Monday, December 31, 2012

Top 5 Moments of 2012

As we wind down 2012, here are what I see as the top 5 footballing moments of the year. Enjoy!

  • Messi unstoppable -The Barcelona and Argentinian superstar broke Das Bomber's 40 year old record for goals in a calendar year. Messi finished the year with 91 goals compared to Muller's 85 in 1972. Yikes.
  • Manchester City winning the EPL. The Citizens finally captured a little bit of the glory versus their cross town rivals - United. They did so in dramatic fashion during the last game of the year. The question becomes, can City continue to challenge and have they built their team for the long run? Their early crashing out of the Champions League leaves some wondering what this means long term.
  • PSG being acquired by a bottomless money pit. Speaking of Manchester City, the Man City of the Seine has seen a similar level of cash made available. Leading to the signings of the likes of Ibra and Silva. PSG has even found itself in the conversation for the likes of Ronaldo. Much like City, PSG will have to see if this new strategy will pay off in the long term.
  • Drogba goes out on top. Before heading off to China to join his Chelsea buddy - Anelka, Drogba found a way to put his stamp on the season by pulling Chelsea to Champions League glory. His equalizer in the dying moments of the finals and then his cool penalty kick were the final acts, but his play during the entire Champions League showed why he remains a force in football.
  • Spain does the unthinkable. The only story that could be #1 for the year - La Roja winning another international title! And with such devastating effect. Spain completely took apart Italy in the finals and in doing so became the first nation to win 3 international tournaments in a row. Unbelievable. 
It has been a great football year, without a major tournament in 2013 things might be a little more quiet. Although I think that the Confederation Cup will be worth watching - Brazil, Uruguay, Spain, Mexico and Italy all present. What stories will you remember from 2012?

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