GAMES GOALS GLORY: THE A-LEAGUES TEAMS, PLAYERS, COACHES AND GREATEST MOMENTS PDF, EPUB, EBOOK

Roy Hay | 208 pages | 01 Oct 2016 | HARDIE GRANT BOOKS | 9781743791806 | English | South Yarra, Games Goals Glory: The A-League's Teams, Players, Coaches and Greatest Moments by Roy Hay Namespaces Article Talk. Views Read View source View history. Help Learn to edit Community portal Recent changes Upload file. Download as PDF Printable version. . . . . . . . . . Andy Keogh. Victory. Roar [2]. Adelaide United. Open Preview See a Problem? Details if other :. Thanks for telling us about the problem. Return to Book Page. Ange Postecoglu ,. Simon Hill ,. Andy Harper ,. Michael Cockerill ,. Melanie McLaughlan ,. Joe Gorman ,. Richard Kreider ,. Bill Murray ,. Andrew Howe. Get A Copy. Hardcover , pages. More Details Friend Reviews. His response? Two goals and an assist. A year after being one of the most hated men in England, he won the PFA Player of the Year award for his excellent displays as United raced to their ninth title. Ronaldo also deserves huge credit for his physical transformation. A report from the Daily Star once claimed Ronaldo does 3, sit-ups a day! In an age where fitness is hugely important in football, Ronaldo has well and truly led the way and deserves huge credit for that. More trophies and accolades followed, including a second successive Player of the Year award, another Premier League title and a Champions League winners medal in Ronaldo received the ball from 40 yards out before rifling it straight into the top corner. It proved to be the deciding strike in the tie as United advanced to the semis. Ange Postecoglu ( of Games Goals Glory)

Jacques Lemaire had a 12 year career in during which he won eight Stanley Cups including four in a row in his last four seasons in the league from until He broke in with the Canadiens just as the NHL was adding six new franchises He never scored fewer than 20 goals in any of his 12 NHL seasons. Lemaire became known as a playmaking center with one of the hardest most accurate slap-shots in the league. He started in Montreal though as a checking winger trying to find a job. His thirteen points that playoff were second on the team only to another youngster the 23 year old . Lemaire gained fame as the offensive center between sniper and . He was great in the face- off circle and became known as the defensively responsible member of the big scoring line in Montreal. At age 32 he had his best offensive season in the league with 97 points as the Habs cruised to another cup in Jacques Lemaire was that rare combination of offensive skill and defensive awareness that made him one of the greatest players in history. Claude Provost spent his exclusive fifteen year career with the Montreal Canadiens as a defensive specialist. His biggest claim to fame was his ability to shut-down Chicago superstar without fouling. Hull showed nothing but respect for Provost who seemed to have a knack for getting to a spot on the ice ahead of the puck and breaking up a play just as the puck arrived. The ungainly Provost had an awkward looking wide stance as he skated and yet he seemed to get everywhere on time. The lack of blazing speed forced Provost to become a student of the game. His analytical approach allowed him to check the games great stars throughout the fifties and sixties and render them ineffective. Provost played a key role on nine champion teams in Montreal including five in a row at the start of his career. Claude Provost popularized the idea of the defensive forward in Montreal making it a respected role. His skill at it explained the longevity of his career on a Montreal team laden with more talented players. There was no one on those teams that worked harder than Claude Provost. Patrick Roy played what amounted to ten and a half seasons of hockey in Montreal. In that time he won 4 William M. Jennings trophies as the goalie on the team with the fewest goals against it in the league, three Vezina trophies as the leagues best goalie and two Conn Smythe trophies as the playoff MVP for the two Stanley Cups he won in Montreal. He lead the league four times in save percentage with Montreal. The first time he lead the league with a. Patrick also had the lowest GAA twice in his time in Montreal with 2. Joe Malone was one of the greatest players in hockey history and certainly one of the best from first half of the 20th century. Malone still holds the record for most goals in one game, seven. Malone played in rover era of hockey and at a time where players played 60 minutes barring injury. The change from center didn't hurt him. He scored five goals in his first game in the new league and followed up with a hat trick. By the end of the season he had scored 44 goals in 20 games, a record that even Gretzky couldn't touch. He was a member of the Canadiens team that won the cup in though he never played in the playoffs that year. Malone had one of the greatest seasons in hockey history as a Montreal Canadien. He was however really a career Bulldog and with only four seasons with Les Habitants Malone can't be one of the greatest 25 Montreal Canadiens of all time. Yvan Cournoyer played in 16 seasons for the Montreal Canadiens finishing as . He was one of the fastest players in the league for most of that time. He also had a slapshot that hobbled when it hit them. He managed to score over 24 goals in 12 consecutive seasons and over forty goals four times. Cournoyer excelled in the playoffs and in international competition. His speed allowed him to compete with anyone at any level. He won ten Stanley Cups with the Montreal Canadiens. His 15 goals in 17 games in the playoffs were a record at the time and earned him a as the most valuable player in the playoffs. Playing against the Russians in the series he earned the nickname "The Train" from the Russian players because once he got going he couldn't be stopped. In a tournament where the Canadian team often suffered in a comparison of skating speed with the Russians, Cournoyer was never out matched or out-skated. The year Rocket Richard scored fifty goals in fifty games and surpassed Joe Malones record for most goals in a season Lach had 80 points and 54 assists to lead the league and won the Hart trophy as league MVP. Lach struggled with injuries his whole career but when he managed to play a full season in he had 61 points in 60 games. His 30 goals that year were a career best surpassing even his numbers during the war years and he won the first Art Ross trophy as the leagues point leader. Lach won three Stanley Cups in Montreal with the Canadiens. He still holds the record for most assists in a game by a Canadien with six. If Elmer had played in an era when a MVP award was given out in the playoffs he might have earned one in or 46 when he managed in 12 and then 17 points in 9 playoff games each of those years. He lead the team in playoff scoring in George Vezina was picked up by the Canadiens in when he shut-out the Canadiens in and Exhibition game. The tiny Vezina played six seasons with them before the NHL was even formed. Vezina played in an era before players were allowed to drop to the ice to stop a puck. He recorded the first shut-out in NHL history and won two cups with the Canadiens. He played in five Stanley Cup finals for Montreal. He played all his professional games consecutively without a break or substitution in his 16 years with Les Habitants. Vezina collapsed in his last NHL game. He died in at the age of 38 of tuberculosis. The Vezina trophy was created to honour him and was given out at the time to the goaltender who lead the league in goals against average. Since the trophy has been given to the goalie voted as the best in the league by the NHL general managers. Blake played 13 seasons for the Montreal Canadiens reaching the playoffs ten times. Toe won the NHL scoring title in the season. He won the Hart trophy the same year. He was a sniper who also could fight and he insulated the "Rocket" from the attentions of other teams goons. A badly broken leg ended his career in and broke up what was perhaps the greatest line in Montreal Canadiens history. Durnan played only seven seasons for the Montreal Canadiens and yet he won the Vezina trophy every one of those years except in when he lost out to "Turk" Broda of the . The ambidextrous Durnan wore two modified catching gloves and no blocker and would switch his stick from hand to hand as the situation demanded. He was an excellent fast ball pitcher as well and his glove work was the best in the league. Durnan won two Stanley Cups in Montreal. He was the last NHL goalie to post four consecutive shut-outs. The tiny Joliat was also called the 'Little Giant". Aurel was famed as the linemate of Howie Morenz ,but he was a talented player in his own right. He was speedy and clever with the puck and almost to hit. He won three Stanley cups in Montreal. He won the Hart trophy in as the leagues most valuable player. Hainsworth replaced the legendary Vezina in nets and won the the three first Vezina trophies as the goalie with the best goals against average in the league. Hainsworth lead the Canadiens to back to back Stanley Cup championships in and The next season, his last in Montreal, he was made team captain. George held the league record for most shut-outs in a career until Terry Sawchuk passed him. He still holds the record for most shut-outs in a season with an incredible 22 in a 44 game season. He is third on the team in career playoff shut-outs with six behind Dryden and Plante. Hainsworth also holds the record for the longest shut-out streak in the playoffs of minutes and 8 seconds on the way to hist first Stanley Cup win in Serge Savard was the senior member of the big three defenceman in Montreal through the seventies, along with Larry Robinson and . He was a key member of team that while being one of the best offensive teams in history was also one of the best defensive teams of all time. Savard excelled early in Montreal. In his first full season the Canadiens finished first overall. In the playoffs he managed 4 goals and ten points in fourteen games as the Canadiens won the cup. His four goals were one shy of the record for goals by a defenceman in the playoffs and combined with his defensive play earned him the Conn Smythe trophy as the MVP for the playoffs. Savard suffered a devastating broken leg in and then broke the same leg the next year missing the Canadiens Stanley cup run that year. Savard was never the speedy offensive force that he'd threatened to be early on, after the two injuries. Savard was still clever with puck. He became famed for his Savardian Spinerama where he'd take the puck in a degree spin to shake off forecheckers. He was a solid defensive defenceman in Montreal. Savard played a key role on the Canadian National team that beat the Soviets that year. Serge Savard was a member of 8 Stanley cup winning teams and one of the greatest of all the Montreal Canadiens defenceman. He lead the Canadiens in scoring with 30 goals in his rookie season and won the Calder trophy as the leagues best rookie that year. Through no fault of his own Geoffrion seemed to find himself Roger Maris- like rivalry with Canadiens hero Rocket Richard. He won his first Art Ross trophy in , but in doing it he passed the Rocket who had been suspended by the league for a stick swinging incident. The fans in Montreal never really seemed to forgive Boom Boom for passing their idol. Geoffrion was a key member of the Montreal teams that won an unequaled five Stanley cups in a row from He also won a cup in Montreal in During the season Frank Mahovlich, then with the Maple Leafs, was threatening to break Rocket Richard's record of 50 goals in a season. Geoffrion got in the race and with an amazing end of season burst finished with 50 goals and 95 points in 64 games. He passed a faltering Mahovlich and won the Art Ross trophy as he lead the league in points and the Hart trophy as the league's most valuable player. Tying the Rocket's record didn't earn him the opprobrium that Maris suffered for breaking Babe Ruth's single season home run record, but he still never seemed to get the love from the Montreal fans that the Rocket had earned. He never approached 50 goals again managing 23,23 and 21 in his last three years in Montreal. Still Geoffrion was the second man ever to score 50 goals in an NHL season and one of the all time Montreal Canadien greats. At the turn of the 20th century Newsy Lalonde was "the" big Montreal Canadien star. Lalonde scored the first ever Montreal Canadien in He starred on the first ever Stanley Cup winning Canadien team in when the Canadiens defeated the Portland Rosebuds three games to two. Newsy won two NHL scoring titles and was one of the dominant goal scorers of his era. Yet he saw himself as more of a with deceptive speed. The player he always likened himself to was the Leafs Teeder Kennedy. For 16 years was the best defensive forward in hockey. The Montreal Canadiens agitated for and finally had established the Frank J. Selke trophy for the season. It is awarded to the NHL forward who demonstrates the most skill in the defensive component of the game. Bob Gainey won it the first four times it was awarded. Gainey also won the Conn Smythe trophy in as the Canadiens won their fourth cup in a row. Gainey managed to augment his defensive game with a point a game that playoff year. Gainey's speed helped make him a relentless checker and punishing hitter. Gainey was notorious for changing the flow of the game by stealing the puck and counter attacking. His stone hands often let him down near the net but the speed let him generate opportunities and kept the oppositions scoring line running around in their own zone. In a league where players pride themselves on their stoicism Dickie Moore was famed for his pain tolerance. The Morning Herald. Fairfax Media. Retrieved 25 July Categories : A-League records and statistics All-time football league tables. Hidden categories: Wikipedia extended- confirmed-protected pages Use dmy dates from May Namespaces Article Talk. Views Read View source View history. Help Learn to edit Community portal Recent changes Upload file. Download as PDF Printable version. Besart Berisha. Shane Smeltz. Archie Thompson. Jamie Maclaren. Alex Brosque. Kosta Barbarouses. Mark Bridge. Bruno Fornaroli. Matt Simon. Andy Keogh. Melbourne Victory. Brisbane Roar [2]. Adelaide United. Newcastle Jets. Central Coast Mariners. Phoenix. Melbourne City [3]. Gunners Greatest 50 Moments |

A year after being one of the most hated men in England, he won the PFA Player of the Year award for his excellent displays as United raced to their ninth Premier League title. Ronaldo also deserves huge credit for his physical transformation. A report from the Daily Star once claimed Ronaldo does 3, sit-ups a day! In an age where fitness is hugely important in football, Ronaldo has well and truly led the way and deserves huge credit for that. More trophies and accolades followed, including a second successive Player of the Year award, another Premier League title and a Champions League winners medal in Ronaldo received the ball from 40 yards out before rifling it straight into the top corner. It proved to be the deciding strike in the tie as United advanced to the semis. Credit: btsportfootball pic. Coronavirus will be a distant memory by the time you read all of them — his list of achievements is that lengthy. 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Cameroonian duo Franck Ohandza and were 's biggest threats in front of goal last year while Brazilian Fernando Karanga pictured , who starred in before heading back to his homeland on loan, returned midway through the year to produce a fine second half to the season. Having won multiple trophies with Evergrande, Henan native Wang Shangyuan joined his hometown club on loan in before signing permanently ahead of the season. Usually deployed in the midfield holding role or at centre-back, his form led to him earning his first two caps at the end of last year. Under the watchful eye of Spanish tactician Rafael Benitez, who guided Pro to a mid-table finish after departing Newcastle United to head to China midway through , much will be expected of a side boasting one of the most reputable coaches in the game and some excellent international quality. And while the void left by last season's top scorer and leading creator of goals Yannick Carrasco, currently on loan at Atletico , may be a big one to fill, Dalian have an astute coach at the helm and plenty of quality in place to at least challenge for a place in next year's AFC Champions League. A force to threaten all-comers in attack, where 's 29 goals set a new single season scoring record, but abject at the back with the worst defence in the league, conceding 72 goals in 30 games. The inability to balance out the side could well have been one of the reasons that hastened the January departure of Dragan Stojkovic, the club's longest ever serving manager, with former Netherlands international Giovanni van Bronckhorst stepping in after leaving his coaching role at . It is set to be an intriguing season for Shanghai Shenhua, who have chosen to shore up their squad with several veteran stars of the China national team. , and have over international caps between them and will add experience and know-how to a team that struggled last season. In terms of a league system, just one top-four finish in the last nine years has been an underwhelming return for one of Chinese football's best supported teams, but Shenhua are knockout tournament specialists — having won two of the last three FA Cups — so this year's format of the CSL could suit the side. Inspirational captain remains the man for the big occasions with the Colombian capable of the spectacular, while there are options in attack in the towering Kim Shin-wook, evergreen and talented Italian Stephan El Shaarawy. Coming into the season as the second worst performing team in the CSL last year, Roberto Donadoni will hope for a markedly better time of it after a difficult start to his Asian coaching career. One win in 10 matches, since he joined in July , is the kind of form a serial-winner as a player for AC will simply not accept. Despite a dismal season, Cameroonian forward John Mary proved to be a goal threat and Colombian led the side in assists, while new import Blerim Dzemaili is a familiar face for Donadoni having joined from the coach's former side . The dissolution of Tianhai not only helped save Shenzhen from relegation it also proved a significant source of reinforcements with , Mi Haolun, Song Ju-hun and Lu among those joining the Guangdong club. Guangzhou Evergrande's all-time top scorer also made the short journey to the neighbouring city and his experience could prove a huge asset. Beijing FC were involved in a pulsating three-way battle for the title last year but fell just short of being crowned champions for the first time since as Guangzhou Evergrande pipped them to the post by two points. In Brazilian , Beijing boast a player who weighs in with both goals and assists, while Spaniard is also an excellent creative force. Elsewhere, the side boasted the league's meanest defence last season with left-back Li Lei named in the Team of the Year, while there also remains plenty talk around naturalised Chinese citizen Nico Yennaris, who joined in early and impressed in his first campaign with the club. After winning their first league title in , Shanghai SIPG's form dipped slightly at the end of last year as Vitor Pereira's side wound up finishing third and six points adrift of Guangzhou Evergrande in what was a disappointing finale to the campaign.

Roy Hay – Contemporary Histories Research Group at Deakin University

He was also a six-time Stanley Cup champion, and finished in the top five of Hart voting five times. Sakic and Ron Francis enjoyed similar careers, but Sakic gets the edge thanks to his incredible campaign, in which he won the Hart, Pearson, and Lady Byng Trophies while racking up a career- best points. Bourque might not be the greatest defenseman in history - or even the best one who played most of his career in Boston - but few players can match his credentials. Start with five Norris Trophies, four of which came in a dominant five-year span in the late s and early s. Add 19 All-Star nods - the last when he was 40 years old - and he's the most consistently great blue-liner ever. Dionne will forever be the answer to the trivia question: "Who won the last scoring title before Wayne Gretzky took over? The only blight on his record? Just 49 playoff games - and zero Cups. The Canadiens knew Roy had something special when he backstopped the team to a Stanley Cup title at age Roy would go on to become one of the greatest netminders in history, winning three Vezina Trophies, five Jennings Trophies, and earning the Conn Smythe three times. He finished his career with four Cups, and was named to the All-Star team six times. No NHL goaltender has experienced the thrill of victory more often than Brodeur , whose regular-season wins might never be surpassed. Brodeur led the league in wins nine times altogether and was never more dominant than from , during which he won four Vezina Trophies and was a top- five Hart finalist on four occasions. It was said earlier in these rankings that joining an exclusive club with Mario Lemieux and Wayne Gretzky is a truly legendary achievement - and Yzerman did just that in , becoming the third player to record points in a season. It's one thing for a defenseman to play at an elite level for 17 years - and Lidstrom did just that, winning seven Norris Trophies while being named to 12 All-Star teams. It's another thing altogether to do so without taking bad penalties; Lidstrom was an all-timer in that category, finishing top five in Lady Byng voting 11 times while averaging 26 minutes per season. Bossy is the most prolific goal-scorer in NHL history, averaging a league-best 0. Plagued by persistent back problems that forced him into retirement at age 30, Bossy scored 50 goals in every season in which he played more than 65 games - and reached the goal plateau five times, leading the league in goals twice. After looking like a good-but-not-elite forward over his first five seasons, "Espo" reached another plane in the early s, winning five scoring titles in a six-year span while leading the league in goals on six occasions. His point eruption in established a scoring benchmark people thought might never be broken. Just over a decade later, it was. Measuring Crosby's career to date, this ranking might seem too high; sure, he has two Hart Trophies, two Art Ross Trophies, and a pair of Conn Smythe nods, but guys behind him have stronger resumes. Of course, Crosby just turned 30 - so expect his resume, which already includes three Stanley Cup titles and seven All-Star berths, to grow even longer. There was no better goalie in NHL history than Hasek in his prime. The acrobatic netminder led the NHL in save percentage in six straight seasons, a stretch that saw him take home two Hart Trophies, five Vezina Trophies, and five All-Star nods. He added a sixth Vezina in , and retired with the best save percentage of any former netminder in history. Richard was so much more than a hockey player to Montreal fans, which may have played a role in his final ranking. But even from a strict talent standpoint, you would be hard- pressed to find a half-dozen better players in history. Richard made 14 straight All-Star teams, led the league in goals five times, and won a Hart Trophy two years after scoring 50 goals in 50 games. Trailing only Gretzky in all-time points, Jagr would be even closer had he not decided to spend three seasons overseas. Regardless, he's on track to finish north of 2, points - if, that is, he can latch on to a team this season. If this is the end of the line, though, Jagr will depart with a Hart Trophy, five scoring titles, two Stanley Cups, and eight All-Star berths. After rolling alongside Gretzky, Kurri, and the rest of the Oilers' superstars in the s, Messier proved he could lead his own Stanley Cup champion, guiding both Edmonton and the to titles in the s. He evolved from a hit-first forward into a gifted two-way player, reaching the point plateau six times while winning a pair of Hart Trophies. Howe was a force of nature for the better part of 35 years in hockey, 26 of those spent in the NHL. Howe won six Hart Trophies and six scoring titles, and was named to the All-Star team an incredible 21 times. And don't overlook the fact that he recorded 46 points in 80 games in his final NHL season, a campaign he wrapped up just shy of his 52nd birthday. For nine magical seasons, Orr revolutionized not only his position, but the way the game was played as a whole. His two scoring titles were the first - and only - ever won by a defenseman, and are part of a resume that includes eight Norris Trophies, three Hart Trophies, a Calder, two Conn Smythes, and the single-season record for points by a defenseman Of all the "if onlys" hockey fans lament, Mario might be the most popular choice next to Orr. In his prime, Lemieux posed a legitimate threat to Gretzky's dominance, coming within one agonizing point of reaching in a magical campaign. He ended up with six scoring titles, three Hart Trophies, nine All-Star nods, and two Cups - and deserved so much more. The move got the attention of Torino, who swooped in to undercut local rivals Juventus to sign the player. With Mazzola leading their midfield, Torino won the last title before the arrival of World War II on the Italian mainland interrupted league play, and won the first four titles when normal play resumed after the war in Over his 10 seasons in the Italian top flight, he scored goals and won five titles with Torino. Tragically, the world would never know the true scope of what Mazzola's career could have been. He was killed along with 30 other players, administrators, journalists and crew when a plane carrying the team home from a testimonial in Portugal crashed into the Superga hill near Turin on May 4, An integral part of the Italian and Juve teams of the 80s, Tardelli won every European title available to him at the time in his 10 years with the team. Tardelli was known worldwide for his tenacious playing style. He could run forever, was mentally unshakable and was bone-crunching in the tackle. If you ever wanted to see the predecessor to players like Gennaro Gattuso, call up archival footage of Tardelli. Not primarily an attacking player, Tardelli scored 51 goals in games in all competitions for the bianconeri , but he had a knack for coming up with important ones. He was just as timely internationally, scoring a pair of important goals in the World Cup, including the second in the final against West Germany. His exuberant celebration has become iconic through history. It's impossible to exclude from this countdown one of the two most talented men to ever play the game. Maradona only played in Europe for 10 years out of a career that spanned 20, but the majority of that time was spent with Napoli. He scored 81 goals in his seven years at the San Paolo, and despite some controversy surrounding him off the field, he was so influential to the side that they took the unusual step of retiring his No. In 20 years at the , Beppe Bergomi played in matches in the Serie A and made his name as one of the greatest defenders in 's history. His career coincided with an extended run of dominance from Juventus and Milan, and so he was only ever able to celebrate one league title. Bergomi has only recently been surpassed as the most capped player in Inter's history by , and he captained the team for years. He was named to the FIFA in as one of the greatest living soccer players, a reputation well deserved through his great defensive play. Baggio was the first real "nine-and-a-half," a playmaking forward player who scored his share of goals. He was a set-piece specialist known for pace, technique and uncanny vision that allowed him to set up his teammates for goals as well as finish on his own. And finish he did. He is only one of six men to score times in Serie A to be exact , scoring at a clip of. He cracked the 20 goal mark twice—once with Juve and once with Bologna—and notched double-digit assists four times. He has the best record from the penalty spot in league history, converting 76 times in 91 opportunities. Despite his impressive numbers, Baggio can be looked on as the Mickey Mantle of Italian soccer. He was a transcendent player, but if it were not for a few serious injuries over the course of his career he could have accomplished even more. was the ultimate goalscorer of his time. Well known for his carousing as well as his finishing, Meazza is still fourth all-time on the Serie A scoring chart with In his first, long stint with Inter he put up goals at an absurd clip. In , his second year with the team, he had more goals 33 than games played He nearly equalled the feat the next year, scoring 31 in As mentioned, Meazza was known for showing up late for pregame activities after nights on the town, only to avoid most disciplinary action when he would put on a show and lead his team to victory. One story goes that a pair of trainers went looking for him an hour before an important match in against Juventus. They discovered him asleep in his bed and drove him to the stadium at once, all while being regaled with tales of Meazza's evening. The striker was handed his shirt without fuss and scored both Inter goals in a victory. Inter won the title that year—by two points over Juve. He also held the national team scoring record with 33, passed only by . Currently playing in MLS for the Montreal Impact, Nesta is widely considered one of the best center-backs to ever play. His clubs benefited from his talents just as well. Nesta's combination of technical skill and bruising physicality was invaluable to his teams year-in and year-out. Unfortunately, injuries played a huge part in his career. He went to three World Cups in his career but ended up getting hurt in every single one of them. After retiring from international duty a severe back injury robbed him of the season and made many assume that his career was over. That he came back and played three more successful seasons speaks to his extraordinary ability. In he moved to Napoli and stayed in the top flight for the rest of his career. After five years at the San Paolo, Zoff moved to Juventus, where he spent the final 10 seasons of his career. Juve had rejected him at a tryout as a year-old for being too short he would later grow a foot , but he bore them no ill will and delivered the bianconeri six championships, a , and a UEFA Cup. Internationally, Zoff garnered caps—the most ever for an Italian player up to that point. Between and Zoff maintained a scoreless streak in international play of 1, minutes, the longest in history. He also holds the second-longest such streak in Serie A with a minute stretch. He is one of only three goalkeepers to captain a team to a world title, and held the records for oldest player to play in Serie A and most Serie A caps he's still fourth until both records fell in the season. He was durable to the end—he never played fewer than 30 games in any of his 10 seasons at Juve. Longevity and steel in defense has been the hallmark of Javier Zanetti since he joined Inter as 's first purchase as president of the club. Moratti has since misfired on plenty of transfer deals over the years, but his first has undoubtedly been his best. He overtook club legend Beppe Bergomi as the team's most-capped player in and has stretched his lead to 78 games. Zanetti's most remarkable attribute after his longevity is his versatility. After starting his career as a right-back, he moved forward into the midfield to accommodate the arrival of Brazilian right-back Maicon to the team in His play has been just as rock-solid further up the field, and he even started scoring a few goals, ending a four-year goal drought in His defense is marked by his discipline—between and he went 12 years without being sent off in a match. He was the skipper for all five of Inter's five straight titles in the late s, and is the only man to captain an Italian team to a treble. Many believe the legendary Argentinian's career is over after suffering an Achilles tendon injury this past weekend against Palermo, but Zanetti has sworn to come back stronger than ever. If there's anyone who can play another season at age 40 after that type of injury, it's certainly Zanetti. He also won a pair of titles away from home at Real Madrid. Internationally, he is the most-capped player in the history of the Azzurri , and captained the team from to He led the defense that allowed only two goals one own goal and one penalty in the World Cup as the lifted the trophy a fourth time. He was awarded the Silver Ball in that tournament in one of the closest votes in tournament history. The best goalkeeper Italy has ever produced and quite possibly the best the world has ever seen, Gigi Buffon's positioning, agility and reflexes have made him one of the games most celebrated -stoppers. Buffon debuted for Parma on November 19 , keeping a clean sheet against eventual champions AC Milan as a year-old. He was a regular starter by , his second full season with the first team, and eventually made over appearances in a Parma shirt, winning a Coppa Italia and a UEFA Cup as he went. He rewarded his new club by anchoring the best defense in Serie A in and winning his first-ever scudetto. Buffon won another title the next year and two more in the middle of the decade that have since been wiped away in the wake of calicopoli. He was one of several Juve stars who stayed with the team after they were forcibly relegated in the wake of the scandal, playing so well in ' that he was elected the goalkeeper of that year's FIFPro XI despite not playing top-flight soccer. He kept five clean sheets in seven matches in Italy's World Cup title run in , including a minute scoreless streak. Four years later, however, he only played 45 minutes of the World Cup due to a back injury and spent the first half of the club season recovering. He was visibly diminished when he did return and many wondered if the superkeeper was done. A resurgence in the last two years has cemented his continuing place as one of, if not the best goalkeeper in the world today. Overall he has won three official championships, a Coppa Italia, four Supercoppas, a UEFA Cup, has reached the final of the Champions League, and has won a record nine Serie A Goalkeeper of the Year awards, as well as numerous international awards for keepers. He currently holds the captain's armband for both Juve and Italy. is, quite simply, the best Italy has ever seen. No midfielder has been more important to his teams on the field. Once he came into his own in he was the engine that made Milan go, and it was his play and his leadership that turned a Juventus team that had finished seventh the year before his arrival into an unbeaten champion. With him, unfancied Italian teams won the World Cup and were runners up at Euro Without him, Italy's title defense ended in dismal fashion in the group stage in Pirlo has it all: incredible vision, fantastic passing, the ability to drop a long ball on a dime, pinpoint accuracy in delivering set pieces and one of the best free kick strokes in the game. His trophy case reflects the impact he's had on his teams. On the international level, he led the team to the '06 World Cup, garnering three Man of the Match awards—including in the final—and making the tournament all-star team. https://static.s123-cdn-static.com/uploads/4639879/normal_601ecc37a4c12.pdf https://files8.webydo.com/9591843/UploadedFiles/FFEFD0D1-1C2E-A205-0A1F-BF780C42A5D6.pdf https://static.s123-cdn-static.com/uploads/4643368/normal_60200a8549cb6.pdf https://static.s123-cdn-static.com/uploads/4639532/normal_6020f0c5cee33.pdf https://static.s123-cdn-static.com/uploads/4639126/normal_60205e413fede.pdf https://static.s123-cdn-static.com/uploads/4641333/normal_601f5cea4f69d.pdf https://files8.webydo.com/9590688/UploadedFiles/3856B034-66C8-3020-D9B6-9819779858E6.pdf