2006 FIFA World Cup adidas Golden Ball candidates
France provide a trio of aspirants, led by their lithe, graceful
and lightning-quick striker, Thierry Henry. There had been question
marks about the Arsenal captains performances for Les Bleus
leading into the tournament, but Henry has answered his critics
emphatically with a series of excellent and often-selfless
performances in the lone striker role, performances that have thus
far yielded three precious goals.
Also in contention from Raymond Domenechs camp is the powerful
Patrick Vieira, another player who has emerged from a hail of
criticism to prove that, at his best, there are few midfielders in
the world capable of dominating and dictating a game so
expertly.
The last but certainly not the least of the French candidates is
Zinedine Zidane. Already a legend in his own time, this most
elegant of footballers continues to amaze with his near-balletic
brilliance, and there can have been few individual performances at
Germany 2006 to match that produced by the 34-year-old in Frances
quarter-final win over Brazil.
The hosts, meanwhile, may have bowed out at the semi-final stage,
but their refreshingly adventurous approach won many friends
outside German borders, and two players in particular caught the
eye of the FIFA TSG members. One was Michael Ballack, the captain
and a player whose workrate and driving influence in midfield
earned him the apt tag of Germanys lokomotive by coach Jurgen
Klinsmann.
Joining him in the reckoning is the man currently leading the race
for another of the FIFA World Cups most illustrious honours, the
adidas Golden Shoe. By anyones standards, Miroslav Klose has
enjoyed a vintage tournament, with his strength, courage, eye for
goal and link-up work with strike partner Lukas Podolski among the
most impressive aspects of Germanys play.
It says much for the quality of Italys performances to this point
in the tournament that they provide us with a greater number of
candidates than any other team, with a quartet of Marcello Lippis
team having been shortlisted for the honour. There will be no great
surprise, certainly, at the sight of Gianluigi Buffons name in
there, and the Juventus goalkeeper will hope that his agile,
commanding and reliably inspirational performances for the Azzurri
have been sufficient to see him follow in the footsteps of 2002
winner Kahn.
Italys captain, Fabio Cannavaro has, however, been just as
important in establishing Italys remarkably frugal defensive
record just one goal conceded, and an own goal at that and the
32-year-olds faultless marshalling of the Italian rearguard is
sure to make him a strong contender.
The composed, creative midfield play of Andrea Pirlo has also been
recognised, with the AC Milan playmaker shortlisted for his telling
contribution to Italys attacking play from a deep-lying
position.
Another player who has contributed to the Azzurri cause both
defensively and offensively is Gianluca Zambrotta, a dynamic
overlapping full-back who has popped up on both the right and left
flanks to score and create goals in vital matches.
The final candidate comes from Wednesday nights beaten
semi-finalists, Portugal, and this player can lay claim to having
scored a couple of the tournaments most spectacular goals against
Mexico and the Netherlands. Maniches contribution has extended far
beyond those eye-catching strikes, however, with his biting tackles
and forceful running in the midfield engine room a key factor in
Luiz Felipe Scolaris team's march to the semi-finals.