Lionel Messi wins Ballon d'Or

Lionel Messi has been awarded the prestigious Ballon d'Or after being recognised by journalists across the world as the best player of 2009. The Barcelona and Argentina star succeeds Cristiano Ronaldo, who won the trophy last year after helping Manchester United to glory in the 2008 Champions League. Messi has been enjoying a fine year, particularly in the second half of last season, when he won the Spanish League, Cup and European Cup.

Bad Boy Bofo

I am really stoked about Adolfo "Bofo" Bautista's possible transfer to my beloved Chivas de Guadalajara. One of the main concerns, however, seems to be his behaviour problems. Chivas head coach Jose Luis "Guero" Real expressed concerns over Bautista affecting the group's harmony.

And just what has Bofo done to deserve such a reputation. Well for starters his first name is Adolfo. At Bautista's first club Tecos it was said that Bofo got into a fight with his teammate Rodrigo Palacios and after laying the smacketh down on his candy ass challanged onlookers to get a taste of the Bofo stunner.

Bofo seemed to be on track with Morelia but his problems resurfaced at Pachuca which he still helped guide to a league title. Bofo's problems with the former Tuzo's coach Miguel Vucetith sent him to Chivas. At Guadalajara Bofo became a team Icon but his problems with Nestor de la Torre; whom he challanged to a tables, ladders, and chair, match, soon sent him to Jaguares where he has never really settled in.

I honestly do not care if Bofo has a bad temper. Perhaps, that is what some of the Chivas players need. To get their arse kicked. Bofo can smack some sense into Alberto Medina and Omar Bravo maybe the team can start qualifying to the liguilla once again.

Ireland's 33

According to FIFA president, Sepp Blatter, a delegation from the Irish FA asked him to consider making them the extra team – team 33 – at the World Cup. I understand that losing to a hand-ball is a fucked up way to get eliminated from a World Cup but that is just the way the ball rolls. You win some and you lose some. I really doubt that the hand ball was the only "cheat" pulled during the France-Ireland game it was just the most beneficial one.

Ibracadabra

I managed to wake up in time to catch the Barcelona vs. Real Madrid classico and Zlatan Inrahimovic's sick goal, in the 51st minute, that gave the Blaugrana's the win and placed them atop the table.

I must admit that as much as I like the Swede I have not been able to follow his exploits as I had done so when he had signed for Juventus in the 04/05 season. It was a squad which I thought was going to be one of the best teams ever.

Juve had Fabio Capello as coach, Buffon at goal, Fabio Cannavaro guiding the defense, Patrick Vieira comanding the midfield with an on-form Pavel Nedved, along with an always dangerous Alessandro Del Piero up top.

Sadly, that Juventus squad, however, was dismanteled and the club relegated to second division, Serie B, because of match fixing scandals. Ibra then moved to Internazionale Milan and I lost contact with him. While Zlatan continued to dominate the Serie A he has not been able to do the same in the Champions League. That should no longer be the case as Zlatan will be looked upon to help Barcelona retain their Champions League title.

Mexican League Predictions

Before the start of the 2009 Apertura season I had been asked to contribute to a Goal.com article with league predictions. Each writer had been asked to make three predictions. The first one being which team would Fail; for which I choosed Atlas. The Rojinegros were one of the worst teams of the season finishing in 15th and eventually sacked Antonio Lavolpe. The Argie was the main reason I choosed Atlas as I feel that he has been on a epic downfall since leaving the Mexican national team.

The second prediction asked for which team would be the surprise of the season. I went with Tigres UANL because of Daniel Guzman and players like Gaston "La Gata" Fernandez. While Tigres got off to a promising start: winning the 2009 Superliga tourney they only managed to finish the season in 10th place. The real surprise of the season without a doubt has been the Tomas Boy led Monarcas Morelia.

The final prediction asked to choose the eventual league Champion. I went with Cruz Azul which are still in the running to capture the Apertura Championship. La Maquina have already disputed three finals, two league and one Interliga, which they all lost. The main diffrence this time around is a good coach in Enrique Meza and a quality keeper in Jesus Corona. The diffrence maker, however, will lie in Tito Villa who has become one of the leagues best strikers. I have not been paying much attention to the liguilla but needless to say my money remains with Cruz Azul.

Farewell Tano

Antonio de Nigris Guajardo (April 1, 1978 - November 15, 2009) was one of my favorite football players. During his career, which was cut short at 31 by a fatal heart attack, De Nigris played in six different countries, also representing twelve clubs in nine years.

Staring at the Sea

Angelica: What's the matter?
Vergara: It's over. It's all over.

Angelica: I wanna ask you something important, and I want you to tell me the truth.

Vergara: What?
Angelica: Why'd you come here?

Vergara: I just don't want it no more.
Angelica: If it's over cos you want it to be, I'm glad. - I do.

Angelica: It's just, you've never quit anything since I've known you.
Vergara: I don't know what you want me to say. I mean, what happened? How did everything that was so good get so bad?

Angelica: What's so bad? Tell me. What?
Vergara: I wrecked everything by not thinking for myself. Why couldn't Nestor tell me where it was really at from the start? He didn't have to carry me and lie and make me think I was better than I was.

Vergara: You wake up one day thinking you're a winner, but you're not. You're a loser. Nothing is real if you don't believe in who you are. I don't believe in myself no more! When a fighter don't believe, he's finished. That's it.

Angelica: That's not it. Why don't you tell me the truth?

Vergara: What are you puttin' me through? You wanna know the truth? I don't wanna lose what I got. At first, I didn't care about what happened. I'd go in the stadium, get bust up. But now there's you and the kids. I don't wanna lose what I got!

Angelica: What do we have that can't be replaced? What? A house. We got cars, money. We got everything but the truth. What's the truth, dammit?!

Vergara: I'm afraid! All right? You wanna hear me say it? You wanna break me down? I'm afraid. For the first time, I'm afraid.

Angelica: I'm afraid too. There's nothin' wrong with that.

Vergara: There is. For me, there is.
Angelica: Why? You're human.

Vergara: I don't know what I am. I know I'm a liar, and because of that, Nestor ain't here.

Angelica: You didn't push him into anything. He was a grown man. He did what he had to do. And you have no right to feel guilty. You don't! You were a champion. You did what you were expected to do. You did what everybody thought you should do. And you wanna tell me that those coaches weren't real? I don't believe it!

Angelica: It doesn't matter what I believe. You've got to carry that fear inside you, afraid everybody'll take things away, that you'll be remembered as a coward, that you're not a man any more. Well, none of it's true. It doesn't matter if I tell you because you're the one that's got to settle it.

Get rid of it! Cos when the smoke clears, and they stop chanting your name, it's just gonna be us. And you can't live like this. We can't live like this. Cos it's gonna bother you for the rest of your life. Look what it's doing to you now.

Lebrija thinks you can do it. So do I.But you gotta wanna do it for the right reasons. Not for the guilt over Nestor. Not for the people, not for the title, not for money, or me - but for you. Just you. Just you alone.

Vergara: And if I lose?
Angelica: Then you lose. But at least you lose with no excuses. No fear. And I know you could live with that.

Vergara: How'd you get so tough?
Angelica: I live with a Taquero.

Bittersweet Symphony

Mexico’s U-17 World Cup odyssey was wrapped in FAIL even before the venture began. It started with Jesus “Chucho” Ramirez abandoning his post as head coach of the Mexican national Youth Teams to sign a lucrative deal with club America. Assistant coach Jose Luis Gonzalez China was then promoted. Then a week before the tourney was set to begin star player Martin “Pito Loco” Galvan is dropped from the squad for sneaking in a hooker to the team’s hotel room.

Thus Mexico began their World Cup quest with a two-nil defeat against Switzerland. The Tricolor looked bad enough that an early exit from the tourney was the most logical conclusion but the lads managed to shake off their loss and surprise Brazil. Then in the last match of the group phase Mexico surprised a superior Japan and with a two-nil win advanced to the round of sixteen.

The match against Korea had Mexico in the quarterfinals up until the last minute when everything came crumbling down for the Tricolor. In my opinion it was a disaster, for lack of a better word, that could have been avoided. Many of my colleagues pointed at the team’s poor endurance leading to questions about why an inexperienced trainer was appointed to the U-17 squad. China’s substitutions also leave another question mark but the inexperienced coach cannot be held accountable. Then there is the Galvan factor and if his punishment was a bit extreme.


While Mexico had a respectable showing in Nigeria one cannot help but think what could have been had FMF been more serious about the national team’s participation in the Youth World Cup. Perhaps, the only consolation is that the success from the 2005 squad has now added pressure to the Youth Teams to perform to a higher standard. The bar has been raised for the Youth Teams but it is time that it is also raised for FMF directives whose decisions can either help or hinder the team’s aspirations.

Jose Luis "Guero" Real

Rafael Lebrija's era in Guadalajara has officialy started with Jose Luis "Guero" Real's first match at the helm of Chivas. Real who recently replaced the ousted Raul Arias was appointed by Lebrija. The Chivas Sporting President admitted to making the call to sack the former Necaxa head coach.

Real, who has been working in Chivas youth squads for the past couple of years, has finally received his chance with the senior team. While it is not sure wheter or not he will remain in the hot seat after the season is over it will be interesting to see how the team will perform under a coach that played a key role in debuting many of Chivas first team players.

Real's first match was a dissapointing 2-2 draw against Indios who leveled the match in the final minutes. Despite the bad result, given Chivas mediocre season, the club continues to have a chance to sneak into the playoffs when they face cross-town rivals Atlas in a sausy "six points" match.

Quiero un Jersey de rayas..

Quisiera conoser al pendejete que diseno esta atrocidad y meterle un chingadazo en los Huevos para que aprenda que con la decepcion nacional no se juega. No havia sentido tanto dolor desde que Meza era DT del Tri. Pinche Adidas te la mamaste.. Parece que la inspiracion del diseno biene de la familia peluche; inche bola de nacos que de seguro van a comprar esta porqueria..