Trash Chronicles

Manny Pacquiao made sure his kababayans in the Philippines will have a jolly celebration of the holidays after beating Puerto Rican Miguel Cotto to a pulp in their scheduled 12-round “Firepower" slugfest at the MGM Grand Arena in Las Vegas.

Manny Pacquiao, right, lands a right to the head of Puerto Rican Miguel Cotto during their WBO welterweight boxing title fight Saturday in Las Vegas. AP
Months of preparation between both fighters ended Saturday (Sunday in Manila) with Pacquiao needing 12 rounds and referee Kenny Bayless’ decision in collecting his record seventh weight division crown.

Pacquiao's win again gave the country the chance to forget the calamity brought by several typhoons that battered the country - mostly Luzon - and more reason to be more hopeful.

Now the “Pacman" can surely take his place among the great fighters, Filipino or foreign, that danced their way inside the four corners of the ring.

He has grown big, physically and in stature, from his humble beginnings around the busy streets of General Santos City where he began his career as a 106-lb strawweight.

Cotto fought gallantly, controlling the first two rounds where he kept Pacquiao out of his usual game.

But Pacquiao was apparently just taking his time to to study and size up his opponent first.

When the 30-year-old Filipino icon finally measured Cotto’s power, he started weaving his magic inside the ring, baffling his opponent with blinding speed and forcing the Puerto Rican to hit the canvass twice in the third and fourth rounds.

At times, Pacquiao unleashed several powerful combinations that rocked Cotto. But the deposed champion managed to fight back and exchange shots with the Filipino ring icon.

In the later round, Cotto started backpedaling and seemed content on just waiting for an opening to land a big shot when the tireless Pacquiao came forward.

His wife Melissa, seeing enough of the pounding his husband was receiving from Pacquiao, left the arena with their 10-year-old son at the start of the 10th round. Even Cotto’s father begged for a stoppage.

Bayless was the one who saved Cotto from Pacquiao’s beating, stopping the fight with still 55 seconds left in the 12th.

Pacquiao landed 336 punches out of the 780 he threw at Cotto for a 43 per cent accuracy rate while his opponent connected 172 times on the 336 he tossed (28 per cent). More than 270 of Pacquiao’s punches are aimed at Cotto’s head.

But based on the power punches, Pacquiao proved the stronger, one landing 276 out of the 560 he unleashed compared to the 93 out of the 300 by Cotto.

“I did not know where the punches are coming," was all a dejected Cotto could say after the match.

Had the match gone through the scorecards, judges Adalaide Byrd, Duane Ford and Dave Moretti would have still ruled in favor of Pacquiao. So dominant was Pacquiao that all three judges saw Cotto winning only two rounds of the fight. – GMANews.TV

Manny Pacquiao’s 12-round annihilation of Miguel Cotto on Saturday (Sunday in Manila) gathered some of Hollywood’s top celebrities along with past and current athletic superstars.

Oscar-nominated actor Mickey Rourke and Mark Wahlberg were among those who watched as Pacquiao dismantled Cotto and completed his mission of winning a record seventh division title. Both actors are known Pacquiao fans with Rourke being a former student of Freddie Roach, the Filipino ring icon’s American trainer.

Manny Pacquiao salutes the crowd that features top Hollywood and sports stars after wresting the WBO welterweight belt from Miguel Cotto Saturday in Las Vegas (Sunday in Manila.) AP
Also at ringside were veteran actor Joe Pesci, socialite Paris Hilton, R&B artist Sean “P. Diddy" Combs, comedian Will Ferrell and Jeremy Piven, star of HBO’s hit series “Entourage".

Some of the finest athletes also dropped by to witness the showdown dubbed “Firepower."

Former boxing champions Roberto Duran and Tommy “The Hitman" Hearns, reining International Boxing Organization light heavyweight titlist Chad Dawson, undisputed light middleweight king and a current middleweight contender Winky Wright, Shane Mosley, New York Giants running back Brandon Jacobs, Derek Jeter of the World Series champs New York Yankees, and basketball legend Magic Johnson were also seen at ringside.

Philippine Vice President Noli De Castro, Deputy National Security Adviser and former Ilocos Sur Gov. Luis “Chavit" Singson and Mayor Bing Leonardia were among local politicians who trooped to Las Vegas to cheer for Pacquiao.

Kapuso singing group La Divas – Maricris Garcia, Aicelle Santos and Jonalyn Viray – sang the Lupang Hinirang followed by Ednita Nazario who sang Puerto Rico’s National Anthem. Fil-Am Ramiel of the American Idol fame sang the Star Spangled Banner before ring announcer Michael Buffer introduced both fighters.

Pacquiao reportedly earned $13 million (P611,000,000) from the megafight while Cotto pocketed $7 million just to have his face rearranged by the seven-division champion.

Undercard

Eight undercard bouts took place before the Pacquiao-Cotto showdown with two Filipino boxers, a relative of the deposed champion and an aspiring rabbi winning their respective matches.

Abner Cotto, cousin of the former WBO welterweight king, opened up the card with a victory over Lupe Guzman in their lightweight bout while Richie Mepranum, one of the two Filipino boxers in the undercard, won over Ernie Marquez by split decision.

Rodrigo Garcia defeated Martin Guerra by unanimous decision while Eden Sonsona, another boxer from the Philippines, scored a technical knockout victory over Eilon Kedem. Alfonso Gomez needed six rounds to beat Jesus Soto-Krass while Matt Korobov bested James Winchester in their middleweight division match.

Belarus-born Yuri Foreman of Israel, an aspiring rabbi, snatched the World Boxing Association super welterweight championship belt from Daniel Santos when he defeated the Puerto Rican via unanimous decision.

Julio Cesar Chavez outpointed Troy Rowland for the final undercard bout.

Manny Pacquiao’s 12-round annihilation of Miguel Cotto on Saturday (Sunday in Manila) gathered some of Hollywood’s top celebrities along with past and current athletic superstars.

Oscar-nominated actor Mickey Rourke and Mark Wahlberg were among those who watched as Pacquiao dismantled Cotto and completed his mission of winning a record seventh division title. Both actors are known Pacquiao fans with Rourke being a former student of Freddie Roach, the Filipino ring icon’s American trainer.

Manny Pacquiao salutes the crowd that features top Hollywood and sports stars after wresting the WBO welterweight belt from Miguel Cotto Saturday in Las Vegas (Sunday in Manila.) AP
Also at ringside were veteran actor Joe Pesci, socialite Paris Hilton, R&B artist Sean “P. Diddy" Combs, comedian Will Ferrell and Jeremy Piven, star of HBO’s hit series “Entourage".

Some of the finest athletes also dropped by to witness the showdown dubbed “Firepower."

Former boxing champions Roberto Duran and Tommy “The Hitman" Hearns, reining International Boxing Organization light heavyweight titlist Chad Dawson, undisputed light middleweight king and a current middleweight contender Winky Wright, Shane Mosley, New York Giants running back Brandon Jacobs, Derek Jeter of the World Series champs New York Yankees, and basketball legend Magic Johnson were also seen at ringside.

Philippine Vice President Noli De Castro, Deputy National Security Adviser and former Ilocos Sur Gov. Luis “Chavit" Singson and Mayor Bing Leonardia were among local politicians who trooped to Las Vegas to cheer for Pacquiao.

Kapuso singing group La Divas – Maricris Garcia, Aicelle Santos and Jonalyn Viray – sang the Lupang Hinirang followed by Ednita Nazario who sang Puerto Rico’s National Anthem. Fil-Am Ramiel of the American Idol fame sang the Star Spangled Banner before ring announcer Michael Buffer introduced both fighters.

Pacquiao reportedly earned $13 million (P611,000,000) from the megafight while Cotto pocketed $7 million just to have his face rearranged by the seven-division champion.

Undercard

Eight undercard bouts took place before the Pacquiao-Cotto showdown with two Filipino boxers, a relative of the deposed champion and an aspiring rabbi winning their respective matches.

Abner Cotto, cousin of the former WBO welterweight king, opened up the card with a victory over Lupe Guzman in their lightweight bout while Richie Mepranum, one of the two Filipino boxers in the undercard, won over Ernie Marquez by split decision.

Rodrigo Garcia defeated Martin Guerra by unanimous decision while Eden Sonsona, another boxer from the Philippines, scored a technical knockout victory over Eilon Kedem. Alfonso Gomez needed six rounds to beat Jesus Soto-Krass while Matt Korobov bested James Winchester in their middleweight division match.

Belarus-born Yuri Foreman of Israel, an aspiring rabbi, snatched the World Boxing Association super welterweight championship belt from Daniel Santos when he defeated the Puerto Rican via unanimous decision.

Julio Cesar Chavez outpointed Troy Rowland for the final undercard bout.

Manny Pacquiao’s 12-round annihilation of Miguel Cotto on Saturday (Sunday in Manila) gathered some of Hollywood’s top celebrities along with past and current athletic superstars.

Oscar-nominated actor Mickey Rourke and Mark Wahlberg were among those who watched as Pacquiao dismantled Cotto and completed his mission of winning a record seventh division title. Both actors are known Pacquiao fans with Rourke being a former student of Freddie Roach, the Filipino ring icon’s American trainer.

Manny Pacquiao salutes the crowd that features top Hollywood and sports stars after wresting the WBO welterweight belt from Miguel Cotto Saturday in Las Vegas (Sunday in Manila.) AP
Also at ringside were veteran actor Joe Pesci, socialite Paris Hilton, R&B artist Sean “P. Diddy" Combs, comedian Will Ferrell and Jeremy Piven, star of HBO’s hit series “Entourage".

Some of the finest athletes also dropped by to witness the showdown dubbed “Firepower."

Former boxing champions Roberto Duran and Tommy “The Hitman" Hearns, reining International Boxing Organization light heavyweight titlist Chad Dawson, undisputed light middleweight king and a current middleweight contender Winky Wright, Shane Mosley, New York Giants running back Brandon Jacobs, Derek Jeter of the World Series champs New York Yankees, and basketball legend Magic Johnson were also seen at ringside.

Philippine Vice President Noli De Castro, Deputy National Security Adviser and former Ilocos Sur Gov. Luis “Chavit" Singson and Mayor Bing Leonardia were among local politicians who trooped to Las Vegas to cheer for Pacquiao.

Kapuso singing group La Divas – Maricris Garcia, Aicelle Santos and Jonalyn Viray – sang the Lupang Hinirang followed by Ednita Nazario who sang Puerto Rico’s National Anthem. Fil-Am Ramiel of the American Idol fame sang the Star Spangled Banner before ring announcer Michael Buffer introduced both fighters.

Pacquiao reportedly earned $13 million (P611,000,000) from the megafight while Cotto pocketed $7 million just to have his face rearranged by the seven-division champion.

Undercard

Eight undercard bouts took place before the Pacquiao-Cotto showdown with two Filipino boxers, a relative of the deposed champion and an aspiring rabbi winning their respective matches.

Abner Cotto, cousin of the former WBO welterweight king, opened up the card with a victory over Lupe Guzman in their lightweight bout while Richie Mepranum, one of the two Filipino boxers in the undercard, won over Ernie Marquez by split decision.

Rodrigo Garcia defeated Martin Guerra by unanimous decision while Eden Sonsona, another boxer from the Philippines, scored a technical knockout victory over Eilon Kedem. Alfonso Gomez needed six rounds to beat Jesus Soto-Krass while Matt Korobov bested James Winchester in their middleweight division match.

Belarus-born Yuri Foreman of Israel, an aspiring rabbi, snatched the World Boxing Association super welterweight championship belt from Daniel Santos when he defeated the Puerto Rican via unanimous decision.

Julio Cesar Chavez outpointed Troy Rowland for the final undercard bout.

Windows 7 and Ubuntu 9.10 Karmic Koala will both be released this month. We look at what the two new operating systems will offer.

Next week, Microsoft's Windows 7 operating system will officially be released to users. And the week after that will see the release of Ubuntu 9.10, or Karmic Koala, the latest release of Ubuntu Linux. We look at what users can expect from both these releases.

Ubuntu 9.10 (Karmic Koala)

Karmic Koala is the latest in a long line of six-monthly releases from the Ubuntu development team. With a substantially quicker release cycle than Microsoft's Windows roadmap, the changes in Karmic Koala since Jaunty in April are fairly limited. The Karmic Koala release is also the latest long-term-support release of the operating system which means it is inherently more conservative than other releases as it is designed with enterprise users in mind.

The first thing users, hopefully, will see is a new theme for Karmic which will make it feel a little more contemporary. The problem is that a new theme for Ubuntu has been in the pipeline for the past two releases and apart from some minor tweaks has largely been insignificant.

Karmic is also expected to have improved audio capabilities which will be an important development. Audio handling on Linux has been famously bad over the years and as multimedia becomes an increasingly important part of the modern desktop, audio failings become increasingly noticeable.

Faster boot-up time is also to be expected. With increasing numbers of users using notebooks as their primary work platform most software and hardware makers have been looking to reduce the time that notebooks take to go from cold start to a workable state. The Ubuntu team has been saying for some time now that they hope to achieve boot times of less than 20 seconds with the release of Ubuntu 9.10. And more recently developers laid out plans to reduce that to sub-10 seconds with the release following Karmic in April 2010.

Boot-up on Ubuntu is also expected to be a lot smoother and attractive because developers are using Red Hat's Plymouth boot system. Using Plymouth, users will get a new, mostly flicker-free, graphical bootup. This won't be worrying Microsoft but will go a long way to reduce the impression that Linux is overly geeky.

Windows 7

Unlike Ubuntu Karmic, Windows 7 has been in development for years and has had a public beta version available for the best part of a year. But that effort looks likely to pay off with Windows 7 really looking the part of a modern operating system with its transparency, floating desktop widgets and aqua-toned desktop.

Multimedia is a big focus of Windows 7 and the OS will ship with Windows Media Player 12 by default. Unlike previous versions of Media Player, version 12 includes better features for managing media files. This is done with a dual-mode approach: the Library view and the Now Playing view. Microsoft has separated the two roles and enhanced each of them. Using the Library view users have access to all of the media management tools including categories, playlists and ratings. One of the nice features of the Library view is the ability to list all media types in a single tree view, making it easier to manage them in a single place. The Now Playing view, on the other hand, shows the current playlist, videos, visual effects and so on.

In use the most obvious benefit of Windows 7 is the significant reduction in what could be called "interference". Microsoft has been working hard on reducing the levels of interference for users by limiting the number of pop-ups and warning notices. It's all about the changes to User Account Control which instead of constantly popping up warnings of impending doom and danger are slightly muted and less obtrusive. They're still there but just not with the same vigour as before.

The taskbar in Windows 7 is also a great deal better than the taskbar offered by Windows Vista or XP. For the uninitiated the taskbar operate as a series of "flyouts" which are smaller representations of open Windows. They're pretty and functional but could be just as effective without the flashy popup windows. One of the complaints against the task bar could be that by default the open windows are all crammed together on the taskbar, which can make it messy if you have too many windows open.

Perhaps Windows 7's biggest asset is that it is noticeably slicker than Windows Vista, which has a sluggish feel about it.

In Ubuntu's case one of its assets is the work done to support netbook PCs. Ubuntu's Netbook Remix interface is a very slick alternative for the smaller screen space common on netbooks.

Windows 7 is being released on October 7 and Ubuntu Karmic on October 29.

With the release of Microsoft's Windows 7 operating system slated for tomorrow, several Linux releases and announcements are arriving. Paula Rooney at ZDNet suggests that the Linux flurry may represent wave-making in reaction to the release of the much discussed new version of Windows. Does Windows 7 threaten to stifle Linux, and what are the prospects for Linux as Windows 7 rolls out?

As Rooney notes, this week IBM and Canonical announced the launch of the IBM Cliet for Smart Work package. It allows cloud- and Linux-based online work via Ubuntu and IBM's Lotus Symphony suite of productivity applications. Novell has also introduced SUSE Linux Enterprise Desktop 10 Service Pack 3, which brings many software upgrades and more support for hardware. Meanwhile, Red Hat is out with a new beta release of its Fedora Linux dubbed "Constantine." Is the timing of all of this meant to make waves as Windows 7 approaches?

As we noted here, Microsoft was very shrewd to open its beta and release candidate testing for its new operating system to anyone, and the company got a slew of pre-orders for Windows 7 through the effort, as well as good early reviews. The company has also already delivered the new OS to Microsoft's volume licensees. The actual Windows 7 rollout has been a multi-step process and doesn't just consist of fanfare to take place tomorrow.

Microsoft has stated that it is aiming Windows 7 squarely at the hot netbook market, and it's there that I'm hoping Linux and Linux-based platforms can maintain some entrenchment. Large computer makers such as Acer and Dell have continued with efforts to keep Linux and Linux-based operating systems alive on netbooks. Acer is even going to offer a dual-boot version of its Aspire One netbook that runs Windows as well as Android.

The netbook market has largely been driven by rock-bottom pricing, and open source operating systems and applications can continue to usher in impressive prices. That's the stated goal with netbooks that will run the Moblin operating system, for example.

But Windows 7 is also likely to gain strong market share as a desktop operating system, partly because there hasn't been a completely trustworthy version of Windows for businesses to bank on in many years. Microsoft hopes to reverse that trend with Windows 7. Large players on the Linux front continue to fail to market Linux with the same fervor that Microsoft markets Windows, and the marketing blitz that will surround Windows 7 could be a blow to desktop Linux. We'll see how this all plays out soon, but I'm especially watching the prospects for Linux and variants on mobile devices. There, where cost and choice have been so important, Linux has a chance to make a difference.

NEW YORK - Next week, Microsoft is releasing Windows 7, a slick, much improved operating system that should go a long way toward erasing the bad impression left by its previous effort, Vista.

If you've been holding off on buying a new computer, Windows 7 will be a good excuse to get back into the game. And if you've been weighing a Mac versus a Windows PC, then you should know that "7" makes Windows more attractive, though not a clear-cut choice for everyone. Windows is now easier to use and better looking than it was before, while maintaining its core advantage of cheaper, more diverse hardware.

However, most PC users should not take the release of Windows 7 as a call to action, or feel that they have to run out and buy the software for use on a computer they're planning on keeping. The upgrade will most likely not be worth the time or money, much less the effort of hosting a Windows 7 "launch party" as Microsoft suggests.

Windows 7 will come in several versions. The one aimed at US consumers is Home Premium, which will cost $120 if bought as an upgrade to XP or Vista. You can buy it as a download or on a disc. Beginning on Oct. 22, it will come installed on new PCs.

Here are some of its highlights:

• The taskbar — the strip of icons usually found at the bottom of the screen — now does more than show which programs are running. You can also stick icons for your favorite programs on it, to launch them quickly. It's fast and convenient, combining the best features of the old Windows taskbar and Apple's Dock.

• File folders can now be organized into "libraries." You can have a photo library, for instance, that gives you quick access to pictures in folders spread out over your hard drive, or even several hard drives. This is great because many applications don't automatically put files into Microsoft's My Documents and My Photos folders, and tend to deposit content in their own folders. The new arrangement also makes for easy backups.

• Like Vista, Windows 7 will ask you twice if you really want to make changes to your settings or install programs, for the sake of security. But Windows 7 does it less often, and the prompts can be turned off.

• Windows 7 can sense if you use more than one finger on your touch pad or touch screen, allowing for neat tricks such as spreading your fingers to zoom into a picture, just like on the iPhone. This is isn't revolutionary per se — computer manufacturers have bolted multitouch sensing on previous versions of Windows. But it does make it easier for them to include advanced touch capabilities, and many of them are planning to do so. That is what could really revolutionize how we use computers. I've tried laptops and desktops with touch screens, and found it nice to be able to directly tap links and buttons, bypassing the touch pad and mouse.

• For a lot of users, the step up to Windows 7 will also mark a transition to a 64-bit operating system. That means computers will now be able to use a lot more Random Access Memory, or RAM, for better performance in demanding applications such as video editing. Vista and XP came in 64-bit versions in addition to the regular 32-bit versions, but the XP version was never popular, and the Vista version became mainstream only last year. But 64 bits will be standard on Windows 7, installed on nearly all new computers.

Windows XP users have a lot more to gain by going to Windows 7. Vista introduced some great features, such as fast searches of the entire hard drive, that of course are present in 7 as well. Unfortunately, upgrading an existing PC from XP to 7 is not easy.

After upgrading, users will have to reinstall all their programs and find their files in the folder where Windows 7 tucks them away.

They may also have hardware problems. I found an old HP laser printer no longer worked with Windows 7. This isn't really Microsoft's fault or, specifically, a problem with the new operating system — HP just doesn't provide a 64-bit driver for that printer. A driver is a program that tells a piece of hardware how to work with an operating system.

If you do upgrade, I would still recommend tackling that transition head-on by installing the 64-bit version of Windows 7, which doesn't cost more. Microsoft recommends a minimum of 2 gigabytes of RAM to run it.

If your computer runs Windows Vista, I think it's hard to justify spending $120 for an upgrade. The new features are nice but hardly must-haves. For daily e-mail and Web surfing, they won't make much of a difference. Vista was much maligned when it arrived in early 2007 for being slow, buggy and annoying. Now, it really isn't that bad, because updates have fixed a lot of the problems.

However, if you bought a Vista-based computer after June 25, you should be eligible for a free upgrade to Windows 7 from the manufacturer, and I suggest taking advantage of it. Your computer likely already is running 64-bit software, so there should be no problems with drivers, and the upgrade is much easier than one from XP. Windows 7 can keep your installed programs and your files in their old folders.

In weeks of testing the final version of Windows 7 on five computers, I encountered only one serious glitch. The backup function simply didn't work on one computer. The error message was obscure as always, and troubleshooting on Microsoft's Web site provided no solution. I ended up using third-party backup software. Given that regular backups are essential for a home computer, one can only hope that this will be an unusual problem that gets fixed promptly.

Another disappointment is that Windows 7 doesn't seem to improve boot-up times. In my tests, it took slightly longer to get going on Windows 7 than with XP or Vista on the same computer. I don't think this should be a major issue, though — instead of shutting your computer down, use "sleep mode" instead. This function has improved a lot since XP, and most computers take about 10 seconds to wake up.

Perhaps the most exciting thing about Windows 7 is that it's inspiring computer manufacturers to try new things, and reviving old ideas like touch-enabled "tablet" PCs. It's breathing new life into the computer market. It just won't do much for old clunkers.

SHANGHAI - A Chinese group is accusing search engine powerhouse Google of illegally copying Chinese-language works for its digital library, adding to disquiet about a project to scan millions of books.

The China Written Works Copyright Society, based in Beijing, posted a notice on its Web site urging authors to "bravely stand up and adamantly defend their legal rights."

It also urged authors to check if their works are in a list of books that's part of a tentative legal settlement between Google and US authors and publishers.

Google's project to scan and post online snippets from millions of out-of-print but copyrighted books has raised objections from many quarters.

The company has called the project, which also scans public domain works, an invaluable chance for books to receive increased exposure.

Chen Cun, a novelist based in Shanghai, said he found material from 38 of his works in Google's digital library, including 12 novels and three other books.

"Google never bothered to notify me or Chinese authorities. They should have let me know my works would be put online," Chen said.

The government-affiliated Chinese group was set up a year ago to represent various associations of writers, who face rampant and blatant infringements of copyright in their home market, as do foreign authors.

But it is now taking US critics to task for protesting Chinese copyright violations while Google is copying works without prior authorization and posting them online.

"Google's digital library scanned those copyright-protected works without permission. This violates American copyright laws and international treaties," Zhang Hongbo, deputy director-general of the group, told The Associated Press.

"This also violates the basic principle that they should ask permission from the authors first, pay to use then and then use them," he said.

The proposed settlement between Mountain View, Calif-based Google and US authors and publishers applies only to the United States, Google said in an emailed statement.

"Of course, we listen carefully to all concerns and will work hard to address them," said the statement by an unnamed Google spokesperson. "We are actively encouraging authors, publishers, and rightsholders around the world to register for the settlement," it said.

Parties involved in the settlement are revising the agreement to meet Justice Department concerns over antitrust and copyright issues, with a US court due to rule on its validity early next month.

Under the Google Print Library Project, snippets from millions of out-of-print but copyrighted books have been scanned and indexed online by libraries.

Google also works with publishers that choose to partner with it to include parts of their copyrighted materials.

Copyright holders can opt out of the project if they choose to do so, Google says.

"Control over the works remains firmly in the hands of the rightsholders — they can leave their works in the program and decide on all the toggles for access, or even pull their books out," the Google statement said.

A China Daily report said the Chinese Written Works Copyright Society had found nearly 18,000 books by 570 Chinese authors had been scanned by Google and included in its digital library, most of them without any notification or payment to the writers.

Google should acknowledge its alleged infringement of copyrights and negotiate fair compensation for the writers, Zhang said.

"We need to sit down and discuss this," said Chen, the novelist. "How much I should be paid should come from discussions between Chinese authors and Google, not just an online announcement," he said.

NEW YORK — The 2010 World Cup organizing committee chief thinks a successful tournament could lead to the Olympics being hosted in Africa for the first time in 2020.

"The IOC decided to give South America its first Olympics, so the only continent now without an Olympics is the African continent, and therefore I think it's something that the IOC certainly will have to begin to think about," South Africa 2010 organizing committee chief executive officer Danny Jordaan told The Associated Press on Wednesday.

Speaking after a meeting with U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, Jordaan said he could envision South African cities Johannesburg, Cape Town or Durban bidding along with Egypt for the 2020 Games. The IOC's 2011 session will be held in Durban, and Jordaan believes those meetings could serve as a springboard.

The IOC voted Oct. 2 to hold the Olympics in South America for the first time, awarding the 2016 Games to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, over bids from Tokyo, Chicago and Madrid. Brazil will be hosting the Olympics two years after staging the 2014 football World Cup.

Since the end of apartheid and the first elections with universal suffrage in 1994, South Africa hosted the Rugby World Cup in 1995, football's African Cup of Nations in '96 and the Cricket World Cup in 2003. Next year's World Cup is football's first in Africa.

FIFA is projecting record revenue for the 2010 World Cup, with Jordaan saying commercial partners will generate $3.2 billion.

"The argument was that any World Cup on the African continent will lead to huge financial losses. Therefore, Africa must wait," Jordaan told a reception at South Africa's U.N. consulate. "This event, because of television, is actually without boundaries and without borders. And so you can return the value of the investment in New York and Miami and London and Paris, and all over the world.

"If we dismiss the (financial loss) argument for the World Cup, we've dismissed it also for the Olympics."

Jordaan hopes the secretary-general attends the tournament.

"He must not only come to the continent when there is war, when he wants to talk about Darfur," he said. "He must come to Africa when Africa celebrates, when Africa excels. When there is good news he must always be there."

While World Cup stadiums are on schedule, infrastructure concerns remain.

The high-speed train linking Johannesburg with Pretoria won't be completed in time, with only the section between Sandton and Oliver Tambo Airport outside Johannesburg ready for the tournament. However, a new airport is scheduled to open in Durban by June and upgrades are being made to Oliver Tambo and Cape Town International Airport.

He said 1,000 additional buses and 200 more planes will be added to the transportation system, and that police stations with holding cells will be established on the last car of each train.

Jordaan admitted there are not hotel rooms in some of the cities to accommodate spectators, mentioning Nelspruit and Polokwane. Because of that, fans will have to travel in and out for some matches.

He said places to stay have been set aside in neighboring countries within driving distance, including Botswana, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, Swaziland and Zimbabwe.

He downplayed concerns about crime.

"We have crime in our country, but if you ask, 'Do we have ability to safeguard everyone coming to the event?' I must say to you: without doubt,' Jordaan said. "If I have information as to when you're going to arrive in our country, where you're going to stay, how you're going to move and so on, information that event organizers will have, I can tell you we will safeguard you in our country, It's not a problem."

South Africa expects 450,000 visitors for the tournament, which will be held in nine cities from June 11 to July 11. The United States has qualified for its sixth straight World Cup and U.S. residents have bought the second-most number of tickets thus far after residents of the host nation.

Jordaan hopes FIFA's commercial partners will establish fan parks in New York's Central Park and Los Angeles for next year's tournament, along with fan areas in cities throughout the world. Fan parks began at the 2006 World Cup in Germany and were highly successful, and they expanded for the 2008 European Championship in Austria and Switzerland.

As far as South Africa's national team is concerned, Jordaan said it would be helpful to the tournament if the Bafana Bafana improved. Coach Joel Santana quit Monday, a week after the team's eighth loss in nine games.

"It is easier if the team wins, because that generates a lot of excitement amongst the people, and therefore their feeling toward the event also is then very positive," he said. "If they don't, they become negative toward the team and negative toward the event."

SAN ANTONIO — Unlike nearly half of the San Antonio Spurs, Tim Duncan came back this season. That meant coach Gregg Popovich did, too.

But when Duncan leaves?

"It's just a freak of nature that our contracts coincide perfectly," quipped Popovich, dusting off a wisecrack he's recycled for years.

Sooner rather than later, Pop's punch line will be no joke.

Duncan enters his 13th season with the end of his brilliant career squarely in sight. On paper, there are three years left on his contact. On the court, the signs are in the conspicuous brace guarding his vulnerable left knee and in his starring role getting smaller.

The Big Fundamental is staring down the big inevitable.

"It's very logical, it's very real. I've got a couple years left on my career, and hopefully I can end it strong," Duncan said after arriving at training camp. "I know the window for me is closing."

At 23, Duncan was a prodigious talent making home movies of his first NBA title celebration because he said there was no guarantee he'd get the chance again. Now 33, Duncan is a four-time champion and perhaps the greatest power forward in NBA history, a guy Shaquille O'Neal considers his rival for claim to the greatest big man of their generation.

But Duncan is also a guy who auditioned six knee braces this summer. He's coming off just the second time in his career that the Spurs didn't advance past the first round of the playoffs. In March, he was diagnosed with tendonosis in his right quad and began skipping games to save his legs.

By April, the banged-up Spurs were done, and Duncan was off on his earliest vacation in nine years after Dallas manhandled San Antonio in five games. The Spurs, entrenched in a win-now mode as much as ever, hope the rest did him good.

Their chances of winning a fifth championship in 11 years depend on it.

"At 32, 33, 34, the age we have, you're never going to be what you were at 25. That's natural and we all go through that," said Spurs guard Manu Ginobili, who is 32. "But he's going to be an All-Star and give us 20 and 10. If it's not 20 and 10, it's going to be 19 and 9½."

That may be enough, considering the pieces the Spurs added this summer.

Not wanting to squander whatever's left in the Duncan era, the Spurs embarked on the biggest roster overhaul in the NBA this offseason.

They dumped six players and brought eight new faces to training camp, the most substantial between-seasons makeover of a Spurs team since Duncan arrived in 1997.

They eagerly took on the $29.2 million owed over the next two years to swingman Richard Jefferson, signed a much-needed rebounder in Antonio McDyess and picked up Pitt All-America forward DeJuan Blair in the draft.

The urgency for San Antonio is best conveyed in its bottom line: typically mocked as one of the more frugal teams in the league, the Spurs went over the luxury tax threshold for what general manager R.C. Buford said has happened just two or three times before.

In tough economic times, Buford and Popovich praised Spurs owner Peter Holt for spending the money on the moves to make a run. Ginobili's contact is up after this season and guard Tony Parker, entering the prime of his career, has two years left.

The overhaul also got the approval of another important stakeholder.

"I don't think there's been many things that have gone on since Tim joined this program — I mean, since when we joined Tim's program — that Tim hasn't had significant input on," Buford said.

Duncan shed 15 pounds over the summer and gave himself an extra month off to save his strength for the spring. Parker may have seized the role of the chief offensive weapon — Ginobili called Parker the team's new "natural" leading scorer — but San Antonio's success still hinges on Duncan staying healthy.

Duncan is one of only three active players with four championships, along with O'Neal, Kobe Bryant and Derek Fisher.

"He's the same. He's fundamental, one of the smartest players I've ever played against," O'Neal said. "For me and him, it's the first to five (championships). That's it."

If Duncan wins that race, he says it won't be because of him.

"I'm not carrying any weight. I'm just riding those guys," Duncan said of his new-look team. "I'm just along for the ride."

Former Bafana Bafana coach Carlos Alberto Parreira wants to guide the South Africans to World Cup glory following Joel Santana's sacking.

Carlos Alberto Parreira, the brazilian coach (AFP)
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* South Africa

South Africa sacked coach Joel Santana with just eight months to go until the start of the World Cup, which they will host.

The South African Football Association (SAFA) came to the decision after a meeting with the Brazilian on Monday.

Meanwhile, former coach Carlos Alberto Parreira, recently himself sacked by Brazilian club Fluminense, has told Globonews that he is prepared to return to his old job, if approached by SAFA.

He said, “There is a strong indication that they want to keep the ‘Brazilan School’ which adapted so well to SA football. There is a possibility that there will be an invitation. “It's my intention to analyse the situation if this happens.”

Referring to the fact that Bafana has lost eight of their last nine games, the 66-year-old, who walked out on SAFA last year following a family illness, added that one of biggest challenges for the new coach will be to lift the players’ spirits.

“The new coach that takes over,” he said. “Will have to break this barrier, they are feeling down after eight defeats – remember!”

Real Madrid went down to AC Milan in the Champions League group stage at the Bernabeu to leave the two clubs level on 6 points in Group C; a brace from Alexandre Pato and a stunning Andrea Pirlo strike were enough to sink the hosts, who registered goals through Raul and Royston Drenthe.

Dida's interventions on 19 minutes gifted the Blancos' captain a 66th goal in the competition before Milan restored parity though Pirlo's wonderful effort just after the hour.

A defensive calamity, a combination of awfulness between Pepe, Raul Albiol and Iker Casillas, allowed a Massimo Ambrosini through-ball to find Pato a moment later; the Brazilian could not believe his luck and stroked the ball home with minimal fuss.

Drenthe smashed a leveller with just over 10 minutes to play and Raul saw an offside effort chalked off before Thiago Silva thought he won it for the visitors.

His compatriot, Pato, did in the 87th minute from Seedorf's through pass as the Madrid defensive line was typically shoddy.


Dida: Redeemed Himself After A Nightmare Start

There wasn't a lot to choose between the sides in the opening stages as Milan set their stall out effectively to prevent the hosts from cutting through them.

Indeed, the visiting side found an outlet for their attacking play on the flanks early on, from where the clever running of Pato and the accurate deliveries of Clarence Seedorf put Madrid on the back foot. However, they could not forced the bearded figure of Iker Casillas into employment.

It was the hosts who showed more conviction in their offence and the trio of Kaka, Raul and Karim Benzema combined for the first chance of the evening, which was blocked by the ever capable Alessandro Nesta on four minutes.

Sergio Ramos then offered a cross to Esteban Granero, who could find only the buttery palms of Dida. Manuel Pellegrini's side had a steadier base from which to work in midfield, with the efficient Lassana Diarra using the ball well throughout and should have had a penalty on 12 minutes when the ponderous Gianluca Zambrotta ploughed into Benzema from behind; inexplicably, the referee saw nothing untoward and gave a goal-kick.

Madrid did not have to wait long for their opener though, as Dida's nightmare soon followed. After saving a tame Granero effort, the 'keeper bounced the ball off his own knee and into the path of the ever conscious Raul, who netted from a tight angle.

Benzema almost added a second for the iconic number 7 a short time later, but the striker's effort was narrowly off the frame of the goal.

Madrid pressed; Lass' cross-shot almost caught Dida unaware ten minutes before the break before Marcelo rounded off the first half's action with a teasing run and a powerful drive that forced a save.

In between, Pato managed to slip Marcelo again to provide for the peripheral Ronaldinho, who could only find the posterior of Ramos with his goal-bound strike.


Raul Would Never Look A Gift Horse In The Mouth

The hosts continued their dominance of the shooting statistics after the break but could not add to their lead; Raul had a chance from Granero's breakaway but could not trouble Dida.

Kaka jinked past Massimo Oddo and slammed a shot on target but the 'keeper redeemed himself with a fine stop.

He was also equal to the efforts of Benzema moments later as Real went for the jugular. Their skipper's chipped finish, from a Casillas clearance, was then weak before the half was sprung to life from the boot of Pirlo.

The hosts were made to pay for their profligacy just after the hour when the Milan midfielder hit the Bernabeu with a 35-yard sucker punch; he struck the sweetest of efforts inside Casillas' near post to leave the Spanish capital aghast.

Gianluca Zambrotta, as Madrid reeled, tried similar moments later but his shot fizzed wide. But Leonardo's team were about to turn the encounter on its head.

What followed, only seconds after, was a gift to hand the initiative to the guests. Ambrosini's speculative punt split Albiol and Pepe and Casillas raced from his goal. He could not get near Pato as the forward rounded him with ease to slot home. The touchpaper had well and truly been lit and the Merengues again had defensive questions to answer.

With 14 minutes to play, they had their equaliser though. Raul's short corner found Royston Drenthe at the edge of the box and the erstwhile boo-boy elicited cheers with a well-struck shot which beat Dida all ends up.

Madrid thought they won it as the game moved towards its giddy conclusion; Kaka's shot rebounded to Raul, whose effort barely made it over the line before being ruled illegitimate.

Milan were up in arms moments later when a seemingly valid Thiago Silva header was struck off for a non-existent foul as he beat Casillas and two others at the near post. What followed was fisticuffs and a booking for the pugnacious Raul.

The sting in the tail for Pellegrini came in the 87th minute; Pato was at least 10 yards from his marker, Marcelo, when Seedorf's pass was clipped across the area. He made use of his his calm surroundings and held his nerve to pass the ball home right-footed on Casillas' near post.

The Zurich loss has been avenged.

1. Mark Viduka Has Retired – Finished. Finito. Gone. Left. Departed. Moved on. Australia’s classiest striker has left a huge void in the final third that people are going to have to simply accept will never be filled in the same way. The national team was built around Viduka under Hiddink and now has had to be rebuilt around the hole that he has left under Verbeek. He didn’t score very often but boy was his presence important.

2. Scott McDonald Hasn’t Scored – 15 games. 0 goals. It’s a striking statistic (no pun intended) that best reflects the plight of a national team who will struggle to find the back of the net in South Africa. All of his goals for Celtic, including strikes against AC Milan and Manchester United, will mean nothing to Australia fans if he can’t find the net with the same regularity for the Socceroos. One of those players who arguably isn’t of much use if he’s not scoring...

3. Lucas Neill Is Australia’s Best Defender – Unspectacular but effective, the fact that Neill is our best defender highlights a lack of quality at the back. It’s no attack on Neill, who I’ve been quick to point out remains an outstanding performer whenever he dons a green and gold jersey, but the fact remains that he is slow and lacking in ball-playing skills and technical quality. Don’t expect to see Australia play their way out of the back against the world’s top sides...

4. Tim Cahill Is The Only World Class Socceroo – Don’t get me wrong, Mark Schwarzer is an outstanding goalkeeper. His exploits though are more down to an incredible level of consistency and professionalism, rather than any X-Factor. That’s what Tim Cahill has in spades and that’s why he continues to be the man to rescue Australia from the most dire of situations. What does truth #4 mean for Australia? It means that once he’s marked out by the world’s top defenders in South Africa – and believe me, they’ll know to come for him – the Socceroos lose their most potent goal-scoring threat.

5. Harry Kewell Is Not The Player He Was – The hunger, level of performance and competitiveness are all still there but the pace and ability to beat players is not. The latter characteristics were, after all, what made him so valuable to the Socceroos in the first place; who can forget the way he waltzed around Ferdinand at Upton Park in that famous 3-1 victory? These days though, Harry resorts to more subtle means of influence, leaving the Socceroos without a single player capable of beating the world’s best defenders. Tends to score from the penalty spot more than from open play these days...

6. Australia Has One Proven Goalkeeper – Mark Schwarzer is, at his best, unbeatable. He’s proven on the biggest stages of international football and at pressure-cooker moments (see, spot-kick saves vs Uruguay, 2005). He’s also 37 years old. That means that he’s potentially susceptible to injury and misfortune, despite the fact that he has kept himself in pristine condition courtesy of an ultra-professional lifestyle. Assuming he were to miss the World Cup for whatever reason, would Australia fans be confident in the candidates to replace him? When was the last time Ante Covic, Michael Petkovic, Brad Jones or Adam Federici put in a confident performance for the senior men’s national team?

7. Australia Lack Pace – List Pim Verbeek’s starting XI in your head and see if you can pick out even one player whom you would be able to deem ‘fast’ by international standards. Anyone capable of tearing down the wing or through midfield at full-speed, breezing past opponents with or without the ball? Scott McDonald isn’t particularly quick and grabs most of his goals by virtue of his positioning and movement rather than raw pace. The same applies to Tim Cahill. At the back, the lack of speed is conspicuous in veterans Moore, Neill and Chipperfield...

8. Australia Lack Depth – For every first-choice Pim Verbeek player, pick someone outside of that line-up who plays in the same position. Compare experience, ability and level of performance for the Socceroos. Here are a few examples: Patrick Kisnorbo to replace Lucas Neill, Mile Jedinak to replace Jason Culina, Carl Valeri to replace Vince Grella, Brett Holman to replace Tim Cahill, Dario Vidosic to replace Mark Bresciano. Catch my drift?

9. Italy Outclassed Australia In Kaiserslauten – Remember that “dive” by Fabio Grosso? Forget about it. Instead cast your minds back to the opening stages of that mach before Materazzi’s sending off for a two-footed lunge on his own player. Mark Schwarzer and some particularly poor finishing were responsible for Australia not being 3-0 down. The Socceroos were shown to be a long, long, long way away from the best in the world and not much has changed since then – as an understrength and disinterested Dutch side showed in Sydney.

10. Pim Verbeek Won’t Change – Hoping to see a cavalier, “three points or no points” approach in South Africa? Don’t. Pim Verbeek knows the limitations of his squad and will stick to his tried, trusted and ultra-conservative methods, both with regards to player selection and tactical set-up. Expect the Socceroos to try to scrape their way into the knockout stages courtesy of fortune, set-pieces and stalemates.

The tailed beasts (尾獣, bijū) are nine giant demons that serve to drive the plot of the Naruto series. They are differentiated by the number of tails they have, with each possessing an amount from one to nine. The tailed beasts are large, living forms of chakra, sometimes referred to as "Chakra Monsters" (チャクラのバケモノ, Chakura no Bakemono),[1] giving them power that far outmatches most shinobi. However, this immense strength is tempered due to their bestial nature, which restricts them from being intelligent enough to use it effectively. When the tailed beasts are sealed within humans, they are able to benefit from the knowledge of their hosts, giving them the ability to speak and better utilize their powers. Akatsuki has been capturing the tailed beasts and their hosts, and currently possess seven of the nine.

The tailed beasts have been around since long before the founding of the ninja villages. At some point, Hashirama Senju, the First Hokage, managed to capture and control some of them with his Wood Release techniques, and used them as peace treaties to the other great shinobi nations in order to stabilize the balance of power between them.[1] After his death, however, the shinobi nations couldn't control these giant demons themselves and they began to run wild, so the nations instead moved to seal the tailed beasts within humans, which were called jinchūriki.

Lionel Messi is Goal.com's top player of the 2008-09 season after winning the 'Goal.com Top 50' award!

The runner-up of the inaugural Goal.com 50 has climbed to the summit after his finest season to date, and one in which he cemented his reputation as one of the most skilful performers on the planet.

Yet his mesmerizing ability was never truly in doubt: all that was lacking was silverware to truly propel Messi to the summit.

Trophies in Catalunya are like buses in Britain: you wait for ages, then three come along at once. And Messi was at the centre of each of them.

But the tale begins last summer in far Beijing, where a tired Messi overcame a season's worth of fatigue to help Argentina to the gold medal at the Olympic Games, scoring two goals along the way and playing in the final.

Having got through the summer largely unscathed, things augured well for the Albiceleste hero, but it could all have been so different. It is barely remembered now, but Barcelona and Argentina were involved in an undignified scrap over the player's taking part in the Games, with the side otherwise in disarray due to the presidential election around Joan Laporta.

A 1-0 loss to Numancia for the Blaugrana on opening day had the alarm bells ringing, but as quickly as the 'crisis' at Camp Nou started, it ended. Messi, of course, was to be key in changing things around.

Hints that the lion was awakening came as Messi netted twice and otherwise looked decent against Sporting Gijon, and the same followed in the dismantling of Atletico Madrid in yet another 6-1 win.

The best was yet to come, though, as Messi netted in the very last minute at Camp Nou in the Clasico in December, the action being described in Goal.com LIVE commentary thus:

"GOOOOOOOOOOOOOOLL! GOL GOL GOL GOL GOL! IT'S MESSI! WHAT A FINISH! Madrid threw everyone forward, leaving Henry wide open on the right. He played a perfect ball to Messi, who showed incredible composure to control and then chip it perfectly into the net. 2-0, GAME OVER!"

It was game over, in all senses. Not only did it seal a revenge Clasico victory, but it was the beginning of the end for Madrid's title challenge. Sure enough, Barca may have stumbled a bit after that, but with an uninjured Messi in full flight, the title was the Blaugrana's.


Top Dogs | The world's top two players celebrate

Of course, one cannot neglect to mention the other Clasico that season: the record-breaking 6-2 win at the Santiago Bernabeu. Madrid fans may wish to look away, but those with a fondness for Messi will love to reminisce on his player rating:

"Messi 9 - Helped to turn the tide of the match with that opening assist, and it was all one way from there as the youngster enjoyed a fine evening. A classic."

And all the while, he was turning it on in Europe, too.

In fact, just a few days prior, Messi's partner-in-crime, Andres Iniesta, had netted a late, great goal to put the Blaugrana through to the Champions League at the expense of Chelsea. But were it not for Messi, it wouldn't even have got to that stage: think back to his show-stopping performance in the 4-0 rout of Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals, and of course that goal against Lyon in the previous round, one that would have had even Juninho gazing in wonder:

"Messi 8 - Started quietly, but then decided to roll up his sleeves. What a third goal. If you didn't see it, just one word will describe it for you: Messi-esque. Calm on the ball even under pressure."

But it was against Bayern that Manchester United, the finalist opponents, learned the true measure of their foe:

"Messi 9 - A cool, cool finish and great positioning for the first goal. Left Lell looking for dead and should have won a penalty before adding a poacher's goal. A dazzling delight."

Sure enough, Messi was in Rome, and he was in form. Samuel Eto'o scored the early opener, but it was a fitting end to a world-class season for Leo as he netted the second and sank United once and for all - with a header, no less!

"IT'S 2-0 FOR BARCELONA!!! IT'S LIONEL MESSI WITH A CRUCIAL HEADER!!! Carles Puyol came forward and the ball eventually found Xavi, 20 yards from goal, at the edge of the box. Xavi let in a sumptuous cross for Messi, who had peeled away from Ferdinand! He guided a wonderful touch on target and beat van der Sar with a fine effort! What a time to score!"

Indeed, that goal was, is, and will remain iconic. The diminutive Argentine - the boy whose earliest days at a footballer saw him too short to even get a proper kick on the ball - towered as a titan above Rio Ferdinand and placed the header with the accuracy of a man destined for the absolute top of his game.

There was no denying that over the course of the season Messi had deserved his goal, and his third club trophy.

And now, yet another individual accolade.

Congratulations to Lionel Messi, the Goal.com 50 winner 2008-09!



And as a special bonus for our readers, here is a video from a man who helped make it all possible. PartoftheGame.tv present an interview with Messi's very first coach, Salvador Aparicio, who sadly passed away last year. See how the legend began below...

One thing you can't really call Andres Iniesta anymore is underrated. For long enough, he was pale-faced, awkward and unassuming in appearance; so much so that his immense talent almost went unnoticed on the world stage. He would never be mentioned alongside the best players in the world, not until now.

This season proved an immense breakthrough for the 25-year-old, who has represented Spain at every level and was scouted by Barcelona when part of Albacete's youth system at just 12 years of age. He may not be a Catalan, but has now spent over half his life representing the Blaugrana, and no level of outside interest looks like coaxing him away from Camp Nou.

And if there's one thing this season's outstanding performances produced, it was interest. It speaks volumes for the epic amount of respect commanded by the likes of Barcelona, and indeed sincere loyalty from their players, that there has been no 'CR9', no Kaka, no Ribery nor John Terry saga in the case of Iniesta. It's not for a lack of quality to be named alongside those other modern superstars, but simply in keeping with his unfancy demeanour and unambiguous, simple way of life.

That he pays no attention to the interest in his marvellous ability has always been part of his charm. There has been something bubbling under the surface about the versatile midfielder as early as in 2005, but even in his final full season under Frank Rijkaard, despite delivering quality and consistency, he didn't break out the high-end, show-stopping performances.

That, he saved for Pep Guardiola. The new coach at Camp Nou made every Cule's dream come true when he got the consistent best out of Xavi and Henry to form an unstoppable team, but equally outstanding was witnessing Leo Messi and yes, Andres Iniesta, kick on to yet another level of skill, potency and pedigree.

With string after string of stunning performances - whether as the front-most of a trident in midfield, on the left of a front three or even on the right in place of Messi - Iniesta's versatility no longer inhibited his momentum. The difference between being one of the best in a relatively bad bunch in 2007-08 and being one of the best of Los Peps was all too evident when gauging the perception of the diminutive playmaker between this year and last.

Iniesta is, in his own strange little way, now one of the most popular footballers around - particularly among the die-hard fans. He is certainly a favourite with Real Madrid, as Merengues had even set up a website to take donations in an attempt to sign the player from their eternal rivals.

Somehow, Iniesta became unfashionably fashionable. He was now that 'other player', that unexpected one to watch, the real deal behind the other superstars. In that sense, while the world's pundits and commentators attempted to play down Iniesta's star status, in collectively hailing him as Barcelona's dark horse, were doing more than enough to make the case for him themselves.

And if his talent was still a secret to some as the season reached its end, his crowning achievement - one that will etch him into eternal Blaugrana folklore - was his injury-time strike that stunned Stamford Bridge, as he snatched victory from the jaws of defeat against Chelsea in the Champions League semi-final.


Hero | Iniesta celebrates screamer at the Bridge

It set up itself perfectly. Having seen the Blues hold out for a goalless draw at Camp Nou in the first leg, and then going one up from a Michael Essien wonder-goal early on in west London, for all their exertion, Barca were heading out - yet a single strike would put them through on away goals.

Now, Iniesta has exceptionally quick feet, a great range of passing, threatening pace and such mazy dribbling that he can, at times, be almost Messi-like to dispossess. His fatal flaw as an attacking midfielder is his reluctance to shoot.

Numerous half-opportunities presented themselves over the two legs - the second in particular - and each time, Andres seemingly lacked the self-belief to take the chance. But when there was no other choice but to hit Leo Messi's lay-off first time right at the death, the result was unforgettable. And when you consider his meek and soft-spoken demeanour, so was the celebration.

That was his unrivalled moment in the spotlight, and he continued to dazzle as a star performer, in his first appearance back from injury, when Barcelona destroyed Manchester United in the final, also picking up the Copa del Rey and Liga titles in an unprecedented Spanish treble. Not even Real Madrid, with all their legendary sides of years gone by, have managed that.

It is a truly great side - surely Barca's best ever - but for all Messi's forecasted phenomenon, he will struggle to top this season, as will new signing Dani Alves. Xavi's rise to the pinnacle of playmakers has come at his peak, Henry's resurgence can't last too long as he reaches the end of a fabulous career, Eto'o has left and not everyone is yet convinced by Ibrahimovic.

Maybe there's only one player in those ranks from whom we can expect much more; only one whose individual evolution could help sustain Barca's reign at the top, despite seemingly impossible expectations set by the triplete and Florentino Perez's immense threat to their primacy.

As it is, Iniesta has more to add to his game, having not managed stunning statistics in terms of goals and assists. His magic was weaved purely by his scintillating skill - an inspiration for any player of any position, any club or any country that the very best will eventually always get the recognition they deserve.

Then again, maybe Iniesta will never win the Ballon d'Or - in this instance, nor was he able to win the Goal.com 50 - but being everyone's second favourite player year after year - the player absolutely nobody seems to hate or underrate - could put his stock higher than many a Galactico by the time his career comes to an end. And when that time comes, this past season will surely be remembered as the most important of them all.

He is not the most talented footballer on Earth, and was never really built up as the next big thing in the game. He is not gifted with audacious skills or sensational flamboyance, and hasn't scored ten goals in a single league campaign. He doesn't even have the most primitive prerequisite of football - an ability to run: at most, he walks very fast.

Yet Xavi Hernandez is the best central midfielder on the planet, and in the 2008-2009 season was one of the three top players in the world. If it weren't for the genius of Lionel Messi and the creative invention of Andres Iniesta, Xavi could well have been the best in the world, a Ballon d'Or contender, as last season was arguably the strongest in Xavi's career.

2007-2008 might have ended with the pasillo, but the Euro 2008 conquest with Spain in the summer revived both Xavi and Barcelona. For Xavi, it was the marked return to form, as he out-passed, out-smarted and out-thought everyone in Austria and Switzerland, establishing himself as the best in his position.

Exploits In Spain

Asked by new coach Josep Guardiola to play slightly higher up the pitch and contribute more to the attack, with the assurance of Yaya Toure behind him, Xavi played the role he was always destined to play: the ‘Pep Guardiola role’.

Since the Santpedor-born great had left Barcelona, there had been a void in the middle of the park. Xavi had filled that space in previous seasons, but in 2008-2009 he actually outdid his predecessor and coach and made it ‘the Xavi role’.


Creator & Scorer | Xavi shows his dual character

Described by one columnist as a "static" player in "a classic combination of static and dynamic”, Xavi sat in central midfield and didn't move, but he did orchestrate Barcelona's moves. His ability to find holes in the opposition’s back line, intelligence to discern small spaces for himself, play crisp through balls and whip in accurate crosses, all with marvellous consistency, made Xavi the midfielder-in-chief of this galactic Barcelona side that played frighteningly entertaining football last season. One Madrid-based Spanish football journalist defined Xavi as "the man who keeps Barcelona ticking and never rotates - or loses the ball".

Perhaps the best moment in the Primera Division for the 29-year-old was his masterclass performance against Real Madrid in the second Clasico of the season at the Bernabeu, in which he taught the Madrid players how to retain possession and control the game as he led his team to a 6-2 triumph. The Catalan eventually ended the league season as the top assist provider (20).

Even in the Copa del Rey, Xavi's presence was discernible as he scored the final goal in Barcelona’s 4-1 comeback victory over Athletic Bilbao in the final.

European Conquest


European Champions | Xavi's Career On A High

Just as in Spain, Xavi proved his mettle in Europe. He was by far the best central midfielder in his position in the Champions League as he attested that players with intelligence and technique but bereft of pace can still have a place in modern day's F1-paced, aggressive and often technically hollow approach.

In the final against Manchester United in Rome, it was again Xavi who was at the heart of every string of passes that Barcelona weaved. He created Lionel Messi's headed goal, threaded in passes for Thierry Henry, Carles Puyol and Iniesta, and had a free kick rattle the post.

Sir Alex Ferguson admitted that Barcelona's "strength was their central midfielders", adding, "It wasn't really Messi who was the problem, it was Iniesta and Xavi. They can keep the ball all night long."

Xavi continued with his good form in the Confederations Cup, but the absence of Iniesta rendered the masterclass midfielder somewhat redundant. He has an almost telepathic understanding with the 25-year-old, and although Xavi's overall performance in South Africa was encouraging, perhaps a degree of fatigue has crept in.

Nevertheless, that slight blip cannot dislodge Xavi from his position as the best central midfielder in the world.

How on earth can you better a 42 goal 2007-08 season? You can't, quite simply, but if you're Cristiano Ronaldo you can come closer than most could, and remain the world's most talked about player in the process.

The caterpillar that was CR7 has, of course, now emerged as CR9, a Bernabeu butterfly, finally signing for Madrid in a ridiculous €94 million deal, following a bitter, public battle of wills between Manchester United and los Blancos, as well as behind-the-scenes pre-contract tomfoolery.

The 2008-09 season started slowly for Ronaldo, as he'd undergone ankle surgery in July following a quarter-final Euro 2008 exit at the hands of eventual runners-up Germany. His Portugal side continue to struggle, and thus we may be deprived of Ronaldo – the nation's new skipper under coach Carlos Queiroz – at World Cup 2010.

He gradually found form towards the end of 2008, having made his comeback and then scored his first goal of the season in mid-September. As United crushed Stoke City on November 15, he scored two stunning free-kicks: goals number 100 and 101 of his united career. Then, on December 2, he was awarded the prestigious Ballon d'Or gong, albeit primarily for his work the previous season.

2009 started in explosive fashion. In January he infamously crashed his Ferrari in a tunnel, writing it off, before completing a remarkable individual double by being named FIFA World Player of the Year.

Still, Cristiano, and indeed Manchester United as a whole, were struggling through the gears, under severe title pressure from Liverpool. Gaffer Sir Alex Ferguson had been promising the usual post-Christmas surge, and his prediction was on the money.


Pucker Up | Cristiano Picks Up Another Trophy

For Ronaldo, it was also time to finally put the highs of 2008 out of his mind. For all his achievements, many still believed that he was yet to produce his best form on the biggest stage. The highly anticipated Champions League knock-out showdown with Jose Mourinho's Inter was a perfect showcase for the winger-cum-forward to finally shake his 'big game flop' tag.

Throughout the first leg at the Stadio Giuseppe Meazza, Ronaldo was really in the mood. There was a palpable sense of anticipation, even within the Nerazzurri faithful, and the Portuguese threw everything but the kitchen sink at the Italians. The first leg ended 0-0 and, even though he scored what would turn out to be a killer second in the 2-0 return leg, Inter finished strongly and were perhaps unlucky, somewhat nullifying the impact of Ronaldo's headed goal.

In the second leg of the quarter-final clash with Porto, though, the Portuguese scored a 40-yard wonder goal after just six minutes which would see United through 3-2 on aggregate. He also made the difference in the semis against Arsenal, scoring the second and third goals in the 'men against boys' semi-final second leg win over the Gunners, securing a 4-1 aggregate triumph.

There would be no happy ending in Rome, of course. The Ronaldo vs. Lionel Messi final fully belonged to the little Argentine, whose Barcelona shrugged off an insipid United. Ronaldo, however, put in a committed individual display. All-in-all, few could argue with much conviction that Cristiano had underperformed in Europe.

Domestically? His 18 goals in 33 appearances helped United to another Premier League title, the Red Devils' third on the trot, and he scored a couple during United's successful League Cup campaign, also netting a penalty in the shoot-out final win over Tottenham Hotspur. His seasonal tally was 26 goals in 53 appearances, yet on the whole there was something – almost an intangible – missing from his body of work.

Still, the Portuguese powerhouse is surely well worth his top-five ranking and will be looking to haul himself back to the top of the pile as the new Galacticos era begins at the Bernabeu.

There are few players, if any, whose impact for their team rivals that of Zlatan Ibrahimovic for Inter last season.

The Swede was seemingly their only consistent source of attacking ideas, but a formidable one at that, and it could be seen from the very beginning of the season. By October, he was in full swing, scoring a fantastic back-heel effort against Bologna - a strong contender the ‘Goal of the Season’ - and also brushing aside rivals Roma with a superb brace en route to a 4-0 win at the Stadio Olimpico.

When the Swede was short of ideas, Inter looked impotent. Luckily, on the domestic stage, that was rarely the case.

All-star performances against Palermo, Chievo, Lazio, Genoa, Fiorentina and Juventus from November and beyond were nothing short of dominating, as defences had no answer to him. Whether it be his physicality, long range strikes or creativity, many sides struggled to contain one of the most complete forwards in football today as he led Inter to their fourth consecutive Serie A crown.

His exploits in Serie A earned him a personal title as well - 25 goals saw him take home the coveted Capocannoniere for the first time in his career. Unsurprisingly, he clinched it with another vintage display – scoring a brace in a 4-3 win over Atalanta on the final day of the season.

However, as Ibra’s trend of domestic domination this season continues, so does his tendency to fall short on the continental stage. The Nerazzurri were simply no match for Manchester United in the Champions League round of 16, and Ibrahimovic admitted as much.

“It’s disappointing because we allowed them to score early in both halves,” he told Rai after Inter's 2-0 defeat at Old Trafford.

“Despite their goals, we continued to play well. We hit the post twice, and I went close to scoring on two other occasions. We played with real confidence and character, but it was not enough.”

The 27-year-old has been apt at disappearing on the continental stage, but Inter’s failure could hardly be pinned only on his shoulders this time. Nonetheless, his lack of productivity was evident in the Champions League, with just one goal in 2008-09.

On the international stage, Sweden and Ibrahimovic risk missing out on the World Cup as they sit with nine points from six matches in Group 1. The forward will have to take his team by the scruff of the neck if he wants to be in South Africa next June.
A tribute to his incredible technical ability lies in the fact that treble winners Barcelona were willing to exchange top scorer Samuel Eto’o plus €45 million for his services. An ambitious player like Ibra, who has won a great deal in just three years at Inter, jumped eagerly at the challenge.

One wonders whether the ex-Juventus man can continue the constant improvement he has shown over the past few seasons. Ibra does not have to prove he is a great forward - that is already evident. The player wants to prove he is the best by winning the Ballon d’Or, but to do that he will have to do the one thing he has not been able to achieve at club level – win the Champions League – no longer with Inter, but with Barcelona.

Daniel Alves is unquestionably one of the most flamboyant full-backs in football today. And following his move from Sevilla to Barcelona in the summer of 2008 for a reported upfront fee of €29 million, plus an additional €6 million based on performances, he became the most expensive right-back in the world. Although, if you believe Sevilla president, Jose Maria del Nido, the buccaneering Brazilian actually cost €41 million in total.

But whatever the price, he was worth every euro for Barcelona.

Dani boy slipped in seamlessly and blended into his new, star-studded team as he impressed right from the word go, making it look as though he had been playing with the side for years. His style fitted perfectly into coach Pep Guardiola’s footballing philosophies.

Like any good Brazilian full-back, he has a thunderbolt of a free kick, one that doesn’t always guarantee goals but is sure to leave tongues wagging when it does end up in the back of the net.

His often telepathic partnership with Lionel Messi down the right wing was a joy to behold last term, as the duo would constantly trade one-twos, overlap each other’s runs and carve open defences like a double-headed axe through melting butter.

It was little surprise then that the 26-year-old was able to boast nine assists and five goals in total in La Liga last term - a typically noteworthy haul for a full-back who loves charging forward. But he’s not all about reckless attacking. He also defends diligently, and although he doesn’t have the searing pace of a Roberto Carlos, he’s still incredibly quick and he has the stamina of a horse.

What is even more vital to his game is his phenomenal fitness levels. He hardly ever gets injured or needs extra time to recharge his batteries, completing the 2008-09 campaign having played 34 league matches, eight Copa matches and 12 in the Champions League.


High Flyer | Dani goes soaring through the air

However, all his hard work throughout the season came to a rather anti-climatic end for him personally when he was forced to sit out the show-piece final of Europe’s blue ribbon club competition against Manchester United due to suspension.

Still, his immense contribution and involvement throughout the campaign helped Barcelona to an historic treble, and one of his most significant but unheralded exploits was providing the decisive cross that led to Andres Iniesta’s at-the-death goal in the second leg of the Champions League semi-final against Chelsea.

Despite his achievements, he was, and in a way still is, very much the second choice right-back with the Brazilian national team. It wasn’t until Maicon’s season-ending injury in March that Alves get a chance to prove his worth.

But just as he did for Barca, he impressed straight away with the Selecao, and in the subsequent qualifiers against Peru, Uruguay and Paraguay, he made two assists and scored one goal.

He brought his 2008-09 programme to a close with a victory in the FIFA Confederations Cup to add to his three pieces of silverware for Barcelona. Although he only played little over 20 minutes in the final against the USA, he scored the all-important winning goal for Brazil against South Africa in the semi-finals.

Having won everything last season, Dani Alves will be striving to double his trophy count next term and cap everything off with the big one: the World Cup. He will also look to cement his status as the best right-back on the planet.

After a stellar performance in the 2007-08 season, Nemanja Vidic’s gaze was set on becoming the world’s top central defender. Cristiano Ronaldo’s attacking vigour characterised that campaign, but Vida’s concrete presence at the back was just as pivotal.

Fresh from a summer free of international commitments due to Serbia’s failure to qualify for Euro 2008, he set to work solidifying the foundations of Manchester United's Premier League and Champions League title defences.

Again the club began in goal-shy fashion as record signing Dimitar Berbatov failed to repay his transfer fee and Ronaldo sat on the sidelines with an ankle injury. This lethargy transferred to the entire side as even the number 15 started slowly.

During the Bulgarian’s September debut against Liverpool, the first of Vidic's well publicised set-backs against the Merseysiders took place as a reckless lunge with the elbow at Xabi Alonso resulted in a red card as the team went down 2-1 at Anfield.

Trailing in the wake of Rafa Benitez’s charges, the pressure started to tell. A hopeless performance against Hull City’s journeymen strikers Marlon King and Daniel Cousin threatened the least likely comeback in Premier League history as United scraped through 4-3 at the end of October.

Rather than wallowing in embarrassment, the Serbian’s fighting spirit came to the fore. Alongside Rio Ferdinand, the finest central defensive pairing in the game kicked on the Red Devils’ charge up the table.

After tasting defeat in the classic with Arsenal on November 8, he was a starter in each of a record breaking 14-match run of clean sheets in the English top flight.

Beginning with a shut out in the 5-0 victory over Stoke City, an iron curtain was placed around goalkeeper Edwin Van Der Sar.

A winning visit to Japan for the inaugural FIFA Club World Championship interrupted this. Another wayward elbow condemned him to a place in the dressing room though, as he was dismissed by the referee during the final against Copa Libertadores victors LDU Quito.


Number One | Vida makes his point

Back to domestic action in time for the relentless festive fixture list, Vida excelled in his role as the talisman at the back. Even without injured trio Wes Brown, Rio Ferdinand and Patrice Evra, his presence ensued the rest of the league had to wait for the March trip to Newcastle before the Mancunians net was rippled again.

That month was one to forget. Amateurish defending in the face of Fernando Torres and Steven Gerrard in the return fixture against Liverpool resulted in a shocking mistake for the Spaniard’s goal and marching orders once again for a tug on the captain’s shirt.

The Reds Premier League wobble wasn’t to last and the trophy was secured for the third successive season. There was to be no repeat of the Champions League victory, however. Again, Vida was culpable in a high profile match as his failure to prevent Barcelona striker Samuel Eto’o from turning inside set the wheels in motion for a 2-0 defeat.

Regardless of these clangers, the former Spartak Moscow man stands tall as the premier centre-back in world football. His relentless drive and commitment to the cause was rightly rewarded with a clean sweep of the Manchester United Player of the Year and Players’ Player of the Year awards.

Cristiano Ronaldo’s goals will certainly be missed at Old Trafford next season, but with Vidic in place at the back, keeping them out won’t be a problem.

Defending might be an art but defenders are not always considered artists. Roberto Carlos and Paolo Maldini might be legends but they never managed to get their hands on the Ballon d'Or or the FIFA World Player of the Year award, and the fact that Maicon Douglas Sisenando could make it to the top 10 of the Goal.com 50 is an achievement in itself.

Not that anyone can take it from him. Daniel Alves might stake claim in being the best right-back in the world at the moment, which he might well be, but there is no doubt that Maicon is more balanced and perhaps more powerful, although not as graceful as his Brazilian compatriot. Last year's campaign was Maicon's best season to-date as he led both his club and country to fame and glory.

Zlatan Ibrahimovic might have been the top scorer in the league last season and was Serie A's and Inter's player of the season, but take Maicon out of the Nerazzurri set-up and the Italian champions would become half the team they are. While 'Ibracadabra' was the striker-cum-playmaker who deceived defenders with his class and deftness, Maicon was the force from the back, who bulldozed through the opposition with his direct, incisive approach.

In the first half of the season Maicon was the best defender in the Italian top flight, a claim attested by his unparalleled performance against Chievo in December when the 28-year-old was involved in three of the four Inter goals. Although his performance dipped slightly in the second half mainly because of injuries, the Brazilian international full-back remained a force along the right flank for Inter. So much so that Juventus centre-back Giorgio Chiellini remarked, “Inter are a great side, but without phenomenons like Ibra and Maicon they would really, really struggle.”

Maicon ended the Serie A season with four goals and five assists in 27 starts but statistics tell only half the story. All those who followed Inter and Maicon closely in the 2008-09 campaign must have marveled at his link-up plays and tireless running up and down the flank. Besides 'Ibra' there was precious little talent upfront for Jose Mourinho's side, which perhaps didn't allow Maicon to create as much as he could have.

Full Focused | Maicon keeps his eyes on the prize

But playing for Brazil, Maicon could create as much as he wanted to and did so too at the Confederations Cup in South Africa in the summer. Ahead of Dani Alves in the pecking order for the Brazilian national side, Maicon was the best right-back in the competition.

Daniel Alves stepped in for Maicon in the opener against Egypt but after that it was Maicon who got the nod ahead of the Barcelona right-back. Maicon was marvellous against the USA in both matches and was arguably the best player on the pitch against Italy.

As Maicon ended the 2008-09 season on a high, establishing himself as arguably the best right-back in the world, winning the scudetto and the Confederations Cup, uncertainty abut his future at Inter began to manifest itself. Maicon was quoted as saying that he isn't appreciated enough at Inter and his agent remains open to a move to Spanish powerhouse and this summer’s free-spenders Real Madrid. Things might have cooled down a little but with Florentino Perez's power to convince and Madrid's construction of a neo-Galactico team, one can never tell.

But one thing's for sure: Maicon's departure from Inter would make the Nerazzurri a less frightening side.

While Samuel Eto’o has frequently had a reputation for running his mouth, this past season, the Cameroonian international was far better known for his running on the pitch. Enjoying one of his most successful seasons as a professional footballer, Eto’o’s 2008-2009 campaign was one that Barca supporters will not soon forget.

But in the summer of 2008, it was not even clear that Eto’o would continue to wear the Barcelona colours. As club president Joan Laporta cleaned out shop after a tremendously disappointing season, famously selling off Ronaldinho, Deco, and others, Eto’o was heavily rumoured to not fit into new coach Pep Guardiola’s plans and was billed as just one more casualty of the rebuilding process.

After significant and prolonged transfer speculation though, it became clear that Guardiola would, in fact, count on the Cameroonian international—and what a brilliant decision that would turn out to be.

In what was his best season ever for Barcelona, Eto’o was an unstoppable force in the Blaugrana attack, teaming up with teammates Lionel Messi and Thierry Henry to create a lethal front line. In fact, dubbed by the Spanish press as the ‘tridente’ or the trident, the three superstars became the most prolific trio in the history of the league, eclipsing the previous record held by Real Madrid trio Ferenc Puskas, Alfredo di Stefano and Luis del Sol in the 1960-61 season.

After a 2007 season in which he was plagued by injury, Eto’o found his world class form once again—improving on the 16 goals he scored in the previous season, to leading La Liga in scoring for most of the year with 30 goals. Unfortunately though, he just barely missed winning the Pichichi (the award presented to La Liga’s top scorer), as Atletico de Madrid’s Diego Forlan edged him out in the final few matches of the season to finish the year with 32 goals.

Eto’o’s efficiency in front of goal contributed to some of the most important results of the year for Barcelona. In the first Clasico match against Real Madrid at the Camp Nou, even after having a penalty kick saved, Eto’o delivered a crucial goal in the dying moments of the match—a goal that tipped the Liga pendulum in Barcelona’s favour and re-established a new balance of power, ending Real Madrid’s reign.

But the goal that will define Eto’o’s season came in the Champions League final against Manchester United, as the Cameroonian international beat ManU goalkeeper Edwin Van Der Sar in the 10th minute to score the first of Barca’s two goals and bring a second Champions League crown to the Catalunyan capital in four years.

With Eto’o’s help, Barcelona progressed to take the triplete—the Liga championship, the Copa del Rey crown, and the Champions League trophy. But at the end of the season, the rumour mill began to turn once again, as Barcelona very publicly began to shop their star striker around.

The relationship between the club and the player began to deteriorate, eventually hitting a breaking point as hostilities rendered a peaceful solution impossible. In the end, Eto’o decided to leave Barcelona for Serie A giants Inter Milan.

If his output with Inter compares to his performances for Barcelona in 2008/2009, Eto’o could possibly climb even higher in Goal.com’s list next year…

It is sometimes easy to forget that Wayne Rooney is still just 23 years of age. After all, this is man who has already won the Premier League three times, has played in two Champions League finals and made over 50 appearances for England.

Yet despite the success he has already achieved, there still seems to be so much more to come from the young striker and last season he took another huge step on the road to fulfilling his vast potential.

Rooney finished the season with more trophies to add to his already bulging cabinet as his picked up his third league title, watched as his team-mates won the League Cup and claimed glory in the FIFA Club World Cup.

Despite the presence of Dimitar Berbatov and Carlos Tevez, Rooney was a virtual ever present for manager Sir Alex Ferguson, and whilst his position may have been rotated throughout the season, the striker himself was rarely to be found on the bench.

Rooney has already admitted that his goals tend to come in bursts and so it was to prove again for the young Scouser, who netted 12 league goals, with five coming in as many games in between January and March as United tightened their grip at the top of the table.

The former Everton man was also on target in Japan, hitting the winner in the Club World Cup in December to ensure the Red Devils were crowned Club World Champions.

It wasn’t his only goal of the tournament, two more came in the semi-final in a furious game with Gamba Osaka that United won 5-3, which ensured the striker finished the tournament’s top scorer and won a car to boot.



Wayne’s World – Rooney Wins Club World Cup

His goalscoring is just one feature of his game, and it is his incredible strength, work-rate and sheer enthusiasm that so often inspires United when they are toiling.

A perfect example is the Red Devils famous 5-2 win over Tottenham Hotspur back in April after Spurs had been 2-0 up and cruising at Old Trafford at half-time.

Whilst it may have taken a controversial penalty to get the champions back into the game, Rooney went on to score two goals and set up another couple as United stormed back to the top of the table.

Crazy Man

Yet the striker wasn’t just banging in the goals on the domestic front, as for England he also rediscovered his goalscoring touch in fine style.

After the disappointment of missing out on the European Championships, Fabio Capello’s England began World Cup qualifying in determined mood.

Now, seven games later they have all but booked their trip to South Africa, with a 100 per cent record and with Rooney having netted an impressive eight goals (and ten in his last seven internationals).

Along the way he also picked up his 50th cap, becoming the youngest player to reach the half-century for the Three Lions in the process.

Furthermore, Rooney now has 24 international goals to his name and has admitted he has his sights firmly set on smashing Sir Bobby Charlton’s goal scoring record, which currently stands at 49.

It hasn’t all been perfect for Rooney. A sending off at Fulham as United crashed to defeat at Craven Cottage saw the striker back to his snarling, petulant worst, leading to Fabio Capello calling him his “crazy man”.

However, it was the only blot on the landscape, and having become a married man last summer with fatherhood looming, United and Capello will be hoping for a mellower player as a crucial season looms.

Of course next season offers much for Rooney, who will be hoping to sparkle at the World Cup next summer, yet, before then he will be under scrutiny and also under pressure on the home front.

Having lost Cristiano Ronaldo to Real Madrid, Manchester United’s goal scoring burden will fall largely on Rooney’s shoulders, and with him expected to play his favoured central role next season, all eyes will be watching him closely.

At the end of the 2007-08 season, Xabi Alonso’s future was well and truly up in the air. Despite a strong finish to what was an injury-plagued campaign with Liverpool, Rafael Benitez attempted to sell off the midfielder to fund a move for Gareth Barry. Interest from Arsenal, Juventus and Real Madrid amounted to nothing, however – and perhaps just as well, from the Reds’ perspective.

Alonso reported back to Anfield for pre-season in high spirits after a successful summer with Spain at the European Championship. Although he was restricted to a bit-part role with La Furia Roja – barring a man-of-the-match showing in the group stage against Greece – the Tolosa-born playmaker was an important element in Austria and Switzerland, and he had no trouble replicating his international form at club level.

With Javier Mascherano away at the Olympics and Steven Gerrard suffering a string of injuries, Alonso gleefully exploited the opportunity to re-establish himself as the fulcrum around which the Merseysiders functioned. He took it upon himself to direct the play from the middle of the park, exercising his famed passing range and calming influence to their full extent as he helped his side overcome a jittery start to the season.

When ‘Monster Masche’ came back into the team following his return from Beijing, he and Xabi set about forming what some have dubbed Europe’s premier midfield partnership. For even though the Argentine was clearly fatigued, his presence alone granted his Spanish club-mate the sort of freedom that he’d experienced only sporadically since Dietmar Hamann left the club in 2007.

But Alonso did much more than spray 60-yard passes around at his leisure. Not only was his work-rate of an exceptional standard (UEFA statistics from the Champions League showed that he regularly clocked up more mileage per game than any other ‘Pool player); he chipped in with some crucial goals, too. His Lampardesque strike in October ended Chelsea’s mammoth unbeaten run at Stamford Bridge, and he put away a penalty at the same venue later in the season as the Reds crashed out of Europe in epic fashion.


Get In! | Xabi was in peak form for the Reds last term

The 27-year-old’s role within the Spanish national team also strengthened throughout the campaign, as the new coach, Vicente del Bosque, made him a regular starter. He scored twice in a friendly against Denmark in August, and netted from the spot in Turkey as La Seleccion romped towards qualification for the 2010 World Cup. And in the super-friendly against England in February, it was his sublime through-ball that gave David Villa the opportunity to score one of the most memorable goals of the year.

Meanwhile, Liverpool were putting up their first real fight for the league title since Benitez’s arrival at Anfield, and Xabi’s role in their improved domestic form did not go unnoticed. The press praised his professionalism in light of the Barry saga, while his fellow players lauded his ability to exert his influence on any given game. Thus, his omission from the list of nominees for the PFA Players’ Player of the Year award was controversial, to say the least.

Liverpool ended an impressive but frustrating campaign trophyless, and even a stellar season – coupled with solid displays at the Confederations Cup – hasn’t saved Alonso from another summer of transfer speculation. But it’s only natural that Real Madrid would so avidly pursue a player whom many regard as the best deep-lying playmaker going around.

Franck Ribery further enhanced his superb reputation with another impressive season with Bundesliga giants Bayern Munich, although the Bavarians would finish the season empty handed. Such is the high esteem with which he is currently held amongst Europe’s top clubs that his name was strongly linked with the likes of Real Madrid, Barcelona, Manchester United and Chelsea at the conclusion of the season.

The 2008-2009 season began with Ribery on the sidelines following an injury suffered while at Euro 2008 with France. The midfielder tore ligaments above his ankle during his country’s 2-0 defeat to Italy, which knocked les Bleus out of the competition.

Surgery saw him sit out the first five games of the German season, which was Bayern’s worst start to a Bundesliga campaign in over 30 years. It took a few games to find his form, but it came as no coincidence that Bayern’s season started to improve with the re-emergence of Ribery.

He scored against Wolfsburg in Bayern’s 4-2 win at the Allianz Arena in what was only his third start of the season, managing to hit the back of the net in six consecutive games as Juergen Klinsmann’s side finished level at the top of the table with Hoffenheim at the winter break.

Bayern ultimately finished second in the Bundesliga behind surprise winners Wolfsburg, but Ribery was once again clearly the best player in their squad. Though not hitting the absolute heights of his first season at the Allianz Arena, his level of skill and ability had no better in the entire league. The numbers speak for themselves: nine goals and 12 assists in 25 matches.

Lisbon Lion | Ribery single-handedly
demolished Sporting

The French wizard also showed his class in the Champions League, although Bayern were ultimately shown up and knocked out at the quarter-final stage by eventual winners Barcelona. Indeed, Ribery probably had one of his worst games of the season at the Nou Camp during Bayern’s 5-0 defeat.

In the group stage, he provided five assists in five games, scoring against Lyon in France to boot. He then single-handedly tore Sporting apart in Lisbon, scoring two and laying on another two in Bayern Munich’s 5-0 win in Portugal in the first knock-out stage. Following the debacle in the Nou Camp, he did make partial amends by scoring Bayern’s goal in the 1-1 draw in the return-leg.

The past season saw him run out three times for France in World Cup qualifiers, and the maestro scored in each of the three matches - one in each of the games with Lithuania and once in the 2-2 draw with Romania. Ribery really has taken on the mantle from Zinedine Zidane in the French national team, and the great ‘Zizou’, in his role as advisor to Real Madrid supremo Florentino Perez, is one of Ribery’s biggest fans.

"There are very good footballers in the world, like Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi, but the best for me is Ribery," Zidane told ESPN. "And I am not saying that because he is French, but because he is very good."

Despite reportedly confessing his desire to join the new Galactico revolution at Real, it sees Ribery is destined to stay at Bayern for at least another season. However, the Bavarians won’t be able to hang on to their own little superstar for too much longer if he keeps on producing the goods he has done for the past two seasons.