2022 Women's Ballon d'OR short list

Trinity Rodman has a future, but her being on this list shows the list is ridiculous.

 

I don't mind shortlisting Lucy Bronze, but it's true that Keira Walsh should have been there too.

Also, if there was an English CB that had to be shortlisted, the name was Leah Williamson and not Millie Bright. I am aware that at club level Chelsea did marginally better than Arsenal by winning the domestic title (although by a single point, if I remember well), but on the other hand Chelsea crashed out of the Champions' League at group stage, while Arsenal at least reached the quarter-finals.

 

No, I disagree on Williamson vs Bright. Bright had the better club season even with Chelsea crashing out at the group stages, and she had the better Euros in my opinion. (Edit: Also, didn't Arsenal reach the quarter-finals on the back of a single GD advantage, losing big on the final matchday as well? Pretty equivalent to Chelsea just beating them to the league title in my opinion.)

I also disagree with Bronze's statement. It's fine to praise Walsh, but I just can't not look at it as a serious disservice to Mead and the season she put together at club level and the international level. Mead is hands down the first English player deserving of a Ballon d'Or nomination this year. I didn't think Hemp had a great Euros, but I'd have nominated her ahead of Walsh as well for the very good season she had at City. I mean I'm not going to fault someone for hyping up their partner like that, but I definitely disagree with Bronze.

 

The 2022 award is based on the 2021-2022 UEFA calendar, right? That includes the Spirit's undefeated end of the season + run to the championship, which she (and Sanchez) were the absolute stars, so I don't think it's ridiculous at all - not to mention including the 2022 Challenge Cup where she was very prominent as well as the Spirit made another final. She's also currently still one of the top 3 players this regular season by overall stats, (specifically her, Smith, & Pugh,) even if the Spirit are struggling right now.

 

For me this year, nobody really deserves this award.
However my choice *could* be 1- Aitana 2- Popp 3- Renard

Le ballon d'or, chut, ne pas le réveiller...

 

They should give it to Macario.

2021/22 season:

Lyon - 33 caps / 22 goals ( 13/9 in UWCL)
USWNT - ?? caps / 7 goals

D1, UWCL and CONCACAF Champion.

 

Macario injured before concacaf 2022

Renard D1, UWCL, semi-final euro
Bonmati Liga, final UWCL, good euro
Popp Bundesliga, semi final UWCL, very good euro

 

Forgot about that... so she missed CONCACAF....

Popp was injuried for much of the 21/22 season
9 caps in BL (2 goals) + 4 in UWCL (2 goals)

Renard had average league season 16 caps 2 goals, UWCL 7 caps 3 goals
not listed Kumagai had 21 caps and 5 goals for Bayern in BL and in UWCL 8 caps 2 goals

Bonmati or Putellas both look good for the prize if not for their overhyped stats that were made in huge portion from beating La Liga's 12-16 ranked teams (minnows, 60+ goals conceded by each of those teams).

 

2. Beth Mead - (ENG / Arsenal)
3. Sam Kerr - (AUS / Chelsea)
4. Lena Oberdorf - (GER / Wolfsburg)
5. Aitana Bonmatí - (ESP / Barcelona)
6. Alex Popp - (GER / Wolfsburg)
7. Ada Hegerberg - (NOR / Lyon)
8. Wendie Renard - (FRA / Lyon)
9. Catarina Macario - (USA / Lyon)
10. Lucy Bronze - (ENG / Lyon)
11. Vivianne Miedema - (NED / Arsenal)
12. Christiane Endler - (CHI / Lyon)
13. Alex Morgan - (USA - San Diego Wave FC)
14. Selma Bacha - (FRA / Lyon)
15. Millie Bright - (ENG / Chelsea)
16. Asisat Oshoala - (NGA / Barcelona)
17. Marie-Antoinette Katoto - (FRA / PSG)
18. Trinity Rodman - (USA / Washington Spirit)
19. Fridolina Rolfo - (SWE / Barcelona)
20. Kadidiatou Diani - (FRA / PSG)

Sam Kerr in top 5

Where is Ayaka Yamashita? Saki Kumagai? Wang Shuang? Li Mengwen? Ewa Pajor?

 

And why shouldn't she be? Once again the top scorer in the FAWSL for the 21-22 season, top scorer for the AFC Women's Asian Cup despite Australia's early exit, and great personal showings at both the Olympics and the UWCL.

 

I agree with SiberianThunderT regarding Kerr; I'm not sure what's laughable about Kerr being in the top 5.

Li Mengwen? The right back at PSG right now? She was decent in her half of action at the weekend vs Dijon, but she's not looked like an elite full back from what I've seen so far. I mean we should be asking where Karchaoui and Lawrence are (PSG's elite full backs) before asking where Li Mengwen is.

 

Don't get me wrong she is an outstadnig player but not top 5 in my book (unless FIFA 23 cover counts ). How was her season better from Macario's then?

Elitism depends on the eye of the beholder, and the best "observers" are soccer scouts. If PSG scouts say that Asian Champion Li Mengwen is cut from the same cloth as Paulina Dudek and Amanda Ilestedt, I would believe them.
Especially when she has played as CB at Jiangsu in CWSL (and partially in NT - setup with 3 at the back) but still is versatile enough to double as a wing back. (btw. she switched from track and field - 400m, at age 11)

 

I guess FF didn't know about GK Ayaka Yamashita (INAC Kobe) either...

Her consecutive run without conceding a goal at INAC:
24 Apr 2021 - 14 Nov 2021 (205 days)
13 clean sheets in WE League (since Sep 2021) + 1 in WE League Cup + 5 in JPN WNT

...and where are the Brazilians?
Bia Zaneratto, Jheniffer, Adriana, Debinha...

 

Is it PSG scouts or just the PSG coach calling in a couple loans for players he liked from his time in the Chinese league? Li Mengwen is obviously in the top tier of Chinese players, but we're talking about the top 20 worldwide players. Karchaoui and Lawrence are obviously valued more by Precheur, and I have no doubt they're rated more highly by the vast majority of people. Those two aren't in the top 20 either.

 

BS vote. Mead should have won it. These votes are not be taken seriously. Putellas is an excellent player but absoutely over-hyped because of Barca's dominance.

 

If Mead had stood out in every knockout match at the Euros, I'd think she definitely should have won it, but her Spain and Germany performances didn't do much in her favor. (She was superb vs Sweden.)

I think Putellas is a worthy winner, but yes, I also think she is overhyped. Bonmati is probably a bit overhyped thanks to Barcelona's dominance as well, but I rate her quite a lot and think she's as critical to Barcelona as Putellas is.

 

Hasn't Putellas been out injured for the last few/several months? Hell, I could play midfield for that Barca group...............................................................almost.

 

Considering that the time frame of the award ended several months ago IIRC, a recent injury wouldn't be a knock against her.

 

Agree.
Or even better than MA Katoto ? (only 17th at the ballondor)
Katoto, Once again the top scorer of the D1 Arjéma for 2021-2022 season, and playing the semi final UWCL against the champion OL

Kerr is rarely decisive in the big or important matches :
- She wasn't able to help her team to advance in quarter at the UWCL, not be able to score against Juventus, scoring only one against WOB (compare to Katoto who scored 3 against Real, 2 against Bayern, and 2 against OL, much better no ?)
(so where are her great personal showings at UWCL, don't see it ??)
- She also failed against South Korea in the quarter of AFC asian cup 2022, no goal. Yes she has been the best scorer of this cup, with 7 goals but 5 against Indonesia, likely the weakest team of this cup. Indonesia lost by 0-18 against Australia...)

Well, third at ballondor, laughable for me...

 

I'm honestly (positively) surprised how highly rated Oberdorf appears to be already considering her age. Bacha getting a mention is also nice. In general such votes are often too limited in scope so no surprise about the complete lack of representation outside the seeming "big nations".

 

Caroline Graham Hansen, anyone? Not on the shortlist. To have four Barcelona players nominated and not her is ridiculous.

 

No Lyon 's player in the top 5 is a shame :-((
The women 's champion league therefore has absolutely no value
Disgusted