Team Focus: Not at the World Cup XI

Whether a nation failed to navigate their way past the group stage or saw their dreams of international glory dashed through the medium of a playoff, missing out on the opportunity of performing at the World Cup is always a tough pill to swallow. Bar a minor miracle in Montevideo that would see Uruguay forfeit a 5-0 aggregate lead to Jordan, the teams that will take part at Brazil 2014 are all but set.

However, with a number of high quality individuals missing out next summer, WhoScored.com has taken the opportunity to come up with the best XI that won’t be playing using our unique rating system. This takes into account the average ratings of players in Europe’s top 5 leagues upon the culmination of Euro 2012 and of every international with at least 10 appearances in their starting position.

Goalkeeper

While the likes of Wojciech Szczesny and Petr Cech won’t be involved next summer, the European pairing don’t boast a rating as impressive as that of Kossi Agassa. The Reims number 1 has made 46 appearances since the end of Europe’s elite international competition, making 4.1 saves per game for the Ligue 1 side and has averaged a WhoScored rating of 7.16 in the process. The goalkeeper, dubbed ‘Magic Hands’, however won’t be taking in Brazil next year after Togo finished bottom of Group I, picking up just 4 points from 6 games in CAF qualifying.

Defence

Lukasz Piszczek has become one of the most feared right-backs in Europe, such have been his performances for Borussia Dortmund. Unfortunately, as a result of injury, the Poland international is yet to make a league appearance in the Bundesliga this season, but his rating of 7.23 is the best of every right-back in the top 5 leagues on the continent since last July. The 28-year old has averaged 1.4 key passes per game and has a cross accuracy of 32.9% in 29 appearances, highlighting his attacking threat from deep.

The first centre-back is Roma’s Mehdi Benatia. The Moroccan has been imperious since arriving from Udinese, helping i Giallorossi top Serie A after 10 wins from the opening 12 games. Over 30 appearances, the 26-year old has accrued a rating of 7.53, with his WhoScored strength of ‘tackling’ reinforced by an average of 2.9 per game over the last 18 months. With Roma having conceded just the 3 goals in Italy’s top tier this term, it’s little surprise to see Benatia win the adulation of the fans given his performances in the capital.

Partnering Benatia in defence is Lazio’s Lorik Cana, with the 30-year-old garnering an average rating of 7.43 over the last 18 months. Not necessarily the biggest centre-back in world football, Cana still boasts a WhoScored strength of ‘aerial duels’ and that’s reinforced in his average of 3.1 aerial duels won per game post Euro 2012. Lazio may not be as impressive as they were last season, but the Albanian has excelled in the heart of the defence for the Serie A side, averaging 2 tackles and 2 interceptions per game in his last 35 appearances.

Completing the back four is Bayern Munich’s marauding left-back David Alaba following Austria’s inability to progress from Group C in European qualifying, where the 21-year old ended as their top goalscorer with 6 to his name. The youngster has emerged as one of the games finest in his position and his average rating of 7.37 in his last 34 Bundesliga appearances supports that theory. Netting once and assisting a further 2 goals in Germany’s top tier this season, he carries a significant offensive threat from defence, while his cross accuracy of 36.8% denotes his ability to successfully pick out a teammate from the flank.

Midfield

One player that has enjoyed a blistering 18 months is former Tottenham Hotspur attacker Gareth Bale, whose form last term earned him a world record £85m move to Real Madrid. His average rating of 7.81 from his last 40 league appearances means he’s the highest rated player not to be taking part in next summer’s World Cup, made possible as a result of his 24 goals and 9 assists over that period. Meanwhile, 9 of his 21 league goals last term came from outside the box, the most of every player and more than 61 of the 98 teams in Europe’s top 5 leagues.

After signing from Shakhtar Donetsk this summer, Henrikh Mkhitaryan has endeared himself to the Borussia Dortmund fans in his 10 league appearances this season. Netting 3 and assisting a further 5 goals in that time has justified exactly why Die Schwarzgelben spent £23.6m to secure his services during the off season, making him the most expensive signing in their illustrious history as a result. The 24-year-old is currently averaging 2.2 key passes and 1.9 successful dribbles and is deserving of his rating of 7.63 following a number of match winning performances.

Alongside the Armenian in midfield is Napoli’s Marek Hamsik after a barnstorming 18 months. Slovakia may’ve failed to make their way out of Group G, but the midfielder has continuously excelled in Serie A, regardless of the sales of Ezequiel Lavezzi and Edinson Cavani and subsequent disbanding of the ‘Three Tenors’. With an average rating of 7.43, Hamsik is living up to his billing as the midfield lynchpin for the Partenopei having averaged 0.6 accurate through balls per game since Euro 2012 and executed 2.5 key passes per game.

Completing the midfield is Venezuelan wideman Juan Arango. The South American nation may’ve finished 5 points behind Uruguay in the only playoff spot in the CONMEBOL section of World Cup qualifying, but the experienced midfielder was key to them coming as close as they did. Arango has accrued an average rating of 7.38 with Borussia Mönchengladbach over the last 18 months, with much of that down to his 9 goals and 9 assists in 43 appearances. With 3 of those goals coming from free kicks, his WhoScored strength of ‘direct free kicks’ is certainly deserved.

Attack

The first of the pairing to lead the frontline is, unsurprisingly, Robert Lewandowski, who has impressed significantly over the last 18 months, seeing his stock rise as a result. While he couldn’t guide Poland to Brazil 2014, the Pole has been instrumental for Borussia Dortmund since last summer, netting 33 goals in 43 league appearances, an average of one every 109.3 minutes. Having finished last season with 24 goals – only Stefan Kießling (25) scored more in Germany’s top tier – Lewandowski is the current top scorer in the Bundesliga with 9 and wholeheartedly deserves his average rating of 7.76.

The other striker, and making up the XI, is Zlatan Ibrahimovic courtesy of his exploits for PSG. The powerful Swede was unlucky not to have made it to Brazil 2014 following his double goal salvo in the playoff encounter with Portugal, but the goals of Cristiano Ronaldo ensured the frontman will not be taking part at next summer’s World Cup. However, with a rating of 7.73, it’s been a memorable 18 months for Ibrahimovic from a personal stand point, in which he’s netted 38 Ligue 1 goals in 46 appearances, scoring every 104.3 minutes for PSG, while contributing 11 assists in the process.