[aldo_14]

Hey, a non political thread!

Um, FIFA just released a list (by Pele) of the 125 greatest living players (75 current, 50 retired).

 Argentina:
Alfredo Di Stefano, Daniel Passarella, Diego Maradona, Gabriel Batistuta, Hernan Crespo, Javier Saviola, Javier Zanetti, Juan Sebastian Veron, Mario Kempes, Omar Sivori

Belgium:
Franky van der Elst, Jean-Marie Pfaff, Jan Cuelemans

Brazil:
Cafu, Carlos Alberto, Djalma Santos, Falcao, Nilton Santos, Junior, Pele, Rivaldo, Rivelino, Roberto Carlos, Romario, Ronaldinho, Ronaldo, Socrates, Zico

Bulgaria:
Hristo Stoichkov

Cameroon:
Roger Milla

Chile:
Pablo Figueroa, Ivan Zamorano

Colombia:
Carlos Valderrama

Croatia:
Davor Suker

Czech Repbublic:
Josef Masopust, Pavel Nedved

Denmark:
Brian Laudrup, Michael Laudrup, Peter Schmeichel

England:
Alan Shearer, Bobby Charlton, David Beckham, Gary Lineker, Gordon Banks, Kevin Keegan, Michael Owen

France:
David Trezeguet, Didier Deschamps, Eric Cantona, Jean-Pierre Papin, Just Fontaine, Lilian Thuram, Marcel Desailly, Marius Tresor, Michel Platini, Patrick Vieira, Raymond Kopa, Robert Pires, Thierry Henry, Zinedine Zidane

Germany:
Franz Beckenbauer, Gerd Mueller, Jurgen Klinsmann, Karl-Heinz Rummenigge, Lothar Matthaeus, Michael Ballack, Oliver Kahn, Paul Breitner, Sepp Maier, Uwe Seeler

Ghana:
Abedi Pele

Holland:
Clarence Seedorf, Dennis Bergkamp, Edgar Davids, Frank Rijkaard, Johan Neeskens, Johan Cruyff, Marco van Basten, Patrick Kluivert, Rene van de Kerkhof, Rob Rensenbrink, Ruud Gullit, Ruud van Nistelrooy, Willie van de Kerkhof

Hungary:
Ferenc Puskas

Repubic of Ireland:
Roy Keane

Italy:
Alessandro Del Piero, Alessandro Nesta, Christian Vieri, Dino Zoff, Francesco Totti, Franco Baresi, Giampiero Boniperti, Giacinto Fachetti, Gianluca Buffon, Gianni Rivera, Giuseppe Bergomi, Paolo Rossi, Paolo Maldini, Roberto Baggio

Japan:
Hidetoshi Nakata

Liberia:
George Weah

Mexico:
Hugo Sanchez

Nigeria:
Jay-Jay Okocha

Northern Ireland:
George Best

Paraguay:
Romerito

Peru:
Teofilo Cubillas

Poland:
Zbigniew Boniek

Portugal:
Eusebio, Luis Figo, Rui Costa

Romania:
Gheorghe Hagi

Russia:
Rinat Disayev

Scotland:
Kenny Dalglish

Senegal:
El Hadji Diouf

South Korea:
Hong Myung-Bo

Spain:
Emilio Butragueno, Luis Enrique, Raul

Turkey:
Emre Belozoglu, Rustu Recber

Ukraine:
Andriy Shevchenko

Uruguay:
Enzo Francescoli

United States:
Michelle Akers, Mia Hamm

Any thoughts?  I'm somewhat surprised Boban didn;t make the list for Croatia, and that there's so few Spanish there.

[an0n]

Roy Keane?

**** off.

He can barely play 20 minutes without starting a ****ing fight or running off to get a plane home.

[Rictor]

Though there are many good players among those, it seems that like the Oscars, this list rewards fame and not actual skill.

As well, I couldn't help notice that...there...are...no...Serbian... PLAYERS!! We've got many good ones, who are members of renowned teams such as Real Madrid and so forth. Not fair.

Ok fine, I'll quit my *****ing. I hate you all. One day, when I'm gone, you'll be sorry.

/goes off to sulk in his room

[mikhael]

What game is this for again?

[Flipside]

You'd call it Soccer

I agree that this isn't about skill, David Owen is good, yes, but he's got a long way to go before he's one of the 'greats'. I suppose it depends on whether you judge simply by their skill at what they do, or by their overall contribution to football/soccer

[mikhael]

I know, Flipside. I was attempting to say, without saying, "who cares about football"?

[Rictor]

I was thinking of Ronaldo actually. Owen is awesome for his age. He'll be one of the greats no doubt.

Originally posted by mikhael
I know, Flipside. I was attempting to say, without saying, "who cares about football"?

Well, that would be oh, the whole world.

[aldo_14]

Originally posted by an0n
Roy Keane?

**** off.

He can barely play 20 minutes without starting a ****ing fight or running off to get a plane home.

True.....

Originally posted by Rictor
Though there are many good players among those, it seems that like the Oscars, this list rewards fame and not actual skill.

As well, I couldn't help notice that...there...are...no...Serbian... PLAYERS!! We've got many good ones, who are members of renowned teams such as Real Madrid and so forth. Not fair.

Ok fine, I'll quit my *****ing. I hate you all. One day, when I'm gone, you'll be sorry.

/goes off to sulk in his room

Well, had.  There's not that many greats around justnow - Mihailjovic has lost it a bit, and Kezman and maybe Stankovic are still not quite there yet.  Stoijkovic was some player, though..... maybe he should have been in it.

Originally posted by mikhael
I know, Flipside. I was attempting to say, without saying, "who cares about football"?

Worlds most popular sport.

[mikhael]

I give up. Sarcasm is lost on you lot.

[aldo_14]

Thou shalt not take The One True Game lightly.

[Ghostavo]

Only 3 portuguese? bah...

[aldo_14]

Originally posted by Ghostavo
Only 3 portuguese? bah...

I dunno, that's pretty generous.  Every time I've seen Rui Costa for Milan, he's not been able to hit a cows arse with a banjo from 2 feet.    Er, shoot, that is.

Anyways, you should count yourself lucky.  We got exactly 1 player, and we invented the sport.  Bah.

[mikhael]

Originally posted by aldo_14
Thou shalt not take The One True Game lightly.

I take all games lightly.

Soccer is reasonably cool, I guess. But its only fun to play. Its boring as hell to watch. Contrast that with basketball. That's hella fun to watch, but damned annoying to play.

[Ghostavo]

What about Pauleta?

[aldo_14]

Originally posted by Ghostavo
What about Pauleta?

Pauletas a great striker, but he's hardly one of the worlds best.... plus he's not really done that much, has he?  IIRC he was at Depor for a bit, then went to Bordeaux  and the PSG....but he's never really made a massive impact in terms of Europe, or internationally.  Well, so far.

i mean, Pauleta hasn;t achieved enough in the game to be considered as one of the best in history.  Look at the players that list doesn't have - Denis Law, Hierro, Guardiola, Toldo, Cannavaro, Lucio, Giggs, Hakan Sukur, Zubizaretta, Chilavert, Lizerazu, Ravelli, Walter Samuel, Emerson, Scifo..........

[Thorn]

Originally posted by aldo_14
Thou shalt not take The One True Game lightly.

Thou shalt not talk to a Canadian about any sport other than Hockey. Unless its the off season, in which case Football (CFL) is acceptable.

[Rictor]

What aboot curling? Its the world's most underappreciated sport.

[Thorn]

Yeah.. Curling is OK...
Its harder than it looks...

[diamondgeezer]

Two things I notice in this thread:

1) Pele named himself in is list (despite the fact that, as Skinner and Badiel rightly pointed out, Pele was ****e. He was worse than Jason Lee)

2) Flipside used the phrase 'David Owen', for which I shall point at him and laugh

Oh, and while I'm on the subject of the beautiful game - we're so nine points clear at the top

Mighty Gooners, pride of north London

[Nico]

1) I for one hate football with a passion.

2) Deschamps? Dessailly? Thuram? My ass