Best player you've ever seen in the flesh

[bw@bw]

I saw Pele against Bulgaria (brutal swines they were) and against Eusebio's Portugal in 1966. Just down the road it was... (well, Goodison Park I think). Wasn't his best day as he was fouled and hurt a lot. Eusebio looked pretty good mind.

me too

saw all brazil's games

so Pele has to be very high on the list.

I don't think Brazil ever lost when Pele and Garrincha (sp?) were in the same team. They both played against Bulgaria, but Pele missed the second against Hungary and Garrincha the third against Portugal, and they lost both. Bit of a disappointment really. The quarterfinal between Portugal and Korea was fun and looked like a big upset at half time - did you get to see that one?

yes I did.

It was unreal

Eusebio scored 4 IIRC and pulled Portugal back virtually single handed.


If you saw alll of those - did you also see the Hungary Brazil match - for my money probably the best football match I have ever seen (FIFA official rankings have it about 5th best World Cup match ever)? On that match alone I would be tempted to put Florian Albert and Ferenc Bene in my all time greats list.

[Zulus Thousand of em]

Pele, Garrincha, Gerson, Orlando, Gylmar, Tostao, Edu, Jairzinho and the rest of the Brazilian 1966 World Cup Squad training on Bromwich Street and Eusebio playing in Eddie Hopkinson's testimonial at Burnden Park.

And I got Gerson and Orlando's autographs - still got 'em!

[Zulus Thousand of em]

I saw Pele against Bulgaria (brutal swines they were) and against Eusebio's Portugal in 1966. Just down the road it was... (well, Goodison Park I think). Wasn't his best day as he was fouled and hurt a lot. Eusebio looked pretty good mind.

me too

saw all brazil's games

so Pele has to be very high on the list.

I don't think Brazil ever lost when Pele and Garrincha (sp?) were in the same team. They both played against Bulgaria, but Pele missed the second against Hungary and Garrincha the third against Portugal, and they lost both. Bit of a disappointment really. The quarterfinal between Portugal and Korea was fun and looked like a big upset at half time - did you get to see that one?

yes I did.

It was unreal

Eusebio scored 4 IIRC and pulled Portugal back virtually single handed.


If you saw alll of those - did you also see the Hungary Brazil match - for my money probably the best football match I have ever seen (FIFA official rankings have it about 5th best World Cup match ever)? On that match alone I would be tempted to put Florian Albert and Ferenc Bene in my all time greats list.

Totally agree!

[Montreal Wanderer]

I saw Pele against Bulgaria (brutal swines they were) and against Eusebio's Portugal in 1966. Just down the road it was... (well, Goodison Park I think). Wasn't his best day as he was fouled and hurt a lot. Eusebio looked pretty good mind.

me too

saw all brazil's games

so Pele has to be very high on the list.

I don't think Brazil ever lost when Pele and Garrincha (sp?) were in the same team. They both played against Bulgaria, but Pele missed the second against Hungary and Garrincha the third against Portugal, and they lost both. Bit of a disappointment really. The quarterfinal between Portugal and Korea was fun and looked like a big upset at half time - did you get to see that one?

yes I did.

It was unreal

Eusebio scored 4 IIRC and pulled Portugal back virtually single handed.


If you saw alll of those - did you also see the Hungary Brazil match - for my money probably the best football match I have ever seen (FIFA official rankings have it about 5th best World Cup match ever)? On that match alone I would be tempted to put Florian Albert and Ferenc Bene in my all time greats list.

No, decided to skip that one (financial considerations or something) and watched on TV. If there is a truly great game it usually the one i decide against going. Eusebio did have four goals against North Korea (but 2 were penalties). Albert was brilliant on his day, but very moody.

[bw@bw]

I saw Pele against Bulgaria (brutal swines they were) and against Eusebio's Portugal in 1966. Just down the road it was... (well, Goodison Park I think). Wasn't his best day as he was fouled and hurt a lot. Eusebio looked pretty good mind.

me too

saw all brazil's games

so Pele has to be very high on the list.

I don't think Brazil ever lost when Pele and Garrincha (sp?) were in the same team. They both played against Bulgaria, but Pele missed the second against Hungary and Garrincha the third against Portugal, and they lost both. Bit of a disappointment really. The quarterfinal between Portugal and Korea was fun and looked like a big upset at half time - did you get to see that one?

yes I did.

It was unreal

Eusebio scored 4 IIRC and pulled Portugal back virtually single handed.


If you saw alll of those - did you also see the Hungary Brazil match - for my money probably the best football match I have ever seen (FIFA official rankings have it about 5th best World Cup match ever)? On that match alone I would be tempted to put Florian Albert and Ferenc Bene in my all time greats list.

No, decided to skip that one (financial considerations or something) and watched on TV. If there is a truly great game it usually the one i decide against going. Eusebio did have four goals against North Korea (but 2 were penalties). Albert was brilliant on his day, but very moody.

It's hard to convey these days the atmosphere that those matches produced. Nowadays we see all the world -wide superstars on TV every week - so everything is very familiar. In those days we had only heard of players such as Pele and Garrincha and at best seen them on newsreel film of previous world cups- it was like seeing players from another planet.

Overall (despit Bulgaria) I think we were very lucky in the group that we had in the North West. Some of the other matches were dross - but we saw fantastic football.

[James B]

ronaldo has never ripped us apart (touch wood)

his man utd debut?

last season he wasn't too bad either, scored two excellent goals early on and didn't need to break a sweat afterwards

[Batman]

i wish people would read the title of the thread

[bobo the clown]

FOR BOLTON ; -
Franie Lee
Frank Worthington
J-J
Fernando Hierro (just a shame we didn't see him at his peak. Can you imagine it ??)
Youri (ditto)
Peter Reid
Eidur G
Sasa Curcic
Gudni B


AGAINST BOLTON ; -
Georgi Hagi
Eric Cantona (sorry, but ...)
Ruud Gullitt
Rudi Krol, Johann Cruff, Neeskins (1978 pre-season friendly v Ajax)
Peter Shilton
Alan Ball
Colin Bell
Martin Buchan
Liam Brady
Glenn Hoddle
Franc Ribery


I know there's lots more, but this is OK for now

[Lord Kangana]

FOR BOLTON ; -
Franie Lee
Frank Worthington
J-J
Fernando Hierro (just a shame we didn't see him at his peak. Can you imagine it ??)
Youri (ditto)
Peter Reid
Eidur G
Sasa Curcic
Gudni B


AGAINST BOLTON ; -
Georgi Hagi
Eric Cantona (sorry, but ...)
Ruud Gullitt
Rudi Krol, Johann Cruff, Neeskins (1978 pre-season friendly v Ajax)
Peter Shilton
Alan Ball
Colin Bell
Martin Buchan
Liam Brady
Glenn Hoddle
Franc Ribery


I know there's lots more, but this is OK for now

I'm surprised Sam never tried to sign Krol Neeskens and Cruyff!

(and I'm a tad envious you got to see 'em in the flesh, the old footage of those teams is like football nirvana for me)

[tony cunninghams willy]

Ruud Gullitt

[CAPSLOCK]

Okocha

[H. Pedersen]

There was a guy who subbed for my team once and scored a hat-trick from inside the center circle. That was awesome.

[enfieldwhite]

Podolski

Luca Toni

Okocha

Hierro

Mcginley

[Zulus Thousand of em]

There was a guy who subbed for my team once and scored a hat-trick from inside the center circle. That was awesome.

... or seriously crap goalkeeping!

[Hoboh]

George Best

[NWhiteley]

Ronaldo, when he played for PSV. It was against Leeds, in October, during the 1995/96 season when he won his first UEFA player of the year award.
He totally ran the game, playing along side one Eidur Gudjohnsen. Playing for Leeds that night, was Gary Speed and we came rock bottom of the Premier League that season.

[keveh]

Gudjohnsen, easily.

[bw@bw]

FOR BOLTON ; -
Franie Lee
Frank Worthington
J-J
Fernando Hierro (just a shame we didn't see him at his peak. Can you imagine it ??)
Youri (ditto)
Peter Reid
Eidur G
Sasa Curcic
Gudni B




I know there's lots more, but this is OK for now

Would largely go along with this -Biggest Omission being Peter Thompson even if not at his peak either

[William the White]

FOR BOLTON ; -
Franie Lee
Frank Worthington
J-J
Fernando Hierro (just a shame we didn't see him at his peak. Can you imagine it ??)
Youri (ditto)
Peter Reid
Eidur G
Sasa Curcic
Gudni B




I know there's lots more, but this is OK for now

Would largely go along with this -Biggest Omission being Peter Thompson even if not at his peak either

Yep, the original TOMO was excellent. At least in home games. Didn't like it away, where the refs didn't give him much protection. What was Shankley thinking of getting rid?

[thevza]

juan roman riquelme in the copa america.