Strictly Soccer

top 10 favourite soccer legends
1.ronaldo
2.messi
3.iniesta
4.neymar
5.rooney
6.robben
7.ozil
8.van persie
9.ibrahamovic
10.kaka
top 10 best soccer players of 2012

10: Papiss Demba Cisse (Newcastle)

Not only did the Senegal striker manage to find the net on a regular basis in Germany but also in England. Cisse started the season off at Freiburg and made a £9million move to Newcastle in the January transfer window.

The Senegal international striker scored a combined figure of 22 goals in the Bundesliga and Premier League last season. Cisse’s goals ensured that the Magpies secured a fifth place finish in the English top flight and a Europa League spot for next season.

Cisse has been described as one of the best signings of the Premier League season. He is now attracting interest from the likes of Manchester United and Bayern Munich.

9: Eden Hazard (Lille/Chelsea)

The Belgian starlet managed to scored 20 goals in Ligue One last season, despite playing in midfield. Hazard is highly-rated and was being chased by many of the top clubs in Europe. He has recently agreed to move to European Champions Chelsea for a fee of £35million.

His stock was so high at the end of the season that he was also being tracked by Manchester City and Manchester United. Hazard is expected to be a superstar of the future and he will be showcasing his skills in the English op flight next season.

8: Andrea Pirlo (Juventus)

Eyebrows were raised last summer when the veteran midfielder moved to Juventus on a free transfer from AC Milan. The 33 year-old was regarded as a has-been and over-the-hill by many Italian football observers.

However, this season he has been the fulcrum of a Juventus team which has gone on to lift the Serie A title. The Old Lady managed to make history by going throughout the league season undefeated and Pirlo was one of their key players.

7: Sergio Aguero (Manchester City)

The little Argentinian striker was an instant hit in Manchester. Aguero not only netted 23 times in the English top flight last season but also scored the goal that won his club the Premier League title with a last-gasp winner against Queens Park Rangers.

6: Mario Gomez (Bayern Munich)

Bayern Munich were the nearly men of European football this season. The Bavarians finished as runners-up in the Bundesliga, German Cup and Champions League. If it wasn’t for Gomez the club would have fared far worse.

Gomez scored an impressive 28 Bundesliga goals last season. The striker of Spanish-descent has now even found his form for the German national side and the striker is regarded as one of the favourites for the golden boot at this summers European Championships.

5: Karim Benzema (Real Madrid)

The French international was another key player in Real Madrid’s La Liga title victory. He combined well with Cristiano Ronaldo and Gonzalo Higuain to form a formidable attacking force for Jose Mourinho’s side.

Benzema contributed 21 league goals and numerous assists to his teams cause. Could be an outsider for the golden boot at Euro 2012.

4: Yaya Toure (Manchester City)

The giant Ivory Coast international was a key player as Manchester City won their first top flight English title in over 30 years. The former-Barcelona star played as both defensive and attacking midfielder with great effect.

The big midfielder was one of the most influential players in City’s success last season and has now been linked with a move back to Barcelona.

3: Robin Van Persie (Arsenal)

The Dutch striker carried his club side for most of the Premier League season. The 28 year-old found the net 30 times in the English top flight to win the golden boot and help the Gunners claim a Champions League spot.

Just like Messi and Ronaldo Van Persie has flattered to deceive at international level but has a chance to prove himself with his national side at the European Championships.

2: Cristiano Ronaldo (Real Madrid)

Although the Portuguese star has had to take a backseat to Lionel Messi of Barcelona in recent seasons he has proven a vital figure for Los Blancos this season. The 27 year-old found the net 46 times in La Liga, as the side from the capital claimed the Spanish league title.

Ronaldo has been superb for Real this season and he is now a more complete player than in previous seasons. Ronaldo will be hoping to show case his skills for Portugal at Euro 2012.

1: Lionel Messi (Barcelona)

The Argentinian superstar claimed the Ballon d’Or for the third consecutive year and fully deserved the accolade. Messi scored an incredible 73 goals in all competitions last season, including 50 goals in La Liga and a record 17 in the European Champions.

Messi is now being described by some as the best ever player to grace a football field. His stats are incredible but he still has a lot to prove at international level, he has secured his top position as a best soccer player in 2012 again.

and I bet you want to know who the best top 10 international soccer teams are well guess what now you can
Top 10 Best International Soccer Teams
Apr 11,2012 – by Rick 2 0When we talk of the national team rankings, it is highly desired to see one’s own national team in the top ten list and that too when the particular sport is pretty much famous around the globe. Numerous countries compete with one another every year and try their level best to grab the top notch. However, this is a decent sport and players abide by the respective rules while playing but there is an interesting instance from the year 1975 which will make you think otherwise. A match between Chile and Uruguay was abandoned due to the fact that nineteen players were sent off during the match. Hey! It was just an exception, don’t stick to this event. My today’s topic is about Top 10 best international Soccer Teams in the World according to year 2011 – 2012 FIFA Rankings.

10. Japan

As with the progressing time, women are considered equally an asset for the country as are men. The Japanese women proved this by putting up a resplendent piece of show to help grab their country tenth place. Women played every fair tactic and exploit their skills to earn the FIFA Women’s World Cup 2011 by beating USA, Germany Sweden, Mexico and New Zealand. As for the men, they won 2011 AFC Asian Cup and also progressed to the fourth round of FIFA World Cup 2014.

9. Mexico

Sometimes you get to enjoy an elite rank just by winning one but crucial competition. This was the case with Mexico in the year 2011 as they dominated the 2011 CONCACAF Gold Cup by beating Cuba, Costa Rica, Honduras and USA. CONCACAF is actually the football competition which encompasses the teams in North America, Central America and Caribbean. It was hosted by USA and a huge attendance of around 93,000 was witnessed this year. Keep up the good work Mexico!

8. Portugal

Under the supervision and training of the manager Paulo Bento, Portugal managed to cement a respectable place in the FIFA World Ranking and also this team was able to put up a magnificent performance in the UEFA Euro 2012 qualification. It is not that the Portuguese didn’t lose a single match to any team but if we analyze the broader picture of the affairs, then it will be evident that they actually deserve eighth place here in this list. They defeated each team in their group at least once and overall, the stats for the year 2011 for Portugal were 6-2-2 which is no doubt an impressive mark left behind.

7. Brazil

Old people retire and make room for the younger generation to prove their worth to the fans. We have seen many legendary players in the squad of Brazil but today I want to introduce you guys to a new yet talented face, Neymar. He, from most people’ point of view, is the bright future of Brazil. Although, Brazil wasn’t able to live up to the performance expected of them in Copa America but on the other hand, it wasn’t bad enough to delist Brazil from the seventh place. Yes, they put up a magnetizing show but suffered defeat at the hands of France, Germany and Paraguay. In group B, Brazil was at the top of the list by winning one match out of three matches played and securing five points to equalize with Venezuela.

6. Italy

The brilliant performance displayed by Italy in the Euro 2011 facilitated the team to be listed on the sixth place in the top ten chart. The overall performance for the year was 8-2-2 and it reflects a very hard work and pragmatic achievement for Italy. Though, Northern Island and Serbia didn’t allow Italy to trump them and secure a win but Italy did mange somehow to defeat Estonia, Faroe Islands and Slovenia.

5. England

The youngest ever goalscorer of England team, Wayne Rooney, wasn’t there to assist his team in the UEFA Euro 2012, nonetheless England emerged above the salt to secure fifth place in the top ten list. It is not about the individual players rather it is always about team coordination and commitment to win under any circumstances. It didn’t lose even a single match in the qualification and they defeated Bulgaria (4-0), Switzerland (3-1) and Wales (1-0).

4. Uruguay

Don’t be carried away if you can’t find Argentina here instead of Uruguay as there is a reason behind this. Uruguay is the winner of Copa America and this was their fifteenth continental title. It is no doubt a time of extreme merriment for the fans and players of Uruguay. Uruguay defeated two other big teams Peru and Paraguay before washing out Argentina in the knock-out stage on penalties. Best of Luck Uruguay!

3. Netherlands

The Oranje guys were not able to steer their way to triumph over Sweden in the UEFA Euro 2012 but apart from this tragedy, they performed really up to the mark to win third place in the list. They haven’t won even a single World Cup but the fact that they have appeared in most of the World Cup finals cannot be gainsaid. In 2011, Netherlands was the top team as per the FIFA World Rankings and this made them the second national Soccer team to secure first place in the FIFA rankings without winning any World Cup. Undoubtedly, it is one of the strongest Soccer team in Europe.

2. Germany

Sticking to a overall record of 9-1-3, Germans proved their excellence and dominance in the UEFA Euro 2012 qualification. Die Mannschaft proved their dominance in Europe by remaining steadfast against all the big teams. Some of the wins of Germany are Belgium (1-0), Austria (6-2), Turkey (3-0) and Azerbaijan (3-1). It is simply marvelous and couldn’t be better for the Germans in 2011. Very well-done!

1. Spain

In the year 2011, Spain held a record of 9-2-1 which is really commendable and Spain deserves kudos. The FIFA World Cup 2010 champions didn’t sought for any slightest pretext to show poor performance in the Euro 2012 qualification and they defeated each and every opponent. La Roja (nickname of Spain) has introduced a new style of play called Tiki-taka which has helped them dominate the Soccer world in every possible manner