Deliver us from Libertadores

2008-09-10T07:16:33-04:00

2007-06-14T00:50:04-04:00

2008-09-10T06:40:27-04:00

2007-06-21T12:13:39-04:00

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the one

No City 41277

Dear mr. Freedman, Is that your motivation for putting Milan above Boca? Tv viewership and money??? I thought this was a football ranking. About the game not about what you mentioned. Because by using the standards you mentioned not a single SA and CA club team would be on this ranking. Not even some european clubs, as we know England has the richiest clubs on the planet and EPL is the most viewed domestic league on earth. But this is a ranking of clubs playing the beautiful game and "playing football" standards should be used according to that! At least i thought so. The reasons you mentioned people heard for so many times, that frankly we are getting borred of them. We want to hear something new. As worldwide "opnion leaders" you should be more objective when giving opinions or at least when considering that. As for the reasons concerned: as long as all the money and tv viewership in the world cann't change the fact that over a considerable period of 46 repitions SA has a 25 result gain against EU 21 on club basis (as you mentioned), every objective reader will come to the conclusions that the criteria you used are obsolete and empty! Try better next time. 27050

2007-06-19T10:37:48-04:00

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Interista

No City 40139

Jonah I have to say that the end of season Power Rankings is that of a mark, placing Milan at the top is a joke. It is clearly just an end of season reaction to the winning of trophies late on! They have been awful for 8 months both in Serie A & Europe. They were in the easiest group I've ever seen in the CL & still managed to lose twice. Then they couldn't beat Celtic and drew at home to Bayern. Then they woke up & played well in their remaining 4 matches and became Champions. I will say that I thought they were better than Liverpool in the final, and I must be the only one, but they are not the best in Europe, let alone the World this year. The Champions League was a poor show this year, it picked up in the semi's but when Real, Inter & Barca (all on away goals BTW!) all went out in the first round it was always going to be a struggle to watch. Man U should be no.1, it makes most sense as they did well in all competitions. However I'm leaving out the South Americans, because I do not see their leagues and am not in a position to comment. Inter should be higher than Chelsea & Real also. I'd tie them with Milan. Chelsea were poor by their own standards and the worst Real I've seen in years won La Liga because of Barca's collapse. No team with a record of W23 D7 L8, can call themselves champions in a team with only 2 huge teams and 3 or 4 also rans. Inter may have won a depleted Serie A, but it was still one with the "Champions" of Europe (who they beat twice) and they did so in record setting fashion (with a record of W30 D7 L1) and only went out of the CL on away goals. I would also agree with those who feel Roma should be on this above Barca, as they have been a great team this year. 24345

2007-06-18T14:22:28-04:00

http://img.fannation.com/upload/user_profile/image/323/00/thumb/19072007252.jpg 8 IT

Paolo Andreozzi

ROMA 32400

You are still mistaking! As Roma is out ( 2nd in Serie A, Winner of Coppa Italia and more advanced in Champion league) and Barcellona and Sevilla are 10 and 7 ?Why??? Can you answer please? 26461

2007-06-15T07:44:55-04:00

coreydon

Saint Petersburg 38298

you mean to tell me that liverpool is not on the top ten list of world club power rankings this must be a joke after beating barcelona and chelsea in the champoins league and was the better team against AC Milan even though they lost.You have barcalona and chelsea in the top ten and liverpool beat them both that dont make no sense. 23946

2007-06-15T07:31:32-04:00

Sergio

Delaplane 28780

BJ deserves to be No. 2, at least until the Club World Championship. AC Milan, in fact, has beaten much stronger teams than BJ's opponents, so AC Milan deserves to be No. 1 at least until the will play against each others in December in Japan. 23504

2007-06-14T18:02:06-04:00

scinternacionalfan

No City 38104

Perhaps- after the Club World Championship; any football fan (a real football fan, mind) knows that the most talent-stocked club doesn't always win. It's how the team function together that matters most. Just ask Barcelona last year, or Liverpool the year before (for that matter, ask Milan after they lost to an arguably less talented Liverpool squad during the CL final). Having a player who dribbles or passes better than anyone else doesn't always guarantee success, as proven by the final between Internacional and Barcelona. 23480

2007-06-14T17:12:27-04:00

ManU0723

Mokena 38083

Off topic but In your SI.com article you said "Mostly quiet at Old Trafford as well, except for the signing of "New Patrick Vieira" Floribert N'Galula." I believe he was released. 25045

2007-06-14T16:01:19-04:00

doesitmatter

Tampa 38046

This argument is in the same category as saying Independiente's '84 squad was better than Boca's '07 squad. Different era's. You can't compare the two unless they clashed on the pitch. (Which of course cannot possibly happen!) When it's all said and done it will eventually come down to popularity and which tournament is considered the most revered. However, I do believe that the "now-defunct Intercontinental and Toyota Cups" have provided proof of South America's club dominance over their European counterparts. Hmmm...come to think of it, didn't Boca beat A.C. Milan in that very tournament several years ago??? I rest my case. 23498

2007-06-14T15:38:01-04:00

3elevenmusic

Springville 38028

A good team like Boca deserves # 1 because pressure and prestige in both tourmaments are the same for me. 26203

2007-06-14T15:27:58-04:00

3elevenmusic

Springville 38028

isn't there more money in winning the champions league than wining the Intercontinental Cup? so that explains European teams lack of passion for that Cup. there are many factors for Southamercain teams holding that Cup high regard and showing off is not just one of them. 23189

<img src="http://img.search.com/thumb/3/3b/Boca_Juniors_logo_2006.png/100px-Boca_Juniors_logo_2006.png" height="119" align="right" alt="" width="100" />Most of the mainstream English-speaking press shies away from the Copa Libertadores, and that's a shame -- especially if you're gaga over the UEFA Champions League. South America's version of the ultimate continental club championship is vastly more unpredictable, has just as intriguing central casting and always -- always -- has a multitude of surprises in store.Boca Juniors -- perhaps the biggest superclub of South America -- is 90 minutes away from its sixth crown, which would put it one behind the record set by fellow Argentines Independiente in 1984. Los Xeneizes jump five places to No. 3 on the June 14 edition of the <a href="http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/jonah_freedman/06/14/rankings/index.html">World Power Rankings</a>.Last time around, I harped on the idea that, if you win the most prestigious club competitions there are, <a href="http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/2007/writers/jonah_freedman/05/31/rankings/index.html">you deserve the distinction</a> on the Rankings. This next one is a nasty topic for debate too, but my feeling is that the Copa Libertadores plays younger sibling to the Champions League. Why else would South American clubs make such a big deal of their dominance in tournaments between the two winners, such as the Club World Cup and the now-defunct Intercontinental and Toyota Cups? (Internacional and São Paulo will be quick to remind you of this.)So here's the big question: Regardless of who wins the finals -- Boca or Grêmio -- should we award them No. 1? Or does AC Milan still deserve the top spot?To be honest, I'm undecided -- and could be swayed by your responses next time around. So fire away.  2635 http://img.fannation.com/upload/user_profile/image/459/8/thumb/freedman_jonah.jpg 12 CA

Jonah Freedman

San Francisco 4618