Football - Decade's best

[kid-glove]

Best goals. (give your top 5)

Best moments. (give your top 5)

Best assist/pass. (give your favorite ones)

Best freekick. (top 5)

Best matches. ( 5-10 would do)

Best XI (this would be better than single player). (both EPL and European all-star)

Best team. (give your 5. Base it on single season. EPL, Europe)

[sathya_1979]

Best goals. (give your top 5) - Ronaldo Vs Porto, Arshavin geometry defying goal in a friendly (Opponent marandhu pochu), Zizou Vs Leverkusen, Rooney Vs Newcastle, Mottai Ronaldo Vs United at OT

Best moments. (give your top 5) - Top : Owen winner against city, United ECL Winners, Dudek dance in front of goal during penalties Vs Milan, Macheda stunner Vs Villa,

Best assist/pass. (give your favorite ones) - Will update soon

Best freekick. (top 5) - Will update soon

Best matches. ( 5-10 would do) - Will update soon

Best XI (this would be better than single player). (both EPL and European all-star)
- Will update soon
Best team. (give your 5. Base it on single season. EPL, Europe) - United 2007-08 (Double Winners), Barca 2008-09 (6 trophies )
_________________ , Arsenal Invincibles, Porto 2003-04 (Treble Winners).

[kid-glove]

Best XI: (Europe)

------------Buffon
Cafu--Nesta--Maldini-R.Carlos
-----------Makelele
------Xavi-------Zidane
Messi-----------------R.dinho
---------Ronaldo (Brazil)

Not a single EPL player there, unless you count Makelele. You can choose one if you want to. But I'm not picking them all things considered.

Ronaldo (Brazil) is a tough choice. Given that Henry, Sheva, Eto'o, etc had sustained consistently for a number of seasons for their clubs. Ronaldo is more of a late 90's phenomenon when he would be El fenomeno of PSV, Barca and Inter - three major leagues (yes, Eredivisie was a great league around that time). But Ronaldo also had a terrific season at Madrid in this decade. And an excellent World cup at 2002. People say it was the worst world cup yet in history, but I actually thought Ronaldo was invincible and Brazil won the cup mostly due to him, as the main striker. Too bad, he didn't win the CL.

I'd pick Messi ahead of Figo. To my mind, he came closest to Ronaldinho's magical display of 05-06 (he was great for Barca, even in his so-called worst season, he scored and assist some wonderful goals). To measure their greatness, you have to consider the visionary passes, jaw dropping dribbling, close control, skills, and level of football intelligence. What makes Ronaldinho and Messi great, is their big game performance - both in assists and in goals. And both score wide ranges of goals.

Xavi holds the record number of assists (29) for a single season. And for a good reason too. He is one of the finest midfield playmakers of our time.

Makelele-Zidane completes the midfield for me. They ruled for France, and Real like no other. Makelele is not much of a footballer, but more of a destroyer. But there is no other in this decade who do a better job.

I prefer 4-3-3, so a proper DM is absolute must.

Back-4 pick themselves. I love Nesta-Maldini as a pair. Maldini plays both LB and CB. But I saw best of him as CB alongside Nesta. For club and country. And that said, I think Cannavaro isn't a bad libero either.

I fully rate Brazilian fullbacks. Cafu and R.Carlos are both enigmatic footballers of finest quality.

Buffon ahead of Saint Iker. It is close but I have seen Iker do a tad more mistakes than Buffon. So there.

[sathya_1979]

Best XI for EPL:

VDS
Sagna Carvalho Gallas A.Cole

Ronaldo Scholes Essien Giggs

Henry Torres

[kid-glove]

Arshavin's goal was against Atletico Madrid. I think he scored from around 2-5 degrees. I thought he sand-duned it to fall just-in far post.

My favorite goals of this type (unbelievable angle):

Vieri for Atletico Madrid vs Paok

R.Carlos vs Tenerife

R. Pires vs Newcastle (when he played for Marseilles)

All three from previous decades.

Lampard vs Barcelona (although I'm not sure he meant it)

That was similar to Drogba vs Hull this season. (Drogbark admitted it was a cross)

[Raikkonen]

Decade XI's

Overall (4-3-3): Casillas; Zambrotta,Nesta,Lucio,A Cole; Makelele, Zidane, Gerrard; C Ronaldo, Messi, Drogba


EPL (4-4-2): Cech; Finnan,Ferdinand,S Campbell, A Cole; Ronaldo, Lampard, Gerrard, Giggs; Shearer, Torres


La Liga (4-4-2): Casillas; Puyol, Marchena, Ayala, R Carlos; Joaquin Sanchez, Xavi, Zidane, Ronaldinho; Raul, Messi


Serie A (4-2-3-1): Buffon; Zambrotta, Nesta, Maldini, Jankulovski; J Zanetti, De Rossi; Nedved, Totti, Kaka; Ibrahimovic

[kid-glove]

Best moments. (give your top 5)

Positive:

a) Liverpool comeback from 3-0 down to win CL. Possibly the most astonishing comeback of our lifetime. Dudek's dance included.

b) John Terry slip in penalty shootout 08. "English steel", "tough boy", blah blah. Got back in face, the buffoon. Laughed all day.

c) Pep Guardiola crying after completing 6 trophies for Barcelona.

d) Spain winning 2008 European championship playing champagne Possession football, their trademark and long running philosophy which hadn't worked best, all the time.

e) Zidane winning the CL and Euros. Dinho winning CL. Ronaldo winning the World cup. Undoubtedly, the top 3 players of the decade.

For Arsenal:

1) Coming back from 2-1 down to win 4-2 against Liverpool. Convinced we would win the league that day. Also, 2-2 and winning the league at Spuuuurs was sweet.

2) Winning the league at OT. Wiltoordddd... Classic Martin tyler commentary.

3) Reyessssss..5-3 vs boro, kept unbeaten run.

4) European nights 5-1 vs Inter, 2-0 vs Juve, 2-0 vs Milan, 1-0 vs Madrid.


Negative:
a) Zizou headbutt

b) Handjob - Henry baskeball tap vs Ireland, Scholes volleyball smash vs Zenit, Messi's netball vs Getafe (Maradona-esque)

c) Ronaldo asking referee to send off Rooney. Then eventually both getting back together and winning PL (That's positive).

d) Abramovich, glazers, etc. Worst = Florentino Perez.

e) Calciopoli Scandal

I can have one more, Eduardo's injury. English press turning against Wenger disgracefully. Summed up the hypocrites of the Isles.

[kid-glove]

Interesting. Let me include Liga and Serie A as well.
Decade XI's, without considering any of my european XI, just for interest!

La Liga (4-3-3):
-------------------Casillas
--Pablo-----Puyol-----Ayala-----Capdevilla
------------------Albelda
-----------Valeron------Deco
---Figo-------------------------Riquelme
--------------------Forlan

D.Villa should be there. But Forlan for me, has been a revelation in Liga. Elevated clubs like Atletico, and Villarreal who are both weaker than Valencia by my reckoning. Oh Raul is great, but I thought I'd leave him out as he is far far better as Support striker. But I can't leave out Riquelme.

Serie A (4-1-3-2):

-------------------Cesar
Zambrotta--Cannavaro-Samuel-Zanetti
------------------Pirlo
------Kaka-----Totti-----Nedved
-----------Sheva-------Ibra

Admittedly lightweight in midfield! I could put in Davids/Gattuso in there, alongside Pirlo, and take off Ibra, push Totti up front. I haven't considered Seedorf, but again a dilemma.

Samuel, for me, shouldn't have moved to Madrid, or he would have provided a complete decade of quality defending in Serie A. He has about 7 fantastic seasons by my reckoning, this decade. Ahead of Thuram, for me!

Totti in playmaking role than CF which he is equally good at.

I'm still guilty of leaving out Vieri, Del Piero, Emerson, etc. Says a lot of quality of Serie A.

[kid-glove]

EPL XI:
-----------------Reina
Sagna--Ferdinand--Carvalho--Cashley
-----------Essien----Scholes
C.Ronaldo----Bergkamp-----Pires
----------------Henry

By talent, consistency and importance (match-winning saves), Reina reins all over other Gks of the decade. I like Lehmaan for obvious reasons. VDS is the most prolific. For good reason too.

Bergkamp provided excellent service for half of the decade. While our squad strength and defence hadn't always been best, he helped us forge attack after attack like Napolean marshalled his army. He helped our attacking front of Pires, Henry, Ljuenberg, Wiltord, Reyes, RVP, etc get good amount of goals. He made Vieira, Cashley, etc express their attacking nous. He always finds the killer pass. Main fulcrum of our awesome team goals.

Pires vs Giggs is an interesting debate. It's like Dinho vs Figo, wing-playmaker vs pure winger. I prefer the former - hence, Pires.

I can't pick one of Gerrard and Lampard. Left both out anyway. I picked Scholes in stead coz he was still doing the pass-maker job from midfield like no other, for good part of the decade. Past it now, he maybe.

Quality of RBs is so poor in this league. I picked Sagna out of bias. Cashley just about makes it. Evra is not bad either, he would be very close.

Essien is a must-have. What a player!

Henry was a revelation. Score a solo goal, convert a freekick, link up play ,you name it, the man did it. Could help build attacks, could switch roles with Bergkamp, C.ronaldo and Pires, letting others get goals.

C.Ronaldo will pose a potent goal threat. Has developed a long range shot in him and could also take freekicks. Will get on end of service of Bergkamp, Pires and Henry. Could interchange role with Henry.

[Raikkonen]

let us try bundesliga too

<Diamond>

---------------Kahn--------------

Sagnol--- Lucio--- Worns--- Lahm

--------------Frings--------------

------Ballack---------Schneider------

-------------Diego---------------

Ribery ---------------------Makaay