Ballon d'Or 2009: And the Winner Is...

Lionel Messi

Barcelona and Argentina winger/striker Lionel Messi is your 2009 Ballon d'Or winner scoring a total of 473 points, the greatest margin ever recorded in the history of this famous competition. Portugal winger/forward Cristiano Ronaldo was placed 2nd with 233 points and rounding off 3rd place with 170 points, Spain and Barcelona midfielder, Xavi Hernandez.

This is Messi's first Ballon d'Or trophy, respectively taking 3rd and 2nd place in 2007 and 2008. Messi is also the youngest player to win the award since Michael Owen took home the trophy in 2001.

Messi is the first registered Argentine to win the Ballon d'Or since Omar Sivori won the award in 1961, but he was a registed Italian at the time of his triumph.

Cheers.

JC.

Scores For November 25th, 2009

Scores from www.livescore.com

Champions League - Group A

FT	Bayern Munich	1 - 0	Maccabi Haifa
FT	Bordeaux	2 - 0	Juventus

Champions League - Group B

FT	CSKA Moscow	2 - 1	Wolfsburg
FT	Manchester U.	0 - 1	Besiktas

Champions League - Group C

FT	AC Milan	1 - 1	Marseille
FT	Real Madrid	1 - 0	Zurich

Champions League - Group D

FT	APOEL Nicosia	1 - 1	Atletico Madrid
FT	FC Porto	0 - 1	Chelsea

England - Premier League

FT	Hull C.	3 - 2	Everton
FT	Fulham	3 - 0	Blackburn R.

Italy - Coppa Italia

FT	Chievo	2 - 0	Frosinone
FT	Siena	0 - 2	Novara

This is a story from Goal.com which I found interesting. I DID NOT write this story.

Top 10 Players Never To Win The Ballon D’Or Since 1995

With the 2009 Ballon d'Or awards just around the corner, Goal.com runs down a list of the Top 10 players never to have won the award since the change of rules in 1995 that allowed non-European players to be eligible to lift the trophy...

10) Davor Suker

Prolific former Croatian striker who twice should have been in the running to win the Ballon d'Or - in 1996 and 1998 where his goals led his country to the quarter final and semi final of the European Championships and World Cup respectively, losing out to the eventual winners on both occasions. With 45 strikes in 69 appearances for Croatia, and goals galore for the likes of Dinamo Zagreb, Sevilla and Real Madrid, Suker was one of the best hitmen of his generation. He came close to the Ballon d'Or in 98, but finished second to Ronaldo.

9) Peter Schmeichel

One of three goalkeepers to make our list. Although Rivaldo lifted the Golden Ball in 1999, many people believe that Peter Schmeichel was the worthy recipient. The big Dane didn’t even finish in the Top 3 that year, but he had been inspirational during Manchester United’s Champions League success. Particularly in the final in Barcelona where his heroics prevented Bayern taking a two-goal lead before United’s dramatic late comeback. The year of 1999 was the height of a brilliant club and international career for Schmeichel, who was also crucial in Denmark’s shock Euro ’92 victory. Arguably the best goalkeeper of the 1990s, but no Ballon d’Or to show for it.

8) Raul

Just looking at the club career years next to the name tells you everything you need to know about Raul. He has lived with the best defensive midfielder (Claude Makelele), best winger (Luis Figo), best creative midfielder (Zinedine Zidane), and best striker (Ronaldo) in the world of the last 15 years. He's seen them all come and go - not without his own drop in form - but has forged an incredible legend. He scored in both the triumphant Champions League finals of which he was part, is the all-time leading scorer in that competition, Madrid's all-time leading scorer, Spain's all-time leading scorer (and outfield appearance maker), climbing the all-time La Liga goalscorers chart and much, much more. Despite being named UEFA Club Forward Of The Year three times in a row in 2000, 2001 and 2002, Raul only managed the Silver Ball in the middle of those seasons. Being beaten to the line by Liverpool’s Michael Owen is one of the Ballon d’Or crimes of the century.

7) Oliver Kahn

Although he lost out to Jens Lehmann for the number one spot in the Germany team for the 2006 World Cup on home soil, there is no doubt that Kahn was one of the world’s best goalkeepers during the past 10-15 years. The Bayern legend amassed 86 caps for his country and was the outstanding performer at the 2002 World Cup in Japan/South Korea, where he almost singlehandedly dragged Germany to the final. He won the FIFA World Cup Golden Ball, the Lev Yashin Award, and was voted into the All-Star team on the back of his World Cup displays. At the turn of the millennium, he was the best shot-stopper on the planet, but the closest Kahn came to the Ballon d’Or was successive third places in 2001 and 2002.

6) Alessandro Nesta

Certainly the most naturally talented defender of this decade, when Nesta was fully fit there was no one better. Unbeatable in almost every department, Nesta won every major team honour in the game in the noughties apart from Euro 2000, a trophy he was seconds away from winning. Milan's two Champions League crowns in 2003 and 2007 can be largely attributed to Nesta, who was immaculate in the final wins over Juventus and Liverpool respectively. Has struggled with injuries recently, and missed all of Italy's knockout games at Germany 2006, pushing him to eventually retire from internationals, but this season he has returned to being the best defender in the world. The telepathic Nesta and Fabio Cannavaro are one of the greatest centre back duo's international football has ever seen. Like Thuram, Nesta never even finished in the Top 3 for the Ballon d’Or.

5) Lilian Thuram

Quite probably the best French stopper of all time, Thuram was the perfect defensive specimen. Possessing lightning speed and bull-like strength, Thuram was tactically intelligent, a superb tackler and a real leader. Won multiple honours with Juventus and France, including Euro 2000, excelling both at right back and in his favoured centre back role. As he hit his mid-thirties he endured a couple of mixed seasons with Barcelona, as well as an under-par Euro 2008, but this could not overshadow the achievements that had arrived before. Never even finished in the Top 3 in a Ballon d’Or awards ceremony.

4) Cafu

Not so much a right-back as a nuclear powered high speed intercontinental super train with a grin on its face. One of six children, Marcos Evangelista de Moraes grew up in the broken alleys of a Sao Paolo shanty town and soon realised that football was going to be his only way out. 'Il Pendolino ' didn't arrive in Italy until he was 27-years-old. Six relentlessly impressive seasons with Roma were followed by five almost as consistent years at the San Siro and Cafu was able to retire safe in the knowledge that there has not been a better right-sided wing-back anywhere in the world in the last ten years. Internationally, he was a leader as he captained his country to 2002 World Cup success. With 142 caps, Cafu is Brazil's highest appearance maker, and he also picked up a World Cup winners medal in 1994. Never even considered for the Ballon d’Or, though.

3) Gianluigi Buffon

The best goalkeeper of his generation by quite some distance, there is every chance that Buffon will go down in history as the greatest shot-stopper of all time. A major protagonist during Italy's 2006 World Cup success, Buffon became the most expensive goalkeeper in the world in 2001 when he transferred from Parma to Juventus for €52 million. He won four Scudetti with the Bianconeri, although two of these were revoked due to Calciopoli. A true match-winner for club-and-country, and perfect in almost every goalkeeping department, aside from saving penalties - possibly his only weakness. Buffon finished second in the Golden Ball race in 2006.

2) Thierry Henry

Arsenal's greatest goalscorer of all-time, France's greatest goalscorer of all time, Arsenal's best forward in history, one of France's best forwards in history. A lightning-paced striker, who was unstoppable when cutting in from the left, Henry scored 226 goals in just 370 games for Arsenal, and was their main man in the legendary Invincibles season of 2003-04 when The Gunners went the entire campaign without losing a league game. Two Premier League titles, as well as a treble of a Champions League, La Liga and Copa del Rey in an outstanding second season at Barcelona last term - Henry has now won every major honour in the game, barring the Club World Cup he can win next month. Henry was also a star at Euro 2000, but incredibly he has never won the Ballon d’Or.

1) Paolo Maldini

What is there left to say about the extraordinary career of the greatest left-back in the history of the game? Having spent his entire club career in the red and black No.3 shirt, Maldini spent a record-breaking 25 years in the first team. In that time, he won seven Serie A championships, one Coppa Italia, five Supercoppa Italiana, five Champions League's, five European Super Cups, two Intercontinental Cups and one FIFA World Club Cup. Tragically he never won the Ballon d’Or, which will go down as one of football's greatest mysteries. The closest Maldini came was third place in 1994 and 2003, and the Italian certainly paid the price for the tendency to give the prize to attacking players.

http://goal.com/en/news/2377/top-10/2009/11/24/1644831/top-10-players-never-to-win-the-ballon-dor-since-1995

Scores For November 21st, 2009

Scores from www.livescore.com

England - Premier League

FT	Liverpool	2 - 2	Manchester C.
FT	Birmingham C.	1 - 0	Fulham
FT	Burnley	1 - 1	Aston Villa
FT	Chelsea	4 - 0	Wolverhampton W.
FT	Hull C.	3 - 3	West Ham U.
FT	Sunderland	1 - 0	Arsenal
FT	Manchester U.	3 - 0	Everton

Italy - Serie A

FT	Bologna	1 - 3	Inter Milan
FT	Fiorentina	2 - 3	Parma

Spain - Primera Division

FT	Deportivo La Coruna	2 - 1	Atletico Madrid
FT	Tenerife	1 - 2	Sevilla
FT	Real Madrid	1 - 0	Racing Santander
FT	Athletic Bilbao	1 - 1	Barcelona

Germany - Bundesliga I.

FT	1. FC Cologne	0 - 4	Hoffenheim
FT	Eintracht Frankfurt	1 - 2	Monchengladbach
FT	Freiburg	0 - 6	Werder Bremen
FT	Schalke	2 - 0	Hannover
FT	Stuttgart	1 - 1	Hertha BSC
FT	Wolfsburg	2 - 3	Nurnberg
FT	Borussia Dortmund	0 - 0	Mainz

France - Ligue 1

FT	Bordeaux	0 - 1	Valenciennes
FT	Grenoble	1 - 1	Lyon
FT	Lens	2 - 1	Nancy
FT	Rennes	2 - 1	Le Mans
FT	Auxerre	2 - 0	Monaco

Holland - Eredivisie

FT	Roda Kerkrade	2 - 4	AZ Alkmaar
FT	NAC Breda	3 - 3	NEC Nijmegen
FT	RKC Waalwijk	3 - 1	FC Groningen
FT	FC Twente Enschede	1 - 0	Vitesse Arnhem

Belgium - Jupiler League

FT	AA Gent	2 - 1	Standard Liege
FT	Anderlecht	3 - 1	Roeselare
FT	Club Brugge	1 - 2	Germinal Beerschot
FT	Mouscron	4 - 1	Charleroi
FT	Sint-Truiden	1 - 1	Cercle Bruges
FT	Westerlo	1 - 0	Lokeren

Scotland - Premier League

FT	Hearts	1 - 2	St. Johnstone
FT	Falkirk	2 - 0	Hamilton
FT	Motherwell	1 - 1	Aberdeen
FT	Rangers	3 - 0	Kilmarnock
FT	St. Mirren	1 - 1	Hibernian

Turkey - Super Lig

FT	Gaziantepspor	0 - 1	Bursaspor
FT	Besiktas	3 - 0	Fenerbahce

Brazil - Campeonato Brasileiro

FT	Atletico Paranaense	1 - 1	Cruzeiro
FT	Corinthians	2 - 3	Nautico

Euro 2012 Qualifying Seedings Announced

These are the seedings for the 2012 Qualifying round. Powerhouses Italy, Spain, Germany, England, France, Holland, Croatia, Portugal, and Russia were put in Pot One.

Pot Two consists of Turkey, Greece, Czech Republic, Sweden, Switzerland, Serbia, Denmark, Slovakia, and Romania.

Denied access to the 2010 World Cup by a handball from Thierry Henry resulting in the tying goal, the Republic of Ireland were placed with Israel, Bulgaria, Finland, Norway, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Austria, and Bosnia-Herzegovina.

The rest of the Pots are announced below.

Pot One: Italy, France, Spain, Germany, Holland, Croatia, Portugal, England, Russia.

Pot Two: Turkey, Greece, Czech Republic, Sweden, Switzerland, Serbia, Denmark, Slovakia, Romania.

Pot Three: Israel, Bulgaria, Finland, Norway, Republic of Ireland, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Austria, Bosnia-Herzegovina.

Pot Four: Slovenia, Latvia, Hungary, Lithuania, Belarus, Belgium, Wales, FYR Macedonia, Cyprus.

Pot Five: Montenegro, Albania, Estonia, Georgia, Moldova, Iceland, Armenia, Kazakhstan, Liechtenstein.

Pot Six: Azerbaijan, Luxembourg, Malta, Faroe Islands, Andorra, San Marino.

Does France deserve to be in the 2010 World Cup? You Be The Judge

You Be The Judge.

Does France deserve to be in the 2010 World Cup?

This is a story from Goal.com which I found interesting. I DID NOT write this story.

Top 10 Worst Players To Ever Wear The No.10 Shirt?

Carlo Garganese runs down the Top 10 list of players who should never been allowed to wear the sacred No.10 shirt…

Nov 17, 2009 2:30:28 PM

The No.10 is not just any ordinary number when it comes to football. It is the most sacred, mythical digit that almost every player wants to have on their backs.

Traditionally the No.10 shirt has been reserved for each team’s best offensive player – more specifically the playmaker, creator, dictator, and star attacking player. To wear the No.10 for a top club or country you ought to be blessed with special skill, technique, touch, passing, shooting and set-piece ability – the player that your team-mates and supporters look to for inspiration.

In the past most of the attacking legends of the game have owned the No.10 – the likes of Diego Maradona, Pele, Michel Platini, Roberto Baggio, Zico and Zinedine Zidane.

Recently, however, a worrying trend has started to develop. Players who are not fit enough to even look at the No.10 shirt are starting to wear it. The holy No.10 is being degraded.

Goal.com counts down the Top 10 list of players from recent years who should never have been allowed to wear the No.10.

10) John Carew (Aston Villa)

One of the first rules when choosing your No.10 is to eliminate from your shortlist all big target-men centre forwards who are good with their head but clumsy with their feet. The idea of current Aston Villa skyscraper Carew wearing the No.10 is the stuff of nightmares for purists. Whoever next? Peter Crouch? Luca Toni? Emile Heskey?

9) Hugo Viana (Portugal)

In 2002, while still a teenager at Sporting Lisbon, Viana was wanted by virtually every top team in Europe. He then made the rather unwise decision to join the circus at Newcastle United. His career went into steep decline, but he was still surprisingly the Portugal No.10 at World Cup 2006 despite the presence of Luis Figo, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Deco. Viana made just two substitute appearances, missing a penalty in the quarter final shootout win over England.

8) Oliver Neuville (Germany)

You know that times are hard in modern football when a 35-year-old playing in the second tier of German football is chosen as the recipient of the No.10. This is what happened to Neuville at Euro 2008, as he kept the same number he had owned at the 2006 World Cup. How greats such as Gunter Netzer, Wolfgang Overath and Lothar Matthaus must be shaking their heads and wondering what has happened to their country.

7) Jose Antonio Reyes (Spain)

Reyes never fulfilled the promise he showed as a youngster at Sevilla, and by 2006 it was clear that he had been somewhat overhyped. That summer, though, he was given the No.10 by Spain for the World Cup in Germany. A strange decision when you consider that not only is Reyes a winger, but that La Furia Roja possessed an abundance of creative talent such as Xavi, Cesc Fabregas, Raul, David Villa and Fernando Torres. Reyes barely featured in the tournament, meaning the world hardly saw the Spain No.10.

6) Ruud Van Nistelrooy (The Netherlands)

One of the great goalscorers of the last decade, but Van Nistelrooy is a No.9. He is a penalty box hitman, who scores most of his goals inside the six-yard box. You wouldn’t see David Trezeguet or Pippo Inzaghi with the No.10, and the Horseman falls into the same category. Van Nistelrooy was given the No.10 by his nation for Euro 2004, but Clarence Seedorf, Wesley Sneijder, Rafael van der Vaart and even Arjen Robben were all more suitable.

5) Lassana Diarra (Real Madrid)

Diarra is a brilliant defensive midfielder, who is probably already world class. But he is a defensive midfielder, and No.10’s are supposed to be artists not artisans. This is all the more peculiar when you consider that the Blancos also have Kaka, Raul, Guti and Cristiano Ronaldo in their squad.

4) Nicola Berti (Italy)

The Azzurri were hot favourites going into the 1990 World Cup in their own country, but were eventually eliminated in the semi-final on penalties by Argentina through a mixture of bad luck, bad politics, and a nervous-wreck of a coach in Azeglio Vicini. Perhaps if Italy could have called upon the special powers of their ‘real’ No.10s in Roberto Baggio, Giuseppe Giannini or Roberto Donadoni - and not a midfield runner-bean who spent his whole career annoying Italy fans, and used up his half-time breaks combing his side-parting into place while smiling into the mirror - things could have been different.

3) Sidney Govou (France)

This should not be a surprise because when Raymond Domenech is your coach, always expect the inexplicable. Euro 2008 proved to be an absolute disaster for Domenech, who left the likes of David Trezeguet and Sebastien Frey at home, made outrageous squad and team selections, saw his side knocked out in the first round with just one point, and was left hanging by his girlfriend after proposing to her live on TV. The most embarrassing moment, though, was handing Govou the No.10.

2) Andriy Voronin (Liverpool)

Liverpool have become a laughing stock for the number of players in their squad who are ridiculed by fans and the press. David N’Gog, Lucas, Andrea Dossena and - to complete the Marx Brothers - Andriy Voronin. In two spells at Anfield, the Ukrainian has scored just six goals in over 30 games. Nevertheless, transfer genius Rafael Benitez believed he was worth the great No.10. Oh Rafa - you so crazy!

1) William Gallas (Arsenal)

In first place it could only be Arsenal defender William Gallas, who was handed the No.10 for the Gunners following the retirement of the legendary Dennis Bergkamp in 2006. During his prime Gallas was a top-class defender, but a centre back wearing the No.10 is like United Kingdom Prime Minister Gordon Brown living at No.10 – it should never happen, and the sooner change takes place the better for all of us. Please, dear God!

What are your views on this topic? Who do you think was the worst choice for No.10? Any other suggestions not on this list? Goal.com wants to know what YOU think...

Carlo Garganese, Goal.com

http://goal.com/en/news/2377/top-10/2009/11/17/1630253/top-10-worst-players-to-ever-wear-the-no10-shirt

Scores For November 12th, 2009

Scores from www.livescore.com

Internationals - Friendly

U.A.E.

1 - 0

Manchester C.

Italy - Coppa Italia

Siena

2 - 0

Grosseto

Spain - Copa Del Rey

Almeria

0 - 1

Hercules

Portugal - League Cup (Group A)

Portimonense

0 - 0

Academica Coimbra

Norway - Play-Off

Kongsvinger

3 - 1

Sarpsborg 08

Czech Republic - Pohar CMFS

Sparta Prague

1 - 0

Budejovice

South America - Copa Sudamericana

River Plate

2 - 1

LDU de Quito

90th Minute Must See Match - Premier League

Premier League

Chelsea F.C. vs. Manchester United F.C.
Sunday, November 8, 11:00 EST
Stamford Bridge, London

Chelsea and Manchester United are both coming off of two draws in the mid-week Champions League group stage matches, United taking a 3-3 draw against Russian side CSKA Moscow and Chelsea finishing with a 2-2 draw against Spanish side Atletico Madrid.

Chelsea's clash with Atletico saw the Blues take a 2-1 lead, after Sergio Aguero put Madrid on top in the 66th minute, with Drogba leading with a brace. But Madrid would not go away, working all the way to the final whistle where Sergio Aguero evened things up in the 91st minute, ending the match with a 2-2 draw.

United also fought with Moscow all the way to the final whistle. Moscow took a surprising 3-1 lead against the Red Devils, but United would not give up as midfielder Paul Scholes made it 3-2 in the 84th minute and winger Antonio Valencia securing the draw in the 92nd minute, making it a final score of 3-3.

The Blues have 3 players who will be sitting out for this match. John Obi Mikel and Yuri Zhirkov both out with foot injuries and Jose Bosingwa will be sidelined with a knee injury.

United will be without Rio Ferdinand, Nemanja Vidic, Owen Hargreaves and Danny Welbeck. Vidic and Ferdinand are both out with calf injuries, Welbeck with knee problems and Hargreaves is still recovering from his patellar tendinitis.

My prediction for this game is going to be a 3-1 win for Chelsea, Deco, Anelka and Drogba picking up the goals and Berbatov scoring the only goal for the Red Devils.

Cheers.

JC.

Player and Manager of the Month for October - Premier League

Manager of the Month:
Roy Hodgson - Fulham F.C.

Player of the Month:
Robin van Persie - Arsenal F.C.

With Arsenal going unbeaten in the month of October, Robin van Persie has been a big part of that, hitting the back of the net 5 times and assisting 2 times.

This is van Persie's second Player of the Month award in the Premier League after picking one up in November of 2005, which was his second year as an Arsenal player.

Fulham manager, Roy Hodgson, has had a very impressive month, leading his squad to an unbeaten month even though having some very hard fixtures in his teams schedule. Fulham's most recent impressive win came on Halloween October 31st, 2009 against Liverpool winning 3-1 at home, Zamora, Nevland and Dempsey picking up the goals.

This will be award number 3 for Hodgson, picking up his first award while managing Blackburn Rovers in August of 1997 and his second coming in December of the same year.

Cheers.

JC.

Ronaldinho To Replace Robinho At Manchester City

As most know, Robinho is unhappy with his bench role at Manchester City since the arrival of Emmanuel Adebayor and Carlos Tevez to the Citizens squad this summer. Robinho seems to be Barcelona-bound as he is looking for a starting 11 role and could be the replacement of Thierry Henry who also seems to be taking his leave from Barca at the end of the season.

With the recent form Ronaldinho has been showing these past weeks, similar to his form in 2005-2007, Mark Hughes is looking to try for a second time to lure Ronnie to the Eastlands. Ronaldinho was at the top of City's transfer list last year as they offered him £25.5 million to switch from Camp Nou to the City of Manchester. Of course, he turned it down opting to join Serie A giants AC Milan for £14.5 million who had been chasing for his signature for almost 4 years.

If AC Milan are willing to listen to offers for Ronaldinho, City will allow Robinho to leave the Eastlands and transfer to Barcelona.

Please feel free to post your thoughts.

Cheers.

JC.

Ronaldinho is Back Ladies and Gentlemen

With a 2-0 win against Parma yesterday at the San Siro, Marco Borriellos' two goals last night helped AC Milan jump to fourth place in the 2009-2010 Serie A standings. The big story of the night though was the reemergence of the 2005-2007 Barcelona player, Ronaldinho.

Although Borriello is the hero of the night with his brace, Ronaldinho was the set up man for each one of those goals during the match. The first, coming in the 11th minute, was a run from half straight to the top of the 18 yard box, sending a through ball past the Parma defense straight into the path of an onside Borriello who capitalized on the gift. The second, coming in injury time, was a chip shot from the top corner of the 18, setting up a beautiful in-air side volley shot executed perfectly by Borriello to make it 2-0 AC Milan.

Ronnie showed excellent pace, great footwork and above all, his old passion for the beautiful game.

It was a great night for Ronaldinho, but looking at the other angle of this magic, it is only one game. AC fans will now have to wait and see on Tuesday when Milan host Real Madrid in their second Champions League group stage match. This is also the homecoming of soon to be Milan legend, Ricardo Kaka'. If Ronaldinho can show the same passion he showed Saturday, Milan should be back to old forms and once again become a great contender in league play and in Europe.

Milan's match against Real Madrid will take place at the San Siro Tuesday, November 3rd, 2009 at 2:45 PM EST.

Enjoy.

JC