Rank 23, WorldCupStory Club Index 17,796
Valencia World Cup XI Dream Team
| Valencia | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Players | Country | WCups | Games | Mins | Goals | Capt | |
| GK | Andoni Zubizarreta | Spain | 1 | 3 | 270 | 0 | 3 |
| RB | Miguel | Portugal | 2 | 7 | 603 | 0 | 0 |
| CB | Roberto Ayala | Argentina | 2 | 5 | 510 | 1 | 1 |
| CB | Miodrag Belodedici | Romania | 1 | 5 | 479 | 0 | 0 |
| LB | Miguel Tendillo | Spain | 1 | 5 | 433 | 0 | 0 |
| MF | Antonio Puchades | Spain | 1 | 6 | 540 | 0 | 0 |
| MF | Rubén Baraja | Spain | 1 | 4 | 420 | 0 | 0 |
| MF | Ariel Ortega | Argentina | 1 | 5 | 439 | 2 | 0 |
| ST | Mario Kempes | Argentina | 1 | 7 | 660 | 6 | 0 |
| ST | David Villa | Spain | 1 | 4 | 211 | 3 | 0 |
| ST | Silvestre Igoa | Spain | 1 | 5 | 450 | 2 | 0 |
| 13 | 56 | 5015 | 14 | 4 |
The Valencia dream team has a nice balance to it. It has an experienced, even grizzled defence, creative prompting from midfield and genuine class up front.
Andoni Zubizaretta’s final World Cup was as a Valencia player, hence this team would benefit from the experience gleaned from previous tournaments with Athletic Bilbao and Barcelona. The full backs, Miguel and Miguel Tendillo, are rugged, but not shy to get forward when needed, especially when supported by the tough central defensive pair of Argentina’s Robert Ayala and Romania’s Miodrag Belodedici.
Antonio Puchades from Spain’s 1950 top 4 side provides the defensive shield, allowing Ruben Baraja and Ariel Ortega to get forward and supply ammunition to the strikers.
Silvestre Igoa, also from the 1950 squad, may not be a household name, but he is alongside a top quality pairing in David Villa and 1978 golden ball winner, Mario Kempes.
14 goals overall looks a little light, but that is really down to the midfield, and there is no reason to believe that Villa and Kempes could not deliver a steady supply of goals. The back line will certainly prove to be resilient and this side should go well against any opponents.
