Bit of Footie

Everything suddenly felt so peaceful as I posted this blog, though I'm still bothered by something. =( Anyhow since tests are over and I'm now bored, I decided to reignite my mad interest on football. =D

Football is, I can say, everyone's favourite nowadays, doesn't matter the gender of football fans. Great players in the past and modern football have certainly made the game "the most beautiful" in the world today. You may not agree with me, but these are my favourite players :

The maestros of football

1) Pele

Needless to say, the Brazillian-born had graced the football world with his unique ability on the football blessed with his wonderful skills in the period between the 1950s-1970s. The numerous awards he won in his glorious career propelled him to be one of the greatest, if not the greatest, footballer in the world.

Records :

- 3 World Cups to his name for his country Brazil (1958, 1962, 1970)

- Goal-scoring record of 1280 GOALS IN 1363 GAMES (can you do it?)

- Scoring in two different World Cup final matches.

- Goodwill ambassador for FIFA after his retirement.

Best Goal : All of them?

2) Maradona

The 1960-born Argentinian, dubbed as the "King of Naples" during his playing days with Napoli, had graced the world of football with his exceptionally gifted skills and terrific speed. Ask any defender, and he will be the last player you want to defend against. His career started when he was spotted juggling a football in front of the audience in an Argentinian Juniors championship and since then played for illustrious clubs like Barcelona.

Records :

- 4 World Cups to his name (1982, 1986, 1990, 1994) bettering Pele's honours

- More than 20 individual awards in his playing career, including the Golden Ball as well as "The Best Footballer of The Century" in 2000.

- Bad record of being tangled in drugs.

Best Goal : Never ask England. lol. 6 English defenders could only watch the diminutive player bamboozling pass them to score the best goal in football history. What about his infamous "Hand-of-God" goal?

Those two are the symbols of football in the past few decades which can never be replaced. What about now? Can footballers now match them?

3) Zinedine Zidane

Despite being overshadowed by his head-butting incident involving Italian defender Marco Materazzi (rather foolish actually), Zidane's career was a memorable one as he retired from football at the age of 35. Calmness and equipped with an intelligent football brain, he supplied defence-splitting passes and demonstrating memorable skills in midfield for Juventus, Real Madrid and France. And he's bald-headed. lol.

Records :

- 95 goals in 502 appearances

- 1998 World Cup, scoring two cool goals past Brazil

- 2000 European Championships

- 2001 Champions League with Real Madrid.

Best Goal : First-time left-footed volley against Bayer Leverkusen in the 2001 Champions League final. Trust me, it's not easy to volley a football dropping from high up in the air with your weaker foot. The goalkeeper, well, stunned.

4) Ronaldinho

Master of trickery on the ball and specialist in dead-ball situations, Ronaldinho has what it takes to be the next great player of the century. The Brazillian, not really the next Pele, remains a key player in Brazil as well as his club Barcelona. His constant grin, shows his aura of confidence. =)

Records :

- World Cup 2002

- Champions League 2006

- FIFA World Player of the Year 2004, 2005

- World Player of the Year 2004, 2005

- European Footballer of the Year 2005

Best Goal : The low free-kick against Werder Bremen in the 2006-07 Champions League group stage. Sheer quality and intelligence as everyone thought he would curl around the wall towards the goal as he always does. Instead, he chose a spot where NO ONE will choose - the bottom of the jumping wall and towards the low corner of the goal. Never the keeper's ball even though he saw it all the way. Even the camera was nearly fooled by his trickery.

5) Eric Cantona

Not many football pundits recognized his talents, but if you are a Man Utd fan, you will understand why he deserves a place in the football folklore. The former number 7 of Old Trafford, himself a fiery player, provided killer passes to his teammates together with an exceptional ball control and along the way, scoring really wonderful goals! And he plays football with his shirt collar up ALL THE TIME. lol.

Records :

- 84 goals in 143 appearances for Man Utd.

- Lifted the double for Man Utd as captain in the 1995-1996 season

- Initiated the "Joga Bonito" under Nike.

Best Goal : Turning past two defenders, ran for a few metres, 1-2 with McClair, MU teammate, before Cantona himself chipping delicately over the onrushing keeper outside the D-box, hitting the upright post and goal. Forget about the kung-fu kick. And he had other chipped goals too.

6) Kaka

Regarded as one of the best attacking midfielders in the world, he proved that by winning major honours at a young age. Accurate passing, an eye for goal and two-footed, he certainly has the ability to ruin any solid defence and provides more chances for his teammates to score. Even the rain doesn't deter this player who is on a roll.

Records :

- Champions League 2006-2007

- World Cup 2002

- Champions League top scorer 2006-2007

- Champions League best forward 2006-2007

Best Goal : Outpaces Messi as he robbed the ball from him, and then raced the whole length of the field before scoring the goal against Argentina in a friendly. His goal from an acute angle against Man Utd was a pain in the ass, but I must admit, it's also another wonder goal.

7) John Terry

Any clubs would die to sign a defender like Terry. Strong in the air and physique, he offers an assurance to Chelsea and England's defence all the time with his towering presence. No nonsense, but timely tackles, propelled him as one of the game's best defenders. He himself is also an inspirational captain for both club and country. No wonder Petr Cech is always smiling.

Records :

- Premier League 2004-2005,2005-2006

- Champions League Best defender 2005, ahead of Cafu

Best Goal : Not really any wonder goal, but his headed goal against Barcelona eliminated them in the Champions League.

8) Thierry Henry

Comparison to Michel Platini, Henry was blessed with the natural ability to understand the game quickly as well as the ability to play as a midfielder-cum-striker's position. How many times has he single-handedly saved Arsenal's blushes with his thunderous goals? I'm sure Arsenal fans can answer that, right? =P His style of play is complete if not for his inconsistency in using his head. Head here means scoring with headers. lol.

Records:

- Impressive record of 174 goals in 254 appearances for Arsenal

- Premier League 2001-2002, 2003-2004

- World Cup winner 1998

Best Goal : Possibly one of the best goals in Champions League history. Seemingly losing the chance to score with the ball bouncing behind him and 3 Sparta Prague defenders surrounding him, he turned, and unleashed a sweet outward curler into the net from 25 yards. Absolute class from a classy player.

The Game's Rising Stars

1) Christiano Ronaldo

EPL's footballer of the year has proven himself with wonderful displays all season for Man Utd in all competitions, and along the way giving defenders headaches with his famous stepovers as well as booming goals. Next Eric Cantona in number 7.

Records :

- Premier League 2006-2007

- 2nd highest scorer in the EPL 2006-2007

- EPL best player of the year 2006-2007.

Best Goal : In the 7-1 trounce of AS Roma, Ronaldo capped off his brilliant performance with a run-and-shot goal, dribbled past two defenders before unleashing an unstoppable shot. More stepovers Ronaldo!

2) Lionel Messi

Dubbed as the next Maradona, and so far, it seems like it. Complete copy of Maradona, Messi has tremendous skills as well as speed. I don't need to explain much, he really plays like Maradona. Both Argentinians, and both scored handball goals. lol.

Records :

- Spanish La Liga 2005-2006 (Barcelona also)

- World Youth Championship 2005

- Best player of the tournament

Best Goal : Surely his "Hand of God Goal 2" was the worst.

3) Fernando Torres

Long renowned for his goalscoring abilities, the spaniard has not really lived up to his reputation with Atletico Madrid, his former club. But his contribution to Spain has never been forgetten as his goals proved significant in numerous times. Tall, physically strong, fearless against defenders, quick feet and aerial ability enables him to be the next most lethal striker in the EPL this season. And a PARTICULAR friend of mine drooled of him. XD lol.

Records :

- a shabby 82 goals in 214 appearances for Atletico Madrid, but now with 3 goals out of 4 games for Liverpool, what say you?

- Full debut for Spanish team in 2003

- Youngest captain in Atletico Madrid at 19

Best Goal : Chested down a long ball from his fellow Madrid teammate, he brushed past a defender, then lifted the ball in a cute manner before unleashing a left foot shot past the opponent's keeper from a tight angle. Something Nistelrooy still needs to learn.