|
 |   |
|
EVENTS Fantasy Central Inside Game Multimedia Central Statitudes Your Turn Message Boards Email Newsletters Golf Guide Cities Work in Sports
CNNSI.com GROUP
COMMERCE
|  |
Vasco sails to No. 4 Club World Championship costs Man United top spot
ATLANTA (CNNSI.com) -- Lazio celebrates its centennial year by moving to the top of the Serie A and the No. 1 spot in the CNN/World Soccer Top 10, the unique ranking of football clubs issued each Monday and determined through voting by correspondents from CNN Sports and World Soccer magazine. Manchester United's collapse in the inaugural FIFA Club World Championship cost the team top spot, as it slides to No. 2 after drawing with Mexico's Necaxa 1-1 and losing 3-1 to Brazil's Vasco da Gama. Votes for this week's Top 10 were tabulated prior to Monday's round of action in the club championship. Lazio briefly surrendered -- and promptly recaptured -- the lead in the Italian Serie A, just in time to celebrate its 100th year. Lazio had lost to Venezia last week, allowing Juventus -- steady at No. 3 in the Top 10 -- to take over the league lead. However, Juventus was drawn 1-1 by Parma on Sunday, while Lazio beat Bologna to move ahead. The biggest mover in this week's poll is previously unranked Vasco, which sails all the way to No. 4. The 1998 Copa Libertadores winner (and Intercontinental Cup loser) recently finished third in the Brazilian national championship regular season standings. Rising one spot to No. 5 is another Brazilian club, Corinthians, winner of two-straight Brazilian championships. Last week at the Club World Championship, Corinthians tied Real Madrid 2-2 and defeated Raja Casablanca 2-0. Spain's Barcelona returns to the list this week in the sixth spot, after defeating Celta Vigo 2-0 on Sunday. The game marked the return of European Player of the Year Rivaldo, who scored after missing two games in a spat with coach Louis van Gaal. Bundesliga leader Bayern Munich slides from fourth to seventh, paying the price for Germany's extended winter break, while Argentine champion River Plate suffers a similar fate, sliding three spots to No. 8. Rounding out the rankings in a tie for ninth are two teams that continue to hold the lead in their respective leagues despite recent losses -- Leeds United in England and Deportivo in Spain. Falling from the list this week are Monaco of the French first division and Brazil's Flamengo.
Click here for the current set of Top 10 Reactions.
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
