I present to you the 2010 FIFA Women's World Player of the Year nominees! I made this picture myself. It took a while but it came out nice!As some of you might already know, FIFA released a list of 10 nominees for the FIFA Women's World Player of the Year Award (for short we'll call it the FWWPOTY or just POTY)
Here is the official list, borrowed from the USWNT Blog:
Camille Abily (France), Fatmire Bajramaj (Germany), So Yun Ji (Korea Republic), Marta (Brazil), Birgit Prinz (Germany), Caroline Seger (Sweden), Christine Sinclair (Canada), Kelly Smith (England), Hope Solo (USA), Abby Wambach (USA).
I'll write my own little summary on each player:
Abby Wambach- Wambach, first and foremost, is a true team leader. She's always directing her teammates, communicating on the field, and is the one to rely on where you're in a tough situation. She's the one who will get the goal the team needs, the dramatic equalizer, or the late-minute winner. A clutch player with all around great balls skills, and a physical style of play that I love to watch. She'll muscle anyone off the ball and put it into the back of the net. She'll score any way possible that doesn't involve hands; both her left and right foot, and with something for which she's very well-known-- a header. Her 115 goals speak for themselves. But, Wambach is just as selfless as she is skilled, a player who truly cares about the success of the team. If she sees a better opportunity for a teammate rather than herself, she'll pass it off. She'll sacrifice her own personal accomplishments for the benefit of the team; a quality of a mature and respectable player, which is exactly what she is. Wambach is just as much a play-maker as she is a goal scorer, and is great at one-touch passing, through balls, crosses, and has excellent vision which is why she's so great at scoring goals and making assists. One of my most favorite players, if not my all-time favorite. Wambach for sure deserves the Award just as much if not more than Marta.
Christine Sinclair- Sinclair is an excellent player, one who has scored 104 goals for her country. Sinclair is a player with great ball skills, accuracy, and will score some of the nicest goals you'll ever see. Also, she'll display some of the funniest and most entertaining goal celebrations you'll ever see! On a more serious note, Sinclair is a great goal scorer and is also an incredible play-maker. She led the WPS with 9 assists, and that just goes to show you how much of a selfless player she is. Sinclair is as modest as they come, and will sometimes not take as much credit as she deserves. Sinclair, on FC Gold Pride, is undoubtedly one of the team's top strikers, however she lives in the shadows of Marta. Sinclair is sometimes underrated, since Marta had most of the goals on the WPS team, however Sinclair was instrumental in many of the team's goals, and being modest and shy, never took much of the credit. Sinclair is a down-to-earth player who works hard and plays for the team, and is sometimes overlooked. She deserves the Award just as much as Marta, if not more.
Birgit Prinz- Prinz is a striker who's been around the block a few times in the Women's game, and has experience and skill. She's won the POTY Award before, and its no surprise that she was nominated again. A key player for Germany in any competition or game, Prinz is a dangerous presence who will score as soon as you give her the chance. As a tall player, standing at 5'11, Prinz is a presence in the air, and is also a player who will muscle anyone off the ball. A great goal scorer with 126 goals for her country, Prinz is a player to be reckoned with. Do not let her age fool you; at 33, Birgit Prinz is still kickin'.
Marta Viera da Silva- Marta is a talented, young player who can score goals, run circles around opposing players, and has the speed to beat most anyone in a foot race. Marta exhibits what I like to call "Marta Magic", which is Brazilian flair and fancy footwork on the ball. Marta can be a great play-maker when she wants to be, however sometimes I witness some rather greedy moments from the striker. I have nothing against Marta, but although she is a great player, I personally think she gets way more attention than she should, and 4 POTY awards is pushing it. Marta is an excellent and entertaining player to behold, no doubt, but what about the other players who can do the same that she does, sometimes scoring in contexts many overlook? Just because they can't throw down the Brazilian fancy moves doesn't mean they aren't entertaining. Many people are instantly captivated by the "Marta Magic", proclaiming her the best as soon as they are victimized by the sight of it. But, there is much more to soccer than dancing around a ball. There are plenty of other players who score just as much, if not more, than Marta, and certainly, many of the people on this list are more selfless. But, you cannot deny that Marta is definitely a great player, and fully deserves to be nominated.
Caroline Seger- Seger is a midfielder with great vision, is a great distributor of the ball, and is an aggressive player who will hustle and fight for possession. At first, I didn't care much for her, especially after she smacked Huffman in the well-known red card foul in WPS this past season. However, when watching her play, both her and Lori Lindsey make a dangerous tandem of center midfielders. Seger, much like her teammate Lindsey, can dish out a through pass that can cut through defenses, and can win a ball after fighting relentlessly for it. Seger can distribute the ball well via either a short pass or a through one, and she's great at doling out both. Seger will often be called for fouls, especially since her aggressive tackling and fighting for the ball will often result with a player on the floor. Sometimes we focus so much on strikers, but when you take a close look at these midfielders, especially the central middies who are the rocks of the whole midfield, you realize how important a role they play. It would be a lie to say Seger did not play an important part in Philly's overall successful WPS 2010 season.
Hope Solo- One of, if not THE best Goalkeeper in the Women's game. Sometimes keepers will look good stats-wise when their defense is excellent. This is not the case for Solo. Even when her defense is on point, Solo will still come up with the fantastic saves should the opponents break through. Solo is the kind of keeper any team would feel safe to have between the pipes. Often times on the Atlanta Beat, Solo was hung out to dry, however, the saves she made were some of the best in the league. If Atlanta had a better defense, Solo would have earned herself many a cleansheet. She's one of the most athletic and agile keepers you'll find, pulling off insane saves many people wouldn't even believe to be possible. Solo is a one of a kind keeper who fully deserves the nomination.
Kelly Smith- A midfielder who can change the game with the flick of a short pass, or a well-delivered through ball. Smith is one of the greatest midfielders in the WPS, and probably the World. Kelly Smith played a huge role in the Boston Breakers' season, and when she wasn't delivering on-the-money passes, she was scoring a goal here and there. Smith comes through for her teams no matter who she plays for, or where she plays. Whether its for England or the Boston Breakers, she's constantly using her great vision and ball skills to maneuver around opposing players, distribute passes to her teammates on the attacking effort, and to score goals for her team. Kelly Smith is the kind of midfielder any one would want to have.
Camille Abily- A player who this year seemed to experience a slight slump, but is nonetheless a talented midfielder. In 2009, both Abily and Marta formed a lethal scoring duo. If it didn't come from Marta, it was likely coming from Abily. Abily is the kind of player who can deliver an assist, and can also score a goal.
Fatmire Bajramaj- A young, talented midfielder from Germany. Since I don't really follow the Frauen-Bundesliga, and since I haven't seen her play much for Germany, I really don't know much about her. I know that she's highly regarded as a skilled youth player for Germany, and is also well-respected in the Frauen-Bundesliga, and on the Germany Women's National Team.
Ji So-Yun- Another player that I don't know much about. A talented youth player with some nice accolades to her name, that at age 19 has the potential to be an excellent player in the Women's game.
Now that I've written about each player, I'm going to be writing about who I think should/will win it, and my personal take on the entire POTY business. Enjoy! But remember, what I'm about to start saying is strongly opinionated, so keep that in mind. Rememeber, if you wanna argue, make a point, or agree, you can say it all in the comments at the end of the post.
Now that I've given my personal thoughts on each player, I'm going to evaluate each on whether or not I think they have a chance (in a FIFA perspective) of winning the Award.
Abby Wambach- She's just too talented to ignore. As a true legend in the Women's game who is currently active and playing, she will likely be one of the 3 finalists announced on December 6th. She has heavily impacted every team she's played for this year, in many ways, so if she's not on the list, its a farce.
Christine Sinclair- Also a tremendously talented player who deserves the spotlight much more often than its shone on her. Sinclair is modest, selfless, and skilled, and its about time FIFA awarded someone like her. However, I guarantee you she will be overlooked and overshadowed again, unfortunately. I think she should be one of the finalists though.
Birgit Prinz- An excellent and experienced player who has already won the Award 3 times before. I'm not keeping up on her Frauen-Bundesliga campaign, and she might be doing well. However, I don't think this has been a highlight year for the striker, and although she is great, I doubt she will be announced as a finalist.
Marta- The day Marta is not nominated will be the day the World ends. Marta is likely the most well-known and popular player in the Women's game, and she certainly gets the most media attention. She is a skilled and talented player, and her flair and fancy footwork definitely contribute to the gaining of media attention. Marta has already won the Award 4 times, and while I think its unfair to other players, and that its getting stale, I'm afraid everyone will vote overwhelmingly for the "Brazilian Magician". Everyone knows Marta, and usually, when everyone knows your name, you get an Award.
Hope Solo- As a GK, you are not likely to win an Award. Keepers save their teams on countless occasions, and are just as instrumental in victory as any other position. Unfortunately, FIFA doesn't agree enough to make one POTY.
Caroline Seger- Let's face it. If you're not a striker, you are probably not winning the POTY. As good as middies are, and as much as they're overlooked, they don't win awards very often, and its likely that its not going to change this year. Middies have a tremendous impact on the game, but everyone is looking at the goals, not the pass that made that goal possible. She's a great central middie, but unfortunately, her position on the field limits her award-winning chances.
Kelly Smith- Same goes for Smith. She's a midfielder, and since the Award is given only to strikers who score tons of goals, she probably won't even make the finalist list. The position of midfielder is essential in a game, but FIFA always gives the Award to the position which has the most obvious and statistically measured impact on the game, although middies have just as much impact as strikers do. She's a talented midfielder who can change a game, but the chances of her winning are slim.
Camille Abily- She may be a good player, but 2010 was certainly not a highlight year. Abily went through a slump after moving to FC Gold Pride, and seemed to have a hard time connecting with her teammates. She was a force to be reckoned with in 2009, but not so much in 2010 I don't think. Pair a slump together with the fact that you're a middie, and you've got yourself a double whammy. I don't think she'll even make the finalist list.
Fatmire Bajramaj- I don't know much about her, but I seriously doubt she will make the final list, especially being a middie, and a young one at that. Its just not gonna happen.
Ji So-Yun- She may be a talented youth, but FIFA is not gonna give the award to a player who is in the youth stage of their career.
The following is what I wrote on facebook in response to a friend's comment:
''If Marta gets the Women's World Player of the Year Award for the FIFTH time, I am going to jump off a cliff. There are plenty of other people on that list who are just as good, if not better than her. People like Kelly Smith and Seger will never get it, b/c they're middies, sort of like how Xavi will never win a PoTY award b/c he's in the shadows of Messi. Marta runs around and puts on a show and gives you the Brazilian flash, and yes, she is great at it, and she scores goals, but that's not ALL that's out there. There are players like Wambach who can stay calm in a tough situation and lead her team to victory. She got a crap load of goals this year too (13), and had 8 assists! Come on, you mean to tell me Marta is better than Wambach? What does she really have that Wambach doesn't? More media attention? Wambach is a more complete player in my opinion, and therefore should win the award. What about Sinclair, who constantly spends her time in Marta's shadow? Marta's goals were the result of Sinclair's perfectly placed assists...9 of them in fact. Sinclair is modest to a fault and is an ultimate team player, just like Wambach, and they desreve the award just as much, if not more than the Brazilian sensation. Solo is a GK, and she will never get an award that she deserves as well. The WPOTY award is really unfair. It glorifies goal scorers and FIFA favorites, and pushes hardworking GK's, middies, defenders (more than anyone) and some strikers who aren't "flashy" enough, or who don't get as much media attention, into the shadows. Marta is an excellent player, but she gets way too much attention. Its like C. ronaldo and Messi. Good players, sure, but they get way too much attention, and it isn't fair to the players who work just as hard, if not harder, and are probably much better and do much more for their team. The WPOTY is usually just a farce, and FIFA favorites win it. Either that, or FIFA, who don't know jack squat, will pick the player with the most attractive stastistics or the most flair and charisma and media attention. In my opinion, Wambach, Sinclair, and plenty other people on the list deserve that award. Every year, the same few people are nominated, but its just a formality. Everyone knows who its going to be. They should just save everyone the suspense and announce it, we all know who its going to be anyway, on the men's and women's side. The point is, its time for a fresh face in the women's game. By awarding Marta for the 5th time, you're saying "yes, women's soccer doesn't have much to offer in the way of talent. Marta is much better and is a league above everyone else on this list", which is so far from the truth it ain't even funny. Putting in a fresh face shows the world that the women's game is developing, and that women's soccer is much more than just Marta, and that the women's game has just as much talent and skill that can be found in a very wide array of players. Its not just Marta, and her flair and "magic". There are tons of other players, who are not even listed on the WPOTY list, who I believe have just as much talent as skill as she does. Wambach, Sinclair, Smith, Seger, Prinz, Rapinoe, Lindsey, Bompastor, I could go on forever. There is much more to the women's game, and there are many more styles and talnted players than just Marta. Its time for a fresh face. Marta does not deserve the award THAT much more than anyone else on the list, so to say it isn't a close race is a lie. When truly comparing these players, and throwing media attention and favoritism and flair out the window, you'll start to see that maybe Marta doesn't automatically deserve it after all. Marta isn't that much better than everyone else that she deserves it 5 times in a row, winning overwhelmingly over everyone else. To me, if Marta wins the award 5 times in a row, its FIFA saying that there is no one who can compete/compare with her, and that's the biggest lie I have ever heard. Everyone on that list can compete with Marta, but FIFA is gonna pull the same crap and give it to the big Media attention suck. I get so annoyed when I see her getting all the attention and winning every god damned award possible. During WPS, why don't they just give her Defender of the year and GK of the year, just because she's so damn great? To give Marta 5 WPOTY awards is to say no one is at the calibre of Marta, but everyone on that FIFA list is on her same level if not above. So FIFA, wake up and open your eyes and realize that there is just as much talent in plenty other players in the Women's game. Time for a fresh face, this Marta crap is getting old. Pick someone else who deserves it. Shouldn't be too hard since everyone on that list deserves it just as much, so Marta shouldn't be winning by a landslide, and if she does its pathetic. Just please pick someone else. Stop giving it to the player who merely gets more media attention. You're making Marta the C.Ronaldo and Messi of women's soccer. I can't stand those types of players, they ruin the sport. They do the same thing some other players do, yet the other guys don't get the same amount of attention which they probably deserve way more than the media figurehead. Time for a new face who probably deserves it more. FIFA officials or whoever the hell votes within the FIFA Organization, probably don't pay much attention to the women's game anyway. And quite honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if they didn't pay much attention to the men's game either. Everyone knows who's going to win. Last year everyone knew it was going to be Messi and Marta. Its always predictable. Everyone who wins is typically a heavy goalscorer who gets a ton of media attention. Meanwhile, there are plenty of other players who do the same thing they do, just as good if not better than they do, and they're thrust into the shadows, because FIFA picks the media figureheads. There is always going to be one posterchild. I just wish they didn't start doing it with the women's game, it ruins it. And if you ask me, they should have awards designated for each position. One POTY is limiting and unfair.''
Well, hope you enjoyed this rant and post on the WPOTY.
If you wanna share your opinion, feel free!
Remember to catch the Women's Gold Cup Semifinals live tomorrow (Nov. 5th) on concaf.com! Canada vs. Costa Rica - 7pm ET, USA vs. Mexico- 10pm ET.
Until then,
Denise
