FIFA Ballon d'Or 2012 Shortlist

According to Goal.com, the 3 Ballon d'Or finalists will be announced on the 29th of November 2012. Nonetheless, what's the point of having a 23 man shortlist if only 3 make the final list. Some of these footballers know for a fact that they will not be one of the 3 finalists, and that's just sad. Nevertheless, I bet everyone has an idea of what the final list will look like.

In alphabetical order, here's the 23-man shortlist:

Andrea Pirlo

Andrés Iniesta

Cristiano Ronaldo

 Didier Drogba

Gerard Piqué

Gianluigi Buffon

Iker Casillas

Karim Benzema

Lionel Messi

Manuel Neuer

Mario Balotelli

Mesut Özil

Neymar 

Radamel Falcao

Robin van Persie

Sergio Agüero

Sergio Busquets

Sergio Ramos

Wayne Rooney

Xabi Alonso

Xavi Hernández

 Yaya Touré

Zlatan Ibrahimović

I can't help but wonder:

§      Have the 3 finalists of the prestigious award become a cliché?

§      Will we see the same finalists as last year?

§      Will the third finalist be different this time around?

I hope this year will be different because, besides the usual 2 finalists, a few other footballers are making their mark in the world.

According to me, only 8 footballers from this list are worthy of such an honour:

Andrés Iniesta

Iniesta has been a extraordinary in midfield, for both Barcelona and Spain. Iniesta played his part to win Euro 2012 with Spain, and was voted best player of Euro 2012. He shows the same skills for Barcelona as an attacking midfielder, getting himself in front of goal.

Cristiano Ronaldo

As skipper of Portugal, CR7 lead his team from the front, scoring a brace twice for Portugal during Euro 2012, and taking his team to the semi-finals. At Real Madrid, he scored 46 goals and played a major role in helping Real Madrid lift the La Liga title and aid them in their race for the Champions League title which ended in the semi-finals.

Iker Casillas

For the past 10 years, Casillas has been at the top of Spanish football. He has been an exceptional leader, as captain of both Real Madrid and Spain. With him in front of goal, Madrid won La Liga and Spain won Euro 2012.

Lionel Messi

Barcelona only won Copa del Rey this year, however Messi has been scoring goals and breaking records at the same time. He has won Ballon d'Or three times. He's good for Argentina, but not as impressive as he has been for Barcelona. Messi has played an important role in helping Argentina in the South American FIFA World Cup qualifiers.

Radamel Falcao

With a nickname like El Tigre, Falcao has proved his worth as a forward for both Athletico Madrid and Colombia. Lately, he's been the only footballer put in the same league as Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. Falcao has been scoring goals a lot like Ferenc Puskás of Hungary. He's also grabbed the attention of big European clubs who want to sign him during the next transfer window.

Xabi Alonso

Xabi has played a vital role in the success of both Real Madrid and Spain, at midfield. Madrid won La Liga and Spain won Euro 2012. Alonso determines the pace of the game. His outstanding performance was when Spain played against France in the Euro 2012 quarter-final, he scored twice, and it was his 100th cap.

Xavi Hernandez

Xavi has played the most league matches for Barcelona, and won the most titles too. This midfielder has been part of the game for a long time, however, he still has the ability to make Barcelona and Spain win major titles.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic

Ibrahimovic ended the 2011/12 season as the top goal scorer of Serie A. He scored 28 goals for AC Milan, before leaving for the French League as a Paris Saint-Germain player. Ibrahimovic was also a key player for Sweden during Euro 2012, with quite a remarkable volley he scored against France. He has been the name on people's lips, a goal scoring machine for both PSG and Sweden.

These statistics and facts sound amazing but after reading this article, Messi, Ronaldo, Iniesta or Casillas - The Clasico that decides the 2012 Fifa Ballon d'Or winner, I get the feeling the winner of Ballon d'Or will come from La Liga. I just don't get it. What about all the other leagues; Barclays Premier League, Bundesliga, Serie A, French League etc?

LUIS SUAREZ

Hand of God? Hand of Devil!

During the 2010 Soccer World Cup Luis Suarez decided to play goalkeeper for Uruguay, against Ghana. This man is multi-talented, he has the ability to transition from striker to goalkeeper within minutes. But I don't understand how, because Fernando Muslera was in front of goal, so Uruguay had two goalkeepers?



In a press conference Suarez said, “The 'Hand of God' now belongs to me. Mine is the real 'Hand Of God'. I made the best save of the tournament. Sometimes in training I play as a goalkeeper so it was worth it."

Really? Doesn't this young man know that he cannot go around stealing people's self-acquired titles; he has to find his own. So, not only does he steal Ghana's chance for a goal, he steals identities too!

Since he received a straight red for his act of unfair play, he automatically got a one match ban.

FIFA's Fair Play Code states: "Winning is without value if victory has been achieved unfairly or dishonestly. Cheating is easy, but brings no pleasure".

Cannibal of Ajax

During his Ajax Amsterdam days, in November 2010, the infamous Luis Suarez bit PSV Eindhoven footballer Otman Bakkal in their Dutch clash. What disturbed me the most, was Suarez' response to the incident.

This is what he had to say ... "No, I do not regret what happened. Normally I always keep calm but I didn't... I'm a little tired. This week I had to travel a lot."

Is this what he expected the media to say ... "It's okay Suarez, you bit Bakkal because you were tired and had travelled a lot ... Maybe we should bite you too because we're tired, we travelled a lot and now we have to sit here and listen to your pathetic excuse for being a cannibal."

Suarez wasn't booked for his cannibal tendencies, but he served a seven match ban for it.

Is Suarez a KKK member?

Suarez strikes again ... This time, it was racist comments towards Patrice Evra after a defensive tackle on the Liverpool striker. Racist words were thrown at the Senegalese French man ... Words I'd rather not repeat because they bring tears to my eyes.

Well, the FA did some investigating and the ruling was final, Suarez served an 8 match ban and was fined $62,000.

 

Then the Scousers go and do this … including Kenny Dalglish (what kind of surname is Dalglish anyway?)

For those who like/love Suarez, did you ever stop and think about what this did to Evra?

If this doesn’t pull at your heart strings, then I guess you don’t love football as much as you say you do.

Evra: I had to shake hands with Suarez on such an emotional day at Anfield

Suarez In Wrong Profession

The way I see it, Suarez should've grown up to be a professional diver. Suarez came under scrutiny after he dived against Stoke City at Anfield. Since this little stunt, social media have produced a few funny pictures that make fun of him.

I must admit, when I saw each and every one of these pictures, I laughed so hard, that tears came streaming down my face.

It's interesting how when a footballer does something out of the ordinary, we tend to recall a moment in time when another footballer did the same thing. However, Suarez will have these four stunts and a few others that will come to mind in the future.

Honestly, the way I see it, Luis Suarez has brought the game into disrepute. Most would refer to him as a cheater, a racist, a diver and a cannibal. Who in their right mind would do the things this man has done ? When I wrote this blog I sighed so much that I ran out of sighs ... That's not even possible, but when it comes to Suarez, I guess anything is possible. This is not even half of what he’s done, I’ve barely scratched the surface, but if I dig deeper, I’ll end up ‘hating’ this man. (While I was compiling this entry, besides the sighing and the tears from the funny pictures, I cried. I cried because how can one man be capable of ‘killing the beautiful game’?)

There are more scandals to come from Suarez, more bans, more fines ... However, it seems these bans and fines don't change Suarez's attitude to fair play ... How about he gets banned for life? Not many would agree with that, but why keep people who trash football?

I guess when it comes to Luis Suarez, its best to let people draw their own conclusions about him.

Man United legend Paddy Crerand says on MUTV “you wouldn’t get fed up of punching Luis Suarez”

“Suarez is killing the beautiful game!” Stoke winger Kightly joins queue to hammer Liverpool star

Just take a look at this:

http://footballspeak.com/post/2012/10/10/Luis-Suarez-Moments.aspx

L E G E N D A R Y

What is a legend?

Well, a legend is a person or thing that inspires a story coming down from the past.

I guess in football terms, a legend represents the very best of football. A model of the type of player you want to become, the ones we were told about growing up and the ones we will tell our children about. Most importantly, the ones that leave you emotional after you see what beauty they brought into the beautiful game. Legends are usually pointed out by managers, soccer experts, or fellow footballers.

The legends I refer to in this blog, are those who graced football pitches all across the world with their skills and talent. Some of these men were before and during a small portion of my time on earth, others are still alive while a few are sitting on a crescent moon alongside Michael Jackson watching football from a heavenly place.

To the ones who came before the ones we now call legends … The ones who made the beautiful game what it is today .... The ones who stand as statues where they made the most impact … Here are some of these greats …

Before Iker Casillas, there was Peter Schmeichel.

Before Zlatan Ibrahimovic, there was Ferenc Puskás.

Before Lionel Messi, there was Maradona.

Before Wayne Rooney, there was Pele.

Before Cristiano Ronaldo, there was George Best.

Peter Schmeichel – The Great Dane

1981-2003

Gladsaxe-Hero (1981-1984)

Hvidovre IF (1984-1987)

Brøndby (1987-1991)

Manchester United (1991-1999)

Sporting Portugal (1999-2001)

Aston Villa (2001-2002)

Manchester City (2002-2003)

Peter Schmeichel earned his name as a legend during his time at Manchester United. He has the greatest ratio in league history for the most clean sheets, won 5 Premiership titles, 3 F.A. Cups, 1 League Cup, and the most desirable, the 1998-1999 UEFA Champions League on his last night as a red devil. With individual accolades, Schmeichel was voted UEFA Goalkeeper of the Year and World Goalkeeper of the Year in 1992 and 1993 and was recently voted “Greatest Goalkeeper of All-Time” in a Reuters poll. In his international career, Schmeichel is still the most capped Danish player with 129 appearances; he led Denmark to the 1992 European Championship and was the number one keeper for Denmark in the 1998 World Cup.

Who would’ve thought that someone who started their career as a striker would turn out to be the world’s greatest goalkeeper of all time. After his stint at Old Trafford, his shadow still remains, leaving Edwin Van der Sar with big gloves to fill. However, in terms of trophies won, Van der Sar is always described as “the best goalkeeper since Schmeichel.” That’s a legend. Interesting how some of the best goalkeepers were once red devils.

Ferenc Puskás

1943-1966

Kispest A.C. (1943-1949)

Honved (1949-1955)

Espanyol (guest 1957)

Real Madrid (1958-1966)

In simple terms, Puskás was a goal machine; he was able to set up goals as good as he could score them. Puskás had an enviable goal-to-games ratio, netting 187 goals in 177 league appearances for Kispest A.C., 165 goals in 164 league appearances for Honved, and 157 goals in 182 league appearances for Real Madrid. Throw in his 84 goals in 85 appearances for Hungary, and Puskás was unquestionably one of the most efficient scorers of all time. At club level, Puskás won five La Liga crowns and was a member of the team for three out of Real Madrid’s five consecutive European Cups. He also won five Hungarian League crowns and was named FIFA World Player of the Year twice. In spite of Puskás leaving Hungary, he was named the country’s greatest player of the last 50 years, and the Puskás Ferenc Stadion in Budapest was named in his honour.

Created in 2009, in honour of Ferenc Puskás, captain and star of the Hungarian national team during the 1950’s, the FIFA Puskas Award bestows upon the player from either the men’s or women’s game judged to have scored the best goal of the year. An award for the best goal of the year … now that’s on point, Puskás’ legendary status earned him an award for many generations to come. The last award was won by Neymar last year, which originated from a man whose career began about 63 years ago.

Diego Armando Maradona

1976-1997

Argentinos Juniors (1976-1981)

Boca Juniors (1981-1982, 1995-1997)

Barcelona (1982-1984)

Napoli (1984-1991)

Sevilla (1992-1993)

Newell’s Old Boys (1993)

Maradona was often lined up in midfield but he was so skilful that he was found all over the field. He had remarkable dribbling skills and a deadly free kicker. The Rabona (a football technique) was popularized by him.

At club level, he won an Argentine League title with Boca Juniors in 1981, won the double (La Liga & Copa del Rey) with Barcelona in 1983. It was his years at Napoli that made him into an icon, where he won the only two Scudetti in club history and guiding the team to a UEFA Cup title in 1988-1989. However, it was at international level where Maradona earned his name as a legend and led Argentina to the World Cup in 1986.

Maradona was sensational and a walking tabloid. However, he was a legend in every sense of the word, and his impact on the game is absolutely immeasurable.

Simply put, he was one of the very best players of all time.

Pele - Edson Arantes do Nascimento

1956-1977

Santos (1956-1974)

New York Cosmos (1975-1977)

There are legends, there are icons, and then there’s Pele (this goes to show that no name can describe this man but his very own). Without question, Pele is the greatest player of all time, someone whose talent transcended the game. He is the greatest footballer ever to walk the planet. Well, with so much praise, I may as well just wrap this blog up. What? There’s more … he is a national icon, a global ambassador for the game, and a philanthropist who has used his fame to help those less fortunate than he is.

Pele changed the forward position with his ability of blending his playmaking skills with his deadly shot a great dribbler and passer and had superhuman pace and aerial skills. This allowed him to score 1,281 goals, and these are only the goals that are recognised by FIFA. He scored 77 goals in 92 appearances for Brazil, and scored 589 domestic goals in 605 appearances. When he came out of retirement to play for the Cosmos, he managed to net 31 goals in 56 games, and in the process, turned the Cosmos into an American phenomenon. Pele won three World Cups, out of four, 25 trophies while playing with Santos and a NASL Title with Cosmos. He has a list of individual and lifetime achievement awards which are just too countless to list.

George Best

1963-1984

Manchester United (1963-1974)

Dunstable Town (loan, 1974)

Stockport County (1975)

Cork Celtic (1975-1976)

Los Angeles Aztecs (1976, 1977-1978, 1978-1979)

Fulham (1976-1977)

Fort Lauderdale Strikers (1978-1979)

Hibernian (1979-1980)

San Jose Earthquakes (1980-1981)

Bournemouth (1983)

Brisbane Lions (1983)

Tobermore United (1984)

With a name like “Best” you had to live up to it. Best was one of the best wingers of all time (excuse the pun) owed to his pace and speed. His trickery with the ball won him fans and admirers all around the world, especially women. He was also a deadly goal scorer with 138 goals in 361 appearances for Manchester United, and finishing with 204 in his career for both club and country.

His best years were at Manchester United, where he was seen as a replacement for the late Duncan Edwards (after the Munich Air Disaster) and Best soon set about making his own legend at Old Trafford. He won two League titles in 1966 and 1967, and in 1968, he won a European Cup title and was voted European Player of the Year and Football Writers’ Association Footballer of the Year.

In Northern Ireland, they have a saying there that goes: “Maradona: Good. Pele: Better. George Best.”

Well, that sums it all up, and I hope you noticed that my post goes according to the Northern Ireland saying … “Maradona: Good. Pele: Better. George Best.”

PS. This blog post was more factual than I expected it to be, but a legend’s success is based on facts, and not on an individual’s love for him.