SI has its Power Ranking out for the 32 World Cup Teams. I have some quibbles (Germany #2!), but it has it better than the FIFA Rankings. Like any Rankings, it is a lot of fun. One interesting point is that Jonah Freedman is certainly not jumping on the Czech bandwagon:
"Their No. 2 world ranking is, quite honestly, almost as overinflated as the Americans are at No. 5. Add to that a ridiculous rash of injuries, a load of aging players, rather pedestrian tactics and an unimaginative coach in Karel Bruckner, and the Czechs aren't nearly as intimidating as everyone's making them out to be."
Tell us what you really think, Jonah!
I also tripped over this "Greatest Team Ever" roster. That is the fun of a "Greatest Ever" team: the idea of watching Puskas and Pele on the same front line. (Don't know Puskas? Pele scored 77 goals in 94 international matches in the 60s, Puskas scored 84 goals in 85 matches in the 50s.) Some of the players (Eusebio at right striker/Lev Yashin at goalie) I am not so familiar with, but I will say it has a good mix of the different eras of soccer. I might have put George Best with Puskas/Pele, but I also would concede I might be over emphasizing potential versus performance. I also like DiStefano up front, and he in combination with Puskas, made Real Madrid THE most dominating force is soccer during the late 50s/early 60s. (DiStefano gets the sympathy vote too: how would you like to have scored a hat-trick in the 1960 European Cup finals and be the SECOND leading scorer for the team in the match?)
That is right 7-3 in favor of Real Madrid. Back when the striker was king. It is no accident that all the strikers (except Gullit) are pre-1970.
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