Sunday, August 14, 2011

First XI: World Cup wingers


"Following the First XI goalkeepers, defenders, defensive midfielders and attacking midfielders, the latest First XI looks at the wide players who have made their mark on the World Cup.

Raimundo Orsi (Italy) Born in Argentina in 1901, Orsi played for his native country for four years from 1924 and featured in both legs of the 1928 Summer Olympics final against Uruguay, but he switched allegiances to Italy that year as he made his move to Juventus. As a result, he missed the chance to feature for his homeland as they finished runners-up in the first World Cup, but he was firmly established as Italy's outside left when they entered for the first time in 1934. It proved to be his only tournament, but his decision was justified: he scored the equaliser against Czechoslovakia in the final as Italy went on to win 2-1.

Sir Tom Finney (England) Despite being unable to start his career in earnest until the age of 24 due to the Second World War, Finney featured in three World Cups for England. He was part of the England team humbled by a first-round exit in their debut World Cup in 1950 as well as the team thrashed 7-1 against Hungary three years later, but he was able to help his country achieve a measure of success with a quarter-final finish at the 1954 tournament. He suffered further disappointment with another exit at the first group stage in 1958, but his performances over the three tournaments were enough to cement his reputation as one of the true greats of the game. "That lovely, easy control of the ball, the appreciation of the game, the finishing, much of the change of pace, it just unfolded in front of me," Bobby Moore once said. "I'd never played with a winger like that and I never would. I was amazed by Tom Finney.""

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