FIFA’s Puskas Award is down to a short-list of three players and will be presented on January 9th.
The goals by Wayne Rooney, Lionel Messi and Neymar are among the best you’ll ever see.
Wayne Rooney scored a cracking bicycle-kick vs Manchester City. Here is > the video.
Lionel Messi mesmerized the Arsenal goalkeeper with > this goal.
And Neymar…well Neymar…it’s hard to explain what he did. Check-out the video and see how he did just about everything on > this goal vs Flamengo.
I watched the Rooney goal live with my 12-year-old son and he says that I slapped him so hard on the back after the goal that he thought he’d go through the television. So the Rooney goal has a personal meaning for me – since I shared it with my son. Plus – it was a bicycle-kick goal, the most-dreamt of goal for every player; and Rooney scored it in a derby; and into the top corner; and it was at Old Trafford; and those red jerseys looked mighty fine that day.
But…I have to say that my favourite was the Neymar goal because…well…I don’t know…because he did just about everything and did it for a long time as he slalomed through that Flamengo team. Yep – for me – a whole lot happened on that goal. It showed the world that a new, great player had arrived.
The Pro Player Challenge comes to a head. Wayne Rooney hosts an evening of FIFA 12 with Manchester City’s Joleon Lescott, Everton’s Tim Cahill, Newcastle’s Haris Vuckic, pop star Olly Murs and more…
“There was no question against the referee, nothing. He understood he made a big mistake and walked straight to the dressing room.
“That is a really important thing (for the) appeal.”
Those are the words of England manager Fabio Capello – who might be right about Wayne Rooney’s chances for a successful red card appeal with UEFA.
And Rooney has his own point to make regarding precedents for these kinds of suspensions, specifically the two-match ban Russia’s Andrei Arshavin received prior to Euro 2008:
“The one thing which is disappointing is that Arshavin got two games for the same thing. I don’t see any difference to what I did so I don’t really understand that.”
UEFA is notoriously stubborn on these issues but I think that both Capello and Rooney make great cases for a successful appeal and reduction to a two-match ban.
And that would be very good for England because I don’t think that England can win Euro 2012 without one of the best players in the world.
“I am disappointed with it. I’ve got no excuse but I still feel the punishment is a bit harsh. All the details we have been waiting for came through so we will be making a decision as to whether we will be appealing.
“It was stupid. I regretted it as soon as I did it. I honestly don’t know why I did it. It was one of those moments which I live to regret now. There was no tackle on me beforehand, so it wasn’t retaliation.
“I didn’t set out to ‘beat’ him; it just happened. I just can’t explain it but, obviously, it’s devastating for me.”
So what are the odds of the the UEFA discipline committee changing their decision of a 3-match ban?
Based on previous appeals?
Nil.
I guess that Wayne will be nice and fresh for the knock-out rounds – if England get that far.
Wayne Rooney is the only Englishman on the initial list for the FIFA Balon D’or award.
While FIFA will not officially release the list until November 1, the Manchester United striker is the lone Englishman according to Spanish daily Mundo Deportivo.
Rooney’s United team-mate Javier Hernandez is also listed along with Manchester City’s David Silva and Sergio Aguero plus Liverpool’s Luis Suarez.
European champions Barcelona dominate the list with nine candidates: current holder Lionel Messi, Xavi, Andres iniesta, Gerard Pique, Carles Puyol, Cesc Fabregas, David Villa, Dani Alves and Eric Abidal.
“For me he has got to go, the talent that he is,” Gerrard told Talksport’s Stan Collymore in a telephone interview.
“He is that good a player I think you have to take the risk and take him. It is devastating he is out for the first three games, it is a massive blow for everyone.
“We will have to see who we come up against in the group games but we should progress from the group stages and then you need your best player out there with you to push on all the way to the final.”
Best player. So true. And gone for three games. I don’t think it has really sunk in for England how big the Rooney loss is. Could it be so big that they don’t make it out of the group stage – as Gerrard says – and Rooney never plays a game at the Euros?
