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Editors' Roundtable: Who Is Worthy Of the Golden Ball
Back for the latest edition of the Editors' Roundtable were Chief Editor Andrea Canales, Associate Editors Shane Evans, Zac Lee Rigg and Allen Ramsey, and Mexico Editor Luis Bueno.
Oct 21, 2009 2:49:47 AM
Andrea Canales: The nominees for the Golden Ball are out - who is your pick and why?
Zac Lee Rigg: Golden ball of what?
Canales: Best world player
Allen Ramsey: Ballon D'Or?
Rigg: Ah.
Canales: Yeah, the Frenchie award - very prestigious.
Ramsey: Seriously, if it's not Lionel Messi, I'm going to be shocked.
Luis Bueno: It has to be Messi. With everything Barcelona accomplished last season, you have to give the nod to Messi because of that. Best player on the best team.
Rigg: For me it's simple: there is no player nearly as talented, no one had near as good a year, and no one's team did as well as Lionel Messi.
Canales: Yeah, but some people say the Argentine national team stuff is dragging Messi down, exposing what his game still lacks.
Bueno: He still helped Argentina reach the World Cup. It's not really his fault if the Argentine FA turned to a circus freak for a manager.
Rigg: There were no international events last year. Maradona's little circus would have happened after the voting anyways. So not even Diego can taint Messi
.
Ramsey: You could make the same "national team problem" argument against Ronaldo as well.
Bueno says: The problem Ronaldo has is that Messi and Barca whipped Ronaldo and ManU in the Champions League final last season. If ever there were a clear tiebreaker, it's that.
Shane Evans: I'd argue that Messi wouldn't be as successful as he was if it weren't for Xavi...and he has the international success to back it up.
Ramsey: You can make the Xavi argument. He's aboutt he only player I can see having a real chance at beating Messi out.
Canales: But Xavi's a low-key set up guy - people are still going to remember who scored the goals. Ergo, Messi.
Ramsey: Xavi's silk on the ball, Spain and Barca rely on him to pull the strings, and he pops up with big goals. But Messi is the flash, and the flash usually wins.
Rigg: I don't think Xavi has a chance of winning this award -- these things go to forwards -- but he's the only one who holds a candle to Messi.
Evans: He's one of the most complete players in the world and Barcelona and Spain owe their success to him. Simple as that.
Canales: Xavi might have had a more serious shot if Spain had won the COnfed Cup.
Bueno says: You think there's a chance that Xavi steals some of Messi's votes and Ronaldo ends up the winner?
Ramsey: Ronaldo is out I think. Man United has proven to be good without him, and Portugal is struggling. Plus, in the long run, Messi beat him on the big stage.
Canales: These voting things are pretty weird sometimes, though. Apparently Ryan Giggs is a contender for this Golden Ball award. I mean, if people are voting for Giggs?
Ramsey: People voting for Giggs is laughable. It's a sentimental vote more than a serious challenge. I'd vote Kaka before Giggs.
Bueno says: Certainly if national teams play a consideration in the voting, then Giggs has no chance whatsoever to even garner more than a handful of votes.
Canales: Messi also has going for him that he hasn't won it yet. Kaka, Ronaldo, they already have - people will lean Messi partly for the newness of it.
Ramsey: I think it has to be said though, Messi was the best player in the world for most of the last year.
Canales: Agreed.
Ramsey: He produced pure magic on a number of occasions.
The Editors' Roundtable runs every week on Goal.com
Discuss all the latest in the Goal.com Forums.
Zac Lee Rigg: Golden ball of what?
Canales: Best world player
Allen Ramsey: Ballon D'Or?
Rigg: Ah.
Canales: Yeah, the Frenchie award - very prestigious.
Ramsey: Seriously, if it's not Lionel Messi, I'm going to be shocked.
Luis Bueno: It has to be Messi. With everything Barcelona accomplished last season, you have to give the nod to Messi because of that. Best player on the best team.
Rigg: For me it's simple: there is no player nearly as talented, no one had near as good a year, and no one's team did as well as Lionel Messi.
Canales: Yeah, but some people say the Argentine national team stuff is dragging Messi down, exposing what his game still lacks.
Bueno: He still helped Argentina reach the World Cup. It's not really his fault if the Argentine FA turned to a circus freak for a manager.
Rigg: There were no international events last year. Maradona's little circus would have happened after the voting anyways. So not even Diego can taint Messi
.
Ramsey: You could make the same "national team problem" argument against Ronaldo as well.
Bueno says: The problem Ronaldo has is that Messi and Barca whipped Ronaldo and ManU in the Champions League final last season. If ever there were a clear tiebreaker, it's that.
Shane Evans: I'd argue that Messi wouldn't be as successful as he was if it weren't for Xavi...and he has the international success to back it up.
Ramsey: You can make the Xavi argument. He's aboutt he only player I can see having a real chance at beating Messi out.
Canales: But Xavi's a low-key set up guy - people are still going to remember who scored the goals. Ergo, Messi.
Ramsey: Xavi's silk on the ball, Spain and Barca rely on him to pull the strings, and he pops up with big goals. But Messi is the flash, and the flash usually wins.
Rigg: I don't think Xavi has a chance of winning this award -- these things go to forwards -- but he's the only one who holds a candle to Messi.
Evans: He's one of the most complete players in the world and Barcelona and Spain owe their success to him. Simple as that.
Canales: Xavi might have had a more serious shot if Spain had won the COnfed Cup.
Bueno says: You think there's a chance that Xavi steals some of Messi's votes and Ronaldo ends up the winner?
Ramsey: Ronaldo is out I think. Man United has proven to be good without him, and Portugal is struggling. Plus, in the long run, Messi beat him on the big stage.
Canales: These voting things are pretty weird sometimes, though. Apparently Ryan Giggs is a contender for this Golden Ball award. I mean, if people are voting for Giggs?
Ramsey: People voting for Giggs is laughable. It's a sentimental vote more than a serious challenge. I'd vote Kaka before Giggs.
Bueno says: Certainly if national teams play a consideration in the voting, then Giggs has no chance whatsoever to even garner more than a handful of votes.
Canales: Messi also has going for him that he hasn't won it yet. Kaka, Ronaldo, they already have - people will lean Messi partly for the newness of it.
Ramsey: I think it has to be said though, Messi was the best player in the world for most of the last year.
Canales: Agreed.
Ramsey: He produced pure magic on a number of occasions.
The Editors' Roundtable runs every week on Goal.com
Discuss all the latest in the Goal.com Forums.
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