My Dream Team
With the consecutive championship proceedings from 3 seasons, I had assembled the meanest team which I could possibly imagine in TCM 2003. Here's why I think it would begin a decade of dominance should it be a reality:
 Name: Iker Casillas
Country: Spain
Club: Real Madrid
Position: Goalkeeper
It's difficult to see how you can deny him the top spot. The brutal truth is that he has been exposed time and time again by a less-than-convincing defence, but he has almost always saved the day. Madrid's goals conceded so far - a less than impressive 45, would have been far worse without him.
Then again, if he wants to be truly considered among the elite, he will have to work on his tendency to stay on his line and depend upon his admirable reflexes. A more commanding presence in the box might have helped some of the various young defenders this season to grow in stature. But Pavón, Rubén and Mejías remain in the 'merely promising' category, after a traumatic season that is already being dubbed as Real's 'Annus Horribilis. Without Casillas, we're talking Annus Horrendus.
 Name: Roberto Carlos da Silva
Country: Brazil
Club: Real Madrid
Position: Left Back
No choices, no comparisons. The left back is one of the most challenging positions on the field and no one covers it the way Carlos can, moving from touchline to touchline like a cheetah on amphetamines. He's far and away the best raiding left back in the world, spending more time in the opposition half than his own defending third. Despite his dodgy positional sense, his effectiveness as a defender is based almost exclusively on his offensive abilities. All the great full-backs have had this knack - that of scaring their opposite numbers and obliging them to stay back, just in case. His free-kicks regularly surpass the speed of sound and his general touch and awareness are sublime. Like Casillas - usually up when the others are down. The Brazilian cannon-ball kid is left back for two world champions, Brazil and Real Madrid.
 Name: Sol Campbell
Country: England
Club: Arsenal
Position: Center Back
Former Tottenham Hotspur skipper Campbell has carved a deserved reputation as one of England's most commanding centre halves, boasting impeccable tackling skills and huge strength on the ball capable of keeping even the most feared strikers quiet. Was one of the first names on the teamsheet for England at the 2002 World Cup as England reached the quarter-final, scoring his side's opening goal of the tournament against Sweden. Campbell was named in FIFA's team of the tournament even though many saw Rio Ferdinand as the better half of the central defensive partnership.
 Name: Rio Ferdinand
Country: England
Club: Manchester United
Position: Center Back
The second half of England's heart of defence. A supremely elegant footballer who defends with intelligence and guile, but also uses the ball when possession is gained. At the 2002 World Cup he emerged as a truly world class defender, even if the FIFA selection panel mysteriously rated central defensive partner Sol Campbell higher. Was a rock as England went out to Brazil in the quarter-finals, and he's sure to remember the fine 1-0 win over Argentina, as well as his headed goal against Denmark in the second round. Ferdinand, a real favourite at Leeds, played 73 games for the club and scored three goals. A disappointing move to Manchester.
 Name: Lilian Thuram
Country: France
Club: Juventus
Position: Right Back
Throughout his career, Lilian Thuram has been known for his superb defending in both Italy's Serie A and the French national team. However, his timely goal-scoring has distinguished him as much as any other part of his game. Thuram was a member of France's airtight defence that surrendered only two goals in the 1998 FIFA World Cup France. One of those goals, though, came in the semi-final match against Croatia. Davor Suker put Croatia ahead, 1-0, in the 46th minute, but then came Thuram at the other end. His quality man-marking and tackling thwarted countless offensive attacks in that FIFA World Cup, but it is the goals that have brought him international recognition. A veteran of Serie A, Thuram has experience marking some of the best players in the world.
 Name: Robert Pires
Country: France
Club: Arsenal
Position: Left Midfield
The French wing wonder may actually have had better seasons - but he has still outshone anyone else in his position in the Premiership. He is pivotal to the Arsenal style, able to spark an attack with his pace, create chances with his vision and score the spectacular as well. A return of 14 Premiership goals and ten assists proves he is one of the most effective wingers in the division, and without him Arsenal certainly look less effective. After missing out on the last World Cup because of injury, Pires will look to be one of the stars of Euro 2004 - it's hard to imagine him being a failure.
 Name: Patrick Vieira
Country: France
Club: Arsenal
Position: Center Midfield
The Arsenal captain just seems to get better as the seasons pass by. Yet again he has been immense; his energy, tenacious tackling and box-to-box play must make him the best player of his kind in the world. His goal against Tottenham Hotspur was the epitome of what he's about - defending a corner on the edge of his own box before running the full length of the pitch to join in the attack. Vieira is an awesome powerhouse who connects the play to devastating effect. Quite simply, you could not have a team of the season without Vieira.
 Name: Francesco Totti
Country: Italy
Club: AS Roma
Position: Center Midfield
Any attacking player that shines consistently in such a defensive league as Serie A will almost certainly be one of the most talented players in the world. Totti began his professional career at 16 when he debuted for AS Roma in March 1993. His eye for goal did not focus until the 1997-98 season. Totti scored 13 goals that year and showed the rest of the country that he had arrived. With Argentine superstar Gabriel Batistuta, Totti formed one of the most potent offences in Italy. Totti is best suited as an attacking midfielder. With the national team, he is part of Italy's three-man strike corps, along with Christian Vieri and Alessandro del Piero. But the Roma captain typically stays tucked behind the two, where he is just as lethal as any other striker.
 Name: Luis Figo
Country: Portugal
Club: Real Madrid
Position: Right Midfield
After the UEFA European Championship 2000, Figo made the courageous decision to move from Barcelona to Real Madrid for the incredible sum of £37m, then a world record transfer. World Footballer of the Year in 2001, and after a couple of relatively poor seasons by his standards, Figo has returned to top-notch. He always does the same little shimmy, the same little swerve to the right without the ball - but he does it so well that his opponents fall for it every time. Far from losing his place with the arrival of Beckham, he seems to have become one of his only real mates, and has benefited from the Englishman's ability to get the ball out to him quickly and efficiently. Many say he's on his way, but I see no reason whatsoever why Madrid should wish to sever their links with him, grumpy and difficult though he can undoubtedly be.
 Name: Thierry Henry
Country: France
Club: Arsenal
Position: Forward
Is it possible to run out of superlatives for Henry? He is just out of this world - the best player in any league right now. He can have had no more than a handful of disappointing games this season, and just when it looked like he was off-form he rattled in seven goals in only three games - a hat-trick against Liverpool and four past Leeds United. He has pace, power, control and vision - almost the complete package as a striker. The finish for his fourth against Leeds, when he managed to produce a perfectly executed goal despite stumbling, was as good a goal as any he's bagged. A tally of 29 goals in 33 games, with ten assists, makes him easily the most lethal weapon around. Also named in the 2003 and 2004 PFA Team of the Year and is the first player to win 2 consecutive PFA Player of the Year awards in 2003 and 2004.
 Name: Ronaldo Luiz Nazario de Lima
Country: Brazil
Club: Real Madrid
Position: Forward
The young Brazilian captured the hearts and imagination of the world at a young age, but he has been slowed by injuries of late. By the age of 17, Ronaldo was a name known throughout the world. Ronaldo reached the apex of personal success by being named FIFA Player of the Year in both 1996 and 1997, becoming the youngest player to ever win the award and the only player to win it in consecutive years. His future looked so bright, former England manager Bobby Robson had strong words to say about Ronaldo: "He will become the best ever." 2002 World and Europeon Player of the Year's killer hat-trick put Manchester United's Champions League dream to an end.
Substitutes:
 Name: Gianluigi Buffon
Country: Italy
Club: Juventus
Position: Goalkeeper
Goalkeeper Gianluigi Buffon made his debut for Parma at the tender age of 17. He immediately kept a clean sheet against AC Milan. With Parma he won the UEFA Cup, the Coppa Italia and the Italian Super Cup in 1999. His transfer to Juventus during the summer of 2001 made him the most expensive shot-stopper in the world. He saved Figo's penalty in the Juventus' second-leg, semi-final match against Real. Would have made it into my first team if he'd been able to save Shevchenko's penalty too to prevent Milan from winning the 2002/03 Champions Leauge.
 Name: Lucio
Country: Brazil
Club: Bayer Leverkusen
Position: Defence
Lucimar da Silva Ferreira was born in Brazil's capital Brasilia on 8 May 1978. The fullback started his professional career in 1997 at Planaltina. After two years at Sport Club Internacionál, the defender returned to his home city to join Vasco da Gama in 1999. Now Lúcio has earned a regular spot in the team of German club Bayer Leverkusen, Champions League finalists in the 2001/2002 season. Since 2000 the Brazilian defender is also a familiar face in the Brazilian national team. He also gave an inspiring interview about the influence of religion in his game of football before the 2002 World Cup final match against Germany.
 Name: Gaucho Ronaldinho
Country: Brazil
Club: Barcelona
Position: Midfield
He has a rather unfortunate fixed expression, so that it is unclear whether he is smiling or frowning, but it matters not. His nifty little repertoire of tricks is impressive enough, but no player ever attained greatness by this alone. Rather it has been his attitude to the game that has not only restored Barça's faith in themselves but which has also won him the admiration of the whole of Spain - no mean feat. The versatile Ronaldinho is as comfortable wearing the no. 10 jersey as leading the attack, but with Ronaldo back in business, a partnership between the two could be devastating. Each blessed with exceptional pace, incredible dribbling and finishing that most players can only dream of, the two Brazilian strikers believe their time has come.
 Name: Hidetoshi Nakata
Country: Japan
Club: AC Parma
Position: Midfield
This exceptional playmaker is without doubt one of the best footballers in Asia and one of the most creative in the world. In May 1998, Nakata - known as ""Hide"" - became the youngest player ever to be named Asian Footballer of the Year. But that only partly explains his special status in Asia. Nakata began playing football at the age of nine. By the time he was 14 he had already been selected for the Japanese youth team. And the fact that he refuses to give autographs on the grounds he is a footballer not an artist only serves to heighten his near-pop star status among young Japanese.
 Name: Zinedine Zidane
Country: France
Club: Real Madrid
Position: Midfield
Zidane chose the Final against Brazil in Paris to score his first two FIFA World Cup goals and become the toast of the tournament. In the summer of 2000, France added the European Championship to their accolades, prompting national coaches from around the globe to name Zidane World Footballer of the Year for the second time in three years. A year later, Zidane moved to Spanish club Real Madrid for a world record transfer fee of £47.2 million where he continutes to play magical football. He holds the key to unlock any defence in the world. His age is the main factor that kept him from my starting line-up.
 Name: Raul Gonzalez Blanco
Country: Spain
Club: Real Madrid
Position: Forward
The jewel of Real Madrid's crown. He began the 1994/5 season in Real's C team, scoring 13 goals in the first seven games. In October 1994, coach Jorge Valdano picked the gifted teenager in his first team. At just 17 years and four months, Raul became the youngest player ever to wear a Real Madrid shirt. In his first season, he scored nine times in 28 appearances and won a Spanish league championship medal. Raul's inconsistency at international level has perplexed the best football judges, who cite it as a reason for why the 25-year-old only came third to team-mate Luis Figo as FIFA Player of the Year in 2001. Soon to be a permanent fixture in my first team.
And to see how deadly it really is, here's a preview of everyone in action in my Arsenal game in TCM 2003.
Top Guns
Althought Manchester United won the Premiership, I think Arsenal is still the best team in the league. Have a look at the 2002/03 PFA Team of the Year.
GK: Fred Briedel (Blackburn)
LB: Ashley Cole (Arsenal)
CD: Sol Campbell (Arsenal)
CD: William Gallas (Chelsea)
RB: Stephan Carr (Tottenham)
LM: Robert Pires (Arsenal)
CM: Patrick Vieira (Arsenal)
CM: Paul Scholes (Man Utd)
RM: Kieron Dyer (Newcastle)
ST: Thierry Henry (Arsenal)
ST: Alan Shearer (Newcatle)
Gunners dominated the team. So is Manchester really that good?
2003/04 PFA Team of the Year:
GK: Tim Howard (Man Utd) (<--- what??? Jens Lehmann)
RB: Lauren (Arsenal)
CD: Sol Campbell (Arsenal)
CD: John Terry (Chelsea)
LB: Ashley Cole (Arsenal)
AM: Frank Lampard (Chelsea)
AM: Robert Pires (Arsenal)
DM: Steven Gerard (Liverpool)
DM: Patrick Vieira (Arsenal)
ST: Theirry Henry (Arsenal) (<--- He's the man!!)
ST: Ruud v. Nistelrooy (Man Utd) (<--- totally BS)
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