Andres Iniesta

Everyone likes to talk about the best player in the world.  But very often, people like to look at the one guy who is scoring a lot of goals.  This often leads people to look at players like Messi or Ronaldo, or even Falcao.  But for me Andres Iniesta is undoubtedly the best player on the planet.  Iniesta plays a bigger role for Barcelona than Messi does.  Sure Messi scores the goals, but you’d be hard pressed to find a better playmaker than Iniesta.  The way he moves with the ball is just fantastic.  He is able to dribble like a Brazilian and still has the close control and passing ability that has become synonymous with the Spanish game.  Every time Iniesta is on the field, his team is instantly in a better position to win the game.  It is unfortunate that he has not won the Ballon D’or, which says a lot about how dubious these awards are.  Those who vote for the awards essentially vote for the popular players and the players they like, rather than vote for the players that are at the top of their game.  It is rather tragic that Iniesta has not gotten the accolades that his famous teammate has gotten.  Watching Iniesta play is a true delight.  He makes the game tick like no other, and is a true example to young players all over the world that you do not have to be the strongest or tallest player in the world to be a great player.  How a World Cup and European Cup winner is not viewed as the best player, but a Portuguese diva and an Argentine who can’t replicate club form for country are the ones lauded for their endeavors is beyond me.  But I think true fans of the game will appreciate Iniesta much more than the people with the voting power.



The troubles continue for Liverpool

It seems year after year, since that Champions League win in 2005, that Liverpool's season cannot stay on track. After the well lauded win against Manchester United, they lost to Fulham, and now they have struggled in the Champions League.

Just when it seemed like Ryan Babel's wonder strike would have been enough to seal the win, Liverpool's defense decided to go to sleep. New defender Kyrgiakos, who is starting to look like a poor purchase, had a torrid time in defense and could not stay on his feet while battling with Lisandro Lopez. Benitez has a lot to think about. It is clear the owners aren't his biggest fans, and they're not interested in providing him with the money to bolster his squad, but he needs to find a way to make this team work. Hopefully Liverpool finds a way to get better without Gerrard, but that doesn't seem likely to happen.