AND MERENGUE You keep goin on about this fall but it isn't player of the "fall" its player of the year!
Basing a keeper's value based solely on clean sheets is like trying to judge the value of a Colorado Rockies pitcher based on his ERA.
Yes it is so a player's contributions in the spring AND fall should matter. Of course a World Cup contribution should also be factored in. That's what makes picking a candidate so tough this year. There were some players who had great World Cups but didn't do well with their clubs and vice versa. If Raul can pick up his play in the next month he'd be my choice otherwise I wouldn't be surprised to see Roberto Carlos take the prize as he won both the Champion's League and the World Cup.
Matt Jansen, for being in a coma in the summer after a nasty motorbike accident, nearly dying, and coming back to 1st team football in record time. Or, if you want a more conventional choice, Robbie Carlos, because he did win both the European Cup and the World cup, Didi Hamann for being a key player for both cub and country or maybe ZZ, as he did win the European cup. I'd put ZZ last out of the three, as he didn't get the chance to do anything in the world cup.
Maybe Zidane proved his worth by missing the World Cup? With him France were one of the favorites but without him, except for his injured appearance v Denmark, the defending champs not only didn't win a match but they didn't even score a goal! What better way to determine a player's worth than how they do with and without him? I'd still rate Zidane as the best player of 2002. But look out as next year's winner may be Pablo Aimar of Valencia and Argentina. In the new season which began this fall he may be the best player in Europe.
Football Italia If this is true it is sad. It shows that all of the international managers only watch football one month out of the year. And Ballack doesn't even finish in the top three! What a joke.
Good point about ZZ, but I'm not sure about Aimar. Argentina were (thankfully) disappointing in the world cup. I can't comment on his contribution to Valencia's cause in the 2001-2 season, as I have no idea.
It's about time to honour a goalkeeper now. I believe no keeper has received the award since Lev Yashin some 40 years ago. This is a perfect opportunity. Oliver Kahn had a superb World Cup guiding a poor German team much further than they deserved. Throughout the season he was consistent and reliable for Bayern as well.
Re: Re: Fifa World Player of the Year - 2002 In my opinion, Ronaldinho is better than Dioif. He can cross, dribble and run, and of course score goals from all sors of plays like free play, free kick and penalty kicks.
I think seriously, Ferdinand, Raul, and Kahn should all be in the running. How's Vieri's play been lately?
Look at it this way to keep about 8 clean sheets in a season is good but to keep 24 out of 38 league games is quite frankly unbelievable. I know this is only a statistic but when you see the saves Dudek made last year you'll know what I'm on about
In what way was the German side poor. Ballack and Hamann were amazing in midfield for the Germans as was Klose upfront, who lets face it played out of his skin. Their defence was solid and the team played consistent football throughout the tournament without the likes of Deisler,Babbel and Scholl. People seem to think that just because the germans were possibly the worst german side ever when they lost 5-1 to england in munich that they are still poor are very much mistaken...........Times change
This German side was really poor compared to what the Germans have sent to World Cups in earlier years. They missed keyplayers as you said and quite frankly had an awful Euro 2000 prior to that (bottom of the group if I remember correctly). Then the humiliation 5-1 in Munich. There has been a drought of talent in German football in recent years and they know it. Especially up front were the Germans weaker than ever. Beckenbauer himself said throughout the tournament what an overachieving bunch of players his countrymen were as the team stumbled past hurdle after hurdle. Only Oliver Kahn played like a World Cup winner, he said.
except for the part when he dropped the ball and lost the world cup for the germans that is. Kahn did have a good world cup no doubt about that but the germans got to the final and not just by luck its because they have quality and effective players maybe they aren't as good as german sides in previous world cups but they weren't in the 98' and 94' final and these were better teams you say. When euro 2000 came along the german side was useless and over the hill but all credit it to them they have rebuilt a great side capable of beating most national teams. players like kahn,worns,zeige,babbel(when he returns to internationals)metzelder,ballack,jeremies,hamman,scholl,neuville,asasamoah and ramelow are good players not to be taken lightly would you not agree.
FIFA Narrows List To 3 FIFA has announced that the finalists for the FIFA player of the year are Kahn, Ronaldo and Zidane. It will be interesting to see if the France Football vote for European player of the year goes along similar lines, or if like last year, a different winner will emerge. Not sure when the France Football award will be given out but the FIFA one will be awarded on 17 December. Kahn has a legitimate chance to win this award. Ordinarily you'd say a goalkeeper stands little, if no chance, to win but when nobody else has stod out then that opens the door for someone like Kahn to sneak in and take the prize.
All 3 players either had not the best performance in the World Cup or a less than perfect performance on the club scene. That being said, I would have to give it to Kahn. Ronaldo hasn't done much on the club scene or internationally before the World Cup or since. Zidane was disappointing in the World Cup but played great before it but not since it. It should go to a more consistent player like Rustu or Pires who was great before his injury and still it. Still they should more nominations. I mean Senegal came out of nowhere to do in the World Cup and in the African Nations' Cup. Still not the best 3 picks but there was no clear cut winner like there has been before.