It will be very very difficult to say who is the player of the tournament in this WC. Individual talent has been non-existant.

 

definitely take your point on Cannavaro, for me him and Lahm have been the best defenders of the tournament. My top tourny players;

Ricardo
Lehman
Zizou
Klose
Maniche has done well for portugal too

 

Cannavaro and Klose have been outstanding, they would be my choice so far.

 

Lahm or Klose

 

The competitors(official list by FIFA):

Goalkeepers: Jens Lehmann (Germany), Gianluigi Buffon (Italy), Oswaldo Sánchez (Mexico), Edwin Van der Sar (Holland) and Andreas Isaksson (Sweden).

Defenders: Roberto Ayala (Argentina), Cafú and Roberto Carlos (Brazil), Giovanny Espinoza (Ecuador), Rio Ferdinand (England), Philipp Lahm (Germany), Gianluca Zambrotta and Fabio Cannavaro (Italy), Rafael Márquez (Mexico), Miguel and Ricardo Carvalho (Portugal), Carles Puyol (Spain) and Olof Mellberg (Sweden).

Midfielders: Esteban Cambiasso, Javier Mascherano, Juan Román Riquelme and Maxi Rodríguez (Argentina), Vince Grella (Australia), Kaká, Ronaldinho and Zé Roberto (Brazil), Luis Valencia (Ecuador), David Beckham, Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard and Joe Cole (England), Claude Makelele, Frank Ribery, Patrick Vieira and Zinedine Zidane (France), Michael Ballack (Germany), Michael Essien and Stephen Appiah (Ghana), Andrea Pirlo (Italy), Pavel Pardo (Mexico), Deco, Luis Figo and Maniche (Portugal), Xabi Alonso and Xavi (Spain), Tranquillo Barnetta (Switzerland), Anatoli Tymoshchuk and Maksym Kalinichenko (Ukraine).

Strikers: Carlos Tevez, Hernán Crespo, Javier Saviola and Lionel Messi (Argentina), Adriano, Ronaldo and Robinho (Brazil), Agustín Delgado (Ecuador), Wayne Rooney (England), Thierry Henry (France), Miroslav Klose and Lukas Podolski (Germany), Jared Borgetti and José Fonseca (Mexico), Arjen Robben and Robin van Persie (Holland), Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal), Fernando Torres (Spain), Alexander Frei (Switzerland), Andriy Schevchenko and Andrei Voronin (Ukraine).

 

Rooney?! :rollani:

 

Wait for the tournament to end before picking up any players.

 

Oh man, please, lets wait for the tournament to finish first, than we can disscus this things.

 

Nobody stood out so far. But then again football in 2006 is very different from what it was in 1986. Individual brilliance carrying a team all the way through is stuff of fairy-tales now. There's only one Diego, and there will be no more.

 

Who ever will go through tonight will decide whether its Klose or Cannavaro the better of the two. If Cannavaro shuts out Klose than Italy you think would advance otherwise if Klose has an impact Germany should go through.

Until Zidane's againts Brasil performance I thought Riquelme had being the best midfielder. So I guess we will wait until the final game to see who will make history.

 

We've had icons (not neccessarily the best player, but the one player that defined the World Cup and the first name / image that comes to mind when a particular World Cup year is mentioned) from every World Cup since the last that I can remember.

1982: Paolo Rossi
1986: Diego Maradona
1990: Salvatore Schillaci
1994: Roberto Baggio
1998: Zinedine Zidane
2002: Ronaldo
2006: ?

There are no clear icons so far, the closest being Klose. But that will really depend on Germany's performance tonight.

 

It will certainly come down to the semis and the final. Zidane is a real possibility if he performs well again for France, same for Henry if he scores more important goals. Vieira has had a great tournament but i don't see him getting the award.

Deco, Klose, Ballack, Totti, Pirlo?

No real standouts so far, so i believe the winner will come from a star performer in the final 2 games.

 

1982: Paolo Rossi
1986: Diego Maradona
1990: Salvatore Schillaci??
1994: Roberto Baggio
1998: Zinedine Zidane
2002: Ronaldo??
2006: ?

I think that you got 1990 and 2002 wrong.

Schillaci may have been a top scorer but the player that stole the show was really Lothar Matthaus.

As for 2002, Ronaldo was the top scorer in an overall super team but the player that stood out as an icon was Oliver Kahn for taking an average German team to the final. bar his mistakes in the final, and you got a one man show then just like it was with Maradona in 1986.

 

It will be very very difficult to say who is the player of the tournament in this WC. Individual talent has been non-existant.

Your mind is especially clear these days. :thumbsup:

 

We cant wait for the tournament to end. Its coz the Golden Ball will be handed out after the semifinal and before the final. So performances in the final have no bearing.

@ Great Outdoors:

You are far too harsh to us Germans. Ofcourse we may not be as flashy or good as u guys are but hey give us credit where its due.

1982: Paolo Rossi
1986: Diego Maradona
1990: Salvatore Schillaci ....and not Lothar?
1994: Roberto Baggio.......(the tragic hero) but Romario as well
1998: Zinedine Zidane
2002: Ronaldo.....and not Olli Kahn?
2006: ?

 

Wait for the tournament to end before picking up any players.

Oh man, please, lets wait for the tournament to finish first, than we can disscus this things.

Anything else connotes prejudice to me.

 

I am surprised that Lahm isnt shortlisted for the Young Player award. Coz hed be a shoe-in to win that. Im not sure if he is too old though...

 

The competitors(official list by FIFA):

Goalkeepers: Jens Lehmann (Germany), Gianluigi Buffon (Italy), Oswaldo Sánchez (Mexico), Edwin Van der Sar (Holland) and Andreas Isaksson (Sweden).

Defenders: Roberto Ayala (Argentina), Cafú and Roberto Carlos (Brazil), Giovanny Espinoza (Ecuador), Rio Ferdinand (England), Philipp Lahm (Germany), Gianluca Zambrotta and Fabio Cannavaro (Italy), Rafael Márquez (Mexico), Miguel and Ricardo Carvalho (Portugal), Carles Puyol (Spain) and Olof Mellberg (Sweden).

Midfielders: Esteban Cambiasso, Javier Mascherano, Juan Román Riquelme and Maxi Rodríguez (Argentina), Vince Grella (Australia), Kaká, Ronaldinho and Zé Roberto (Brazil), Luis Valencia (Ecuador), David Beckham, Frank Lampard, Steven Gerrard and Joe Cole (England), Claude Makelele, Frank Ribery, Patrick Vieira and Zinedine Zidane (France), Michael Ballack (Germany), Michael Essien and Stephen Appiah (Ghana), Andrea Pirlo (Italy), Pavel Pardo (Mexico), Deco, Luis Figo and Maniche (Portugal), Xabi Alonso and Xavi (Spain), Tranquillo Barnetta (Switzerland), Anatoli Tymoshchuk and Maksym Kalinichenko (Ukraine).

Strikers: Carlos Tevez, Hernán Crespo, Javier Saviola and Lionel Messi (Argentina), Adriano, Ronaldo and Robinho (Brazil), Agustín Delgado (Ecuador), Wayne Rooney (England), Thierry Henry (France), Miroslav Klose and Lukas Podolski (Germany), Jared Borgetti and José Fonseca (Mexico), Arjen Robben and Robin van Persie (Holland), Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal), Fernando Torres (Spain), Alexander Frei (Switzerland), Andriy Schevchenko and Andrei Voronin (Ukraine).

Amazing list there from FIFA! :rollani: A lot of those players don't deserve to be quoted! :thmbdown:


Anyway, my vote for player of the tournament goes to.....Maxi Rodríguez :star:

 

without a doubt its either Jens Lehmann or Thierry Henry :shades:

 

When Fat Frank Lampard and Ronnie are on that list then you know its a joke!! :rollani:

 

@ neebz: Jens nd Thierry bcoz they are Arsenal?

 

@ neebz: Jens nd Thierry bcoz they are Arsenal?

yes.

Arsenal = Quality = Players of the Tournament = No Debate = Give either of em the award and close the thread p

 

Jens will have his acid test today. He hasnt had shit to do for most of the tournament in normal time. He came up trumps in the penalties so kudos to him for that.

Henry has been a huge disappointment. Yes he has got three goals but is this the Henry i know? No.

 

Jens will have his acid test today. He hasnt had shit to do for most of the tournament in normal time. He came up trumps in the penalties so kudos to him for that.

Henry has been a huge disappointment. Yes he has got three goals but is this the Henry i know? No.

don't be so harsh on Henry. I thought he had an excellent second half against Brazil. He beat players lots of times and almost set up Ribery. Not easy being up there by yourself.

Wouldn't this be fun: Mad Jens vs Titi Henry in the final. :lick: don't want to jinx it though.

 

Klose or Ballack if the germans won! Each has 2 man of the match awards till now.