Playing around with the teams and players.
At this, the 'symbolic' halfway point of the Champions League 2006-2007, I'd like to review the season so far. The group stage has ended with the this year (2006) and the knockout round will begin next year (2007). So every thing lines up nice and tidy.
In the past I have compiled the best team of each round of matchdays. A sort of team of the week. Building on that theme - here are my teams of the Champions' League season so far.
3 teams made up of standout players comprised only from the set of teams who finished as group winners, group runners-up and UEFA Cup dropouts(3rd place in each group) respectively. No more than 2 players from any club in these XIs and atleast 1 from each club. Keep in mind though that since they're the best XI of players - the teams may not necessarily be balanced everywhere.
Group Winners XI (4-4-2):
------------------------------
Coupet - Lyon
Sagnol - Bayern
Ricardo Carvalho - Chelsea
Albiol - Valencia
Heinze - Manchester United
Kaka - Milan
Juninho - Lyon
Fabregas - Arsenal
Garcia - Liverpool
Villa - Valencia
Drogba - Chelsea
Balancing option - Liverpool's Gerrard for Garcia.
----------------------------------
Group Runners-up XI (4-4-2):
----------------------------------
Casillas - Real
Zanetti - Inter
Tavlaridis - Lille
Alex - PSV
Panucci - Roma
Stankovic - Inter
Gonzalez- Porto
Totti - Roma
Deco - Barcelona
Miller - Celtic
Van Nistelrooy - Real
Balancing Option - Porto's Quaresma for Gonzalez.
-------------------------------
UEFA CUP bound XI(3-5-2):
-------------------------------
Akinfeev - CSKA
Naldo - Bremen
Nelson - Benfica
Cirillo - AEK
Frings - Bremen
Faubert - Bordeaux
Dica - Steaua
Kalynychenko - Shakhtar
Boyarintsev - Spartak
Miccoli - Benfica
Daniel Carvalho - CSKA
Balancing Option - Bremen's Borowski for Frings.
For the realists who prioritise balance over performance, I have also included a balancing option to even things out in each team.
---------------------------------------------------------
In keeping with the fun, here are 3 more teams made up of players from the 3 main continents represented in the Champions' League teams - Europe, South America and Africa. No restrictions - just the best performers from each continent in as balanced a team as possible.
European XI(3-5-2):
-----------------------
Casillas - Real (Spain)
Ricardo Carvalho - Chelsea (Portugal)
Vidic - Manchester United (Serbia)
Puyol - Barcelona (Spain)
Schweinsteiger - Bayern (Germany)
Stankovic - Inter (Serbia)
Totti - Roma (Italy)
Deco - Barcelona (Portugal)
Vieira - Inter (France)
Villa - Valencia (Spain)
Saha - Manchester United (France)
Supersub - Morientes - Valencia (Spain)
Honourable mention - Nicolae Dica - Steaua (Romania)
South American XI (4-1-3-2):
----------------------------------
Dida - Milan (Brazil)
Zanetti - Inter (Argentina)
Cordoba - Inter (Colombia)
Alex - PSV (Brazil)
Naldo - Bremen (Brazil)
Emerson - Real (Brazil)
Kaka - Milan (Brazil)
Gonzalez - Porto (Argentina)
Juninho - Lyon (Brazil)
Cruz - Inter (Argentina)
Pizarro - Bayern (Peru)
Supersub - Ronaldinho - Barcelona (Brazil).
No surprises then - mostly Brazilians with a smattering of Argentinians.
African XI(4-3-3):
---------------------
Sylva - Lille (Senegal)
Wome - Bremen (Cameroun)
Addo - PSV (Ghana)
Toure - Arsenal (Ivory Coast)
Eboue - Arsenal (Ivory Coast)
Essien - Chelsea (Ghana)
Makoun - Lille (Cameroun)
Mahmadou Diarra - Real (Mali)
Odemwingie - Lille (Nigeria)
Drogba - Chelsea (Ivory Coast)
Aruna Kone - PSV (Ivory Coast)
Supersub - Ayila Yussuf - Dynamo Kiev (Nigeria). Yes, I like Ivory Coast. A lot. I didn't consider Eto'o because he's injured and has been for a while.
Now, who wouldn't fancy a tournament between those 3 sides. Truly, a global game.
Cheers.
At this, the 'symbolic' halfway point of the Champions League 2006-2007, I'd like to review the season so far. The group stage has ended with the this year (2006) and the knockout round will begin next year (2007). So every thing lines up nice and tidy.
In the past I have compiled the best team of each round of matchdays. A sort of team of the week. Building on that theme - here are my teams of the Champions' League season so far.
3 teams made up of standout players comprised only from the set of teams who finished as group winners, group runners-up and UEFA Cup dropouts(3rd place in each group) respectively. No more than 2 players from any club in these XIs and atleast 1 from each club. Keep in mind though that since they're the best XI of players - the teams may not necessarily be balanced everywhere.
Group Winners XI (4-4-2):
------------------------------
Coupet - Lyon
Sagnol - Bayern
Ricardo Carvalho - Chelsea
Albiol - Valencia
Heinze - Manchester United
Kaka - Milan
Juninho - Lyon
Fabregas - Arsenal
Garcia - Liverpool
Villa - Valencia
Drogba - Chelsea
Balancing option - Liverpool's Gerrard for Garcia.
----------------------------------
Group Runners-up XI (4-4-2):
----------------------------------
Casillas - Real
Zanetti - Inter
Tavlaridis - Lille
Alex - PSV
Panucci - Roma
Stankovic - Inter
Gonzalez- Porto
Totti - Roma
Deco - Barcelona
Miller - Celtic
Van Nistelrooy - Real
Balancing Option - Porto's Quaresma for Gonzalez.
-------------------------------
UEFA CUP bound XI(3-5-2):
-------------------------------
Akinfeev - CSKA
Naldo - Bremen
Nelson - Benfica
Cirillo - AEK
Frings - Bremen
Faubert - Bordeaux
Dica - Steaua
Kalynychenko - Shakhtar
Boyarintsev - Spartak
Miccoli - Benfica
Daniel Carvalho - CSKA
Balancing Option - Bremen's Borowski for Frings.
For the realists who prioritise balance over performance, I have also included a balancing option to even things out in each team.
---------------------------------------------------------
In keeping with the fun, here are 3 more teams made up of players from the 3 main continents represented in the Champions' League teams - Europe, South America and Africa. No restrictions - just the best performers from each continent in as balanced a team as possible.
European XI(3-5-2):
-----------------------
Casillas - Real (Spain)
Ricardo Carvalho - Chelsea (Portugal)
Vidic - Manchester United (Serbia)
Puyol - Barcelona (Spain)
Schweinsteiger - Bayern (Germany)
Stankovic - Inter (Serbia)
Totti - Roma (Italy)
Deco - Barcelona (Portugal)
Vieira - Inter (France)
Villa - Valencia (Spain)
Saha - Manchester United (France)
Supersub - Morientes - Valencia (Spain)
Honourable mention - Nicolae Dica - Steaua (Romania)
South American XI (4-1-3-2):
----------------------------------
Dida - Milan (Brazil)
Zanetti - Inter (Argentina)
Cordoba - Inter (Colombia)
Alex - PSV (Brazil)
Naldo - Bremen (Brazil)
Emerson - Real (Brazil)
Kaka - Milan (Brazil)
Gonzalez - Porto (Argentina)
Juninho - Lyon (Brazil)
Cruz - Inter (Argentina)
Pizarro - Bayern (Peru)
Supersub - Ronaldinho - Barcelona (Brazil).
No surprises then - mostly Brazilians with a smattering of Argentinians.
African XI(4-3-3):
---------------------
Sylva - Lille (Senegal)
Wome - Bremen (Cameroun)
Addo - PSV (Ghana)
Toure - Arsenal (Ivory Coast)
Eboue - Arsenal (Ivory Coast)
Essien - Chelsea (Ghana)
Makoun - Lille (Cameroun)
Mahmadou Diarra - Real (Mali)
Odemwingie - Lille (Nigeria)
Drogba - Chelsea (Ivory Coast)
Aruna Kone - PSV (Ivory Coast)
Supersub - Ayila Yussuf - Dynamo Kiev (Nigeria). Yes, I like Ivory Coast. A lot. I didn't consider Eto'o because he's injured and has been for a while.
Now, who wouldn't fancy a tournament between those 3 sides. Truly, a global game.
Cheers.
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