The start of the English Premier League season saw World Soccer Reader’s World XI shaken thanks to some prime-time performances in the league’s marque match-ups.
If you watched the weekend’s action, it should be no surprise to see a Gunner break into the team. Likewise, there was one man whose star shined brightest at White Hart Lane. Perhaps these aren’t two of the best eleven players in the world, but for one week, their resumés got a big boost.
In all, there were five new faces which took advantage of Italy and Spain still yet to kick-off. That changes this weekend with the Serie A’s first round. When La Liga kicks off next week, all players vying for space in the WSR World XI will be on equal footing.
While some big names drop off the list because of inaction or inefficiency, know that there are still a number of untouchables. The two big names on any Best Of list remain our heavy hitters. It will be at least two weeks before we see any movement there.
Without further ado, here is World Soccer Reader’s World XI, our collaborative effort to document the best of the best. If you see where we went wrong, let us know, and your comment may appear in this space next week.
| Goalkeeper | ||
| G (5 of 11) |
Iker Casillas, Real Madrid, Spain |  |
| The case that Iker Casillas is the most important player to Real Madrid’s chances: When Raúl is eventually moved aside (and based on his placing in the striker pecking order and the animus between him and Florentino Perez, he will be moved aside), it will be Casillas’s leadership that will detemrine whether the old-guard are able to fracture the locker room. The captain of Spain’s national team can hold the club together and usher in the next era of Real Madrid football. | ||
| Substitutes: Júlio César, Internazionale, Brazil | ||
| Defence | ||
| LB (10 of 11) |
Ashley Cole, Chelsea, England |  |
| “So quick and nimble, not only his defense has put him on my list, also his offensive contributions.”– Juan Carlos Valladares | ||
| CB (4 of 11) |
John Terry, Chelsea, England |  |
| Injuries are not only a part of football. At some point, they becomes a part of a player’s fabric. Just ask AS Roma fans about Francesco Totti, and all their affection for their talisman gets clouded by the games he’s lost over the years.
With that in mind, it’s only right that John Terry usurps Rio Ferdinand on the day it’s announced Rio will miss near a month with a thigh problem. Staying healthy, like reading and detouring an attack, is a skill. Right now, Terry is more skilled at getting himself on the pitch than is Rio. |
||
| CB (11 of 11) |
Gerard Pique, Barcelona, Spain |  |
| “The Catalan kid has gone from a boy to a man in footballing terms over the last 12 months. He’s not just a tall guy with potential anymore – now he can be included in the conversation of the best center backs in the world.”– Seena Vali | ||
| RB (6 of 11) |
Dani Alves, Barcelona, Brazil |  |
| Alves finished last season with an ankle injury but looked completely recovered against Athletic Bilbao. He served as understudy to Maicon for much of the summer, but on this team the roles are reversed. | ||
| Substitutes: Maicon, Internazionale, Brazil; Carles Puyol, Barcelona, Spain | ||
| Midfield | ||
| DMF (9 of 11) |
Wilson Palacios, Tottenham, Honduras |  |
| “The Honduran international scored his first Premier league goal, but that might be the last reason why I put him on this league, he bossed Liverpool like they were a training ground team.”– Juan Carlos Valladares | ||
| MF (7 of 11) |
Cesc Fabregas, Arsenal, Spain |  |
| There were a lot of good comments on Cesc from the writing staff, but I’m going to use this space to reiterate what I said on the podcast. Cesc’s tribute to Dani Jarque after his second goal at Goodison was the highlight of the EPL’s opening weekend. Given that augmented two goals, two assists, and and established track record as one of the most talented players in the game, Fabregas’s week vaults him above a couple of bigger names | ||
| MF (3 of 11) |
Xavi Hernandez, Barcelona, Spain |  |
| No disrepesect to Kaka and Steven Gerrard, but Xavi gets WSR’s nod. This week. As Juan Carlos Valledares put it, “He makes this list, because Barcelona would have lost in San Mames without him. By the way how did that Gampers trophy go without him?” | ||
| Substitutes: Javier Mascherano, Liverpool, Argentina; Steven Gerrard, Liverpool, England; Kaka, Real Madrid, Brazil. | ||
| Forwards | ||
| F (1 of 11) |
Cristiano Ronaldo, Real Madrid, Portgual |  |
| While some sacred cows were bounced from the starting lineup amidst great starts by the likes of Palacios and Fabregas, there are a few untouchables. Well, two untouchables, to be exact. Ronaldo has yet to inspire during the preseason, but nobody from out staff had the temerity to suggest Ronnie be demoted. | ||
| F (2 of 11) |
Lionel Messi, Barcelona, Argentina |  |
| Messi is battling injury problems that have kept him out most of the preseason, and with the permission of Pep Guardiola he will miss the opening to miss the opening of the season to be with the Argentine national team. When he returns, the battle for the top spot on this list will continue. | ||
| F (8 of 11) |
Didier Drogba, Chelsea, Cotê d’Iviore |  |
| “There haven’t been many strikers in the Premier League recently who can boast to be as dominant as Didier Drogba. He has all the qualities that you would want in a striker – fast, good in the air, strong, and a deadly finisher. He his quality against an enthusiastic Hull side over the weekend and single-handedly saved the team from opening day blushes.”– Seena Vali | ||
| Substitutes:Edin Dzeko, Wolfsburg, Bosnia and Herzegovina | ||
Honorable Mentions:Victor, Patrice Evra, Rio Ferdinand, Nemanja Vidic, Thomas Vermaelen, Michael Essien, Frank Lampard, Welliton, Alessandro del Piero, Wayne Rooney
Richard Farley is a U.S.-based contributor to World Soccer Reader, focusing on the English Premier League and Spain’s La Liga. He also hosts Inside the Six, the site’s regular podcast. He can be reached at richardfarley at gmail dot com and followed on Twitter, username “richardfarley.”
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