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Six Gillette Best Young Player nominees chosen
4 July 2006
by FIFAworldcup.com


Judgement day is drawing near. Six candidates remain on course for the title of Gillette Best Young Player. Three of them have been nominated by our readers, while the other three have been chosen by FIFA’s Technical Study Group.

Fans have voted on FIFAworldcup.com to nominate Cristiano Ronaldo (POR), Luis Valencia (ECU) and Lionel Messi (ARG), while the Technical Study Group has selected an additional trio of Lukas Podolski (GER), Tranquilo Barnetta (SUI) and Cesc Fabregas (ESP).

This shortlist of six has been whittled down from an original field of 40 young players. Since 9 June, readers have been able to vote for their favourite young player on FIFAworldcup.com, while the FIFA specialists have kept a close eye on the performances of the tournament's talented youngsters in their various matches. It is now time for the 14 members of the group to get together and decide the deserving winner, whose name will be revealed on 7 July.

This is the first year that FIFA has awarded the Gillette Best Young Player Trophy. Designed to reward the player born on or after 1 January 1985 who makes the biggest impression at the FIFA World Cup, the criteria for the award include style, charisma, fair play and appetite for the game, as well as pure technical skill.

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:slug:
[b] 2009 4th & Goal Dynasty League Champion!!!! [/b]
My Ultimate Fan Super Bowl: Cincinnati Bengals vs. Philadelphia Eagles

Ronaldo or Messi are my picks based on what the games I've seen. Messi's case would be MUCH stronger if he had been given more playing time.

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I'd have to say Ronaldo or Podolski.

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:slug:
[b] 2009 4th & Goal Dynasty League Champion!!!! [/b]
My Ultimate Fan Super Bowl: Cincinnati Bengals vs. Philadelphia Eagles

Cristiano Ronaldo is a diving little cheat. I can't stand the little bastard, he falls over anytime the wind blows. So there's no way in hell I would say he's the best young player, unless we are talking about acting, then I might be able to vote for him...so I guess I would have to go with Podolski...

Did I mention I don't much care for CR??? To think that he wears Cantona's and Best's 7 at ManU...sigh...

c. ronaldo is my pick

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10 team .5ppr league flex, standard scoring for 1qb,2rb,2wr,1flex,1te:

qb- RG3
rb- Run DMC, murray, mathews, spiller, moreno, b.brown
wr- Megatron, d.thomas, v-jax
te- hernandez, v.davis
k- bailey
def- streaming

ronaldo does flop a lot. it's funny reading about him crying about getting cheated. more like he tried to cheat and wasn't rewarded for it...

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I'd say Barnetta, Podolski or Valencia. Ronaldo flops, Cesc and Messi just didn't play enough,

I would vote Ronaldo off the island simply for that stupid little River Dance step-over move he does about 30 times a game in EPL play. It hasn’t worked yet, you little Michael Flatly loving bastage.

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Ronaldo. Not only because he's an excellent footballer(Flopping be damned. Don't knock him for it when every other soccer player acts like a bish too), but because he makes men and women alike melt at the very sight of him.

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Predraft, predraft, predraft.

He strives to be fast and sexy . . . much like Choo, your humble narrator.

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Ohhhhhh.

That's hot.

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Predraft, predraft, predraft.

Prince Poldi crowned Gillette Best Young Player
6 July 2006
by FIFAworldcup.com
The FIFA Technical Study Group has made its decision, bestowing Germany's Lukas Podolski with the coveted Gillette Best Young Player award. Selected from a shortlist of six talented nominees, the striker becomes the first Gillette Best Young Player award winner in the history of the FIFA World Cup™.
Germany enjoyed a thrilling FIFA World Cup journey on home soil, achieving a place in the semi-finals few felt confident of predicting before the tournament began. A joy to watch as they poured forward in attack, the hosts owed much of their success to the fearsome strike duo of Miroslav Klose and Podolski. Junior partner Podolski, at 21, was one of 40 candidates competing for the title of Gillette Best Young Player.
"I'm very honoured," said Podolski as he received the prize. "Of course this is a big motivation for myself to keep on improving in my career and to play a even better World Cup in four years' time even though I had hoped to take a different trophy home."
An integral part of Jurgen Klinsmann's starting line-up, 'Prince Poldi' already boasts a tally of 15 goals in 31 games for his country. An impressive haul for one so young, over the course of this FIFA World Cup Podolski has demonstrated time and time again that he thrives under pressure.

"He not only scored three goals, he was a key element in Germany's attack," explained Holger Osieck, Head of the FIFA Technical Study Group. "He showed a great understanding with Miroslav Klose and the two players formed a very effective partnership. Together, they netted eight of the Mannschaft's 11 goals."

The Polish-born German put in perhaps his strongest performance against Sweden in the Round of 16, firing in a brace to cap a display of tireless front-running. Facing Argentina in the quarter-finals, the youngster once again gave everything. The Bayern Munich-bound forward demonstrated real character in what was an extremely tight encounter, not least when he coolly converted from the spot during the penalty shoot-out.

Having scored against Ecuador in the first round, Podolski currently has three goals to his name and will be looking to bolster his account in the match for third place against Portugal on Saturday.

His youth may have caused him to snap at a few chances along the way, but ‘Poldi’ undoubtedly possesses remarkable maturity for a 21-year-old. However, his greatest attributes have to be his boundless energy and hunger for success. "Another factor we considered was how much playing-time he saw," added Osieck. "He started all the games and was only substituted after scoring twice against Sweden and right at the end of the Poland match."

Indeed, his statistics bear out his considerable contribution to the host nation's cause: in 563 minutes, Podolski struck three goals, took 21 shots and drew 15 fouls. "Our choices are based on hard facts and how a player performs at a given tournament, the World Cup in this case," concluded Osiek. "Podolski still has a lot to learn but he is clearly a player with a great future."




They made a good choice.

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:slug:
[b] 2009 4th & Goal Dynasty League Champion!!!! [/b]
My Ultimate Fan Super Bowl: Cincinnati Bengals vs. Philadelphia Eagles

Certainly deserved, an assist to Klose for those two goals against Sweden.

Yeah - Sweden was probably marking Klose, well, close , so he did the right thing and found the open player in Podoloski.
As the article said - they worked well together. Still takes timing to be in the right place as well as finish the shot well.

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:slug:
[b] 2009 4th & Goal Dynasty League Champion!!!! [/b]
My Ultimate Fan Super Bowl: Cincinnati Bengals vs. Philadelphia Eagles

good call, i think he deserved it. i'd have to say that ronaldo would be 2nd. his flopping does get on my nerves though

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