FOOTY FAIR

There's Yet Another Record For Messi to Break at Barca

2016-03-16T08:00:00.000-04:00

Believe it or not, but Lionel Messi has yet to break every possible record. That's right, he doesn't own the world of football just yet. Joking aside, there is one man that used to play for Barcelona that still holds one; a record that "La Pulga Atómica" can still claim as a part of his ever growing list of impressive achievements. Perhaps it's not a statistic that is in the forefront of Barcelona's record books, nonetheless, current Southampton manager and former Dutch international and Barcelona midfielder Ronald Koeman has recorded a record 25 goals from free-kick situations for the storied Catalan club, a tally Lionel Messi can equal with just 4 more goals from similar circumstances.

Some may argue that Koeman has achieved this impressive total in just 6 years with Barcelona, while Messi has been with the club double that time by now, but those that look deeper and are more familiar with Messi's tenure at Barça will quickly note that the Argentine forward joined the club at a very young age and was not one of the first choices for free-kicks until about 2008.

Nonetheless, a record of totals is such that is remembered for the tally and the record breaker; not so much the time span it took to achieve it. So, watch every Barcelona free-kick closely, as Messi is not only very likely to surpass Koeman's mark, but also very often provides us football fans with some incredible goals from dead-ball situations.

Not Arrogant, Just Better

2015-02-25T16:00:00.000-05:00

There's a popular slogan you see on the flags of some Manchester United supporters that says the club is "Not Arrogant, Just Better".

This wonderful, tongue planted firmly in cheek, phrase came to mind this week as Southampton boss Ronald Koeman essentially called United manager, and bitter rival, Louis van Gaal arrogant during an interview with the Daily Mirror.

According to Koeman, "When you bring Van Gaal in the house, you bring in quality, but you also bring in someone who thinks he knows everything and that will cause clashes."

There was in fact a bit of controversy this week after Van Gaal was outright labelled an "Arrogant bastard" by Swansea director John van Zweden after his side defeated United 2-1.

But is Van Gaal arrogant or just extremely confident? And is this a bad thing to have if you're a manager at a top club?

Certainly, Van Gaal's predecessor David Moyes could have benefitted from having a dash of arrogance as he led a slumping side to seventh in the league last season, while offering up Lilly Livered doozies like "We aspire to be like Manchester City."

While Van Gaal's tactics and transfer policy during his brief stint at Old Trafford could already be questioned, there's no fear that he'll bow down, publicly or otherwise, to one of United's rivals.

Outside of United, another manager who has often been described as arrogant is Chelsea's Jose Mourinho. But after league title and domestic cup wins in four countries, and not to mention the small matter of two UEFA Champions League wins, doesn't he have the right to be a little sure of himself?

With Mourinho you feel that although part of it is indeed arrogance, a good deal of what he comes out with is for the purpose of messing with the opposition, referees or the English FA.

Like another former United boss in Sir Alex Ferguson, Mourinho is a master manipulator who plays the media as well as anyone.

Another comparison could be made with legendary Nottingham Forest manager Brian Clough, who led the relatively small provincial side to a League title and back-to-back European Cup's in the late 1970's, despite his perceived arrogance Mourinho is able to get the best out of his players, by winning their loyalty in part by fostering an "us against the world" mentality. Like Clough, Mourinho's arrogance takes pressure off of his players. Although I'm sure Cloughie would have loved some of the transfer budgets Mourinho has enjoyed since leaving Porto in 2004.

The arrogant approach, if you will, is often celebrated by an English media hungry for quotes, particularly if the manager in question is successful, but this attitude is often misunderstood or disliked in other leagues. Mourinho seemingly fell out with most of the Real Madrid dressing room towards the end of his time in Spain, simply by being himself. The media also never warmed to him as, unlike in England where the juicy quote or sound bite is king, they were looking for tactical analysis or discussions on his team selections.

If a perceived arrogant manager fails, like Luiz Felipe Scolari at this summer's World Cup, or struggles to a degree as Van Gaal is after a summer outlay of £150 million, people are always going to be ready to jump on them.

The key isn't rocket science really. Just win, and win in style, and then you can act however you want. But lose and everyone will question if your attitude is negatively affecting the team.

Winning solves everything, doesn't it?

EPL's Oscar Awards

2015-02-22T20:00:00.000-05:00

It's Oscar Awards night and I decided to take this opportunity to give out some awards myself. Using the exact wording of the existing Hollywood categories, I applied them to the world of EPL football and the award goes to...

Best Costume Design: Manchester City

From its simplicity to the fact that the sponsor is actually willing to get any color treatment for its logo for the sake of the kit looking good in all shades, the Manchester City kit is the absolute winner this year (at least in my opinion). The color combinations are on points with the dark blue contrast colors being used in just the right spots and in just the right amount.

Best Actor in a Supporting Role: Frank Lampard

Perhaps the biggest off the bench asset in the EPL is former Chelsea legend Frank Lampard. Who would have thought that his detour on his way to new MLS side New York City FC would actually have the impact it did in Manchester.

Best Original Story: Harry Kane

From substitute in the first match of the season to club hero in less than 6 months, Harry Kane's story writes itself. After a few loan spells in the last few years the 21 year old has woken the beast and is now one of, if not the most exciting players in the league.With 14 goals to his name so far this season, Kane sits just 3 shy of joint league leaders Diego Costa and Sergio Agüero.

Best Director: Ronald Koeman

Sure, he's not a director of football or anything but I will use this category for a manager since he is kind of directing what the footballers do on the pitch. It's almost a sure bet that Southampton will not finish in the top 4 this season, but after what seemed like a selling spree by The Saints has turned into a fantastic season under the new Dutch manager.

Best Actor in a Leading Role: Alexis Sánchez

Ever since setting foot in London with The Gunners, the Chilean has been an absolute marvel. His work ethics are second to none and his leadership on the pitch is perhaps the sole reason why Arsenal is even in the hunt for a top 4 finish this year.

Best Original Score: Philippe Coutinho

Luckily the Oscar's are on tonight and not a week earlier because just today Liverpool's Philippe Coutinho scored what can very well prove the goal of the season in England. The distance and precision of this strike surely deserves some praise.

Best Picture: Thibaut Courtois

Whatever this is, it wins!

10 Funny, Clever and F$@%ed Up Footballer Nicknames

2015-01-22T12:00:00.000-05:00

We are all familiar with Lionel Messi as "the flea" and Chicarito which means "little pea", but what about the really messed up nicknames given to football players over the years? Here's a list of some funny, clever, racist, and simply bizarre footballer nicknames.

10. Alvaro Recoba - 'El Chino' (The Chinese)

Uruguay and Argentina are the two South American countries that have the highest Caucasian population compared to their neighbors. So when a minority footballer becomes popular, you bet your ass he is likely to have some sort of nickname that is deemed racist by most other countries. Recoba's eyes were deemed "unusually slanted" for a Uruguayan man, hence the nickname 'El Chino'.

9. Alphonse Tchami - 'el Negro'

When Cameroonian international striker Tchami joined Argentinian giants Boca Juniors in the mid 1990's, political correctness was very far down the list of priorities for the Boca faithful. When Tchani became somewhat popular, he was given the nickname 'el Nego', literally meaning "the black guy".

8. Diego Perez - 'El ruso' (The Russian)

This one is quite simple. Apparently, Uruguayans think of Russians as "rough around the edges" type of people. So when Diego Perez became known for his somewhat physical play on the pitch, he was appropriately named 'El Ruso'.

7. Mesut Özil - 'Popeye'

Boy, did eye laugh when I heard this one (pun intended). For obvious "they are about to fall out of their socket" type of reasons, the German international was given this clever name by some fans. If you don't get the 'Popeye' reference you may want to stop thinking of the pipe smoking, spinach eating sailor, and instead look at the photo of Özil (above) and think of the wording.

6. Oliver Kahn - 'Genghis Khan'

This one makes all the sense in the world. I mean, have you seen the look on the former German international keeper's face when he gets mad? I bet if Oliver Kahn was born before Genghis, it would be the Mongol emperor who would be stuck with the nickname Oliver Kahn.

5. Ronald Koeman - 'Floquet de Neu' (Snowflake)

During his time with Barcelona, the light-skinned Koeman was given the nickname 'Floquet de Neu' which means snowflake in Cataln. What makes it so much funnier is that at the time there was an albino guerrilla in the Barcelona Zoo called...you guessed it...Floquet de Neu.

4. César Azpilicueta - 'Dave'

Oh you lazy bastards. Chelsea FC fans seemed to have given up on trying to pronounce Azpilicueta's name, so they came up with the next best alternative...'Dave'. That's right, Dave is what they call him, and they even have a chant about it.

3. Antonio Luna - 'Tony Moon'

Aston Villa fans got very "English" when giving their Spanish full-back Antonio Luna a nickname. Translating the name into its meaning in English they came up with the simple Tony Moon, with Tony being the equivalent of Antonio and Luna meaning moon in the English language.

2 - Claude Makélélé - 'Kinshasa Tripod'

Now this may or may not be true, but during his time with Real Madrid the Zaire born French international Makélélé was given the nickname 'Kinshasa Tripod'. Kinshasa is the capital city of Zaire and Tripod...well, you guessed it, a tribute to what his teammates thought of the size of the Frenchmen's "third leg".

1 - Flávio Augusto do Nascimento - 'Caça-Rato' (Rat Hunter)

As if this guy's life wasn't hard enough, Brazilian footballer Flávio Augusto do Nascimento was given the nickname Rat Hunter ('Caça-Rato') because apparently when he was in his early teens, he was very poor and while being afraid of playing football against the older boys, he would hunt rats by the field instead. This may seem kind of funny until you realize that this footballer lived through horrible poverty, being hung by his own father at the age of 8 just to be saved by his uncle who then shot the father dead, and being shot at a club in his 20s. The 'Caça-Rato' nickname does not seem as bad anymore, does it?

Saints Valentine's Day: Southampton Help a Fan Get a Date

2015-01-03T20:00:00.000-05:00

Southampton FC have won a lot of plaudits this season for coping quite well with the loss of several key players last summer, while playing some great football under new manager Ronald Koeman.

Currently sitting in a lofty fourth position in the Premier League after defeating Arsenal 2-0 on New Years Day, the club not only took home three points but they may have also helped a shy man win a young ladies heart.

Saints fan Timothy, tweeted the club on December 21 asking if they could help him find "the girl who sits 4 seats along" from him at St. Marys and described her as "Unreal looking".

Remarkably the club responded and told him to "man up" and ask her if she'd like a cup of Bovril.

Bovril, for the uninitiated, is a warm beef drink that's popular at many football grounds in the United Kingdom. Although it sounds a bit gross, like you're drinking a cup of gravy it's more of a light broth that really hits the spot on a cold night.

I once brought a cup of it for a girl I was dating, who was a vegetarian, at half-time of an Under 21 match between Spain and England at St. Andrews in Birmingham, and I believe it may have brought her back to the meat eating fold.

Anyhow, after Timothy's initial nervousness he promised to say hello to this girl that had caught his attention at the next home match.

Then even Saints legend Matt Le Tissier got involved as he tweeted #GoodLuckTim at the love struck Southampton fan.

For the club's home match against Southampton, Timothy found to his surprise that the club had placed a good luck note, flowers and a coupon for Bovril on his seat.

Plucking up his courage, Tim approached the girl in question and although she wasn't keen on the Bovril, she happily accepted the flowers and took a selfie with her admirer.

After the match Southampton's official Twitter account Tweeted, "We're proud of you. Our work here is done. #WellDoneTim"

The Ecuadorian Player Who Destroyed His Brother

2014-12-22T16:00:00.000-05:00

Professional football has seen numerous brothers that have come up against each other over the decades.

No article on footballing brothers would be complete without mentioning the Charlton brothers, with Sir Bobby Charlton of Manchester United often coming up against his big brother Jack, who was a rugged defender for Leeds United. The two brothers also played key roles in helping England to victory in the 1966 World Cup.

Like the Charlton's, the Netherland's Ronald and Erwin Koeman also played together at international level, but in club football they came up against each other a few times for Groningen and PSV respectively.

In recent years we've seen the Ivory Coast's Yaya Toure of Manchester City come up against his brother Kolo Toure, who now plies his trade for Liverpool, and the Palacios brothers Milton, Jerry, Johnny and Wilson, who have all played together for Honduras, while in some instances coming up against each other in club football.

Although none of the players mentioned above have ever been accused of taking it easy on their siblings, none of them have ever done what SC Barcelona's Alex Bolanos did against his little brother Miller Bolanos of Emelec in this weekend's Primera A showdown in Ecuador.

Caring little for the fact that his side were battling for the title in a two-legged play-off after drawing the first leg 1-1, and the small matter that it was his brother he was lunging into, Alex smashed into brother with reckless abandon in the ninth minute of their match on Sunday and was justifiably shown a straight red card.

Emelec took advantage of being a man up and comfortably won 3-0 over SC Barcelona to win their second straight league title by virtue of a 4-1 aggregate win.

Needless to say, Christmas dinner should be interesting at the Bolanos household this week...

5 Interesting Manager Facts - Ronald Koeman

2014-11-29T08:00:00.000-05:00

This week on 5 Interesting Manager Facts we take a look at Dutch footballing hero and current Southampton bench-boss Ronald Koeman. Here are 5 very interesting facts about the man who has got The Saints sitting in the second place in the EPL after 12 matches played.

Every club but his first

FC Groningen was the first professional football club Koeman ever played for. Nonetheless, after becoming manager the Dutch coach was able to find a managerial job in some capacity with every team he had once played for except for his first. Koeman was an assistant with both the Dutch national team and Barcelona and was the head coach for his former sides Ajax, PSV and Feyenoord. But the former Groningen youngster had never been appointed to the managerial staff of his very first professional side.

Half-half

It's hard to tell whether Koeman preferred playing with the national team on home soil or on the road. While part of the Dutch national outfit, Koeman scored 14 goals which were split right down the middle, scoring 7 in the Netherlands and the same amount while playing with the Oranje away from home.

Win or lose, he still wins

The only time Koeman recorded more losses than wins as a manager was during his stint with Spanish club Valencia. Regardless of the losing record however, Koeman's side was able to win the 2007-08 Copa del Rey.

The winning goal that saw England stay home

Leading up to the 1994 FIFA World Cup in the United States, Ronald Koeman essentially became the reason why The Three Lions would not travel to America. Prior to the second-last match of qualifying for both teams England was sitting one point clear of the Dutch in their qualifying group. When the two faced each other in the Netherlands it was free-kick specialist Koeman who would score the game-winning goal against the visitors in a 2-0 final. After both teams went on to win their final matches, the Dutch qualifyed for the tournament in second place, while England was eliminated in third.

The wipe

After the Netherlands' win in the semi-finals of the 1988 Euros against the Germans (which was also hosted in Germany), Ronald Koeman went on to pretend to wipe his ass with the jersey of German footballer Olaf Thon in front of the German crowd. Ronald's Dutch side would go on to defeat the Soviet Union in the finals and Koeman still says he does not regret the action when asked about his controversial gesture.

Can Southampton Finish in the Top Four?

2014-11-10T16:00:00.000-05:00

As Southampton's supporters witnessed the nightmare of their team, which had finished in 8th place in the Premier League in 2013/2014, ripped to shreds in the summer through the sale of several of their best players, you couldn't blame them for being concerned.

By early August, with defender Dejan Lovren, striker Rickie Lambert, and attacking midfielder Adam Lallana sold on to Liverpool, left-back Luke Shaw sold to Manchester United, and right-back Calum Chambers transferring out to Arsenal, the prospect of relegation seemed to loom large for the Saints.

With Argentinian coach Mauricio Pochettino leaving for Spurs, the club appeared to be going through it's most traumatic period since the dark days of League One.

Prior the season starting I tuned into BBC's 606 Phone-In show to hear an interview with Southampton's new Chairman Ralph Krueger. Coming to the club after a long spell in North American and European hockey, the Canadian seemed from the outside to be an odd choice to take up such a post at the football club.

In light of what had occurred that summer, Krueger was predictably skewered by Saints fans and neutrals a-like who called into the show. Some even suggested that it was a "Fire Sale" and that the club didn't care if they got relegated.

Krueger, for his part, displayed a quiet confidence in the face of such a strong backlash and told caller after caller to have faith in new manager Ronald Koeman. He suggested that the club would bring in replacements for the players that had left and he believed that there was talent in the youth ranks that was ready for the step up to the first team.

Despite his positive outlook many, myself included, remained unconvinced. But then something incredible happened.

With the club bolstered by the signings of Dušan Tadić from Twente, Sadio Mané from Red Bull Salzburg, Hull City's Shane Long, Toby Alderweireld on loan from Atletico Madrid, and best of all Graziano Pellè from Feyenoord, the club has roared to their best-ever start to a top flight season.

Southampton haven't been scraping results either, rather they have pulled themselves to within four points of league leaders Chelsea by playing terrific attacking football.

Under Ronald Koeman, they have become one the best sides to watch in the Premier League and many neutrals are now hoping that they can stay in the top four.

In the years since the Champions League was expanded to include four sides from England, the usual suspects for qualification into the biggest competition in club football has been made up of a small number of teams. For years it was Liverpool, Manchester United, Chelsea, and Arsenal that consistently locked down the qualifying spots, with Manchester City's new riches later forcing out Liverpool, and outside of that it was only Tottenham and Everton occasionally threatening to force their way in.

This season though with Manchester United still struggling through their post-Alex Ferguson transition, Liverpool in a mess after the sale of Luis Suarez, Arsenal dropping silly points, and Manchester City nowhere near as good as they were last season, the only one of the big clubs that's assured of finishing in and around the top of the league is Chelsea.

So if Southampton can maintain their current form, even allowing for one rough patch at some point, this season may be the best opportunity for the club to break into the Champions League.

Looking at the Saints schedule after a match with Aston Villa at Villa Park, they then have matches against Manchester City, Manchester United, and Arsenal in consecutive weeks. It's a tough run of matches, but if the club can come through that relatively unscathed they should be in great shape heading into the New Year.

For Southampton to make the top four, after the trauma of last summer and being only a few years removed from League One and Administration, this would certainly rank as one of the greatest single season accomplishments of the Premier League era.

The Monday Meltdown - Should Sunderland Pay Their Away Fans Back?

2014-10-20T18:00:00.001-04:00

As more than 2,500 Sunderland fans prepared to make the 653-mile round trip between Tyne and Wear, and the south coast they certainly had no idea what they were in for.

After a host of summer departures which included Luke Shaw, Adam Lallana, Rickie Lambert and manager Mauricio Pochettino, Southampton were expected to struggle this season. But under new manager Ronald Koeman however they have absolutely flourished.

Sitting in third place in the table in this young Premier League season, the Saints have been a revelation so far. Key to their play so far has been Koeman's commitment to attacking football and the inspired form of new signing Graziano Pellè. The Italian striker, who received his first cap for the Azzurri this month, has been one of the players of the season so far, with a blistering 6 goals in 8 matches.

With that said, Sunderland have played better than their league standing of 17th place suggests and would have gone into St. Mary's expecting a tight battle.

After an encouraging start though, the game descended into a nightmare befitting the Halloween season for The Black Cats.

A ridiculous own goal by Santiago Vergini, that was later described by stunned Sunderland manager Gus Poyet as "a goal from another planet", got Southampton on the board and it was followed up by goals from Pellè and Jack Cork before halftime.

The wheels positively came off for Sunderland in the second half as Southampton continued to relentlessly attack and found the net another five times. With one of the goals coming by virtue of another laughable own goal, this time by Liam Bridcutt, the away sides fans were left with red faces for their long journey home.

It was a weak surrender by the club and one that will have left Poyet wondering which of his men truly has the fight within them to get Sunderland away from the relegation zone.

Goalkeeper Vito Mannone admits that the performance was unacceptable. “It was a difficult afternoon but we need to react,” said the Italian. “We have to do it for ourselves, for the club and for our great fans as well that came all that way. I will personally talk to the team to see if it is possible to pay their tickets and their trip. It is difficult for us but it’s very difficult for them as well.”

Mannone himself did not cover himself in glory, and could have done better with a few of the Saints goals, continued.

“I take all the responsibility I can take for each goal,” said Mannone. “I will try to work on it and try to improve. Each one of us should do the same. To try to defend and be in a game properly as a unit. Each one of us knows there were mistakes on the field.

“I really mean that we should pay their tickets and travel. I will do everything possible. We should do it because we didn’t work hard. We started the game well but after we conceded we threw in the towel – and I include myself.”

After the goalkeeper comments the question has to be posed will Sunderland pay their fans back for such a wretched performance and should they?

As someone who has traveled hundreds of miles following a team, which has included overnight hotel stays, only to see the side play like garbage on the day, I can understand the fans fury.

When paid professionals take the day off, allowing themselves and the fans to be completely humiliated I think compensation of some sort should be in order.

Fans pay thousands of dollars, or pounds in this case, to follow their clubs on the road and the least the side can do is put up a good effort. As fans the minimum requirement we have is that our players fight for the badge and that's something that Sunderland's beleaguered side certainly didn't do on Saturday.

Hopefully the club will compensate those that traveled down to the south coast this past weekend and in the meantime Poyet has promised that "it's going to be an interesting week in training, that's for sure."

Best XI: Players That Never Won a World Cup

2014-06-01T09:00:00.000-04:00

Great players have won the World Cup, but the list of top world players that have never won this competition is amazing and would make one amazing squad.

Lets look at the best XI players that never won a World Cup.

Goalkeeper - Lev Yashin (USSR)

The best goalkeeper to ever play the game of football, Lev Yashin never came close of winning a World Cup trophy. He played in 4 World Cups from 1958 to 1970. In 1963 he won European Footballer of the Year, still up until now the only goalkeeper to earn that honor. He also saved 150 penalty shots and kept 270 clean sheets throughout his career.

He was also voted in to the FIFA World Cup All Time Team and the World Team of the 20th Century.

Defender - Ronald Koeman (Netherlands)

He played 2 World Cups with Holland, in 1990 & 1994. He was part of one of the greatest group of Dutch players to ever walk on a grass pitch. At the club level Koeman was a winner, he won the European Cup with PSV in 88 defeating SL Benfica, he then went on to win 4 straight La Liga titles with Barcelona from 1991 to 1994 and also the European Cup in 1992 against Sampdoria with Koeman scoring the winning goal.

He was famous for his freekicks, but he was a very intelligent defender and what he did in his career proves it.

Defender - Fernando Hierro (Spain)

A captain for his club Real Madrid he also were the arm band for Spain. A true leader, Hierro was an incredible strong defender not only with his feet but with his head. He played in 4 World Cups for Spain, from 1990 to 2002. He played 89 times for Spain and scored 29 goals, only Torres, Raul & David Villa have more goals for Spain than him, that is a huge statement for a defender.

Defender - Javier Zanetti (Argentina)

Zanetti played at 2 World Cups for Argentina, in 1998 & 2002. He retired this year, at the age of 40, which it says a lot about how good he has been as a player and team mate. From 1995 to 2014 he played for Inter Milan, something that in modern football is not very common anymore. He was one of the best not only of his generation but of all time.

Midfielder - Zico (Brazil)

Zico played at 3 World Cups for Brazil, from 1978 to 1986. The 1982 squad was considered by many the best Brazilian squad of all times. Zico was known as the "White Pele", he was a great passer of the ball and was also able to finish. He was one of the true first free kick specialists. He finished his career with 48 goals in 71 caps for Brazil making him the fourth highest scorer in country history. A true legend of the game.

Midfielder - Johan Cruyff (Netherlands)

He won the Ballon d'Or 3 times, in 1971, 1973 & 1974. In 1974 he led the Netherlands to a World Cup final against West Germany which he lost 2-1. He was the Golden Ball winner in 1974 as the MVP of the tournament. He was the poster child for Total Football and his legacy has remain not only in his country but also at Barcelona in Spain where he played and later on coached.

Midfielder - Michel Platini (France)

Platini won 3 Ballon d'Or, in 1983, 1984 & 1985. He was a classy midfielder that could pass the ball and open up a defense like nobody in his generation. He played at 3 World Cups with France, in 1978, 1982 & 1986. In the last two he was able to take France to the semi-finals. He was your now typical box to box midfielder, able to break a play, pass, score and was also deadly from the freekick spot. He was the total package.

Midfielder - George Best (Northern Ireland)

Best never played at a World Cup. The second player in this list of 11 to have never played in the tournament. He had 37 caps for Northern Ireland scoring 9 goals. His best performances were never with his national team, but rather with his club Manchester United, where he became a legend for his unbelievable play on the field and insane off the field antics. In 1968 he won the European Footballer of the Year for his performances for United.

Forward - Eusebio (Portugal)

The "Black Panther", as he was know, is the greatest Portuguese player ever. He played in the 1966 World Cup where he took Portugal to their best finish ever in the tournament, 3rd place. He was the top goal scorer of the tournament with 9 goals, 4 of them he scored against South Korea in the semi-final. Di Stefano when asked about Eusebio said that "For me Eusebio will always be the best player of all time.".

Forward - Marco Van Basten (Netherlands)

Van Basten won the FIFA World Player of The Year in 1992 and the European Footballer of the Year in 1988, 1989 & 1992. He played in the 1990 World Cup but he never scored a goal in the competition and his country of Netherlands had an early exit. He had an amazing club career at Ajax & AC Milan, the two only clubs he ever represented. He will always be know for his great goals and his incredible ability to breakdown a defense and score from almost anywhere.

Forward - Di Stefano (Spain)

Di Stefano represented three national teams, Argentina, Spain and Colombia. He played 6 times for his country of birth Argentina, twice for Colombia and 31 times for Spain, and yet he was never present at a World Cup. Many players consider him the most complete player of all times. Those qualities were evident when he represented Real Madrid, where he won 5 consecutive European Championships.He is currently ranked 5th in the history of top scorers in the Spanish first division.