FIFA Ballon d’Or 2010 Contenders

FIFA and Ballon d’Or have recently merged and the world’s best player for 2010 will be awarded the FIFA Ballon d’Or. From here on, there will no longer be a FIFA World Player of the Year and a separate winner for France Football’s Ballon d’Or.

Ballon d’Or or The Golden Ball, often referred to as the European Footballer of the Year, is the annual award presented to the association football player who is considered to be the best performer for the previous calendar year. When it was started by the chief magazine writer of France Football in 1956, it only voted on European football players and journalists selected the winner. So Pele though considered to be one of the best football player was never considered for this award. It was only in 1995 when the rules were changed. Non-European players are eligible only if they are playing for European football clubs. In 2007, the rules were changed again to allow any player of any nationality and wearing any teamwear of any club around the world to be nominated. Of course, this move also increased the number of voting journalists from 52 European based journalists to 96 journalists from around the world.

On the other hand, the FIFA World Player of the year is also an association football award given annually to the best male and female player based on the votes of the coaches and captains of international teams.

Recently, FIFA announced the shortlist for the prestigious Ballon d’Or, World Coach of the Year and other awards which will be announced on January 10, 2011 in Zurich. As you might notice on the list below, it is dominated by those who shone in the recent FIFA 2010 World Cup. Most of the names come from the winner Spain and semi-finalists Germany and Netherlands.

The contenders are:

Xabi Alonso (Spain)		Dani Alves (Brazil)
Iker Casillas (Spain)		Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal)
Didier Drogba (Ivory Coast)		Samuel Eto'o (Cameroon)
Cesc Fabregas (Spain)		Asamoah Gyan (Ghana)
Julio Cesar (Brazil)		Miroslav Klose (Germany)
Philipp Lahm (Germany)		Maicon (Brazil)
Thomas Mueller (Germany)		Arjen Robben (Netherlands)
Bastian Schweinsteiger (Germany)		David Villa (Spain)
Xavi (Spain)		Carles Puyol (Spain)
Andres Iniesta (Spain)		Diego Forlan (Uruguay)
Lionel Messi (Argentina)		Mesut Oezil (Germany)
Wesley Sneijder (Netherlands)

A Perfect Start for the Defending Champions

For the season’s opener in the west, Kobe Bryant welcomed new teammate Steve Blake with a two-word order: Be Ready. And boy was Blake ready to show Bryant he can be an asset to his new team, which he did with the 3-pointer with less than 19 seconds to go and gave Lakers the lead.

It has been said that Kobe’s competitiveness can swallow opponents and teammates alike with a stubbornness that’s equally matched. But, I think he is starting to realize that he can’t win the championship alone, especially as he is getting older. The will to win might be great but it’s becoming obvious that his body is starting to have a mind of his own. And when he rifled a pass to Blake, everybody knew it was not an ordinary assist. For one, it is known that there are Lakers who have worn their teamwear for the entire season without winning Kobe’s trust. So, Blake knew that pass was special; it was a big moment for him because it was a sign that Kobe trusted him despite his being new. And Blake certainly acknowledged that trust and made sure it was not unwarranted. It may have been just one shot, but it definitely showed Kobe is willing to let go and assist, and whatever else is needed for the team. And this win certainly showed Kobe that his new teammate Blake along with a determined Shannon Brown are assets to the team.

The crucial moment when Kobe passed the ball to Blake who was positioned perfectly for a 3-point was a turning point in their team. Bryant now knows that if he passes a ball then Blake will do well and make a shot as seen with Blake’s consecutive 3-pointers at the 3^rd quarter. The highest accolade that Kobe made about Blake is when he said: “He’s not scared of anything. He likes those moments.”

This has been a perfect start for the Los Angeles Lakers winning 2 points over Rockets with 112-110. Here’s hoping the winning streak continues. Can we expect Kobe’s 6^th championship?

I guess we can if Blake and Brown continue with the way they play. Phil Jackson unquestionably thinks that the 2 boys changed the complexion of the ballgame. He even stated that:

"We just didn't seem to find traction until Shannon and Steve got in the ballgame and changed the complexion of that ballgame. A great effort by those two. They gave us a big rally."

Football 101: FC Manchester United

FC Manchester United

Full name Manchester United Football Club

Nickname(s) The Red Devils

Founded 1878, as Newton Heath LYR F.C.

Ground Old Trafford
(Capacity: 75,957)

Owner Glazer family

Co-chairmen Joel & Avram Glazer

Manager Alex Ferguson

League Premier League

2009–10 Premier League, 2^nd

FC Manchester United Teamwear

Squad

1 Edwin van der Sar	Goalkeeper		8 Anderson	Midfielder
29 Tomasz Kuszczak	Goalkeeper		11 Ryan Giggs	Midfielder
40 Benjamin Amos	Goalkeeper		13 Ji-Sung Park	Midfielder
2 Gary Neville	Defender		16 Michael Carrick	Midfielder
3 Patrice Evra	Defender		17 Nani	Midfielder
5 Rio Ferdinand	Defender		18 Paul Scholes	Midfielder
6 Wesley Brown	Defender		25 Luis Antonio Valencia	Midfielder
15 Nemanja Vidic	Defender		28 Darron Gibson	Midfielder
20 Fabio Da Silva	Defender		42 Magnus Eikrem	Midfielder
21 Rafael Da Silva	Defender		7 Michael Owen	Striker
22 John O'Shea	Defender		9 Dimitar Berbatov	Striker
23 Jonathan Evans	Defender		10 Wayne Rooney	Striker
24 Darren Fletcher	Defender		14 Javier Hernández Balcázar	Striker
26 Chris Smalling	Defender		26 Gabriel Obertan	Striker
30 Ritchie De Laet	Defender		27 Federico Macheda	Striker
31 Corry Evans	Defender		33 Bebe	Striker
44 Joe Dudgeon	Defender		48 William Keane	Striker
45 Oliver Gill	Defender		- Sir Alex Ferguson	Manager/Coach
4 Owen Hargreaves	Midfielder

The Most Valuable Sports Teams in the World

According to Forbes Magazine these are the most valuable sports teams for 2010. As you can see, one thing common about these teams are their logos and sportswear uniforms are easily recognizable. They have a huge fan base and almost all their games are sold-out making them a very valuable sports team.

No. 1: Manchester UnitedSport: soccer
Value: $1.83 billion
Owner: Glazer family
Revenue: $459 million
The Red Devils lay claim to having 333 million followers and 139 million core fans worldwide.

No. 2: Dallas CowboysSport: football
Value: $1.65 billion
Owner: Jerral Jones
Revenue: $280 million
New stadium landed NCAA Men's Final Four, NBA All-Star Game and Super Bowl.

No. 3: New York YankeesSport: baseball
Value: $1.6 billion
Owner: Steinbrenner family
Revenue: $441 million
Leveraged most valuable brand in sports to create rich cable network and venue hospitality business.
No. 4: Washington RedskinsSport: football
Value: $1.55 billion
Owner: Daniel Snyder
Revenue: $345 million
Average operating income of $77 million over past five seasons is the highest in the NFL.

No. 5: New England PatriotsSport: football
Value: $1.36 billion
Owner: Robert Kraft
Revenue: $302 million
Built Patriot Place adjacent to Gillette Stadium, featuring shopping, dining and entertainment.

No. 6: Real MadridSport: soccer
Value: $1.32 billion
Owner: club members
Revenue: $563 million
Generates $225 million annually from broadcasting fees, the most in sports.

No. 7: New York GiantsSport: football
Value: $1.18 billion
Owner: John Mara, Steven Tisch
Revenue: $230 million
Sold naming rights to practice facility for more than $35 million over 15 years and is close to selling out season tickets for new stadium.
No. 8: ArsenalSport: soccer
Value: $1.18 billion
Owner: Stanley Kroenke
Revenue: $369 million
Arsenal's $102 million operating income trailed only Man U among English Premier League teams last year.

No. 9: New York JetsSport: football
Value: $1.17 billion
Owner: Robert Wood Johnson IV
Revenue: $227 million
Having difficulty selling personal seat licenses for season tickets at new stadium.

No. 10: Houston TexansSport: football
Value: $1.15 billion
Owner: Robert McNair
Revenue: $256 million
Stadium naming rights deal with Reliant is the richest in the NFL, worth $300 million.

Part 2 next week!

Wesley Sneijder: Winner of the Goal.com 50 2009-10

One of the blogs I enjoy reading and truly follow on anything football is Goal.com. They have a very concise reporting on everything that is going in the football world, from the best games to the not so-so, from the players to the teams and the transfers, and even the coaches and managers and the new teamwear of the different teams. You get the real update and best news and football aficionados know that they can rely on Goal.com. Thanks to Gianluigi Longinotti-Buitoni who founded and started it in 2004 and turned it into largest football new media community on the planet. It has 22 editions available in 15 languages. Goal.com’s aim “is to unite the world through its mutual passion for football”. The beauty of it is that there is a local touch thru the editors who are able to present football thru the eyes of a person who lives locally. Thus the report is distinct, able to deliver the content considering the cultural, ethnical, political, economic, religious, and social distinctiveness in each region.
One of the things fans all over the world wait for and vote for is the Goal.com countdown which assesses the performances of the different players over the last 12 months. This countdown has now become the definitive guide to the best performers in football as judged by editors and fans. In 2008, Portugal star Cristiano Ronaldo was chosen while Lionel Messi won in 2009.
This year, the much-coveted spot goes to Wesley Sneijder. A vindication from what happened with Real Madrid in 2009? Certainly because he definitely showed them what they lost when he continued with his impeccable performance in earning goals for Internazionale or Inter Milan. With his assistance, Inter won the 2010 Champions League Final against Bayern Munich last May 22, 2010. And he showed better performance in the 2010 World Cup in South Africa. Certainly, the editors chose Wesley Sneijder for his outstanding performance overall for the year 2009-2010.

Congratulations to Wesley Sneijder
Winner of the Goal.com 50 2009-10

Lionel Messi
Runner-Up of the Goal.com 50 2009-10
& Winner of the Goal.com 50 Fans' Vote

Here is the list of the Goal.com 50 2009-10

1. Wesley Sneijder	26. Julio César
- Inter Milan	- Inter Milan
- Midfielder	- Goalkeeper
2. Lionel Messi	27. Puyol
- Barcelona	- Barcelona
- Striker	- Defender
3. Xavi	28. Carlos Tevez
- Barcelona	- Man City
- Midfielder	- Striker
4. Arjen Robben	29. Walter Adrian Samuel
- Bayern Munich	- Inter Milan
- Striker	- Defender
5. Diego Alberto Milito	30. Eto'o
- Inter Milan	- Inter Milan
- Striker	- Striker
6. Diego Forlán Corazo	31. Daniel Alves
- Atletico Madrid	- Barcelona
- Striker	- Defender
7. Andrés Iniesta Luján	32. Ivica Olic
- Barcelona	- Bayern Munich
- Midfielder	- Striker
8. David Villa	33. Mark van Bommel
- Barcelona	- Bayern Munich
- Striker	- Midfielder
9. Cristiano Ronaldo	34. Esteban Matias Cambiasso
- Real Madrid	- Inter Milan
- Midfielder	- Midfielder
10. Bastian Schweinsteiger	35. Xabi Alonso
- Bayern Munich	- Real Madrid
- Midfielder	- Midfielder
11.Didier Drogba	36. Pedro
- Chelsea	- Barcelona
- Striker	- Striker
12. Lucio	37. Florent Malouda
- Inter Milan	- Chelsea
- Defender	- Midfielder
13. Wayne Rooney	38. Keisuke Honda
- Man Utd.	- CSKA
- Striker	- Midfielder
14.Maicon	39. Luis Fabiano
- Inter Milan	- Sevilla
- Defender	- Striker
15. Thomas Müller	40. Ronaldinho
- Bayern Munich	- Milan
- Striker	- Striker
16. Gerard Piqué	41. Edin Dzeko
- Barcelona	- VfL Wolfsburg
- Defender	- Striker
17. Frank Lampard	42. Jesús Navas González
- Chelsea	- Sevilla
- Midfielder	- Midfielder
18. Gonzalo Gerardo Higuaín	43. Antonio Di Natale
- Real Madrid	- Udinese
- Striker	- Striker
19. Javier Adelmar Zanetti	44. Ángel Fabián Di María
- Inter Milan	- Real Madrid
- Defender	- Striker
20. Luis Suárez	45. Antonio Cassano
- Ajax	- Sampdoria
- Striker	- Striker
21. Iker Casillas	46. Dirk Kuyt
- Real Madrid	- Liverpool
- Goalkeeper	- Striker
22. Mesut Özil	47. Hugo Lloris
- Real Madrid	- O. Lyon
- Midfielder	- Goalkeeper
23. Cesc Fàbregas	48. Ji-Sung Park
- Arsenal	- Man Utd.
- Midfielder	- Midfielder
24. Sergio Ramos	49. Fabrizio Miccoli
- Real Madrid	- Palermo
- Defender	- Striker
25. Philipp Lahm	50. Mirko Vučinić
- Bayern Munich	- Roma
- Defender	- Striker

Football 101: FC Real Madrid

FC Real Madrid

Full name Real Madrid Club de Fútbol
Nickname(s) Los Blancos (The Whites)
Los Merengues (The Merengues)
Founded 6 March 1902
Ground Estadio Santiago Bernabéu
(Capacity: 80,354)
Honorary President Alfredo di Stéfano
President Florentino Pérez
Head Coach José Mourinho
League La Liga
2009–10 La Liga, 2nd

FC Real Madrid Teamwear

Real Madrid
Squad
1 Iker Casillas	Goalkeeper	10 Lassana Diarra	Midfielder
13 Adán	Goalkeeper	11 Granero	Midfielder
25 Dudek	Goalkeeper	14 Xabi Alonso	Midfielder
- Nacho	Defender	16 Canales	Midfielder
2 Ricardo Carvalho	Defender	21 Pedro León	Midfielder
3 Pepe	Defender	23 Rafael Van der Vaart	Midfielder
4 Sergio Ramos	Defender	24 Sami Khedira	Midfielder
12 Marcelo	Defender	26 Mesut Özil	Midfielder
17 Arbeloa	Defender	- Morata	Striker
18 Raúl Albiol Tortajada	Defender	- Juanfran	Striker
19 Garay	Defender	9 Karim Benzema	Striker
33 David Mateos	Defender	20 Gonzalo Gerardo Higuaín	Striker
5 Fernando Gago	Midfielder	22 Ángel Fabián Di María	Striker
6 Mahamadou Diarra	Midfielder	31 Raúl Ruiz	Striker
7 Cristiano Ronaldo	Midfielder	- José Mourinho	Manager/Coach
8 Kaká	Midfielder

SOURCE: Goal.com

2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games in London

London will finally be be hosting the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games and construction for the Olympic venue is ongoing. After almost 3 years of work they won the bid in 2005 and since then has been planning and working hard for its success. Though there has been some controversies about cutting the budget, the Mayor of London is adamant about keeping the exact budget to ensure the success of the Games. Everybody knows that the successful delivery of the 2012 Olympics will give London and the whole country a once-in-a-lifetime chance to showcase itself to the world.

The Olympics planning committee is certainly doing everything to make it a success. Their ultimate goal is to make London a better city even after the Olympics in 2012. And they have integrated arts and culture in the public spaces around the Park to achieve a unique, world-class area that will attract new businesses, new communities who would want to live and make London as world-class visitor destination. It may sound ambitious but the ultimate goal is “use the inspiration of the Olympic and Paralympic Games to change lives, to create Games for everyone.”

And though it may still be two years away, they have chosen world-renowned Stella McCartney to be the creative director for the British Olympic team. McCartney will add glamour and will add a touch of haute couture to the Team GB’s kit. She will head the Teaam GB’s Adidas ranges. Team uniforms for all the competing athletes will be designed by Ms McCartney. She will oversee the performance wear, the village wear and a retail range for the purchasing public. Another sponsor will take care of the teamwear for the Opening Ceremonies. The challenge to McCartney is for her to create a team uniform that will look good, feel good as well as work-technically for the athletes. She has until early 2012 to design the athlete’s kit and team uniforms but has worked on the Team GB-inspired retail range which the public can purchase.

No Sweep for the LA Lakers as the Phoenix Suns Wins Game 3

When everyone else was assuming it would be a sweep by both the LA Lakers and Boston Celtics over their opponents, Phoenix Suns resoundedly and defiantly disagreed thru an overwhelming victory over Lakers in Game 3 of the Western Conference finals last Sunday at the US Airways Center. The hero turned out to be none other than Amare Stoudemire who scored a high score of 42 points with 11 rebounds.


During the first two games of the Western Conference finals, Stoudemire played poorly according to critics and came under attack because of his poor rebounding as well as his comments about Lakers’ Lamar Odom “luck” in Game 1. But in this third game, Stoudemire said he wanted to dominate and indeed that’s what he did. And because he was, they defeated the Lakers.


The Suns saw a different Stoudemire during the practice, and the Lakers saw and experienced a different Stoudemire during the game and they weren’t ready for him. He was driving to the baskets, making jumpers, drawing fouls and the Lakers couldn’t stop him. Added to that was the fact that Robin Lopez also followed Stoudemire's lead and scored 20 points while Steve Nash scored 17 points and 15 assists. The Suns’ zone defense in the second quarter until the end dared the Lakers to beat them from the outside. Unfortunately, the Lakers were not up to the Suns game and so they lost. They were not sharp to the execution against the zone and bomb away outside instead of forcing their way to the middle. And according to the Lakers themselves, it was an accumulation of numerous miscues like foul trouble, missed shots, missed layups, some turnovers and more of those little mistakes that create a bigger one.


And so we still can’t say it’s going to be Lakers vs. Celtics for the 2010 NBA Playoffs. Game 4 is in the Suns’ turf and unless the Lakers come up with better execution they might just come back to Los Angeles tied at 2-2. For now, it’s not a good time to be wearing a teamwear of the Lakers of Celtics because we still don’t know the outcome of the next games.