Why There Is No Greatest Team In the History of Soccer

Today, ESPN.com's soccer page headline news was an opinion piece on why Barcelona was the best team ever in the history of soccer. The writer compared them to many legendary teams of the past: Milan, Brazil, Bayern Munich, Netherlands, France etc. and said Barca were better using a combination of arguments ranging from aesthetics to trophies to individual player awards.

To all of us Americans these historical references can be a bit intimidating and may even seem to give the writer has some credibility. However, do not be intimidated by this pompous drivel of soccer history and facts because the crux of the writers argument was that Barca were the best team ever because they are the best all time representatives of the beautiful game. In other words, this current Barcelona team captures the imaginations of people all over the world, even those who are not fans of Barca or soccer, and convinces them that soccer is something worthwhile or even inspirational.

To prove that Barcelona is not the greatest team in the history of soccer I don't need to go into petty arguments about Busquet's flopping, Pique's handballs, whether Victor Valdes is any good or not, David Villa's facial hair, etc. These arguments are irrelevant. In fact, any team that aspires to be the greatest of all time will have its unique faults because every team is made out of human beings and all human are uniquely imperfect.

Indeed, in many instances imperfections are what make players and teams and leagues endearing and even legendary. Paul Scholes would not be Paul Scholes if he didn't tackle like a Ninja. If Barcelona wouldn't be Barca if they never missed an opportunity because they made one pass too many. Arsene Wenger would not be Arsene Wenger if he didn't chuck his water bottle like a five year old throwing a temper tantrum. The Italian League would not be the Italian league if the players didn't dramatize like opera singers. The list goes on. The point I'm getting at here is that, in soccer, no player nor team nor league is faultless and many times it is their imperfections that makes them endearing as well as annoying and in the end impossible to compare.

I believe, that it is this last point, the impossibility of making conclusive comparisons, that makes soccer most valuable. Unlike baseball, american football, basketball; soccer players are not defined by their batting average nor their shooting percentage nor their forty meter dash nor anything that would make them valuable fantasy picks. In fact, all the players and teams that I consider the best have flaws that keep them from even being mentioned in the realm of the greatest ever. However, this is because in soccer it is the intangibles of heart, grit, class, cheekiness, and above all love for the game that defines great players and great teams for all of us. Undoubtedly Barcelona has a great team; however, I am convinced that there are millions of teams worldwide who's love for the game is no less inspiring than that of Xavi, Iniesta, Pique, Pedro, Valdes, Dani Alves, Messi, and Co. Therefore, the perfect soccer team is not defined by perfect play (if the goal was perfection or dominance why would we use our feet?), but by the amount of passion and commitment with which a team plays. Soccer is about making something wonderful, sensible, and meaningful out of something that is imperfect through commitment and love.

Commitment and love, although exemplified by a dazzling dribble or the perfectly weighted pass, transcend soccer specific talents. We all have the ability to express these qualities no matter how skillful we are. Therefore, though all of us cannot play for Barcelona, if we play with commitment and love, we are the best ambassadors for the game.