zudomiriku
12-01-2011, 02:21 PM
World Football: The Top 25 Players of 2010
http://i682.photobucket.com/albums/vv189/zudomiriku/102817903_display_image.jpg
2010 has been a very special year for football, and can be summed up in one word; historic.
Top of the list has to be Spain winning their first ever World Cup trophy at the first ever World Cup on African soil. This summer’s tournament in South Africa was a memorable time for so many reasons, but Spain’s victory, to go along with the European Championship victory of 2008, makes this Spanish squad a team for the ages.
At club level, there have been historic achievements all over the football world. From Inter Milan’s historic treble, to Twente’s first ever Dutch title, to league and cup doubles for Chelsea, Olympique Marseille and Bayern Munich, to Barcelona’s record-breaking season in retaining their La Liga title, history has been made all over.
That makes this list of the top 25 players of 2010 very difficult to compile, with so many of the world’s top players having won multiple trophies and playing some of the best football of their careers. The good news is that it makes for a high quality list of the world’s top talent.
Hopefully it will prove an enjoyable read.
25. Wayne Rooney (Manchester United)
http://i682.photobucket.com/albums/vv189/zudomiriku/107840356_display_image.jpg
For the first three months of this year, Rooney had few equals. In fact, such was the quality of his performances back then that had he maintained that level all year, chances are he would have been firmly rooted in the top five rather than only just scraping into the top 25.
Unfortunately, ever since that ankle injury picked up against Bayern Munich in late March, a combination of injuries, loss of form and off field controversies have left Rooney a shadow of his former self.
It’s a mark of the forward’s importance to both club and country that the absence of a fit and in-form Rooney saw Manchester United exit the Champions League soon after and lose out in a tight title race with Chelsea, and also saw England produce one of their worst World Cup campaigns in recent memory.
Rooney is massively important to United and England, and after signing a new contract, sorting out his off-field misdemeanours and undergoing extensive injury rehabilitation, fans will be hoping that he can recapture the form that saw him lauded as one of the world’s best players not too long ago.
24. Lucho Gonzalez (Olympique Marseille)
http://i682.photobucket.com/albums/vv189/zudomiriku/104286630_display_image.jpg
Much was expected from Lucho after his big money move from FC Porto to Marseille, but he has already gone a long way to paying back his huge transfer fee with some sparkling performances that helped his new side win their first league title in almost twenty years.
The Argentine midfielder led Ligue Un in assists during his first year in France, helping Marseille to secure a league and cup double and end their long drought without a major trophy. Despite his marvellous form in France, Lucho was criminally overlooked by Diego Maradona when selecting his World Cup squad this summer.
At the age of 29, Lucho is in the prime of his career, and will have a huge part to play in Marseille’s hopes of retaining their league title crown and making an impact in the Champions League knockout stages in 2011.
23. Nani (Manchester United)
http://i682.photobucket.com/albums/vv189/zudomiriku/107168315_display_image.jpg
The Portuguese winger has made massive strides this year, finally fulfilling the potential that had given Manchester United fans hope that he may fill the void left when Cristiano Ronaldo left the club. Of course Nani is still some way behind his international teammate in terms of overall quality, but he deserves great credit for adding consistency to his previously sporadic bursts of brilliance and becoming one of the Premier League’s top wingers in 2010.
It was clear from day one that Nani was an eye-catching talent; from his unusual hairstyles and colourful boots to his mesmerising stopovers and long range wonder goals, Nani is a born entertainer. Unfortunately for Nani and United, those high quality moments were few and far between and the winger was usually far more prone to wildly inaccurate passing and wasteful dribbling.
That has all changed over the past two seasons, with Nani producing top performances on a far more regular basis and taking on the mantle of being United’s most exciting player and one of their top stars. If he continues to improve and helps United to win trophies in the coming year, he could be a lot higher on this list in twelve months time.
22. Frank Lampard (Chelsea)
http://i682.photobucket.com/albums/vv189/zudomiriku/103386511_display_image.jpg
Lampard’s place on this list owes everything to his early year form in Chelsea’s league and cup double, with summer disappointment at the World Cup and injury problems for much of the new season have made the second half of 2010 far less enjoyable for midfielder.
Still, that first half of the year deserves a great deal of credit, with Lampard’s end of season haul of 22 league goals from midfield unlikely to be rivalled for some time. The less said about England’s World Cup campaign the better, but it is worth bearing in mind that Lampard was actually one of the better performers this summer, and also worth noting the extent to which Chelsea have struggled during his time out with injury.
The return of Lampard will be key to Chelsea’s hopes in 2011, and their fans will be hoping he can get back to doing what he does best; scoring more goals than just about any other midfielder on the planet.
21. Didier Drogba (Chelsea)
http://i682.photobucket.com/albums/vv189/zudomiriku/107326007_display_image.jpg
Love him or hate him, when Didier Drogba is in form, he is almost impossible to contain. The Ivorian powerhouse finished last season with 29 league goals, securing the Premier League golden boot and firing Chelsea to the league title in the process. He also scored the winning goal in the FA Cup final as Chelsea secured their league and cup double.
Drogba is physically dominant and technically brilliant, combining pace, power, a good first touch and a phenomenal shot from almost any distance, as well as being an accomplished set-piece taker from corners, free-kicks and the penalty spot.
On his day, he truly does have few rivals, with his stellar form key in Chelsea’s successes last season, and his current struggles a clear contributory factor in their recent slump. Chelsea will be hoping to see their star striker back to his best as soon as possible, because an in-form Drogba is vital to their hopes of success
20. Xabi Alonso (Real Madrid)
http://i682.photobucket.com/albums/vv189/zudomiriku/105981344_display_image.jpg
Alonso’s 2010 performances may not gain the same plaudits as international team mates Xavi and Andres Iniesta, or club colleague Cristiano Ronaldo, but the midfielder is still massively important to both club and country.
Madrid’s signing of Alonso in summer 2009 was treated as a relative afterthought compared to the arrivals of global superstars Ronaldo and Kaka. Yet on the field, Alonso is absolutely pivotal to the way Madrid play, and was instrumental in the team running Barcelona so close in La Liga, breaking their own points record in the process.
Alonso was also a key part of Spain’s World Cup winning side, providing bite in the tackle and quality on the ball alongside Xavi in central midfield. He has continued to be a key figure under new Madrid manager Jose Mourinho and will surely have a huge part to play if Madrid are to achieve success in the coming year.
19. Thomas Müller (Bayern Munich)
http://i682.photobucket.com/albums/vv189/zudomiriku/103738264_display_image-1.jpg
If you were looking for a definitive example of a breakthrough year, look no further than Thomas Muller’s 2010. Little over twelve months ago, Muller was a reserve player at Bayern with a handful of substitute appearances. Fast forward to the end of the summer, and Muller had become an integral member of not only the Bayern team, but also the German national side.
Not only was he a key player, but he also finished the season as a German league and cup winner, a Champions League finalist, a World Cup semi-finalist, as well as a winner of the Golden Boot award as the World Cup’s top scorer and the recipient of the award for the tournament’s best young player.
On the surface, Muller is not the most spectacular of players; he is competent in all areas, but also far from the fastest, strongest or most skillful. What really sets Muller apart is an intelligence and understanding of the game that belies his tender years and allows him to make the right decision on nearly every occasion and also allows him to impact the game in a number of positions. In 2010, he has made some impact indeed.
18. Carles Puyol (FC Barcelona)
http://i682.photobucket.com/albums/vv189/zudomiriku/105876612_display_image-1.jpg
The rugged centre back is one of the most impressive leaders and most passionate characters in world football, a factor that has played a big part in FC Barcelona and Spain’s achievements over the past year. What often gets overlooked is that Puyol is also a very talented footballer. After all, you don’t hold down a place in both the best club side and the best national side in the world unless you can play a bit.
Puyol is first and foremost a defensive stopper, with his main aim being to give opposing forwards as little time and space as possible in the final third, a job he takes very seriously and performs very well. This year in particular though, Puyol has proved a threat at attacking set-pieces, most notably in the World Cup semi-final against Germany, where Puyol’s powerful header proved to be the only goal of the game and sent Spain to their first ever World Cup final.
After captaining Barcelona to another league title, his fourth with the club, and adding football’s ultimate prize to his trophy cabinet in the form o f a World Cup winner’s medal, maybe his few remaining doubters will recognise 2010 as the year Carles Puyol secured his place as one of the greatest defenders of his generation.
17. Julio Cesar (Inter Milan)
http://i682.photobucket.com/albums/vv189/zudomiriku/103731110_display_image.jpg
For all the deserved praise given to Inter Milan’s highly talented attacking trio, the form of Brazilian goalkeeper Julio Cesar also deserves a lot of credit. The old stereotype of Brazil being unable to produce a top level keeper to go with all their attacking talent is well and truly gone, at least while Cesar is donning the gloves for La Selecao.
Cesar was an ever present for Inter last season as they won Serie A, their domestic cup and the Champions League, with his commanding presence and superb shot stopping skills a key factor in Inter Milan’s defensive strength. The keeper is one of the best in the game, and it is no coincidence that Inter have won five Serie A titles in Cesar’s five years at the club
16. Maicon (Inter Milan)
http://i682.photobucket.com/albums/vv189/zudomiriku/106157853_display_image.jpg
The marauding full-back has spent the last year steaming up and down Inter Milan’s in the same vein as numerous great Brazilian full-backs before him. This year it has paid off in some style, as Maicon’s quality at both ends of the pitch helped Inter to their famous treble and earned him the unofficial title of “best right back in the world.”
His only rival to that crown is fellow Brazilian Dani Alves, but it is Maicon who has had possession of the starting spot for the national team for the bulk of the past few years. He justified that selection this summer as he was one of the few bright spots in a disappointing campaign for the Samba boys, with his goal from an almost impossible angle against North Korea one of the goals of the tournament.
Maicon, like his Inter colleagues, hasn’t been at quite the same level so far this season, and was made to look ordinary on both occasions against Tottenham thanks to two stunning performances from Gareth Bale, but on his day he is still the best around, and he more than justifies his place on this list.
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/561482-the-top-25-players-of-2010#page/1
http://i682.photobucket.com/albums/vv189/zudomiriku/102817903_display_image.jpg
2010 has been a very special year for football, and can be summed up in one word; historic.
Top of the list has to be Spain winning their first ever World Cup trophy at the first ever World Cup on African soil. This summer’s tournament in South Africa was a memorable time for so many reasons, but Spain’s victory, to go along with the European Championship victory of 2008, makes this Spanish squad a team for the ages.
At club level, there have been historic achievements all over the football world. From Inter Milan’s historic treble, to Twente’s first ever Dutch title, to league and cup doubles for Chelsea, Olympique Marseille and Bayern Munich, to Barcelona’s record-breaking season in retaining their La Liga title, history has been made all over.
That makes this list of the top 25 players of 2010 very difficult to compile, with so many of the world’s top players having won multiple trophies and playing some of the best football of their careers. The good news is that it makes for a high quality list of the world’s top talent.
Hopefully it will prove an enjoyable read.
25. Wayne Rooney (Manchester United)
http://i682.photobucket.com/albums/vv189/zudomiriku/107840356_display_image.jpg
For the first three months of this year, Rooney had few equals. In fact, such was the quality of his performances back then that had he maintained that level all year, chances are he would have been firmly rooted in the top five rather than only just scraping into the top 25.
Unfortunately, ever since that ankle injury picked up against Bayern Munich in late March, a combination of injuries, loss of form and off field controversies have left Rooney a shadow of his former self.
It’s a mark of the forward’s importance to both club and country that the absence of a fit and in-form Rooney saw Manchester United exit the Champions League soon after and lose out in a tight title race with Chelsea, and also saw England produce one of their worst World Cup campaigns in recent memory.
Rooney is massively important to United and England, and after signing a new contract, sorting out his off-field misdemeanours and undergoing extensive injury rehabilitation, fans will be hoping that he can recapture the form that saw him lauded as one of the world’s best players not too long ago.
24. Lucho Gonzalez (Olympique Marseille)
http://i682.photobucket.com/albums/vv189/zudomiriku/104286630_display_image.jpg
Much was expected from Lucho after his big money move from FC Porto to Marseille, but he has already gone a long way to paying back his huge transfer fee with some sparkling performances that helped his new side win their first league title in almost twenty years.
The Argentine midfielder led Ligue Un in assists during his first year in France, helping Marseille to secure a league and cup double and end their long drought without a major trophy. Despite his marvellous form in France, Lucho was criminally overlooked by Diego Maradona when selecting his World Cup squad this summer.
At the age of 29, Lucho is in the prime of his career, and will have a huge part to play in Marseille’s hopes of retaining their league title crown and making an impact in the Champions League knockout stages in 2011.
23. Nani (Manchester United)
http://i682.photobucket.com/albums/vv189/zudomiriku/107168315_display_image.jpg
The Portuguese winger has made massive strides this year, finally fulfilling the potential that had given Manchester United fans hope that he may fill the void left when Cristiano Ronaldo left the club. Of course Nani is still some way behind his international teammate in terms of overall quality, but he deserves great credit for adding consistency to his previously sporadic bursts of brilliance and becoming one of the Premier League’s top wingers in 2010.
It was clear from day one that Nani was an eye-catching talent; from his unusual hairstyles and colourful boots to his mesmerising stopovers and long range wonder goals, Nani is a born entertainer. Unfortunately for Nani and United, those high quality moments were few and far between and the winger was usually far more prone to wildly inaccurate passing and wasteful dribbling.
That has all changed over the past two seasons, with Nani producing top performances on a far more regular basis and taking on the mantle of being United’s most exciting player and one of their top stars. If he continues to improve and helps United to win trophies in the coming year, he could be a lot higher on this list in twelve months time.
22. Frank Lampard (Chelsea)
http://i682.photobucket.com/albums/vv189/zudomiriku/103386511_display_image.jpg
Lampard’s place on this list owes everything to his early year form in Chelsea’s league and cup double, with summer disappointment at the World Cup and injury problems for much of the new season have made the second half of 2010 far less enjoyable for midfielder.
Still, that first half of the year deserves a great deal of credit, with Lampard’s end of season haul of 22 league goals from midfield unlikely to be rivalled for some time. The less said about England’s World Cup campaign the better, but it is worth bearing in mind that Lampard was actually one of the better performers this summer, and also worth noting the extent to which Chelsea have struggled during his time out with injury.
The return of Lampard will be key to Chelsea’s hopes in 2011, and their fans will be hoping he can get back to doing what he does best; scoring more goals than just about any other midfielder on the planet.
21. Didier Drogba (Chelsea)
http://i682.photobucket.com/albums/vv189/zudomiriku/107326007_display_image.jpg
Love him or hate him, when Didier Drogba is in form, he is almost impossible to contain. The Ivorian powerhouse finished last season with 29 league goals, securing the Premier League golden boot and firing Chelsea to the league title in the process. He also scored the winning goal in the FA Cup final as Chelsea secured their league and cup double.
Drogba is physically dominant and technically brilliant, combining pace, power, a good first touch and a phenomenal shot from almost any distance, as well as being an accomplished set-piece taker from corners, free-kicks and the penalty spot.
On his day, he truly does have few rivals, with his stellar form key in Chelsea’s successes last season, and his current struggles a clear contributory factor in their recent slump. Chelsea will be hoping to see their star striker back to his best as soon as possible, because an in-form Drogba is vital to their hopes of success
20. Xabi Alonso (Real Madrid)
http://i682.photobucket.com/albums/vv189/zudomiriku/105981344_display_image.jpg
Alonso’s 2010 performances may not gain the same plaudits as international team mates Xavi and Andres Iniesta, or club colleague Cristiano Ronaldo, but the midfielder is still massively important to both club and country.
Madrid’s signing of Alonso in summer 2009 was treated as a relative afterthought compared to the arrivals of global superstars Ronaldo and Kaka. Yet on the field, Alonso is absolutely pivotal to the way Madrid play, and was instrumental in the team running Barcelona so close in La Liga, breaking their own points record in the process.
Alonso was also a key part of Spain’s World Cup winning side, providing bite in the tackle and quality on the ball alongside Xavi in central midfield. He has continued to be a key figure under new Madrid manager Jose Mourinho and will surely have a huge part to play if Madrid are to achieve success in the coming year.
19. Thomas Müller (Bayern Munich)
http://i682.photobucket.com/albums/vv189/zudomiriku/103738264_display_image-1.jpg
If you were looking for a definitive example of a breakthrough year, look no further than Thomas Muller’s 2010. Little over twelve months ago, Muller was a reserve player at Bayern with a handful of substitute appearances. Fast forward to the end of the summer, and Muller had become an integral member of not only the Bayern team, but also the German national side.
Not only was he a key player, but he also finished the season as a German league and cup winner, a Champions League finalist, a World Cup semi-finalist, as well as a winner of the Golden Boot award as the World Cup’s top scorer and the recipient of the award for the tournament’s best young player.
On the surface, Muller is not the most spectacular of players; he is competent in all areas, but also far from the fastest, strongest or most skillful. What really sets Muller apart is an intelligence and understanding of the game that belies his tender years and allows him to make the right decision on nearly every occasion and also allows him to impact the game in a number of positions. In 2010, he has made some impact indeed.
18. Carles Puyol (FC Barcelona)
http://i682.photobucket.com/albums/vv189/zudomiriku/105876612_display_image-1.jpg
The rugged centre back is one of the most impressive leaders and most passionate characters in world football, a factor that has played a big part in FC Barcelona and Spain’s achievements over the past year. What often gets overlooked is that Puyol is also a very talented footballer. After all, you don’t hold down a place in both the best club side and the best national side in the world unless you can play a bit.
Puyol is first and foremost a defensive stopper, with his main aim being to give opposing forwards as little time and space as possible in the final third, a job he takes very seriously and performs very well. This year in particular though, Puyol has proved a threat at attacking set-pieces, most notably in the World Cup semi-final against Germany, where Puyol’s powerful header proved to be the only goal of the game and sent Spain to their first ever World Cup final.
After captaining Barcelona to another league title, his fourth with the club, and adding football’s ultimate prize to his trophy cabinet in the form o f a World Cup winner’s medal, maybe his few remaining doubters will recognise 2010 as the year Carles Puyol secured his place as one of the greatest defenders of his generation.
17. Julio Cesar (Inter Milan)
http://i682.photobucket.com/albums/vv189/zudomiriku/103731110_display_image.jpg
For all the deserved praise given to Inter Milan’s highly talented attacking trio, the form of Brazilian goalkeeper Julio Cesar also deserves a lot of credit. The old stereotype of Brazil being unable to produce a top level keeper to go with all their attacking talent is well and truly gone, at least while Cesar is donning the gloves for La Selecao.
Cesar was an ever present for Inter last season as they won Serie A, their domestic cup and the Champions League, with his commanding presence and superb shot stopping skills a key factor in Inter Milan’s defensive strength. The keeper is one of the best in the game, and it is no coincidence that Inter have won five Serie A titles in Cesar’s five years at the club
16. Maicon (Inter Milan)
http://i682.photobucket.com/albums/vv189/zudomiriku/106157853_display_image.jpg
The marauding full-back has spent the last year steaming up and down Inter Milan’s in the same vein as numerous great Brazilian full-backs before him. This year it has paid off in some style, as Maicon’s quality at both ends of the pitch helped Inter to their famous treble and earned him the unofficial title of “best right back in the world.”
His only rival to that crown is fellow Brazilian Dani Alves, but it is Maicon who has had possession of the starting spot for the national team for the bulk of the past few years. He justified that selection this summer as he was one of the few bright spots in a disappointing campaign for the Samba boys, with his goal from an almost impossible angle against North Korea one of the goals of the tournament.
Maicon, like his Inter colleagues, hasn’t been at quite the same level so far this season, and was made to look ordinary on both occasions against Tottenham thanks to two stunning performances from Gareth Bale, but on his day he is still the best around, and he more than justifies his place on this list.
http://bleacherreport.com/articles/561482-the-top-25-players-of-2010#page/1