Golden Generation

In sports, Golden Generation is a term 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.

Origins

It was 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. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport3/worldcup2002/hi/team_pages/portugal/newsid_1985000/1985619.stm] ]

Later on, it has been used by media in many different countries, with usage spreading to other areas, for example, in rugby.

Association Football

Portugal national football team

First 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. [ [http://www.iht.com/articles/2000/06/28/soccer.2.t_21.php 'Golden Generation' Must First Beat World Champion France : Can Portugal Go the Full Distance? - International Herald Tribune ] ] [ [http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/soccer/world/2000/euro2000/news/2000/06/02/por_mainfeature_ap/ CNNSI.com - Soccer - Euro 2000 - Portugal's golden generation aims to fulfill promise - Friday June 02, 2000 07:03 PM ] ] [ [http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2004/soccer/07/04/port.rdp/ SI.com - Soccer - Portugal's golden generation just misses glory - Sunday July 4, 2004 7:42PM ] ] Some critics contend that many of the players underachieved at international level. [ [http://soccernet.espn.go.com/columns/story?id=373269&root=worldcup&&cc=5739] ] [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/euro2000/teams/portugal/808269.stm] ]

* Luís Figo
* Nuno Gomes
* Rui Costa
* Sérgio Conceição
* Fernando Couto
* Vítor Baía
* Jorge Costa
* João Vieira Pinto
* Paulo Alves
* Paulo Sousa
* Carlos Secretário
* Emílio Peixe
* Abel Xavier

econd 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". The most prominent of the younger players of the new team include:

*Cristiano Ronaldo
*Simão Sabrosa
*Deco
*Ricardo Carvalho
*Quaresma [ [http://www.cbc.ca/news/story/2006/06/05/portugal-golden-generation.html Deco, Ronaldo lead Portugal's new 'golden generation' ] ]

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. [ [http://www.theage.com.au/news/sport/socceroos-dried-and-tested-no-drain-no-gain/2007/07/20/1184560042711.html Socceroos dried and tested: no drain, no gain - Sport - theage.com.au ] ] [ [http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/06/28/1964663.htm Socceroos warned against taking Oman lightly - ABC News (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) ] ] [ [http://www.news.com.au/sundaymail/story/0,,22072249-10389,00.html?from=public_rss Socceroos fail to fire | The Courier-Mail ] ] [ [http://www.theworldgame.com.au/home/index.php?pid=feat&cid=99149 SBS The World Game ] ]

*Tim Cahill
*Mark Viduka
*Harry Kewell
*John Aloisi
*Mark Schwarzer
*Mark Bresciano
*Brett Emerton
*Lucas Neill

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, France and Argentina. Before they had not won a single game. [ [http://football.guardian.co.uk/comment/story/0,,1868913,00.html Amy Lawrence: High life set to inspire Bulgaria | Football | The Observer ] ]

*Hristo Stoichkov
*Yordan Letchkov
*Emil Kostadinov
*Daniel Borimirov
*Krassimir Balakov
*Trifon Ivanov
*Borislav Mikhailov
*Ivaylo Yordanov

Croatian national football team

In the mid-to-late 1990s, the Croatia 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. [http://www.fifa.com/worldfootball/ranking/news/newsid=840778.html] [http://www.euro2008.uefa.com/news/kind=1/newsid=709612.html] 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.

*Aljoša Asanović
*Slaven Bilić
*Zvonimir Boban
*Robert Jarni
*Robert Prosinečki
*Igor Štimac
*Davor Šuker

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 David Beckham, Michael Owen and Steven Gerrard as the nucleus of a potential Golden Generation team. However, this group of players as many England teams failed to live up to expectations during Eriksson's tenure, resulting in the term falling out of common use. [ [http://football.guardian.co.uk/Columnists/Column/0,,1852626,00.html McClaren ends the golden era | Football | The Guardian ] ] [ [http://football.guardian.co.uk/worldcup2006/comment/story/0,,1816198,00.html England's golden generation are big heads | Football | The Observer ] ] [ [http://news.uk.msn.com/Fallen_idols%20_England's_sporting_flops.aspx Fallen idols: England's sporting flops - MSN UK News, Special Report, Fallen idols: England's sporting flops - news & weather ] ] [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport1/hi/football/world_cup_2006/teams/england/5137638.stm BBC SPORT | Football | World Cup 2006 | Teams | England | End of road for wayward England ] ] [ [http://sport.independent.co.uk/football/internationals/article1826303.ece When did England last play well? - International, Football - The Independent ] ] [ [http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21920060/ England, Beckham booted from Euro 2008 - Soccer - MSNBC.com ] ] 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).

*Michael Owen
*Steven Gerrard
*Frank Lampard
*David Beckham
*Rio Ferdinand
*Paul Scholes
*Wayne Rooney
*John Terry

French national football team

The brilliant generation of players who became the first French team ever to win the World Cup, in 1998, before David Trézéguet's golden goal gave France the European Championship two years later – becoming the only team in history to win back-to-back the World Cup followed by the Euro. During this concentrated time frame, the Zinedine Zidane era swept all before it on the international stage, where the French decade of success was undisputed, adding another title, the 2001 FIFA Confederations Cup to the trophy cabinet, and another two years later, the 2003 FIFA Confederations Cup, and once again reaching the World Cup final in Berlin at the 2006 FIFA World Cup. [ [http://soccernet.espn.go.com/columns/story?id=368242&root=worldcup&&cc=3436 Finals bow for Zidane ] ] While Zidane's retirement after the 2006 World Cup was said to have been the end of the golden generation, many agree that the golden era well and truly ended when France failed to string together at Euro 2008 [ [http://worldsoccer.about.com/b/2008/06/17/end-of-an-era-for-france.htm End of an era for France ] ] [ [http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/international/euro_2008/article4161098.ece End of the golden era for France ] ] – a tournament where the national team lost its first match to rivals Italy for the first time in over 30 years [ [http://www.philly.com/inquirer/sports/20080618_Italy_rolls__Dutch_bounce_Romania.html Italy rolls; Dutch bounce ] ] and also recorded its worst ever defeat in over 40 years (a 1–4 capitulation to Holland). [ [http://www.pr-inside.com/crushing-loss-to-netherlands-leaves-domenech-r643181.htm Crushing loss to Netherlands leaves Domenech short of answers and France nearer Euro 2008 exit ] ] It was the first time ever in 15 years that France had been defeated in two consecutive matches [ [http://www.euro2008.uefa.com/tournament/matches/match=300703/report=rp.html France sunk as Italy grab lifeline ] ] and the first time in 16 years where France failed to pass the group stage at a Euro. [ [http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/06/18/sports/EU-SPT-SOC-Euro-2008-France-Ribery.php Les Bleus exit Euro 2008 ] ] These statistics alone suggest that the era had finally come to an end, with the departure of Zidane having a major influence in the decline. [ [http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/06/16/sports/SOC-Euro-2008-Notebook.php French players missing Zidane ] ] The end was made evident when veterans Lilian Thuram and Claude Makélélé announced their international retirements on June 17, 2008. [ [http://www.skysports.com/story/0,19528,11095_3705170,00.html France duo call it quits ] ] [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/football/euro_2008/france/7460399.stm French duo end international duty ] ] As Makélélé exclaimed: "I have sweated for this [Les Bleus] shirt and it has brought me 100% happiness, so there are no regrets. A new generation can take the reins and come together. I am totally with them." [ [http://www.setantasports.com/en/Sport/News/Football/2008/06/18/Euro-2008-Makelele-and-Thuram-retire/?facets/sport-space/football/great-britain-locale/ Final curtain for France legends ] ] However the French Golden Generation have achieved far more than their Anglo neighbours.

*Zinedine Zidane
*Thierry Henry
*Lilian Thuram
*Marcel Desailly
*Patrick Vieira
*Fabien Barthez
*Bixente Lizarazu
*Laurent Blanc
*Didier Deschamps
*Emmanuel Petit
*Christophe Dugarry
*Youri Djorkaeff
*Frank Leboeuf
*David Trézéguet
*Robert Pirès
*Claude Makélélé
*Sylvain Wiltord
*William Gallas

Republic of Ireland national football team

Then there was the brilliant "Golden Generation" of Republic of Ireland youth football of the late 1990s. Under the guidance of Brian Kerr, the unfancied Republic won the UEFA U-16 and U-18 European championships in 1998 [ [http://thatsireland.com/2008/02/28/the-irish-u-18-european-champions-of-1998/ The Irish U18 European Champions of 1998] ] . In 1999, they played at the World Youth Cup in Nigeria, where the Republic reached the last 16 before going out on penalties to the hosts. Many of the players went on to play at Korea/Japan '02, where the team reached the second round before succumbing to Spain in a tightly-fought penalty shootout.

*Damien Duff
*Robbie Keane
*Colin Healy
*Stephen McPhail
*Richard Sadlier

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 tournament. After doing so the Mexican press named them the Golden Generation of Mexican football [ [http://www.fifa.com/u20worldcup/news/newsid=547752.html FIFA.com - Mexico dreaming again ] ]

*Oswaldo Sánchez
*Giovani dos Santos
*Carlos Vela
*Pavel Pardo
*Guillermo Ochoa

Romania national football team

In the 1990s, The Romania national football team achieved international prestige, peaking at the 1994 FIFA World Cup, where they reached the quarter finals. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/euro2000/teams/romania/800236.stm BBC SPORT | EURO2000 | ROMANIA | Romania's yellow peril ] ]

*Ilie Dumitrescu
*Gheorghe Hagi
*Adrian Ilie
*Viorel Moldovan
*Dan Petrescu
*Gheorghe Popescu
*Florin Răducioiu
*Dorinel Munteanu
*Miodrag Belodedici

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. [ [http://www.fifa.com/worldfootball/news/newsid=106502.html FIFA.com - Osim carrying Japanese hopes ] ]

*born in 1979-1980
**Akira Kaji
**Junichi Inamoto
**Mitsuo Ogasawara
**Naohiro Takahara
**Masashi Motoyama
**Yasuhito Endo
**Koji Nakata
**Shinji Ono
*born in 1977-1978
**Tsuneyasu Miyamoto
**Hidetoshi Nakata
**Shunsuke Nakamura
**Naoki Matsuda
**Yuji Nakazawa
**Atsushi Yanagisawa

Greece national football team

In the 2004, The Greek national football team achieved international prestige, triumhing at Euro 2004 and causing one of the biggest upsets in football history. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/sport2/hi/3860105.stm Greece win Euro 2004] ]

*Antonios Nikopolidis
*Giourkas Seitaridis
*Traianos Dellas
*Angelos Basinas
*Theodoros Zagorakis
*Stelios Giannakopoulos
*Angelos Charisteas
*Vassilios Tsiartas
*Demis Nikolaidis
*Takis Fyssas
*Zisis Vryzas
*Michalis Kapsis
*Giorgos Karagounis
*Kostas Katsouranis

Turkey national football team

In the mid 1990s to early 21st Century, the Turkey 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 and Euro 2008. [ [http://www.turkishdailynews.com.tr/archives.php?id=27549 The sound of no hands clapping - Turkish Daily News Mar 31, 2002 ] ]

*Hakan Şükür
*Rüştü Reçber
*Hasan Şaş
*Emre Belözoğlu
*Tugay Kerimoğlu
*Ümit Davala
*İlhan Mansız

Ajax Amsterdam

AFC Ajax's world renowned youth academy produced the majority of the stars who took Ajax to victory in the UEFA Champions League 1994-95. [ [http://www.fifa.com/menolympic/news/newsid=550894.html FIFA.com - Golden future for the Oranje] ]

*Edwin van der Sar
*Patrick Kluivert
*Marc Overmars
*Edgar Davids
*Clarence Seedorf
*Frank De Boer
*Ronald De Boer
*Nwankwo Kanu
*Michael Reiziger
*Winston Bogarde
*Finidi George
*Jari Litmanen

Rugby union

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. [ [http://sport.guardian.co.uk/rugbyworldcup2007/story/0,,2179651,00.html Rugby World Cup: Ireland's dying light stings Reddan in hunt for late revival | Sport | The Guardian ] ] [ [http://www.irishabroad.com/news/irishpost/sport/MagicMomentsIrishRugby.asp Irish News UK - News from the Irish Community in Britain ] ]

*Brian O'Driscoll
*Paul O'Connell
*Gordon D'Arcy
*Girvan Dempsey
*Geordan Murphy
*Ronan O'Gara
*Peter Stringer
*Shane Horgan
*John Hayes
*Simon Easterby

Other uses

Sometimes this description is used for participants of World War II or when referring to a country's importance in history. [ [http://www.nytimes.com/books/00/10/01/reviews/001001.01sullivt.html The Greatest Generation (Revised) ] ]

References