Golden Generation

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Golden Generation is a term first coined by the Portuguese sports media to refer to a group of exceptionally gifted teenage Portuguese footballers. This group of players, spearheaded by "Golden Boy" Luís Figo, won several Football World Youth Championships in 1989 and 1991. The term Golden Generation is often used to describe an exceptionally gifted group of players who achieve a level of international success beyond what their team had previously achieved. Below is a list of teams who have been referred by their countries media or by the soccer press as golden generation style teams.

Contents

[edit] The Golden Generation

Many of these players made up the youth national teams of Portugal, these teams were the step-up to the senior team. As a result Portugal reached the semi finals of 2000 UEFA European Football Championship and were runners-up four years later. They were also 2006 FIFA World Cup semi-finalists after a dominating run.

[edit] The Next Golden Generation

The Portuguese team, now making fourth place at the 2006 FIFA World Cup has earned another group of "Golden Boys". The younger footballers now make up the Portuguese team and are considered the next level of the "Golden Generation".[1] The most prominent of the younger players of the new team include:

[edit] Australia national football (soccer) team

After failing to qualify for numerous qualify for world cups the Socceroos finally qualified for the 2006 FIFA World Cup. The Socceroos squad was strong enough to qualify for the second round of the World Cup and many consider it the most talented group of Australian footballers ever assembled. [2][3] [4] [5]

[edit] Bulgaria National Football Team

In the 1990s, The Bulgarian National Football Team achieved international success at the 1994 FIFA World Cup, where they reached the semi finals, defeating such football powerhouses like Germany and Argentina. Before they had not won a single game.[6]

[edit] Croatian National Football Team

In the mid-to-late 1990s, the Croatian National Football Team achieved international success, reaching the quarter-finals of 1996 UEFA European Football Championship and the semi-finals of the 1998 FIFA World Cup.[7][8]Like their Portuguese counterparts many of their golden generation players, they also won a Football World Youth Championship. The likes of Davor Suker, Alen Boksic, Robert Prosinečki and Zvonimir Boban were part of the former Yugoslavia's win in the 1987 FIFA World Youth Championships.

[edit] English National Football Team

Early in the reign of Sven-Göran Eriksson, Adam Crozier, the chief executive of the Football Association and some members of the British media touted players such as Frank Lampard, David Beckham, Michael Owen and Steven Gerrard as the nucleus of a potential Golden Generation team.[9]owever, this group of players failed to live up to expectations during Sven's tenure, resulting in the term falling out of common use.[10] [11] [12] [13][14][15] The team failed to qualify for Euro 2008 - only the second time they failed to qualify for a major tournament in over twenty years (of the last twelve major tournaments).

[edit] French National Football Team

This group of players became the first French team ever to win the World Cup, in 1998, before David Trezeguet's golden goal gave France the European Championship two years later; becoming the only team in history to become win the trophies in this order.

Members of the same squad would later reach the World Cup Final some 8 years later at the 2006 Fifa World Cup.

[edit] Mexican National Football Team

This players won the 2005 U-17 World Cup marking the first time any Mexican national football team won a world cup. After doing so the Mexican press named them the Golden Generation of Mexican football[17]

[edit] South Korean National Football Team

1st Golden Generation. In South Korea, players who participated in 1999 FIFA World Youth Championship and 2000 Sydney Olympics are refered as Golden Generation. These players went on to play major role in 2002 FIFA World Cup leading their national team to 4th place. [18]

2nd Golden Generation. Players who participated in 2003 FIFA World Youth Championship, 2004 Athens Olympics and 2006 FIFA World Cup are also refered as Golden Generation.[19]

[edit] Romanian National Football Team

In the 1990s, The Romanian National Football Team achieved international prestige, peaking at the 1994 FIFA World Cup, where they reached the quarter finals.[20]

[edit] Japan National Football Team

In Japan, the players who were born in 1979 or 1980 are strictly referred to as "The Golden Generation" (黄金世代: Ougon Sedai). They won the silver medals at 1999 FIFA World Youth Championship. In a wide sense, those who were born in 1977 or 1978 are also included in the generation, because they were qualified the group stage at the 2000 Summer Olympics.

They, combined with some of elder players, reached the final at 2001 FIFA Confederations Cup and won the AFC Asian Cup consecutively (2000 and 2004). As a co-host country of 2002 FIFA World Cup, they qualified the first round with 7 points (2 wins 1 draw).

Their brilliant achievement are due to the training strategy of Japan Football Association, as well as the success of J. League. Many of the players have moved to and played at football teams in Europe.[21]

[edit] Turkey National Football Team

In the mid 1990s to early 21st Century, the Turkish National Football Team achieved international success, reaching the quarter-finals of the 2000 UEFA European Football Championship and the semi-finals of the 2002 FIFA World Cup.[22]

[edit] Ajax Amsterdam

Ajax's world renowned youth academy produced the majority of the stars who took Ajax to victory in the UEFA Champions League 1994-95.[23]

[edit] Other uses

Sometimes this description is used for participants of World War II or when referring to a country's importance in history. [24]

[edit] Ireland national rugby union team

From 2001, Ireland's team has been chosen from a solid base of immensely talented players, led by Brian O'Driscoll. However, the team itself has been close runners up in the Six Nations tournament several times, not winning it, and were disappointingly knocked out of the 2007 Rugby World Cup.[25] [26]


[edit] References

  1. ^ http://english.ohmynews.com/articleview/article_view.aspmenu=c10400&no=295237&rel_no=1&back_url=
  2. ^ Socceroos dried and tested: no drain, no gain - Sport - theage.com.au
  3. ^ Socceroos warned against taking Oman lightly - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation)
  4. ^ Socceroos fail to fire | The Courier-Mail
  5. ^ SBS The World Game
  6. ^ Amy Lawrence: High life set to inspire Bulgaria | Football | The Observer
  7. ^ http://www.expatica.com/actual/article.asp?subchannel_id=205&story_id=29349
  8. ^ http://fifaworldcup.yahoo.com/06/en/060625/1/88ac.html
  9. ^ http://www.morethanmindgames.co.uk/?p=74H
  10. ^ McClaren ends the golden era | Football | The Guardian
  11. ^ England's golden generation are big heads | Football | The Observer
  12. ^ Fallen idols: England's sporting flops - MSN UK News, Special Report, Fallen idols: England's sporting flops - news & weather
  13. ^ BBC SPORT | Football | World Cup 2006 | Teams | England | End of road for wayward England
  14. ^ When did England last play well? - International, Football - The Independent
  15. ^ England, Beckham booted from Euro 2008 - Soccer - MSNBC.com
  16. ^ England's golden generation end their international careers in failure | Mail Online
  17. ^ FIFA.com - Mexico dreaming again
  18. ^ Korean football in crisis? | London Korean Links
  19. ^ S. Korea's Young Footballers Ready for Limelight. | YON - Yonhap News Agency of Korea (, 2004)
  20. ^ BBC SPORT | EURO2000 | ROMANIA | Romania's yellow peril
  21. ^ FIFA.com - Osim carrying Japanese hopes
  22. ^ The sound of no hands clapping - Turkish Daily News Mar 31, 2002
  23. ^ FIFA.com - Golden future for the Oranje
  24. ^ The Greatest Generation (Revised)
  25. ^ Rugby World Cup: Ireland's dying light stings Reddan in hunt for late revival | Sport | The Guardian
  26. ^ Irish News UK - News from the Irish Community in Britain