Sport

Torres relieving Gerard from the weight of Anfield

BY GEORGE KAGAME

The events at Anfield in recent weeks were just like Kigali’s weather, rain there was in some abundance but the storm clouds have, for the time being at least, most definitely cleared from over Liverpool.
It is hard to conceive after the travails of recent days that Liverpool remain unbeaten in the league and the assured manner with which they have stepped up to fourth place in the table last week (with a game in hand) allowing Rafael Benitez to revel in his present, rather than future, workforce and seriously aspire to bring back a certain piece of silverware which has been missing for 17 years. In their upward movement Liverpool have conceded fewer goals than the top four, United are warned.
All this change has had the name Fernando Torres inscribed all over that a certain Christiano Ronaldo should be worried as the Spanish superstar is currently emerging as a potential candidate for best Premiership player. Torres is supplying as effectively as he finishes and removing the weight of responsibility from Steven Gerrard, whose own form is slowly peaking to the level we all know already.

All said however, the biggest test for Liverpool will be against Manchester United come 16 December, where Torres will have to prove to the world who is the current king of the Premiership between him Tevez, and of course Ronaldo.
In a year missing the World Cup, European Championship only the European Champions’ league was the avenue through which the best players in the world showcased their talent. Kaka collected twice the number of votes than his closest competitor for the award-Christiano Ronaldo, while the prolific Messi was third.
Kaka was a key figure in Milan winning the UEFA Champions League last season, so was it a fully deserved award. Milan was reeling from the punishment from the fall out of Calciopoli in Italy.
The same three players are up for the World Player of the Year award. Kaka deserved this award because he dominated most of the high profile AC Milan played last season, especially single-handedly kicking Manchester United out of the champion’s league with two superb goals-that will remain long in the memory of Rio Ferdinand.
Ronaldo is a great player, but he only performs against smaller teams not the likes of AC Milan, Chelsea, or even Arsenal. Messi is an infant genius and will definitely win many more awards in the future.
In typical Kaka style, the Brazilian said he won the award because he plays in a winning team-AC Milan.
. 'That is the key. You have to play in a winning team.'

For this year's award, 96 journalists from around the world voted and the shortlist of 50 players featured players based in Argentina, Brazil, Mexico, the United States and Qatar.
The elegant Kaka is already the winner of the FIFPro world Player of the Year and UEFA European Club Player of the Year awards and is the big favourite for FIFA's World Player of the Year award to be announced later this month.

On another note, it is not just coincidence that the awards season is taking place at the same time with the draws season-the anticipation degree will extremely high in 2008, first comes the Africa Cup of nations where Drogba will have to justify whether he Africa’s best player. Meanwhile Italy will have to face France once again in the Euro 2008 finals that begin June.

Italy faces a tough task if they are to add the European title to their world crown after being grouped with the Netherlands, France and Romania in the finals of Euro 2008 on Sunday.