Posted: Wed Oct 25, 2006 12:19 am Post subject: What European countries have the best football teams?
As an American, I don't know much about football (soccer). What are some of the leading national teams? And for those of you who are big football fans, could you rank the top teams in order of best to worst? Of course, I expect the unforunate but unavoidable personal biases. _________________ Operation Northwoods - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Northwoods
Favorite languages = English/Spanish
Followed by Italian/French/Dutch
There is no need to have our personal preferences mixed up in the rankings for FIFA provide us with a monthly update with respect to where a country stands.
Here are the top 20 rankings as of October 2006:
1. Brazil
2. Italy
3. France
4. Argentina
5. England
6. Germany
7. Netherlands
8. Czech Republic
9. Portugal
10. Spain
11. Nigeria
12. Camerouen
13. Ukraine
14. Greece
15. Switzerland
16. Sweden
17. Uruguay
18. Cote d'Ivoire
19. Mexico and Croatia
The newer system of ranking is deemed to be fairer as it takes into account the relative strength of the opposing team when it comes to international matches. Under the old system where a win against say, Wales is almost as valuable as victory against Brazil, countries which regularly play against vastly inferior teams stand to gain plenty of points and rise up the table.
In fact, the USA were ranked 5th prior to the start of the World Cup in June. They are now out of the top 20. _________________ Hillary Clinton is an acquired taste which I have clearly yet to acquire.
As an American, who is not all that interested in soccer, but occasionally watches international competitions, I usually root for the following Euro teams, in order.
Spain/Wales
Ireland
England
Italy
Portugal
And then, after that, I really don't care. The top pick is basically just because that is where my ancestors are from. Sounds korny and sentimental, I know, but that's just me. _________________ Operation Northwoods - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Operation_Northwoods
Favorite languages = English/Spanish
Followed by Italian/French/Dutch
Spain are perennial under-performers at the world stage. Many pundits tipped Spain to go all the way this summer, but they fell at the knock-out stage to France. These same pundits are now beginning to wildly speculate that it is the fractious identity of Spain that is at the root of their trouble. Split Spain into different home countries ŕ la the United Kingdom, the regionalists exhort.
So in the (unlikely) event that Spain devolves into Catalonia, Castille, Galicia, Andalusia, etc in world football, you have to actually sit down and choose a Spanish team to support now.
This means more homework for you to do - which part of Spain did your forebears actually hail from? _________________ Hillary Clinton is an acquired taste which I have clearly yet to acquire.
I know quite a bit of Hungarian football's illustrious history and their dominance of the game especially in the 50s. It is a pity that you don't see them much in the World Cup or the European games nowadays - how the mighty have fallen.
The only Hungarian footballer I know is Ferenc Puskás and he played for Real Madrid! Is he something of a sporting icon in Hungary?
And Liz, do you support any German club since you are now based in Germany? Do you know that Franck Ribery is poised to join Bayern Munich for the next season?
I suppose Irrintz would mourn that decision since Ribery is currently at Marseille. _________________ Hillary Clinton is an acquired taste which I have clearly yet to acquire.
I know it's a bit spastic to extend my congratulations at such a late hour, but just in case you still don't know, AC Milan have won their 7th European Cup title on Wednesday evening at Athens.
I hope I wasn't the only bloke in this forum to have watched the showdown between Liverpool and Milan. Even for those who didn't watch the match in its entire 93 minutes (that includes extra time), you must have watched the highlights. Pippo Inzaghi deflecting a free kick off Pirlo that wrong-footed Pepe Reina. Kaka releasing Inzaghi from the offside trap who calmly slotted the ball past the body of the dispairing Reina.
For a man whom Sir Alex Fergueson once sniffily dismissed as "being born offside", Filippo Inzaghi did his job very well by poaching chances when they should not even had been there.
For those who remembered the final in the sultry night of Istanbul two years ago, it was the same clash but with a different outcome. In 2005, AC Milan were 3-0 up by half-time but Liverpool clawed back to a 3-3 draw in a space of 6 minutes before winning the Champions League in a penalty shootout. Jerzy Dudek was the hero of Istanbul that night when he famously saved the penalty kick of Shevchenko.
But alas, miracles do not happen twice and I am awfully glad that the Spanish-English outfit that is Liverpool would return back to Merseyside emptyhanded.
Forza Milan!
I am rich I am handsome I am the playmaker I am Kaka _________________ Hillary Clinton is an acquired taste which I have clearly yet to acquire.
I know quite a bit of Hungarian football's illustrious history and their dominance of the game especially in the 50s. It is a pity that you don't see them much in the World Cup or the European games nowadays - how the mighty have fallen..
Unfortunately, we don't have a good enough football team to take part in the World Cup or any other important games.
Yes, Hungarian football enjoyed its heyday during the 1950s, thanks to the otherwise abominable communist regime. Among the only few advantages of the regime was the fact that sports, including football were supported and encouraged by the government. A sports career was an excellent chance for poor and socially disadvantaged people to get out of misery.
Nowadays, it is quite different. Football is mostly about money and corruption. The most well known Hungarian football club, Ferencváros is experiencing moral and financial crisis, which is partly due to financial fiasco, partly to drunk and disorderly fans. They have caused outrage in the past few years by provoking and beating up supporters of other clubs. A considerable number of those unruly supporters were/are neonazi buggers. Look at this (as I'm not really au fait with current issues concerning football, I'm not sure how accurate these pieces of information are): http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ferencv%C3%A1rosi_TC
loic wrote:
The only Hungarian footballer I know is Ferenc Puskás and he played for Real Madrid! Is he something of a sporting icon in Hungary?
Yes, he definitely is. He was a living legend...unfortunately, we lost him this year, so he is a true legend now, in every sense of the word. Some programmes were dedicated to him on the BBC as well, as he was world famous. Besides, he is said to have been a very agreeable sort of person, too.
loic wrote:
And Liz, do you support any German club since you are now based in Germany? Do you know that Franck Ribery is poised to join Bayern Munich for the next season?
Oh...sorry to disappoint you but I've never been a great supporter of any football team. I like playing football for fun but I don't particularly enjoy watching it. Mind you, I do watch some of the important games but I'm not genuinely enthusiastic about it.
_________________ Az alvástól megéhezem. Az evéstől elálmosodom. Az élet szép.
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