Who Is The Player of the Tournament So Far?

My wife and I moved into our new house over the weekend.  Turns out that moving is a lot of work and priorities must be set.  On Saturday morning with a house full of boxes, we navigated our new neighborhood and found a gigantic sports bar that was showing the game to very few people watching.  My wife was bitterly disappointed that Argentina showed so poorly (if I hadn't mentioned it, she spent a lot of time in Argentina while she was in high school and college so her second favorite national team after the US is Argentina) there wasn't much hope of breaking away from the moving chores for the later match.  This led to more text messages than usual between me and Jeremy over the course of Spain/Paraguay. 

Aside from the insanity of the two missed PKs and the one re-called make in-between, the conversation turned to the following topic..."Who is the man of the tournament thus far?"  We're down to four teams and unless someone who has played reasonably well to this point has an incredible "Final Four" then we probably already have our finalists.  In my mind, the obvious candidates are (in no particular order):

1. Mueller, GER - He won't get to play in the semi-final but he's been in the right place at the right time all tournament.  He doesn't have the outrageous skill of a Ronaldo or a Messi but he always seems to be in the right place, make the right pass, strike the ball solidly, and make something happen in a way that neither Ronaldo nor Messi were able to do in this tournament.
2. Sneijder, HOL - I can't say I love his game but it certainly has been effective for the Dutch thus far.  Maybe the Special One has rubbed off on him but he seems to be more able to stay in control and keep his team together than in years past.
3. Forlan, URU - I think I've enjoyed watching him play more than any other single player in the tournament.  Uruguay haven't had a very difficult road to the semis but you can hardly blame that on Forlan.  He has been everywhere showing great passing, strong set pieces, orchestration in the attacking half of midfield, and a vicious strike from distance.  Tell me again why striker-shy ManYoo let this guy go.
4. Villa, SPA - Spain hasn't been all that impressive really but they've won and he's scored the goals so hard not to put him in the conversation.

So, who is my pick for my man of the tournament so far? One of this blog's favorite gunners (not to be confused with Gunners) from last season's Premier League Fantasy season.  That's right, Mr. Kevin Prince Boateng.  What you say? You're picking a guy who went out in the Quarterfinals to a back water South American team? Yup.


Why KPB? His has been by far the greatest impact in the tournament.  His influence on this tournament is so great that he started making it in May.  I'm referring, of course, to the tackle that crocked Michael Ballack and left Mueller and Ozil with the freedom to run wild in midfield.  If you think that the confidence and flair that those two are playing with for Germany would have come out with Old Man Ballack getting starts for Lifetime Achievement as opposed to current skill/capability then you're crazy.  Ballack's shadow would have been cast over the entire German side and I'm guessing they would have gone out early.  With Ballack gone, Mueller and Ozil could take control and not worry about sharing the spaces in the center of the midfield with the now-plodding, toothless veteran. 

Oh yeah, outside of his unintentional influence on the tournament, Boateng also scored a critical goal that helped Ghana into the Quarterfinals and provided a lot of the attacking impetus that the Black Stars were missing with Michael Essien unavailable due to injury/the Chelsea Curse.


So, for all those things, congratulate KPB for winning the 2010 Fantasy Blog Man of the Tournament Award (at least until someone does something not to be believed in the semi-finals and/or finals).

Real Madrid sign United target Benzema

LYON, France (AFP) - Lyon announced on Wednesday the transfer of Karim Benzema to Real Madrid for 35 million euros in a deal which dashes Manchester United's attempts to capture the France striker.

In a statement the French club announced that the fee could rise to as much as 41 million euros depending on various bonuses attached to the deal.

Lyon, in a statement on their website, said they had accepted Benzema's decision after he had made it clear he wanted the deal to be "concluded quicker than initially envisaged".

"The club wishes Karim the greatest success with Real Madrid," the statement added.

I've said it before (too often, perhaps), but "Wow"! Real Madrid have done it again.

This is the fourth signing by Real under the new presidency of "Galacticos" president Florentino Perez, after Brazilian midfielder Kaka, Portuguese winger Cristiano Ronaldo and Spanish defender Raul Albiol.

Do they even have a manager?  This is fantasy football of the highest order.  Huntelaar, Higuain, Raul, van Niselrooy... and now Benzema?  In front of Cristiano Ronaldo, Guti, Sneijder, van der Vaart and Kaka.  Mahamadou and Lassana Diarra and Gago are holding players that have full international credentials.  As do Ramos, Albiol, Pepe, Heinze, Metzelder and of course Casillas in defence.

Of course, this ONLY interests the blog as far as it impacts the Premier League.  First and foremost, Benzema is taken off Sir Alex Ferguson's shopping list.  Secondly, of the above named players, who will be available?  I assume that Madrid won't be likely to sell to any team that could challenge it in the Champions League unless there is Abramovich-level monies involved.  But perhaps the likes of Manchester City or Aston Villa, who haven't been shy about spending money in recent transfer windows, could snap up a world-class player that won't be making Madrid's first XI?

Annals of Commentary

ESPN's Adrian Healy after Wesley Sneijder's goal with the final-kick of the Holland/France match:

It's a Dutch oven, and the French are toast!

Delicious!