My 2014 highlights… according to Reddit

Here are the top r/soccer stories of the year whose title cite players picked by me:

1. Gotze’s goal vs. Argentina
2. Krul dove the correct way every single time.
3. David Luiz being a big brother to James Rodriguez
4. Walcott signs “2-0” to the Spurs fans as he is carried past them.
5. Mario Götze and André Schürrle (the assister) were the first players born under reunified Germany to play for the national team, and just scored the goal to win the first World Cup as reunified Germany
6. Beautiful first touch by Varane in training
7. Embarrassing Marcelo dive vs Mexico
8. Pique trying to stop Negredo from being booked
9. Pennant’s 10 minutes on the pitch
10. A tearful Ter Stegen saying goodbye to Borussia Monchengladbach at this presentation.

My 2014 highlights

January: Koke scores against Malaga, so Atletico Madrid wins and takes the lead in La Liga: it will be a historic title win.

February: Petagna scores a wondergoal in successful Viareggio Tournament final.

March: Ter Stegen is bought by Barcelona.

April: Montolivo’s goal against Catania secures one of the late-season wins that slightly redeems Milan’s season.

May: David Luiz breaks the record for highest transfer fee for a defender.

June: young Perin is named in the Italy World Cup squad.

July: Goetze scores a wonderful goal to win Germany the World Cup.

August: Gaudino impresses in Bundesliga debut.

September: it looks like Maher is finally finding his best form at PSV.

October: Varane scores twice against Cornella in a Copa del Rey match.

November: Walcott is back from the injury that didn’t allowed him to play at the World Cup.

December: Higuain scores a double and forces Buffon to make amazing saves in the Italian Supercup final.

Outside of the Boot’s Top 20 Young Players of 2014

Outside of the Boot also published some posts about the “top 20 young players of 2014”. Notice that since these are the best players who wer under-21 in 2014, 1993 players are included.

Again, many Fantasy Scout players in the list:

• 1. Bernat (Tom two 2012-14)
• 2. Depay (Tom two 2010-12)
• 3. Alcacer (Sid Debgupta 2012-14)
• 4. Pogba (Daniele 2012-14)
• 5. Sterling (William 2010-12)
• 8. Laporte (Michael H. 2012-14)
• 10. Klaassen (Andrea V. 2012-14)
• 12. Marquinhos Aoas (Daniele 2012-14)
• 13. Berardi (Saintjust 2012-14)
• 15. Shaw (Michael H. 2012-14)
• 17. Varane (Andrea V. 2010-12)
• 18. Boetius (Andrea V. 2012-14)
• 19. Icardi (Daniele 2012-14)

Outside of the Boot’s 100 to watch in 2015

Like last year, Outside of the Boot have published a list of the “100 Best Young [i.e. Under-21] Players to Watch in 2015”, and of course many of these players have been picked in Fantasy Scout. Here they are.

Goalkeepers:

• 1. Scuffet (Daniele 2012-14)

Defenders:

• 1. Marquinhos Aoas (Daniele 2012-14)
• 4. Chambers (Gianmarco 2012-14)
• 5. Laporte (Michael H. 2012-14)
• 6. Romangoli (Giovanni T. 2012-14)
• 8. Suele (Andrea V. 2012-14)
• 9. Rugani (Giovanni T. 2012-14)
• 12. Shaw (Michael H. 2012-14)
• 15. Kongolo (Andrea V. 2012-14)
• 17. Dier (Giovanni T. 2014-16)
• 18. Rekik (Binder 2012-14)
• 23. Willems (Daniele 2010-12)
• 25. Ginter (Gianmarco 2012-14)
• 26. Zouma (Gianmarco 2012-14)
• 30. Stones (Nigel 2012-14)

Midfielders:

• 2. Sterling (William 2010-12)
• 5. Ward-Prowse (Abubakr 2012-14)
• 11. Torres (Michael H. 2012-14)
• 13. Meyer (Jackson 2012-14)
• 16. Ocampos (Tom two 2010-12)
• 18. Deulofeu (Andrea V. 2012-14)
• 19. Piazon (Alberto 2007-10)
• 20. Arnold (Andrea V. 2012-14)
• 24. Saul (Daniele 2014-16)
• 26. El Ghazi (Alberto 2014-16)
• 28. Samper (Alberto 2014-16)
• 32. Boetius (Andrea V. 2012-14)
• 33. Can (Binder 2012-14)

Where is Gaudino?!

Forwards:

• 1. Depay (Tom two 2010-12)
• 3. Gabigol (Nigel 2012-14)
• 5. Correa (Abubakr 2012-14)
• 8. Talisca (Daniele 2014-16)
• 10. Berardi (Saintjust 2012-14)
• 12. Werner (Andrea V. 2012-14)
• 13. Munir (Giovanni T. 2014-16)
• 15. Martial (Nigel 2012-14)
• 17. Keita (Andrea V. 2012-14)
• 19. Sandro Ramirez (Alberto 2014-16)
• 22. Selke (Giovanni T. 2012-14)
• 27. Benzia (Nigel 2012-14)
• 30. Niang (Abubakr 2012-14)

The Guardian’s Top 100 2014

The list

The Guardian published their annual list of the top 100 footballers in the world. Here are the 31 Fantasy Scout players in the list:

• 3. Neuer (Matthias 2007-10)
• 5. Mueller (Daniele 2007-10)
• 7. Neymar (Jesus 2007-10)
• 11. Kroos (Matthias 2007-10)
• 12. Diego Costa (Michael H. 2012-14)
• 14. Di Maria (Generoso 2007-10)
• 20. Pogba (Daniele 2012-14)
• 24. Goetze (Andrea V. 2010-12)
• 39. Hummels (Mark 2007-10)
• 40. Reus (Pietro 2010-12)
• 42. Koke (Andrea V. 2012-14)
• 51. Sturridge (William 2007-10)
• 52. Sterling (William 2010-12)
• 54. Oezil (Michael H. 2007-10)
• 55. de Gea (Riccardo 2007-10)
• 56. Boateng (Mattia 2007-10)
• 60. Busquets (Sid Debgupta 2007-10)
• 62. Matuidi (Generoso 2007-10)
• 64. Verratti (Gianmarco 2007-10)
• 68. Higuain (Andrea V. 2007-10)
• 75. Griezmann (Sid Debgupta 2010-12)
• 76. Lloris (Michael H. 2007-10)
• 77. Garay (Tom one 2007-10)
• 84. Isco (Tom two 2010-12)
• 86. Callejon (Daniele 2014-16)
• 89. Blind (Pietro 2010-12)
• 90. Azpilicueta (Nigel 2007-10)
• 91. Wilshere (Mark 2007-10)
• 93. Pique (Benny 2007-10)
• 95. David Luiz (Andrea V. 2010-12)
• 96. Depay (Tom two 2010-12)

Breakdowns

By cycle

• 2007-10: 19 players
• 2010-12: 8 players
• 2012-14: 3 players
• 2014-16: 1 player

By scout

• 4 players: Andrea V.
• 3 players: Daniele, Michael H.
• 2 players: Generoso, Mark, Matthias, Pietro, Sid Debgupta, Tom two, William
• 1 player: Benny, Gianmarco, Jesus, Mattia, Nigel, Riccardo, Tom one

Rankings by cycle

Including only scouts eligible for the official ranking.

2007-10

• 2 players: Mark, Michael H.
• 1 player: Andrea V., Daniele, Gianmarco, Jesus, Mattia, Pietro, Riccardo, Sid Debgupta, William

2010-12

• 2 players: Andrea V., Tom two
• 1 player: Pietro, Sid Debgupta, William

2012-14

• 1 player: Andrea V., Daniele, Diego Costa

2014-16

• 1 player: Daniele

Golden Boy

Sterling (William 2010-12) won the 2014 Golden Boy award (for the best under-21 player in an European first division).

All the winners since 2008 are FS picks:

• 2008: Anderson (Andrea V. 2007-10)
• 2009: Alexandre Pato (Jesus 2007-10)
• 2010: Balotelli (Benny 2007-10)
• 2011: Goetze (Andrea V. 2010-12)
• 2012: Isco (Tom two 2010-12)
• 2013: Pogba (Daniele 2012-14)

In Bed With Maradona 2015 Watchlist

…And In Bed With Maradona have just published their list of the young players to watch for 2015. A lot of FS picks there:

• El Ghazi (Alberto 2014-16)
• Klaassen (Andrea V. 2012-14)
• Kongolo (Andrea V. 2012-14)
• Werner (Andrea V. 2012-14)
• Draxler (Binder 2010-12)
• Willems (Daniele 2010-12)
• Icardi (Daniele 2012-14)
• Marquinhos Aoas (Daniele 2012-14)
• Pogba (Daniele 2012-14)
• Saul (Daniele 2012-14)
• Kane (Daniele 2014-16)
• Talisca (Daniele 2014-16)
• Chambers (Gianmarco 2012-14)
• Geis (Gianmarco 2012-14)
• Umtiti (Gianmarco 2012-14)
• Rugani (Giovanni T. 2012-14)
• Selke (Giovanni T. 2012-14)
• Barkley (Michael H. 2010-12)
• Laporte (Michael H. 2012-14)
• Gabigol (Nigel 2012-14)
• Kondogbia (Nigel 2012-14)
• Berardi (Saintjust 2012-14)
• Vietto (Saintjust 2012-14)
• Romero (Saintjust 2014-16)
• Sturaro (Saintjust 2014-16)
• Alcacer (Sid Debgupta 2012-14)
• Bernat (Tom two 2012-14)
• Depay (Tom two 2010-12)
• Sterling (William 2010-12)

In Bed With Maradona 2014 Review

Every year, In Bed With Maradona publish a list of 100 young players to watch for. After a year, they publish an interesting follow-up: how did those players fare?

They have recently published the follow-up about the players for 2014. Let me check at least the players picked by me and by my main rivals…

Me:

• Koke: “A The leader of a new Spain.”
• Carvajal: “B Now a regular for both one of the highest profile club and international sides in the world and never misses a beat, not phased by a move away or a move back, quite the player.”
• Goetze: “B Farewell Mario, you’ve been a part of the 100 since the beginning and now move on to top 50 players in the world lists. B for the year overall, A for that goal in the summer, we’ll miss you.”
• Arnold: “C+ Looking good, keep delivering.”
• Deulofeu: “C+ The plus may look generous to some but it’s for those moments of genuine shit-did-you-just-see-that in and amongst the mere “good” stuff.”
• Klaassen: “C+ Thriving under new expectations”
• Perin: “C+ Tough competition and a position that’s difficult to judge at a young age, a good goalkeeper can go under the radar, the new Buffon? Possibly not, but that doesn’t make him a bad player.”
• Sule: “C+ Moving along very nicely, keep it going.”
• ter Stegen: “C- Things have been allowed to plateau in the last 12 months. As much hard work as possible is required.”
• Keita: “D Do stuff”

Alberto:

• Lucas Piazon: “C Is there…more? Coming to the Chelsea crossroads fast, his next move will be key to how his career develops from here on”
• Rabiot: “C- Wind your neck in and be brilliant.”

Daniele:

• Pogba: “A Keeps his top mark but unless he drives Juventus to the Champions League last four there’s going to be an argument that he’s in his comfort zone next time around. Nous t’aimons Monsieur Pogba. Still.”
• Marquinhos Aoas: “C+ The perfect foil for his club and country mentor”
• Icardi: “C Stay focused on the football” 🙂

Not bad, not bad. Even though I hate all those C+’s!

Abubakr and Michael H. have several players in the list.

Fantasy Scout score vs. L’Equipe

In 2004 L’Equipe estabilished a list of the top 15 French players ever. Since we have a list of the top French players who retired before 2007 by Fantassy Scout score (just write “France” [without the quotation marks] above “Nation”), we can compare the two lists:

Player	L’Equipe	Fantasy Scout
Platini	1st	4th
Zidane	2nd	1st
Kopa	3rd	18th
Fontaine	4th	(30th)*
Deschamps	5th	5th
Blanc	6th	3rd
Tresor	7th	10th
Giresse	8th	27th
Desailly	9th	2nd
Mattler	10th	37th
Barthez	11th	**
Jonquet	12th	22th
Papin	13th	7th
Piantoni	14th	23rd
Henry	15th	**

* Fontaine is not in the FS list because he got fewer than 30 caps, but if he were there he would be 30th (51 points).

** Barhtez and Henry aren’t in the FS list because they hadn’t retired yet. Barthez didn’t play for the national team after 2006; his FS score (87) would make him 7th. Henry has just retired from football. With 174 points, he would top the FS ranking; and of course he would be ranked higher today by L’Equipe than ten years ago (the article I linked to is about this).

The highest player by FS score not listed by L’Equipe is Lizarazu, 6th.

Considering that Kopa is 2nd in FS among the pre-70s players (see the “hidden” spreadsheet on the FS site), the two rankings aren’t too dissimilar.

FIFPro World XI

Here are the FS players that have starred in the FIFPro World XI so far:

• 2010:
  • Pique (Benny 2007-10)
• 2011:
  • Pique (Benny 2007-10)
• 2012:
  • Marcelo (Andrea V. 2007-10)
  • Pique (Benny 2007-10)
• 2013:
  • Neuer (Matthias 2007-10)

And here are the FS players that have been nominated for this year’s XI:

• Goalkeepers:
  • Neuer (Matthias 2007-10)
• Defenders:
  • Alba (Michael H. 2010-12)
  • Boateng (Mattia 2007-10)
  • Carvajal (Andrea V. 2012-14)
  • David Luiz (Andrea V. 2007-10)
  • Filipe (Sid 2007-10)
  • Hummels (Mark 2007-10)
  • Marcelo (Andrea V. 2007-10)
  • Pique (Benny 2007-10)
  • Varane (Andrea V. 2010-12)
• Midfielders:
  • Di Maria (Generoso 2007-10)
  • Kroos (Matthias 2007-10)
  • Oezil (Michael H. 2007-10)
  • Pogba (Daniele 2012-14)
• Forwards:
  • Diego Costa (Michael H. 2012-14)
  • Mueller (Daniele 2007-10)
  • Neymar (Jesus 2007-10)
  • Reus (Pietro 2010-12)