So much for settling that dispute. A few months ago, we were all salivating over the prospect of FIFA's year-end event, the Club World Cup, shaking up the Rankings like never before. As recently as September, three of this year's big participants -- AC Milan, Boca Juniors and Pachuca -- were all in the rankings.
Now? Zero. Yeah, we've got our dream final matchup between Milan and Boca (Sunday on Fox Soccer Channel at, gulp, 5:30 a.m. ET). But both clubs' current form really doesn't make this the celebrated showdown it should've been. (More of my rant here.)
In a perfect world, new FIFA World Player of the Year Kaká and Milan would be near the summit of Serie A and firing on all cylinders, while a Juan Román Riquelme-led Boca would be coming off a mammoth year with an Argentine Apertura title and a Copa Sudamericana to add to its Libertadores crown.
Instead, we've got a battle of also-rans and another little-watched tournament on far too early for any of us to pay attention. On the plus side, 2007 looks like it's about to end up as the Year of the Underdogs. Late surges by small Argentine, Mexican and, yes, Tunisian clubs have stolen some of the ink. Your move, big boys.
• Note to the Liverpudlian faithful: Yes, I'm impressed. That 16-1 run through the Reds' last three must-win Champions League games is remarkable. But I can't reconcile that when they get blown out by Reading in domestic play. And, more honestly, there's no room this week. But stay tuned.
Note: All rankings, records and statistics are through Dec. 12.
| World Soccer Power Rankings |
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Inter Milan
No reason to move the Inter juggernaut, undefeated in 17 straight matches in all competitions. And now the Italian press is reporting the Nerazzurri are about to sign Daniel Carvalho from CSKA Moscow, which looks like an insurance policy for when Luís Figo retires (or comes to MLS?). My favorite side plot: out-of-favor striker Adriano winning Catersport Radio 2's "Golden Trash Can" award as the worst player in Serie A over the past year. No offense to the guy they once called "The Emperor," but to quote Dean Wormer in Animal House: "Fat, drunk and stupid is no way to go through life, son."
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Manchester United
Am I hallucinating? Was that Wayne Rooney wearing the captain's armband for Man. Utd on Wednesday? Said Alex Ferguson: "Like Steve Bruce, Bryan Robson and Roy Keane, he has got determination and heart and sometimes these are the qualities that can influence the team." Hoo boy. Let's not forget, this is the same guy who once manically berated David Beckham on the pitch in mid-game, stomped Portugal's Ricardo Carvalho in the privates at the World Cup and slugged a former Blackburn player in the face outside a Manchester restaurant last fall.
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Arsenal
They're still in first in the English Premier League, but we're dropping the Gunners below Man Utd again. That one-point lead is essentially a wash right now (never mind the fact that their first loss was to 16th-place Middlesbrough), and Arsenal heads into the Champions League round of 16 stage as a second-place finisher. That means a nasty collision with a tough opponent, such as pretty much any other European club on this list aside from No. 8 Roma.
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Real Madrid
At age 30, Raúl is having his best season in nine years: eight goals in 15 La Liga matches to add to his Spanish-league record and three more to his all-time leading Champions League total. Is it something in the water he's drinking? Nope, but the longtime Real captain is pulling a Gilbert Arenas and sleeping in a bedroom he had converted into a hypoxic chamber. "If you look after yourself and eat and rest properly, it all adds up," he says. Pay attention, kids: Eat right, exercise and sleep in a bedroom that costs five figures to renovate.
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4 |
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FC Barcelona
Barça drops a spot merely for its draw vs. Espanyol in the Barcelona derby last weekend and the fact that the Ronaldinho soap opera is getting old, fast. If he leaves the Camp Nou, it's a huge shame; but it would be a sound business decision. If you saw Giovani dos Santos' performance vs. Stuttgart on Wednesday, you'd be willing to give the future to the kids, too. Throw in Lionel Messi and Bojan Krkic, not to mention youth-team studs Marc Valiente, Marc Crosas and Jeffrén Suárez (average age of all six: 18 years, 10 months), and the future is ridiculous.
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Argentina
Alert Arge-phile Ray Hudson. Instead of clogging up the Rankings, let's just do a catch-all and take a moment to salute the Land of Maradona which, short of winning the World Cup, is spewing tons of feel-good stories all over the soccer world. Tiny Arsenal de Sarandí made it a clean Argentine sweep of major South American club tournaments, knocking off San Lorenzo, Goiás, Chivas, River Plate and Club América on its way to its first-ever Copa Sudamericana title. Equally small Lanús held on to win the Argentine Apertura, the first trophy of any kind in its 92-year history. Boca Juniors are in the final of the Club World Cup and look forward to a Libertadores title defense with Riquelme back on the roster. Barça's Messi may well be the best player on earth right now. And oh yeah, that No. 1 FIFA world ranking is nice, too.
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FC Porto
We can't complete an Argentina shout-out without noting the influence that country's players have had this season at the Estádio do Dragão -- Lisandro López and scoring machine Lucho González have been huge in Porto's nearly spotless start this season. The Portuguese Liga frontrunners are also into the knockout rounds of the Champions League for the fourth time in the past five seasons.
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AS Roma
Hand out another black card to Roma, where fan-related violence is again stealing the spotlight from a good soccer team. Five Manchester United fans were stabbed before Wednesday's meaningless match at the Stadio Olimpico. If you're into that whole on-the-pitch thing, though, the Giallorossi are into the Champions League knockout stages for the second straight year, though their draw at Livorno last weekend leaves them five off the pace in Serie A.
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9 |
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Chelsea
Didier Drogba's absence will be a blow, but check this out: Born-again Chelsea is on a nine-game win streak in the Premiership ... and has conceded just one goal over that stretch. Are you getting the feeling like I am that the Blues are getting set to play spoilers during the second half of the season? All of a sudden, this weekend's showdown with Arsenal is dripping with significance.
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8 |
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São Paulo
Time to relax and enjoy the spoils of back-to-back Brazilian titles? Nope. Apparently São Paulo management has demanded the club make a run at the quadruple next season: a third straight league title, the Paulista state championship, the Copa Libertadores and the Copa Sudamericana. Yikes. At least manager Muricy Ramalho is being given ample transfer budget to build up depth, something the Tricolor Paulista was missing in a big way in '07.
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Honorable mentions: Liverpool, Celtic, Atlético Madrid, Atlante, Olympiakos
Dropped off: None
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