Who should win the Ballon D'or?

The contenders for this year's Ballon D'or have been announced and Lionel Messi is red-hot favourite to win a fourth consecutive award after scoring 82 goals so far in 2012, just three short of Gerd Muller's record. 

However he has extremely tough competition in the form of Cristiano Ronaldo and Andres Iniesta, who have also had wonderful years. This time last year Messi won with 47.88 % of the vote, more than 26% than his rival Ronaldo received. While it could be much closer this time around, the Argentine is still expected to win after breaking the La Liga scoring record with 50 goals last season.

2008 winner Ronaldo scored 46 goals in La Liga himself last campaign, and has 12 already this season. He has taken Spanish football by storm since his arrival from Manchester United, scoring 124 times in just 114 appearances in the top flight. 

Iniesta has replaced Barcelona team-mate Xavi Hernandez in the only change to the 2011 nominee line-up. The diminutive Spaniard prides himself on his passing game and for good reason; his pass completion rate in La Liga last season was 89.06%, compared to the league average of 82.51. He creates a monumental amount of goal-scoring chances for team-mates, as shown by his rate in the final third of 80.59% (league average is just 69.3). 

Ballon D'or nominees since August 2011:

	Games	Goals	Assists
Lionel Messi	89	111	33
Cristiano Ronaldo	88	84	15
Andres Iniesta	71	11	20

Even though the statistics above would suggest a resounding victory for Messi, there are other factors that should be taken into account. Iniesta has some more unbelievable statistics that go relatively unnoticed. In the 2011-12 league season he completed 2075 passes compared to a league average of just 658, as well as already creating 16 goal-scoring chances in this year's World Cup qualification campaign. 

A fact that is often forgotten is that international performances are taken into account for the award and Iniesta and Ronaldo both excelled in Euro 2012. Iniesta was named as player of the tournament as he led Spain to a third successive major title, while Portuguese forward Ronaldo finished as joint top-scorer in Eastern Europe. Messi on the other hand, has scored 12 goals in just 9 games for an Argentina team that many feel rely too heavily on him. This is his best return for the national side after enduring years of criticism for under-performing on the international scene. 

It is clear that this year's World Player of the Year award will be tough to decide, although Messi's record-smashing efforts will surely see him break yet another record in taking a fourth successive award. It is likely that he will pass Muller's record before the year is up and that will just put the icing on the cake for the footballing magician.

Ronaldo has had yet another remarkable year and showed his talents in the 2-2 draw in El Clasico when both he and Messi picked up a brace. Iniesta meanwhile has shown wonderful consistency during a year in which he played a crucial role in his national team's success. 

    Prediction: 

1. Messi

    2. Ronaldo

 3. Iniesta

Can Brendan Rodgers Put His Stamp On A Liverpool Side Forever In Transition?

With Liverpool's pre-season tour to the USA and Canada coming up there are still heavy clouds hanging over the future of much-maligned striker Andy Carroll. His former suitors Newcastle United have made an improved offer for a loan with the view for a permanent deal but it remains unclear if the Reds want to offload Carroll so soon after his 35million pound move from the Magpies back in January last year. However he will accompany the Liverpool squad on their tour alongside new 11million pound signing Fabio Borini, a man who many have tipped as Carroll's replacement. 

Borini scored nine goals in 24 Serie A appearances last season for AS Roma as well as collecting his first Italy cap this year and was also part of the squad that reached the Euro 2012 final. He played under new Reds boss Brendan Rodgers on loan at Swansea in the 2010/11 season scoring six goals and the Northern Irishman has been an admirer ever since. He holds high hopes for his first signing in his new job as he said: "I'd anticipate that over the next two or three years he'll really progress and I'm sure do very well for Liverpool. Fabio fits the model of what we're trying to do in building not only for now, but also for the future."

Also on the plane to North America are Joe Cole and Alberto Aquilani, both of whom have only had one full season at their parent club. Last year Cole was on loan at Lille while Aquilani was at AC Milan after his spell with Juventus the season before. Both had very disappointing debut seasons in the North-West of England but also found returns to form while overseas. Former England winger Cole managed to miss a penalty in his first game and be sent off in his debut league game while Aquilani struggled to find a place in the starting line-up after being hailed as Liverpool's next midfield maestro after the departure of Xabi Alonso. 

Despite their relative failures at Anfield they both thrived on the continent as former Hammer Cole scored nine goals and made six assists in 42 matches in France. Aquilani played much more often in Serie A and was voted by the supporters as Liverpool's best player in pre-season last summer. When these two players were at Liverpool before it was clear that they did not really fit in with the side's ideology or style of play. Cole seemed disjointed and out of place in a side in transition while the Italian centre midfielder hardly got a look-in under Rafael Benitez's deteriorating side.  

Cole seems pleased to have Rodgers at the helm: “When I was hearing about Liverpool looking at certain managers, I was praying it was going to be Brendan — not just because he’s not an unknown for me and I know his philosophy on football, but I think for the club the owners have made the right choice." Cole worked alongside Rodgers when he was a coach at Chelsea and the 30-year-old is looking forward to playing under the manger's philosophy:  "I love the style of play. At Lille, we played like that as well — getting the ball down and moving."

Aquilani will also be much more used to a passing style of play than the fast-paced, slightly more long-ball tactics employed under former Reds bosses. His acute touches and flicks in midfield and his excellent close-range passing was one of the clear positives in his first spell at Anfield. Liverpool fans will be excited to see how the former on-loan men fare in the new-look side. 

Rodgers will also be keen to make the most of what is already at the club and made it clear that legendary captain Steven Gerrard is firmly in his plans when he called him the evening after being appointed manager. Luis Suarez looks set to stay and it is rumoured that he is being coaxed into signing a new deal. The new coach is also looking to bring in one or two more players before the transfer window shuts to further enhance his squad but one big question remains - will all these changes make a difference to Liverpool's fortunes? 

The last three years Liverpool have failed to finish in the Premier League top five and have lost their invincibility at home. Last season there were signs of a return to form but ultimately they did not hit the back of the net enough and Dalglish lost his job as they collected their lowest amount of points in a league campaign for nearly fifty years. 

This season Rodgers will be looking to begin his Red Revolution as he brings his own flair and style to the Kop. The team are likely to play with a 4-3-3 formation with plenty of width, as opposed to the more rigid 4-4-2 shape that previous managers employed. However there are some top teams above them that will also be attempting to finish in the hallowed top four spots that bring Champions League qualification. The likes of champions Manchester City, Manchester United, Chelsea, Arsenal, Tottenham Hotspur and Newcastle United all have world-class players and plenty of depth to their squads. Liverpool will have to significantly improve if they are to break into the top five, let alone the top four. 

However this may not be as hard as some people think as there is a wealth of talent at the club. Luis Suarez has been a prolific goalscorer for previous teams and his country and although being criticised for his lack of goals last year, did finish as top scorer. Borini will be out to impress while Andy Carroll hit some form late on  last spring and did well for England at Euro 2012. Craig Bellamy's pace is always a threat and Steven Gerrard is an inspirational figure in the heart of midfield. Add Joe Cole's creativity, the technical ability of Aquilani and the impending return of Lucas Leiva and Liverpool's side immediately looks a lot stronger. 

All that is needed for them is to gel and work as a team, like Rodgers's Swansea City did last term. Liverpool will continue to be relatively tight at the back but will be sure to have a lot more of the ball and with it almost certainly more goals. All that remains to be seen is if Rodgers can successfully put his stamp on the team and put history behind them in an attempt to create their own; something the club has struggled with over the last couple of decades. Yes, it will obviously be a far cry from the glory days of the 1970s and 80s and they will not mount a title challenge, but this season they may just make a more threatening push for a place with Europe's elite.

Spain Hoping for Third Successive Major Final While Ronaldo Looks To Leave His Mark

By Richard Scott;

http://redcardreco.blogspot.co.uk/

Tonight sees the first semi-final of the European Championship as group B runners up Portugal take on group C winners Spain.

Portugal's hopes rest on Cristiano Ronaldo who is one the leading scorers so far in the tournament with three goals. The Real Madrid star man will be up against many of his team-mates in the Spain team.

One of his Real team-mates is Spain number one Iker Casillas who will win his 136th cap should he play and will become the first player to win 100 games for his country should they progress to the final. The Spain goalkeeper made his debut 12 years ago against Sweden at the age of 19.

Spain, defending European champions and World Cup winners, are favourites to make Sunday's final with their attacking style of play having already brought 8 goals from Fabregas, Alonso, Torres (2 each) Silva and Navas (1 each).

Former Liverpool star Xabi Alonso said during the pre match press conference that it will be a team effort in stopping Ronaldo from taking his team through.

The Dombass Arena will not be full of fans as not many have made the trip to the semi final due to the distance from Spain and Portugal.

The game kicks off at 7:45pm (BST time) and will be shown on BBC One.

England and Italy Set For Scrappy Battle

On a great day for the English nation in 1966 Bobby Moore lifted the Jules Rimet trophy after a momentous 4-2 win over West Germany in extra-time. However since then England are yet to reach a major final in 46 years of pain and misery. England have had high hopes many times before; in 1970 England were favourites for the World Cup but lost a 2-0 advantage to West Germany in the quarter-final. The amount of tight defeats since then have been endless. From dropping out of the World Cup in 1982 unbeaten to the endless penalty shoot-out defeats of the last 22 years the Three Lions have continued to fail time and time again. 

This year it seems that the English public have finally given up and expectations have been unusually low this summer. With a new manager and an injury-prone squad no one thought Roy Hodgson's men had a prayer in this tournament. But since then England have shown great resolve and grit to progress through a tough group on top. Today they face a much harder task in a determined Italy team hoping to also prove their doubters wrong. Italy have many world class players and will provide a very close examination of England's apparently water-tight defence. Despite this England have had five different goal-scorers in the group stages and will definitely create some dangerous moments for the Rossoneri on the counter-attack. 

Italian manager Cesare Prandelli will be aware that the opposition will be hard to break down but will still hesitate to start with enigmatic striker Mario Balotelli. Despite undoubtedly being their main goal threat his temper poses a very different problem for the opposition. His countless discipline problems have caused a headache for his manager who is likely to leave him on the bench again tonight. Prandelli does have other attacking options in Antonio di Natale and Antonio Cassano who have both scored so far this tournament. Despite this the game will probably be won and lost in midfield where the Italians will probably have an extra man as England are likely to play a 4-4-2 system. Scott Parker and captain Steven Gerrard will have their work cut out as they try to stop the creative influence of players like Juventus veteran Andrea Pirlo. These two English bulldogs are sure to hassle and hurry him to a point of no return and Pirlo can struggle when constantly put under pressure.

England have goal threats of their own in the shape of Manchester United strike pairing Danny Welbeck and Wayne Rooney who scored 47 goals between them for their club last season. Add the likes of Ashley Young, James Milner and the attacking threats from Gerrard and right-back Glen Johnson and this shows a definite capability of scoring goals. There is also the threat on the bench of big Liverpool striker Andy Carroll and the Arsenal youngsters Theo Walcott and Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain who both have plenty of pace to burn.

Tonight  is sure to be a tightly-fought contest between two similarly set up sides. Roy Hodgson spent much of his management career in Italy and usually sets up his teams to play in an Italian style. It could well happen that the two sides cancel each other out and extra-time and penalties is a very big possibility. However the game pans out this will be a massive occasion for both nations as they attempt to prove critics wrong. 

France Hoping to Beat Spain at Their Own Game

12 years ago France beat Spain in a thrilling Euro 2000 quarter-final with goals from Youri Djorkaeff and legendary figure Zinedine Zidane. Raul then blazed a last minute penalty over the bar for Spain as France marched on to take a classic Euro 2000 final against Italy 2-1 with a golden goal from David Trezeguet after Sylvain Wiltord had equalised in injury time. Zidane was named player of that tournament and was acclaimed as one the best players ever. He went on to guide France to another final, this time in the 2006 World Cup where they again met Italy but lost on penalties after Zidane scored and then was sent off. A lot has changed in French football since that day in Berlin. At both Euro 2008 and World Cup 2010 all they could manage was one point and bottom spot in their group.

After World Cup 2010 France embarked on a programme to try to restore themselves as one of Europe's footballing powerhouses in the wake of player unrest and revolt. Much-maligned manager Raymond Domenech was replaced by former defender Laurent Blanc and the French started to try to replicate the possession football of the 'golden generation' a few years before. Now much has changed since 2006 and on Zidane's 40th birthday the French will attempt to play as they did in 2006 when they beat Spain 3-1 in the last 16; a win courtesy of the style of play that Spain are now famous for. Spain the reigning European and World champions will have plenty to say about that as they endeavour to continue to become the first nation to win three major tournaments in a row.

Spain play with seven Barcelona players and may play without a recognised striker in the team; as they did in the opening match against Italy. Cesc Fabregas may play as the furthest man forward with the likes of Xavi, Iniesta, Silva and Xabi Alonso behind him. However Fernando Torres has shown signs of a return to form and he will be hoping to lead the attack in the absence of the injured David Villa. France have started to play very good passing football with Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema the focal point of their forward line. Newcastle United midfielder Yohan Cabaye has continued on from a good season in England with good performances in the centre so far this tournament while France look relatively settled at the back. France's win over Ukraine was their first win in a major finals since 2006 and were unbeaten in 23 matches before their defeat to Sweden.

Spain will rightly go into this match as favourites but have not hit top form yet in Poland and Ukraine and France will fancy their chances of setting up a semi-final with Portugal. This quarter-final should be another great game in the latest episode in France and Spain's long footballing series.

Greece Hoping for 2004-esque Performance Against Germany

Greece are in a crisis that could affect the whole of Europe, especially the Germans. The Greeks are angry at Chancellor Merkel for carrying on the austerity plan despite of the worsening situation in Greece where Euro 2012 has taken a back seat so far as a result of the elections. With a government finally now in place, coupled with the success of the Greek football side so far, attention will turn to a much-anticipated quarter-final with Germany. This is also a great opportunity for Greece to get their own back on a country that has not done them many favours in recent months. 

However they face a side that they have never beaten in eight matches, losing five times. Despite this the Germans have never beaten Greece in a major tournament and their only previous meeting in a European Championship ended 0-0 in 1980. Back then Greece had no real football history and it was their first appearance at a major finals which they departed at the group stage. Their next appearance came in World Cup 1994 where the first round once again proved a step too far. Although in 2001 legendary German coach Otto Rehhagel took over the manager's job and improved results brought them Euro 2004 qualification. This was a great achievement in itself and some bookmakers priced them at 150/1 to win the tournament. Nevertheless this did not deter them and they shocked Portugal, France, Czech Republic and then hosts Portugal again in the final to win an astonishing title. 

Rehhagel became a legendary figure in Greece as a result and they also qualified for Euro 2008 and World Cup 2010; at one point holding eighth place in the FIFA World Rankings. When he resigned as manager many Greeks became sceptical of whether or not they could carry on as a top footballing side. Despite these fears they have continued to exceed expectations and qualified for this year's tournament as group winners over the more-fancied Croatia. So far at the finals Fernando Santos's side have surprised many in qualifying for the knock-out stages which they did with a shocking 1-0 win over Russia. This will give them hope of doing well against an excellent German side who still look like they could move up another gear. 

Mario Gomez is rumoured to be replaced in the starting line-up by Miroslav Klose who is a lofty second in the list of Euro and World Cup finals goals with 16. The Germans have an array of attacking talent behind him in Mesut Ozil, Thomas Meuller and Bastian Schweinsteiger. Added to this is a powerful back-line led by captain Phillip Lahm and Bayern Munich defender Holger Badstuber. However the Greeks will be hopeful of catching out the Germans on the counter-attack who do have a lack of pace. But Joachim Loew's team will be confident of scoring goals and have not failed to score in 19 international matches, the longest ever scoring streak tied with Uruguay. 

Europe expects victory for the three-time winners but as Greece have proved in the recent past they should never be written off. They are always hard to beat and play as a team with great passion and fight. Germany will feel they have much more quality and that a professional performance should be enough to seal a smooth passage into the semi-finals. 

Italy Hoping for No Match-Fixing Today as They Look to Quieten Their Critics

Going into World Cup 2006 there was a cloud surrounding Italy amidst match-fixing allegations that ended with Juventus being stripped of two Serie A titles and being relegated. The scandal also saw AC Milan, Lazio, Fiorentina and Reggina deducted points. Many supporters and pundits alike thought that this would hamper their World Cup campaign and that they would struggle in Germany. However this did not come to pass as the Rossoneri won their fourth World Cup with a penalty shoot-out win over France.

This summer they entered Euro 2012 with similar accusations surrounding the squad with seven Italian suffering points deductions. Similarly to 2006 people have been quick to write of Italy's chances saying that the scandal will affect the players; while some say the Italian squad is too old and that they will not score enough goals. True, there are are a few older players in the 23 but they bring great experience to the side, especially players like Andrea Pirlo and Gianluigi Buffon who won the World Cup in 2006. The attack is not too shabby either with the enigmatic Manchester City striker Mario Balotelli their main goal threat with Antonio di Natale and Antonio Cassano perfectly capable of hitting the back of the net. 

If Spain and Croatia draw 2-2 that would automatically eliminate Italy who have suffered a similar fate before. Ironically, considering Italy's bad match-fixing reputation, back in 2004 Denmark and Sweden played out a 2-2 draw to ensure the Italians exited the competition. Goalkeeper Buffon quashed fears of that happening again suggesting that Spain would not stoop that low: "It would be a joke all across Europe and I don't think it will happen. I do not think that Spain, a world champion with players like Xavi or Iniesta, would sully their prestige with a pact. It's different to the Sweden-Denmark case, because Spain are better than Croatia, not at the same level."

Despite this the facts remain the same: If Croatia can upset Spain then they will finish as group winners and Italy will definitely drop out of the tournament if they fail to beat Ireland. The 1968 winners will be expected to comfortably get past the Irish green army after they were comfortably brushed aside in their opening two games. The Italian fans do not seem to be holding high hopes of winning the championship this time around, akin to the England fans' expectations. However a convincing win today will probably give them a place in the knock-out rounds and they will be quietly confident of proving the non-believers wrong.

England Ready to Prove Their Doubters Wrong

'Boring'. 'Too defensive.' 'Negative.' 'Played like Chelsea.'

They were just some of the criticisms aimed at England after their opening 1-1 draw with France. True, England did sit back after taking the lead but that was more down to the French stepping on the accelerator rather than England taking their foot off the gas. People should not forget that France are on a 22-match unbeaten run and looked in great shape in the run-in to this tournament, so a point was a good result for England. One thing is for certain, if England beat Spain by playing 'too defensively' in the final, is anyone in 'our green and pleasant land' going to care?

Tonight the 'Three Lions' will go out against Sweden in a much more attacking frame of mind. Danny Welbeck says that he expects it to be an exciting game, while skipper Steven Gerrard has called on his team-mates to perform in order to seal the three points. The Swedes desperately need a positive result after their opening 2-1 defeat to co-hosts Ukraine and will go out with a plan to frustrate England. Gerrard and co will be ready for this and will know that the Swedes only real goal threats are through star striker Zlatan Ibrahimovic and set-pieces. 

Going forward against France England looked dangerous but did not create many clear-cut chances. The goal came from an excellent free-kick and England's only other good opportunity was when James Milner could only find the side-netting after rounding goalkeeper Hugo Lloris. Against Sweden Hodgson's men will be expecting to create a lot more and to learn from their opening contest. Hodgson looks set to name a more attack-minded side with Liverpool's big striker Andy Carroll likely to get the nod. Whether he plays alongside Welbeck or replaces him remains to be seen, but England are sure to get balls into the box and get at the Scandinavian's defence. 

England's squad seem to have renewed belief under Roy Hodgson and will be hoping to take the game by the scruff of the neck this evening. One thing is for sure; the supporters may have written England off, but the players still hold high hopes. Hodgson denied any thoughts that other teams in the tournament were under-rating England: "I would be surprised if teams were not taking England seriously. I think it is more of a question that in past tournaments we haven't been able to live up to very high expectations."

Legendary Swedish striker Henrik Larsson said he was wary of this 'disciplined' England side: "I am impressed by England because normally they go forward and sometimes play more with the heart than the head.
I think that's one of the reasons England have maybe not had the great results at the European Championships or World Cups over the years."

In the three matches since Hodgson took over England have looked very organized and difficult to beat, whereas in the disaster in South Africa they looked open to the counter-attack and all at sea. Their next two group games will be very tough; Sweden are no mugs and Ukraine will be a force as the hosts. Despite this England should progress out of Group D with at least five points if they continue to do the simple things right. What happens after that is anyone's guess; a quarter-final penalty shoot-out maybe?

European Superpowers Set to Clash Once More

When the Netherlands were hit by Blitzkrieg in May 1940 the Germans began an occupation of the country that would last for five years. Over 2,000 Dutch soldiers and 2,000 civilians lost their lives in the Battle of the Netherlands and a further 110,000 Dutch Jews died in the five years that followed, including Anne Frank. For the next 34 years many Dutch people held an unrivalled hatred against Germany. 

In the summer of 1974 Holland were poised for revenge as their multi-talented 'total-footballing' side took the lead against West Germany in the World Cup final before their rivals had even touched the ball. Surprisingly the Germans came from behind to win 2-1 with a winner from star striker Gerd Muller. The Dutch people were distraught and the game became known as 'the mother of all defeats'. Dutch midfielder Wim van Hanegem illustrated his country's hatred for the Germans after the match: 

"I didn't give a damn about the score. 1–0 was enough, as long as we could humiliate them. I hate them. They murdered my family. My father, my sister, two of my brothers."

Van Hanegem left the field that day in tears.

However in 1988 came Dutch football's greatest hour. In the German's back garden they met in one of football's most titanic clashes with a place in the European Championship final up for grabs. After scoring a penalty each and the match heading for extra-time Marco van Basten slid in to score a dramatic 88th minute winner. That night 9 million Dutch people celebrated on the streets. They chanted 'In 1940 they came! In 1988 we came!'. Dutch defender Ronald Koeman pretended to wipe his backside with Olaf Thon's shirt and the Dutch peoples' joy was unconfined.

Goalkeeper Hans van Breukelen displayed these emotions: "I had been waiting for that moment for fourteen years. Before the game I remembered my feelings watching TV as a teenager, and that boosted up my anger. I am happy to have been able to give this gift to the older generation, the ones that lived through the War."

In World Cup 1990 they met again and this time there was conflict on the pitch. After being booked for a tackle on Rudi Voller Frank Rijkaard spat in his opponent's hair. The Dutch players then felt that Voller dived in an attempt to win a penalty and Rijkaard proceeded to twist Voller's ear and stamp on his foot. Both players were sent off and as they left the field the Dutch midfielder spat in the German's hair again. This earned him the nickname 'llama' in Germany. West Germany went on to win the match and their third World Cup.

In Euro 2004 the Dutch met their greatest foe once more with German manager Rudi Voller seeking revenge for the incident from 14 years before. He didn't get it though as a late Ruud van Nistelrooy equaliser condemned Germany to a second successive Euro group-stage exit. 

This evening they meet again. Tournament favourites Germany are on a high after their opening 1-0 win over Portugal; Holland in desperate need of a result following a shock defeat by the same scoreline to Denmark. The hatred that used to surround these matches has faded into the distant past and now the games are more focused on the football. Despite this Netherlands midfielder Wesley Sneijder says that he 'has always dreamt of scoring the winning goal against the Germans'. 

Two sides are primed for battle and nothing but a win will do.