Bleacher Report - Articles by Nzuu Ranwaha

The Top 10 Football Players of the 2008-09 Season

Nzuu Ranwaha — Sun, 31 May 2009 06:04:51 -0400

The 2008-09 season has effectively come to an end, highlighting some of the best performances on club level and individual level for a few. Here are those players whose skill and form have made them stand up above the rest.

10. Zlatan Ibrahimovic - Sweden (Inter Milan - Italian Serie A)

He is definitely one of the best strikers in world football, with his thunderous long range bolts. A potent header and some silky touches which are unbelivable for his size. Having bagged 23 goals for his club he has surely impressed.

After taking the Scudetto for the umpteenth time, the Swedish talisman will hope that next year will be a better year in Europe as he and Inter have failed to make impact on Europe's biggest stage.

9. Diego Forlan - Uruguay (Atletico Madrid - La Liga)

The "blonde" hitman stole the pichichi (La Liga top scorer) from Samuel Eto'o in the last two weeks of the Spanish big league. With 32 goals to his name, this will be a season that he will never forget and it's no surprise that he is already making rumours on the market. He really has outdone himself this season and proved why he is lethal in front of goal.

8. Frank Lampard - England (Chelsea - Premier league)

The 30-year-old attacking midfielder has, in truth, been Chelsea's best player for a number of years now. This season has been the same on an individual level, if not better. He has proved to be the most consistently scoring midfield machine alongside his compatriot, Steven Gerrard. 20+ goals make up a great season for Lamps.

7. Yoann Gourcuff - France (Bordeaux - French Ligue 1)

Quite simply he has been one of the revelations of this season. He has bloomed a little late, but it has been worth the wait. The Ligue 1 player of the year has been amazing in France. With touches and flicks of the ball that take your mind to the Zidane era, he has definitely established himself as one of the biggest talent in world football. Sensational season from Gourcuff.

6. Franck Ribery - France (Bayern Munich - German Bundesliga)

The 26-year-old who is plying his trade with the Germans has proved this season once again why he is one of the most sought-after wingers in Europe. His impressive dribbling and occasional breath-taking screamers have really been impressive this year. His 14 goals for Bayern do not tell half the story of how important he is to the Bavarians.

5. Steven Gerrard - England (Liverpool FC - Premier league)

His team might have finished without a single trophy, but Captain Fantastic has seriously been fantastic on an individual scale. His new role of playing just behind the striker position has proved a profitable as he has netted 24 times for the Reds with seven of them being in the Champions League. Injuries which sidelined him in the period that Liverpool needed him most have been evident in results as they crashed out of Europe and lost grip on Manchester United at the top.

4. Cristiano Ronaldo - Portugal (Manchester United - Premier League)

CR7 has in no way been as scintillating this season as he was in the last campaign. However this season was not a bad one in truth statistically speaking. 25 goals and eight assists for the Red Devils may not be on par with last season but is decent for a player who started with a serious injury.

Ronaldo has always been threatening from any position from the field, goals like the 40-yarder in Porto and his rifle of a freekick against Arsenal in the Champions League semifinal tell the story. On top of that he has helped his team to a 3rd successive Premier League title, World Cup of clubs and Carling Cup this season.

3. Andres Iniesta - Spain (FC Barcelona - La Liga)

The 25-year-old attacking playmaker (best attacking midfielder in the world) has certainly put himself as certainly one of the very few exceptional players in the world today. San Andres' vision, seductive dribbling and pinpoint passing have certainly made him a very integral part of the ridiculously talented squad of the kings of Europe.

His highlight performances include the 4-0 drubbing of Sevilla in La Liga and the 93rd minute heartbreaker against Chelsea in the Champions League in the semis. His performance in the final was a joy to behold which summed up his brilliance throughout the season. Injuries have put him in third, which otherwise, could have simply been 2nd place.

2. Xavi Hernandez - Spain (FC Barcelona - La Liga)

The man who ended in 5th position in the 2008 FIFA player of the year had a simply outstanding season this time with La Blaugrana. Without a shadow of a doubt he has established himself as the finest central midfielder in the world, relying heavily on his superior intelligence and needle eye passes. Quite simply the best passer in the game. 33 assists (yes, 33) on top of his 10 goals make a historic season for the artist.

1. Lionel Messi - Argentina (FC Barcelona - La Liga)

The atomic flea was really on the loose in 2008-09 season. This being the first season without and injury, Leo has proved why he is a wonder. Being part of the legendary trio (with Henry and Eto'o) which has bagged a century of goals, 38 of which belong to Messi, He has scored some of the most outrageous solo goals this season.

He has also shown to be deadly creating goals as well, with no less than 21 assists to his name. Statistics don't tell it all as his unrivaled mesmerising skills, twists and turns often requires a camera playbacks to actually see what he did.

His threat has been very apparent as he has had to be marked constantly by three people (which seems to be the minimum number of defenders who should be assigned to him to keep him still), which in turn creates room for the rest of the creative colleagues to exploit.

These are the player whose overall skill, as well as the form has placed them above the others in this season.

Other honourable mentions include:

- Samuel Eto'o (Cameroon - Barcelona)

- Nemanja Vidic (Serbia - Man. United)

- Daniel Alves (Brazil - Barcelona)

- Wayne Rooney (England - Man United).

Do you agree with the list? Who would you rather see?

FC Barcelona: An Irresistable Force of Nature

Nzuu Ranwaha — Sat, 11 Apr 2009 01:47:46 -0400

Some four weeks ago, I published an article indicating the loopholes in the Catalan defense. Ironically, ever since then, Barca have only conceded two goals in all competitions and have even become more destructive in attack.

Teams in Barcelona's way have been given lessons in football and most of these lessons have been tough days in class. So what is Barcelona doing right? How has it become more lethal than an F5 tornado?

The Three Musketeers

The front line has been totally unforgiving in front of goal. The three of them have together, up to date, found the back of the net on 85 occasions:

Thierry Henry

The Frenchman, who struggled to click into the system last season has really made the left forward position his own this season. Linking well with Eto'o and Messi, he has shown shades of the brilliance he was known for in his Arsenal days.

Samuel Eto'o

The current pichichi in La Liga—who almost left the Nou Camp last season—has been instrumental in attack, bagging 26 goals in the league alone and has found his way back to the throne as arguably the most lethal striker in world football.

Lionel Messi

Undoubtedly the world's number one by miles, 'Little Lionel" has been breathtaking so far, while littering the season with some of the finest solo goals. His unrivaled dribbling and creativity has set platform for his involvement in 51 Barcelona goals thus far (32 goals + 19 assists).

The String-Pullers

It is often the offensive three who get all the attention but the truth is that Barcelona's midfield has been the most key factor in the dismantling of opponents. All three members in the middle of the park have brought three distinct factors to the play of Barcelona.

Yaya Toure

While he has been occasionally criticised for being too involved in attack while being a defensive midfielder, the versatile Ivorian has settled down in recent times and has given the midfield what can be seen as the solid factor. This certainly has helped the defense leak less goals while offense has not been compromised.

Xavi Hernandez

Being at the very heart of the Catalan play, Xavi is certainly the main component in Barca's possession keeping strategy. Constantly finding passes; both long and short, back and forth while making sure that the pitch is stretched as wide as possible, he certainly gives Barcelona the control factor.

Andres Iniesta

Possessing many of the attributes of his compatriot Xavi, Iniesta also give the extra gas in the midfield to fuel the attack. His phenomenal intelligence and vision allows him to read the motion of the attacking teammates while providing some simply delicious through-balls.

But his ability to run at defenders and dribble past then allows him to give the midfield the final attribute, which is the dynamic factor.

Defensive duties

In view of the recent displays of defensive excellence, one can't help but wonder what has been re-adjusted and what has improved in defense:

Gerard Pique

Certainly the most improved Barcelona defender in recent weeks. Being the tallest in defence, he has been very instrumental in eliminating the aerial threat posed by opponents while his positioning has been very good.

One lacking component in the beginning was his passing abilities which constantly gave away possession to oncoming opponents. But, it is surely his constant improvement in delivery that is making him more confident and stable in defense while linking well with the wide players.

Daniel Alves

Identified as the Barcelona player who has three lungs, Dani Alves never seems to get tired, no matter how hard he runs. His forward runs are still part of his game, but it is the backtracking that is now even more impressive.

Every time defensive duties arise, Alves is becoming more and more available, and due to his pace and strength, few, if any left wingers will outrun him.

Carles Puyol

Captain Catalonia has suffered some injuries recently, but when he is available his presence is surely felt. His sharp concentration and aggression make up for the lack in height he has against tall strikers.

At times duty calls him to full back position and although not as effective as his centre-back position, he certainly does do the job as good as other natural fullbacks. He has epitomised this attribute in the recent mauling (4-0) of German club Bayern Munich.

Unity And Solidarity

Another secret to Barcelona's 'fortunes' has been the fact that they are more united than ever before. Yes, everyone knows their job, but there is also an element of unity where players help each other in both defense and offense.

This is why they are scoring so many and conceding less, but all this is brought together by the following link.

Pep Guardiola

The true perfectionist, Guardiola is never content with Barcelona's improvements and does see even more room for improvement. His gestures and body language throughout games are usually well perceived and his disciplined, no-nonsense approach easily flows to the rest of the squad.

Although many are critical of his rotation policy, it creates a sense of equality amongst the players, knowing that they are just as valued as the other team members.

Beautiful Barca

There is no doubt that Barcelona are showcasing some of the most symphonic play in the recent memory in the beautiful game. Their possession (mostly between 65% and 75%) frustrates and demoralises opponents and creates a sense of control and stability in the team.

Whenever Barcelona are in the mood and everyone knows their place, the fans shout their hearts out, and opponents know that it's only a matter of when and how many the Catalans will score.

UEFA Champions League Quarter Final Draw : What Does It Imply?

Nzuu Ranwaha — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 05:23:54 -0400

The last eight clubs of Europe's most prestigious club competition have been matched against each other in a draw in Nyon, Switzerland. Some very exciting ties have come up, which effectively gave a direction of how competition might end in Rome in May.

Villarreal v. Arsenal

Contrary to popular belief, this is a very tough tie for either the Yellow Submarine or the Gunners. However the Spanish giants, with the opening tie at home, will have to attack Arsenal (and score) and hope not to concede an away goal.

Arsene Wenger's Boys might want to score at El Madrigal if they are make a safe trip back to the Emirates. But with the return leg at home, and with quality like Arshavin and Van Persie, Arsenal just might make it.

Manchester United v. F.C. Porto

On paper, this is by far the easiest contest in all the quarter finals. All United faithfuls who were hoping for an easy draw might consider their prayers answered. The Red Devils start at Old Trafford and although the ideal situation is to start away, one just can't see any other result.

FC Porto will be hoping that United players all have hangovers with perhaps Edwin van der Sar playing as the striker. They have a return leg at the Dragão stadium, but they will not be making preparations for an after party...unless of course, they draw at Manchester, or maybe snatch a shock win.

Liverpool v. Chelsea

This is as tough as quarterfinals can get. It was almost inevitable that at least two English teams would face each other in the quarters. Last year they met in the semi's, but this year they clash earlier.

Previously, this contest was decided on spot kicks. Unless somehow Liverpool can slash Chelsea at Anfield, and hope to park the bus at The Bridge in the return leg, one can see another penalty shootout.

If history has a role to play in this encounter, Liverpool may just be semi-finalists along with the winners of the following tie.

F.C. Barcelona v. F.C. Bayern Munich

This may not be the toughest on paper, but definitely the most exciting. With both the Catalans and the Bavarians sitting at the top of this year's scores chart with 24 in the Champions league, you can't ask for a more attacking encounter. Some bill it as the best right (Alves+Messi) v. the best left (Lahm+Ribery).

Bayern have enough weapons in their arsenal to hurt Barcelona. Having completely deleted Sporting Lisbon (agg. 12-1) in the last 16, and with a return leg at home for this one, they have reasons to believe that they can cause an upset.

Barcelona however, are still favourites to win the encounter. With quality that goes beyond Alves and Messi, plus having gone back to their best form in recent weeks, Barcelona can win this one, especially if they can put a Lyon-like show at the Camp Nou. As President Joan Laporta said, "there will be magic at the Nou Camp."

SEMI-FINALS

If Manchester can brush Porto aside, they will face either Villarreal or Arsenal; a match you expect them to win, even though they will still have the return leg away.

Barcelona would face either Liverpool or Chelsea in the half-finals, should they defeat Bayern. This just looks so tough, I'm not even prepared to predict this one now.

So in essence, Rome might see a final of Manchester United against Liverpool or Barcelona. But this is the Champions league, you just never know what will happen.

The Top 10 Dribblers in World Football

Nzuu Ranwaha — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 18:00:13 -0400

As they say: "Football without skill is like a person without a soul." Twenty-first century football has grown to be biased towards the final score rather than the football show.

Here are some of those players who make the beautiful game truly live up to the name.

10. Sergio "Kun" Aguero (Argentina) - Atletico de Madrid

The young 20-year-old Argentine striker has a tremendous close control which makes a difficult task for defenders to take the ball from him. Apart from his clinical finishing, he has decent skills in his repertoire.

9. Kaka (Brazil) - AC Milan

The Brazilian may not be in his very best at the moment, but there's no doubt that he is definitely good on the ball. His first touches, coupled by great pace allows him to run away from challenges at ease.

8. Andrés Iniesta (Spain) - F.C. Barcelona

The list wouldn't be complete without a mention of his name. His main advantage lies in his ball control which complements his intelligence. This allows him to read the defense and move around them. He has used this to win numerous penalties.

7. Ronaldo (Brazil) - Corinthians

It might seem strange to see his name in this list since he is way past his peak, but O Fenômeno (The Phenomenon) has graced the world with overwhelming skills as an icing on the cake of his goal scoring gift.

It's not everyday you see a player who uses step-overs to round the keeper before slotting the ball into an empty net.

6. Arjen Robben (Netherlands) - Real Madrid

The Dutchman has some dazzling displays on the feet which constantly keep Madridistas and other football fans on the edges of their seats. His ability to beat defenders has earned him a spot as a pivot of the Real Madrid attack.

5. Juan Roman Riquelme (Argentina) - Boca Juniors

The 30-year-old Boca Juniors play-maker is known for his vision and control of play in the field. On top of that, he is a very potent dribbler of the ball, great ball control with displays that has left his victims look like beginners, especially during his early days in Boca.

He was even awarded most artistic player in 2005 by Spanish sports paper, Marca.

4. Robinho (Brazil) - Manchester City

The king of step-overs, as he is known has spiced up the Eastlands this season with some great goals but also great magical displays with the ball. In his younger days at Santos, Robinho was warned publicly by Gremio goalkeeper Danrlei that his humiliation of older players would get his leg broken one day.

3. Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal) - Manchester United

The 24-year-old Portuguese has a bag full of tricks which he constantly shows game in game out. His blistering pace and moving the ball into space hinders defenders from keeping up with him. His goals only complement the shivers he sends to defenders as he approaches.

2. Ronaldinho (Brazil) - AC Milan

Though not as good as he was three seasons ago, Ronaldinho brought a revolution in the skills department on the field. His ability to bring freestyle skills into the game of football has always been a joy to watch.

1. Lionel Messi (Argentina) - F.C. Barcelona

The 1.69-meter-tall winger has a unique gift of dribbling. His height and quick feet allow him to quickly change pace and direction right in front of and between defenders. His ball control is simply phenomenal, with the ability of running as quickly with the ball as he does without it.

This natural ability allows Messi to ghost through defense; easily and frequently able to beat three opponents with three touches.

These are just few of the football players who make watching them play worthwhile with their abilities of making the ball happy...

What do you think? Can you think of others? Who has been left out?

FC Barcelona's Defence: What's Wrong With It? Can It Be Revived?

Nzuu Ranwaha — Fri, 13 Mar 2009 04:52:31 -0400

Throughout the history of FC Barcelona, beautiful, one-touch, attacking football has been part of the culture, earning them adoration and plaudits from across the world.

The likes of Cruyff, Laudrup, Maradona, Romario, Ronaldo, Rivaldo, Ronaldinho, to name a few, have cemented the attacking philosophy that is almost second nature to the Catalans.

However, in the midst of all this, one part of Barcelona has trailed behind in terms of effectiveness and reliability—defence.

The 2008/2009 season has been no different, with the soft underbelly of arguably the best attacking club in the world once again exposed.

So why do Barcelona seem to concede so many?

Goalkeeper

The quality and form of a keeper in a team like Barcelona must be consistently good.

Victor Valdes, the man who stands in between the Barca sticks, has been under the microscope for a long time.

Though he has improved in recent years, his handling and positioning are still not on par with the reputation of a club like Barca.

With just two clean sheets since the turn of the year, how questionable is his performance and consistency?

Alves Factor

Barca's Brazilian full back has been in scintillating form this season, providing no fewer than 13 assists, most of which have come from his pin-point crosses.

Unfortunately, no part of Barcelona's backline has been as impressive in fulfilling their defensive duties as Dani Alves has been going forward.

Alves' running helps the team score more goals, but, unfortunately, when Barcelona lose possession in the final third, the defence are vulnerable to counter-attacks.

Set Pieces

Without a doubt, Barca has one of the most vertically challenged squads in world football. The only players who are 6 feet tall or over are the three keepers, Gerard Pique, Aliaksandr Hleb, and Yaya Toure.

In almost all instances, you will never find more than three of these guys on the pitch at the same time.

When Barca face corners, this lack of height causes them serious problems.

Freekicks cause yet more concern. The wall is flimsy and experienced dead ball specialists like Barkero (Numancia) and Juninho (Lyon) can take advantage of that.

Injuries, Rotations and Suspensions

Barcelona have been hampered by too many injuries and suspensions to important figures at the back.

When Dani Alves is suspended or being rested, Barcelona use a center-back (Puyol or Carceres) as his replacement on the flank, which has not been successful.

When the defensive minded full-back Eric Abidal is injured, Sylvinho usually fills that gap.

Sylvinho, like his Brazilian counterpart Alves, enjoys his forays forward increasing the vulnerability on counters, as two attacking full-backs leave gaps aplenty for the opposition to exploit.

What Can Be Done For The Remainder Of The Season?

With Victor Valdes in goal, el cules (Barcelona supporters) might have to accept that, at some random time, things might go wrong.

Players like Valdes need excessive motivation to do well, which is why the least Barca can do for him in the middle of the season is to stand by the guy.

Trying to conjure a less aggressive approach from Alves is almost like trying to convince a shark to live in a lake (even if the lake is salty). Although it lives in water, hunting instincts are in its blood and the lake is just not a big enough area.

On top of that, Alves has become an irreplaceable component, so in that regard, Barca have to live with it.

It is clear that Barca are vulnerable at set-pieces, so this is where their ruthless attack is pivotal.

Barcelona usually score way more goals than they let in (117 scored and 41 conceded this season alone, a 2.85:1 ratio).

As long as they keep scoring until the end of the season, conceding (especially from dead-ball situations) won't be as bad.

Transfer Season

Sergio Asenjo, the young and vibrant Valladolid shot-stopper, is expected to move this summer, and one of the biggest favours Barcelona can do for themselves is to get his signature.

As I said earlier, Valdes needs strong motivation. What better way than bringing in someone who is younger and more talented than he is?

The option of bringing in Philipp Lahm to strengthen the left side of the defence does not seem to be the solution to any problem.

First of all, he is shorter than all the members of Barca's defence and it will not provide any more resilience when defending corners and freekicks.

Secondly, he is as attacking as Alves, leaving the centre backs vulnerable. That's why Abidal, with his height and discipline, is still a very good option.

Conclusion

Barcelona's defensive problems cannot be resolved right now, maybe not in the next two seasons, maybe not ever.

Every club has its strengths, and for Barca, their prowess is in attacking opponents, which is why they score so many.

Would the world want to watch a Barcelona with great defending prowess at the expense of of their majestic passing and attacking football?

The reason Barcelona has the greatest fanbase in Europe is due to the quality it shows in attack and possession.

But the question in many fans minds is: "With their shocking defense, can Barcelona cope against European teams and win the UEFA Champions league?"

Well, How did they do it three seasons ago?

Barcelona has many quality and talented defenders (Dani Alves, Carceres, Pique, Puyol, Milito, Marquez), what are they doing wrong? What do you think Barca can do to remedy this vulnerability in defense?

Can Barcelona Dig a Grave for Olympique Lyon at Camp Nou?

Nzuu Ranwaha — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 03:35:43 -0500

The Barcelona-Lyon tie is still far from over...But it does look like Barcelona have one foot in the quarters. Can the Catalans sweep Le Gones into the dust pan, or will the French ligue leaders cause a serious upset?

Barcelona failed to clinch a win against Olympique Lyonnais in the first leg of the Champion's league last 16 at the Stade Gerland, however got an crucial away goal to tip the balance in their favour.

But as one can see, the Blaugrana have not been exactly on a winning streak in the last three weeks in all competitions (zero wins in five games to be precise), so the match is worth analyzing.

First leg

Barça were seeing flames in the first half of the first leg and could have been demolished if it were not for Lyon’s lack of clinical finishing and good sights from Valdes. Juninho’s freekick had really stunned Barça and left them chasing shadows.

Second half saw a rise in pressure from Barça play, as Dani Alves and Pique could have found goal. At long last, Hugo Lloris (Lyon stopper) couldn’t stop a decent header from a fellow Frenchman in Thierry Henry.

So the Blaugrana bring the away score advantage to the Nou Camp.

Second leg

In approaching this coming match, Guardiola did say that Lyon gave Barça very important lessons; one of which I presume: Thou shalt not foul a Lyon player within a 25 yard radius from Valdés’ goal because a certain Juninho Pernambucano doesn’t usually miss the target from free-kicks, plus Victor Valdés does tend to be vulnerable at times when handling the ball and in positioning.

Barça’s 4-3-3 formation allows Alves to drift on the right flank and go the attacking third of the field.

This effectively leaves three at the back and in this match Pep Guardiola will need not risk putting an attacking left back like Sylvinho, because this would leave two (2) defenders at the back which would offer Lyon, unnecessary free space to get an away goal of their own.

One would rather see Puyol in that position, with Pique and Marquez beside him.

In recent matches, Barça have extremely been unlucky of not scoring when they could have, especially early in the game, and these has shown to be very instrumental in the outcome of the games this season.

Except for two matches in the whole season (vs FC Basel at camp Nou, 1-1 and vs. Atletico Madrid at Vicente Calderon, 3-4), Barcelona have won every game that they scored first. So an early goal from Barça can decide the tie.

Key Players

Lionel Messi has come back on the scoring sheet in the last two matches for Barça and it seems he won’t stop his reborn form and consequently, could rip Lyon to shreds down the right wing or wherever he drift to in the game.

Thierry Henry has been really been unforgiving in front of goal lately so if he has his day, he will be useful in sending the French packing. Besides, Olympique Lyonnais has been conceding too many goals this Champions league campaign—11 in seven matches, so if Messi, Henry, and Co. can step into overdrive, they will score goals.

Winless streak

Recently Barcelona hasn’t been too convincing in their matches, three draws and two losses in five games. Is there a reason to worry? Not really. One has to realize that Barcelona’s most recent draw against Mallorca in the Spanish Cup semis has put them in to the finals. For any team that is a serious confidence boost.

And if Barça are confident and players like Xavi, Iniesta, Messi, Eto’o and Henry are feeling good, no team can outplay them.

Prediction

Barcelona 3 – 1 Lyon