There are some players that carry the greatest burdens of all. The so-called wunderkinds that are expected to arrive at the pantheon of soccer greats and excel there for years. The difficulty in this level expectation is in deciding what is expected of each player and when they will have fulfilled their potential. Not everyone can score the way Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo can (in fact none have ever scored at that pace).This has been the shadow following Mario Goetze throughout his still young career. The 22-year-old German has been identified as the next Messi because of his prolific passing and vision as well as his solid scoring.But he has yet to reach that level of indispensability. Throughout last season he was still fighting for a starting position in Pep Guardiola's Bayern Munich side; he finished the 2013-14 season with just 20 starts.Now he is as close to indispensable as they come. And that has resulted from his ability to deliver in the clutch. It is that level that has also garnered him his first ever nomination among the 23 finalists for the Ballon d'Or. But does he have what it takes?
Over the last few years, two of the top three contenders for the Ballon d'Or have been a given. And this year looks to be no different. Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi are likely to be two of the three finalists. However, the big variation every year has revolved around the third contestant. And for the fourth straight year there will be another new nominee among the final three. And Angel Di Maria could be the favorite to claim that spot. Could he be a finalist? And could he pull off a win?
Barcelona picked up a vital three points by defeating Ajax Amsterdam 2-0 in its fourth Champions League match in the 2014-15 season.The game gave Barcelona nine points in the standings and kept the team one point behind Paris Saint-Germain for the top spot in the group.However, the win was arguably the least important moment of the game. That would belong to Lionel Messi, who scored twice in the game tied Raul's record for most goals in the Champions League.Here is what we learned from the 2-0 win.
A year ago, Cristiano Ronaldo broke Lionel Messi's streak of four-straight Ballon d'Or awards. It was actually a rather shocking turnaround as many expected Franck Ribery to finish first after leading Bayern Munich to the treble. Messi had a solid year but had been struggling with injury, while Ronaldo won no trophies. However, the Portuguese superstar turned things around in a hurry and put together one of the finest finishes to the end of the year. In fact, his performances forced FIFA to alter the voting deadline dates and his four goal performance against Sweden in the World Cup playoffs solidified him as the front-runner for the spot.Ronaldo finished the 2013 calendar year with a whopping 69 goals for both club and country, a full 24 ahead of his rival Messi. Has Ronaldo put enough distance from his rival to claim a second straight Ballon d'Or?
Real Madrid all but clinched the top spot in Group B of the Champions League by shutting down Liverpool 1-0 Tuesday at the Santiago Bernabeu. Here are some major talking points from the big game.
10 games into the 2014-15 La Liga Spanish Premier season, Real Madrid is in first place. Their rivals, FC Barcelona, trail them by just two points. Latin Post.com summarizes the teams and this season so far.
The Ballon d'Or is a rather odd award. For starters, being a forward and scoring goals is the best way to win the trophy. Defenders rarely get the award, but Belgian keeper Thibaut Courtois is establishing himself as the cream of the goaltending crop around the world and was just given his first crack at the Ballon d'Or. But is he along for the ride? Or could the award be in his future?
Soccer is the single most popular sport in the world, and there are hundreds of different soccer leagues on Earth that all want to be the best. Here, we list the most popular soccer leagues around the world and let you choose which is best.
It was another exciting week for Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. The two superstars faced off in the hotly anticipated Clasico last weekend and Ronaldo's performance in that game coupled with his big goal against Liverpool gave him a commanding 5-2 lead on the season against his greatest rival.Could he continue his dominant display? Or would Messi bounce back from a tough weekend and show the world that he was still capable of regaining his status as the world's best player.
Liverpool manager Brendan Rodgers is convinced that Raheem Sterling could be the next Cristiano Ronaldo, who is regarded by many as the best football player in the world today.
Diego Costa was a nobody at the start of the 2013-14. He was not even looking like an acceptable option for the Brazilian national team.But something changed at the start of the 2013-14 season. Under manager Diego Simeone, the Brazilian-turned-Spaniard became a force that has created nightmares for opposing teams all year long. Now he is among the Ballon d'Or finalists. But does he have what it takes to make it all the way to the top three?
The Columbus Crew will take on the New England Revolution in the 2014 Major League Soccer semifinals. Latin Post previews this match-up and predicts who will win.
The National Football League is growing more and more popular by the day. Countries around the world are starting to take an interest in the hard hitting pigskin sport of American Football. Here, Latin Post.com examines and explains why Mexico is a better option for NFL games than England.
For the third time in his career, Frenchman Karim Benzema has found himself on the list of the best 23 players in the world. Benzema has yet to finish in the top three in voting; his best finish was 20th in voting back in 2011 when he accrued 0.34 percent of the vote.For Benzema, this year has been filled with numerous ups and downs. Here is a look at Benzema's year and how his candidacy for the note trophy holds up.
Jurgen Klinsmann was included on the list of candidates for the 2014 FIFA World Coach of the Year award for men’s football, reports revealed on Tuesday.
The Ballon d'Or is the most prestigious personal award in the world of soccer. And the hotly anticipated 23-man short list was recently revealed. While there were few surprises, there were some notable snubs that certainly call into question the validity of the prize. Here is a look at the major snubs.
While the Clasico was all the rage this past weekend, another epic rivalry unfolded a day later. Manchester United and Chelsea are two of the biggest clubs in the world and their big battle was upstaged by the Spanish rivalry. But did the English match live up to the previous day's big game?What did we learn from the 1-1 draw that unfolded at the Old Trafford?
