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Pro Soccer Talk’s Top 100 World Cup players: The Top 25

By Nicholas MendolaMay 30, 2014, 10:15 AM EDT
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It’s your last chance to let us know how combining individual votes to make a group vote makes us unworthy to vote altogether; We’ve reached the final 25!

Pro Soccer Talk asked each of our writers to submit a list of the 50 top players heading to the 2014 World Cup in Brazil, which would then be combined to make our Top 100 players for the tournament. The rationale was to be pretty broad, with neither limitation nor minimums placed on number of representatives per country or position. After the submitted lists, players were given weighted points for their position on individual lists. A bonus was given if a player was named by each of our writers.

Surely there will be some awful omissions, players placed higher or lower than expected and a bevy of other issues with the list… but that’s why we do lists. There’s much to be discussed. Are there really 51 players better than No. 52? Are English and American players being overvalued (probably and maybe)?

In the meantime, we promise not to make you click “next” 100 times. Just check back every day for the next 25 until we arrive at Friday’s thrilling finale.

MORE: Pro Soccer Talk’s Top 100 World Cup Players: 100-76 | 75-51 | 50-26

25-21

25. Neymar, Brazil

24. Radamel Falcao, Colombia

23. Sergio Ramos, Spain

22. Xavi, Spain

21. Toni Kroos, Germany

Analysis: It’s almost completely absurd at this point. Who would you rather have, Ramos or Xavi? Really? On a personal note (this is Nick), I’m proud of us for not posting Neymar up much higher. Show me something.

20-11

source: AP20. Luka Modric, Croatia

19. Wesley Sneijder, Netherlands

18. Andrea Pirlo, Italy

17. Mesut Ozil, Germany

16. Arturo Vidal, Chile

15. Thiago Silva, Brazil

14. Manuel Neuer, Germany

13. Edinson Cavani, Uruguay

12. Philipp Lahm, Germany

11. Vincent Kompany, Belgium

Analysis: Was surprised to see Modric place so high, but what a group this is: Thiago Silva, Vidal, Neuer, Lahm… wow. Is it June 12 yet?

10-1

source: Reuters10. Sergio Aguero, Argentina

9. Arjen Robben, Netherlands

8. Eden Hazard, Belgium

7. Wayne Rooney, England

6. Robin van Persie, Netherlands

5. Yaya Toure, Ivory Coast

4. Andres Iniesta, Spain

3. Luis Suarez, Uruguay

2. Lionel Messi, Argentina

1. Cristiano Ronaldo, Portugal

Analysis: Was it ever going to be any different than the Top 3? Oddly enough, each has something to prove for various reasons in World Cup play… and you could easily argue that Suarez has the international basis to demand higher ranking. Iniesta, as always, just hangs out on the periphery, being amazing. Should Yaya feel disrespected for being No. 5? Maybe, but at least we wished him a happy birthday.

Senegal, Nigeria stay perfect in African Cup qualifying

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Associated PressNov 18, 2019, 7:54 AM EST
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Famara Diedhiou scored a hat trick in a game interrupted by heavy rain as Senegal beat Eswatini 4-1 on Sunday for two wins out of two in qualifying for the 2021 African Cup of Nations.

Diedhiou missed an early penalty and it was 0-0 at halftime when Senegal coach Aliou Cisse substituted Sadio Mane.

Diedhiou netted all three of his goals in a nine-minute period from the 59th to keep this year’s African Cup runner-up on course in the final stage of qualifying for the 2021 tournament. Badou Ndiaye scored Senegal’s fourth in Manzini against the kingdom formerly known as Swaziland.

Senegal lost to Algeria in the final of this year’s African Cup of Nations in Egypt and is embarking on another attempt to win the continental title for the first time.

Like Senegal, Nigeria has also won its first two of six games in the qualifiers’ decisive group stage after the Super Eagles benefited from an outstanding performance by forward Victor Osimhen in a 4-2 win over Lesotho. Osimhen scored twice and set up the other two as Nigeria again came from behind to win, like it did in its opening qualifier.

South Africa beat Sudan 1-0 with a goal by Lebogang Phiri for its first win of the qualifiers after losing to Ghana first up. Cameroon, which will host the 2021 African Cup, also registered a first win by beating Rwanda 1-0. Midfielder Ngoumo Ngamaleu scored in Cameroon’s first competitive win under new coach Toni Conceicao and first in six games.

Cameroon has already qualified as host but is still taking part in qualifying. The top two teams in each of the 12 groups will qualify with the exception of Cameroon’s group. There, the highest-placed of the other three teams – currently Mozambique – goes through to the 24-team finals which will be played in mid-2021.

Guinea and Mali sit in the qualifying positions in Group A – Mali won 2-0 in Chad and Guinea 2-0 at home to Namibia. There were also wins on Sunday for Uganda, Benin, Republic of Congo and Gabon.

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More AP soccer https://apnews.com/Soccer and https://twitter.com/AP-Sports

Griezmann: Playing for Barcelona is ‘not the easiest’

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By Joel SoriaNov 17, 2019, 11:44 PM EST
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Over the summer, Barcelona shelled a whopping $135 million to land Antoine Griezmann from Atletico Madrid.

It was a match made in heaven; the rest was supposed to be history.

Only that hasn’t been the case for the Frenchman in Barcelona.

Despite scoring a brace in his debut at the Camp Nou, Griezmann’s impact and influence on the field has quickly dwindled. In 11 league appearances with the Catalan giants, the 28-year-old has scored four goals and added three assists, signs that the World Cup winner is, in fact, struggling with his new team.

Speaking to Telefoot, Griezmann revealed that playing for Barcelona is not an easy thing to do, but that with hard work, his fortunes will turn around for the best:

“It is hard, I knew it would be, it is not the easiest place. This is a new team, a new club, new tactics, a new position. I have to work, try to understand my team-mates, after they will understand me too and it will work just like that… Critics will always be there. But I am good, I am proud of where I am. Only work pays off. I have to take confidence and it will all come just like that.”

This season, Barcelona manager Ernesto Valverde has frequently deployed the Frenchman as a left winger, with the hope that he will link up with Lionel Messi and Luis Suarez. The positives form such an ideology have yet to be reaped, however. Griezmann is scoring a goal every 224 minutes, a career worst.

The 28-year-old, too, has played in a central role on a couple of occasions, specifically during the absences of Messi and Suarez, but it hasn’t worked out for a player that has made a career from roaming that part of the field.

The building clamor at the Camp Nou is borderline justifiable – mainly because it’s now evident that Griezmann is wrestling with adapting to the expectations and systems in place in Barcelona.

But the high-flying attacker has proven he’s worth the price time and time again, and now he’s on the record saying that he’ll do everything in his power to do so with his new club.

Real Monarchs beat Louisville City to win first ever USL Cup

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By Joel SoriaNov 17, 2019, 10:33 PM EST
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Real Monarchs scored three unanswered goals as they routed Louisville City 3-1 at Lynn Stadium to win their first ever USL Cup title.

Noah Powder’s goal in the 66th minute sealed the deal for the visitor’s, adding to the goals scored by defenders Erik Holt and Konrad Plewa in the first half.

Surprisingly enough, it was Lou City who got off to a superb start on Sunday night, though.

Only six minutes after the initial whistle, Lou City’s leading goalscorer, Magnus Rasmussen, scored the game’s first goal, breaking a record for the fastest goal in a USL Cup final.

The defeat brings an end to Lou City’s historic run of consecutive USL Cup-winning seasons.

On July 1, former Real Salt Lake defender, Jamison Olave, took over as the Monarchs interim coach following Martin Vasquez’s unexpected resignation.

Man arrested after English soccer player reports homophobia

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Associated PressNov 17, 2019, 8:26 PM EST
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TRANMERE, England — A footballer in England’s third tier reported being subjected to homophobic abuse from the stands, leading to police making one arrest.

Wycombe goalkeeper Ryan Allsop told the referee of the abuse at halftime of the League One soccer game at Tranmere as his team won 2-0.

Tranmere says it is very disappointed to learn of a homophobic comment made.

In a statement, Merseyside Police condemned abhorrent incidents.

Police Chief Inspector Jason Crellin added that “hate crime has no place in our communities, and not least at a showcase sporting event attended and watched by many people.”