milan) 5. Jugovic (Red Star) 6. J. Zanetti (Inter) 7. R. Carlos (Inter) 8. Rivaldo (Palmeiras) 9. Couto (Barcelona)
antohan: 1. Facchetti 2. Boninsegna (Inter) 3. Scirea (Juve) 4. Altafini (Juve) 5. L. Buffon (Milan) 6. Julio César Abbadie (Genoa) 7. O. Varela (Peñarol) 8. V. R. Andrade (NT) 9. Juan Eduardo Hohberg (Peñarol)
MJJ (crappy): 1. Romario 2. Guardiola (Barca) 3. Figo (Barca) 4. Vieira (Inter) 5. Henry (Arsenal) 6. Deschamps (Juve) 7. Kohler (Juve) 8. Sammer (Dortmund) 9. Kahn (NT) 10.
Joga (Annah): 1. Didi 2. N. Santos (Botafogo) 3. J. Bauer (Botafogo) 4. M. Ramos (Sao Paulo) 5. Zito (Santos) 6. C. Alberto (Santos) 7. Rivelino (Fluminense) 8. Jairzinho (NT) 9. M.Tresor (Marseille) 10. J.Tigana (Bordeaux)
Cal?: 1. Ribery 2. Robben (Bayern) 3. Cannavaro (Real) 4. Zambrotta (Juve) 5. van der Sar (Juve) 6. Evra (United) 7. Pirlo (Juve) 8. Djorkaeff (Inter) 9. Weah (Monaco) 10. Leonardo (Milan)
diarm: 1. R. Baggio 2. Tacconi (Juve) 3. Tardelli (Juve) 4. G. Baresi (Inter) 5. Klinsmann (Inter) 6. Campbell (Spurs) 7. Scholes (NT) 8. Cantona (United) 9. Amoros (Marseille) 10. Bokšić (Marseille)
green_smiley: 1. Nordahl 2. Schiaffino (Milan) 3. Ghezzi (Milan) 4. Rivera (Milan) 5. Collovati (Milan) 6. Causio (Inter) 7. Cabrini (Juve) 8. Marocchi (Juve) 9. Häßler (Juve) 10. Olsen (Koln)
Cutch: 1. Passarella 2. Bergomi (Inter) 3. Bergkamp (Inter) 4. Davids (Ajax) 5. Vierchowod (Juve) 6. Conti (Roma) 7. P. Rossi (NT) 8. Evani (Milan) 9. Donadoni (Milan) 10. Panucci (Milan)
bleezy: 1. M. Laudrup 2. Stoichkov (Barca) 3. Benarrivo (Parma) 4. Albertini (Padova) 5. Cafu (Milan) 6. Batistuta (Roma) 7. Ayala (NT) 8. Mendieta (Valencia) 9. Zubizarreta (Valencia) 10. Alexanko (Barcelona)
Sjor Bepo: 1. Gento 2. Amancio Amaro (Real) 3. Netzer (Real) 4. Bonhof (Gladbach) 5. Schumacher (Koln) 6. Forster (NT) 7. Papin (Marseille) 8. Babbel (Bayern) 9. Lahm (Stuttgart) 10. Schweinsteiger (Bayern)
EAP: 1. Breitner 2. K. H. Rummenigge (Bayern) 3. Zenga (Inter) 4. Brehme (Inter) 5. Augenthaler (Bayern) 6. Effenberg (Bayern) 7. W Sagnol (Bayern) 8. Ballack (Bayern) 9. Shevchenko (Chelsea) 10. Emerson (Milan)
Skizzo: 1. J. Charles 2. O. Sivori (Juve) 3. Del Sol (Juve) 4. Santamaria (Real) 5. Pirri (Real) 6. Camacho (Real) 7. Chendo (Real) 8. Hierro (Real) 9. L. Enrique (NT) 10. Riquelme (Barcelona)
The Stain: 1. Robson 2. Giggs (United) 3. Stam (United) 4. Kaka (Milan) 5. Essien (Real) 6. A. Cole (Chelsea) 7. Beckham (NT) 8. Van Nistelrooy (United) 9. Iwan (PSV) 10. Koeman (Feyenoord)
Pat_Mustard: 1. Sir B. Charlton 2. Law (United) 3. Rosato (Torino) 4. Schnellinger (Milan) 5. Zoff(Mantova) 6. Haller (Juventus) 7. Vogts (NT) 8. Simonsen (Gladbach) 9. Schuster (Barcelona) 10. Ruggeri (Real)
Kazi: 1. S. Mazzola 2. Luisito Suarez (Inter) 3. Kocsis (Barcelona) 4. Bozsik (Honved) 5. Kincses (Kispest) 6. Boniperti (Juve) 7. Hamrin (Juve) 8. Lodetti (Milan) 9. Picchi (NT) 10. Burgnich (Inter)
Tuppet (VivaJ): 1. Van Hanegem 2. Gullit (Feyenoord) 3. Costacurta (Milan) 4. Nesta (Milan) 5. Nedved (Lazio) 6. Del Piero (Juve) 7. Peruzzi (Juve) 8. Reuter (Juve) 9. Kopke (Nurnberg) 10. Makelele (Marseille)

BLOCKED PLAYERS:

Puskas, Di Stefano, Edwards, Garrincha, Pele, Eusebio, Best, Beckenbauer, Gerd Müller, Cruyff, Neeskens, Zico, Platini, Boniek, Maradona, Matthäus, F. Baresi, Maldini, Rijkaard, van Basten, Desailly, L. Ronaldo, Redondo, Seedorf, Keane, Zidane, Thuram, Ronaldinho, C.Ronaldo, Iniesta, Xavi, Messi.

@MJJ @crappycraperson

 

[antohan]

C'mon @crappycraperson and @MJJ, I've been away from work since Friday and it will suck me up the moment I walk in.

@mazhar16, get ready

Or maybe I should just chuck mine in there since I'm nowhere near either of you? @Edgar Allan Pillow

 

[antohan]

@mazhar13 not sure why I upgraded you to 16

 

[Joga Bonito]

That's on you man. I picked him twice before you, piss easy, nobody cared. I jumped the gun a bit first time getting him at third ahead of Breitner, so next time I nabbed him at sixth. Then you started with your walls of text.

So I'm not the only one to do that then

 

[Edgar Allan Pillow]

We had made peace with missing out on Lahm. But MJJ was sure no one would pick Schwein even though I warned him otherwise

Whether it is Lahm or Schweini, this decade is a bad time to get stuck in Germany.

I think you have a very viable option to pick. The most easy way out and he fits your team well!

C'mon @crappycraperson and @MJJ, I've been away from work since Friday and it will suck me up the moment I walk in.

@mazhar16, get ready

Or maybe I should just chuck mine in there since I'm nowhere near either of you? @Edgar Allan Pillow

Well, if you made a mistake and MJJ/crappy decides to pick him, then it's all on you But if you think it's safe, go ahead.

Edit: Just look at team sheet. Nowhere near!

 

[antohan]

Feck it then

 

[Annahnomoss]

C'mon @crappycraperson and @MJJ, I've been away from work since Friday and it will suck me up the moment I walk in.

@mazhar16, get ready

Or maybe I should just chuck mine in there since I'm nowhere near either of you? @Edgar Allan Pillow

Go for it! I think we can do the same too after that.

 

[Edgar Allan Pillow]

Feck it then

PM me if you think you'll be gone!

 

[Edgar Allan Pillow]

That's on you man. I picked him twice before you, piss easy, nobody cared. I jumped the gun a bit first time getting him at third ahead of Breitner, so next time I nabbed him at sixth. Then you started with your walls of text.

Drafts have changed!

First came the 'story', a background and introduction to players. Was quite informative and makes for a brilliant read. Then came the gif's. Tons of them in the match thread.

Gone were the times of "It is a all GOAT defence and it'll stop anything my opponent can throw at me" write up's!

 

[Chesterlestreet]

Bit surprised at how this has panned out. The amount of "lesser" picks is lower than I'd have thought. Some very star studded teams here indeed. Could be some interesting match-ups.

I also overestimated the difficulty of getting around the decades limitation. I do see some issues with balance here and there, though, but all in all many of the teams have been assembled fairly smoothly compared to what I initially thought.

 

[crappycraperson]

I will pick in 10 mins. Just checking one last thing

 

[Skizzo]

Bit surprised at how this has panned out. The amount of "lesser" picks is lower than I'd have thought. Some very star studded teams here indeed. Could be some interesting match-ups.

I also overestimated the difficulty of getting around the decades limitation. I do see some issues with balance here and there, though, but all in all many of the teams have been assembled fairly smoothly compared to what I initially thought.

So you're saying there's a few -worthy teams?

 

[antohan]

Pick 10: Néstor Tito Gonçalves (Peñarol 1959-60)

In 1957, the club went into an economy drive, but it was clear that penny-pinching wasn’t going to also fix the problem of Nacional winning the last three league titles while the team transitioned. It was unacceptable. This prompted an initiative that would be the start of an ongoing advantage for Peñarol.

Uruguay has always been very Montevideo-centric since half the population live there. In fact, it is only in the last 20 years that teams outside the capital have participated in the Uruguayan League. But half the population doesn’t live there, and the brightest talents weren’t exactly urban types, so they created a formal (not fan-tip based) scout network to identify the best and brightest prospects from towns in the countryside.

This same approach would later be expanded when Real destroyed us (albeit, and crucially, with Tito injured) in the first Intercontinental Final. Their glamour, the way they had collected the best players imaginable, their entire setup… The Board decided the Argies and Brazilians would stay home, but the best of the rest of South America could be lured to come to Peñarol, as Uruguay was comparatively one of the wealthiest and so far the most successful football nation in the continent. And thus came the best players from Ecuador, Perú, Paraguay, Chile… That Peñarol side didn’t just boast the best of Uruguay, two best evers in their roles (nationally), but also the best player Ecuador and Chile ever had. Peñarol's 60s side boiled down to this: it was the "Rest of South America Select XI", playing together for a decade.

No one can beat Peñarol... At this point in time, there isn't a single European side -I repeat, none- that could aspire to beat the South American champions. It's a team with an unsurpassed combination of technique, courage and discipline

Anyhow, I digress, but in that trial run in early 1957, seven players were brought in and two of them would rightfully become club legends. They all went straight into the reserves for a bedding in period - with Cubilla famously complaining about it, the big time Charlie (“I didn’t leave my town to play for the Reserves”). With that attitude, it is no wonder that he didn’t last too long (although he had four very successful years). The one that rose quicker went about things differently, working hard, always looking to learn from his seniors, and within six months everyone could tell that the massive gap left in midfield by Varela’s retirement was destined for him. The timing couldn’t be better, as captain Martínez was bound to have only 3-4 seasons left in him.

Legend has it that Varela had left the club at the end of the 1956 season and hadn’t set foot in Las Acacias until he heard about this kid. He visited the club, spent a few hours with him and left for good never to return again safe in the knowledge that his legacy would be in good hands. His name was Néstor “Tito” Gonçalves, and by 1958 he was a nailed on starter. A one-club man, Gonçálves was a tough as nails defensive midfielder with an exceptional passing range, exactly what a deep-sitting counter-attacking side needed. With him from centre-to-left and Abbadie on the right, there was always a nearby outlet (let alone with this chap Gaetano Scirea ).

His arrival was a big contributing factor in kickstarting Peñarol’s most glorious and decorated period. Considered one of the 15 greatest teams of all time, his Peñarol went toe-to-toe regularly with Santos, Real Madrid and Benfica and delivered 9 league titles between 1958 and 1968, three Copa Libertadores wins, two Intercontinental Cup wins and the Intercontinental Cup Winners Supercup. It's on the back of this decade that when the IFFHS tallied up the scores Peñarol came first and was recognised as the Most Successful South American Club of the Century ("Champion of the Century").

His performance in the 1966 final decider is the stuff of legend. I'll have to write about that later but, with Peñarol 2-0 down halfway through the second half, it was his rearguard action (and assist to boot) that kickstarted an epic comeback. To this day an unlikely comeback turned into an onslaught and beating up of the rival is referred to as "ganar a lo Peñarol" (winning the Peñarol way). And to this day River Plate are referred to as "las gallinas" (chicken) for the manner of that defeat. River had everything: youth, a striker having a freak season (still the top scorer in a single Libertadores with 17), they were 2-0 up... What they lacked was the character to put up with the furious thrusts of a battle-hardened side leveraging their class, experience and sheer will to win. Spencer-Abbadie-Spencer-Rocha, 4-2. Is it any wonder what caught my imagination about United?

After retiring he stayed at the club as a coach, and has been heading Youth Development for almost fourty years now. He even managed to get his sperm to produce a CM who would be instrumental for Peñarol’s next Libertadores win in 1987*.

Legend.


Note: various sites will indicate a possible overlap by referring to 1956-57 seasons or just having stuff plain wrong. He did not play with Andrade, who left early in 1957, played the Copa América in March and retired altogether around June after playing in a friendly against Argentina. Basically, just like his uncle who played in 1930 having been a free agent for over three months. Tito joined around that time (our Summer/your Winter 1957) but went to reserves (la Quinta) first.

Speaking at the team hotel after beating Real in Madrid. Peñarol won 4-0 on aggregate. Hours earlier in the dressing room he commented: "I don't know about you, but that was way too easy", and they all agreed: that game against River had been the highlight of their careers.

*The venue for that game was once again Santiago de Chile, and a Peñarol side featuring Gonçalves Jr. and Matosas Jr. beat three-times consecutive finalists América de Cali, 1-0, scoring in the 119:42 min, when a draw after ET would have handed it to the Colombians.

 

[antohan]

Drafts have changed!

First came the 'story', a background and introduction to players. Was quite informative and makes for a brilliant read. Then came the gif's. Tons of them in the match thread.

Gone were the times of "It is a all GOAT defence and it'll stop anything my opponent can throw at me" write up's!

Well, I'm not doing any of that shit. AFAIC 2500 is the character limit on match tactics and I'll stick to that.

 

[green_smiley]

mazhar13: 1. R. Falcao 2. di Bartolomei (Roma) 3. Tassotti (Milan) 4. Savicevic (Milan) 5. Jugovic (Red Star) 6. J. Zanetti (Inter) 7. R. Carlos (Inter) 8. Rivaldo (Palmeiras) 9. Couto (Barcelona)
antohan: 1. Facchetti 2. Boninsegna (Inter) 3. Scirea (Juve) 4. Altafini (Juve) 5. L. Buffon (Milan) 6. Julio César Abbadie (Genoa) 7. O. Varela (Peñarol) 8. V. R. Andrade (NT) 9. Juan Eduardo Hohberg (Peñarol) 10. Néstor Gonçalves (Peñarol)
MJJ (crappy): 1. Romario 2. Guardiola (Barca) 3. Figo (Barca) 4. Vieira (Inter) 5. Henry (Arsenal) 6. Deschamps (Juve) 7. Kohler (Juve) 8. Sammer (Dortmund) 9. Kahn (NT) 10.
Joga (Annah): 1. Didi 2. N. Santos (Botafogo) 3. J. Bauer (Botafogo) 4. M. Ramos (Sao Paulo) 5. Zito (Santos) 6. C. Alberto (Santos) 7. Rivelino (Fluminense) 8. Jairzinho (NT) 9. M.Tresor (Marseille) 10. J. Tigana (Bordeaux)
Cal?: 1. Ribery 2. Robben (Bayern) 3. Cannavaro (Real) 4. Zambrotta (Juve) 5. van der Sar (Juve) 6. Evra (United) 7. Pirlo (Juve) 8. Djorkaeff (Inter) 9. Weah (Monaco) 10. Leonardo (Milan)
diarm: 1. R. Baggio 2. Tacconi (Juve) 3. Tardelli (Juve) 4. G. Baresi (Inter) 5. Klinsmann (Inter) 6. Campbell (Spurs) 7. Scholes (NT) 8. Cantona (United) 9. Amoros (Marseille) 10. Bokšić (Marseille)
green_smiley: 1. Nordahl 2. Schiaffino (Milan) 3. Ghezzi (Milan) 4. Rivera (Milan) 5. Collovati (Milan) 6. Causio (Inter) 7. Cabrini (Juve) 8. Marocchi (Juve) 9. Häßler (Juve) 10. Olsen (Koln)
Cutch: 1. Passarella 2. Bergomi (Inter) 3. Bergkamp (Inter) 4. Davids (Ajax) 5. Vierchowod (Juve) 6. Conti (Roma) 7. P. Rossi (NT) 8. Evani (Milan) 9. Donadoni (Milan) 10. Panucci (Milan)
bleezy: 1. M. Laudrup 2. Stoichkov (Barca) 3. Benarrivo (Parma) 4. Albertini (Padova) 5. Cafu (Milan) 6. Batistuta (Roma) 7. Ayala (NT) 8. Mendieta (Valencia) 9. Zubizarreta (Valencia) 10. Alexanko (Barcelona)
Sjor Bepo: 1. Gento 2. Amancio Amaro (Real) 3. Netzer (Real) 4. Bonhof (Gladbach) 5. Schumacher (Koln) 6. Forster (NT) 7. Papin (Marseille) 8. Babbel (Bayern) 9. Lahm (Stuttgart) 10. Schweinsteiger (Bayern)
EAP: 1. Breitner 2. K. H. Rummenigge (Bayern) 3. Zenga (Inter) 4. Brehme (Inter) 5. Augenthaler (Bayern) 6. Effenberg (Bayern) 7. W Sagnol (Bayern) 8. Ballack (Bayern) 9. Shevchenko (Chelsea) 10. Emerson (Milan)
Skizzo: 1. J. Charles 2. O. Sivori (Juve) 3. Del Sol (Juve) 4. Santamaria (Real) 5. Pirri (Real) 6. Camacho (Real) 7. Chendo (Real) 8. Hierro (Real) 9. L. Enrique (NT) 10. Riquelme (Barcelona)
The Stain: 1. Robson 2. Giggs (United) 3. Stam (United) 4. Kaka (Milan) 5. Essien (Real) 6. A. Cole (Chelsea) 7. Beckham (NT) 8. Van Nistelrooy (United) 9. Iwan (PSV) 10. Koeman (Feyenoord)
Pat_Mustard: 1. Sir B. Charlton 2. Law (United) 3. Rosato (Torino) 4. Schnellinger (Milan) 5. Zoff(Mantova) 6. Haller (Juventus) 7. Vogts (NT) 8. Simonsen (Gladbach) 9. Schuster (Barcelona) 10. Ruggeri (Real)
Kazi: 1. S. Mazzola 2. Luisito Suarez (Inter) 3. Kocsis (Barcelona) 4. Bozsik (Honved) 5. Kincses (Kispest) 6. Boniperti (Juve) 7. Hamrin (Juve) 8. Lodetti (Milan) 9. Picchi (NT) 10. Burgnich (Inter)
Tuppet (VivaJ): 1. Van Hanegem 2. Gullit (Feyenoord) 3. Costacurta (Milan) 4. Nesta (Milan) 5. Nedved (Lazio) 6. Del Piero (Juve) 7. Peruzzi (Juve) 8. Reuter (Juve) 9. Kopke (Nurnberg) 10. Makelele (Marseille)

BLOCKED PLAYERS:

Puskas, Di Stefano, Edwards, Garrincha, Pele, Eusebio, Best, Beckenbauer, Gerd Müller, Cruyff, Neeskens, Zico, Platini, Boniek, Maradona, Matthäus, F. Baresi, Maldini, Rijkaard, van Basten, Desailly, L. Ronaldo, Redondo, Seedorf, Keane, Zidane, Thuram, Ronaldinho, C.Ronaldo, Iniesta, Xavi, Messi.

 

[Balu]

Tito, my hero in the manager draft. Bela is still proud of him.

 

[Chesterlestreet]

So you're saying there's a few -worthy teams?

 

[crappycraperson]

I will pick in 10 mins. Just checking one last thing

This is going to take longer.

 

[MJJ]

We pick nestor tito (played with kahn)

Sorry @antohan

Dont think I need white text but..

 

[antohan]

Pick 11: Elías Ricardo Figueroa (Peñarol 1967-68)

You will of course be familiar with him. He was excellent for Peñarol. It was a shame he caught the dying embers of that side, but he arrived early enough to get a top class crash course in defending. Not just the technical side but the tricks, the mental toughness and no-nonsense approach. Peñarol exposed him to the very best the world had to offer, and he came up trumps every time.

At Peñarol I learned everything I know about defending. Reading the game, the tricks, how to use my body to shield the ball or shepherd a player and neutralise him. Uruguayans fight tooth and nail for every ball. When I first arrived, I had midgets 30cms shorter than me using their shoulders to imbalance me and leave me for dead.

In fact, one such occasion happened soon after his arrival in the 1967 Libertadores which was destined to be Peñarol's until Lezcano decided to mock the Nacional forwards sitting on the ball. Neither Lezcano, nor Figueroa, nor Mazurkiewicz' sub (he was injured) had the experience or gravitas to deal with what came to them after that. Yes, Figueroa was already Chile's captain, but it was just Chile... Nacional won it at the death and kicked Peñarol out. The club President walked into the changing room and said the entire core three were at fault and had let the club down. They had just played their last game for the club. Thankfully, he backed down later, and it was only Lezcano that never wore the shirt again.

Unsurprisingly, even when the leading lights faded he ploughed on and carried the team at times, including a lost Libertadores final which was the swansong for many. Once the defensive lynchpin and mentor was gone, it was time to move on but he didn’t go after the Madrid $$$. Instead, he moved to Internacional de Porto Alegre to stay close to home and remain in the Chilean setup. He was once not called up because the timing between a game he couldn’t extricate himself from and a 1974 WC qualifying playoff in Russia was too tight. He still flew out of Brazil straight after his game, out of his own pocket, wearing a short sleeved shirt and trousers on his way to the Russian winter. He made it, and Chile made it, speaks volumes about his character and determination.


"The area is my home, and I decide who enters it"


Figueroa was noted for his elegant style of play, his calmness in the centre of defence and his ability to cut out opposition attacks and immediately launch counterattacks from the back. With a great positional sense and aerially dominant, Figueroa would be remembered by all as one of the best ever had he not turned down Real Madrid and favoured Inter de Porto Alegre (which allowed him to stay in the Chilean NT setup).

Unfortunately, rankings and awards were less popular in the 60s, or else he would have even more than these individual honours:

• 6 times Best Centre-half in the Americas (1972-77)
• 4 times Best Centre-Half in the World (1974-77)
• 3 times Best Player FROM the Americas (1974-76)
• 2 times World Player of the Year (1975-76)
• Best Centre-half at 1974 FIFA World Cup
• 3 Times Best Player in the Uruguayan League
• 2 Times Best Player in the Brazilian League (ahead of Falcao, Zico, Rivelino, etc.)
• Best Foreign Player in the history of Brazilian Football
• Pelé's nonsense 125 Living Legends
• IFFHS Best South American Defender ever
• IFFHS 8th Best South American Player ever
• IFFHS 37th Best World Player ever (5th among defensive players, third among centre-halves)

I'm the European Figueroa

Beckenbauer and Figueroa have been the only defenders who were better than I

I do not hesitate when saying Elías Figueroa was the best defender ever in World Football

Amazing backs-against-the-the-wall display vs. Germany '74

And there's also a propaganda thread I started before the All-Time final which has some good stuff in it.

 

[antohan]

mazhar13: 1. R. Falcao 2. di Bartolomei (Roma) 3. Tassotti (Milan) 4. Savicevic (Milan) 5. Jugovic (Red Star) 6. J. Zanetti (Inter) 7. R. Carlos (Inter) 8. Rivaldo (Palmeiras) 9. Couto (Barcelona)
antohan: 1. Facchetti 2. Boninsegna (Inter) 3. Scirea (Juve) 4. Altafini (Juve) 5. L. Buffon (Milan) 6. Julio César Abbadie (Genoa) 7. O. Varela (Peñarol) 8. V. R. Andrade (NT) 9. Juan Eduardo Hohberg (Peñarol) 10. Néstor Gonçalves (Peñarol) 11. Elías Ricardo Figueroa (Peñarol)
MJJ (crappy): 1. Romario 2. Guardiola (Barca) 3. Figo (Barca) 4. Vieira (Inter) 5. Henry (Arsenal) 6. Deschamps (Juve) 7. Kohler (Juve) 8. Sammer (Dortmund) 9. Kahn (NT) 10.
Joga (Annah): 1. Didi 2. N. Santos (Botafogo) 3. J. Bauer (Botafogo) 4. M. Ramos (Sao Paulo) 5. Zito (Santos) 6. C. Alberto (Santos) 7. Rivelino (Fluminense) 8. Jairzinho (NT) 9. M.Tresor (Marseille) 10. J. Tigana (Bordeaux)
Cal?: 1. Ribery 2. Robben (Bayern) 3. Cannavaro (Real) 4. Zambrotta (Juve) 5. van der Sar (Juve) 6. Evra (United) 7. Pirlo (Juve) 8. Djorkaeff (Inter) 9. Weah (Monaco) 10. Leonardo (Milan)
diarm: 1. R. Baggio 2. Tacconi (Juve) 3. Tardelli (Juve) 4. G. Baresi (Inter) 5. Klinsmann (Inter) 6. Campbell (Spurs) 7. Scholes (NT) 8. Cantona (United) 9. Amoros (Marseille) 10. Bokšić (Marseille)
green_smiley: 1. Nordahl 2. Schiaffino (Milan) 3. Ghezzi (Milan) 4. Rivera (Milan) 5. Collovati (Milan) 6. Causio (Inter) 7. Cabrini (Juve) 8. Marocchi (Juve) 9. Häßler (Juve) 10. Olsen (Koln)
Cutch: 1. Passarella 2. Bergomi (Inter) 3. Bergkamp (Inter) 4. Davids (Ajax) 5. Vierchowod (Juve) 6. Conti (Roma) 7. P. Rossi (NT) 8. Evani (Milan) 9. Donadoni (Milan) 10. Panucci (Milan)
bleezy: 1. M. Laudrup 2. Stoichkov (Barca) 3. Benarrivo (Parma) 4. Albertini (Padova) 5. Cafu (Milan) 6. Batistuta (Roma) 7. Ayala (NT) 8. Mendieta (Valencia) 9. Zubizarreta (Valencia) 10. Alexanko (Barcelona)
Sjor Bepo: 1. Gento 2. Amancio Amaro (Real) 3. Netzer (Real) 4. Bonhof (Gladbach) 5. Schumacher (Koln) 6. Forster (NT) 7. Papin (Marseille) 8. Babbel (Bayern) 9. Lahm (Stuttgart) 10. Schweinsteiger (Bayern)
EAP: 1. Breitner 2. K. H. Rummenigge (Bayern) 3. Zenga (Inter) 4. Brehme (Inter) 5. Augenthaler (Bayern) 6. Effenberg (Bayern) 7. W Sagnol (Bayern) 8. Ballack (Bayern) 9. Shevchenko (Chelsea) 10. Emerson (Milan)
Skizzo: 1. J. Charles 2. O. Sivori (Juve) 3. Del Sol (Juve) 4. Santamaria (Real) 5. Pirri (Real) 6. Camacho (Real) 7. Chendo (Real) 8. Hierro (Real) 9. L. Enrique (NT) 10. Riquelme (Barcelona)
The Stain: 1. Robson 2. Giggs (United) 3. Stam (United) 4. Kaka (Milan) 5. Essien (Real) 6. A. Cole (Chelsea) 7. Beckham (NT) 8. Van Nistelrooy (United) 9. Iwan (PSV) 10. Koeman (Feyenoord)
Pat_Mustard: 1. Sir B. Charlton 2. Law (United) 3. Rosato (Torino) 4. Schnellinger (Milan) 5. Zoff(Mantova) 6. Haller (Juventus) 7. Vogts (NT) 8. Simonsen (Gladbach) 9. Schuster (Barcelona) 10. Ruggeri (Real)
Kazi: 1. S. Mazzola 2. Luisito Suarez (Inter) 3. Kocsis (Barcelona) 4. Bozsik (Honved) 5. Kincses (Kispest) 6. Boniperti (Juve) 7. Hamrin (Juve) 8. Lodetti (Milan) 9. Picchi (NT) 10. Burgnich (Inter)
Tuppet (VivaJ): 1. Van Hanegem 2. Gullit (Feyenoord) 3. Costacurta (Milan) 4. Nesta (Milan) 5. Nedved (Lazio) 6. Del Piero (Juve) 7. Peruzzi (Juve) 8. Reuter (Juve) 9. Kopke (Nurnberg) 10. Makelele (Marseille)

BLOCKED PLAYERS:

Puskas, Di Stefano, Edwards, Garrincha, Pele, Eusebio, Best, Beckenbauer, Gerd Müller, Cruyff, Neeskens, Zico, Platini, Boniek, Maradona, Matthäus, F. Baresi, Maldini, Rijkaard, van Basten, Desailly, L. Ronaldo, Redondo, Seedorf, Keane, Zidane, Thuram, Ronaldinho, C.Ronaldo, Iniesta, Xavi, Messi.

@MJJ @crappycraperson please tag Mazhar13 when you are done

 

[Skizzo]

@antohan that's who we thought you were going to start with. Cracking pick.