European Team Of The Season: Messi, Ronaldo, Suarez Head The Attack

European leagues have wrapped up business for the season and so its time for the season reviews and the best XI teams of the season. Here is a starting XI from amongst the best players in Europe. Some choices you may not agree with while others seem to be obvious ones. Hopefully, however, you would appreciate the reason why these 11 players have made the cut amongst the tenfold brilliant players available. This team uses a 4-3-3 formation to better utilise the selected players positionally. So without much further ado, here goes.

Goalkeeper: Manuel Neuer (Bayern Munich; Germany)

The German shot stopper had serious competition from the likes of Courtois, Mignolet, Szczesny, Buffon and Champion League winner, Casillas. Courtois probably came closest to raining on the German’s parade but in the end Neuer made the cut because of all the key moments in a majority of the games that allowed Bayern Munich to clinch the league title in record time while also going on a record breaking unbeaten run. Not only in the domestic league, Neuer also came up with the goods on the European circuit where he was as important as Ribery or Gotze to Bayern progressing upto the semi finals of the competition. Many may chalk out Neuer for conceding 4 against Real in the home leg of the semi final but Courtois did not fare any better against the incredible firepower of the Madridistas either, conceding an equal number of goals.

Neuer kept 15 clean sheets in the 31 games he played and while there are goalkeepers who did better in this department (Courtois managed a superb 20 clean sheets in 37 games for Atletico Madrid), it is the other aspects of the game that set Neuer above the rest. The German has an excellent command over his box, always coming out to snuff out danger before it can develop any further. His distribution is also superb and has often been the key for a counter attack launched by Ribery and co. Neuer is 29 right now and still slightly off the peak for goalkeepers, so he can only get better in the next couple of years and as such he forms the last line of defense for this European team of the season.

Right back: Dani Alves (Barcelona; Spain)

Ever since signing for the Catalans in 2008, Dani Alves has gone on to become a pivotal member of the team as they went from strength to strength in their pursuit of glory. As a player who turned 31 about a month ago, Alves may already be over the hill in terms of his best years but that does not mean that the diminutive defender can be taken lightly. Alves has a strong passing game that flourished well especially in Pep Guardiola’s tiki taka regime. He holds the ball well and is assertive on and off the ball, though prone to commit the occasional foul. Alves does struggle in aerial challenges but he makes up for it by being quick to regain possession before much damage can be done. Dani Alves also provides an attacking dimension to the team, bombing forward on the break to provide options for a quick counter attack. His dexterity with both short balls and long crosses, and his penchant for making key passes to unlock opposition defenses, but above all his immense experience in the right back position makes Dani Alves an immensely useful player to have in the back four of this European Team of the Season.

Centre Back: Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid; Spain)

Ramos is a funny character but then as footballers go, there is some amount of funny in all of them. If a list were to be drawn for the top defenders in Europe, Ramos would surely feature near the top of the list. Interestingly, rearranging the list as per disciplinary record would have little effect on Ramos’ position. Ramos has picked up an astonishing 14 yellow cards and 3 red cards while playing for the reigning European Champions this season. That said, however, Ramos has been a key member of Real’s La Decima winning squad. His equaliser in the 94th minute against Atletico in the UEFA Champions League final to keep the match alive for Real will be something that Madridistas will remember and cherish for a very long time.

Ramos has that quality, to pop up unexpectedly at the end of a corner kick and convert a nothing chance into a goal. His two headers in the semi final to knock the wind out of defending champions, Bayern Munich’s sails are testimony to this. At the back, Ramos, despite his disciplinary indiscretions, is a force to reckon with, in the air and on the ground. Fans of the Spaniard justify his regular bookings a result of his enthusiasm to go into the tackle and retrieve the ball. All we know is, that Sergio Ramos is an irreplaceable member of the back four of the European Season XI team.

Centre Back: Mats Hummels (Borussia Dortmund; Germany)

Hummels is probably one of those that slipped under the radar. A product of the Bayern Munich youth academy, Hummels made only one appearance for the German juggernauts before moving to current club Borussia Dortmund, first on a loan and subsequently on a permanent basis. Hummels is a model centre back. He has a strong physical presence and uses his height and physicality to outmuscle opponents off the ball. Hummels’ game is characterised by his excellent ability to read the game and make key interceptions, a trait uncommon in such a young player. Hummels averaged 5 defensive actions per game in a busy season for Borussia Dortmund. The German international made 29 starts for his club and provided the solidity at the back from where to build team attacks. He also added 2 handy goals and an equal number of assists to his tally to make the cut for the European Season XI team.

Left Back: David Alaba (Bayern Munich; Austria)

The left back position, in the modern game, is one of the most difficult positions for a club/team to fill. The player who plays in this position is no longer restricted to providing cover against the opponent’s right winger. In addition to being defensively astute, the left back must also be willing to press forward in attack and then quickly track back to prevent conceding on the break. David Alaba is one such player who checks all these boxes.

A youth academy product at Bayern, Alaba’s talents were spotted early, earning him an early promotio. All of 21 years, the Austrian international has already completed 3 full seasons with Bayern Munich and is already on course to become the best full back in the world following in the footsteps of club legend Philipp Lahm. Alaba makes about 4 defensive actions per game. At the same time, he adds an attacking dimension down the left flank for the team on the overlap. Last season Alaba scored 4 goals while assisting 7 more. These are useful contributions from the industrious youngster. He was also singlehandedly responsible for Austria’s progress in the 2014 World Cup qualifiers, being their top scorer in the campaign. Alaba makes it to the European Season XI team on the back of consistent and promising performances much beyond his years.

Right Wing: Gareth Bale (Real Madrid; Wales)

Central Midfield: Yaya Toure (Manchester City; Cote d’Ivoire)

Yaya Toure is a prized possession at his club, Manchester City, who acquired the services of the Ivorian international from Barcelona in 2010. Toure is today an integral part of the squad and one of the first names to go onto the match day sheet. Last season, he scored 24 goals for City in 49 appearances in all competitions. Toure is a physically strong player yet possesses a mean turn of pace that he uses to burst forward with the ball. His physical presence makes it a daunting task for any but the best defenders to stand their ground and inexperienced defenders are often forced into committing mistakes. He has a strong passing game and is a very genuine threat when it comes to taking direct free kicks. Yaya makes it to the team on the back of his consistently good performances for City as well as for the physical edge that he lends to our team in the middle of the park.

Left Wing: Franck Ribery (Bayern Munich; France)

Franck Ribery had tough competition from Bayern compatriot Arjen Robben for this position. The only reason Ribery finally made the cut is his passing game especially in the final third. Ribery is a seasoned campaigner for the German club and though not at his sparkling best as he battled with outages due to injury, the French international still managed 13 goals and 12 assists in 32 games. Ribery’s passing and dribbling are a trademark of his game and the very fact that he makes almost 3 key passes on average per game depict his lethal attacking prowess that can leave opposition defences in tatters. Ribery loves to be in possession, often picking up the ball in defence and carrying it deep into the opponent’s half. His lethality is enhanced further in our team as he gets to team up with club colleague David Alaba who is on left back, providing a powerful overlapping option that can debilitate defenders completely. Ribery’s quality makes him an assured walk in into the starting 11 at almost any club in the world and so does he walk into the European Team of the season.

Right Forward:Ai??Luis Suarez (Liverpool; Uruguay)

Luis Suarez is probably as controversial as a football player can get. Whether it was the deliberate hand ball against Ghana in the World Cup quarter final, allegedly racially abusing Patrice Evra, biting Ivanovic in a goal mouth melee or the numerous simulation incidents, it is safe to say that Suarez and controversy are never far away from each other. But take away the controversy, and what you are left with is a tremendous footballer.

After missing the start of the season owing to an FA Ban for the Ivanovic biting incident, Suarez made his first appearance for Liverpool in the end of Septemer. He went on to play 37 games scoring 31 goals in the process. He was single handedly responsible for propelling Liverpool to the second spot in the EPL last season owing to his goals and assists galore. Suarez is a mercurial character who can be diving one moment to earn a dubious penalty and the next minute be engaging all four defenders with the ball at his feet. As a footballer, there are hardly any skills that Suarez lacks. He can take long shots and nudge the ball from point blank into goal as a striker. Playing second to striker, he can absorb a large amount of defensive pressure before making a decisive pass to the striker in space for goal. His unpredictability is what keeps opposition defenses on their toes and also earns him a place in this team.

Left Forward:Ai??Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid; Portugal)

The FIFA Ballon d’Or winner is widely acclaimed to be one of the best football players in the world. Brought to Manchester United as a youngster, Ronaldo flourished under Sir Alex Ferguson before making a dream world record move to Real Madrid in 2009. Ronaldo can dribble the ball, exchange quick one twos with team mates, take a long shot at goal or just put the ball in the back of the net with an impossibly curling direct free kick, all with equal ease. His speed on and off the ball is tremendous and he is listed as one of the fastest football players in the world. His runs on and off the ball are enough to leave the best defenses in tatters. He completed a triumphant European season with Real scoring a record 17 goals in the competition in the process. He also became the first player to score in a European final for two different teams. Cristiano’s haul of 51 goals from 47 appearances for Real this season earns him an automatic place in our team.