Who is the best international team ever?

[Eisen]

I was both rooting for Spain and Italy that tournament and it was so brutal to watch how one-sided the reffing was. Both teams got absolutely robbed...and it was no surprise that S. Korea has failed to do much since then.

Italy got their call 4 years later against Australia

 

[cgf]

Play nice offensive collective football?

Basically this.

And I said "one of the worst German sides", not the worst

 

[Suiteness]

Careca's goal against France in 86 just might be my favorite World Cup goal ever, just love that buildup.

 

[cgf]

but how did they not do that? I guess at this point it's highly subjective and whatever standarda you're trying to judge it by. Because to me they did just that. They scored a crapload of goals, and had 6 different scorers as well as good distribution of assists amongst it's players and they played good as a team thus why they won the damn thing...not to mention all the individual treats of the star players that were on that team. Yeah, I mean, again, don't understand the bashing and unwillingness to give this team any credit.

That's a good question, I'd place much of the blame on Scolari's negative tactics that relied on the technical superiority of his attackers to suffice. He was ultimately effective and triumphed at a weak tourney; but that's not the sort of play that gets in the best of all time discussion in football.

The magyars revolutionary attacking play deserves to be mentionedas one of the best of all time. The truly spectacular 70, 82 & 86 Brazilians and their breath taking build up structure deserves it, as do the great sides who prevented those 80s squads from achieving the ultimate triumph. The total football orange machine of the 70s deserves should be in this conversation; as should the 72 west german side who perfected the dutch innovations. Spain 08-12 deserves it for becoming the first team to threepeat on the international stages, despite their oft listless & bland play.

Brazil 2002 were deserving champions...beneficial referree'ing not withstanding...who earned the honor of being the last Brazilian WC winners, but they were not reaching new levels of greatness the way those teams in my previous paragraph did. That's why they don't deserve to be in the greatest of all time, not because they were bad and lucky, but because these other teams hit such amazing heights of greatness.

TL;DR
They scored a lot of goals numerically, but they didn't score enough goals like this:

Careca's goal against France in 86 just might be my favorite World Cup goal ever, just love that buildup.

 

[NJDevs26]

Man, Nigeria from 94 to 98 was swell as well. Best African team of all time?

I do wonder if they break through the African glass celing and get through to the semis if they don't blow the game against Italy in the final minute. They could have beaten Spain and Bulgaria too. Of course Baggio had one of the most magical tournament runs ever...until the final penalty kick.

 

[Power Man]

The best international team ever is.....





.....the best international team ever!

 

[Pouchkine]

Hungary54 Holland74

 

[Pouchkine]

Clearly!

 

[Power Man]

Algeria 82


Oh and you don't have the right to disagree by the way

 

[Suiteness]

Man, Nigeria from 94 to 98 was swell as well. Best African team of all time?

Cameroon 1990 was a pretty solid team. Too bad they couldn't close out England.

Nigeria 98 looked great going forward but was a completely catastrophic in defense and goal.

 

[Panteras]

That's a good question, I'd place much of the blame on Scolari's negative tactics that relied on the technical superiority of his attackers to suffice. He was ultimately effective and triumphed at a weak tourney; but that's not the sort of play that gets in the best of all time discussion in football.

The magyars revolutionary attacking play deserves to be mentionedas one of the best of all time. The truly spectacular 70, 82 & 86 Brazilians and their breath taking build up structure deserves it, as do the great sides who prevented those 80s squads from achieving the ultimate triumph. The total football orange machine of the 70s deserves should be in this conversation; as should the 72 west german side who perfected the dutch innovations. Spain 08-12 deserves it for becoming the first team to threepeat on the international stages, despite their oft listless & bland play.

Brazil 2002 were deserving champions...beneficial referree'ing not withstanding...who earned the honor of being the last Brazilian WC winners, but they were not reaching new levels of greatness the way those teams in my previous paragraph did. That's why they don't deserve to be in the greatest of all time, not because they were bad and lucky, but because these other teams hit such amazing heights of greatness.

TL;DR
They scored a lot of goals numerically, but they didn't score enough goals like this:

in this sense I totally agree with you. Indeed the build up to goals and flow of the game was different. In many ways Brazil 02 did win because of sheer individual brilliance and star power. So I can live with that. But with that said, a more attractive football just because of a little more passing and more triangles doesn't negate an actual champion. Just saying.....and yes sure Brazil 02 didn't have this total football buildup for a goal, but they were no Real Madrid winning the CL this year equivalent either...they played well as a team.

 

[Pouchkine]

Ajax Feyenoord come Holland 74= #1

 

[cgf]

Ajax Feyenoord come Holland 74= #1

Agreed