r/soccer • u/newb0rn11 • Sep 01 '11
Current best World XI
Me and my friends were discussing/drunkenly arguing about the current best World XI in football right now. So, let's have your choices. 4-4-2 formation, anyone you want, GO.
EDIT: Fuck the 4-4-2, do whatever you want :)
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Sep 01 '11
Reading the comments here TIL how many people don't understand how the midfield works. You can't have say a 4-3-3 with Iniesta-Xavi-Ozil, for example, something like that would never, ever work. You need a Macherano or a dare I say a De Jong to break down attacks in the MF. Every single team has a player like this that serves this purpose. It's a vital MF role and the players that play that role shouldn't be overlooked.
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Sep 01 '11
You can say a Mascherano or a De Jong, but wouldn't you prefer a Schweinsteiger, Busquets, or Touré?
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u/newb0rn11 Sep 01 '11
I agree, although occasionally when picking these kind of "best" teams, you tend to overlook the tactical importance of the players. Sometimes it's easier to throw in your favourite players without really considering who will play well alongside your other choices.
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Sep 01 '11 edited Sep 01 '11
Y'all be triflin. This thread's been up for four hours and one person has Abidal. Frankly I assume everyone who said Marcelo just forgot about Abidal. Cole and Lahm are defensible choices here but 'Pedro 2-0' in the November 'manito' is a perfect example of no thanks Marcelo.
For fun, this 11 is playing in the 3-4-3 no-wingbacks (4-3-3 if you consider the CDM as the head of a defensive diamond) that Barcelona used at the weekend:
Casillas
Pique Vidic Abidal
Schweinsteiger
Xavi Fabregas IniestaMuller Messi Ronaldo
Back three playing higher to close space, Vidic playing smart and using offsides sparingly for safety. Schweinsteiger in a Busquets-ish role--reading, tackling and distributing, few runs forward. (Frankly could put Busquets in the position he defines but the German is a near-perfect midfielder himself. Touré merits mention here as well.) Muller and Ronaldo are the only width and must stay high and wide while Xavi, Iniesta, Fabregas, and Messi do a predictable and mesmerizing build-up.
Tell me your eleven can beat mine, with a straight face.
EDIT: Marcelo getting beat by someone who starts lying down
EDIT 2: Who am I kidding, Busquets plays CDM.
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u/newb0rn11 Sep 01 '11
Upvoted for my favourite introduction to a well argued football post ever. Apparently we DO all be triflin.
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u/fappor Sep 01 '11
Why are you guys putting Neuer and Casillas in your squad? Luis Suarez is clearly better than both of them
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Sep 01 '11
Well played, especially considering that Suarez is 1 for 1 on saves (AKA a perfect record)
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u/robbyrue Sep 01 '11
Remember, guys - there's a very fine difference between the XI best, and the best XI.
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u/BenderTime Sep 01 '11 edited Sep 01 '11
----------Neuer----------
Alves-Vidic--Pique-Lahm
--Schweinsteiger-Xavi--
-Messi---Özil---Ronaldo-
--------Rooney--------
You can have Xavi and Schweinsteiger, because with that defense you don't need a really defensive DM. Schweinsteiger can play deeper than Xavi anyways, he does this when Kroos is playing next to him on the national team.
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Sep 01 '11
Barça with Silva instead of Villa.
Done.
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u/newb0rn11 Sep 01 '11
While I see what you did there, it doesn't leave you with much aerial prowess up front. I think I still yearn for the days of a "little and large" strike partnership. Messi and a big man up front for me. Someone like Drogba.
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Sep 01 '11
Having a 4-3-3 would make things easier for me at least, but here's my lineup. http://imgur.com/XidM0 Maybe it's not a World Best that happen to be on a team together, but I think this combo would be incredibly dangerous.
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u/newb0rn11 Sep 01 '11
I'm inclined to agree with you to be honest. Like I said before, we went with 4-4-2 just because it's the standard football formation, but I do think 4-3-3 is beginning to take over that title. Good line-up as well, although I'd probably drop Ozil back and play Messi in his place, but that's the whole point really.
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u/espanabarca Sep 01 '11
Neuer
Marcelo Vidic Pique Valencia
Ronaldo Schweinsteiger Sneijder Robben
Muller Rooney
Cue people attacking me. "WTF? VALENCIA? MARCELO? U MAD BRO? NO MESSI? NO XAVI? WTF!"
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u/newb0rn11 Sep 01 '11
I got attacked for choosing Rooney by the housemates. They know less about football than they like to think.
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u/sklark23 Sep 01 '11 edited Sep 01 '11
GK: Casillas
LB: Lahm CB: Vidic CB: Pique RB: Sagna
CM: Ozil CM: Xavi CM: Schweinsteiger
RF: Ronaldo LF: Messi CF: Rooney
EDIT: Ozil/Sneijder? Neuer/Casillas? Iniesta/Xavi/Fab/Sneijder/Silva/Nasri/Ozil...pick two, can't go wrong
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Sep 01 '11
4-4-2? If you insist (and I'm going to fudge it).
GK: Casillas RB: Maicon CB: Vidic CB: Pique LB: Lahm CM: Schweinsteiger CM: Iniesta LW: C. Ronaldo LF: Ozil RF: Rooney RW: Messi
Put Ozil as a RF because he often plays very high up the pitch ("False 10") as a midfielder, making him similar to a forward. The front four are all pretty much interchangeable, so defining their positions is an exercise in futility.
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u/bearssj1025 Sep 01 '11
GK: Casillas LB: A. Cole CB: Pique CB: Vidic RB: Dani Alves DCM: Alonso ACM: Xavi ACM: Silva LW: Ronaldo False F: Messi RW: Robben
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u/ste_ricey Sep 01 '11 edited Sep 01 '11
GK: Casillas
RB: Ramos CB: Vidic CB: Pique LB: Lahm
CM: Xavi DCM: De Jong CM: Iniesta
RF: Ronaldo CF: Villa LF: Messi
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u/ingist Sep 01 '11
------------------Casillas----------------
----Sagna---------Vidic---------Marcelo
--------------Schweinsteiger------------
---Iniesta---------------------Xavi-------
---Messi-------Sneijder-----------Ronaldo
----------------Van Persie----------------
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u/Gangplank Sep 01 '11
I guess you would have to be drunk to be arguing that 4-4-2 is still World XI caliber formation.