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How's about a "Best of the Rest" team in the WC??


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Old 21-06-2014, 19:57
howard h
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Thinking George Best never got to play in the World Cup, seems a pity that really good players from smaller countries can't play in the major tournament through no fault of their own - maybe the WC should have 31 teams + a team combined of the best of the rest, maybe picked by FIFA and managed by a retired *great*??

Can Digital Spyers suggest names of today to go into a 22-man squad (probably starting with Bale!) from countries that didn't make it? Maybe only from countries that have a population under 5 million??
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Old 21-06-2014, 20:01
Chilisauce
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Aaron Ramsey.
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Old 21-06-2014, 20:01
batdude_uk1
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No all nations should have to qualify, having players just turn up who didn't wouldn't be right or fair (bar the host nation of course).

If we are playing make believe, then the first name should be Ibra, rather than Bale.
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Old 21-06-2014, 20:05
nevada
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Ibrahimovic
Lewandowski
Hamsik
Alaba
Ramsey
Erikksen
Cech
Goodwillie
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Old 21-06-2014, 20:05
howard h
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No all nations should have to qualify, having players just turn up who didn't wouldn't be right or fair (bar the host nation of course).

If we are playing make believe, then the first name should be Ibra, rather than Bale.
In some confederations, qualifying can be easier than others (Australia for starters)? So it's not quite a level playing field.
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Old 21-06-2014, 20:06
howard h
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Ibrahimovic
Lewandowski
Hamsik
Alaba
Ramsey
Erikksen
Cech
Goodwillie
Gawd help England if they get drawn against those!!
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Old 21-06-2014, 20:09
batdude_uk1
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In some confederations, qualifying can be easier than others (Australia for starters)? So it's not quite a level playing field.
I get what you are saying, but it is still a path that nations take to get there, (Australia's path in Asia is not the hardest, nor though is it the easiest either).

Just letting players turn up (bar the host nation) would be wrong.
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Old 21-06-2014, 20:12
Parthenon
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Cech
Piszczek
Benatia
Ivanovic
Alaba
Ramsey
Bale
Mkhitaryan
Turan
Lewandowski
Ibrahimovic
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Old 21-06-2014, 20:16
Jim_McIntosh
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I picked this squad on a whim on the other thread but it would be better with the stipulation that you can only pick one player per country. Otherwise you end up with a very very strong side (see below).


GK
Handanovic (Slovenia)
Cech (Czech Rep)
McGregor (Scotland)

CB
Benatia (Morocco)
Ivanovic (Serbia)
Subotic (Serbia)
Skrtel (Slovakia)

FB
Coleman (Rep Ireland)
Alaba (Austria)
Piszczek (Poland)

MD
Matic (Serbia)
Mkhitaryan (Armenia)
Hamsik (Slovakia)
Nuri Sahin (Turkey)
Ramsey (Wales)
Erikssen (Denmark)

WG
Bale (Wales)
Yarmolenko (Ukraine)
Konoplyanka (Ukraine)
Salah (Egypt)
Arda Turan (Turkey)

STR
Ibrahimovic (Sweden)
Lewandowski (Poland)
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Old 21-06-2014, 20:17
howard h
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I get what you are saying, but it is still a path that nations take to get there, (Australia's path in Asia is not the hardest, nor though is it the easiest either).

Just letting players turn up (bar the host nation) would be wrong.
You're right for the World Cup, but there are tournaments where a combined team from the minor countries could compete - Confederation's Cup for one. Can't see a problem with letting the good players who don't make it have their moment in the sun?

The other alternative is to have a Smaller Country's World Cup ( 2 million population max) and - possibly - allow the winning country a place in the tournament proper? Of course, Iceland nearly did!!
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Old 21-06-2014, 20:18
howard h
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I picked this squad on a whim on the other thread but it would be better with the stipulation that you can only pick one player per country. Otherwise you end up with a very very strong side (see below).


GK
Handanovic (Slovenia)
Cech (Czech Rep)
McGregor (Scotland)

CB
Benatia (Morocco)
Ivanovic (Serbia)
Subotic (Serbia)
Skrtel (Slovakia)

FB
Coleman (Rep Ireland)
Alaba (Austria)
Piszczek (Poland)

MD
Matic (Serbia)
Mkhitaryan (Armenia)
Hamsik (Slovakia)
Nuri Sahin (Turkey)
Ramsey (Wales)
Erikssen (Denmark)

WG
Bale (Wales)
Yarmolenko (Ukraine)
Konoplyanka (Ukraine)
Salah (Egypt)
Arda Turan (Turkey)

STR
Ibrahimovic (Sweden)
Lewandowski (Poland)
Good post, and a strong squad! How many of those countries are below the 5m population mark though; are they all below 10m??
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Old 21-06-2014, 20:32
Jim_McIntosh
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1 per country...

Handanovic (Slovenia)
Cech (Czech Republic)
McGregor (Scotland)

Benatia (Morocco)
Ivanovic (Serbia)
Chiriches (Romania)
Coleman (Ireland)
Alaba (Austria)
Abdennour (Tunisia)

Diame (Senegal)
Nuri Sahin (Turkey)
Eriksson (Denmark)
Mkhitaryan (Armenia)
Hamsik (Slovakia)
Bale (Wales)
Konoplyanka (Ukraine)
Salah (Egypt)
Dzsudszak (Hungary)

Lewandowski (Poland)
Ibrahimovic (Sweden)
Pandev (Macedonia)
Aubameyang (Gabon)
Jovetic (Montenegro)
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Old 21-06-2014, 20:33
Lojen
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Great idea
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Old 21-06-2014, 20:55
shaggy_x
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No George Weah?
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Old 21-06-2014, 20:58
nevada
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Err he's 47.
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Old 21-06-2014, 21:07
howard h
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Nailed-on place in England's starting eleven....
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Old 21-06-2014, 21:20
Darren Lethem
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In some confederations, qualifying can be easier than others (Australia for starters)? So it's not quite a level playing field.
How do you work out that Australia have easy qualifying ? They travel more than any other nation to try and qualify
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Old 21-06-2014, 21:43
Steveaustin316
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The Confederations Cup could be interesting if the format was changed so each confederation picked a team of their best players to participate.
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