Soccer debate - Club vs. National Team

[shoxbb6]

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is holland or portugal really favored to compete for first in the EPL?

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I think holland/portugal could easily compete for the top of the table, if not first, at the very least cl spots.
They wouldn't have the overall amount of talent of chelsea/man u, but they would very easily out class pretty much all other epl teams(I think they would be about par of arsenal/pool). Plus, I think a portugal coached by Scolari could easily compete in their matches w/ chelsea/man u

[ThaSaltCracka]

if what you say is true then most of the players on these squads would be playing in bigger leagues. As it is, most of Hollands team play in Holland, and the same is true for Portugal.

[shoxbb6]

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if what you say is true then most of the players on these squads would be playing in bigger leagues. As it is, most of Hollands team play in Holland, and the same is true for Portugal.

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Not necessarily, For lots of those players it is often better for them to stay in their weaker home leagues on the stronger teams in those leagues than to say, go to England and play for a middle of the table team, simply because they will be able to play in europe.

Also, every european country has a bias in that the vast majority of it's players come from it's league. A team such as France still draws a lot of it's players from the french league, which is not on the same tier as the english/italian/spanish leagues.

[ThaSaltCracka]

Most of the French National team play either abroad or for Lyon.

[shoxbb6]

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Most of the French National team play either abroad or for Lyon.

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Lyon are a premier team in an otherwise average league.
Just like porto/benefica in portugal and ajax/psv in the dutch league.

[ThaSaltCracka]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5S9CfdkMFR8

I am done with this debate, enjoy that.

[hoyasnaxa]

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The best club teams are basically all star teams of the best national team players.

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This statement makes no sense. Before making a declaration like this, why don't you *name* the best club team(s) in the world, and then back it up with their roster against that of, say Italy's, national team?

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Apparently that makes no sense. Use your brain, many club teams have the best players on all the top national team, and national teams usually have a couple weak spots, like defense and goalie for brazil, and I guess offense for Italy.

[gusmahler]

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The best club teams are basically all star teams of the best national team players.

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This statement makes no sense. Before making a declaration like this, why don't you *name* the best club team(s) in the world, and then back it up with their roster against that of, say Italy's, national team?

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What he means is that a team like Chelsea or Man U has 11 starters (and some bench players) who are all on a national team. (I remember reading a stat that said Man U had 15 players on WC teams and Chelsea has 16.

I don't think it's clear that the Italian team has better players at each position than Chelsea. Chelsea has a better GK, and a better midfield. Italy has better defenders (not by much, Terry and Carvalho is a damn good combination, though the RB and LB positions may be wanting). Strikers--I don't think anyone compared to Drogba last season.

So Chelsea is definitely competitive with Italy--and Chelsea wasn't even the best team in the EPL last season.

[THAY3R]

Man U v Portugal would be so sick.


I would pay so much money to see Ronaldo v Ronaldo

[PokerFink]

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Also, every european country has a bias in that the vast majority of it's players come from it's league.

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Only for the teams in the middle/bottom of the table. The elite teams in each country are a mixture of all the elite players from around the world.