Mirror Mirror On The Wall, Who's The Best Player of Them All?

There are golf fans and soccer fans out there. The truth is out there like the X files. I knew of quite many who are both - soccer and golf fans, those who are passionate and played the both sports and gradually over time gravitating towards the smaller balls. There have been reader requests to do soccer. The following posers were given to me as if my day job is not stressful enough:
Who Is The Most Skilful of Them All Regardless of Era? Maradona (my answer) or George Best?

Mirror, mirror on the ball, Who's The Best Soccer Player of them all? Everyone of us finds certain players more endearing than others. Then it depends on whether we are just talking about the World Cup or regardless of it or a combo of both. Some players just shine at club level. If we are talking World Cup, do remember it is an event that occurs during an entire month from June to July while domestic and European Champions League takes place for a whole season.

World Cup winners were: 1930-Uruguay, 34-Italy, 38-Italy, 50-Uruguay, 54-West Germany, 58-Brazil, 62-Brazil, 66-England, 70-Brazil, 74-West Germany, 78-Argentina, 82-Italy, 86-Argentina, 90-West Germany, 94- Brazil, 98-France, 2002-Brazil, 06-Italy, 2010-?? Star players on these World Cups were: 58-Pele/Garrincha of Brazil, Fontaine of France and Blanchflower of Northern Ireland. 62-Bobby Charlton of England. 66-England gave the world Bobby Charlton, Bobby Moore, Alan Ball, Geoff Hurst, Martin Peters and Portugal gave us Eusebio while W. Germany had Uwe Seeler, Franz Beckanbauer. 70-Brazil featured Carlos Alberto, Gerson, Jairzinho, Pele, Rivaldo while England had Moore, Charlton and Gordon Banks, Italy had Facchetti, Riva and W. Germany had Beckanbauer, Gerd Muller, Overath and Seeler.

In 1974, Beckanbauer, Paul Breitner, Sepp Maier, Bertie Vogts, Gerd Muller won the World Cup but Holland's Johann Cruyff and Neeskens gave them a fright. So did Lato, Tomaszewski and Deyna of Poland and Hellstrom of Sweden. In 1978, there was Osvaldo Ardilles and Mario Kempes of Argentina, Krankl of Austria, Ruud Krol and Robbie Resenbrink of Holland, Leao and Dirceu of Brazil and Rossi and Cabrini of Italy. 1982 saw a flurry of stars like Brazil's' Eder, Falcao, Socrates, Zico, France's Alain Giresse and Jean Tigana, Italy boasted Dino Zoff, Paolo Rossi, Marco Tardelli, Conti, W. Germany had Karl-Heinz-Rummenigge, Uli Stieleke and Poland had Boniek and Lato. In 1986, Maradona was at his peak, Michel Platini starred for France, Elkjaer and Larson were the toasts of Denmark, England gave Gary Lineker, WG had Schumacher and there was Jans Ceulemans of Belgium. In 90, there were Caniggia and Maradona of Argentina, Scifo of Belgium, England's Gary Lineker and Paul Gascoigne, Italy's Schilachi, Baggio, Franco Baresi, WG's Andreas Brehme, Juergen Klinsmann, Lothar Matthaus.

Officially voted the best players of each World Cup were:
Garrincha in 1962

1954- Ferenc Puskas (Hungary), 1958-Didi (Brazil-1st), Pele (Brazil-2nd), Kopa (France-3rd). 1962- Garrincha-Brazil. 1966-Bobby Chalrton (England-1st), Bobby Moore (England-2nd), Eusebio (Portugal-3rd). 1970-Pele (Bra-1st), Gerson (Bra-2nd), Bobby Moore (Eng-3rd). 1974-Cruyff (Holland-1st), Franz Beckanbauer (WG-2nd), Deyna (Pol-3rd). 1978-Mario Kempes (Arg-1st), Paolo Rossi (Ita-2nd), Dirceu (Bra-3rd). 1982-Paolo Rossi (Ita-1st), Falcao (Bra-2nd), Karl_Heinz Rummenigge (WG-3rd). 1986-Diego Maradona (Arg-1st), Schumacher (Ger-2nd), Elkjaer (Den-3rd). 1990-Salvatre Schillachi (Ita-1st), Lothar Matthaus (Ger-2nd), Diego Maradona (Arg-3rd). 1994-Romario (Bra-1st), Roberto Baggio (Ita-2nd), Hristov Stoichov (Bul-3rd). 1998-Ronaldo (Bra-1st), Davor Suker (Croatia-2nd), Lilian Thuram (Fra-3rd). 2002-Oliver Kahn (Ger-1st), Ronaldo (Bra-2nd), Hong Myung-Bo (Korea-3rd). 2006-Zinedine Zidane (Fra-1st), Fabio Cannavaro (Ita-2nd), Andre Pirlo (Ita-3rd).

Puskas was only a legend I have heard who played for the Mighty Magyars and later migrated to Spain after scoring 84 goals in 85 internationals and played for the legendary Real Madrid. Garrincha or the "Little Bird" was considered the best dribbler and an equal to if not second only to Pele. Why do they coined the word "English Gentlemen?" Just watch Bobby Moore and Bobby Charlton. While most voted were attackers, Moore was the first of the elegant defender even before Beckanbauer as he made defending seemed effortless and Charlton was the very first person that gave the description "Boomz"! Suffice to say no one can save a thunderbolt from him. Johann Cryuff was the dashing modern footballer when the Dutch gave the world Total Football under Rinus Michels. Franz Beckanbauer gave Soh Chin Aun the franchise to stroll the parks in South East Asia and no one has played like him. Mario Kempes was a dashing forward and Paolo Rossi a great opportunist. Falcao was Brazil's fulcrum in 82, Rummenigge invented the toe-poke with his goals he must have really big toes. Schillachi was quite forgetable as he rose from no where to be top scorer. Diego Maradona has no peers first messing with his blasphemous "Hand of God" goal v England but his second goal was probably the best goal ever in a World Cup. Romario is a goal machine. Small, very nimble with economy of movement but he just banged in the goals. Baggio was the pony-tailed Buddhist capable of some mazy dribblers. Ronaldo at his peak was really a phenomena which was his nickname. Oliver Kahn was the first time a goalkeeper was named best player which spoke of the dearth of quality players these days. Zinedine Zidane was the best thing to happen to soccer after Maradona. He was poetry in motion. In the meantime, George Best was the best player in the world never to have played in the World Cup but he was already the best in Europe at a young age. As you can see from this list, the lengendary and truly great players were dwindling at an alarming rate long ago. I have never seen some like Puskas or Garrincha play but from here I would categorise the players like separating the chaff from the wheat:

Category 1 - Pele, Diego Maradona, Bobby Chalrton, Bobby Moore, Johann Cruyff, Beckanbauer, George Best and Zinedine Zidane. Cruyff and Best didn't win any WC and Best didn't even featured in one.
Cat 2 - Mario Kempes, Oliver Kahn, Romario and Ronaldo, Rossi, Gary Lineker, Paul Gascoigne, Platini and the rest.

Some like Germany's Bernd Schuster and France's Eric Cantona even dropped out from their national teams. Did you realize that the players of yesteryears were so easily recognizable and identifiable with their style of play and the modern players all looked and play the same like robots? Of all these players in category 1, Pele is the most complete player and he is good with both feet, his head, all round link-up play and a good team player and officially the best. He knew how to take care of himself and lasted so long to score more than 1,000 goals. Maradona was the dribbler supreme but was tainted by drugs and cheating. Zidane was fabulous and a joy to watch with his touches. Cruyff was electric but vastly different from Pele or Maradona while Charlton was all Boomz from midfield. George Best retired at the age of 26 having fascinated the soccer world when he has not reached a footballer's peak from 28 and has many amazing soccer moments to remind the world what a genius he was and what might have happened if he had featured in the World Cup and playing for a stronger team. Everytime when new and exciting players come along, they are touted as the new George Best. There will never be another Best. Though Best never really took care of himself he never did drugs but he did boozed too much like you and me. The difference was I avoided women and he did not.

George Best

I have looked around for such a memorabilia for a long time and only found this in Bangkok, Thailand a couple of years back (see 2nd pix with Thai words). What does it say in Thai? It said "The Official George Best Story" GEORGE BEST - Genius, Maverick, Legend. How do I know? Because I'm the guru! No, there is an English translation below.

Best died at 59 after lying in intensive care after years of alcohol abuse with his life. Blessed with good looks and sublime skills, he could have been the greatest footballer ever to have graced planet earth. The very first pop star soccer player, Best, aptly named retired at 26 from Manchester United even before he reached his peak having already won the European Cup and named European Footballer of the year. Women and booze were to be his conquest and downfall. Although he has never appeared in the World Cup representing Northern Ireland, many believed that he could have been better than Pele or Maradona.

There was a pedigreed defender who once was reported to have grabbed Best after a game to Best's surprise. A puzzled Best looked on and wondered what has happened to which the defender (can't remember his name) said: "I just wanted a good look at your face as each time I saw you, I was lying on the field looking up your backside as you ran away."

Then it was reported by Bill Elliot, a soccer journalist who followed Best closely. It was in 1976 just before Northern Ireland played Holland and Billy asked Best what he thought about Johann Cryuff (famous as the world best player since the 1974 World Cup). Best replied that Cruyff was a great player but "I would like to take the ball and nutmeg him later in the game at the first opportunity" and he just broke out in laughter. Nutmeg in soccer terms means bringing the ball up close to an opponent and playing it through the opponent's legs. At this time, Best was already 30 and past his best having too much booze while Cryuff was at his peak as the world's best. As Best entered the field through the tunnel, a beautiful blond above was waving a flower at him. He stopped, took the flower and reached out to kiss her hand and was waving the flower as he ran onto the field.

Sometime into the game, Best received the ball on the left side of midfield, intentionally dribbled past 3 Dutch players sideways and inward away from the goal towards the right where Cruyff was and nutmegged Cruyff - putting the ball through the great Cruyff's legs and dashed away while raising his right hand. Though it was awesome to behold the sight of a player galloping away after a nice dribble, few people knew the significance of this bravado and genius. Of course Elliot did. Best did what he said he would do to a great player. Now who could do a thing like that? This was genius at work and no other great players has this cheeky streak which Best possessed. There was another incident when Matt Busby told the Busby Babes to begin a game by playing in a withdrawn position for twenty minutes before launching into counter attack. That was the game plan to win the game. Ten minutes into the game, Best single-handedly pounded the opponents with two goals to Matt Busby's disbelief throwing away the game plan entirely and turning the game on his own.

However you might try, it is hard to compare players from different era. The game is different. Today's game is either a race for supreme fitness in quite a robotic way or one that is very strategic. Now, you tell me who is your best player? What I am absolutely sure about the World Cup is that each time it comes around, we are older by four years. So who is the best? Give me your pick. Is George the Best? What a name! Yes, George is Best!?

Which Is The Best Team Ever To Play In The World Cup? Brazil 1970 or Brazil 1982?

I detected bias towards Brazil in the question as only two Brazils at different WCs were given.

The 1970 Brazilian World Cup winning team has been largely acknowledged as the best World Cup team. I was smitten by "The World At Their Feet" featuring the 70 WC. I would reckon that the 1982 Brazilian team was the best team that should have won the WC that year. Their movements and fluidity was almost like equal to their 1970 compatriots. They have a wonderful coach in Tele Santana who dared to play attacking soccer. They have a wonder winger in Eder with those powerful swerving shots. In Falcao, every moves evolved around him. The bearded doctor and Captain Socrates was intelligent and with his long strides was hard to stop. Besides, you have never seen how penalties were taken by just running a single step. Zico was touted as the new Pele and rightly so. Their attacking instincts could not be curbed and a hattrick by Italy's Paolo Rossi robbed them. That was the best team to have lost a World Cup.

Which Is The Most Boring Team To Watch In The World Cup?

Germany is the common denominator here but it depends on which German team and which WC. I actually like the 1974 winning team. Italy the master of defence can be a real contender for this title too. The German team that played in the last World Cup led by Juergen Klinsmann was actually an exciting team that plays positively.

...And This Is A Tough One: Why North Korea being so deprived can enter the World Cup and yet Singapore cannot?

North Korea is deprived of food, medicine and some basic human needs. Singapore has everything. North Korea is in the nuclear weapons world cup but not Singapore. Why? Their pom and pageantry at the national day is as good as any. Money and ability is not the problem here. The Koreans - North or South are born warriors. The North Korean team like the Saudis and Kuwaiti teams can eat and breathe soccer. They all have bigger physique too. Cha Bum Kun, a straddling 6ft. winger was probably the best South Korean soccer player who played for Einthracht Frankfurt and starred in the world cup before Park Ji Sung's adventure with Man Utd. Argentina won 3-1 with Maradona's help but it was the way the Koreans play that gave Argentina some frights. Kim Jong-il and sons can give his players the best DVDs and wine to motivate them plus $$$.

Singapore has done the right thing to get out of the Malaysia Cup which gave us joy but while doing Malaysia Cup, we struggled against Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam and the then Burma. Now we have won regional tournaments and beaten Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia and Myanmar and even Turkmenistan and others. This is the first achievement and the first sign of progress. The S-League was a success but looking a bit tired but if they can maintain/sustain and improve further, it can lead to further things. Next year is World Cup year where soccer gets even more popular than ever. Get things going and keep the momentum. Get better high quality foreign star players. Get youngsters interested. Let many play the sports. Make hay while the sun shines. There was a recent exodus of local and foreign players from the S-League to the Indonesian I-League. Let me assure out that this is the second sign of success when your best players are playing overseas. If you have doubts? Just look at Brazil, Argentina, Spain, Denmark, Australia, South Korea, France and many more where their national teams' players are plying their trade elsewhere.

Winning is a mentality. Our sportsmen need not only support but a strong belief, conviction and mentality. Yes, soccer is a physical game where body contacts are unavoidable and our smaller physique is disadvantageous. How do you overcome this? Look at the Latin model. Latin American has smaller players than the Europeans and they could run rings around them. They managed so well in very tight and confined spaces and they play with lots of guile. Today's Singaporeans are much taller and bigger than their under-nourished brothers of yesteryears. You will also have to look at new coaching and training methods and make Singapore a soccer hub like what they did with a shipping hub, financial hub, logistics hub, etc. This will further enhance and promote Singapore and attract all kinds of talents. Who is to say we will not find a Zinedine Zidane, Eric Cantona, George Weah, Thierry Henry in our midst someday in the future? Or maybe even several of such players. We need to create the platform for such things to possibly happen and to act as a catalyst because in every successful club soccer team or any national side, it will take a "Golden Generation" of players coming through together where the formula and everything is right to be champions or to achieve a new milestone. Start with the youngsters and incalcate in them the right skills set, mentality, discipline and playing with the right tempo. When they are too old in their twenties, it is hard to dismantle the old habits that have set in. Like going to a coach to correct your golf swing after ten years? There will be too much frustrations for both players and coach.

Finally, Singapore players cannot think like they are the stars and even if they were, they are just still big fish in a small pond. Go into the ocean, a tilapia (a cichlid) meeting a barracuda face to face for the first time and things become quite different. The last piece of advice is that Singapore must tap the reservoir of Chinese players. Chinese parents are mostly "kiasu" (afraid to lose) and do not like their children going too much into sports as it is viewed as less rewarding. In Australia, they have a very strong and appropriate sports culture where support comes in at many levels. If more young Chinese boys becomes more interested in soccer the talent pool suddenly increased by another 70 per cent immediately. Based on probability alone, we will get some extra talents there. Singapore has a culture of excellence. This is something that is not impossible. If we were to beat Thailand over two legs in November, we'll get to the Asian Cup for the very first time. Let us do this first. One by one, baby steps.
I hope I answered some questions to your satisfaction and gave some food for thought and invite you to give your two cents' worth too. The ball is round, every which way you turn it...just like every other sphericals objects.