Soca Warriors Online Discussion Forum
Sports => Football => Topic started by: truetrini on January 07, 2013, 11:18:49 PM
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Lionel Messi wins Ballon d'Or ahead of Ronaldo & Iniesta
Barcelona and Argentina forward Lionel Messi has been awarded the Ballon d'Or for a fourth year running.
Messi, 25, hit 91 goals during 2012 and beat club team-mate Andres Iniesta and Real Madrid's Ronaldo to the trophy.
Despite his goals, the Catalan giants failed to win either the Spanish league title or Champions League last year.
Abby Wambach won the women's award and Vicente del Bosque the coach accolade, while the team of the year was made up only of players from Spain's La Liga.
"Ronaldo and Iniesta would be fitting and worthy winners in any era. This, however, is not any era - it is the Lionel Messi era."
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Messi was announced as the winner of the Ballon d'Or, the award given to the world's best player, during a ceremony held in Zurich on Monday.
He was part of a three-man shortlist for the prize, which is voted for by journalists, and national coaches and captains, alongside midfielder Iniesta and forward Ronaldo.
He becomes the first player to win four consecutive Ballons d'Or, breaking the record he jointly held with former France international, and current Uefa president, Michel Platini.
"To tell you the truth this is really quite unbelievable," said the Argentine. "The fourth award that I have had is just too great for words.
"I would like to recognise my other colleagues from Barcelona. Andres, it has been great to train and play alongside you.
"I would also like to recognise all of my friends in the Argentina national team, everyone that has worked with me, coaches and staff and my family and my friends. Also my wife and my son. Thank you."
Messi - who polled 41.6% of the votes, with Ronaldo taking 23.68% and Iniesta 10.91% - was favourite to win after surpassing Germany striker Gerd Mueller's record of 85 goals in a calendar year from 1972.
He netted 79 goals for Barcelona, plus another 12 for Argentina, in 69 games for club and country.
Fifa world team of the year
Iker Casillas (Real Madrid)
Dani Alves (Barcelona)
Gerard Pique (Barcelona)
Sergio Ramos (Real Madrid)
Marcelo (Real Madrid)
Andres Iniesta (Barcelona)
Xabi Alonso (Real Madrid)
Xavi (Barcelona)
Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid)
Radamel Falcao (Atletico Madrid)
Lionel Messi (Barcelona)
But Real Madrid clinched the Primera Division with a nine-point winning margin over their arch rivals, who were eliminated in the Champions League semi-finals by eventual winners Chelsea.
Messi also featured in the team of the year, which was made up of 10 players from Barca and Real Madrid plus Atletico Madrid striker Radamel Falcao.
USA forward Wambach was named women's world player of the year, the first American to win the award since Mia Hamm in 2002.
Del Bosque and Pia Sundhage collected the men's and women's coaching gongs for their work with Spain and USA respectively.
Real boss Jose Mourinho and Pep Guardiola, who left Barca in May to take a year's sabbatical from the game, finished behind Del Bosque.
At a news conference before the Ballon d'Or ceremony, Guardiola confirmed he plans to return to management next season
The Spaniard, 41, stepped down after winning 14 trophies in four years, including two Champions League crowns and three La Liga titles.
"I will return [next season] because I am young, but I have been living the kind of life that I wanted and one that my family also deserved," said Guardiola, who has relocated to New York with his wife and children.
The Puskas Award for goal of the year went to Fenerbahce's Slovakian striker Miroslav Stoch for his strike against Genclerbirligi in March.
Franz Beckenbauer received the Fifa Presidential Award and Uzbekistan won the fair play accolade for their disciplinary record.
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(http://news.bbcimg.co.uk/media/images/65113000/jpg/_65113357_pele_messi_maradona_final.jpg) (http://usportt.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/Russell-Latapy.jpg)
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...it jes' go to show, that just because yuh is a national team football coach or captain or a football journalist, it doh mean yuh really understand football.....we seeing this with 23.68% of these folks. :devil:
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...it jes' go to show, that just because yuh is a national team football coach or captain or a football journalist, it doh mean yuh really understand football.....we seeing this with 23.68% of these folks. :devil:
Hey some people like Beyonce and some like Alicia Keys.
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...it jes' go to show, that just because yuh is a national team football coach or captain or a football journalist, it doh mean yuh really understand football.....we seeing this with 23.68% of these folks. :devil:
Hey some people like Beyonce and some like Alicia Keys.
some people like both ah dem.
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...it jes' go to show, that just because yuh is a national team football coach or captain or a football journalist, it doh mean yuh really understand football.....we seeing this with 23.68% of these folks. :devil:
Hey some people like Beyonce and some like Alicia Keys.
some people like both ah dem.
Tru dat.
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nice video from adidas celebrating messi.
http://www.youtube.com/v/tyfqX77QAmQ
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Iniesta is such a humble baller, one of those ballers you can simply spend money to watch train. He makes the game look so simple, always seems to make the right decisions and pops up with big game winning goals. Not to mention he does hit some man some stink beat, on the line. What us old timers use to call inch. :notworthy:
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Dat second goal is de one where he leave van der saar and c**t-mouth hapless and helpless in de CL Final after "critics" was sayin' he was "not a good header of the ball" (laughable, even before he did score dat goal) and the third one was de nastiness he do to almunia and arsenal in de CL knockout stage.....de first one, ah cyah make out....but dem other two sweet enough fuh me. :devil: I eh care who he score it against. ;D
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Iniesta is such a humble baller, one of those ballers you can simply spend money to watch train. He makes the game look so simple, always seems to make the right decisions and pops up with big game winning goals. Not to mention he does hit some man some stink beat, on the line. What us old timers use to call inch. :notworthy:
dem is some of the things that separates Iniesta, Xavi and Messi, for me, from players like christiana ronaldo....I actually used to like de boy until I watch what he about....not my type of player at all....Iniesta, Messi, Xavi, Seedorf, Ronaldinho and dem, and men like Leonardo, (used to play for Brazil and AC Milan) yuh right, I would pay to watch dem men train, much less to play competitively
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...it jes' go to show, that just because yuh is a national team football coach or captain or a football journalist, it doh mean yuh really understand football.....we seeing this with 23.68% of these folks. :devil:
Some people prefer Coke (Ronaldo) 23.68% over Pepsi (Messi) or Addidas (Messi) over Nike (Ronaldo) 23.68% ;)
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I was a little surprised in the X1 that Pirlo did not make the selection. He was brilliant for Juventus & for Italy in the Euro.
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Pep blanks Ronaldo :o
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sport/football/article-2259690/Cristiano-Ronaldo-snubbed-Pep-Guardiola-Ballon-dOr.html
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http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/soccer-dirty-tackle/cristiano-ronaldo-congratulates-lionel-messi-winning-fourth-ballon-231316746--sow.html (http://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/soccer-dirty-tackle/cristiano-ronaldo-congratulates-lionel-messi-winning-fourth-ballon-231316746--sow.html)
Cristiano Ronaldo congratulates Lionel Messi on winning his fourth Ballon d’Or
Dear Lionel,
I am writing you this note to offer my congratulations on winning the Ballon d'Or. Again. As you can see by the look on my face, I am very happy for you. Please forgive me for not congratulating you at the gala, but since I am so tall and statuesque and you are so tiny and maintain terrible posture, I couldn't find you in the crowd. Also, since someone played a joke on you by telling you to wear that garish spotted jacket and tie, I didn't want to keep you from getting home and changing your clothes as fast as you possibly could. That's how thoughtful I am.
It was another tremendous year for me, and, supposedly, for you as well. You had to set a world record in order to score more goals than me. Of course, smart people know that team accomplishments are far more important than personal achievements and I helped my club to win La Liga in 2012 whereas you only helped your club win the Copa del Rey. The year my club only won the Copa del Rey, I did not win the Ballon d'Or. I suppose this just shows that voters hold me to a higher standard than you.
Anyway, you have now won the Ballon d'Or a record four times in row. I guess you're happy about that. Yet, Andy Gray, England's most respected sexist broadcaster, has questioned whether you could play well on a cold night in Stoke. After all, you have only won titles for one club, whereas I have won titles for clubs in La Liga and the Premier League. But very few players have the physical talent and mental strength to prove themselves on different teams and in different leagues, so you should only feel a little bit bad about that.
People are always trying to compare you and I, but there really is no comparison. Yes, we were both named after Americans -- I was named after Ronald Reagan, a talented actor and two-term president, whereas you were named after Lionel Richie, a man who sang about dancing on the ceiling. Which is both impossible and patently ridiculous. I impregnated a woman and created a child in 2010, but it took you until 2012 to figure out how to do those things. I grew tall and strong naturally and you needed enough growth hormones to make even Lance Armstrong feel guilty in order to be neither of those things. Also, I wear proper tuxedos to formal events while you wear a suit made out of clown pants. So comparing us is both silly and unfair.
In conclusion, I congratulate you, Leo. But remember: No matter how many Ballon d'Or awards you win, I still won it first.
Confidently yours,
Cristiano Ronaldo
P.S. My apologies for writing this letter in English, one of several languages I am able to speak, when I know you only speak Spanish. Maybe Gerard Pique will translate it for you.
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;D didn't realize chrissy could be so...munificent....in defeat
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Is this award about goals or archivements ?
Because Barcelona and Argentina won no silverware in 2012.
How could Lionel Messi win?
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I think people gets tie up about achievement and/or performance. Messi, his club and country may not have won any silverware, but his performance on the field is on par or above par with anybody. The guy is just phenomenal. What is there to have misgivings about. Yes he is sorrounded by extraordinary good players. But that is how the dice rolls sometimes. So you all think he should show how good he is and go and play with Sc**thorpe!!!!. F00k allyuh we, as Sam does say sometimes. Plus the guy is hardly contoversial. This guy does perform, punto final. All Hail the lil man from Argentina. You should hear the superlative and accolades Ray Hudson(an Englishman, No offence FS) heap on Messi when he is commentating Barsa's games. It is totally hilarious. He adores Messi.
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http://www.youtube.com/v/kqLbgfBcu9E
Apologies if posted previously.
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Ronaldo named Ballon d'Or winner (http://espnfc.com/news/story/_/id/1680105/cristiano-ronaldo-named-ballon-dor-winner?cc=5901)
(http://soccernet-assets.espn.go.com/design05/images/2014/0113/cristianoronaldotearsballond'or20140113_275x155.jpg)
Cristiano Ronaldo
Cristiano Ronaldo has won the Ballon d'Or after a stunning year that saw him net an astonishing 69 goals in 59 games.
The Real Madrid talisman's achievements saw him surpass Hugo Sanchez in his club's scoring charts and equal Portugal legend Pauleta at the top of his country's list with 47 in 109 games.
Fourteen of his goals came in the Champions League as Madrid reached the semifinals before being beaten by Borussia Dortmund -- and that total eclipsed the record of 13 achieved in the season before by the shortlisted Lionel Messi.
His 2013 goal tally has overshadowed those of his two Ballon d'Or rivals, Messi and Franck Ribery, and he is the top scorer in all of Europe's biggest leagues.
Ronaldo, accompanied by Florentino Perez, Zinedine Zidane, Emilio Butragueno and Sergio Ramos, flew to the Zurich ceremony from Madrid after training on Monday morning. Speaking as he received the award, a tearful Ronaldo said: "Thank you to everyone, my teammates, the national team and my family, to everyone here. Eusebio and Mandela were very important for me, I can't speak."
Meanwhile, the other awards were also presented:
FIFA Women’s World Player of the Year: Nadine Angerer
FIFA Men’s Football Coach of the Year: Jupp Heynckes
FIFA Women’s Football Coach of the Year: Silvia Neid
FIFA Presidential Award: Jacque Rogge
FIFA Fair Play Award: Afghanistan Football Federation
FIFA Puskas Award: Zlatan Ibrahimovic - Sweden v England
Ballon d'Or Prix d'Honneur: Pele
FIFA/FIFPro World XI:
Goalkeeper: Manuel Neuer – Bayern Munich
Defender: Philipp Lahm – Bayern Munich
Defender: Sergio Ramos – Real Madrid
Defender: Thiago Silva – PSG
Defender: Dani Alves – FC Barcelona
Midfielder: Andres Iniesta – FC Barcelona
Midfielder: Xavi Hernandez – FC Barcelona
Midfielder: Franck Ribery – Bayern Munich
Forward: Cristiano Ronaldo – Real Madrd
Forward: Zlatan Ibrahimovic – PSG
Forward: Lionel Messi – FC Barcelona
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DAMN! Not a single EPL (or BPL) player mek de World XI?
Shame :-[ :devil:
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But Ronaldo eh win no trophy last year, wheras Ribery won everything. ???
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Well deserved!!
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Well deserved!!
On what merit?
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Well deserved!!
On what merit?
You REALLY have to ask that? 69 goals in 59 games is near unheard of dude.
I not no Ronaldo fan (not the Portugese one anyway), but give respeck where it due.
I think what clinched it for him was that performance for Portugal in the Playoff against Sweden where he pull a quasi Maradona and almost single handedly won them took them to the World Cup.
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-Bundesliga title
-UEFA Champions League
-DFB Pokal (German Cup)
-UEFA Super Cup
-FIFA Club World Cup.
-French player of the year
-Bundesliga player of the year
-Uefa player of the year
-Uefa super cup man of the match
-Club world cup Golden Ball
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Well deserved!!
On what merit?
You REALLY have to ask that? 69 goals in 59 games is near unheard of dude.
I not no Ronaldo fan (not the Portugese one anyway), but give respeck where it due.
I think what clinched it for him was that performance for Portugal in the Playoff against Sweden where he pull a quasi Maradona and almost single handedly won them took them to the World Cup.
Maybe this may open your eyes to why some people believe he is not deserving of it...
Why Cristiano Ronaldo's Ballon D'Or Sends the Wrong Message
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1875328-why-cristiano-ronaldos-ballon-dor-sends-the-wrong-message
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Kenwyne Jones and Stephen Hart both voted as follows:
1. Cristiano Ronaldo
2. Franck Ribery
3. Lionel Messi
Lasana Liburd's media vote was:
1. Lionel Messi
2. Phillip Lahm
3. Neymar
See comprehensive list here.
http://www.fifa.com/mm/document/ballond%27or/playeroftheyear%28men%29/02/26/02/68/fboaward_menplayer2013_neutral.pdf
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Well deserved!!
On what merit?
You REALLY have to ask that? 69 goals in 59 games is near unheard of dude.
I not no Ronaldo fan (not the Portugese one anyway), but give respeck where it due.
I think what clinched it for him was that performance for Portugal in the Playoff against Sweden where he pull a quasi Maradona and almost single handedly won them took them to the World Cup.
Maybe this may open your eyes to why some people believe he is not deserving of it...
Why Cristiano Ronaldo's Ballon D'Or Sends the Wrong Message
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/1875328-why-cristiano-ronaldos-ballon-dor-sends-the-wrong-message
It's weird how the one World player award he wins in recent years after a stellar goal scoring calendar brings out so many naysayers. I am willing to bet most would have had very little to say had Messi won it again though. Leave de damn man alone already, he won an iz dat!
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Kenwyne Jones and Stephen Hart both voted as follows:
1. Cristiano Ronaldo
2. Franck Ribery
3. Lionel Messi
Lasana Liburd's media vote was:
1. Lionel Messi
2. Phillip Lahm
3. Neymar
See comprehensive list here.
http://www.fifa.com/mm/document/ballond%27or/playeroftheyear%28men%29/02/26/02/68/fboaward_menplayer2013_neutral.pdf
Well, 2 things ketch meh eye ...
1. Messi voted a straight Barca ticket :rotfl: and Ronaldo pull a smart man too.
2. Fatih Terim vote went fuh a player he wished he could have had ... Mesut Ozil.
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Look at how many first place votes Messi got!!! Just goes to show that for many this thing is ah f**kin papishow caw is no way Messi deserve any 1st place votes for 2013. Ribery I can understand the argument for but Messi jedd?! And people ha de nerve to grudge CR he award? Unfakkinbelievable!!!
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Cristiano Ronaldo: Real Madrid star's journey to the Ballon d'Or
http://www.bbc.com/sport/0/football/25719657
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According to FIFA:
Based on his 59 goals in 2013 and estimated annual salary of €17 million, CR7's goals cost Real Madrid €288,135 apiece. Means he offered the best value for money of all three Ballon d’Or finalists, beating the per-goal prices posted by Lionel Messi (€410,256) and Franck Ribery (€718,750 Euro.