Thursday, December 3, 2009

33rd World Cup Team

I love Ireland, I think they got shafted but their request for a 33rd team was so ridiculous it got me thinking.

How about FIFA allow a 33rd team of players who will miss the World cup in 2010. Guys that if it was up to FIFA would be in over almost anyone on Algeria, North Korea, New Zealand, Slovakia, Chile and South Africa

So here it is the World Cup's 33rd Team.
The 25 Man Roster of Players You won't see in 2010.

RULES:
1. There may be no more than 1 player from any country represented per position. Ex. Shay Given and Robbie Keane can be on the team, but Arshavin and Pavlyuchenko can't (unless we get creative and make Arshavin a winger)
2. There must be at least one player from each of the six associations (UEFA, CONCACAF, COMNEBOL, AFC, OFC, AFRICA)
3. The team must have a fair breakdown of players on it's 22 man roster. Ex. No team would carry 2 GKS, 5 Defenders, 5, Mids, and 13 Strikers

Goalkeepers 3--
Petr Cech (Czech Republic, Chelsea) - Cech isn't as good as he once was, but there is no doubt he is the best goalkeeper not going to South Africa. In 2008, he was voted the #4 keeper in the World behind Casillas, Buffon and van der Sar.
Shay Given (Ireland, Man City) - The argument that Given should be there anyway and the fact that we already have young inexperienced goalkeeper in Navas is why I put him on the squad over Igor Akinfeev (Russia, CSKA Moscow)
Keylor Navas (Costa Rica, Saprissa) - Navas is only 22 and already considered the third best keeper in CONCACAF. I know what your thinking, it's CONCACAF who cares? Considering he's behind Tim Howard and Guillermo Ochoa, that's not a bad spot to be. Akinfeev is better, but UEFA has enough on this team.


Defenders 8 --
Yuri Zhirkov (Russia, Chelsea) - Zhirkov is a left-back and the only defender to be named to the EURO 2008- All Tournament team that won't be playing in South Africa.
Sami Hyppia (Finland, Bayer Leverkusen) - The former Liverpool centre-back, will probably never see a World Cup. He plays for Finland and he's 36. But with 103 caps, and over 500 club matches he a good veteran fit with the next guy.
Jonny Evans (Northern Ireland, Manchester United) - Currently on loan to Sunderland, Evans is a 6'2, center back and only two months older than me. He might be a World cup away from really contributing to this team, but I'm pretty sure Northern Ireland isn't seeing the WC in 2014 either.
Gareth Bale (Wales, Tottenham Hotspur) - You can never have enough good left-backs. Bale can even move up to a wing position. Him and Zhirkov would make it tough for a coach to choose who starts
John O'Shea (Ireland, Manchester United) - O'Shea is one of three Irishmen on the team, his abillity to move up into a defensive mid role is important, but he's likely start at CB along with Hyppia.
Christian Fuchs (Austria, VfL Bochum) - Fuchs is extremely versatile he can play in back, he can play central mid, and he can play winger. It certainly doesn't hurt him that he plays for Bochum either.
Ivan Cordoba (Columbia, Internazionale) - This guy has played 280 games for Inter Milan, pretty hard to leave him off the team. Yeah he's 33, but as of this moment the team doesn't have a right-back. At 5'8, Cordoba isn't a typical back, but his leaping ability is fairly well noted.
Darjo Srna (Croatia, Shakhtar Donetsk) - Srna is the captain of both his national team and his club team. However he takes much different roles. At Skakhtar he's the starting right-back. With Croatia he's a starting mifielder.

Midfielder 7 --
Yossi Benayoun (Israel, Liverpool) - Benayoun still might have a shot at playing in a World Cup, as Israel just keeps getting closer and closer to a big tourney. It seems like he's been around for a long time, but he's only 29. The most dynamic player in Israel, he scores pretty much everywhere he goes.
Kim Kallstrom (Sweden, Lyon) - It's rumored that he once knocked out teammate Adreas Isakkson on a free kick in training. Kallstrom is a natural born playmaker and can be put in any midfield role. Use him on the left-wing here and watch him create chances for Ibrahimovic and Berbatov.
Tomas Rosicky (Czech Republic, Arsenal) - The problem with Rosicky is that he plays the same position as Benayoun, is the same age and has really battled injury woes. The guy deserves the spot on this team, but might not be a starter.
Christian Noboa (Ecuador, Rubin Kazan) - Another attacking mid, but Noboa can play the wings as well. Easily the best midfielder in Ecuador, at 24 he's a name to watch.
Andrei Arshavin (Russia, Arsenal) - Is it cheating to call him a midfielder only so that Pavlyuchenko can get on the team? No, because Pavlyuchenko doesn't make the team. Arshavin plays mid on my team, because in a 4-5-1 my wing-mid should be a striker.
Luka Modric (Croatia, Tottenham Hotspur) - Since Srna plays defense for his club, it gives us a chance to put Modric into the team.
Hamit Altintop - (Turkey, Bayern Munich) - Altintop can fall into a defensive mid role, and that's the only reason I include him. I think there are better players out there.

Striker 7 --
Zlatan Ibrahimovic (Sweden, Barcelona) - Arguments that Ibra is the most in form player in the world right now might be true when it comes to club.
Osea Vakatalesau (Fiji, Ba FC) - The required Oceania choice might not be that bad. It's hard to know much about a player like him. All I know is that he played for the best club in Fiji and is on loan to a team in New Zealand. I can also tell you he has scored 36 goals in 23 international appearance. Granted the competition is not top class, but it's still and impressive run.
Dimitar Berbatov (Bulgaria, Manchester United) - honestly I don't care for him all that much, but he certainly belongs here.
Kenwyne Jones (T&T, Sunderland) - Trying to get some CONCACAF love here. Just goes to show that the teams that made the Cup are the teams that probably should have. (The same goes for Asia) With Costly, Palacios and Suazo at Honduras, and everyone else from USA or Mexico. It's just not a good conference.
Robbie Keane (Ireland, Tottenham Hotspur) - How can you leave the greatest scorer in Ireland history, and arguably the best in Tottenham history off this team? It can't be done.
Yasser Al-Qahtani (Saudi Arabia, Al Hilal) - Asia's only representative, Al-Qahtani is probably good enough to play for Championship English club. But the money in Saudi Arabia is better, he was a Saudi Premier League record transfer of 8.1 USD in 2005
Emmanuel Adebayor (Togo, Manchester City) - I almost forgot Adebayor, and now I'm worried I forgot about a lot of African players. There are some very good African players, that we have no idea who they play for, we just no they are African, out there, and that's why I hate not being in the same Pot as them.

Honorable Mention
Igor Akinfeev (Russia, CSKA Moscow) - Akinfeev is going to be really really good, he's easily the best Goalkeeper in the World under 23 [and that's coming from a guy who really really like Joe Hart from Birmingham City]
John Arne Riise (Norway, Roma) - Riise is easily my favorite defender to score an own goal that sent a team through in Champions League. Riise is a strong defender and while that own goal may have cost him his job at Anfield, he fits in well at Roma.
Roman Pavlyuchenko (Russia, Tottenham Hotspur) - Very tough to leave him off the list, but I can't feel that bad for the Russians, unlike Ireland, they shot themselves in the foot during the playoff.
Mido (Egypt, Middlesbrough) - On loan to El Zamalek where he started his career. Mido was once a top player but has since fallen off a bit.
Andriy Shevchenko (Ukraine) - just not what he used to be anymore, but still good enough to score goals in the World Cup.
Eduardo (Croatia, Arsenal) - he's good but if he picked the right team he wouldn't need to be on this list.
Damien Duff (Ireland, Fulham) - I just really like him so I'd bring him as a reserve.
Darren Fletcher (Scotland, Manchester United) - I thought fletcher was much older than 25, maybe I need to rethink that.
Seydou Keita (Mali, Barcelona) - midfielder finding his role well with Barcelona, gets the nod over Mahamadou Diarra (Real Madrid) and Mohamad Sossoko (Juventus) both Malian midfield mates.
Antonio Valencia (Ecuador, Manchester United) - still young but not quite ready to be in a group of players like those above
Marc Janko (Austria, FC Red Bull Salzburg) - same as Valencia, except he's a 6'6 striker.
Edin Dzeko (Bosnia, VfL Wolfsburg) - the 23 year old Christiano look alike is going to be a name that you get familiar with in a couple years
Mohamed Zidan (Egypt, Borussia Dortmund) - the simple fact he plays for BvB puts him behind Berbatov.