WORLD CUP SNUBS XI

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Cmoke
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WORLD CUP SNUBS XI

Post by Cmoke »

There will be a bunch of gifted, high-profile soccer players who won’t be in Russia this summer. No, not the United States squad, which didn’t qualify, but performers from elite nations who got squeezed out of the picture.

Here is a team that would cost hundreds of millions to assemble but for these purposes is the World Cup snubbed XI.

More: World Cup: Ranking all 32 teams, from hopeless to hopefuls

More: World Cup: Cristiano Ronaldo tops list of top 50 players to look out for in Russia

Goalkeeper

Neto, Brazil: He had a superb season with Valencia in Spain’s La Liga, but it still wasn’t enough. He was competing for the third goalkeeping spot on the roster, which instead went to sentimental favorite Cassio.
Defenders

Aymeric Laporte, France: Good enough for English champion Manchester City to spend $75 million on. Not good enough for the stacked French squad.

Marcus Alonso, Spain: Made it into the Premier League's Team of the Season, but Spain has an embarrassment of options at left-back.

David Luiz, Brazil: Past his prime but it will still be weird to see a Brazil squad without him in it. A transformative player whose attacking abilities were outstanding, his defense was the main reason for his omission.
Midfielders

Mario Gotze, Germany: Scored the winner in the 2014 World Cup final and was outstanding at the start of last season. A change of coach at Borussia Dortmund and an untimely injury sealed his fate.

Radja Nainggolan, Belgium: Even with Belgium’s squad being packed with talent, it is amazing to think Roma midfielder Nainggolan was not worth a spot. Coach Roberto Martinez said the reason was “tactical.”

Erik Lamela, Argentina: Opened the season recovering from an injury and was thus pushed down the national team pecking order, but he responded strongly towards the end of the campaign and was unlucky to miss out.

Kingsley Coman, France: A place on France’s “reserves list” will be of little consolation for the Bayern Munich winger, but at just 21, he may get more opportunities in the future.
Forwards

Mauro Icardi, Argentina: An extraordinary decision. Icardi crushed 29 goals for Inter Milan in Italy’s Serie A. But there was simply no room in the Lionel Messi-led attack.

Karim Benzema, France: Not a huge shock given his long and much-discussed problems with the national team set-up. Still one of the best players who won’t be at the tournament.

Alvaro Morata, Spain: Was tied for Spain’s top scorer in qualifying but that wasn't enough to get him a ticket to Russia. Coach Julen Lopetegui admitted he “deserved” to be at the World Cup but was forced to make the tough decision for the sake of team balance.

https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/s ... topstories
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Re: WORLD CUP SNUBS XI

Post by Eaglezbeak »

I thought it was a list of players who snubbed Nigeria like Tammy Ibraham :rotf:
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Re: WORLD CUP SNUBS XI

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The only one that truly boogles my mind is Icardi. ..that Argentine coach head no dey house...
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Re: WORLD CUP SNUBS XI

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Siddonlook11 wrote:The only one that truly boogles my mind is Icardi. ..that Argentine coach head no dey house...
Imagine a striker of that quality being left at home? I would give my right arm to Icardi on our team.
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Re: WORLD CUP SNUBS XI

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Siddonlook11 wrote:The only one that truly boogles my mind is Icardi. ..that Argentine coach head no dey house...

But who does he drop for Icardi? You surely are not dropping Messi or Higuain (despite his history), Dybala is more versatile by far than Icardi as he can play anywhere up front and even AM. So you would have to drop someone at another position for someone who will most likely be fighting for the no 3 striker spot. They are blessed with an abundance of riches up front though.
We have been brainwashed by the Premier League that it's the best in the world. Nonsense. It's the best brand
Roy Keane: ITV 02/25/14

He says that we are currently "brainwashed" into believing that the Premier League is the best competition in the world, and that we are now a long way off dominating the Champions League again.
Gary Neville: Mirror: 12/23/14

I think Spain’s by far the best league.
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Re: WORLD CUP SNUBS XI

Post by Siddonlook11 »

metalalloy wrote:
Siddonlook11 wrote:The only one that truly boogles my mind is Icardi. ..that Argentine coach head no dey house...

But who does he drop for Icardi? You surely are not dropping Messi or Higuain (despite his history), Dybala is more versatile by far than Icardi as he can play anywhere up front and even AM. So you would have to drop someone at another position for someone who will most likely be fighting for the no 3 striker spot. They are blessed with an abundance of riches up front though.

Higuain...
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Re: WORLD CUP SNUBS XI

Post by Enyi »

metalalloy wrote:
Siddonlook11 wrote:The only one that truly boogles my mind is Icardi. ..that Argentine coach head no dey house...

But who does he drop for Icardi? You surely are not dropping Messi or Higuain (despite his history), Dybala is more versatile by far than Icardi as he can play anywhere up front and even AM. So you would have to drop someone at another position for someone who will most likely be fighting for the no 3 striker spot. They are blessed with an abundance of riches up front though.
This is the old problem with the SE, and most fans are trying to re-instate. I bet u if that was the SE of old, the coach will take him and drop a midfielder or defender and when the game calls for a defensive reinforcement, ppl start scratching their heads and wondering why we lost with all thee strikers n the pitch....

No care for team balance.
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Re: WORLD CUP SNUBS XI

Post by metalalloy »

Siddonlook11 wrote:
metalalloy wrote:
Siddonlook11 wrote:The only one that truly boogles my mind is Icardi. ..that Argentine coach head no dey house...

But who does he drop for Icardi? You surely are not dropping Messi or Higuain (despite his history), Dybala is more versatile by far than Icardi as he can play anywhere up front and even AM. So you would have to drop someone at another position for someone who will most likely be fighting for the no 3 striker spot. They are blessed with an abundance of riches up front though.

Higuain...

Tough. Icardi hasnt really replicated his club form for Argentina when called upon. Higuain misses a some on the biggest stage, but at least he scores for Argentina. So Icardi has been the Argie version of Owubokiri, lethal at club, middling for the national team.
We have been brainwashed by the Premier League that it's the best in the world. Nonsense. It's the best brand
Roy Keane: ITV 02/25/14

He says that we are currently "brainwashed" into believing that the Premier League is the best competition in the world, and that we are now a long way off dominating the Champions League again.
Gary Neville: Mirror: 12/23/14

I think Spain’s by far the best league.
Scholes. UK Guardian 9/6/16
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Re: WORLD CUP SNUBS XI

Post by Odas »

Eaglezbeak wrote:I thought it was a list of players who snubbed Nigeria like Tammy Ibraham :rotf:
That's what I thought as well, only to see a different thing
And the BIBLE says: The race is NOT for the swift, neither is the battle for the strong nor ... but time and chance makes them all.
Ecclesiastes 1:18: For in much wisdom is much grief and he that increases knowledge increases sorrow.
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Re: WORLD CUP SNUBS XI

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Undertaker wrote:
Siddonlook11 wrote:The only one that truly boogles my mind is Icardi. ..that Argentine coach head no dey house...
Imagine a striker of that quality being left at home? I would give my right arm to Icardi on our team.
Since Icardi's debut in 2013, he has ony 4 caps.

He has a history that Messi has weighed in on.

He allegedly snatched Maxi Lopez's wife. Maxi Lopez is Messi's friend. So, the rest adds up, considering that Messi has been known to pull his weight in his teams. Messi, of course, has denied this. This is not the first Argentina coach to discard Icardi. Meanwhile, Higuain and Aguero continue to underachieve for Argentina. It doesnt make fotball sense.
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Re: WORLD CUP SNUBS XI

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In October 2016, rumours started to speculate in Argentina that Lionel Messi was behind Icardi's exclusion from the national team due to his friendship with Maxi López, his wife's former partner. The national team coach Edgardo Bauza stated that Icardi's off-field antics have nothing to do with him not being selected for Argentina and he would receive a call-up soon, adding that Messi does not "dictate" the team. However, he was omitted again for the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification matches against Brazil and Colombia in November.

On 19 May 2017, Icardi received his first call-up after more than three years by newly appointed coach Jorge Sampaoli for the friendlies against Brazil and Singapore in June.[125]
In May 2018 he was named in Argentina’s preliminary 35 man squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.[126] He was however left out from the final 23, the coach preferring Cristian Pavon ahead of him.


https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mauro_Icardi

http://www.goal.com/en/news/468/interna ... tina-exile
TOUCH NOT MY ANOINTED...
For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. For it is written, I will destroy the wisdom of the wise, and will bring to nothing the understanding...hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world? 21 For after that in the wisdom of God the world by wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the foolishness of preaching to save them that believe
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Re: WORLD CUP SNUBS XI

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Alexandre Lacazette
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Re: WORLD CUP SNUBS XI

Post by Kabalega »

Siddonlook11 wrote:
metalalloy wrote:
Siddonlook11 wrote:The only one that truly boogles my mind is Icardi. ..that Argentine coach head no dey house...

But who does he drop for Icardi? You surely are not dropping Messi or Higuain (despite his history), Dybala is more versatile by far than Icardi as he can play anywhere up front and even AM. So you would have to drop someone at another position for someone who will most likely be fighting for the no 3 striker spot. They are blessed with an abundance of riches up front though.

Higuain...
:clap: :clap: For superstitious reasons.
Sometimes, one has to throw logic and listen to their gut.
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Re: WORLD CUP SNUBS XI

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anointed wrote:
In October 2016, rumours started to speculate in Argentina that Lionel Messi was behind Icardi's exclusion from the national team due to his friendship with Maxi López, his wife's former partner. The national team coach Edgardo Bauza stated that Icardi's off-field antics have nothing to do with him not being selected for Argentina and he would receive a call-up soon, adding that Messi does not "dictate" the team. However, he was omitted again for the 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification matches against Brazil and Colombia in November.

On 19 May 2017, Icardi received his first call-up after more than three years by newly appointed coach Jorge Sampaoli for the friendlies against Brazil and Singapore in June.[125]
In May 2018 he was named in Argentina’s preliminary 35 man squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia.[126] He was however left out from the final 23, the coach preferring Cristian Pavon ahead of him.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mauro_Icardi
http://www.goal.com/en/news/468/interna ... tina-exile
Icardi: Maxi Lopez wasn't my friend and I didn't steal his wife Wanda!

By Daniel Edwards
May 2, 2016 - Mauro Icardi has broken the silence on the feud between him and former team-mate Maxi Lopez, as he insisted that he did not steal the player's ex-wife Wanda Nara. The pair played together at Sampdoria, but the relationship broke down when Icardi started seeing the model soon after ...
http://www.goal.com/en/news/723/serie-a ... l-his-wife


Wanda Nara reveals why she left Maxi Lopez for Mauro Icardi
Sep 5, 2017 -Wanda Nara reveals why she left striker Maxi Lopez for Inter Milan star Mauro Icardi. She accuses Lopez of cheating on her.
https://www.101greatgoals.com/news/wand ... ro-icardi/
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Re: WORLD CUP SNUBS XI

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Cmoke wrote:There will be a bunch of gifted, high-profile soccer players who won’t be in Russia this summer. No, not the United States squad, which didn’t qualify, but performers from elite nations who got squeezed out of the picture.

Here is a team that would cost hundreds of millions to assemble but for these purposes is the World Cup snubbed XI.

More: World Cup: Ranking all 32 teams, from hopeless to hopefuls

More: World Cup: Cristiano Ronaldo tops list of top 50 players to look out for in Russia

Goalkeeper

.......

Radja Nainggolan, Belgium: Even with Belgium’s squad being packed with talent, it is amazing to think Roma midfielder Nainggolan was not worth a spot. Coach Roberto Martinez said the reason was “tactical.”
.......

https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/s ... topstories
I would actually play Nainggolan for 101 tactical reasons.
“If your opponent is of choleric temper, seek to irritate him. Pretend to be weak, that he may grow arrogant.”- Sun Tzu
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Re: WORLD CUP SNUBS XI

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