A Look at the Coveted Ballon d’ Or

The coveted Ballon d’ Or has fascinated not only the players who are vying for the honor of holding it, but also the fans who eagerly await the announcements. And as the 2014 World Cup draws near, many would definitely want to know more about the soccer trophy.

The origins

Like many of the other awards associated with the World Cup, the Ballon d’ Or traces its roots back to France. The award takes its name from the Ballon d’ Or award given by popular soccer magazine France Football to players in the European football scene that had shown an exemplary performance. The first award was given to English player Sir Stanley Matthews in 1956.

For almost four decades, the Ballon d’ Or was exclusively the domain of European players from European ball clubs. These all changed in 1995, when the award was opened to all players regardless of nationality, as long as they are currently playing for a European team. In 2007, the award was further opened to more players, when it was decided that players from clubs all over the world are now eligible for it. And after being more of side award given by an independent body for much of its history, in 2013, it was combined with the FIFA World Player of the Year award.

The names 

Just looking at the names of the players who have received the coveted award reveals a spectacular amount of story for the game itself.

The very first recipient of the award, Matthews, for instance is considered to be an exceptional player during his heydays, but never received any trophies aside from that which he won for Blackpool in 1953. Nevertheless, he was such a talented player, that he had kept kicking when most other players are already slowing down. In fact, he actually received the d’ Or at the ripe old age of 41.

Another notable player in the history of the Ballon d’ Or is Liberian forward George Weah. Weah was notable for having snatched both it and the FIFA World Player of the Year Award from the domination of European and South American kickers in 1995. But Weah showed why he deserves the award and why Africa is not to be overlooked on the field. 

By the numbers

During its more than half a century of its colourful run, 52 out of the total of 57 awards were unsurprisingly given to either a forward or an attacking midfielder. Serie A and LaLiga are considered two of the most productive leagues in terms of d’ Or awardees, netting 18 and 16 throphies respectively.  Amusingly enough, all if the times when the Ballon d’ Or was run under the FIFA banner alongside the World Player of the Yea in 2010 to 2012, only one man took it for himself-Lionel Messi.

Are the Yanks Up for the Challenge at the 2014 World Cup?

While soccer is starting to gain a hold on the American sports viewing public, many still doubt whether the Yanks are indeed the real deal. So is the team worth all the cheers they are getting? Read on to find out.

The lineup

One of the biggest concerns of many American soccer enthusiasts is that the team’s current roster might not be deep enough to pursue a successful World Cup campaign. Indeed, while the team has seen action in several tournaments in the past two decades, they have yet to pull off a truly stellar performance. The current composition of the team also worries observers, as there is a lack of big names in the player listings. However, the likes of  Chris Wondolowski and  Eddie Johnson have made a significant impact on the team’s overall performance. Newcomers like Jozy Altidore have also shown great promise.

And this is where current Team USA coach Jurgen Klinsmann comes into play. The former German football star has received a large amount of attention from both fans and observers for his unorthodox way of handling team rosters. In particular, Klinsmann is known playing around with match lineups.  For instance, a lot of fans were surprised that he decided to bench popular player Landon Donovan for some games last season.

The uphill climb

However, Klinsmann’s efforts seem to be paying off, as the US soccer team is currently enjoying an unprecedented success. The team managed to pull off an impressive 9-game winning streak for a 14 wins-1 loss-1 draw card in their recent international outings. Even the draw they got with Mexico is counted a good sign, considering how difficult the opponent was.

One major concern, though, is that while the US team as a whole is doing great in its matches, the players seem to be lacking some needed international exposure.  Luckily, a lot of the players in the team are being signed up by renowned clubs in Europe, which is a great way for them to gain needed experience. Jozy Altidore has been signed up by Sunderland, while Michael Bradley and Clint Dempsey is doing great in Roma and Tottenham Hotspur respectively.

What’s next?

However, even with all the recent positive development, there is still the question of what’s next for the US team. Klinsmann has said that there is still a lot of things they need to do in order to mount a really solid campaign next year in Brazil. In particular, he emphasized that the US Team’s success would lie not in the outstanding performance of a few players, but in the contribution of all members.

And as the qualifying matches are already over, the team is now set on doing practice matches for the next few months before the opening of the 2014 World Cup. 

Three Infamous World Cup Controversies

While the World Cup is well known for outstanding plays and goals, it also has its fair share of controversial moments. In fact, these controversies can sometimes overshadow the game. Here are some of the most controversial instances in World Cup history.

Italy versus France, 1939

In the years before the outbreak of World War II, what is supposed to be just another sporting event turned into a major political issue. Upon the arrival of the Italian team in France, they are greeted by mobs of exiled Italians protesting against the fascist reign of Benito Mussolini.  Despite the not so welcoming atmosphere, Giuseppe Meazza and his team managed to make it up to the championships for the second time around.

Controversy broke out in the quarterfinals when they met up against host country France. While they were required to wear white shirts, the Italian team instead wore black shirts known as the Maglia Nera, the insignia of the Italian paramilitary. The team would then further draw the ire of the protesters when they publicly did the fascist salute at the start of the match.

Italy versus Chile, 1966

The Italian team would yet again become embroiled in a controversy decades later, this time against Chile in the 1966 edition. This match would infamously turn into one of the most violent fistfights in the history of the competition. In fact, the BBC network delivered an apt warning during their breoadcast of the match. "Good evening. The game you are about to see is the most stupid, appalling, disgusting and disgraceful exhibition of football, possibly in the history of the game."

The match was already heated from the start, with the first fould being called just 12 seconds into the game, and the first player to be thrown off the playing field, Italian midfielder Giorgio Ferrini, would come just 12 minutes later. Ferrini refused to leave and had to be dragged by the police. Everything would then go downhill from there.

Bogota World Cup, 1970

Perhaps one of the most infamous incidents in the history of the World Cup, the controversy in fact, happened way outside the field. Then defending champion England drew the ire of the host country of Mexico by having frozen meals delivered to them from abroad, supposedly to avoid having to eat local food. 

However, the bigger controversy didn’t happen there. Just before they arrived in Mexico, the English team stopped by Bogota, Colombia. Here, team captain Bobby Moore was arrested after he allegedly stole an emerald bracelet. While Moore would be released four days later, the incident would greatly affect the morale of the team, leading to its lost against West Germany in the quarterfinals. 

Source:

http://espnfc.com/world-cup/story/_/page/worldcup101-03242010/ce/us/ten-most-controversial-moments&cc=4716?ver=global

Six Outstanding Soccer Players You Might Not Know

If you ask fans to name who they consider as the best players in the game of soccer, names like Ronaldo, Pele, and Messi are sure to show up. But there are many more players who also certainly deserve the prestige. Here are some of them you definitely ought to know more of.

1. Jorge Burruchaga

This prolific midfielder is well known for his winning goal that put Argentina 3-2 past Germany, thus claiming the 1986 World Cup title. Burruchaga, or Burru to fans, would go on to make 14 appearances in the World Cup and become a starter for all of the country’s matches in the 1990 World Cup.

Jorge Burruchaga

                                                           

2. Glacinto Fachetti

For the three World Cup tournaments he played in 1966. 1970. And 1974, Fachetti contributed a lot in the success of the Italian team.  His 12 appearances in the World Cup demonstrates why he is still considered as one of the best left fields that every played the game. He is also one of the key players in Italy’s second place finish against Brazil in the 1970 World Cup.

Glacinto Fachetti

3. Lennart Skoglund

The Swedish booter is considered to be one of the youngest players to make an appearance in the World Cup, being just 20 years old when he suited up for Sweden in 1950. He would then become an important figure in Sweden’s campaign in the 1958 edition, scoring of the three goals in the country’s 3-1 semifinals victory over West Germany. Despite appearing only 11 times in the World Cup, he is considered as one of the best entertainers in the game.

Lennart Skoglund

4. Oldrich Nejedly

While the Czechoslovakian player made only 6 appearances in the World Cup, he nevertheless showed why he is a top player. Nejedly was able to score 7 goals in these appearances, hirring five ing 1934 cup and landing two more in the 1938 edition. For his performance, it was no surprise that he became a part of the 1934 All-Star team. 

Oldrich Nejedly

5. Kaka

While Ricardo Izecson dos Santos Leite, or just Kaka to fans, has yet to make an appearance in the World Cup, he is certainly showing why he deserves a spot playing for the event. Kaka had a wonderful run in the 2013 season, being one of AC Milan’s standout players this year. He also became part of the Brazilian national team this year, participating in several matches around the globe. 

6. Sergio Aguero

During the 2013 season, Aruego showed why he is considered as one of Atletico Madrid’s prized possession. He also has one World Cup appearance under his belt, suiting up for Argentina during the 2010 edition. While there are talks that he might be drafted by elite European clubs, his current team says that they will try to hold on to him as long as they can. 

Sergio Aguero

Sources:

http://bet-worldcup-soccer.com/soccer_players.html

http://bleacherreport.com/articles/710342-world-football-the-100-greatest-world-cup-players-of-all-time