FC Barcelona’s Lionel Messi has once again won the FIFA Ballon d’or, which is awarded to the top player. Messi, who led Barcelona to the La Liga and UEFA Champions League trophies, was the clear favorite heading into today’s ceremony. Cristiano Ronaldo finished 2nd to Messi while teammate Xavi Hernandez finished third in voting for the second straight year.

It wasn’t a total success for Messi in 2011 as Argentina struggled in the Copa America and Barcelona lost

The voting was not that close with Messi receiving almost half all votes.

Leo Messi: 47,88%
Cristiano Ronaldo: 21,6%
Xavi: 9,23%

Messi stated in his acceptance speech that credit should be given to his teammates including Xavi.

“Xavi, this Ballon d’Or is yours as well”

“We’ve shared this moment for four years. This Ballon d’Or is also yours (Xavi). Without your help I would not be here.”

The Ballon d’Or was first awarded in 1956 and changed to the FIFA Ballon d’Or in 2010. It originally was only available to European players on European clubs but has recently been opened up any player. Messi is now tied with Johan Cruyff, Marco van Basten, and Michel Platini.

Messi is only 24 and at this point could end up winning many more Ballon d’Or trophies.

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Lionel Messi Wins 2011 FIFA Ballon d’Or For Third Straight Year - The 90th Minute Soccer Blog

The reports are out that New York Red Bulls striker Thierry Henry will be at EPL side Arsenal for a loan. It will be similar to Landon Donovan’s loan at Everton which will last about two months and have him back for the start of the 2012 MLS season.

The deal was confirmed by Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger in late December.

“It was my idea because I decide and he was happy with it. It was his idea as well to come here, but I had to make the decision to do it.

“He is certainly very happy and modest about it as well. He just wants to help us get through a period where we lose two strikers.

“First of all we do it because Gervinho and Chamakh go to the African Nations Cup and to cover for two months is ideal.” 

“He is experienced, he is quality, he knows the Club, he can help the players on and off the pitch. He has vast experience.

“No one can measure that but I know it can only be positive. He has exceptional talent; he is a very intelligent man and has a desire to help the Club, so it can only be positive. But it is difficult to measure how positive an influence he is.”

New York Red Bulls General Manager Erik Soler also spoke of the loan deal around the same time.

“It was more like the total package. You sort of need to travel to Arsenal to understand the meaning he has to everybody inside and outside the club. We feel it’s a good honor for a guy who’s been with us 18 months. This is something he thought he wanted to do, and it’s easy to see,” Soler told the Post. “And on sporting side, it’s better for him to train at Arsenal, than if we turn something like that down. I couldn’t find a single reason to say no.

“I was approached by them, and of course I wanted to check if that was what Thierry wanted, and make sure my ownership was happy with it. I did the necessary calls on my part, and on the sporting side both Hans (Backe, coach) and myself think it’s a very good idea. Thierry will be working hard. He’ll be coming to our Phoenix trip. He’ll be coming straight from training and playing with Arsenal, which is a good thing for us. In the end, it’s very easy for us to see this as good idea.’’

“If its finalized, the idea would be to have him from Sunday Jan. 1 approximately that date in February. They have a Champions League game on the 16th, and he would come after that.”

As with most loan deals, Arsenal will pay a pro-rated portion of Henry’s salary to NY (about $5 million base per year).

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New York Red Bulls Striker Thierry Henry On Two Month Loan Deal To Arsenal - The 90th Minute Soccer Blog

After a few months of speculation and various rumors, reports are coming in from multiple sources that David Beckham will stay in MLS. Many reports from French press stated Beckham’s move to Ligue 1 side Paris Saint Germain was imminent but those turned out to be false.

PSG Director of Football, Leonardo, told press the following about Beckham’s decision to remain in Los Angeles.

“David was very interested in coming to Paris. But the welfare of his family in Los Angeles, the wish not to change everything in his life, weighed heavily.”

Nasser al-Khelaifi, PSG president, echoed Leonardo’s comments that Beckham won’t be coming to Paris. He also cleared up reports that new manager Carlo Ancelotti changed focus from bringing in Beckham to Real Madrid’s Kaka.

“David Beckham is in Los Angeles, and he is going to stay there. He will not come [to PSG], that is clear.”

“It was not the arrival of Carlo Ancelotti that changed everything.”

As I wrote in 2011, I’m not surprised by this decision and I put his family as a major reason he’d likely stay. While the reports do state that the decision was for family reasons, the full reasons might never become clear. It could have been a combination of reasons but Beckham will likely finish his career with the Galaxy.

The Daily Mirror in England is reporting that Beckham will sign a new deal with the Galaxy sometime this week.

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David Beckham To Sign Contract Extension with LA Galaxy; Will Not Be Moving to PSG - The 90th Minute Soccer Blog

It was a year of good and bad for the beautiful game. As 2012 nears, it’s time to reflect on this past year in the world of soccer. Who was the worst transfer, the worst moment, miss, and more? Below is my list of the worst of 2011 soccer awards.

Worst Transfer - Fernando Torres

This wasn’t too hard to pick as Torres cost roughly 50 million pounds (around $75 million) and has scored three goals in 28 appearances. Torres has looked a shell of the player he was at Liverpool and lately has been relegated to the bench. He could still turn things around but for 2011 it was clearly a poor transfer for Chelsea. There shouldn’t be a ton of blame placed on Chelsea for making the move as Torres, when in form, is still capable of being one of the top strikers in the world.

Worst Moment - Sepp Blatter

Blatter made headlines, for all the wrong reasons, when he spoke about racism in the sport. He said the following:

“There is no racism [on the field], but maybe there is a word or gesture that is not correct.The one affected by this should say this is a game and shake hands.”

Now, anyone can make misguided or insensitive comments, but this is just one of several missteps from FIFA and Blatter. They continue to lose credibility and trust from fans, media, and players. The fallout from picking Qatar for 2022 is still there and few believe there wasn’t some money or bribes involved with the decision. This statement might not have been enough to been the worst this year but based it being Blatter and all the problems with FIFA, it adds up to be the worst of 2011.

Most Disappointing Team - NY Red Bulls

At times, the MLS side looked unstoppable but ended up struggling to make the playoffs and eventually eliminated in the quarterfinals. On paper, the team has lots of talent but consistently underachieved on the pitch. It’s not totally clear what went wrong but certainly deserves some blame. The Mexican defender was given a large contact but was a bust and even called out teammates for not being good enough. The team could be losing Tim Ream in the transfer window but could use that money to bring in another top player.

The Red Bulls serve as notice that bringing in top players doesn’t always translate to victories. It’s important to have chemistry and consistency, something that that Red Bulls never had in 2011.

Worst Miss - Fernando Torres

Torres is an easy target these days but his miss on September 18th against Manchester United was poor. The Spaniard had dribbled around the goalkeeper and had an open net from inside the box. He missed in several feet wide and while the goal might not have changed the result (3-1 Man Utd win), it certainly would have helped to give confidence to Torres. There are probably other misses that were easier but Torres’ is the worst based on several reasons. Torres has been a top notch striker (look at Liverpool scoring record), his transfer fee cost, and the fact it was in a crucial EPL match.

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The Worst Of 2011 Soccer Awards: Torres, Blatter, and More - The 90th Minute Soccer Blog

It was a year of good and bad for the beautiful game. As 2012 nears, it’s time to reflect on this past year in the world of soccer. Who was the best player, best team, and what other moments were important? Below is my list of awards in soccer world for 2011.

Best Moment – Japan Wins Women’s World Cup

The final against the USA was a great match and there were numerous memorable moments throughout the tournament but what made this was the situation in Japan. Only months earlier, a Earthquake and Tsunami devastated the country which resulted in thousands of deaths. The Men’s National Team, scheduled to play in the 2011 Copa America, decided to withdraw from the competition. While it is only a sporting event, the win for Japan gave their country something positive and showed the effect soccer can have in society.

Best Player - Lionel Messi

Was there any doubt? Messi has consistently been one of the best for several years and helped lead Barcelona to another strong season. He’s only 24 could realistically end with over 500 goals during his club career. The only downside to Messi’s season was a disappointing performance from Argentina at the 2011 Copa America but that was hardly his fault. The interesting thing will be to see if Messi stays with Barcelona and if he can avoid any serious injuries for the rest of his career.

Best Team - FC Barcelona

The Spanish side won the UEFA Champions League, La Liga, FIFA Club World Cup, Spanish Super Cup,  and UEFA Super Cup. The roster is full of world class talent like Messi, Xavi, Iniesta, Villa, Fabregas, Pique, Puyol, and Dani Alves. The only question about this team is how long can they continue to be dominant and are Real Madrid the only team capable of knocking them off.

Best Transfer - Sergio Aguero

The Argentine has made Manchester City supporters forget about the drama of Carlos Tevez. Aguero has been an instant success with 13 goals through his first 17 EPL matches. While Man City did pay a significant price for Aguero, he’s only 23 and arguably one of the top 5 strikers playing today. He also allows City to move Carlos Tevez without fear that they’ll be lacking goal scoring.

Best Free Transfer - Demba Ba

The Newcastle United striker was available for free from West Ham after they were relegated to the Championship. He’s proven to be a top notch scorer who has helped led Newcastle to a strong first half in the EPL. If he continues to score goals for Newcastle, expect one of the top clubs in the Premier League to make a transfer offer. Ba is second in EPL scoring with 14 goals through 17 matches, second only to Robin Van Persie.

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The Best Of 2011 Soccer Awards: Messi, FC Barcelona, & More - The 90th Minute Soccer Blog

As soon as the 2011 Major League Soccer season finished, the speculation of David Beckham’s future began to run rampant. The French press have falsely stated he’s already signed with Paris Saint-Germain and was supposed to be in Paris last weekend. Beckham’s management team has responded to these reports stating that a decision has not been made.

The only certainty for now is that Beckham will be playing for PSG or the LA Galaxy. After a rocky start to his time in LA, Beckham has settle in during the last few seasons and finished the 2011 season by winning MLS Cup. He’s recovered from injuries and backlash from Galaxy supporters (decision to go on loan to AC Milan) to being one of the top midfielders in MLS.

It seems that most think Beckham is more likely to sign with PSG but the Galaxy have made an offer. Below I’ve outlined the reasons for Beckham signing for either side.

Paris Saint-Germain

• Money - It’s clear that PSG Will offer more money than the Galaxy. The reports have the deal at $18 million for 18 months. Beckham makes more off the pitch than on it but there’s no denying that money always plays some role.
• Champions League - Another reason for Beckham to play in Paris would be the chance of returning to the UEFA Champions League. PSG are currently at the top of the French Ligue 1 table and are a strong bet to finish in the top 3. This would be Beckham’s last good chance to play in a top European league and he could cap his career by playing in the top club competition in the world.
• 2012 Olympics - Beckham would improve his chances to play for the Great Britain team if he’s a regular contributor in a top league. While MLS is improving, it’s still not considered the level of Ligue 1. If Beckham is successful at PSG, it would make his inclusion in the GB Olympic roster extremely likely.

LA Galaxy

• 2012 Olympics - This is a reason for the Galaxy as he could stay match fit leading up to the tournament. The MLS season runs from March-November where as in France the season would end in May. The Olympic tournament begins in late July so staying in MLS could give him an extra month or so of matches to get fit. Also, the Galaxy would not have any issue letting Beckham leave for the time to play in the Olympics where this would coincide with the start of the Ligue 1 season in France.
• Family - Beckham and his family has settled in Los Angeles. Going overseas to play for PSG would likely mean uprooting all that and starting over in Paris for 18 months. If the decision was purely based on his family, you would think that the Galaxy would have the edge over Paris.
• Future After Playing - Beckham has talked about his interest in becoming an owner after his playing days are over. Staying with the Galaxy would make it a seamless transition into the front office of a new MLS franchise. It’s also possible that he could stay with the Galaxy and move towards being a coach/manager or General Manager type position. As with the reason above, staying in Los Angeles makes all this a lot easier than moving back and forth between Paris in an 18 month span.

One thing is for sure and that is that reports shouldn’t be trusted until it’s confirmed by Beckham.

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French Reports Have Beckham Signing With PSG But Don’t Rule Out The LA Galaxy - The 90th Minute Soccer Blog

Landon Donovan will once again return to England for a loan spell with English Premier League side Everton. Donovan played for the Toffees in 2010 where he impressed and some thought the loan could turn into a permanent transfer. Reports surfaced in the summer of 2010 that a few teams interested in a transfer but nothing ever materialized.

Donovan, who is now 29, has won just about every team and individual award in Major League Soccer. He’s become the face of US Soccer and makes roughly $2 million a year at the LA Galaxy. The question still remains if Donovan will ever move overseas for more than a loan.

Now, I don’t think that this will happen but I do believe that it would be the best thing for his career.

Donovan has achieved just about everything in MLS including championships and individual accolades. Nobody would fault him for wanting to move overseas and prove he can play for several years in the English Premier League. Here are a few reasons why I think he should make the loan move to Everton a permanent one.

• Good For Both Sides - The move would be good for both Donovan and Everton. It could also prove to be a valuable move for the Galaxy who could use the transfer fee (could be more than $10 million) to rebuild their team. Donovan is in the prime of his career and probably only has 3-4 season where he could be a solid contributor for Everton. The Toffees are not a deep side and saw their form rise when Donovan joined the side in 2010. The Galaxy will be losing their best player but they would get compensated and could go after someone like Didier Drogba or Frank Lampard.
• Donovan Could Increase MLS/EPL Popularity - Some will argue that Donovan leaving hurts MLS but it could actually do the opposite. Clint Dempsey, who started in MLS before moving to Fulham, Donovan having success in the EPL would show that there are quality players in MLS. It would also increase American interest in the Premier League just as Dempsey has done. For example, a Fulham v Everton match could draw very good ratings in the USA because of Donovan and Dempsey.
• Donovan Needs To Prove He Can Make It Europe - While Donovan did shut up some critics with his 2010 loan with Everton, there are still some questions. He has yet to play a full season in Europe and doing that with Everton would cement his place as one of the best American players. In his short time in 2010, Donovan quickly became a fan favorite and he could possibly become a legend at Goodison Park if he were to have a productive 3-4 seasons. He would also put to rest all the missed opportunities and bad memories of his failed stints in Germany.

As I said before, I doubt that Donovan will stay any longer than expected (late February). Everton are unlikely to have the money necessary for a transfer and the Galaxy probably won’t accept a transfer. You can never say never but the chances of Donovan staying at Everton long-term are probably 5% of less. Of course, there will probably be speculation with reports of Chelsea to bid 20 million pounds for Everton’s Jack Rodwell. In theory, they could use part of that to bid for Donovan but the recent history shows that Everton are more likely to keep that money than spend it on transfers.

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Why Landon Donovan Should Make His Move To Everton Permanent - The 90th Minute Soccer Blog

Los Angeles Galaxy captain Landon Donovan will once again return to England for a loan spell. Donovan, who had struggled to make his mark in Europe, became a fan favorite when he arrived at Everton in January 2010. The American quickly showed he could play in the EPL as he helped Everton to a draw with Arsenal as well as wins against Manchester United and Chelsea.

Donovan said the following on twitter after the loan deal was announced.

Once a Toffee, always a Toffee

Everton manager David Moyes had the following comments.

“I am delighted that we have managed to get Landon back. He will give us some good experience over January and February. 

“He did well for us when he was over two years ago and hopefully will return with those same qualities.

“His season has just finished and like last time we need him to hit the ground running because the games come thick and fast at this time of year.”

Donovan, since returning in 2010 to MLS, spoke about his eagerness to return to Goodison Park.

“The opportunity to return to Everton and play for such a well-respected club and a manager that I hold in such high regard was something that was simply too good to pass up.

“I thoroughly enjoyed my time at Everton in 2010 and I’m hopeful that we can experience similar success this time around.

“I want to thank David Moyes and Bruce Arena, as well as executives from both clubs and Major League Soccer for allowing me this unique and special opportunity.”

The deal will start on January 4th (EPL match against Bolton) and conclude on February 25th (Merseyside derby versus Liverpool). It’s very unlikely this loan will be extended for the rest of the season or to a permanent move. The Galaxy have set a high price tag on Donovan and Everton have limited financial resources.

Landon Donovan To Join Everton For Short-Term Loan in 2012 - The 90th Minute Soccer Blog

Chelsea boss Andre Villas-Boas recently stated that striker Fernando Torres will not be sold in the upcoming winter (January 2012) or summer (2012) transfer windows. Speculation over Torres’ future has started to heat up in recent weeks as Didier Drogba impressed in the UEFA Champions League. Drogba didn’t start many matches to start the season but has emerged as the favored striker since October. Torres started the season as a regular started but has struggled to find his form he showed at Liverpool in previous seasons.

Overall, neither Drogba or Torres has been consistent or scored a ton of goals this season but Drogba has a proven track record at Stamford Bridge. Villas-Boas’ comments on Torres are below.

“Fernando Torres is not for sale at any price, now or in the summer”.

This shouldn’t be a surprise that AVB said Torres isn’t for sale but should Chelsea consider selling him? He’s 27 and still should have a good 4-5 years of playing at a high level. Is his future at Chelsea or would a good idea to move him to another club. Below I make the case for both sides.

The Argument For Selling Torres

While Torres has not been at Chelsea for a full season yet, it’s clear that he’s struggling and could never return to the player he was at Liverpool. At 27, he’s not getting any younger and his transfer value will probably not get any higher. There will likely be large clubs across Europe that would be interested (such as Real Madrid) and a transfer could help recoup some of the cost.

It’s extremely unlikely that he’ll ever be worth the transfer fee paid to Liverpool (reportedly around $75 million) so his value will continue to decrease the longer he struggles. Basically, it’s time to for Chelsea to cut their losses and move on from the Fernando Torres experiment, which ultimately has failed.

The Argument For Keeping Torres

Looking at Torres’ career, it’s clear he’s a quality striker that over time will help Chelsea compete for trophies. With Anelka leaving and Drogba getting older, Chelsea need to keep Torres and allow him to find his form. Wayne Rooney had a similar problem with Manchester United where he struggled in the 2010-2011 season in which he scored 16 goals (after scoring 34 goals the previous season and 13 through 19 this season).

Even great players will have seasons or patches where they struggle but will eventually find their form. Another reason to keep Torres is that his value has dropped significantly and selling him at this point would result in a significant financial loss. It would be better to keep Torres, who more than likely will eventually find his form and in turn increase his transfer value closer to what Chelsea paid for him last winter.

Will He Stay Or Go?

At this point, it doesn’t seem likely Torres will leave this winter (or summer) unless another team makes a very inflated bid. Chelsea will be playing in several matches in the next several months (EPL, FA Cup, Champions League) so Torres will get chances on the pitch. I’d be very very surprised if anything is done this winter but a move in the summer is hard to predict. It will depend on how the season plays out for Chelsea and if he wants to stay.

Andre Villas-Boas Says Chelsea Won’t Sell Fernando Torres But Should They? - The 90th Minute Soccer Blog

In Episode 10 of our podcast, we talk with ESPN.com writer Jeff Carlisle who gives his thoughts on the MLS Cup Final and the future of David Beckham. Jeff (@jeffreycarlisle on twitter) also discusses the USA National Team and Olympic tournament at London 2012. You can listen to the episode at the embedded player below as well as past episodes are at http://the90thminute.libsyn.com

The 90th Minute Podcast – Episode 10 Featuring Jeff Carlisle

The 90th Minute Podcast – Episode 10 – Jeff Carlisle Talks MLS, Beckham, Donovan, and USMNT - The 90th Minute Soccer Blog