Barça Acquire Dani Alves, Strengthen Right Side

In what may be the most significant transfer of this season, FC Barcelona has secured the services of Sevilla fullback and Brazilian international Daniel Alves. Despite being under contract until 2012, the multi-talented Alves, who shed tears at his Sevilla farewell, had previously stated that he’d like to explore the options available to him with larger, more prominent clubs. On July 2, Alves was transferred to Barcelona for a €29 million ($45.8 million) fee, with an additional €6 million payment possible based on certain performance-related factors, making him the world’s most expensive right back. Alves is the second Sevilla man to join FC Barcelona this summer, joining midfielder Seydou Keita, who was acquired in May.

Daniel Alves is among the most multi-dimensional defenders in world football, not only able to play his own right back position, but also capable of doubling as an attacking winger. Also, Alves has been more than just an individual standout- he’s been a vital member of successful teams. With Alves playing a key role, Sevilla won the 2006 and 2007 UEFA Cup championships (Alves was the UEFA Cup MVP in 2006) and the 2007 Copa del Rey. In addition to his club successes, Daniel Alves has won at the international level as well.

On July 15, in Brazil title-clinching 3-0 victory over Argentina in the 2007 Copa America final, his versatility was on full display. In just his ninth international appearance for his country, Alves not only assisted on one of Brazil’s first half goals, he capped off a beautiful second half run down the right side to put the game out of reach with a powerful strike to the far post.

Given his versatility and beautiful style of play, Alves is an ideal fit at the Nou Camp for two reasons. First, teaming Alves with Carlos Puyol in defense, as well as the likes of Xavi and Andres Iniesta in the midfield and Lionel Messi in attack (these two could be very special together), should give Barcelona the most talented unit in La Liga. Second, Alves’ affinity for attacking football personifies Barça’s beautiful approach to the game, and will allow him to seamlessly fit with his new club. Following last season’s monstrosity, Dani Alves will help FC Barcelona return to playing the aesthetically pleasing brand of football that, for many years, has brought smiles to face of Barcelona fans worldwide, who crave not only victory, but beautiful football.

What Does Keita Signing Mean for Yaya?

Pursuing quality in the transfer window is never a poor strategy, but the recent addition of Sevilla’s Seydou Keita to the Barcelona midfield begs an obvious question- What about Yaya?

Yaya Toure joined FC Barcelona from AS Monaco in June 2007 for a transfer fee of approximately €9 million ($14 million), and provided a solid presence in the Barça midfield, showcasing himself as a player with box-to-box range on the pitch. With his quality at just 25 years of age, combined with his ideal physique for a defensive midfielder, it’s not an exaggeration to say that he will soon be among the world’s best defensive midfielders. As such, there’s little doubt that he would generate considerable interest on the open market.

Why explore this issue now? With the €14 million addition of Seydou Keita to the Barcelona midfield, Yaya Toure’s future role with the club has become somewhat unclear. With precious few exceptions, the disastrous finish to last season, particularly in attack (just 4 goals in 8 games in April and a humiliating 4-1 loss to Real Madrid on May 7) has called everyone’s contribution into question and created a heightened sense of urgency in the boardroom, and may result in Yaya finding himself as the odd man out.

With the reigns now in the hands of Nou Camp legend Pep Guardiola, there’s sure to be a focus on bolstering the attack and erasing the memories of last season’s disappointing performances. To that end, Keita could be beneficial to Barcelona, having averaged a goal in every 10.5 league games over the course of his career (24 in 251 appearances since 1999). However, a more accurate indication of his influence in attack, we should calculate the same figure since 2002, given the dramatic improvement in his goal scoring since that time. Since 2002, Keita has appeared in 187 league games (156 for Lens, 31 for Sevilla) and scored 23 goals, or one goal for every 8.1 league appearances, an impressive tally for a defensive midfielder. Using the same measure to examine Yaya Toure’s goal production reveals that he’s scored 15 times in his 174 career league games, or once every 11.6 appearances.

Is this much ado about nothing? Perhaps, but it’s important to remember that a bruised ego is sometimes the most damaging injury that a team can suffer. To be fair, there’s been no indication that Yaya is the least bit alienated by the signing of Keita, but the fact that both men will be competing for the same minutes on the pitch suggests that, sooner or later, someone will be dissatisfied with his role on the pitch.

However, until that happens, if it ever does, Barcelona will enjoy embarrassment of riches, with not one, but two world-class options at the defensive midfield position.

Barcelona Sign Sevilla's Keita

On Monday, the transfer of Seydou Keita from Sevilla to FC Barcelona was completed as he signed a 4-year contract (which is said to have a €90 million buy-out clause), with Barcelona believed to have paid Keita's buy-out clause of €14 million to Sevilla. Seydou Keita, cousin of Juventus’ Momo Sissoko, is Barça’s first signing for the 2008-09 season, and is expected to shore up the midfield.

Upon joining the club Keita said “For everybody, Barça is a great club, a team everyone wants to play for. I was lucky enough to come to Spain with Sevilla, which is also a great club, a club that gave me everything and helped me grow. Now I’m in Barcelona and I’m very happy but I’m very grateful to all the Sevilla directors and to the fans, who have always supported me. But in life you have to make choices. I’m sad to leave Sevilla, but at the same time I’m very happy to sign for Barcelona, because it’s an option that you can’t turn down even though you’ve had everything at Sevilla. The truth is I’m very happy to be here because it’s what I’ve always wanted”.

Keita began his professional career in France, spending three season with Olympique de Marseille and FC Lorient, before moving on to Lens for five season, where he ascended to the captaincy and truly broke out as a world-class player. Keita scored 19 goals in 156 games, peaking in 2006-2007, when he scored 11 goals in 37 games, and emerged as one of the premier players in France. In July 2007, Keita was sold to Sevilla, with whom he signed a four-year contract (is there a bigger joke in world football today than these “contracts”). In 31 league games for Sevilla, Keita played fantastically and managed to score four goals, adding another in a Champions League victory over Arsenal, putting him on the radar of several top European clubs.

Recipe for a Classic

In about ten minutes (2:45pm Eastern Time), at Old Trafford in Manchester, FC Barcelona will take the pitch against Premier League giants Manchester United in the second leg of their UEFA Champions League semifinal. The teams played to a 0-0 draw in the first leg at the Nou Camp in Barcelona last week. While Man United will be looking to get back on track for the EPL-Champions League double, after an extremely ill-timed defeat at Chelsea in league play this past weekend, while for Barcelona, this afternoon represents one of the two (potentially) remaining matches that could save this season from being considered anything other than a total failure.

Thanks in part to the home field advantage of Old Trafford, and in part to Barcelona’s inconsistent and subpar (that’s being very generous) play this season, Sir Alex Ferguson ’s United side come into this matchup as the heavy favorite. As usual, leading them into the match will be the world’s best player, Cristiano Ronaldo, not to mention the complete embarrassment of riches that makes up the rest of the club’s roster ( Wayne Rooney, Carlos Tevez, Anderson, Nani, Rio Ferdinand and Owen Hargreaves, just to name a few). Make no mistake, most (if not all) logical assessments of what’s likely to happen in this match conclude in a ManU victory. However, it may not be that easy!

Despite their difficulties in depositing the ball into the net this season, and the fact that they will battle United without Ronaldinho, there is absolutely no questioning the firepower that Barcelona brings to this match: from one of the world’s truly transcendent talents in Lionel Messi, to their supremely talented duo of strikers, Samuel Eto’o and Thierry Henry (who has played many a big game in the UK), to a pair of gifted, if yet unproven teenagers in search of a big stage on which to burst onto the world scene (Bojan Krkic and Giovanni), not to mention the talents of midfield playmakers Xavi and Andres Iniesta and the return (from suspension) of captain Carlos Puyol. Even without Ronaldinho (and probably Deco), there is simply too much talent on the Barcelona roster for this side not to accidentally hit its stride for a match or two- and possibly just as frightening as the thought of playing this side when they are in form is the thought of having to contend with them when they are so obviously overdue for a game in which they fulfill they rather great potential.

The 0-0 aggregate score is another factor working in Barcelona’s favor, as the lack of an away goal will likely influence United’s tactical plan. While ManU will undoubtedly be playing to win this semifinal outright and avoid penalty kicks, the home side will be equally concerned with keeping Barça off the scoreboard, as even one goal scored by the visitors will put United in the extremely uncomfortable position of having to score two goals of their own, while making sure not to concede again. Against this backdrop, Barcelona is in a position to play a defensive-but-wide-open style of game this afternoon, as even falling behind United by a one-goal margin will not be disastrous, since the equalizer (provided they can find it) would in fact be the game-winning goal.

So there you have it. One game, two of the world’s most offensively talented clubs, on one of world football’s great stages, both with a very strong incentive to score– is that any good? Sit back and enjoy!

The Future Has Arrived

There’s some thing special happening at the Nou Camp. Something Once-In-A-Generation special.

Lionel Messi, one of football’s all-time great prodigies, is not only adding his name to short list of top-tier superstars in today’s game, he looks poised to enter football lore as this generation’s transcendent star. To watch him make the incredible seem mundane is to know that you are watching greatness. Messi’s game does not feature the step-overs and theatrics that we’ve come to see from the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Ronaldinho. His greatness is defined by a combination of speed, agility, maneuverability, and ball control that only comes around once in a generation.

Going back to the mid-20^th Century, roughly once every decade, a phenomenal talent whose star outshines those of his contemporaries emerges. In the 1940s and 50s it was another Argentine, Alfredo Di Stefano of Real Madrid and River Plate; the 1960s belonged to the legendary Pele; Johan Cruyff dominates the 1970s for Ajax and FC Barcelona; the 1980s brought the brilliance of Messi’s countryman, Diego Maradona; and the 1990s and early-21^st Century brought the greatness of Zinedine Zidane. More than any other player in the world today, Lionel Messi has the look of world football’s next legend.

At just 20 years of age, with just 90 senior level matches under his belt (75 for FC Barcelona, 15 for Argentina), Lionel Messi has cemented himself among football’s most electrifying players. He is often compared to Argentine legend Diego Maradona, not the least of these comparisons coming from Diego Armando Maradona himself. His Argentina side won the 2005 FIFA Under-20 World Cup (Messi was both top scorer in the tournament and named its most outstanding player), he is the youngest Argentine to appear (and score) in the World Cup, he’s played 3 seasons of top-flight club football in Spain with FC Barcelona, having scored 32 goals in 75 games with the club (including 6 goals in 6 games so far this season), he is the youngest goal scorer in Barcelona’s history and the owner of two Primera Liga winner’s medals as well as a European Champions’ League winner’s medal. He has been named 2005 Argentine Player of the Year and 2006 Young Player of the Year by both World Soccer magazine and FIFPro. In June 2007, he won the EFE Trophy, awarded to the top Ibero-American (Spain, Portugal, Mexico, Central and South America) player in Spain.

Did I mention that until June 24, he was still a teenager?

While his resume compares favorably to any 20-year-old footballer in history not named Pele, the true magic of Lionel Messi’s game cannot be quantified. It’s even difficult to put into words. What makes him so special? The way the ball sticks to his feet? The way he slithers through, and flies past, world-class defenders, making them look like their stuck in cement? The way he always seems to make the right decision at just the right moment? Yes… but there’s more.

Maybe it’s his size, or rather, his lack of size that makes him relatable to average fan. Due to a growth hormone deficiency, he stands just 5’7” tall and weighs about 140 lbs., but his abilities command the attention of every defender on the field. His counterparts, not to mention his own uniform, which often appears several sizes too big for him, dwarf him, but he never seems overmatched. It’s as though the football gods thought it unfair to couple his otherworldly speed and skill with an imposing physique.

He commands the attention of everyone watching, from opposing defenders to television viewers thousands of miles away. Whether he’s playing for a championship or in a preseason exhibition, Lionel Messi not only lives up to the hype, he exceeds it. From his hat trick on March 10 against Real Madrid (the first in a Barça-Real match since 1994-95), to his awe-inspiring, Maradona-like goal against Getafe in the Copa del Rey semifinal, to his two goal performance in Barça’s must-win season finale against Gimnastic, Messi seizes the big moments in a way that only the truly special ones do, often in spectacular fashion.

All this before his 20th birthday.

This past summer, while playing for Team Argentina in the 2007 Copa America tournament, Lionel Messi continued his run of outstanding play, establishing himself as the premiere talent in Latin American football. Despite Robinho’s goal scoring binge for Brazil en route to the tournament title, and the presence of top-class talents like Juan Roman Riquelme and Carlos Tevez on his own star-studded Argentina side, Messi established himself as the must-see star of the tournament.

Now, just over a month into the 2007-08 season in Spain, it is obvious that Messi has not only picked up where he left off last season, he’s taken his game to all new heights, occasionally delivering plays that seem to take the game to its highest elevation. From his first goal of the young La Liga season, an awe-inspiring combination of a flick and volley that left Sevilla keeper Andres Palop frozen in his tracks, to his amazing two-goals-in-six-minutes at the start of Barcelona’s match against Real Zaragoza just four days later, Messi’s play early in the La Liga season has emphatically sent the message that the future of football has arrived.

Despite my best efforts, it’s impossible to describe the nature of a feeling. One can only comprehend what separates Lionel Messi from his peers by watching him play. Only then does it become apparent that the smallest player in the game is its biggest star.

2007-08 La Liga Preview

We’re just four days from the kick-off of the 2007-08 Spanish La Liga season with the Madrid Derby at the Bernabéu, between Atlético Madrid and defending La Liga champions Real Madrid. There will be no shortage of storylines in Spain this coming season- From Barcelona’s spending spree, to the end of the “Galacticos” era at Real Madrid, to the departure of Fernando Torres from the only club he’s ever known, Atlético Madrid.

In the interest of full disclosure, I don’t know if should really be attempting a true La Liga preview. I must question my own ability to remain truly objective, as I am a huge fan of FC Barcelona, a title that carries with it certain implied biases and rivalries that are not easily put aside. With that said, I will do my best to look ahead and give you my thoughts on what to expect from the coming season in La Liga (by the way, Real Madrid will NOT repeat as champions!). Anyway, some thoughts on how the season will play out:

Who will represent the La Liga in the Champions League? FC Barcelona, Atlético Madrid, Valencia, Real Madrid (In order). Coming off a heartbreaking season in which the club failed to win a major competition, and, following several weeks of lackluster play, fumbled away the league title on the season’s final day, Barcelona enters the 2007-08 season as the class of La Liga- not only in terms of talent on the pitch, but in terms of the players’ motivation to atone for their fans’ disappointment. With additions of Thierry Henry, defenders Eric Abidal and Gabriel Milito and defensive midfielder Yaya Toure, as well as the pre-season emergence of 18 year-old Mexican prospect Giovanni Dos Santos, Barcelona has retooled its already formidable squad which includes, among others, world-class striker Samuel Eto’o, perennial Player of the Year candidate Ronaldinho and the world’s top young player, Lionel Messi. Look for Barcelona to take no chances with the La Liga title this season. Atlético Madrid heads up the next tier of contenders in Spain. Despite losing star striker Fernando Torres to Liverpool this summer, the club has added a number of influential players, led by striker Diego Forlán (look for big things from him!), Benfica forward Simão Sabrosa and former Arsenal and Real Madrid man Jose Antonio Reyes. Atlético Madrid spent the proceeds of the Torres sale wisely and should be one of La Liga’s top clubs this season. Next, we have Valencia, who added talented Racing Santander striker Nikola Zigic to an attack that already boasts the likes of David Silva and Fernando Morientes, not mention all-world Spanish striker, David Villa. Real Madrid will be the recipient of La Liga’s final Champions League spot because, well, I guess the defending champions deserve to be shown some level of respect (although don’t be surprised if Sevilla takes this spot!). After a summer of Jose Calderon’s shameless tampering, artificially linking the club to everyone from AC Milan ’s Kaká to Premiership stars Cristiano Ronaldo and Cesc Fabregas, Real enters the season with Ajax midfielder Wesley Sneijder, former Barcelona striker Javier Saviola and Roberto Soldado to show for its transfer window activity. The final days of the transfer period could also see the arrival of Chelsea’s Arjen Robben at the Bernabéu. Make no mistake, Real Madrid has succeeded in bringing in some quality players this summer, but it seems somehow anticlimactic. Think of it this way- no matter how nice, a brand new BMW doesn’t seem all that special when you’ve been running around screaming about how you’re planning on buying a Ferrari.

Who will be the top player in La Liga at season’s end? Ronaldinho. Despite turning in the second-best goal-scoring season of his of his career (best in terms of league goals), Ronaldinho didn’t regularly control games with the spectacular, virtuoso performances that have been his trademark. Whether last season’s drop-off in form was the result of fatigue or complacency, a well-rested and highly motivated Ronaldinho will be on a mission to regain his throne as the world’s best footballer.

Which player will take his game to another level in 2007-08? Lionel Messi. This will be its own article in the very near future, but it bears mentioning here that, more than any young player in the game, Lionel Messi has the potential to break into the Pele/Maradona class. He’s one of the most electrifying players in world football, and he possesses “it”- the ability to identify his genius and to maximize it. He may be the best player on the planet within six months. Oh, by the way, consider this: he stand all of 5’7”, weighs about 140 pounds and just turned 20 years-old in June. Amazing.

Which new acquisition will make the biggest positive impact for his club? Diego Forlán. One of the top players in the 2007 Copa America and a deadly striker in his days at Villarreal, Forlán will make an immediate impact on the Madrid attack this season. Since he doesn't have to adjust to playing in a new country or a new league, the Uruguayan striker could potentially exceed all of the production that the club lost with the sale of Fernando Torres this season- at just 2/3 the price.

Which new acquisition is most likely to disappoint his new club? Luis Garcia. A frustrating talent. Luis Garcia has the ability to be a world-class striker, but his inconsistent play on the ball and propensity for losing possession have always stood in the way of his excellent skill. At age 29, he undoubtedly has time to reverse this reputation, but by that age it can be argued that you are what you are. His talent will create expectations, but his inconsistency will create disappointment.

Whose departure will be the most damaging to his former club? David Beckham. This has as much, if not more, to do with Beckham’s fame, aura and persona, as it does with his on the field production. Un the day of his move to Real Madrid four years ago, it was reported that approximately $1 million worth of the teams merchandise was sold- that day! Additionally, Real Madrid sold over $600 million worth of merchandise in his four years at the club, a good chunk of that attributed to his commercial appeal. Real Madrid is the New York Yankees of Spain, where star power and persona are as big a part of the team’s presence as trophies and championships. Plus, they’re going to need to keep their revenues up in order to finance their next generation of huge-dollar purchases. With all of that said, it’s important to point out that the club didn’t start its charge to top of the La Liga table until Beckham was reinserted into the line-up- and, frankly, he played really well down the stretch! That’s not to say that he the sole reason for the club’s league title, but he certainly did provide them with a spark.

Who could exceed expectations and be a pleasant surprise? Sevilla. Coming off their defeat of Real Madrid in the Spanish Supercopa, the two-time defending UEFA Cup champions, and winners of the 2007 Copa Del Rey, have the look of a side that could exceed expectations and finish #2 or #3 in La Liga. With Freddie Kanoute and Luis Fabiano in attack and former Ajax winger Tom de Mul in midfield, Sevilla could pose a serious threat to the traditional La Liga powers. Also, despite he stated desire to play for a bigger club, the lack of a deal (for now) to sell star right-back Daniel Alves means that he could be around until the January transfer window, if not all season. His attacking style of play from a defensive position would give the club a big boost.

Who will be the La Liga’s biggest disappointment? Real Madrid. Despite a spectacular season in attack from Ruud Van Nistelrooy, the return (as always) of captain Raúl, and the ready-to-break-out Brazilian star Robinho, Real Madrid has not improved and retooled like their fellow contenders in Spain. Standing pat while those around you improve is akin to regressing. Yeah, there’s still talent here, yeah they are still “Real friggin’ Madrid”, but don’t look now, other Spanish teams (beyond just Barcelona) have some money too and they are splashing it around at a clip previously reserved for only Real and Barca. Not only is this club is unlikely to challenge for the La Liga crown, they may have to fight for their Champions League spot.

Analogize This!

One of my goals is to contribute in some small way to the growth in popularity of soccer (or “football” everywhere else in the world) in the United States. True as it may be, pointing out that soccer is the world’s most popular game in every country other the United States is a little tired.

Rather than focus on why Americans don’t look at soccer the way most Europeans do, let’s look at some similarities between sports and celebrity culture in the two regions. Both Europeans and Americans love sports and, by extension, the superstar athletes that play them. We are so fascinated by sports figures that details of their daily dealings regularly extend beyond the sports section and spill onto the front page and the tabloids. Despicable as he is, O.J. Simpson is not the first person in America to brutally kill people (allegedly). Kobe Bryant was not the first American man to have his named dragged through the mud by an avaricious woman. And yet we care. Deeply. We tune in for low-speed chases, watch 10-second clips of arraignments and “news” conferences that are little more than a series of clichés without any real content. We watch and we care. Why? Because anything we see from these people away from the field of play gives us a window into a party that we are simply not invited to, but desperately want to crash.

I watch ESPN and I’ve see the competitive lumberjacking, the World Series of Dominoes and competitive eating, but I cannot find a score to the Barcelona or Arsenal match to save my life. I can’t help but wonder why. America love sports, celebrities, and to exploit the resources of other countries! How is it that our national interest in these pastimes has not crossed over into soccer? Stars of the “beautiful game” are celebrated to a degree that American athletes cannot begin to imagine. Ronaldinho, Brazilian superstar, champion at FC Barcelona, and the best player in the world, receives the same treatment that Brett Favre does in Green Bay, WI, only on an international scale. It doesn’t have to be a slow news day in Barcelona for fans to know what he had for lunch! We dig this stuff!

The sport of soccer, as well as its great players past and present is not significantly different from those that Americans have followed so closely for generations. International soccer has produced countless compelling storylines over the decades:

• Pele (Brazil) & Michael Jordan (Chicago Bulls)- Simply put, these are the most perfect players to grace the field of play in each of their respective games. In terms of individual brilliance, highlight reel performances and team successes, they are in a class by themselves. When it comes to global fame and recognition however, consider this: A 1967 visit form Pele brought a two day ceasefire to Civil War in Nigeria. Until Michael Jordan mere presence halts a war, not even MJ can relate to life on Planet Pele.

• Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal/ Manchester United) & Kobe Bryant (Los Angeles Lakers)- Both Kobe and Man U’s Cristiano Ronaldo are as talented as anyone in sports, accused, sometimes unfairly, of being excessively flashy and consumed with showing off their own individual skills. Hell, each was even accused (but never tried or convicted) of sexual assault in a hotel. Each brings amazing speed, quickness, and a flair for the spectacular to the game. Also, each has had a public conflict with a high profile teammate- Kobe’s well-publicized feud with Shaq and Ronaldo’s World Cup spat with England’s Wayne Rooney (his Man U teammate), which has since blown over. Selfish or not, these guys are overflowing with talent! The world's best at their respective games, Kobe and Cristiano Ronaldo are “Laugh out loud and text your buddies” good!

• Diego Maradona (Argentina) & Lawrence Taylor (New York Giants)- Two of the most talented players in the history of sports- both had several, and frequent, run-ins with cocaine (young, rich and famous in the 80s). What would these guys have done if they had never been introduced to cocaine? We’ll never know, but we do know that even with it, Maradona single-handedly won the 1986 World Cup for Argentina and became one of the two greatest players in soccer history and LT won 2 Super Bowls with the Giants and completely revolutionized the linebacker position.

• Johan Cruyff (Netherlands/Ajax/FC Barcelona) & Julius Erving (Philadelphia 76ers)- A pair of hard-luck heroes, each dominating in the 1970s and considered the greatest player of his generation. Unfortunately, each followed the "greatest ever" in his sport and preceded another "greatest ever". Cruyff preceded Argentine legend Diego Maradona and followed Pele, the King of international soccer. Dr. J’s dominance came on the heels of the Russell-Chamberlain era, was overshadowed by the Magic-Bird rivalry of the 1980s and came to an end as Michael Jordan (who patterned his game after Erving) was beginning to take off.

• George Best (Northern Ireland/ Manchester United) and “Pistol” Pete Maravich (New Orleans/Utah Jazz)- The most haunting comparison on this list. Two supremely talented, dazzling blurs on the field of play. Each man lived fast and fought his own lengthy battle with alcoholism. Each passed away prematurely. "Pistol" Pete Maravich died on January 5, 1988 from an existing heart condition; George Best, one of England's most transcendent and mythical players, died on November 25, 2005 from complications stemming from a liver transplant.

• Franz Beckenbauer (Germany/Bayern Munich) and Larry Bird (Boston Celtics)- Consummate professionals and champions. Beckenbauer led both club (Bayern Munich) and country (Germany) to soccer highest honors, as did Bird, winning 3 championships with Boston in the 1980s and an Olympic gold medal with the 1992 Dream Team. Far from the most athletic or spectacular players of their eras (i.e., slow and ground-bound), they were leaders whose only concern was winning and bringing the best out of their teammates.

• Paolo Maldini (Italy/AC Milan) and Elgin Baylor (Minneapolis/Los Angeles Lakers)- The Co-Presidents of the “retired too early” club. Each just missed his sport's highest honor. For all his club glory with AC Milan, Maldini was the defensive anchor of the Italian national team for the better of two decades before retiring from international play in 2002, just before Italy won the 2006 World Cup. Elgin Baylor retired form the Los Angeles Lakers nine games into 1971-72 season, ending his Hall of Fame career without a championship. The Lakers proceeded to win the next 33 games, set a record for regular season wins (broken by the 1996 Chicago Bulls) and won the NBA championship.