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Henry and Djorkaeff, 1998
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Ten Best: World Cup players
December 17, 2022
Over the years, numerous Metros, be they past, present, or future, took part in the World Cup. The full list can be seen here. But which players stood out above the rest? (We're very tempted to include Tyler Adams... but he has only one World Cup under his belt. Maybe if we revisit this list in four years.)
10) Tab Ramos (USA), 1990, 1994, 1998
Numerous future Metros played for those early American teams, including Tony Meola, Thomas Dooley, Alexi Lalas (spit), and Marcelo Balboa (does he count?) But none were as good as Ramos, still quite possibly the best technical midfielder in US history. Alas, his terrific 1994 tournament ended with a vicious elbow to his head. (And let's not talk about 1998...)
9) Tim Howard (USA), 2006, 2010, 2014
Howard was on the bench in 2006, but started in 2010 and 2014, leading the US out of the group stage each time. But his place on this list is absolutely cemented by the record-setting 15-save game against Belgium that eventually saw the US lose in the Round of 16 in Brazil. Howard stood on his head, stopping shot after shot (or was it 16?), keeping the game scoreless. If only Chris Wondolowski didn't miss the easiest sitter in sport history...
8) Claudio Reyna (USA), 1994, 1998, 2002, 2006
How often does an American player get named to the All-World Cup team? Well, once: in 2002, when the master of "little things" got rewarded after the American quarterfinal run. Reyna didn't play in 1994, and the teams flopped in 1998 and 2006... but that run in Korea is still the best American modern performance, and Reyna was front and center.
7) Tim Cahill (Australia), 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018
Until this year, Australia never won a World Cup game in which Cahill didn't score. The man who "activated" the Metro fan base appeared in four tournaments, and scored five times: twice in 2006, once in 2010, and twice while a Metro player in 2014, including what should have been the goal of the tournament against the Netherlands. Alas, Australia advanced out of the group stage just once.
6) Rafael Marquez (Mexico), 2002, 2006, 2010, 2014, 2018
You will not see Rafa on any "top" Metro lists otherwise. Absolute garbage during his time here, he is one of only six players to play in five World Cups, with 19 games and three goals to his name. Of course, Mexico never advanced past the Round of 16, and what we remember most is Marquez's red against the US from 2002... Stay classy, Rafa.
5) Roberto Donadoni (Italy), 1990, 1994
The classy midfielder was part of Italy's home side that finished third in 1990. He played a key role as Italy did one better four years later, reaching the final. Donadoni played the entire match, but it was not to be, as, for the second straight World Cup, his country went out on penalties. So close...
4) Youri Djorkaeff (France), 1998, 2002
And now, the four players who got even closer. The wonderful Djorkaeff was vital for France during their 1998 run. He played in every game, started all but one, and scored a penalty against Denmark. In the final, his corner to the head of Zinedine Zidane gave France a 2:0 lead over defending champion Brazil. France did flop in 2002, and Djorkaeff did make a memorable appearance as a Metro player in 2006... in the stands, when he was supposedly visiting his sick mother.
3) Branco (Brazil), 1986, 1990, 1994
The only other "top" list you'll ever see Branco is if we ever do "Top Ten: Fatest Metros". And yet, it's impossible to deny his World Cup accolades: three tournaments that concluded with starting in the final against Donadoni's Italy in 1994. He even converted a penalty in the winning shootout. What Branco is remembered most, however, was the stunning free kick goal in the quarterfinals to beat the Netherlands. 2) Thierry Henry (France), 1998, 2002, 2006, 2010
The then-20-year-old burst on the scene by scoring his first three goals for France as they won the 1998 title: one against South Africa and two against Saudi Arabia. (Alas, Titi did not play in the final against Brazil.) There were three more in 2006: South Korea, Togo, and the glorious finish against Brazil in the quarterfinal, the only goal in a 1:0 win. In total, Henry played in 17 games over four tournaments... let's not talk about 2002 and 2010.
1) Lothar Matthaus (Germany), 1982, 1986, 1990, 1994, 1998
When Lionel Messi steps on the field against France in the 2022 final, he will break a tie with Matthaus for most World Cup games played. Lothar ended with 25 across five tournaments, and the results were beyond spectacular. Then-West Germany finished second in 1982 and 1986, and won it all (with Lothar captaining) in 1990. He scored a total of six goals, four of them during the title run: Yugoslavia (2), UAE, and Czechoslovakia, not counting in the penalty shootout to beat England in the semis. He even scored at Giants Stadium in 1994 in a quarterfinal loss to Bulgaria... one more goal than he did during his Metro stint, at Giants Stadium or otherwise.
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