Big in Japan, and other news

First of all: I'm off to Tokyo next week for the Club World Cup, courtesy of OleOle.com. Thanks to everyone who voted for me. This may be the first time in my life that I've ever won something, apart from maybe a spelling bee.

In news of slightly less prestigious awards, Fabio Cannavaro won the Ballon d'Or for European Footballer of the Year, ahead of Gigi Buffon and Thierry Henry. Even though I did spend a good portion of the World Cup admiring Cannavaro's, um, talent, I don't think I would've given him the award. It's supposed to be for the footballer of the year, not the footballer of a couple weeks in the summer.

The award is voted on by journalists -- basically, the same group of people who gave the Golden Ball at the World Cup to Zinedine Zidane right before he head-butted Materazzi -- so to me, it comes off as an acknowledgement that they fucked up with that, more than anything else. Not sure who I would have picked instead, though. I'd almost agree with Arsene Wenger (shock!) and say Thierry Henry, considering that he made it to the finals of both the World Cup and the Champions League...if it weren't for the fact that he didn't actually do anything once he got there.

Henry didn't even make the short list for the FIFA World Player of the Year, which was also released this week. Ronaldinho, Zidane and Cannavaro are the three finalists, and I suspect Cannavaro's going to win this one too. Oh well. Another shiny trophy for him to make out with.


Midweek games

• Manchester United 3-0 Everton - Fergie gambled with a weakened lineup, with an eye on the crucial Champions League match next week, and was rewarded as they cruised to a win. Including a goal from John O'Shea, so you know it couldn't have been a very tough game.
  
  
• Fulham 2 - 1 Arsenal - Arsene Wenger made the same gamble, and failed miserably. Oops.
  
  
• Aston Villa 1 - 3 Manchester City - Villa took a break from their preferred 1-1 draw and got thumped by Citeh instead.
  
  
• Liverpool 0 - 0 Portsmouth - The Reds missed their chance to move into the top four with a win here. They also missed the net. A lot. Stevie's going to start pouting again.
  
  
• Bolton 0 - 1 Chelsea - Bored now.

There were also a bunch of UEFA Cup games today, but I'm choosing to ignore those until the knockout rounds get started and we can pretend that they actually matter.