SportingCP96
emotional range of a teaspoon
- Joined
- Feb 17, 2014
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- Sporting Clube de Portugal
With World Cup season looming following the draw I figured we could have some fun.
In YOUR opinion what is your country’s ALL TIME XI and coach (the coach had to have coached the national team)
Not everyone will have the same opinion for their country so will be interesting to see the differences.
Alright let’s get it started!
My ALL TIME Portugal XI
Formation: 4-1-2-1-2
GK: Vitori Baía: Porto legend who I believe is the greatest shot stopper we ever produced.
RB: Joao Pinto: Hard nose right back who was both a leader and a player who would never stop running, once described as having two hearts and 4 legs because he never stopped.
CB: Ricardo Carvalho - Absolute legend who was a key player in multiple big clubs through out his career.
CB: Pepe - One of the best defenders of the past 20 years Pepe was a key player in Madrid and Portugal for years, was a huge performer in Euro 2016.
LB: Hilário -This was a tough one but I’ve gone with Hilario a Sporting legend, was a key player in a Eusébio led Portugal in 1966 and I felt he was a deserved player for this spot.
CM: Coluna - A Benfica legend who was a tank in midfield. Incredible box to box player who can both shoot from distance and was technically skilled. He was an Engine in midfield.
CAM: Rui Costa - Portuguese prince, elegant in midfield and a maestro. Rui Costa was brilliant. Part of Portugal’s golden generation Rui Costa ia heralded as a king in Florence and a Série A legend.
LM: Paulo Futre - In his time only behind Maradona and Platini Paulo Futre was one of the greatest dribblers the game has ever seen. Dubbed the Portuguese Maradona for their similar style of play and wing wizardry Paulo Futre was the key player in Porto’s 1987 CL win and is and Idol in atlético Madrid. One of the biggest legends for Atlético Paulo Futre also came second in Balon D or voting in 1987 behind Ruid Gullit. Some believe it was rigged by AC Milan’s president after Milan had purchased the Dutch midfielder. Strong case Futre should have won that year. For many the 4th most talented player the country has ever produced.
RM: Luis Figo - Who else but Luís Figo. Balon D or winner, wing wizard and of the greatest players the game has ever and will ever see. Also the cause of the biggest transfer the game has ever seen. Widely regarded as the unanimous third best player in Portugal’s history.
ST: Eusebio - The King, Eusébio was part of the legendary Benfica teams that conquered Europe. Widely regarded as a competitor to Pele they managed to meet one time in the World Cup. Eusébio was the key reason in Portugal attaining their greatest ever finish at the World Cup. For years considered the greatest Portuguese player ever he has since been surpassed by a certain someone, nonetheless the consensus #2.
ST: Cristiano Ronaldo - Who else but the great man himself. I could just leave it at GOAT but that’s no fun. The greatest player in the history of the CL, the greatest goal scorer of all time, the greatest national team goals scorer of all time, 5x Balon D or and the list just gets longer after that. Arguably the greatest of all time, at the very least Ronaldo along with Messi, Maradona and Pele sit at the Mount Rushmore of Futebol. Key figure in Portugal only ever major trophy.
Coach: Fernando Santos - Very hot take but he has so many records and the best winning % ever for Portugal as well as being the Coach that led us to a European title. HOWEVER it is a SUPER close second to Scolari IMO.
Bench:
Rui Patrício
Couto
Nani
Quaresma
Deco
Pauleta
* For the CB position I struggled as I was between Fernando Couto and Humberto Coelho as well but I went with recency bias. For the LB position I also considered Coentrao.
* That front line is incredible. Figo and Futre wing wizardry crossing to Ronaldo and Eusébio with Rui Costa pulling the strings behind. It’s futebol Porn.
In YOUR opinion what is your country’s ALL TIME XI and coach (the coach had to have coached the national team)
Not everyone will have the same opinion for their country so will be interesting to see the differences.
Alright let’s get it started!
My ALL TIME Portugal XI
Formation: 4-1-2-1-2
GK: Vitori Baía: Porto legend who I believe is the greatest shot stopper we ever produced.
RB: Joao Pinto: Hard nose right back who was both a leader and a player who would never stop running, once described as having two hearts and 4 legs because he never stopped.
CB: Ricardo Carvalho - Absolute legend who was a key player in multiple big clubs through out his career.
CB: Pepe - One of the best defenders of the past 20 years Pepe was a key player in Madrid and Portugal for years, was a huge performer in Euro 2016.
LB: Hilário -This was a tough one but I’ve gone with Hilario a Sporting legend, was a key player in a Eusébio led Portugal in 1966 and I felt he was a deserved player for this spot.
CM: Coluna - A Benfica legend who was a tank in midfield. Incredible box to box player who can both shoot from distance and was technically skilled. He was an Engine in midfield.
CAM: Rui Costa - Portuguese prince, elegant in midfield and a maestro. Rui Costa was brilliant. Part of Portugal’s golden generation Rui Costa ia heralded as a king in Florence and a Série A legend.
LM: Paulo Futre - In his time only behind Maradona and Platini Paulo Futre was one of the greatest dribblers the game has ever seen. Dubbed the Portuguese Maradona for their similar style of play and wing wizardry Paulo Futre was the key player in Porto’s 1987 CL win and is and Idol in atlético Madrid. One of the biggest legends for Atlético Paulo Futre also came second in Balon D or voting in 1987 behind Ruid Gullit. Some believe it was rigged by AC Milan’s president after Milan had purchased the Dutch midfielder. Strong case Futre should have won that year. For many the 4th most talented player the country has ever produced.
RM: Luis Figo - Who else but Luís Figo. Balon D or winner, wing wizard and of the greatest players the game has ever and will ever see. Also the cause of the biggest transfer the game has ever seen. Widely regarded as the unanimous third best player in Portugal’s history.
ST: Eusebio - The King, Eusébio was part of the legendary Benfica teams that conquered Europe. Widely regarded as a competitor to Pele they managed to meet one time in the World Cup. Eusébio was the key reason in Portugal attaining their greatest ever finish at the World Cup. For years considered the greatest Portuguese player ever he has since been surpassed by a certain someone, nonetheless the consensus #2.
ST: Cristiano Ronaldo - Who else but the great man himself. I could just leave it at GOAT but that’s no fun. The greatest player in the history of the CL, the greatest goal scorer of all time, the greatest national team goals scorer of all time, 5x Balon D or and the list just gets longer after that. Arguably the greatest of all time, at the very least Ronaldo along with Messi, Maradona and Pele sit at the Mount Rushmore of Futebol. Key figure in Portugal only ever major trophy.
Coach: Fernando Santos - Very hot take but he has so many records and the best winning % ever for Portugal as well as being the Coach that led us to a European title. HOWEVER it is a SUPER close second to Scolari IMO.
Bench:
Rui Patrício
Couto
Nani
Quaresma
Deco
Pauleta
* For the CB position I struggled as I was between Fernando Couto and Humberto Coelho as well but I went with recency bias. For the LB position I also considered Coentrao.
* That front line is incredible. Figo and Futre wing wizardry crossing to Ronaldo and Eusébio with Rui Costa pulling the strings behind. It’s futebol Porn.