Ronaldinho - A Man Among Boys

On December 20, 2004, history was made as Brazilian phenom, Ronaldinho, was named 2004 FIFA Player of the Year. Ronaldinho's victory represented the culmination of a fantastic year for the young Brazilian and a preview of years to come.

The field for the honor of Player of the Year is an impressive one that boasts legends such as: Zinedine Zidane, Ronaldo, Luis Figo, and Paolo Maldini. Take into account the three finalists which included Andrii Shevchenko and Thierry Henry along with Ronaldinho and it is clear to see the scope of this award. While arguments were being made for Sheva and Henry, this year was one in which the best player did in fact win the award.

A comparison of the three finalists demonstrates three different styles of play. Henry is among the most talented strikers of his time. His creativity, flare and eye for goal are out of this world and his first touch is magnificent. The knock on Henry is his propensity to disappear at times. While playing for France and at times with Arsenal, Henry has blended into the background for long stretches throughout games. His performance at Euro 2004 left a lot to be desired and likely damaged his chances of winning this award.

Shevchenko is quite possibly the most prolific goal scorer of his era. Sheva has shown that he can score for Milan, Dynamo Kiev and lately he has even demonstrated that he can score for the Ukraine. His uncanny ability to be at the right place at the right time, his precise shot, and his blazing speed make him a nightmare for any defender. Sheva can make a goal out of seemingly nothing, he is the definition of a pure goalscorer. Shevchenko is a wonderful hitman, however he is far from the complete player. Although he has steadily improved his passing abilities and his dribbling at pace is staggering, Sheva rarely creates his own chances. In the mold of a traditional striker, Shevchenko feeds off the chances created for him by his teammates and often looks to shoot first, pass second.

Ronaldinho is the complete footballer. At his young age, Dinho has shown that he can create, shoot, and score with the best of them. What's more, Ronaldinho has the ability to dribble any player with an assortment of moves that would make any defender look silly. Ronaldinho is a virtually unstoppable force on the pitch and his tenacity, creativity, grace, flare, talent and desire are unmatched. Ronaldinho has made believers of legends such as Maradona, Pele and Platini. Ronnie has manage to seamlessly adapt to one of the most competitive leagues in the world with very little effort and continues to astound the critics. Keep in mind that Ronaldinho is still very young as has a tremendous upside, the possibilities for this Brazilian dynamo are endless.

Fans of all three finalists should be proud of their representatives as they truly are the class of world soccer in 2004. Fans of the sport should be celebrating Ronaldinho's victory in the voting as he is what soccer should be: grace, talent, devotion, and most importantly... Fun.

Congratulations Ronaldinho!



Gabriel Mederos