FIFA Woman World Player of the Year 2012 Nominations

Discussion in 'Women's Fans and More' started by ralmcg, Mar 7, 2012.

  1. blissett

    blissett Member+

    Aug 20, 2011
    Italy
    Club:
    --other--
    Nat'l Team:
    --other--
    I guess we can all agree by now that Marta stands no chances this year... :rolleyes:
    Sorry, Marta, but if you wanted your kingdom to last more, you had to do something about it...

    I'd object that Japan has another top-notch player in Miyama, if it wasn't that she's having a so-so tournament 'till now, so my argument is weakened.
    Should Japan win the gold with a Miyama's goal from perfect FK, though, you could have to reconsider that. Are you aware that Aya Miyama finished 4th for and handful-of-votes margin in last year POTY and won AFC Player of the Year?

    Sob, unluckily other continents don't have anything even remotely comparable to WCL. :( What can Sawa do, apart from dominating her quite competitive league with her INAC side? They even won a match vs South Korean national champions, but there's nothing like a WCL in Asia yet... :(

    I admit french players have a lot of visibility for their impressive achievements and, unluckily for my beloved Nadeshiko Japan, I see them very likely win the gold in London...

    I agree that, should USWNT win the gold instead, Wambach could have the most serious shot in her life at winning FIFA POTY.
     
  2. Katreus

    Katreus Member

    Jul 3, 2011
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Right. She has the potential but she doesn't really stand out in her results.

    Two coaches and each chooses the other 10. Was disappointed to see Abily on the bench although not surprised given how Bini's chosen before. :(

    Eh. No. I was surprised to even see Bompastor and Solo last year - but Solo's name recognition is pretty big, I guess, and Bompastor's pretty involved in the attack. Even then, I don't think any of them were near the podium. FIFA always seems to go for the flashy stuff - so forward or midfielder who's scored / assisted on important goals.
     
  3. Romario'sgurl

    Romario'sgurl Member+

    Wakanda FC
    Aug 26, 2000
    Wakanda
    Club:
    FC Ingolstadt 04
    Nat'l Team:
    Ghana
    If Wendi scores in France's next match, as she has done twice already in the tournament, and plays out of her mind in the final(if Monday goes in France's favor), I don't see why she cannot be put into the mix.
     
  4. kool-aide

    kool-aide Member+

    Feb 1, 2002
    a van by the river
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    That didn't help Inka Gings in 2009.
     
  5. skybolt

    skybolt Member

    Dec 16, 2011
    Club:
    Barcelona Guayaquil
    I agree. We can all sit here and argue what's fair and what isn't, but we're not the ones voting. Unfortunately, club soccer in the women's game is not as universally recognozed as the men's game. Messi can have an awful WC, but still win best player of the year award because of his accomplishments with Barcelona. However, if Abby Wambach is the leading scorer in the WPS or Lyon wins the European league, people across the pond are left scartching their heads as to what these achievements mean in context. Right or wrong, people in France may think that that the former WPS had very few games, while people in the US may think that the level of competition overseas isn't very strong. The voting committee recognizes this problem and will continue voting for the most recognizable players in the world that have had many accomplishments in the past.

    Mia Hamm won the award in 2001 and 2002 because of her accomplishments in the 90's and her world recognition as best soccer player. Prinz won the award from 2003 thru 2005 because she was widely regarded as the best female player at the time and a WC to back-up her accomplishments. Then Marta came along and became the women's soccer version of Michael Jordan. Brazil never won the WC or Olympics, but they were always right there at the end in every competition. Homare Sawa won the award last year because again Japan won the WC, she was the leading scorer with 5 goals, and is probably the most popular Asian player to play the game.

    As far as this tournament is concerned, the only 2 players that have a legitimate chance based on how the committee votes are Wambach and Sinclair. Wambach is widely known and has had some great years in the past. If the US wins the next game, then I think she'll be voted best player this year. Same thing with Sinclair if Canada beats the US. She has been a great player for a long time and making the finals of the Olympics would be a huge accomplishment for an underdog team like that. France is a wonderful team, but each game has had a different star rise up to the challenge.....same thing with Japan. Both are great teams, but I can't even pick out who's the best player on each team since a lot of players are candidates.

    The only thing that could throw a wrench into Wambach's and Sinclair's plans is if a rising star like Delie or Morgan can go Mbabi crazy in these next 2 games and score 4 or 5 goals. I personally don't see this happening though.
     
  6. blissett

    blissett Member+

    Aug 20, 2011
    Italy
    Club:
    --other--
    Nat'l Team:
    --other--
    Despite what you said about Japan, I guess you under-estimate inertia, that's a big force instead... Did you notice a trend, with each POTY winning for at least two back-to-back years? :rolleyes:
    Should Japan make the "holy-grail" accomplishment of back-to-back WWC and Olympics (something no women national team ever managed to do), I could see very well Sawa making it by a small margin, even without especially shining in this tournament, just for the inertia of last year POTY + big accomplishment of her NT.
    And if she should go into an assist-goal frenzy in these two last matches, somehow leaving her mark on both, I could see her even easier as 2012 POTY.
    And I dare to say that even Miyama could be a contender, if Japan wins and she makes some meaningful accomplishment in these two matches.
     
  7. kool-aide

    kool-aide Member+

    Feb 1, 2002
    a van by the river
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I agree w/ blissett. If Japan win and either Miyama or Sawa score multiple goals/assists in the semis & finals don't be surprised to see them win.
     
  8. And G

    And G Member+

    Jan 31, 2010
    Club:
    Okayama Yunogo Belle
    So did Miyama get two assists vs France or only one?
     
  9. Area 51

    Area 51 Member+

    Sep 5, 2009
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
    Sinclair hattrick.....if Canada ended up winning I think it would have been a massive boost to her chances.​
     
  10. Batfink

    Batfink Member+

    May 23, 2010
    Attilan
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
    Marta goes missing for more than a season, and her rivals/the other candidates, aren't exactly screaming for attention in 2012.

    I wonder; what happens if Marta disappears for a third year in a row? Without a WPS to grab attention for anybody else outside of Europe, will we finally see a UCL/Euro Championship standout given her dues for once?
     
  11. Romario'sgurl

    Romario'sgurl Member+

    Wakanda FC
    Aug 26, 2000
    Wakanda
    Club:
    FC Ingolstadt 04
    Nat'l Team:
    Ghana
    A few journalists (via twitter) are calling for Alex Morgan to be POY after yesterday's header....:speechless:
     
  12. nsa

    nsa Member+

    New England Revolution
    United States
    Feb 22, 1999
    Notboston, MA
    Club:
    New England Revolution
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    They're just hoping for a date.
     
  13. newsouth

    newsouth Member

    Nov 20, 2010
    Club:
    Santos FC
    Nat'l Team:
    Brazil
    then, they should be posting heather mitts.
     
  14. Ads13

    Ads13 Member

    Aug 10, 2008
    Heather Mitts is married.
     
  15. skybolt

    skybolt Member

    Dec 16, 2011
    Club:
    Barcelona Guayaquil
    After watching the Olympic soccer tournament, here's my take on this subject. I think it's great that countries like Germany, France, Sweden, Japan, etc. have their own professional leagues, but we're fooling ourselves if we believe that the level of talent across the entire league comes anywhere close to the men's game. This is the reason why the voting committee does not heavily weight league play in the women's game as it does in the men's game when choosing the best player of they year. Until the leagues mentioned above are infused with more talented stars from the US, Canada, and other stronger European countries (when they reach that point in 8 to 10 years), we are left with a couple of dozen stars spread out across many teams in one league, while the rest are just average at best. Or in the case of Lyon, we have 8 or 9 national team players stomping on less talented teams that would probably lose 3-0 to a WPSL team like Pali Blues.

    Now if Germany, France or Sweden won the WC or Olympics, I'm sure the committee would consider their league play a bit more when choosing the best player for the year. However, Necib had only 2 assists in this tournament and missed numerous shots. Abily was a sub on a team that didn't get bronze, and Delie disappeared in the last 4 games. Mbabi had a great Algarve Cup, but unfortunately for Germany they weren't in this tournament. Schelin was a non factor in Sweden's last 3 games. If these players were playing in these super leagues back home then they should've done much better against stronger competition here at the Olympics.

    The players that did shine and have always shined were Wambach and Sinclair, and there's no denying that. None of us can sit here and take anything way from these players because they have shined time after time in various leagues and tournaments and deserve to be on a very short list for POTY honors. Until the women's game reaches a point where the elite leagues have the best of the best playing for them (like the men's game with English Premiere, Spanish league, Italian, German, etc.), the voting committee will not feel comfortable giving the award to a player from a super league team stomping on other teams with lesser talent. I would argue and say that the US playing as a football club against countries like Brazil, Canada, Japan, Sweden, etc. in friendlies are facing much toughter competition than these European leagues that are still developing, but still fielding some teams that are no better than the WPSL teams here in the states.
     
    sisterluke and necron99 repped this.
  16. necron99

    necron99 Member

    Oct 17, 2011
    Club:
    Washington Freedom

    I was about the write this same message.
     
  17. 8MaCookies

    8MaCookies Member

    Jan 3, 2012
    Club:
    Arsenal FC
    Your talking about putting them on the short list because of life time achievements and honors. They shouldn't be on the short list because of past honors, it should be what players have done in Club & NT.

    The US playing club football aren't playing against stronger competition than other National teams. The top 7 of the top 8 countries played in either the Algave cup(Japan, Germany, US, Sweden) or the Cyprus cup(France, England, Canada). We US have qualified for Olympics in a region with only 1 solid team and 1 team in the middle. Japan qualified top of their group for Olympic qualifying with N. & S. Korea, China.

    If we look at just the NT schedules they are fairly even. That's why club has to factor into the decision of POTY short list. That's why Sinclair nor Wambach should be on the short list, no club season in competitive league this calender year.

    France, Germany and the rest of Euro played qualifiers for Euro 2013 and friendlies when we only play (US) played friendlies outside of the Algave & Cyprus competitions. Their schedule was just as competitive as ours.



    The women Bundesliga is the best league in terms of competitive balance from top to bottom. The french league isn't far behind, there's 3-4 teams out the 12 that are in the hunt to win the title. Sweden is in the mix. Those leagues are competitive, way more competitive than our WPSL elite or W-league.
     
  18. necron99

    necron99 Member

    Oct 17, 2011
    Club:
    Washington Freedom
    I think that Club play should count. But players should not be left off if they didn't play club. Sinclair and Wambach played much better in the Olympics then the players you listed. The Olympics is highest level of competition that any of these players will have this year. As far as the Euro is concerned, none of the top teams has played another top team yet. They are seeded in seperate groups. France crushing Isreal, Republic of Ireland, Wales, and Scotland, is just the same as the USWNT playing Costa Rica. The fact that Lyon has 11 of 18 French team members, and 9 of 11 main starters tells you something about the quality of the French league. 4 teams including Lyon are probably higher then W-League or WPSL. The rest of them are mid pack in American leagues.

    What Lyon did this year with the treble is great. They played some quality teams in the WCL. But they are an allstar team and each of the players did not have to play as well to win it. When those players played the highest competition in the Olympics, they did not shine.
     
  19. 8MaCookies

    8MaCookies Member

    Jan 3, 2012
    Club:
    Arsenal FC
    Abily and Miyama were both effective during the Olympics. How do we judge the effectiveness of a player? It can't just be based off of goals/assist.

    Reason being, Sinclair(generally) and Wambach play closer to goal, their going to have a higher goal and assist ratio than Abily and Miyama who are farther back in midfield, farther back from goal. For an example, Rooney productivity of goals/assist went down when he was playing CM last season, he was farther away from goal. We Rooney was playing striker or CF/2nd striker had a higher productivity of goal/assist ratio. When he was in mid he was still effective for his team it just wasn't a number found on the stat sheet. Kinda like Xavi, Pirlo, Xavi Alonso, Scholes, Modric they are often the origin of the attack(getting the hockey assist).

    What's your formula?
     
  20. Batfink

    Batfink Member+

    May 23, 2010
    Attilan
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
    o_O Cost Rica would be lucky to gain access to one of the lowest ranks of European Championship qualification, before they could even dream of gaining the opportunity to face France, Germany, etc.. level teams.

    The names don't sound glamorous, and the info on the ranking may look poor, but the standard of Euro qualifying football is substantially better than CONCACAF regional competition, and to simply dismiss it as some CONCACAF level cake walk is honestly very naive.
    Lyon are an allstar team, built to face Europe's other allstar teams. Beyond the national association ties though, France, just like every other national team, has little to do with their strongest club side in regards to how they actually play football.

    One weak performances at an international tournament many of Europe's best may never see again, shouldn't damage the reputation of their achievements this season, but if things stay as they usually do, I doubt anything will be as relevant as the same name recognition which swung votes to players that don't even function within teams any more.

    So in an Olympic year with a few weeks of decent visibility, name recognition has Wambach win with lifetime achievement points, but if this was simply pound for pound quality of play, I would go with Abily, but who's she next to Wambach, right? lol.
     
  21. skybolt

    skybolt Member

    Dec 16, 2011
    Club:
    Barcelona Guayaquil
    2013 will probably be the first year where league play will be a top consideration for best player of the year (especially with no Olympics, WC or a superstar Marta under consideration. With the US league situation in shambles, the European leagues will become even more competitive with North American players, and returning foreigners from the WPS next year.
     
  22. 8MaCookies

    8MaCookies Member

    Jan 3, 2012
    Club:
    Arsenal FC
    There's Euro 2013. If the Olympics and WWC play more of a role than club. Wouldn't Euro 2013 play just as big of a factor?
     
  23. necron99

    necron99 Member

    Oct 17, 2011
    Club:
    Washington Freedom

    Sorry but the score lines show that Isreal is not a strong side. Their score against France, and their scores against lower teams in Europe. I am not saying they are exactly the same as CONCACAF teams. I am saying that it is a cakewalk, and it is. The first rounds of the Euro are not strong achievements for most of the big teams. They are fully expected to win easily, just as the USWNT is expected to win against Costa Rica. I am not saying the expectation of USWNT to always beat Mexico (3rd best in CONCACAF) is the same as France playing Germany, Sweden, England, whoever is officially considered 3rd best in UEFA.

    I never said that Wambach should win it this year. But she should be on the list. I am not even defining criteria. I am saying anyone who sets their criteria to only include women who played club this year is shortsighted. And I am giving my reasons why. I fully believe that those players did great in UEFA and Club. I also fully believe that they hurt their cases with their play in the Olympics. (Not talking about Miyama)

    You are also immediately removing Sinclair because she did not play club. But unlike Marta or any of those other players, she had the single best performance by a woman player ever during this tournament. We can argue about the quality of the USWNT defense right now, but Sinclair scored a hat-trick against the #1 ranked team in the world, the #1 goal-keeper, during the Olympics, in a knockout game. No other player has done that. (No US player did it against say Germany or Norway during the WWC or Olympics in the past). She brought her game when it counted. And you are immediately ignoring that because she didn't spend the winter beating mostly patsies with an all-star team. Sure it is an all-star team built to play Frankfurt or Potsdam, but beside 3 teams in the French league, and those 2, very few games Lyon play are actually competitive.
     
    newsouth jr repped this.
  24. skybolt

    skybolt Member

    Dec 16, 2011
    Club:
    Barcelona Guayaquil
    The reason why I mentioned 2013 as the year where European club play will be a big factor in deciding the POTY is because most of the world class stars (excluding Japan of course) will be competing in those leagues. The voting committee will have no choice but to acknowledge a top scoring European forward who outperforms some of the best players from across the pond (including Sinclair and others). I think Euro 13 will be a good tie breaker between 2 European forwards, but the league play will probably dictate the best player since it includes mostly everyone from around the world. I realize that the league championships will exclude Japanese players, but everyone else will probably be there competing. I also believe that the voting committee will keep voting for forwards until the women's game becomes more established. I don't particularly agree with that, but based on their past history they've stuck with top scoring forwards.
     
  25. mxpbolt959

    mxpbolt959 Member

    Jan 6, 2012
    Club:
    AC Milan
    In WC/Olympic years, performances in those tournaments trump clup displays. Will we take Wambach/Morgan/Solo/Sinclair out of the mix because no WPS? Nah.
    They usually narrow it down to 3 players, and looks like it will be a USWNT clean sweep, although I'd love for Sinclairimovic to get more recognition. For someone who's scored 140 or so goals, she'd been under the radar her whole career...although that might be attributed to Canada's...previous suckiness.
     

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