Friday, July 02, 2010

Team of the Group Stages

OK so who read my initial suggestion? I only picked ten players! Now after reading two other people's team of the Group stages and thinking about things I've made a couple of alterations. Maicon comes in for Ramos at right-back. I pick two centre-backs now - adding Pique into the mix. My missing defensive midfielder was the eleventh player I missed out - and it's hard to argue with having Marquez there. I've removed Mueller for my extra centre-back. He was brilliant against Aussie but he didn't live up to these standards against Serbia and Ghana.

There is now a proper defensive side to this team so we can scratch the caveat and potential criticisms on that score.

Tulio is perhaps my most controversial selection. What about Grichting? Lugano? Nelsen? Subotic? Onyewu? I have been very impressed by Tulio, am I wrong to select him?

                                         Benaglio (SWI)
Maicon (BRA)           Tulio (JAP)         Pique (SPA)          Salcido (MEX)
                                        Marquez (MEX)
               Honda (JAP)                                   Oezil (GER)
                                        Messi (ARG)
                      Villa (ESP)                      Forlan (URU)

4 comments:

Hayden said...

my team

Paston

Maicon Tulio Nelsen salcido

mascherano honda

oezil

messi villa

higuain

agree ramos has been superb but maicon is brilliant left mueller out because his best performance was round of 16. And in a tough call chose higuain over forlan but could easily have left out villa. Bit generous to put 2 kiwi's in but they were both the best in their positions.

William Fussey said...

Have made a couple of changes and corrected the fact I only picked ten players in my initial team!

Paston was poor against Slovakia. He made a couple of great saves against Paraguay but Italy was his only real top drawer performance. Benaglio has been the most consistent. Nelsen's only world class performance was against Italy but he is certainly pushing for a spot.

Higuain should be nowhere near the team. He profited from the brilliance of the likes of Messi.

Hayden said...

Yeah your right Higuain has done nothing other than score goals so he shouldn't be in the team….. hang on all I want my strikers to do is score goals so he's in the team!!!!!!! And Forlan was truly awful against France should have won the game twice.

William Fussey said...

Anyone could have or would have scored Higuain's goals. They were the easiest goals ever. Messi could probably have even set up Tresor Kandol to score those goals!