top five players

[Hendrixforpope]

C. Ronaldo was/is the best player in the world THIS season. That much I will say.

[Teso Dos Bichos]

Kaka was the best last season, he proved it in the CL semi-finals.

So he proved it over two games against an injury hit defense? Give me a break. At least Brazilian Ronaldo got it on the basis of more games when he was ludicrously awarded his last one... Kaka is a very good player but he has had a poor couple of season. You can blame some of that on Kaka himself, some on injuries and some on his team. Either way he was not at his best, not even in the CL. I've always advocated basing decisions on everything and not just on a handful of select games but we all know that the award does not work like that which is precisely why it is a joke and should not be taken seriously by any sane person. Ronaldo winning it would be the first time since Rivaldo in 1999 that the award went to the legitimate 'winner'.

True, but they both had some of the worlds best defenders and defensive mids keying on them. Still, I agree it was dissapointing. I expected both Ronaldo and Messi to do more.

At least Messi has a bit of an excuse, he's just getting back in football shape.

It was a disappointing spectacle but I have witnessed so many disappointing exits when we have went out to attack and often been the 'better' team. I might not agree with what Ferguson did but it got the result. I'm also not surprised that certain attacking players failed to shine when you consider the way the game was approached. Ronaldo played the team game well and he deserves credit for that instead of the usual ignorant complaints. The guy can never win it seems.

[Hendrixforpope]

The Champions' League is about clutch; who can step it up in the big games. Ronaldo just wasn't clutch enough last season. Kaka was.

Who deserved the WPOTY more than Ronaldinho in 2005?

[Teso Dos Bichos]

Last time I checked it was not entitled 'World Clutch Player of the Year Award'. Riquelme regularly outperformed Ronaldinho in La Liga so he is one more deserving player. The likes of Eto'o, Henry, etc could also be added to the list.

[Hendrixforpope]

Last time I checked it was not entitled 'World Clutch Player of the Year Award'. Riquelme regularly outperformed Ronaldinho in La Liga so he is one more deserving player. The likes of Eto'o, Henry, etc could also be added to the list.

Great players are clutch.

Riquelme was no better than Dinho in '05/'06. Barca, with help from Dinho, were La Liga AND CL champions in '05/'06. That is one of the reasons he was elevated over the likes of Roman and Henry.

[Perú FC]

Server issues
Mmm... I see.

Not God-like, and certainly not Maradona-like, but he scored more goals than all the forwards in the top leagues (I am not counting Huntelaar in this), and he's been a key player for a team that is in position to win both the EPL and champions league, so it's hard to argue that he's not clearly the dominant player this season.
Exactly.

The Champions' League is about clutch; who can step it up in the big games. Ronaldo just wasn't clutch enough last season. Kaka was.
Wasn't only a good performance in Champions League Semifinals. I'm disagree with Teso Dos Bichos and I think Kaká had a great season in 2006/2007, in spite of the weary performance of AC Milan and enough to consider him over Cristiano Ronaldo.

Now, I think the Portuguese is clearly the best of this season, not for me the last two obviously, but definitely yes this.

It was a disappointing spectacle but I have witnessed so many disappointing exits when we have went out to attack and often been the 'better' team. I might not agree with what Ferguson did but it got the result. I'm also not surprised that certain attacking players failed to shine when you consider the way the game was approached. Ronaldo played the team game well and he deserves credit for that instead of the usual ignorant complaints. The guy can never win it seems.
I'm agree.

[argentine soccer fan]

Great players are clutch.

Riquelme was no better than Dinho in '05/'06. Barca, with help from Dinho, were La Liga AND CL champions in '05/'06. That is one of the reasons he was elevated over the likes of Roman and Henry.

It's because he missed that penalty in the semis and it eliminated his club. It was a defining moment for the voters who don't follow him every match. If he made that he probably would have won player of the year. I'm a big fan, so maybe I'm a bit biased, but I think he was the one playing the best football that year.

Now imagine if the penalty Ronaldo missed last week had come in the last minute of the 2nd game and had cost his team the place in the final. Would that have jeopardized his chances to win it this year, in your view?

[Teso Dos Bichos]

Great players are clutch.

Riquelme was no better than Dinho in '05/'06. Barca, with help from Dinho, were La Liga AND CL champions in '05/'06. That is one of the reasons he was elevated over the likes of Roman and Henry.

Shit players can be clutch. It's irrelevant if you are not up to the required standard for the rest of the season and in every competition. Unfortunately the awards discount the latter and work almost entirely on the former. :rolleyes:

I'll leave asf to deal with the rest.

[NickyViola]

How anyone can not have Toni in the Top 5 is really beyond me. He's the best forward in the world and he has been for some time now.

[Kulspruta]

A player only gets to play against the very best opposition about 6 times a year in the league, plus some cup and CL games. The other 30 or so games in the league are played against mid-table teams and relegation battlers. Teso, you always say players from South America can't be judged amongst the best because they don't play against top opposition, so why shouldn't this same reasoning be applied to Cristiano Ronaldo? That's why the clutch games are important.

[erick]

How anyone can not have Toni in the Top 5 is really beyond me. He's the best forward in the world and he has been for some time now.

he is good but other players are ahead of him.

[NickyViola]

Yeah, I saw that you rate Torres higher than Toni. I threw up in my mouth a little bit when I read that.

[erick]

Yeah, I saw that you rate Torres higher than Toni. I threw up in my mouth a little bit when I read that.


torres is better then him

[NickyViola]

There you go again. Thanks.

I guess that we could get in a big debate over it but since the only way you could say that would be that you have not watched Toni much, I'm thinking the debate would be pointless.

[erick]

There you go again. Thanks.

I guess that we could get in a big debate over it but since the only way you could say that would be that you have not watched Toni much, I'm thinking the debate would be pointless.
www.youtube.com/watch?v=_eftv_uVZww (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_eftv_uVZww)

www.youtube.com/watch?v=KhKSewWtyUQ (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KhKSewWtyUQ)

www.metacafe.com/watch/798030/torres_goal_vs_derby/

[NickyViola]

C'mon man... Just further evidence that you have not watched Toni for, if you had, you'd realize how unconvincing that is.

I think Torres is a dynamite player and I'm sure that he has a longer career ahead of him than Toni but no one who has watched them both over the last 3 years would pick Torres over Toni for one match. No one.

It's ok to just say that you don't watch the Bundesliga or Serie A much and just say that you really think Torres is da bomb (or whatever you kids are saying these days) and cannot imagine anyone being better than him. But to say that Torres is better than Toni is really absurd.

[erick]

C'mon man... Just further evidence that you have not watched Toni for, if you had, you'd realize how unconvincing that is.

I think Torres is a dynamite player and I'm sure that he has a longer career ahead of him than Toni but no one who has watched them both over the last 3 years would pick Torres over Toni for one match. No one.

It's ok to just say that you don't watch the Bundesliga or Serie A much and just say that you really think Torres is da bomb (or whatever you kids are saying these days) and cannot imagine anyone being better than him. But to say that Torres is better than Toni is really absurd.

tell me please is toni's team in the uefa cl

[bosterosoy]

tell me please is toni's team in the uefa cl

tell me please what that has to do with anything?

[erick]

tell me please what that has to do with anything?

is not only the skill of the player but also if the team is doing good. same case with kaka

[bosterosoy]

well last time I checked Bayern is doing incredibly well. dominating the Bundesliga, in position to win the UEFA and one of the favorites to win the CL next year. Easily a top 5 team in Europe IMO