Kaka, Iraq Emerge winners

LONDON - AC Milan star Kaka looks set to collect a sweep of player of the year awards after scooping more than 50 per cent of the votes in the annual poll conducted by the respected magazine World Soccer, whose readers also gave Iraq the team prize. Kaka, who is the hot favourite to pick up the FIFA player of the year award on Monday and already won European soccer's Golden Ball, finished way ahead of his rivals in a poll of the magazine's readers.

The Brazilian received 52.8 per cent of the votes ahead of Barcelona's Lionel Messi (17.6) and Manchester United's Cristiano Ronaldo (16.0). Messi won the young player award ahead of Arsenal's Cesc Fabregas.

The biggest surprise in the poll was Iraq winning the vote for world team of the year.

Winner of the Asian Cup in July, the Iraqi team not only overcame stronger teams but also achieved the triumph against a background of chaos and tragedy back home in its war-torn country.

Iraq edged Milan, which won the Champions League for its seventh triumph in European soccer's most prestigious competition, with two-time UEFA Cup winner Sevilla a distant third.

Manchester United's Alex Ferguson captured the coach of the year award after leading the Red Devils to their ninth Champions League title in 15 years. Ferguson edged Juande Ramos, who won back-to-back UEFA Cup titles with Sevilla before moving on to Tottenham.

Record Win for Liverpool

English giants Liverpool registered a record win in he Champions League group stage, thrashing sorry Besiktas 8-0 in their clash at Anfield.
“The Reds” showed no stage fright whatsoever in a must-win match as led by a hat-trick by Yossi Benayoun, they trod all over a side they lost to a fortnight ago and kept themselves in with a fighting chance of making it to the knockout stage.
While Benayoun took the scoring honors of the night’s Champions League action, the seemingly ageless 34-yr old Italian forward Filippo Inzaghi went level with Gerd “Das Bomber” Muller in the history of the European cup scoring charts as his double in the 3-0 away win for AC Milan over Ukrainian outfit Shakthar Donetsk liftem him to 62 goals.

UEFA to examine Dida catastrophe

It’s not that unfamiller to recognize fans running onto the football pitch to get at opposition players. Indeed, incidents such as fans charging on to physically assault the payers have become quite common in Argentina and even Italy in current years. Horrifying as the entire phenomenon may seem, it’s an almost unnecessary part of the football culture.

But it’s strictly forbidden by FIFA rules, whether for bad or for good, that a player paybacks whenever such incidents occur. A footballer is said to maintain the decency, decorum and sportsmanship spirit during a football match.

In this context AC Milan goalkeeper Dida’s shameful and truly bizarre act to follow the Glasgow Celtic fan who hit him during the side’s UEFA Champions League clash last week is against the law. It was his flair towards the fan and then the dramatic collapse that has forced UEFA to initiate an investigation into the fiasco and even a charge has been leveled both at Dida and AC Milan.

What happened on Wednesday evening at Celtic Park would go down into the annals of football history as an occurrence worthy of being selected for an Oscar. Immediate to the eventual winning goal for Celtic scored by Scott McDonald deep into injury time, a Celtic fan rushed onto the pitch and hit Dida. The Milan goalkeeper then gave chase but after moments later fell onto the football feild like parchment. Then a sustitute was sent for him.

The Celtic fan has since been forbidden for life although the Scottish club’s website refused to recognize the culprit. Dida’s role in the incident has been higly ridiculed by the football fans and this time UEFA has decided to open disciplinary hearing against the 34-year old Brazilian international.

Milan manager Carlo Ancelotti has defended his player and has asked for mercy. He says that Dida’s past record is clean and the one-off reckless act on Wednesday should be forgiven. Dida was also at the receiving side of a firecracker during Milan’s Champions League, quarter-final match against Inter Milan at the San Siro stadium in 2005.

UEFA’s investigation is on the creteria of Article 5 of its disciplinary rules and regulations. The step interpreted by UEFA, probe into the whole incident, is admirable, but it is likely that both Milan and Dida would be pardoned off with a rebuke and a few thousand dollars fine.