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To me France 1998 and Spain 2010 have many similarities. Great football nations, perennial underachievers, one-time world cup winner, and the same team also won European Championship.

 

The great French team won World Cup 1998 (hosted in France) and European Championship 2000

This great Spanish team won European Championship 2008 and World Cup 2010

 

The French team have Zidane, Vieira, Henry, Desailly, Thuram etc

The Spanish team have Xavi, Iniesta, Villa, Torres, Puyol, Casillas etc

 

Which team would rank higher, 50 years later ?

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Guest firetotheworks

It's too early to tell. The main reason being that Spain played generally against teams in this world cup that all tried to use the same tactic, soak up pressure and go on the counter attack, I think considering that was the only tactic that was deemed to work against them, and it yet it only worked via one fluky goal for Switzerland shows just how good they were.

 

France played against much more outwardly, expansive attacking teams iirc and could counter attack themselves. When I've seen both teams firing on all cylinders, I prefer Spain.

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It's too early to tell. The main reason being that Spain played generally against teams in this world cup that all tried to use the same tactic, soak up pressure and go on the counter attack, I think considering that was the only tactic that was deemed to work against them, and it yet it only worked via one fluky goal for Switzerland shows just how good they were.

 

France played against much more outwardly, expansive attacking teams iirc and could counter attack themselves. When I've seen both teams firing on all cylinders, I prefer Spain.

 

This. France were a surprise in 1998 and nobody had planned for them which allowed them to express their football freely. Everybody has tried to pull an Inter on us in this WC.

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France. Its not even close.

 

:dowie:

 

to be fair, it's not that far away...also the french team died of old age after 2000 - there's plenty left in this spanish side

 

Didn't the 1998 side still provide the backbone of the team that came 2nd in 2006?

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France. Its not even close.

 

:dowie:

 

to be fair, it's not that far away...also the french team died of old age after 2000 - there's plenty left in this spanish side

 

Didn't the 1998 side still provide the backbone of the team that came 2nd in 2006?

 

No. Henry/Vieira/Pires had very secondary roles in the 1998 win. Only Zidane links both teams really.

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Guest firetotheworks

I still wonder how that final might have went if Ronaldo hadn't have had that weird injury.

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Also, apart from how Zidane schooled Brazil in the final, France wasn't that dominating. I think people take the final's performance (indeed one of the finest) and extend it to the whole tournament.

 

This - while not exactly a one-man-band, they were carried to a certain extent by Zidane. No Newcastle fan can forget that France's World Cup winning team had a strikeforce of Stephane Guivarch!

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They weren't carried by Zidane in 98, he even missed 2 and bit games for them after getting sent off. He popped up with the goods in the final but from a personal point he was much better in 06.

 

Still to answer the question I would say Spain 2010.

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Guest firetotheworks

Incidentally does this mean that Xavi, Iniesta, Puyol, Pique, Pedro, Casillas, and possibly Ramos have now won it all?

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Spain, easily.

 

They dominate every match they play.

 

I've never seen a team like it in my life, not sure about the old great Brazil teams but Spain take the piss sometimes the way they dominate possession against good players and teams.  I mean last night Holland, FUCKING HOLLAND were reduced to chasing them around like bairns vs. adults and kicking fuck out of them to try and get the ball back.

 

 

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Guest firetotheworks

Spain, easily.

 

They dominate every match they play.

 

I've never seen a team like it in my life, not sure about the old great Brazil teams but Spain take the piss sometimes the way they dominate possession against good players and teams.  I mean last night Holland, f***ing HOLLAND were reduced to chasing them around like bairns vs. adults and kicking f*** out of them to try and get the ball back.

 

 

 

I agree, but I think Germany is a better example. Holland were not a patch on the Germans imo.

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I guess it depends on wha you are looking for. If your thing is ball possession and cute passes, then Spain takes it but the French team was lethal on the attack, so much penetration. For me it is the latter. Plus the French team had a more solid defence.

 

Don't get me wrong, I like the way Spain played but to me they just didnt have the cutting edge of the French team. 

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Guest firetotheworks

I personally think that Spain have had to contend with teams whose tactic is based more around Spain, than their own. France played teams that could compete in an attacking sense. Spain haven't played anyone in this tournament that's truly attacked them. And they'll still won it. It's a bit of an exaggeration, but its been a bit like Arsenal playing Blackburn for quite a few games in a row. If they'd played Brazil I think you'd have seen Spain at their true best.

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Spain by a long mile.

 

If Brazil and Ronaldo didn't have a spazz out before the final it could have been totally different.

 

Spain are head and shoulders above any other team at the moment.

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