Battle of the World Cup stars

[Somerset]

Platini, Valderrama, Banks and Klinsmann

 

[irfan]

Davor Suker
Oliver Kahn
Andrea Pirlo
Ahn Jung Hwan
El-Hadji Diouf

 

[BoyBrumby]

& we're back.

Messers Bergkamp, Cubillas, Rossi, Escobar, Banks & Klinsmann advance to round 2.

Next up two members of the Geordie nation have stiff asks:

Battle Fifteen

Oliver Kahn (Germany)
World Cups: (1998*, 2002, 2006)
World Cup Apperances: 8
World Cup Clean Sheets: 5
Best Performance: Runner-Up in 2002
Noteable for: Captaining and inspiring a thoroughly ordinary German team to the final in 2002.
*Unused squad member

v

Paul Gascoigne (England)
World Cups: 1 (1990)
Apps: 6
Goals: 0
Best: Semi-Finalist in 1990
Noteable for: Inspiring England to their best overseas performance and those tears in the semi.

Battle Sixteen

Jack Charlton (England)
World Cups: 2 (1966, 1970)
Apps: 7
Goals: 0
Best: Winner in 1966
Noteable for: Being the defensive bulwark for the boys of 66 & managing Eire to the Quarter-Finals in 1990.

V

Diego Maradona (Argentina)
World Cups: 4 (1982, 1986, 1990, 1994)
Apps: 21
Goals: 8
Best: Winner in 1986.
Noteable for: Being sent off for serious foul play v Brazil in 1982, handballs v England in 1986 & the USSR in 1990 & a drugs ban in 1994.

 

[grecian]

Boo for Rossi, hope everyone who voted for him goes for Cronje in future cricket battles.

Anyway Gazza, and minus infinity that Diego bloke. Good and impartial summing up of his career there Brumbers

 

[fredfertang]

Gazza and Big Jack, obviously

Presumably we are agreed that any votes for Big Jack's opponent are to be reported to the mods with a request for an immediate indefinite banning? Can't think of a more obvious way of adversely affecting the fabled "forum atmosphere"

 

[Pothas]

Gascoigne and Maradona

 

[Agent TBY]

Gascoigne
Maradona

 

[GIMH]

Gazza
-25 Maradona

 

[marc71178]

Gazza, Charlton

 

[Steulen]

Gascoigne
Maradona

Would be absolutely ridiculous if Maradona went out here.

 

[HeathDavisSpeed]

Gascoigne & Maradona

If it was the other Charlton, I may have considered voting Double Pom.

 

[grecian]

Gascoigne
Maradona

Would be absolutely ridiculous if Maradona went out here.

Your probably right but Jack was a national hero for two countries, mind you I suppose Diego was too, Argentina and Scotland

 

[GIMH]

Yeah, and Maradona is a ****, Pothas should hand in his passport tbh

 

[Pothas]

Yeah, and Maradona is a ****, Pothas should hand in his passport tbh

Only Englishman to vote for Diego so far I think.

To be fair I was not alive in 1986 so you can blame my parents for not bringing me up right.

 

[Johnners]

Khan & Maradona

 

[Somerset]

Gascoigne and Maradona.

 

[Uppercut]

Your probably right but Jack was a national hero for two countries, mind you I suppose Diego was too, Argentina and Scotland

Also the other 2523532 countries that hate England.

Kahn was the star player in 2002. Gazza can't possibly compete. Goalkeepers and Germans need more love.
Maradona

 

[Magrat Garlick]

Also the other 2523532 countries that hate England.

Kahn was the star player in 2002.

That was just because 2k2 was so utterly ****.

Then again, Gazza was good in 1990, which was possibly worse. Abstain & Maradona.

 

[BoyBrumby]

That was just because 2k2 was so utterly ****.

Then again, Gazza was good in 1990, which was possibly worse. Abstain & Maradona.

Comfortably. Argentina the worst side to make a final. Made Italy look the cavalier team in their semi. Tactics were essentially sticking ten men behind the ball and hoping Caniggia nicked a goal from a long punt upfield.

Gascoigne was arguably (and with apologies to Milla and Baggio) the most exciting player on display tho.

 

[Uppercut]

Gazza's been written into World Cup folklore so I can understand voting for him on the basis of his legendary status. But I've always found the tears nothing other than horribly cringeworthy. Just like the man.

And Kahn was superhuman in 2002. Have never, ever seen any keeper perform as well as he did during that tournament.