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Australian goal keeper Mark Schwarzer is congratulated by teammates after saving a penalty by China’s Shao Jiayi. AP Photo/Greg Baker
When The Roar asked me to compile a World Football XI for 2009, I thought to myself, “great, a few Japanese journeymen and some German third division hackers will finally get their dues!”
But my initial enthusiasm was tempered by the fact that I don’t watch all that much of the world’s favourite competition: the English Premier League.
Nor do I always keep completely abreast of the UEFA Champions League, that supposed highest echelon of European club football – despite the ironic presence of Rangers.
Instead, the advent of the A-League and the fact that I spent the past three years in Japan means that I no longer bow to the gods of European football the way I once did.
Fortunately for the exercise at hand, I’m still shamelessly self-indulgent and this week coincidentally marks the first anniversary of my involvement with The Roar.
So without further ado – or consideration to journalistic objectivity – here’s my World Football XI, laid out in a nominal 4-4-2 formation.
GK: Mark Schwarzer (Fulham and Australia)
There may be more talented goalkeepers out there, but you’d be hard-pressed to find a more consistent shot-stopper than Fulham and Australia’s finest.
RB: Atsuto Uchida (Kashima Antlers and Japan)
Supremely talented, Kashima’s 21-year-old defender is equally at home in defence or marauding up and down the right-hand touchline for both club and country.
CB: Craig Moore (Brisbane Roar and Australia)
One of my favourite Socceroos, the tough-as-nails defender has been as uncompromising as ever despite the turmoil surrounding his beleaguered club.
CB: Marcus Tulio Tanaka (Urawa Reds and Japan)
I’ve often been accused of being ‘anti-Urawa,’ but it’s hard to come up with a more influential centre-back than the erstwhile Reds defender – who looks set for a January move to Wigan Athletic.
LB: Taye Taiwo (Olympique Marseille and Nigeria)
Woe betide any opponent who gives away a free-kick within forty yards of goal, because Taiwo will be there to smash it like an excocet missle. Defends like a headless chicken at times, but his presence enlivens even the dreariest of games.
RM: Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid and Portugal)
When he’s not flogging off products in creepy monotone for Castrol Oil, the Portugese midfielder is a pretty handy goal scoring winger, even if he usually fails to shine for his national team.
CM: Andres Iniesta (Barcelona and Spain)
Occasionally overlooked for his slightly flashier team-mate Xavi, the pale-faced Iniesta is the fulcrum of Barcelona and Spain’s star-studded sides – a keep-ball midfielder who can actually distribute forward.
CM: Tim Cahill (Everton and Australia)
The bane of TV interviewers and the scourge of corner flags everywhere, but when the going gets tough, Cahill always puts his hand up in the finest tradition of the great Aussie battler.
LM: Lionel Messi (Barcelona and Argentina)
Often useless for Diego Maradona’s piecemeal Argentina, on his day Messi is still the most unstoppable player in world football. If only we could sneak him into the A-League as a ‘marquee player.’
S: Lucas Barrios (Borussia Dortmund)
Yet to be capped by the Argentine national side, Barrios scored a mountain of goals for Chilean outfit Colo Colo last season, before signing for everyone’s favourite Bundesliga side Borussia Dortmund.
S: Diego Forlan (Atletico Madrid and Uruguay)
How is it that this guy scores so many goals for club and country, yet is always overlooked when the big awards are handed out? Let’s see if he can maintain his form well into the World Cup.
So there you have it folks: my totally biased, hopelessly attack-minded World XI.
I’m sure it will have Messrs Rooney, Drogba and Torres gnashing their teeth with indignant outrage, whilst resident Bayern fans will no doubt be frothing at the injustice of it all.
But you know what they say about opinions – everybody’s got one – so if you’re planning to write in to point out just how wrong I am, don’t forget to be specific, support your answers and we’ll see if we can’t sneak Leo Bertos in there somewhere.