The Ultimate Battle of Youth Vs Experience

By: Rob | October 10th, 2009

Arshavin makes my team

A little while back, Chris mused up this post, in which he built a dream team of current players who are all under 25. And a mighty impressive team it was. If you can’t be bothered to click that link, or this one, here is the team selected.

Igor Akinfeev
Sergio Ramos, Gerard Pique, Giorgio Chiellini, Philipp Lahm
Lionel Messi, Cesc Fabregas, Andres Iniesta, Cristiano Ronaldo
Fernando Torres, Alexandre Pato

Now, he foolishly left out Wayne Rooney – putting in Pato presumably to raise the number of Serie A players in the side. We’re onto you buddy.

Either way, its an impressive team, no? Ronaldo and Messi are undoubtedly the worlds best, while Torres and Iniesta would battle it out just below, and Cesc, Pique, Ramos, Lahm all class.

But my first thought, of course, was Would a team of Over 25’s beat them?

And so, here is my team of over 25’s that I would put against Chris’s youthfull wannabees

Casillas
Dani Alves, Rio Ferdinand, Pepe, Ashley Cole
Arshavin, Xavi (c), Lampard/Gerrard*, Ribery
Ibrahimovic, David Villa

*I’m not bothering to chose between them. If I pick Lampard all the Liverpool fans will be at my throat, and vice-versa. As an Englishman, I’m bored of the argument anyway.

So, what do you think? I think my back line is better, And though the U25s have the two best players, I have number 3 (Xavi) and I think a team that could more than hold their own against them.

Which side do you think would win? Youth, or Experience?

Some Related Stories:

Category: World Football

« Offside Rewind: Look Out! | Home | Not Sure Who City Are After? Make Someone Up. »

The Offside RSS Feeds

sandrahn

MAD: "This lineup is typical of your garden variety E/BPL watcher."

And your lineup is typical of your garden variety Serie A watcher, what a hypocrite! LOL!

You have to laugh at ANYONE who says that Cannavaro is in 2009 better than any of the other CBs listed on this thread. You're just showing your knee-jerk one-eyed Serie A worship and not any understanding of football. What a joke! Hell, I'd even prefer Pepe to Canna right now! :-) Rio has his limitations, he wouldn't be in my first XI but he's certainly better than Cannavaro right now, no question.

Lucio, however, is a good shout.

To say that Casillas is a "distant third" is plainly ridiculous, and shows only contempt toward La Liga. Any one of Buffon, Casillas and Julio Cesar is an excellent choice. I prefer Julio Cesar myself--too many football fans/pundits ignore him as a one of the sport's top keepers.
Thomas

No, no, no, and no. Did anyone see Fabio Grosso play at Lyon? He was one of the worst leftbacks in the Ligue defensively. It was his attacking proficiency that redeemed him, he occasionally even played on the left wing.
ish

if grosso is such a great leftback why didnt any1 buy him when he was at lyon?? hmm maybe because grosso is decent defender but ask him to go up forward and he falls on his arse.

serie a has gone downhill, there are still good players there but a higher concentration of good players now exist in england and spain. There is a reason that spanish and english teams have been the main semi finalists for the last 5 years, with only AC breaking it up in terms of winners.
Thomas

MAD, you only named players from Serie A, while only 4 of the players Rob had in his lineup are from the EPL...also, you may have noticed that Serie A hasn't been as successful as the EPL/La Liga in Europe recently--but they obviously have better defensive players? Cannavaro and Juan? Really?
MAD

"In terms of left back how many quality players are there probably a handful over 25, a.cole is easily the best left back currently playing in the world, in terms of goals i didnt realize that a left backs goal scoring was his main concern."

I said that Grosso was part of the stingiest defense in WC History and that Ashley can't defend. How does that make scoring the main concern for a left fullback?

"MAD- are you serious?"

Yes.

"You complain that the author only watches the EPL and then you back that up my naming only players from Serie A?"

How many positions did I name Serie A players to? Did I make the entire team of Serie A players? Unlike Rob, I am willing to consider that there are players from other leagues better than the one I watch. Have I disputed any choice in the midfield or attack?

Credit where credit is due.

Why shouldn't I name players from Serie A if I think that they are better at those positions? Canna, for example, is still a very good player and a very good leader. Rio has never shown anything to me in either department.
Ranjeet

Pepe?Hahaha. That clown isnt even on the list of top 10 world's best defenders.
Pepe over Terry,Vidic,Nesta(who is 10 times better than Pepe),Samuels,Puyol is ridiculous. He is a part of the defense that doesnt know how to keep a clean sheet
ish

cannavaro was a very good CB, now not so good.

In terms of left back how many quality players are there probably a handful over 25, a.cole is easily the best left back currently playing in the world, in terms of goals i didnt realize that a left backs goal scoring was his main concern.
Felix

MAD- are you serious? You complain that the author only watches the EPL and then you back that up my naming only players from Serie A?
MAD

The choices for best goalkeeper in the World currently are Julio Cesar and Gigi Buffon. Casillas is a distant third.

Better center backs than Rio (Pepe isn't worth considering at this time)? Right off the tip of my brain is Cannavaro and Lucio. Lucio and Canna have won the World Cup as captains of the stingiest defenses in the last two World Cups. Rio failed to make the Euros let alone be an integral part of a good defense. Both of these choices are completely unwarranted.

Plus, Walter Samuel is a better centerback than Rio. As is Nesta - still. Chivu has to be there somewhere. So does Juan. But Rio isn't better than any of these - he might be on par.

Alves isn't better than Maicon. Alves can't defend and Maicon can. And Maicon is at least Alves' equal attacking. Which is probably why Maicon plays more often when they both play for Brazil.

A brief look at the 2010 qualifiers and I can't see an Ashley Cole goal (as I write this I haven't seen the results of England today, October 10). I know Ashley can't defend, but it seems as though "the best over 25 left back" ought to have scored in one of the 7 qualifiers to the World Cup.

Fabio Grosso, who actually has a World Cup trophy as a left back, has actually scored a goal during the current qualifying rounds. Fabio scored in the World Cup while also a contributor to the stingiest defense in World Cup history.

PS Was Ashley even called up to the failed Euros qualifying team? I can't find his participation to that team on FIFA.com. So... he wasn't good enough to make that terrible showing?

So as I said before. This lineup is typical of your garden variety E/BPL watcher.

They don't like to be reminded that there is a quality league in Italy, with quality players in it.
Luka

I know a million people have already said it, but Pepe? My goodness, he is just an average CB. In fact, NO defender for Real Madrid in the past decade should ever be included in a Best XI.
ish

-----------buffon------------
maicon--terry--puyol---a.cole
-----------essien------------
-------xavi-----lampard------
-----------kaka--------------
------ibra------villa--------

swap out lampard for who you prefer but not many over 25 attacking CM's better then him, same as essien couldnt think of any1 better then essien as a DM over 25 but a couple of very good ones out there.
Terry is in their because he is the reigning UEFA defender of the year 2 years in a row, and a world class defender.
A.cole is there because the only leftback close to him is evra or maybe abidal and both are not as all rounded as a.cole, is especially this season.

As to over 25 vs under 25 i would give it to under 25 in attack but over 25 in defense. maicon and cole would eat up messi and ronaldo.
Thomas

FC Barcelona--I doubt he could walk into that back line. Actually, it would be impossible. Pique is superior and Barca doesn't bench Puyol, at least not now. Plus they have Marquez, Chygrynski, and Millito waiting in the wings, plus a host of youngsters, and Abidal and Yaya can play center back. Abidal, Evra, Lahm, etc. are better than Ashley Cole.
Rob

Right, in Response

FBL - Yeah they didn't have a good game today. But you can afford to be lax when you've waltzed to qualification, no?

Thomas - Yeah 3 Englishmen. Its tough to think of a better Left Back than Cole - Gerrard and Lampard are both top quality, and Ferdinand would walk into any back line in the world. Name a back line he wouldn't walk into, and your kidding yourself. So yeah, 3.

? - Puyol and Nesta were both close to getting into the side, but Puyol was outshone by his teammates at the back last year, and Nesta's a bit aged now. Plus I watched that Milan derby. Ouch.

Matty - Buffon, no sadly. I'm a massive fan of Gigi, but surely Iker has proved himself the best keeper in the world by now? Cana has looked a shadow of himself since he landed in Madrid, and Pirlo (another player I'm a fan of, and vocally wanted him to come to the Prem over the summer) has been coasting at Milan the last couple of seasons.

Mike - Kaká probably, but he's not been as good since he became World Footballer of the Year in my book. Maybe he'll pick it all back up in Madrid though.

Antonio - Like I said, big fan of Buffon and Nesta, but they don't cut it at the moment.
Muhammed

Buffon
Maicon Vidic Pepe Cole
Kaka Xavi Essien Ribery
Forlan D. Villa
Forlan is a far more dangerous and effective striker then ibra.
Kieran

David Villa would slaughter the young guns
alex w

lol pepe? and maicon is better than alves. but enough of the quibbling, the question is youth or experience? whether you pick casillas or buffon or frey, the keeper will have a few more ridiculous saves than afinkeev, and that will be the difference.
Drew

here's some food for thought...

Who are your 7 on the bench for either team?
Mike Diamente

Kaka and Maicon need to be on that roster...

I think the over 25 might win as there is a serious lack of defense in the midfield of the under 25 roster...
rosay

buffon, cannavaro, and pirlo have to be in theree
MAD

Typical.
?

who*
?

and Vidic how is better then rio imo.
?

man, how can u put pepe in.... when u can Puyol or Nesta. N Were is KaKa and Maicon. But that team is good and Gerrard over lapm's any day. but i would have Yaya n xavi. in the center.
FBL

I agree, English players are over rated, you'd think they are superior beings that they always get mentioned as elite players, maybe it is because there is always EPL on tv, we used to have the same when Calcio was the best, difference is the Italy team backed it up, in the glory days on Calcio aka 80's-late 90's, they finished 3rd in 1990, 2nd in 1994, Quarters in 1998, Finalists in Euro 2000.

In that time, what have England done since they have upped their league level aka late 1990's-now?
Thomas

Frey
Alves-Puyol-Gallas-Abidal
Bastos-Xavi-Kaka-Ribery
Ibrahimovic-Henry
Thomas

Ugh, English players are so overrated. 3 of them?
FBL

Based on todays performance, your over 25's with Ferdinand and Cole will cost you the game!

My team

Buffon

Alves-Cannavaro-Gallas-Cole

Kaka-De Rossi-Xavi-Ribery

Ibrahimovic-Fabiano