JMM » Discussions » amazing what Messi and Ronaldo

  • Posted August 7, 2019
    LONDON - Lionel Messi and Barcelona beat Cristiano Ronaldo and Real Madrid to top the Associated Press Global Football 10 on Tuesday. Mike Piazza Mets Jersey .Both Messi and Ronaldo scored hat tricks at the weekend and, despite Ronaldo setting a Spanish league record with his 23rd treble, Messi takes the leading player honours after propelling Barcelona to a 5-1 victory against Espanyol.Ronaldos goals led Real to a 3-0 triumph against Celta Vigo, its 18th straight win in all competitions, equaling a record set by Barcelona in 2005-06.Its really amazing what Messi and Ronaldo are doing now, with hat tricks seemingly every week, Tom Timmermann of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch in the United States said.Fellow voter Aurelio Capaldi of RAI Sport in Italy believes Messi edges Ronaldo because Barcelona had to come from behind to secure its win over Espanyol.Espanyol took the lead in Barcelonas derby and the 5-1 victory for Luis Enriques men has a lot to do with the Argentinian genius, Capaldi said. Even if the score is eloquent, Im not sure Barcelona would have won without Messi.Newcastle striker Papiss Cisse is third after scoring twice as his side beat Chelsea 2-1, handing the Premier League leader its first loss this season.The result places Newcastle fourth in the team vote this week, behind Bayern Munich.I am always impressed by how solid Chelsea has been this season, Ubiratan Leal of trivela.com in Brazil said. I cant help myself but recognize the value of the first team to beat them.Bundesliga leader Bayern secured a 1-0 win over Bayer Leverkusen with the decisive goal from Franck Ribery, who is seventh in this weeks player vote.Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting enters the poll in fourth, after also scoring a hat trick. His three goals came for Schalke in its 4-0 win over Stuttgart.Premier League champion Manchester City is fifth, after it took advantage of Chelseas slip with two wins against Sunderland and Everton in the Premier League and closed the gap between the two sides to three points.Spanish champion Atletico Madrid is one place behind after it beat Elche 2-0, and West Ham enters this weeks poll in seventh after beating Swansea 3-1 in the Premier League on Sunday.West Ham currently occupies fourth place in the Premier League, and its victory over Swansea was spearheaded by two goals from Andy Carroll, who is sixth in the player vote.The London club received three more votes than Manchester United, which won 2-1 at Southampton on Monday thanks to a double from striker Robin van Persie to continue its resurgence with a fifth straight win.Van Persie is another entrant in this weeks top 10 players, taking eighth spot.Zlatan Ibrahimovic is fifth after his double in a 2-1 comeback win against Nantes saw Paris Saint-Germain remain a point behind leader Marseille.PSG is 10th in the poll this week thanks to the victory.AP Global Football 10:Players:1. Lionel Messi, 143 points.2. Cristiano Ronaldo, 131.3. Papiss Cisse, 90.4. Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting, 81.5. Zlatan Ibrahimovic, 76.6. Andy Carroll, 54.7. Franck Ribery, 53.8. Robin van Persie, 47.9. Mario Mandzukic, 37.10. Sergio Aguero, 31.Teams:1. Barcelona, 131.2. Real Madrid, 123.3. Bayern Munich, 92.4. Newcastle, 87.5. Manchester city, 65.6. Atletico Madrid, 53.7. West Ham, 45.8. Manchester United, 42.9. Genoa, 37.10. Paris Saint-Germain, 33. Darryl Strawberry Jersey . Hes just beginning to get similar results. The right-hander struggled after winning the honour in 2008 and 2009, but a retooling of his game has begun to pay off and has the San Francisco Giants thinking about the Lincecum of old. Wilson Ramos Jersey . Minutes after the previously winless Colts got their first win, 27-13 over Tennessee, team vice chairman Bill Polian said the four-time league MVP will not play this season though he has begun throwing to teammates at the team complex.BROOKLYN - As the Raptors opening round series shifts back into quasi must-win territory on Sunday, their playoff lives could rest on the shoulders of a 23-year-old sophomore, who is already having a tough time adjusting to the pressure of his first postseason. Through three games with the Nets, Toronto has yet to play its best basketball, the easiest explanation for their 2-1 series deficit. Its under-performing starting small forward, Terrence Ross, has been a primary factor. Stepping in for the traded Rudy Gay early in the season, Ross played an under-appreciated role in the Raptors turnaround and push to the playoffs. From Dec. 8 onwards, the second-year guard-turned-forward averaged 12.2 points, nearly doubling his pre-trade scoring mark while logging an addition 10 minutes a night. He shot the three-ball at an impressive 40 per cent clip and became Torontos most relied upon perimeter defender. Since making his playoff debut a week ago, Ross has looked like a fish out of water. Despite starting all three games and playing an average of 21 minutes, hes hit just three of his 16 jumpers while looking overwhelmed on defence against Brooklyns bigger, more physical wing players. Overall, the Raptors have gotten just 4.7 points per game from the small forward position, good for last among the NBAs 16 playoff teams by a wide margin. With Fridays 102-98 loss in the back of his mind, Dwane Casey wouldnt rule out the possibility of a lineup change for Sundays crucial Game 4. "Were still going to look at that," Casey said following a Saturday afternoon practice on the campus of a nearby university in New York City. "The decision hasnt been made but we will look at it. Right now we dont want to do anything drastic." "Its not panic time, but we do have to look at that position and get more productivity out of that spot." Its been the most problematic conundrum Casey has had to wrestle with in this series. The Raptors do not have an easy answer for Joe Johnsons unique combination of size, strength and finesse. The Nets crafty veteran - listed at 6-foot-7, 240 lbs - has had Torontos number in nearly every facet of the game. He can beat you from midrange, post-up smaller players and hes deadly from beyond the arc. "We have been double teaming him and blitzing him and hes been getting a lot of his [points] in those one-on-one situations," Casey pointed out. Defensively, Landry Fields has had the most individual success against Johnson. Casey turned to the sparingly used forward in Game 2, a well-received lineup adjustment that helped neutralize Johnson in the fourth quarter and spark Torontos comeback victory. Johnson would go on to lead the Nets with 29 points in Fridays Game 3 but was held scoreless, missing both of his shots, in seven first-half minutes with Fields guarding him. However, Fields was limited to just eight minutes in the loss. This time the Nets had prepared for him. Anticipating his reluctance to shoot, Brooklyn used Fields defender to apply even more pressure to DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry. With Jonas Valanciunas in foul trouble, Fields shared the floor with Tyler Hansbrough - another player the defence can afford to overlook - and the Raptors offencce took an immediate hit. Gary Carter Jersey. "Its give and take," Casey said in regards to utilizing Fields in this series. "You sacrifice some offence for defence. I thought he did a heck of a job [defensively] but you do suffer in your spacing." John Salmons returned to the rotation, scoring four points in 12 minutes on Friday after sitting out in Game 2. The 35-year-old has battled lingering back pain while struggling with his jumper. He too has been exposed by Johnson. "Weve got to find ways to get them the ball," Casey said of Fields and Salmons. "Whether its cutting, screening, running the floor, so that we get something from that spot [and] they cant just load up and go 5-on-4 at the defensive end. We want to make sure we do get something offensively out of that position." Their best chance is to get Ross going. Fields moves well without the ball and gives you consistent effort on defence, Salmons brings a certain veteran savvy that has been useful in the past but Ross - when right - is the two-way contributor Toronto desperately needs to gain the upper hand in this series. For the young Ross, boosting his confidence could be the key to unleashing the natural ability he has displayed throughout his second season. It could be something as simple as seeing an early shot fall, getting a big first-quarter stop or throwing down one of his trademark slam dunks. "Hes still the same Terrence," DeRozan said Saturday. "We all understand everybodys not going to have their best night [all the time]. We all understand that. Our job is to keep everybodys confidence high." Through three playoff games, Ross and fellow sophomore Jonas Valanciunas - who leads the Raptors in turnovers - have the worst +/- on the team. Toronto has allowed 24 more points than its scored with Ross on the floor, outscored by 21 with Valanciunas on the floor. The Raptors are the only playoff team to feature two second-year players in their starting lineup. Their inexperience and overall importance to the future of this franchise is largely responsible for the leash theyve been given. "If they werent young guys, if that wasnt our future, our direction, they probably wouldnt be in there with some of the mistakes theyre making," Casey admitted. "But, theyre our guys. Theyve got to learn, its their first playoffs. I expect most of their mistakes. Were going to ride with them in those situations." "Its tougher, but a big part of the reason were here is because of their play. Im not blind to the fact they are our future and the only way were going to learn is to go through it. The amount of time might be a little shorter, but theyve got to get out there." Regardless of his role, Ross will continue to play. Yes, win or lose this is a valuable learning experience for the 23-year-old but more than anything else, Casey knows how quickly the complexion of this series could change if Ross shots begin to fall. For Ross, the player, that would mean more confidence and likely a more engaged defensive effort, even if he cant guard Johnson one-on-one. For the team it could aid their spacing, take the pressure off Lowry and DeRozan and breathe life into their suffocating offence. ' ' '