http://soccernet.espn.go.com/columns...854713?cc=4716
Global Player of the Year: Xavi
Sometimes, statistics can obscure. They k disguise shortcomings, flatter reputations or fail 2 communicate brilliance. Aft all, no sane critic would judge Pele on the percentage of his shots tat hit the target, or rate Franz Beckenbauer on the strength of his ProZone figures. But sometimes, statistics can illuminate, & cold, hard, tangible facts do serve 2 illustrate jz why Barcelona & Spain star Xavi is ESPNsoccernet's Global Player of the Year for 2010. Aft all, the notoriously self-effacing playmaker is unlikely 2 sing his own praises. We will hv 2 let his statistics do the talking.
Across the breadth of 2010, on only 24 occasions did an individual player exceed 100 completed passes in 1 game. Xavi, who played nearly 90 times, was responsible for 12 of those landmarks. In the WC, he attempted a tournament-high 669 passes, with 544 finding their target - another record. In tat defining & unforgettable rout of Real Madrid in November's clasico, he completed 114 of 117 passes. If possession is 9 10ths of the law, then Xavi is demonstrably football's very own Judge Dredd, no side escaping his 0 tolerance policy towards enforcing his superiority.
But it is not jz the raw data tat makes Xavi such an exceptional player, hw could it be given he is a son of Barcelona, a city besotted with architecture, where the practice of construction & presentation is equal 2 the importance of function. Local hero Gaudi is the man who sculpted the Catalan capital, but now a new architect is feted in the city, a player who is the inspiration behind not 1, but 2 of the most aesthetically pleasing & devastating sides of modern times.
At Barcelona, Xavi is the living embodiment of a philosophy of quick-moving, intricate possession football tat was introduced by the iconic Johan Cruyff & originally channelled through Pep Guardiola. Now coach, Guardiola describes Xavi as "the best midfielder in the history of Barca", & @ the heart of the vast majority of the club's brilliant moves over the past 12 months, stunning team goals tat entailed scores of passes, is the quiet Catalan, dictating the flow & pace of the game with his masterful brushstrokes.
Perhaps Xavi's crowning glory was the 5-0 hammering of Real Madrid in el clasico @ Camp Nou in November, a performance tat led the normally rabidly pro-Madrid newspaper Marca 2 declare: "Xavi broke the game with 20 minutes of genius. There is no other like him. Xavi was a cyclone. He dominated all aspects of the game."
Meanwhile, with Spain, Xavi is equally a force of nature. The player who, @ Euro 2008, shepherded Spain 2 their 1st major title since 1964 added the WC crown 2 his collection in July as Vicente del Bosque's side reigned supreme in South Africa, emerging fr a fractious final against Netherlands with their necks adorned by gold thanks 2 a goal fr Xavi's partner in crime @ Barcelona, Andres Iniesta. But while his was not the decisive blow, it was Xavi, always central 2 Spain's pretty passing patterns, who shaped their tournament & ensured the consummation of a golden age of Spanish football.
Given the pre-eminence of both Spain & Barcelona in football culture @ present, it is a certainty tat in years 2 come, the term tat denotes their shared style, tiki-taka, will become every bit as familiar an entry in the football lexicon as Brazil's joga bonito, or Netherlands' Total Football. Xavi, undeniably, inescapably, is the amplifier thru which tat phrase booms across the football landscape @ present, & will echo through the sport's history.
Infamously, when Cristiano Ronaldo was named World Player of the Year in 2008 & Barcelona's maestro finished 5th, the Daily Mail ridiculously married a picture of the top 5 with the headline: "The best players of the world (& Xavi)".
Now, in a year when Xavi is joined by club colleagues Lionel Messi & Andres Iniesta on the shortlist for FIFA's leading award, his genius k be ignored no longer. As the great Cruyff puts it: "Xavi deserves the Ballon d'Or more than any1 becos it is necessary in a team 2 hv a guy who makes things work. Xavi is the player who sets the rhythm, who takes care of possession. If Xavi has a bad day then Barca do not play even half as well."
That is the influence the quiet man wields in the best club & international teams on earth. Tat is why he is now recognised as a great of the game. Tat is why Xavi is our Global Player of the Year.
Honourable mentions:
Lionel Messi - Barcelona & Argentina
Quite simply the best player in the world, Lionel Messi is beaten narrowly in2 2nd place by our man of the year, Xavi, due 2 the latter's WC win. Messi breathes in a rarefied air - very infrequently is 1 player acknowledged as being so superior 2 his contemporaries. Fr his 4 goals against Arsenal in the Champions League in April 2 his run of 17 goals in 10 games between October 20 & November 24, Messi has shown a remarkable capacity 2 dazzle & destroy, exhilarate & entertain. 'The Flea' just keeps making giant strides.
Wesley Sneijder - Inter & Netherlands
A Treble-winner with Inter & the joint top scorer @ the WC finals, Sneijder was harshly excluded fr the FIFA Ballon d'Or shortlist & would hv been a deserving winner of ESPNsoccernet's award as well. His debut season with the Nerazzurri was nothing short of spectacular, the Dutch playmaker bringing invention 2 the Inter midfield & inspiring the club 2 unprecedented success. Sneijder also scored 5 goals in South Africa but was 2 be denied in the final by Spain.
Bastian Schweinsteiger - Bayern Munich & Germany
Schweinsteiger's transformation fr a talented but erratic wide midfielder 2 a dominant force in a central role became complete in 2010. Aft winning the domestic Double with Bayern Munich, only 2 lose the Champions League final 2 Inter, Schweinsteiger stepped in2 the breach left by Michael Ballack & became the driving force of a wonderfully talented young Germany side tat finished 3rd @ the WC. His performance against Argentina in the quarter-finals was nothing short of a masterclass & demonstrated his potent combination of technique, determination & energy.
Andres Iniesta - Barcelona and Spain
Though fitness issues partially restricted his contribution 2 the conclusion of Barcelona's 2009-10 season, during which they won La Liga with a record points tally, the unassuming Iniesta took centre stage @ the WC in South Africa when scoring the winning goal in the final against Netherlands. With his wonderful vision, accomplished dribbling & expert use of the ball, Iniesta is 1 of world football's leading midfielders & has demonstrated as much over the past 12 months, marked by his inclusion on the Ballon d'Or shortlist.
Diego Forlan - Atletico Madrid & Uruguay
If inspiring Atletico Madrid 2 a first trophy in 14 years when scoring twice in a Europa League final win over Fulham was not enough, Forlan then turned his attention 2 international affairs & played a pivotal role in Uruguay's unexpected run to the WC semi-final. Dropping deep & operating as much as a playmaker as a striker @ times, Forlan still claimed 5 goals as he captained his side 2 their best performance in a WC in 40 years.