Euro 2008 Thread

[luckyjackson]

atrocious actions at the last World Cup didn't help his cause.

I hope you're applying that adjective to his diving...cuz it was the only thing he sucked at. The Rooney incident remains embarrassing....to England.

Trust me folks, he's that good!!!!!!

We Portuguese welcome this acknowledgment, but you'll understand if we do so with a wry grin, after having to endure years of seeing the boy accused of being a show pony, producing no end product, not having any heart...and most laughable of all...being inferior to Rooney.

I've been following his career since Sporting took him in from Maritimo at the tender age of 10. His potential has been the stuff of legend-in-the-making for that long. Back in 2004, he was already recognized as superior to Figo in Portugal. Many hate his character, and though I don't agree, I understand. Afterall, ego is an important ingredient of his success. But only a blind man could deny the kid's awesome combination of speed, skill, guts and vision. Professionally speaking, it's his misfortune to be Portuguese. If he were Italian, Brazilian, German or even Spanish, he'd have a much easier career.

 

[David Beckham 23]

LJ,

I love you bro, but your bias is overwhelming. The last 2 years CRon came into the player he is today. A few years ago I said, "He will be one of the best players in the world, but not now" And back then Rooney was on fire. He was a show pony and very immature. In fact he still needs to work on his maturity. But he's still young.

And I totally agree with you that if he was Spanish, Italian, or Brazilian he would probably be loved more, and if he was English, he's be called a God!

 

[luckyjackson]

I love you bro, but your bias is overwhelming.

back at ya, and yes you're right my bias is overwhelming, as I've admitted several times, but it doesn't stop me from being right in this case. I told you back then that CR was far superior to Rooney, it was plain to see. Nevermind that stats wise he still scored a very respectable (for a winger) 9 goals in 40 appearances compared to Rooney's 17...but more to the point then as now was the potential each showed. Ronaldo is a scarily complete player. Good in the air, good with both feet, fast, strong, beats men one on one, good on set pieces...there's just no one like him. Please don't get me wrong, I'm a great admirer of Rooney and would kill to have a striker of his calibre on our national team, but there ain't no one like C.R. anywhere. Barring injury, he's destined to be one of the true greats.

 

[Esco!]

back at ya, and yes you're right my bias is overwhelming, as I've admitted several times, but it doesn't stop me from being right in this case. I told you back then that CR was far superior to Rooney, it was plain to see. Nevermind that stats wise he still scored a very respectable (for a winger) 9 goals in 40 appearances compared to Rooney's 17...but more to the point then as now was the potential each showed. Ronaldo is a scarily complete player. Good in the air, good with both feet, fast, strong, beats men one on one, good on set pieces...there's just no one like him. Please don't get me wrong, I'm a great admirer of Rooney and would kill to have a striker of his calibre on our national team, but there ain't no one like C.R. anywhere. Barring injury, he's destined to be one of the true greats.

Agreed, the only players that come close are Messi, Kaka and in form Ronaldinho.

I just hope CR avoids drugs and excessive nightlife, otherwise things will go downhill very quickly

 

[Herodotus]

I hope you're applying that adjective to his diving...cuz it was the only thing he sucked at. The Rooney incident remains embarrassing....to England.

Of course the diving. But also the constant yapping to the officials, trying to turn fouls into cards, etc.

I really like and respect Cristiano Ronaldo the player - he's the best, most consistent in-form player in the world right now - but he needs to leave the histrionics at home. I know I'm going to get excoriated in some corners, but there's no place in football for blatant diving and whining to refs.

 

[David Beckham 23]

Winning the CL was a big step in the right direction in his career. But he needs to win some more trophies (with ManU ;0) ) and some international trophies to solidify his career and status.


Overall if not "the" best, he is definitely one of the best. Dribbling/ball control, shooting, free kicks, heading. 42 goals this season! Now if he could just work on his "peripheral vision" It will be interesting if he and Torres can carry over their great season to Euro's.

BTW, I think Messi is just a bit better with the ball at his feet, but CRon beats him in every other category.

 

[luckyjackson]

Winning the CL was a big step in the right direction in his career. But he needs to win some more trophies (with ManU ;0) ) and some international trophies to solidify his career and status.

Overall if not "the" best, he is definitely one of the best. Dribbling/ball control, shooting, free kicks, heading. 42 goals this season! Now if he could just work on his "peripheral vision" It will be interesting if he and Torres can carry over their great season to Euro's.

BTW, I think Messi is just a bit better with the ball at his feet, but CRon beats him in every other category.

I agree with you about the need to win trophies etc. But with respect, it's not quite what I'm getting at. A trophy is always going to be a measure of the team's accomplishment. You can put C.R. in a 3rd division team, and he won't win anything. Regardless, his superior talent would still be plain.

You could be right about Messi's close quarter ball control, (I'd rate Quaresma his equal), but again, the thing with Ronaldo is his combined talents. He not only does all the tricks, he does them at speed.

I know I'm going to get excoriated in some corners, but there's no place in football for blatant diving and whining to refs.

Point taken, and as much as anyone else, I'd like to see them manage the diving better...but here's what I never hear from those who complain about diving...what about the flip side of that coin - the technical foul. Why doesn't anyone ever complain about that? Why are divers constantly pointed at as cheats, when they - who are by and large are some of the most skilled players in the game, (Ronaldo, Robben, Drogba, even Gerrard) - but the clods who take cheap shots hacking at these players are never seen as part of the problem? Put yourself in the shoes of one of these highly skilled players. Do you just stoically take that punishment game after game until you suffer a possibly career ending injury, or do you fight fire with fire and try to get these guys carded? No criticism of diving is complete without acknowledgment of these opportunistic and cheap fouls.

 

[David Beckham 23]

Quaresma!

Yea, good point. Maybe he'll head back to Barca now that Rijaard is gone. Or better yet, I could see him joining Mourinho.

 

[Esco!]

Johan Cruyff (Dutch soccer legend) said in an April 2, 2008 interview:

"Ronaldo is better than George Best and Denis Law, who were two brilliant and great players in
the history of United."

Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cristiano_Ronaldo

 

[luckyjackson]

Ronaldo is better than George Best and Denis Law

Many Man U supporters would say he's crazy. But they're crazy.

Maybe he'll head back to Barca now

Nope. He's headed for Inter. Reliable scuttlebutt is that there's already been a 30 mil offer, but Porto has placed 40 on his head. They won't get it, but Moratti will have to do better than 30. If Mourinho is truly Inter's new coach, then Quaresma is a lock. For our national team, this will be amazing. Quaresma will be receiving the benefit of Mourinho's coaching and Figo's guidance. It's well known that the latter is one of the only players Quaresma listens to. Under that kind of tutelage, he will improve greatly.

 

[Herodotus]

Johan Cruyff (Dutch soccer legend) said in an April 2, 2008 interview: "Ronaldo is better than George Best and Denis Law, who were two brilliant and great players in the history of United."

Johan Cryuff was a great player, but he's an idiot. I won't get into his egomaniacal ways or abrasive personality out of respect to this thread...

George Best in his prime was one of the five greatest footballers of all time. He could literally do it all. That is, before he let the drink and cult of celebrity take over...

I really like him as a player, but C-Ron's got a ways to go (at least 4-5 more years in peak form) before he Bests Georgie-boy.

 

[Herodotus]

Point taken, and as much as anyone else, I'd like to see them manage the diving better...but here's what I never hear from those who complain about diving...what about the flip side of that coin - the technical foul. Why doesn't anyone ever complain about that? Why are divers constantly pointed at as cheats, when they - who are by and large are some of the most skilled players in the game, (Ronaldo, Robben, Drogba, even Gerrard) - but the clods who take cheap shots hacking at these players are never seen as part of the problem? Put yourself in the shoes of one of these highly skilled players. Do you just stoically take that punishment game after game until you suffer a possibly career ending injury, or do you fight fire with fire and try to get these guys carded? No criticism of diving is complete without acknowledgment of these opportunistic and cheap fouls.

I'm all for taking better control of the game and weeding out the "goons." That was part of the reason the professional foul was introduced.

I'm in favour of the use of more cards or better yet, a penalty-box situation like rugby or hockey. Make a team play with 10 men (or less) for 10 minutes at a time for hard fouls that may not be quite bookable offences. And don't be afraid to send off as many men as you have to if a team keeps hacking and fouling.

I'd also like to see a better use of instant replay. If a bad foul or a dive is caught on camera, there should be punishment - either in-game (to make any penalty more relevant to the match at hand) or in the next match. I mean, what else is the 4th official good for?

That said, I don't want to take all physicality out of football however; otherwise soccer will just be ballet with a ball, or dare I say, hacky sack with goals! Zzzzz....

 

[Esco!]

I really like him as a player, but C-Ron's got a ways to go (at least 4-5 more years in peak form) before he Bests Georgie-boy.

I never said he didnt, but I think cruyff meant CR is better at the same age as Best was. But he still has to maintain that form till he's 29 or 30 at least

 

[Herodotus]

I never said he didnt, but I think cruyff meant CR is better at the same age as Best was. But he still has to maintain that form till he's 29 or 30 at least

I wasn't commenting on your opinion, just Cruyff's quote. Having read the interview he straight-up said said Ronaldo is better. We can only speculate what he meant.

Like I said, Cruyff's a bit of an ass and his massive ego was always threatened by the accolades that Best received. I think there may be a bit of professional jealousy and insecurity in his words... but then I'm just speculating.

 

[spino1123]

Agreed, the only players that come close are Messi, Kaka and in form Ronaldinho.

What's that? Messi, Kaka and Ronaldinho CLOSE to Ronaldo?? I don't think so.

Any neutral party knows that Messi was the better man in the Champions semis, but the one with the weaker supporting cast. Ronaldo was a complete letdown in the Champions League semis and final game, just as he will be in the Euros. Man U won the Champions League because Van Der Sar stopped a penalty and John Terry slipped. If anything, Ronaldo would have cost Man U the title for his futility of missing two penalties.

Kaka, isn't that the humble God loving guy who outshined Ronaldo last year and handed him is $@s in the Champions League semis? Ronaldo can't even be compared to Ronaldinho until he wins a World Cup and is World Player of the Year twice.

Great players are not made by media hype, flashiness or arrogance, but by the games they win. And I guarantee that either Messi, Kaka or Ronaldinho will lift the World Cup in 2010 and probably in 2014, while Ronaldo will never come close.

Saying Ronaldo is better than these three is typical ignorance that comes from watching too much EPL. Ronaldo is good, but he is not great like the three guys you compared him to.

Cheers

 

[Herodotus]

When did the Sports forum turn into...

Saying Ronaldo is better than these three is typical ignorance that comes from watching too much EPL. Ronaldo is good, but he is not great like the three guys you compared him to.

... the politics area?

Easy there big fella. Just because you may disagree with someone, doesn't make them ignorant. Try and keep it somewhat civil... or this place will turn into politics light!

 

[Esco!]

What's that? Messi, Kaka and Ronaldinho CLOSE to Ronaldo?? I don't think so.

Any neutral party knows that Messi was the better man in the Champions semis, but the one with the weaker supporting cast. Ronaldo was a complete letdown in the Champions League semis and final game, just as he will be in the Euros. Man U won the Champions League because Van Der Sar stopped a penalty and John Terry slipped. If anything, Ronaldo would have cost Man U the title for his futility of missing two penalties.

Kaka, isn't that the humble God loving guy who outshined Ronaldo last year and handed him is $@s in the Champions League semis? Ronaldo can't even be compared to Ronaldinho until he wins a World Cup and is World Player of the Year twice.

Great players are not made by media hype, flashiness or arrogance, but by the games they win. And I guarantee that either Messi, Kaka or Ronaldinho will lift the World Cup in 2010 and probably in 2014, while Ronaldo will never come close.

Saying Ronaldo is better than these three is typical ignorance that comes from watching too much EPL. Ronaldo is good, but he is not great like the three guys you compared him to.

Cheers

Come on now, you cant say Kaka is better based on one game they had between each other.
Yes Kaka played beter that day, but can he score 42 goals in one year???
Or how about 31 goals in 34 EPL games, can Kaka do that if the moved to England????

No fricking way can he do that, I think Kaka would have a hard time scoring 20 regular season goals.
Same goes for Messi, he'd score 20 but not much more, he also has a knack for getting injured a lot.

Ronaldo is good, but he is not great like the three guys you compared him to

Guess who was voted player of the year???
Hint: it wasnt Messi or Kaka

 

[luckyjackson]

Any neutral party knows that Messi was the better man in the Champions semis, but the one with the weaker supporting cast. Ronaldo was a complete letdown in the Champions League semis and final game,

Too funny.

 

[luckyjackson]

That said, I don't want to take all physicality out of football however; otherwise soccer will just be ballet with a ball, or dare I say, hacky sack with goals! Zzzzz....

Agreed, but I'm not convinced they can make the video replay work. So, I say leave it as it is.

I think what would improved the situation is better quality reffing. More refs like the great Collina. The authority that guy wielded...players would not try shit with him.

 

[spino1123]

Guess who was voted player of the year???
Hint: it wasnt Messi or Kaka

Is this for real? Guess who won World Player of the Year? His name is Kaka. Guess who was second in voting? Messi. Guess who was third? The contrived English media king C Ronaldo.

I can only think that you're presuming Ronaldo will win it for 2008. Unless Portugal wins the Euro, not likely. He'll probably come in second or third.