He pretty much carried Portugal to the semi's on his own. I am not a Ronaldo fan at all but there cannot be any doubt he should be there, despite all of his missed opportunities against Spain.

vdale

Germany1173 Posts

July 04 2012 13:56 GMT

#62

On July 04 2012 22:03 WArped wrote:

Show nested quote +

He pretty much carried Portugal to the semi's on his own. I am not a Ronaldo fan at all but there cannot be any doubt he should be there, despite all of his missed opportunities against Spain.

He had basically 2 good games, 2 horrible games and 1 average (vs spain). Sure he scored some important goals, but you have to expect it from someone who doesn't do anything defensively.

I liked Pepe and Coentrao more in the Portuguese team.

OpticalShot

Canada6330 Posts

July 04 2012 16:32 GMT

#63

Pirlo is perhaps more memorable because of his balls-of-steel spot kick, but my vote goes to Iniesta.

ShowTheLights

Korea (South)1689 Posts

July 04 2012 21:12 GMT

#64

where the hell is Torres T.T

Tonttu

Finland606 Posts

July 05 2012 00:04 GMT

#65

Juan Mata for sure.. 1 touch to ball and 1 goal

don_kyuhote

3006 Posts

July 05 2012 00:53 GMT

#66

On July 05 2012 09:04 Tonttu wrote:
Juan Mata for sure.. 1 touch to ball and 1 goal

Baller!

CeriseCherries

6170 Posts

July 07 2012 18:11 GMT

#67

On July 05 2012 06:12 ShowTheLights wrote:
where the hell is Torres T.T

with all the goals he scored this season #hue

i think pirlo cause even he didnt win he was more important to his team than perhaps iniesta was

foxmeep

Australia2333 Posts

July 08 2012 02:01 GMT

#68

How can Casillas be player of the tournament when he had to make like 3 saves the entire time lol. It's not that he's not an amazing keeper (which he is), he just didn't have to do anything because of the other 10 players on the pitch.

scorch-

United States816 Posts

July 08 2012 03:33 GMT

#69

Fabregas had the plays of the tournament for Spain, but I think Iniesta was the most impressive throughout the whole event. In every game he provided an attacking presence that created space by going through defenders. Don't forget the pass he played to Fabregas for the first goal in the final. He also had the hockey assist on Fabregas' goal in the opener against Italy. The stats don't show his impact imo~

ahmyyyyd

Germany47 Posts

July 08 2012 09:00 GMT

#70

On July 04 2012 22:56 vdale wrote:

Show nested quote +

I dont agree with you i mean im not the biggest Ronaldofan either but he played a great Euro even if he didnt scored in the first 2 games he worked really hard for the Team and he played like a Teamplayer(mourinhos work Payed of). Offcourse it is not enough for the player of the Tournament(not in Final) but it was a great worldcup at the end for him. He scored 2 Really Really Important goals against Netherland and the Matchwinning Goal against czech. He showed that he is there if the team needs him. I think the game against Germany was just a tactical mistake by the coach and the game of Ronaldo against germany looked horrible because of the ultra defensive tactic. Not Ronaldos fault.

Bam Lee

2336 Posts

July 09 2012 08:42 GMT

#71

what a shame. Fielding lahm in the all star team and not Hummels... Thats a really really bad decision

howLiN

Portugal1676 Posts

July 09 2012 13:14 GMT

#72

On July 04 2012 15:56 GoSuChicken wrote:

Show nested quote +

and pirlo is just your typical hyped up player....

Um, Pirlo has had his whole career to confirm that he's not a hyped up player.

alderamin

80 Posts

July 09 2012 15:11 GMT

#73

Yeah, Pirlo has been a playmaker for all his career. True playmakers are extremely rare in modern football and it takes huge skills.
He was really impessive at his prime with AC Milan. He always has stood out as being able to play so deep. Being a small guy he is able to play just in front of the defense.

Also, his forward passing statistics are really impressive. He carried Italy most of the tournament. It was kinda emberassing how both England and Germany failed to neutralize Pirlo.
But Spain was able to do this with their no striker system. There were moments that clearly showed how they put pressure on Pirlo every time he would get the ball. At one point he was on the right side of the field and forced to run all the way back and then pass to the GK. I am sure most of you saw hat in some post game analysis.

Neutralizing Pirlo neutralized Italy.

A tournament has to be a really really bad tournament for a goalkeeper to be the besat player. Goalkeepers is not why people watch football. I won't say they are a necessary evil. But come on guys, a GK as player of the tournament?

Ronaldo made plays only he and no other player ever can make. He also scored goals and carried his team. Yeah, he could have played better in the group phase. Yeah he should have taken an early penalty. But that's about it. This guy is so superskilled, it's sick.

Iniesta made huge plays for the best team in the tournament. I don't get this Iniesta vs Pirlo heat. Pirlo didn't do anything in the finals because Iniesta and Fabregas locked him down. It's a team game. If Italy had been stronger, Pirlo could have shined in the finals and won the best player award. He was just powerless in the finals. This got made worse by the 10 vs 11 because of the injury.

Weson

Iceland1032 Posts

July 09 2012 18:45 GMT

#74

It's really hard to decide when pretty much all the players from Spain played with such amazing players that they didn't need to carry their team, they just played brilliantly. I feel that Pirlo was the one that really carried his team throughout the tournament.

Usagi

Spain1647 Posts

July 09 2012 19:30 GMT

#75

I need to change my pick!
[image loading]

kyllinghest

Norway1607 Posts

July 09 2012 22:03 GMT

#76

On July 04 2012 17:47 Sanctimonius wrote:
Alba and Iniesta were great players during this tournament, no doubt, but there was only one man who spent the entire fricken' tournament raising his team up, orchestrating pretty much every attack, making the entire team just better than the sum of its parts, and that man was Gerrar......haha. Can't even say that with a straight face. Pirlo, hands down.

Silly thing to say about one of the very best and most impactfull players of the group stages. He carried a horrible team, and in his one "bad" game he was constantly in a 4v2 battle alongside the positionaly questionable Scott Parker. Yet the very few times England had the chance to pull off a counter attack it was he that got upfield in position, only to be horribly failed by the attackers.

sheaRZerg

United States613 Posts

July 10 2012 21:43 GMT

#77

Saint Iker!

So solid. Never gets enough credit. I guess its a difficult comparison to make between a keeper and other positions though, and Iniesta does so much for the team.

I find it hard to justify giving it to a non-Spanaird though. They still tower above the rest of the competition.

Big J

Austria16289 Posts

July 11 2012 09:08 GMT

#78

Balotelli, because it felt like he was the only true forward in the tournament.
Well, I guess you could say Mario Gomez is a forward as well, but then you would have to ackknowledge that Gomez plays football...

Kpaxlol

813 Posts

July 11 2012 10:36 GMT

#79

<3 Pirlo