FF79: Euro 2004 Dream Team


By FF79
July 6 2004

With Euros done and dusted it's time to reflect on the players that made the tournie for you. Who made you shout, cheer or gasp in amazement? Who were YOUR Euro 2004 stars? Here are mine...

Team of the competition.

Tuesday 6th July 2004

Who made YOUR Euro 2004? I’ve picked the 23 players that made mine. Let me clarify, these aren’t necessarily the best players in Europe. These are the 23 players that inspired me the most, impressed me the most or who had me jumping off the sofa most often!

Just narrowly missing my cut were the likes of Greek cup winners Zagorakis, Fyssas and Caristeas, Dutch masters, Van Der Sar and Van Nistlerooy, and England stalwarts, Ashley Cole and Lampard. Also ‘left home’ were Czech mates Poborsky and Rosicki, Portuguese playmaker Ronaldo, Spanish sweeper Helguera, Danish stopper Sorenson, Latvian live-wire Rubins and Germanys new hope, the hysterically named Schweinsteiger, which means something mad like ‘pig thrower’ in Bavarian!

So here they are, my 23. Thanks guys. Thanks for your passion, for playing with pride and for keeping me entertained, in some cases long after England had headed home.


1 - Buffon (ITY) – Simply the best number 1 in the world today
2 - Nesta (ITY) – Unflappable poise
3 - Campbell (ENG) – A rock
4 - Dellas (GRE) – Commanded and led the best defense in Europe
5 - Laursen (DMK) – Gritty and fearless

6 - Etexberria (SPN) – Dazzled like an old style winger
7 - Nedved (CZH) – Looked every bit European Player of the Year
8 - Deco (POR) – Portugal’s Paul Scholes of 5 years ago!
9 - Robben (HOL) – Tricky, nippy and sure to frighten some Premiership defences

10 - Baros (CZH) – A revelation, though I’ve been crowing him for a while!
11 - Rooney (ENG) – The star of the tournie. A world-beater. And he’s English :)
SUBS:

12 - Cech (CZH) – Strong, tall, agile, quick, the perfect keeper combo
13 - Stephanovs (LAT) – I can’t believe he’s in my team but he’s there on merit
14 - Smertin (RUS) – He WAS the Russian defence
15 - Seitaridis (GRE) – Shut down EVERY winger he faced, Figo and Ronaldo twice!

16 - Petrov (BUL) – Quick and eager
17 - Ballack (GER) – Undoubtedly has sore shoulders from carrying the German team
18 - Zidane (FRA) – Perhaps not at his very best but still the best France had
19 – Davids (HOL) – A joy to watch. The definition of perpetual motion!
20 - Maniche (POR) – Portugal’s Steven Gerrard!

21 - Rommadahl (DMK) – For me, scored the joint goal of the tournie…
22 - Larsson (SWE) – And this guy scored the other!
23 - Verpakovskis (LAT) – I just loved watching him taunt the German defense!


Agree, disagree, stick your own team up on the forum for debate!

FF79

©ForestFC.co.uk, 2004

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