Monday, April 15, 2024

What if Argentina World Cup 1946

South American Champion 1946

Please also see my All-Time World Cup Team Index.


La Máquina, which translates to "The Machine" in English, is a term commonly used to refer to the legendary football team of Club Atlético River Plate.   They played during the 1940s and is renowned for its remarkable attacking prowess and technical excellence. The core of the team was composed of five exceptional players: Ángel Labruna, José Manuel Moreno, Adolfo Pedernera, Félix Loustau, and Juan Carlos Muñoz. These players formed a formidable attacking unit that dominated Argentine football during their time together.  Sometimes, Alfredo Di Stefano, Nestor Rossi and goalkeeper Amadeo Carrizo were considered a part of the team.  Unfortunately, the prime years of La Máquina coincided with the outbreak of World War II, leading to the cancellation of the World Cup Finals in both 1942 and 1946. The global conflict disrupted international sports events, including the prestigious tournament. Consequently, the players from this team were unable to showcase their talents on the world stage during this period.  So, what if a World Cup Finals were held in 1946 with the participation of Argentina?

Why do I choose to create an alternative 1946 team for Argentina instead of 1942? First, Argentina won three straight South American Championship from 1945 to 1947, which showcased the talents of the Argentine national team.  I could use this as a basis for the 1946 World Cup Finals.  José Manuel Moreno also did not play in the 1946 South America Championship making this team more interesting than just copying the actual Argentine team in 1946.  Meanwhile, Alfredo Di Stefano and Nestor Rossi were not around in 1942.  By 1946, both were emerging young players.  I could have created a 1950 team as Argentina did not participate in that World Cup Finals, but by that time, Moreno was serious decline.
 Boye, Mendes, Di Stefano, Moreno and Lustau

The Other Contenders
I am not going to predict the outcome of the 1946 World Cup Finals.  Instead, I looked into some of the major teams during this period.  England, Italy, Brazil, Hungary and perhaps Sweden alongside Argentina were probably the best teams in 1946.  Argentina probably would be the favorite because they had depth on the team.  Norberto Méndez, René Pontoni and Rinaldo Martino were as good as the players from La Maquina. 

Austria: Most of the Wunderteam was gone by 1946, but Frnaz Binder still represented Austria in 1946.  In fact, he played against Czechoslovakia and Josef Bican in 1946. Bican switched to represent Czechoslovakia from 1938 to 1949. Ernst Ocwirk already made his Austria national team debut in 1945 before appearing at the 1948 Olympic Games in London. Walter Zemen and Ernst Stojaspal also had earned their first senior cap by then, but Ernst Happel was not even 21 years old in 1946. Karl Decker was also an important player for them in this period.

Brazil: By the time the 1950 World Cup Finals arrived, Brazil had assembled a team that would go down in history as one of their finest. Prior to that, in 1946, they were recognized as the team that had relinquished the South America Championship title to Argentina in both 1945 and 1946. Taking a break from the 1947 tournament, Brazil emerged triumphant in 1949, ending a 27-year drought by clinching their first championship. It's worth noting that Argentina chose to boycott that particular tournament.  In 1946, however, Brazil would have feature a team of Zizinho, Leonidas, Ademir de Menezes, Jair, Moacir Barbosa, Tesourinha, Danilo Alvim and Domingos da Guia.  Domingos da Guia was named the Player of the Tournament in the 1945 South American Championship.  Meanwhile, Leonidas would be almost 33 years at the time of the 1946 World Cup Finals.  During the 1946 South American Championship, he suffered a muscle strain, which limited his participation to only one game.  He was a key player as Brazil beat Argentina in the1945 Copa Roca.  The Copa Roca tournament was a month before the 1946 South America Championship and about 6 months before the imaginary 1946 World Cup Finals.

Czechoslovakia: Josef Bican represented Czechoslovakia 15 times scoring 15 goals. Meanwhile, László Kubala also appeared in six games and scored four goals for Czechoslovakia between 1946 and 1947, but he only played alongside Josef Bican twice. One of the matches was against Austria in October 1946.  Their next game was against Poland in August 1947, where they scored two goals each for a 6-3 victory.  

England: England and the other Home Nations rejoined FIFA in 1947, marking their return to international football. However, it is plausible to speculate that without the war, their return could have occurred earlier. The 1946-1947 season marked the official return of the English league, but the British Victory Home Championship took place the season before. The matches were not formally recognized as full internationals, they were referred to as Victory Internationals. It is worth noting that Scotland emerged as the victor in this championship. The following year, England went on to win the 1946-1947 Home International Championship. Frank Swift, Franklin Neil, Bill Wright, Tommy Lawton, Stanley Matthew, Wilf Mannion, Raich Carter, Tom Finney and Stan Mortensen were some of the top English players in 1946. Jack Rowley perhaps might make the team.
England vs Argentina 1951
France: Larbi Ben Barek was a big star in France whole playing for Stade Francais in 1946.  Julien Darui was one the best goalkeepers in the 1940's.  Roger Marche was an emerging player who would earn his first cap in 1947. 

Hungary: Ferenc Deak rather than Ferenc Puskas was the top player in Hungary.  In the 1945-1946 season, he netted 66 goals. It remained a world record for the number of goals scored in a single season.  The same season, Puskas scored 36 goals in 34 games.  The other top players in that era included Ferenc Szusza and Ferenc Rudas. József Bozsik was 20 years old in 1946.  He had not made his national team debut. István Nyers had a brief spell playing in Czechoslovakia in 1946, but he was in the national team players' pool in 1946.  Sándor Szűcs was still alive in 1946. György Sárosi was still an active player, but he was 33 years in 1946.  He no longer played for Hungary.  Gyula Zsengellér was Europe's top goalscorer in 1945.  His last cap was in 1947. While playing with ŠK Slovan Bratislava, László Kubala appeared in six games and scored four goals for Czechoslovakia between 1946 and 1947. After returning to Budapest in 1948, he played three games for Hungary but failed to score.  I also created a 1950 World Cup team for Hungary. 

Italy: Valentino Mazzola served as the captain and iconic figure of the renowned "Grande Torino" team, widely acknowledged as one of the strongest in the world during the latter half of the 1940s. In the 1946-1947 season, Mazzola concluded the season as the league's top scorer, netting an impressive 29 goals. Notably, on April 20, 1946, Mazzola etched his name in Italian football history by scoring the fastest hat-trick ever recorded, achieving this remarkable feat with three goals in just three minutes against Vicenza.  This exceptional team formed the core of the Italian national team during that period. Silvio Piola served as the national side's captain from 1940 until 1947.  Giampiero Boniperti, Amedeo Biavati, Virgilio Maroso Virgilio Maroso, Carlo Parola and Pietro Rava were also members of the national team.  Gino Capello was still uncapped in 1946. Giuseppe Meazza was still an active player but had passed his prime.

Scotland: Liked England, Scotland returned to FIFA in 1947.  They won the 1945–46 British Victory Home Championship. They also played two international matches in 1946.  They drew with Belgium 2-2 in January 1946 and beat Switzerland 3-1 in May.  They were counted by the Scottish Football Association as official matches.  Billy Liddell of Liverpool FC was an active player.

Spain:  Spain was unable to participate in any competitive matches between the 1934 World Cup and the 1950 World Cup qualifiers due to the disruptions caused by the Spanish Civil War and World War II. They finished fourth in the 1950 World Cup Finals.  In 1946, they only played a single friendly match.  Telmo Zarra was in his prime.  The other top players included Agustín Gaínza, Ignacio Eizaguirre and César Rodríguez.  Both Estanislau Basora and Luis Molowny joined Barcelona and Real Madrid respectively in 1946.  

Sweden: The "Gre-No-Li" helped Sweden to win the 1948 Olympic Gold Medal.  It was the first major football tournament since the end of the War.  Six Swedish players turned professional after the Olympics. In the 1950's, the Swedish football association did not allow any professional footballers to play for the national team. Consequently, Sweden only fielded amateur players during the World Cup Finals in 1950.  Despite of that, Sweden managed to finish third and the best European team in the tournament.  Besides the "Gre-No-Li", Sweden could also feature Henry Carlsson, Erik Nilsson and the other two Nordahl brothers in this 1946 World Cup Finals.  Sune Andersson was uncapped at this point.  I also did an alternative team for Sweden in the 1950 World Cup Finals.

Uruguay: Uruguay only finished 4th in the 1946 South American Championship.  Walter Gómez had not made a name with River Plate in 1946, but he played in that tournament alongside Roque Máspoli and Obdulio Varela. José María Medina was the overall top scorer of the tournament. Juan Alberto Schiaffino made national debut in 1946 while Alcides Ghiggia was still an unknown player in Uruguay. Argentine-born Atilio García represented them in 1945, but not in 1946. Roberto Porta also ended his national team career, but Schubert Gambetta and Eusebio Tejera were available. 

West Germany: Fritz Walter had returned from the war by 1946. He played for Kaiserslautern.  Bert Trautmann who never played for West Germany had not started his football career.  They were banned from playing in FIFA matches until 1950.

Yugoslavia: Stjepan Bobek, Rajko Mitić, Zlatko Čajkovski, Branko Stanković and Ivica Horvat were active national team players in 1946.  They won the silver medal in the 1948 Olympics.

Other top Players in the 1940's: Fernando Peyroteo scored 56 goals in the 1945-1946 season. It was his best output in a single season. There were also John Hansen (Denmark) and Sergio Livingston (Chile).  Arseni Erico just passed his prime.

Team
GK: Claudio Vacca (Boca Juniors)
Vacca began his career at Huracán and later joined Boca Juniors in 1938. Initially a substitute goalkeeper, he made his official debut in 1938 and became a regular starter in 1943. Vacca won six titles with Boca Juniors and also represented the Argentina national football team seven times. After leaving Boca Juniors in 1950, he played for Defensor Sporting in Uruguay before retiring in 1951. He won the South American Champion in 1946.


GK: Julio Cozzi (Club Atlético Platense)
Cozzi started his career in 1941 with Club Atlético Platense. He played for the club until 1949 when he joined Millonarios of Colombia where his teammates included Alfredo di Stéfano and Adolfo Pedernera. He returned to Platense in 1955, he went on to play for Independiente between 1956 and 1959 and then Banfield of the Argentine 2nd division. He played 6 times for Argentina winning the South American Champion in 1947.

Julio Cozzi
RCB: Carlos Sosa (Boca Juniors)
Carlos Sosa started his career with Atlanta in 1939.  He joined Boca Juniors in the 1941, where he established as one of the best defenders of his generation.  He won two Argentine Primera División. He went to play in France in 1952.  He played for Racing Paris and Red Stars in Paris.  With Argentina, he was capped 12 times between 1942 and 1946. He won two Copa Americas(1945 and 1946). he was considered one of  Argentina's greatest ever defenders.

RCB: Norberto Yacon (River Plate)
Noberto Yacon was a member of River Plate's "La Máquina" in 1940's. He made his debut in 1938. He remained with the club until 1953, when he moved to play in Mexico for America.  He also played in Canada. The highlight of his career with Argentina was the South American Championship 1947 in which La Selección won the tournament undefeated. He earned 15 caps between 1942 and 1951.

CB: Juan Carlos Fonda (Platense)
Juan Carlos Fonda, born on October 5, 1919, in Vedia, Buenos Aires, began his professional career at Boca Juniors in 1941. After playing for Vélez, Boca (briefly), and Platense, he eventually joined Racing Club in 1946. Racing Club signed him due to his consistent performances at Vicente López's team.  He played 10 times for Argentina winning the 1946 South American Championship.

LCB: José Marante (Boca Juniors)
Marante began his career at Boca Juniors in 1934. He was Domingos da Guía's backup. In 1938, Marante played 25 games alongside Menéndez and Valussi. During that time, Claudio Vacca joined Boca Juniors, forming a notable trio. In 1939, Marante was loaned to Ferro Carril Oeste, but returned to Boca Juniors in 1940, winning consecutive championships in 1943 and 1944.  he won two South American championship in 1946 and 1947.
Norberto Yacon against England
LCB: Eduardo Rodríguez (River Plate)
Rodríguez made his debut with Estudiantes de La Plata in 1939 and became a regular player in the early 1940s. He joined River Plate in 1945, winning championships in 1945 and 1947. He later moved to Colombia during the El Dorado period. Rodríguez had three appearances and a goal for the national team between 1943 and 1946. He was a part of the team that won the 1946 South American Championship.

LCB: Juan Carlos Sobrero (Newell's Old Boys)
Sobrero started his football career with Newell's Old Boys in 1939. He represented Argentina in the 1946 and 1947 Copa América helping Argentina win the title. He also participated in the 1947 Copa América.  In 1949, he joined Racing Club de Avellaneda and won the Argentine league title. Sobrero retired in 1950, concluding his career with Newell's Old Boys. Throughout his career, he played 244 matches in the Argentine league and scored two goals.

DM: Nestor Rossi (River Plate)
Nestor Rossi is one of Argentina's greatest defensive midfielders.  Nicknamed "Pipo", he started his career at River Plate, playing from 1945 to 1949, and then again from 1955 to 1958, winning a total of 5 Argentine leagues. He played with La Maquina, but at the end of their peak.  he also played in Colombia. He also won 6 more with Millonarios in Colombia. He played in the 1958 World Cup Finals and was a part of their 1957 Copa America winning team.
Nestor Rossi 
CM: Natalio Pescia (Boca Juniors)
Pescia was part of one of the most remembered midfield lines in the history of Boca Juniors, along with Carlos Sosa and Ernesto Lazzatti between 1943 and 1947 when Boca Juniros won the 1943 and 1944 domestic leagues, apart from one Copa Ibarguren, one Copa de Competencia Británica and two Copa Escobar-Gerona. At the international level, he received his first callus in 1945, but made his debut in 1946. He was capped 12 times 

LB/LM: Jose Ramos  (River Plate)
Born in 1918, Jose Ramos started with Lanus, where he played a single season in 1939.  He was also a member of River Plate's "La Máquina" in 1940's. He played left back and midfield.  He retired in 1952.  At the international level, he was capped 11 times between 1942 and 1946.  He was a key midfielder as Argentina won Copa America in 1946.

CM: León Strembel (Racing Club)
Strembel began his career with Club Atlético Lanús in 1939. He played for the club until 1944, before joining Racing Club de Avellaneda from 1945 to 1946. He also played for Argentina appearing in the South American Championship 1946. In 1947 he joined Club Atlético Atlanta. Strembel returned to Lanús for the following season where he played until his retirement in 1956.

IR: José Manuel Moreno (Espana, Mexico)
José Manuel Moreno was the star of  "La Máquina" of River Plate in the 1940's.  Some older fans in Argentina considered him better than Diego Maradona and Alfredo Di Stefano. He never played in the World Cup Finals due to the World War II, but won the South American Championships of 1941, 1942 and 1947. He also played club football in Mexico and Colombia.  He was the first footballer ever to have won first division league titles in four countries 
José Manuel Moreno 
IR: Vicente De la Mata (Independiente)
Vicente De la Mata emerged from the youth team of Central Córdoba in 1936, he was soon signed by Independiente where he spent 14 seasons, scoring 151 goals in 362 games for the club. He played alongside Antonio Sastre and Arsenio Erico.  Capped 13 times between 1937 and 1946, scoring six goals. He won Copa América on three occasions. In 1937 he scored both goals in the 2–0 win over Brazil in the final. 

IR: Norberto Méndez (Racing Club)
Norberto Méndez started his playing career with Huracán in 1941. In 1947 he moved to Racing Club where he helped the club become tricampeones (triple champions) by winning the Primera Division Argentina titles of 1949, 1950 and 1951. He played 33 games for Argentina and won 3 Copa América titles. He is perhaps most famous for being the all-time top scorer in the history of the Copa América with 17 goals.

IL/FW: Ángel Labruna (River Plate)
Ángel Labruna is the second top scorer of the Argentine First Division with 293 goals. He was also part of River Plate's La Máquina (The Machine), and he was considered one of the best South-American footballers of his generation.  He played 37 matches for Argentina, scoring 17 goals. He also won two South American Championships (1946 and 1955) and as a nearly 40-year-old he played in the final phase of 1958 World Cup held in Sweden.
Ángel Labruna 
IL: Rinaldo Martino (San Lorenzo)
Rinaldo Martino was signed by San Lorenzo in 1941 at the age of 19 from Belgrano de Rosario.  In 1949 Martino joined Juventus in Italy, helping them to record their first championship since the 1930s. He retuned to South America.  He played with Nacional in Uruguay, Boca Juniors and C.A. Cerro. He earned over 20 caps for Argentina before moving to play in Italy, where he earned a single cap for Italy.

RW: Mario Boye  (Boca Juniors)  
"El Atómico (The Atomic One)" Mario Boye made his debut with Boca Juniors in 1941. With Boca he won the 1943 and 1944 Argentine leagues, and was the league's top-scorer in 1946 with 24 goals.  He also played for Genoa in Italy where he became "Il Matadore" (The Killer), but returned to Argentina four seasons later.  He played for Racing and Huracán. He earned 17 caps winning 3 straight Copa Americas.
Mario Boye
LW:  Félix Loustau (River Plate)
Félix Loustau was a member of River Plate's "La Máquina. He won 8 national titles during his time at the club. He is considered to be one of Argentina's greatest wingers. His international career was very limited because of the war. Nevertheless, he played 28 times for Argentina scoring ten goals between 1942 and 1958.  He won three straight Copa America in 1945, 1946, and 1947 with Argentina.

CF/SS: Adolfo Pedernera (River Plate)
Adolfo Pedernera was a member of "La Máquina".  He is still considered by many to be one of the greatest Argentine players of all-time. He was elected the 12th best South american footballer of the 20th century in a poll by the IFFHS in 2000. He moved to Atlanta in 1947 and Millonarios in Colombia.  Because of the Second World War, he did not play many games for Argentina. He still won the Copa America 1941 and 1945.

CF: Rene Pontoni (San Lorenzo)
Rene Pontoni started his career with Gimnasia y Esgrima de Santa Fe before joining Newell's Old Boys in 1940.  In 1944 Pontoni joined San Lorenzo where he helped the team to win the Primera División in 1946.  He also played for Independiente Santa Fe in Colombia and Portuguesa in Brazil. Pontoni made his debut for the Argentina  in 1942. He scored 19 goals in 19 games for his country, helping them to become South American champions in 1945, 1946 and 1947.

CF:   Alfredo Di Stefano (Huracán)
Alfredo Di Stefano was considered the best player in the world before the emerge of Pele and Maradona. He was one of the younger member of the great River Plate in the 1940's.  In 1949, he moved to play in Colombia before moving to Europe in 1953.  He won 5 straight European Cups with Real Madrid. He was credited in turning Real Madrid into a legendary club. His international career was limited to the fact that Argentina did not select overseas players.  He played for Argentina, Colombia and Spain.
Alfredo Di Stefano

Squad Explanation
-- Argentina experienced remarkable success in the South American Championship (Copa América) during the 1940s. They clinched the championship title in multiple editions of the tournament. Firstly, they emerged victorious in the 1941 edition. Then, they went on an impressive three-year winning streak, securing consecutive titles in 1945, 1946, and 1947. Of particular note was the 1946 edition, which coincided with the year of the World Cup. The final match between Argentina and Brazil in that tournament is often regarded as an unofficial World Cup final.
-- I based this team on the 1946 South American winning team, but I dropped five players. Julio Cozzi, Nestor Rossi, Alredo Di Stefano, Juan Manual Moreno and Noberto Yacon were added to the team.  I kept José Salomón out of the team because of a career ending injury he suffered in 1946.  He was Aregentina's most famous defender.
-- A total of five players participated in the three consecutive Copa Américas from 1945 to 1947. These players were Natalio Pescia, René Pontoni, Norberto Méndez, Mario Boyé, and Félix Loustau. Among them, only Félix Loustau had the distinction of being a starter in all three tournaments. 
-- The 1942 World Cup was originally awarded to Brazil, but the tournament was canceled in 1941 due to the escalation of the war and the logistical challenges it posed. Similarly, the 1946 World Cup, which was supposed to be held in Germany, was also canceled as the world was still recovering from the war's aftermath.
-- La Marquina won the Primera División in 1941, 1942, 1945 and 1947.  Boca Juniors took the 1943 and 1944 titles. The 1946 title went to San Lorenzo.  Both Boca Juniors and San Lorenzo also had one of their great teams in that era.
-- In 1944, Boca Juniors secured their second consecutive championship in the club's history. The decisive victory came in the final match against Racing, where Boca Juniors emerged triumphant with a resounding 3-0 scoreline. Due to incidents of hooliganism, the match took place at the River Plate stadium as the Bombonera, Boca Juniors' iconic home ground, was temporarily closed. Over the course of the season, Boca Juniors showcased their dominance, winning 19 out of 30 games played. They also recorded 8 draws and suffered only 3 losses. They also achieved an impressive unbeaten run of 26 consecutive matches, setting a new record in the professional era. This feat remained unmatched until Racing surpassed it in 1966, going undefeated for 39 matches. The lineup for the memorable clash against Racing is still revered as one of the greatest Boca Juniors' teams ever assembled. Vacca, Marante, Carlos Sosa, Pescia and Boyé made this team.
-- In 1946, San Lorenzo won the league title after 10 seasons. They scored a record of 90 goals in 30 games played while giving up only 37 goals. On the same year, San Lorenzo embarked on a remarkable tour of Spain and Portugal, which stands out as one of the most memorable moments in the club's history.  During their time in Europe, they played a total of 10 matches, including impressive victories over the Spanish national team by scores of 7-5 and 6-1. The Spanish crowd in the stadiums showered San Lorenzo with admiration, hailing them as "Son els millor del mon" (meaning "You are the best in the world" in Catalan). In Portugal, they thrashed Porto with a staggering 9-4 victory. Additionally, they showcased their prowess by defeating the Portugal national team with a convincing scoreline of 10-4. They faced their sole defeat during the tour at the hands of Real Madrid, who emerged triumphant with a 4-1 result.  As a result of the successful tour, player René Pontoni was offered a contract with Barcelona, but declined to leave Argentina (Barcelona then drafted River Plate's Alfredo Di Stéfano). Fellow player Rinaldo Martino did stay in European football and would later become a star with Juventus.
René Pontoni and Rinaldo Martino
-- La Máquina, under the guidance of coach Renato Cesarini, achieved remarkable success in the world of football. From 1941 to 1944, they secured four consecutive league championships, demonstrating their dominance in the sport. I took 7 players from their team in 1946.  Juan Manuel Moreno was playing in Mexico that year while Di Stefano was out on loan.
Goalkeepers
-- Argentina won three consecutive South American Championship titles between 1945 and 1947 with six different goalkeepers.  
-- In 1945, Argentina featured Fernando Bello and Hector Ricardo. Bello also helped Argentina to win the South America in 1937.  He had retired by 1946.  Ricardo started four of his team's six games in the 1945 edition, but he never played for Argentina again after 1945.  he would be 22 years in 1946.
-- The two goalkeepers on the 1946 team were Claudio Vacca and Gabriel Ogando. Vacca who played for Boca Juniors was the starter in the South America Championship. 
-- Julio Cozzi was the starting goalkeeper for the 1947 team.  His backup Obdulio Diano was a teammate of Claudio Vacca in Boca Juniors.  I did not know the goalkeeping situating with Boca Juniors between 1946 and 1947. 
Julio Cozzi 
-- Amadeo Carrizo made his first team debut in 1945, but he was mainly a backup for a few more years.  Sebastián Gualco had retired.
-- I decided to retain Claudio Vacca since he was the starter on the 1946 team.  For the second goalkeeper, I took Julio Cozzi.  He was probably the best goalkeeper on this list.  He would have been ranked higher in the All-Time list for Argentine goalkeeper if he played for a bigger club than Platense.  Later, he would make a name while playing for Millonarios in Colombia alongside Alfredo di Stéfano, Nestor Rossi and Adolfo Pedernera. Both Amadeo Carrizo and Alfredo di Stéfano considered him as the greatest goalkeepers of all-time.  
Defenders
-- José Salomón or Carlos Sosa were the greatest defenders of their generations.  I selected Carlos Sosa for my Argentina All-Time team while José Salomón is on my Argentina All-Time Team before 1978.
-- Jose Salomon was the captain and stalwart of the team.  In the 1946 Final, he broke his tibia and fibula from a tackle by Jair Rosa Pinto.  The injury would eventually end his career and fueled the football rivalry between Argentina and Brazil.  It was partially a reason why Argentina did not play in the 1948 South American Championship as well as the 1950 World Cup Finals, both held in Brazil.  He would never play for Argentina again.  What should we do with him for the 1946 World Cup Finals held in the Summer?
-- For my Great Britain 1970 World Cup team, I took an injured Denis Law to Mexico so that I could reunite him with the "United Trinity" in a World Cup Finals.  On the other hand, my Hungry 1950 World Cup team dropped Ferenc Rudas who suffered a career ending injury before the Finals.  Liked Solomon, he was one of the best defenders in the post-War period, but never recovered to his former self.  His situation was similar with Solomon.  However, Denis Law's career did continue after 1970, which still seemed realistic to include him.   Law, being a legendry player, added a level of prestige, glamour and excitement to that team. 
-- Argentina did not play any international match between the 1946 Final in February and the first match of the next South American Championship 21 months later.   For the 1947 South American Championship team, they added Nicolas Palma, Norberto Yácono, Juan Carlos Colman and Nestor Rossi (who also operated as a central defender would make his debut in December 1947). 
-- Norberto Yácono was brought back after a 4-year absence.  I checked his record.  He played regularly in 1946 and 1947 for River Plate.  There was no reason why not to select him earlier in 1946.  He was Argentina's best man-marker of his time.
-- For the rest of the defenders, I retained José Marante, Juan Carlos Fonda, Eduardo Rodríguez and Juan Carlos Sobrero from the 1946 South American Championship winning team.  Sobrero played many times for Argentina in 1946 and 1947.
Juan Carlos Fonda
-- Saúl Ongaro who was a Centre-half was playing for Estudiantes de La Plata in 1946.  He later joined Racing Club in 1947, winning two league titles in 1949 and 1950.  Nestor Rossi in a World Cup Finals alongside his River Plate teammates added a much more romance to the team.  Was it realistic? Rossi made his River Plate debut in June 1945.  He immediately became a starter.  Many considered him the best player for River Plate the following season in 1946, but if the World Cup Finals would have been held in June, the season would still be on Match Day 5 at the beginning of the World Cup Finals.  Logically, it was still premature to select him in June 1946 when his first cap came in December 1947, but I decided to take him.
-- Víctor Valussi of Boca Juniors was also a player of note in the 1940's, but he was 34 years old in 1946 and his last cap was in 1942.  Ricardo Vaghi never played for Argentina.  He was out of question.  I also did not consider Armando Renganeschi who was born in Argentina but played club football in Brazil.
Midfielders/Wingers
-- I did not want to change much from Argentina's South America Championship winning team. So, I retained Natalio Pescia, José Ramos, León Strembel.  Carlos Sosa, Norberto Yácono and Nestor Rossi could also be considered to be midfielders.  Both Carlos Sosa and Yacono were right half-back.  Rossi would be a centrehalf.
-- Natalio Pescia was one of the five players who won three South American Championship 3 times in a row.   He was a part of the famous midfield for Boca Juniors that won two league titles in 1943 and 1944.   This midfield was made up of his teammates Carlos Sosa and Ernesto Lazzatti. Lazzatti won the South American Championship in 1937.
-- Jose Ramos and Norberto Yácono formed the midfield for La Maquina.  Ramos was a left midfielder while Yacono played on the right.  He was either the right midfielder or the fullback.  Bruno Rodolfi played in the middle for them, but he was at the end of his career by 1946.  His last cap came in 1943.  So, I selected Rossi over him.  
-- In 1946, Leon Strembel was playing for Racing Club.  He left in 1947 before the club won three straight league titles between 1949 and 1951.
-- Inside-Right Antonio Sastre was also a big star in South America, but by 1946, he had passed his prime. So, I kept Norberto Mendez and Vicente De la Mata.  At Independiente, Vincente De La Mata formed a famous line with Antonio Sastre and Arsenio Erico.  He was also the hero of the 1937 South American Championship Final.  Mendez was a key player in the actual 1946 tournament.  He was Argentina's top scorer for the tournaments in 1945, 1946 and 1947.
Norberto Méndez
-- José Manuel Moreno was one of the five forwards of La Maquina, but his role was to track back and covered the whole right side. He nominally played as an inside right or left which is a position known as an attacking midfielder today. He was a total footballer ahead of his time.
-- In 1944, due to contractual issues with River Plate, Jose Manuel Moreno left for Mexico and join Club España. During his time there, he formed a formidable partnership with Isidro Lángara, and won the 1946 championship. Due to his decision to move to Mexico, Moreno was unable to participate in both the 1945 and 1946 South American Championships.  On July 28, 1946, at the age of 27, Moreno made his highly anticipated return to River Plate.  The 1946 World Cup Finals would have played a month earlier in June. In real life, he played in the 1947 South American Championship and was voted as the best player of the tournament.  So, he was still a top player in South America.
-- For inside-left, I took Rinaldo Martino.  He helped San Lorenzo to win the league that year.  And then, I took Ángel Labruna.
-- Bartholomew Colombo was a part of San Lorenzo that won the league that year.  Angel Perucca went to both 1945 and 1947 South American Championship.  Ernesto Gutiérrez was only 18 years old in 1946.   I decided not to alter the team too much.  So, I left them off the team.
-- The right-wing position on the 1946 was occupied by Mario Boyé who was a star with Boca Juniors and Juan Carlos Salvini.  Juan Carlos Muñoz of River Plate went to the 1945 South American Championship but was not on the 1946 team. He was famous due to playing for La Maquina. I decided to take Boye only.
-- On the left, I first took Félix Loustau. Manuel Pelegrina might be a more famous left winger than Ezra Sued, but he was not on the 1946 team.  I also only took Loustau.
Forwards
-- The Inside Right and left positions were actually considered to be forwards, but I put them on the midfielders/wingers section.
-- Alfredo Di Stéfano was a similar player as Moreno, but he played as a central forward in 1946.  He only played a single game for River Plate for the 1945 season before going on loan to Club Atlético Huracán in 1946. In the 1946 season, he immediately made an impact, but the World Cup Finals would be held in June.  Liked Rossi would Di Stefano be ready for the World Cup Finals?  It was noteworthy that Guillermo Stábile was the coach for both Huracan and the Argentine national team at the same time.  So, he did know about Di Stefano very well by June. 1946. Furthermore, one of main points of this blog team was to incorporate Di Stefano onto the team. 
-- René Pontoni was one of the players who won three straight South American Championship. That season, he helped San Lorenzo to win the league title. Other top central forwards in their period included Jaime Sarlanga.  Herminio Masantonio had retired.  
-- Adolfo Pedernera would also withdraw to midfield, confounding the central defenders who were supposed to mark him, and opening spaces for the wingers.
Adolfo Pedernera 

Formation
I did not think Alfredo Di Stefano was ready to start, but I gambled on Nestor Rossi. Because of Juan Manuel Moreno, Norberto Mendez had to sit on the bench.  Rinaldo Martino could also start as the inside left, 




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Friday, December 15, 2023

British Jamaican All_Time Greatest Team

 This blogger Artur Yanturin of Russia copied many of my blog teams.  This blog was one of them.  It was my Russia All-Time Team here.  His team was written in 2020, but mine was uploaded in 2014.   His Spartak Moscow All-Time team entry of was published in October 2020, but mine was uploaded in 2017.  His entry of the Dutch-German rivalry between Real Madrid and Barcelona was written in 2020, but mine was uploaded in 2014.  He also copied many many of my blog entries.

His Facebook and Instagram

Lurher Blissett and John Barnes

Please also see my All-Time World Cup Team Index


This is my selection of All-Time Team for British Jamaicans.  All British-born Jamaican players are qualified to be on this fantasy team as well as any England internationals are Jamaicans. The number 23 was chosen because it is the official squad size for the World Cup Finals.

Since the start of the 20th century, Jamaicans have been present in the UK.  In the 1950s, Britain faced a struggling economy and significant labor shortages. Consequently, the British government turned to its overseas colonies for assistance and actively encouraged migration to fill the numerous job vacancies. Hundreds of thousands of Jamaicans made their way to the United Kingdom. 

In the realm of football, Viv Anderson holds the distinction of being the first black player to represent England. David James, in turn, became England's first black goalkeeper, while John Barnes holds the record for the highest number of appearances by an English Jamaican in the England national football team.  It is noteworthy that Jamaica achieved a significant milestone by qualifying for the 1998 World Cup Finals in France. This success story was made possible by a combination of a golden generation of homegrown talents and the contributions of British Jamaican footballers in the English Premier League. Inspired by this captivating history, I have written a blog highlighting the role of the British-Jamaicans on Jamaica's 1998 World Cup team. 

Kalvin Philips and Raheem Sterling
Team
At the time of writing, David James is the third all-time Premier league appearance record holder. He starred for Liverpool as one of the "Spice Boys".  However, his reputation suffered after a series of blunders, earning the nickname of "Calamity James".  He also played for Aston Villa, West Ham United, Manchester City and Portsmouth. He picked up 53 caps for England between 1997 and 2010.  He was the starting keeper at the European Champions in 2004 and the World Cup Finals in 2010. He was England's first Black international goalkeeper.
David James
Alex Williams made 125 league appearance for Manchester City in 1980's. He helped City to win promotion out of the Second Division in 1984–85. He made the PFA Team of the Year for Division 2 in 1984-1985. He also played for Port Vale. However, he was forced into early retirement in September 1987 due to a recurring back injury.  He won the 1980 UEFA European Under-18 Championship and 1984 UEFA European Under-21 Championship with England.  

Richardson began with Chelsea, but never played a game for them.  From 1976 to 1979, he played about 30 games with QPR which then in the top tier, making him the first Black goalkeeper since Arthur Wharton to play in that level.  He later played for  Sheffield United, and Coventry City.  He also played at international level for England at youth and semi-professional. In 1979, he played in a benefit match for West Bromwich Albion player Len Cantello, that saw a team of white players play against a team of black players.

RB: Viv Anderson 
In 1978, Viv Anderson became the first Black player to play for the English senior national team. He would earn 30 caps between 1978 and 1988.  He was on two World Cup team: 1982 and 1986, and two European Championship team: 1980 and 1988. He was a part of Brian Clough's Nottingham Forrest team that won back-to-back European Cup in 1979 and 1980.  He also played for Arsenal, Manchester United and and Sheffield Wednesday. 
Viv Anderson
RB: Kyle Walker 
Kyle Walker started with boyhood club Sheffield United and made his name with Tottenham Hotspurs after loan spells with Queens Park Rangers and Aston Villa.  In 2017, he joined Manchester City for one of the most expensive fees. He won the treble in 2023.  At the time of writing, he has over 81 caps.  He went to the European Championship in 2016 and 2020 and the World Cup Finals in 2018 and 2022.

CB: Sol Campbell 
Sol Campbell was one of the greatest English defenders. He was a member of Arsenal's "Invincibles" that went undefeated in 2003-2004 season.  At the club level, he spent 9 seasons for Tottenham Hotspurs and served as its captain before moving to its rival Arsenal on a free transfer that sparked a controversy.  He later played for Portsmouth. For England, he earned 73 caps in 11 years.  He went to three World Cup Finals: 1998, 2002 and 2006.
Sol Campbell
Smalling played his 10 seasons with Manchester United, where he won two Premiership titles at the end of Sir Alex's tenure, and an Europa League and FA Cup after Sir Alex.  In 2020, he joined AS Roma, where he won the Europa Conference League.  From 2011 to 2017, he was capped 31 times for England.  He went to the 2014 World Cup as well as the Euro 2016. 

CB: Wes Morgan (Jamaica)
Rejected by Notts County, Wes Morgan was playing for non-league team before being discovered by Nottingham Forest in 2002. In 2012, he moved to Leicester Town. In the 2015-2016 season, he played every minute of Leicester Town's historical Preimership winning year and also served as the team's captain. At the time of writing, he had 30 caps for Jamaica.

CB: Des Walker 
Des Walker played 59 times for England between 1988 and 1993.  He started in all of England's games at the World Cup Finals in 1990. He was rated as one of the best defender at that Finals.  For club football, he mainly played for Nottingham Forrest between 1984 and 1992, and Sheffield Wednesday between 1993 and 2001.  He played one season at Sampdoria in Italy after the 1990 World Cup Finals.  He was even named in their PFA Team of Century between 1977 and 1996.  
Des Walker
LB/LW: Ashley Young 
Young started his career at Watford.  In January 2007, he transferred to Aston Villa.  He established himself in the first team at Villa Park and won the PFA Young Player of the Year award in 2009. In 2011, Young signed for Manchester United for an undisclosed fee. He has gone on to win every trophy available in English football.  He also played for Everton, Inter Milan and Aston Villa. He played 39 times for England between 2007 and 2018.

LB: Danny Rose 
Danny Rose was a youth product with Leeds United in 2006, but never played for them.  He played for Tottenham Hotspur between 2007 and 2021.  He had loan spells with Watford, Peterborough United, Bristol City and Sunderland.  In 2022, he joined Watford.  Rose earned his first senior cap in a 3–2 victory against Germany in 2016.  He played 26 times between 2016 and 2019.  He played in Euro 2016 and the World Cup Finals in 2018. He was a part of the Team GB at the London Olympics.

Philips made his debut with Leeds in 2015.  He was named in the PFA Team of the Year for Championship in 2020.  In 2022, he was transferred to Manchester City.   He was a part of the team that won the treble.  In 2020, he earned his first cap with England.  Later, he had a starring role at the Euro 2020 after England reached the Final.  He was named England's 2020–21 Men's Player of the Year.

Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain is the son of former England international Mark Chamberlain.  He made his name with Southampton.  He signed for Arsenal in 2011 after a single season at the senior level.  Between 2017 and 2023, he played for Liverpool, winning the 2018–19 Champions League and 2019–20 Premier League.  In 2023, he joined Besiktas in Turkey.  Between 2012 and 2019, he had 35 caps.  He participated at the European Championship in 2012 and the World Cup Finals in 2014.
Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain
CM: Ruben Loftus-Cheek 
Ruben Loftus-Cheek began his career with Chelsea in 2014.  For his first three seasons, he was mainly a backup player.  In 2017, he was sent on a loan to Crystal Palace.  He returned to Chelsea,  and then, another loan move to  Fulham in 2020. In 2023, he left Chelsea for AC Milan. In 2017, he made his national team debut with England.  He was capped 10 times.  He played a single match at the 2018 World Cup Finals.

CM/AM: Ricky Hill
From 1976 to 1989, Hill played for Luton Town where he was considered one of their best ever footballers.  He helped them to their promotion to the First Division and won the League Cup.  He also played in France and the United States. Between 1982 and 1986, Hill only played three times for England, but he was the fourth Black player to play for England’s Senior National team and the first British South Asian to represent England at the Senior level.  

RW/FW Theo Walcott 
Walcott, then 17 years old was a surpassingly named in Sven-Goran Ericsson's squad for the 2006 World Cup, despite having only made 13 appearances in senior football and none in the Premier League.  He made no appearance in Germany.  Fabio Capello did not take him to South Africa 2010 and an injury kept him from Brazil 2014.  At the time of writing, he made 47 caps for England.  Except for a loan spell, he has only played for Arsenal and Everton.

FW/RW: Raheem Sterling 
Raheem Sterling broke into the Liverpool lineup as a 17 years old in 2012, where he became their star players until 2015.  In the spring of 2015, he had a contract disputes with the club.  He moved to Manchester City for 44 million pounds.  He made his national team debut in 2012.  He played at the World Cup Finals in 2014, and Euro 2016 and 2020.  In 2019, he won the FWA Player of the Year. Liked John Barnes, he was born in Jamaica.  Since 2012, he played 82 times for England.
Raheem Sterling
Cunnugham was considered to be the first Black star player in England and an icon for a generation of Black players in England. With Cyrille Regis and Brendon Batson, they formed an all-Black attack that was known as "The Three Degrees" with West Bromwich Albion in the late 1970's. In 1979, he became the first British player ever to play for Real Madrid. He returned to Manchester United in 1983. He was only capped 6 times by England and was overlooked for Euro 1980, despite starring at La Liga the season before.

John Barnes was widely considered to be one of the greatest Liverpool players, where he formed one of their greatest team playing alongside Ian Rush, Peter Beardsley, John Aldridge and Ray Houghton.  before joining Liverpool, he played for Watford.  At Watford, he also helped them to the Final of the FA Cup in 1984.  He was voted PFA Player of the Year in 1988 and FWA Player of the Year in both 1988 and 1990.  He played 79 times for England, and went to two World Cup Finals.
John Barnes
His professional career lasted from 1988 to 2008, and is mostly remembered for his time with Manchester United, who paid a British record transfer fee to sign him from Newcastle United. Cole spent six years with Manchester United and won nine trophies, including the Treble of the Premier League, FA Cup and Champions League in 1999.  Despite of his decorated club career, he only played 15 times for England, and never in a major tournament.

Leslie was the only black professional player in England during his time with Plymouth Argyle. Leslie enjoyed a 14–season spell with Argyle, having joined the club from Barking Town in 1921.  He was called up to England in 1925 as a non-travelling reserve, but the call-up was withdrew. It has been speculated because of his skin color.  He would have become the first Black player to represent England.  He was born in England.
Jack Leslie
Born in Jamaica, Blissett is best known for his time at Watford, whom he helped win promotion from the Fourth Division to the First Division. He holds Watford's all-time records for appearances and goals, having played 503 games and scored 186 goals.  He played briefly for AC Milan, where he was a cult hero.  He was one of the first Black footballers to play for England and the first one to score.   In total, he had 14 caps.

ST: Ian Wright 
Wright was a legendary striker with Arsenal.  Before joining Arsenal, he was a hero with Crystal Palace.  At the time of writing, he was their highest goal scorer since the War.  In 1991, he joined Arsenal.  He spent 7 seasons with them, winning all three domestic trophies and the Cup Winners' Cup in 1994.  Despite being a top scorer in the domestic league(he scored over 20 goals every season from 1991 to 1998), he only played 33 times for England and was never selected for any of the major tournaments.
Ian Wright
Honorable Mentions
Dillon Barnes, Derek Richardson, Reece James, Kieran Tripper, Paul Parker, Frank Sinclair, Adrian Mariappa, Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Darryl Powell, Fitzroy Simpson, Brennan Johnson, Jaidon Anthony, Michail Antonio, Ivan Toney, Darren Bent, Aaron Lennon, Mark Chamberlain, Jermaine Pennant,  Darius Vassell, Paul Davis, Paul Hall, Darren Bent, Andros Townsend, Garth Crooks, Lindy Delapenha, Callum Wilson, Deon Burton, Trevor Sinclair 

Squad Explanation
-- In December, 2023, I updated Jamaica/Jamaican Diaspora.  I realised that many Jamaican footballers and British-Jamaican footballers were overlooked.  I decided to create an All-Time Team for Jamaican international players and this British Jamaican team respectively at the same team.  I also did a review of Black Players who played for England at the same time.
-- All players must be Jamaicans who are either born in Great Britain or have been capped by any of the British national teams.  I accepted British-born Jamaican players who were capped by Jamaica, but contributions to Jamaica are not a criterion.
-- This team was not about England only, but nobody from the other parts of Great Britain were ever considered.  In actually, this team was about England.  Wes Morgan was the only non-English international player selected.
-- John Barnes and Laurie Cunningham were the two greatest British Jamaican players. Being the first Jamaican to play for England, Viv Anderson was an automatic selection.  David James, Sol Campbell, Des Walker and Raheem Sterling were also undisputed.
John Barnes and Des Walker
-- In 1978, Viv Anderson made history as the first black footballer to earn a senior cap for England. Shortly after, in 1979, Laurie Cunningham, also of Jamaican descent, joined him in representing the national team. The momentum continued in 1982 when a wave of black footballers made their senior national team debuts. The journey began with Cyrille Regis, who, though not Jamaican, received his cap before the 1982 World Cup Finals. Following the World Cup, three British Jamaicans, namely Ricky Hill, Luther Blissett, and Mark Chamberlain, all born in Great Britain, earned their caps. Later in 1983, John Barnes made his debut, becoming the first Jamaican-born player to be capped by England. Thus, six out of the first seven black English international players had Jamaican roots.
-- That era in the English league witnessed a remarkable emergence of black players. John Barnes and Luther Blissett formed a lethal duo at Watford, while Mark Chamberlain made a name for himself at Stoke. Danny Wallace, though not Jamaican, left his mark at Southampton, Ricky Hill at Luton, and Alex Williams at Manchester City. This period was not far removed from Viv Anderson's groundbreaking England debut in 1978 and the awe-inspiring "Three Degrees" of West Bromwich Albion, consisting of Cyrille Regis, Laurie Cunningham, and Brendon Batson. Notably, Cunningham was the sole Jamaican among the trio, representing the rich Jamaican heritage within the English football landscape.
-- Both Lindy Delapenha and Gil Heron were pioneers in the English and Scottish league respectively.  Both were born in Jamaica at a time under British rule and before the foundation of the Jamaican national team in 1962.  Heron probably played for a Caribbean or even a Jamaican representative side before going to play club football in the United States and Scotland.  I did not know if they were considered Britons.  So, I kept them off this team for now.
Goalkeepers
-- David James was the first Black goalkeeper to represent England at the senior level.  Since his time, England has not capped another Black goalkeeper at that level.  
-- Alex Williams won the 1980 UEFA European Under-18 Championship and 1984 UEFA European Under-21 Championship with England.  He was an icon and hero of many Black goalkeepers from the United Kingdom.  I did not know if racism played a part in England snubbing him for a senior cap since he was playing in the same generation as Ray Clemence, Joe Corrigan, Peter Shilton, Chris Woods and Gary Bailey.  The competition was fierce during his prime.
Alex Williams
-- At the time of writing, Dillion Barnes had a single cap for Jamaica while Jamal Blackman played some games at the youth level for England.  Both Dillion Barnes and Jamal Blackman were lower division players playing in England.  So Derek Richardson seemed to be the obvious third choice.  He was the first Black goalkeeper since Arthur Wharton to play in the English league.  In QPR, he was used as an understudy to Phil Parkes, but from 1976 to 1979, he played about 31 games with QPR which then was in the top tier.  He actually broke the racial barrier before Alex Williams did by playing in the First Division.  
-- Lawrence Vigouroux who was born in England, and he represented Chile at the youth level.  His father was from Chile, but his mother was a Jamaican.  Being Chilean international did not affect his status on this team. He is a British Jamaicans.  At the moment, he is a League Two Player.  So I continued with Jake Blackman who was a Championship goalkeeper.
Defenders
-- Sol Campbell is on my England's All-Time team.  For England, he was named on the Team of the Tournament in both 2002 World Cup Finals and Euro 2004.  He was considered one of the best centrebacks in the world of his generation.  For Arsenal, he was being part of the team that became known as The Invincibles for their undefeated 2003–04 Premier League campaign. 
-- Des Walker was another sure-in defender. On four straight occasions, he was selected for the PFA Team of the Year between 1989 and 1992.  He was even named in the PFA Team of Century between 1977 and 1996.  
-- For my Jamaican/Jamaican diaspora team, I placed Wes Morgan and Frank Sinclair ahead of Chris Smalling because they played for Jamaica and contributed more to the island nation.  But this team was about British Jamaicans.  The Jamaican international players did not get priority over here.  Smalling had 31 senior caps for England and went to a World Cup Finals.  He also played over 200 games for Manchester United.  
-- Wes Morgan was Nottingham Forest longest-serving player when he transferred to Leicester City in 2012.  In the 2015-2016 season, he played every minute of Leicester Town's historical Premiership winning year.  
-- Frank Sinclair was a star player in his time with Chelsea, but the other players had accomplished more.  Morgan's Leicester City's Premiership winning season was very significant in the history of the English football.
-- Chris Smalling also operated as a rightback, but I still took both Viv Anderson and Kyle Walker.  Being the first Jamaican British or Black player to be capped by England at the senior level made Viv Anderson an undisputed choice for this team.  He was an iconic footballer of his time.  He also won back-to-back European Cups with Brian Clough’s Nottingham Forest.  Kyle Walker had over 80 caps for England.  At the time of writing, he was named on the PFA Team of the Year on three occasions. He was a big part of Manchester City's continental treble in the 2022-2023 season.  The pair kept Frank Sinclair who was also a rightback off the team.  Reece James is still an emerging talent as of December, 2023.  He alongside Kieran Tripper and Paul Parker made honorable mention.  Tripper was named in the PFA Team of the Year in the 2022-2023 season.  Paul Parker started on most of England's games at the 1990 World Cup team.  That campaign was England's best result since 1966.  He was a rightback, but he also played as a centreback for his club team briefly.
Kyle Walker
-- Both of Ashely Young's parents came from Jamaica.  He played 39 times for England.  He was named twice on the PFA Team of the Year.  Danny Rose was also named twice in the PFA Team of the Year.  
Midfielders/Wingers
-- I selected three contemporary midfielders to discuss. Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, who achieved notable success with Liverpool, won the 2018-19 Champions League and the 2019-20 Premier League. He established himself as a decorated player. While at Arsenal, he primarily served as a right winger or wingback, but his preferred position was central midfield, where he excelled after joining Liverpool. Kalvin Phillips faced some challenges after his move to Manchester City in 2022, but he played a pivotal role in England's impressive run at Euro 2020. His performances earned him recognition as England's Player of the Year in the 2021-2022 season. The tournament marked England's best finish in a senior international tournament since 1966. Ruben Loftus-Cheek boasts over eight seasons in the Premiership as of the time of writing. He also represented England in the 2018 World Cup Finals. His career trajectory has been significantly more successful than that of Darryl Powell and Fitzroy Simpson. Throughout his career, Loftus-Cheek has been deployed in various positions, including right-back, central defender, and striker. However, his true strengths lie in central or attacking midfield. While his versatility played a role in his selection, it is worth noting that I specifically required him as a midfielder.
-- After considering the three midfielders previously mentioned, the team was still in need of a fourth midfielder. Several candidates made the shortlist for this position, including Ainsley Maitland-Niles, Ricky Hill, Darryl Powell, and Fitzroy Simpson.
-- Maitland-Niles' best position should be a right winger.  Since this team was loaded with right-side wide players (see below), I immediately dropped him.  I considered Powell a better player than Simpson.  He played more games than Simpson at the top tiers of English football.  So it would be between Ricky Hill and Darryl Powell.
-- Ricky Hill, the fourth black player to represent England at the senior national team level, holds a significant place in football history. Notably, he was also the first British South Asian to don the England jersey (his father's family from India via Jamamica). Hill played a pivotal role in Luton Town's promotion to the First Division in 1982, marking a memorable achievement in his career. Moreover, Hill was part of an era that witnessed a wave of black footballers making a resounding impact on English football in the early 1980s. 
While Darryl Powell might have had the potential to make a notable impact on the Jamaican national team, his contributions to English football were less distinguished. In contrast, Ricky Hill was widely regarded as one of Luton Town's greatest players.
-- Raheem Sterling was named FWA Footballer of the Year in 2019. At one point, he was the most expensive English international player.  He was a key player for Manchester City.  He was mainly a forward, but he could also play wide on the right. 
-- Despite the nostalgic and sentimental feelings associated with Mark Chamberlain in the 1980's, his inclusion in the team was overshadowed by the presence of his son, Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain, and Raheem Sterling. Additionally, Theo Walcott's impressive record of 564 senior matches in the Premier League, scoring 129 goals primarily from the right wing, and his 47 caps for England made him a compelling choice. Consequently, there was no room for Mark Chamberlain in the team.
-- Jermaine Pennant shone for Liverpool in the 2007 Champions League final, but his career was left unfulfilled.  Aaron Lennon went to two World Cup Finals.  Andros Townsend played 12 times for England.  They all made honorable mentions.
-- The left wing was much easier to select.  I had two of the best players on the entire team. John Barnes was born in Jamaica, but he played for England. His career with Liverpool FC was well-known.  Laurie Cunningham inspired many Black players in the United Kingdom.  They forced Ashley Young to the left wingback position.  Trevor Sinclair made honorable mentions. Mark Chamberlain was also considered.  He could play both sides of the wings. 
Laurie Cunningham
Forwards
-- Ian Wright was elected into the English Football Hall of Flame.  Despite being a top scorer in the domestic league (he scored over 20 goals every season from 1991 to 1998), he only played 33 times for England and was never selected for any of the major tournaments.  Andy Cole's career with Manchester United spoke for itself.   He was a big part of Manchester United's treble in 1999.   His partnership with Dwight Yorke was one of most fearsome in the history of the English football league. He is the 4th All-Time leading scorer in the Premier League.
-- Then, I selected Jack Leslie.  He received a call-up by England in 1926, but the English FA later withdrew it presumedly after they learned that he was Black.  He would have been the first Jamaican or Black player to be capped by England over 50 years before Viv Anderson.   He was more historical significant than most players on this blog.
-- Luther Blissett still holds Watford's all-time records for both appearances (503) and goals (186).  He played alongside John Barnes under manager Graham Taylor with Watford in the early 1980's.  There were some romantic notion of a pair of Jamaican-born players tearing up the English league in the early 1980's. As mentioned above, it was a period that set the foundation for other Black  players.  Blissett also helped Watford to jump from the Fourth Division to top flight runners-up in a relatively short period.  His reputation however was tarnished by his move to AC Milan, but his association with AC Milan turned him into a cult player in Milan.  His name had some cultural impact.  
Luther Blissett
-- Daniel Sturridge was selected for the 2014 World Cup and UEFA Euro 2016, earning 28 England caps in total.  He was the last player cut on this team.  Darren Bent and Darius Vassell were also seriously considered.
-- Throughout his career Gareth Crooks was an active member of the Professional Footballers' Association and was elected the first black chairman of the union.
-- Deon Burton was a hero in Jamaica, but the criteria for this team was different.  His club career was bouncing between the Premiership and the Championship.  The other forwards in questions were all solid players in the top tiers in English football.
-- Alberto Spencer was born in Ecuador.  There was a rumor that England considered calling him up, but I really did not know whether it was a true story nor he was actually eligible to play for England.  He was not considered.

Formation
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