Didier Drogba
The big game hunter. The bigger the occasion, the bigger the response.

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This post has been edited by fcuk90: Jul 5 2012, 09:09 AM

Jamie Carragher, the consumate professional. Shuns the limelight and the media preferring to either spend time studying football videos or with his family. Not the most talented player around but has the heart of a lion. Even after that ****, Lucas Neil broke his leg, Carra had initially refused to come off, feeling like he'd let his team down. Only after realising the extent of his injury did he limp off. His most heroic moment was when he defended valiantly against an AC Milan side in full attack whilst suffering a double cramp. Despite this, he would heroicly stretch to cut out crosses despite being in agony. Said a lot that when asked by a journo what would happen if a bigger club came along, he immediately replied, "who is bigger than Liverpool?". In a day where one-club-players are rare, it was refreshing that he had never hesitated for an instant when asked.

Off the pitch, he also contributes to charity but unlike footballers starved for media attention, he made anonymous donations and was only found out after one of his mates revealed it to the press.

Steven Gerrard may be the heart of Liverpool Football Club but Jamie Carragher is it's soul.

Roby Baggio, Zidane for being the best, Ronaldo Brazil --- I miss you guys, really.

Hasan Sas, Emre and most of the Turks ---> support our own Muslim brothers, hehehehe

Campos for being the versatile and eccentric guy as he is. Main keeper boleh main striker boleh...

Btw I noticed that I was already inclined into players like Baggio and Ronaldo R9 when I was like 10 or 11 years old when majority of my frens were mostly rooting for the English players and NT. Even at that time I have this distinct impression that the English are less talented, flamboyant and distinctive of players...

Btw korang sedar tak yang Spain dulu pun macam England gak, their own league sangat meriah attract most of big players tetapi major tournaments NT sentiasa flop, jarang sangat menang tournaments ( hanya menang euro 64 kalau tak silap b4 their rise started in 2008 ). So hats off for them for sorting this problem, hanya england yg masih dalam zaman kegelapan NT mereka ( menang WC 66' pun sebab main tipu so that does not count for me ).

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Added on July 5, 2012, 5:19 pmSpain's belief dominates football
47Comments
02 Jul 2012 | 17:47
"They know how to play because they have come from a country where they learn how to play."
So said Vicente Del Bosque, the man that created history by being the first coach to win the UEFA Champions League, FIFA World Cup and UEFA European championship.

Along the way and, particularly in this tournament, he also secured the destiny of Spanish football for the foreseeable future by standing firm against the questions, being true to his nation’s long-term vision that brought it unprecedented success, and remaining steadfast in his beliefs.

Because that’s what football is, in the end. Beliefs.

‘What do you believe in?’, the Spanish might say. We know where our reference points are, what we have worked towards, where our vision of the game lies, and we stuck to it when the pressure was at its greatest.

The answer for too many, is nothing. Only the result, the latest winner, the personalities, the fortunate, but the result is so often an imposter, to borrow a line from the inimitable Xavi, that we have to look deeper.

At what Spain sought to achieve on the field, how it aimed to play, the incredible courage it takes to impose one’s game on every opponent, in every game.

That was the vision it had thirty years ago, and this wonderful array of players and a coach with the strength of character to see the journey through, has vindicated for all time the work Del Bosque speaks of above.

"They know how to play because they have come from a country where they learn how to play."

Indeed, they do, and it takes decades of diligence, education, hard work and sacrifice.

It was entirely fitting that Spain was subject to criticism throughout the tournament, though coming from the Spanish themselves it is difficult to understand having overcome 40 years of underachievement, however others around the world exposed their own belief systems through the process.

Those who see football as ping pong, up and down the field, back and forth, who would be better off putting a net at halfway and watching a game of tennis, not football.

Our game, as the Spanish have shown, is about possessing the ball, treating it with care, withholding it from the opponent and waiting for the right moment to strike, not giving it back and having to fight for it again.

Still incredible, though, that rather than castigate Spain’s opponent for an inability or unwillingness to take it on, some chose to question Spain’s approach to breaking down the constant walls it comes up against.

Barcelona has the same problem. The only team in the history of the game that must contend with a wall of defenders in every single game, with less space to pass than anyone has ever had, and yet who turn on mesmerizing performances as good as any that have ever been, are criticized for not being capable of getting through 10 Chelsea defenders.

Ten of the highest paid footballers the world has ever seen with one mission, to stop the opponent playing, and yet this is deemed acceptable, because too many lack beliefs. They see only results.

'Post hoc, ergo, propter hoc'. Chelsea won, therefore it is right.

Spain struggled at times to break down teams intent only on stopping it, necessitating a more patient approach than four years ago before its opponents gave up all pretense of ambition, and it's Spain's fault?

Spain and Barcelona have given us six years of the most sumptuous football the world has ever seen, and now it’s boring? Says who?

Only those who know not what they see, who cannot know the extraordinary quality and courage it takes to play this way, who cannot appreciate the artistry of the pass, who seek only the direct.

Perfectly fitting that Spain had to face criticism because, as Del Bosque said, success weakens.

People become tired, they want something different, the next big thing, a new high, change for change’s sake, but Spain has left them with nothing to hold onto anymore and shown them for what they are, without beliefs.

Congratulations to La Furia Roja, the greatest national team in the history of the game. You have lifted the beautiful game to new heights and that is an enduring legacy.

Also to the Azzurri, who should be congratulated for an outstanding tournament, for Andrea Pirlo’s mastery, and for trying to face Spain in the final, not running to cower like so many others.

In its own way, Italy contributed to the most emphatic exclamation mark on this era that could have been. The world’s best attack against a nation built on defence, and the game was no contest. No contest at all.

Spain and Barcelona have redefined football in the purest sense as being a game of skill and brains, and given us all hope by proving that such heights can be achieved through believing in something, and standing firm.

This is our destiny, to seek to play football with purity, with the ball, with possession, with intelligence.

Barcelona says it takes 5,600 hours of training between the ages of 10 and 24 to master the game. That’s an average of eight hours per week, 48 weeks a year over 14 years, including matches.

Yes, Australia, we have a long, long way to go.

It will take 20 to 30 years but, none can argue, as Spain has shown, that hard work pays a rich and lasting dividend.

Then perhaps, one day, we can say of Australia's own, "They know how to play because they have come from a country where they learn how to play."

This post has been edited by Icahn: Jul 5 2012, 05:19 PM

Ryan Giggs - The reason I start watching football when I am young.

Ruud van Nistelrooy "The Goal Machine"
Zinedine Zidane "The Headbutt King"
Rivaldo "The Actor", World Cup 2002 vs. Turkey
Mario Balotelli "The Entertainer"
Joey Barton "The Mafia"

Carra FTW. HEart and soul of liverpool. Still remember him as a young clumsy defender..scoring own goals for fun. how things has changed.

But my fav of all time, batigol. reason , he is a beast !!!

Current fav, messi, which imho , after watching football for a long time, is the best ever.

Yup, I was one of Carra's biggest critics when he was playing at the fullback positions but what a transformation he made when moved into the centreback role.

Batigol was on the verge of joining the Premiership once but Man Utd didn't want to meet the Viola's valuation of him, which they felt was too high for a bloke who was 30 at the time.

Scott Ollerenshaw.
Played his heart out for Sabah, lost his heart to a Sabahan and now calls Sabah home.

I believe that at some juncture, he was setting up futsal courts in Sabah. Friend of mine supplied the netting to him.

Aye, I think he's still involved in football back in KK.
Another of our 'imports' from that era, Khairul Azman Mohamed also married a local girl, but sadly has been much less fortunate in his post-football life/career.

Franco Baresi and Paolo Maldini.

Malaysia scene, the one I like most is Merzagua Abderrazak.

Striker - Thierry Henry, Dennis Bergkamp, Ruud van Nistelrooy
Midfielder - Patrick Vieira, Robert Pires, Zinedine Zidane
Defender - Sol Campbell, Jaap Stam, Paolo Maldini
Goalkeeper - David Seaman, Peter Schmeichel

oh wai.. this list is getting too long.. i love all these players with King Henry being my number 1
reason being, when i started watching football at 2003, these were the names i was introduced to

In a good way - Bergkamp
In a bad way - Cantona

both blessed with worldclass technique but different attitude

Back in the day, my favourite Selangor player was Karel Stromsik. It was a big deal back then because he had played one World Cup game back in 1982 after the Czech's lost their first and second choice keepers to injury. Another league import I loved to watch was Pahang's Piyapong Pue On. He scored 70 goals in 61 appearances for Pahang!

the legend....

GK - Peter Schmeichel
Defenders - Gary Neville, Pablo Maldini, Vidic, Phillip Lahm
Midfielders - Paul Scholes, Xavi Hernandez, Zinedine Zidane
Strikers - Raul, Van Nistelrooy, Rooney

Fav player of all time - Scholes.

international : Carles Puyol.. rock of catalonia

local : badrol bakhtiar. Calm and humble .....lead our harimau muda in final sea games..and silence 100,000 fanatic Garuda's in GBK with his epic goal.

All time fav players in my dream team..

--------------Buffon-----------------
---Cafu--Maldini--Nesta--A.Cole---
-Figo--Zidane--Vieira--C.Ronaldo-
--------Henry--Ronaldo-------------