Rodri News and Analysis

Man City star wants Vinicius Jr. to win Ballon d’Or over Rodri

12Oct

By Kevin ParviziNo Comments

LaLiga, Premier League

Man City star wants Vinicius Jr. to win Ballon d’Or over Rodri

At this point, it seems like a foregone conclusion that Real Madrid superstar left winger Vinicius Junior will win the 2024 Ballon d'Or after a ludicrous second half of the 2023/24 season, overcoming injury and abuse to lead Los Blancos to convincing Champions League and La Liga title triumphs. Vinicius Jr. finished the 2023/24 season with 15 goals and 5 assists despite only starting 22 games due to injury, and he was even more prolific in the Champions League with 6 goals and 4 assists in 10 starts with an average of 3.7 dribbles completed per game. There are a number of other valid competitors for the Ballon d'Or, but the only two that have gained significant traction are Real Madrid teammate Jude Bellingham and Manchester City defensive midfielder Rodri, who was part of the City s...

Ranking the 10 best players in the Premier League right now during the 2024/25 season

30Sep

By Kevin ParviziNo Comments

Features, Premier League

Ranking the 10 best players in the Premier League right now during the 2024/25 season

10. Liverpool RB Trent Alexander-Arnold Honestly, I can't comprehend why there are so many amateur pundits who spend their days disparaging Trent Alexander-Arnold's defending as if he were on the level of a backup at Lecce when, in fact, he's an excellent one-on-one defender as a fullback. It's just that people can't seem to understand that an attacking fullback who actually tries to add value to his team going forward is going to inevitably get caught out defensively on occasion, with the frequency of those occurrences unduly distorted by an army of fail comp "artists" who clearly need a job. Alexander-Arnold is a better one-on-one defender than Reece James, who apparently earned a reputation as a superior defensive right back on the grounds of being physically bigger and having on...

FC25 snubs Vinicius Jr. in favor of Manchester City star

26Aug

By Joe SorianoNo Comments

Features, LaLiga, Premier League

FC25 snubs Vinicius Jr. in favor of Manchester City star

Real Madrid left winger Vinicius Junior had himself another fantastic year, winning LaLiga and the Champions League for the third and second time in his career, respectively. The fleet-footed Brazilian has become the main creative and secondary goal-scoring threat for Real Madrid, providing the Merengue club with his best performances in the Champions League. This past season, Vinicius Jr. scored 6 goals with 4 assists in 10 Champions League appearances, averaging exactly a goal contribution per game in world football's premier competition. He also averaged 3.7 dribbles completed, 1.9 key passes, and 1.4 fouls drawn in the Champions League, adding a further 15 goals and 5 assists across 26 LaLiga appearances (22 starts). It was a banner year for Vinicius Jr., whose sheer qualit...

Ranking the 10 best midfielders at Euro 2024

17Jun

By Joe SorianoNo Comments

Features

Ranking the 10 best midfielders at Euro 2024

As Jorginho showed the world in the last European Championships, in addition to Luka Modric and Enzo Fernandez at previous World Cups, great midfielders can make a world of difference at the international stage. Here are the 10 best midfielders you need to know at Euro 2024, ranked in order. 10. Dominik Szoboszlai, Hungary Dominik Szoboszlai's match-winning performance against Montenegro will forever live in the lore of Hungarian football. The Liverpool star is the modern day hope of the country in football, carrying a legacy that includes some of the greatest players in history, most namely Ferenc Puskas A playmaker who has become a more robust midfielder by working on his physical strength, Szoboszlai can play virtually any position for Hungary but is currently being utilized as ...

Ranking the 5 best Spain players at Euro 2024

14Jun

By Cody AcevedaNo Comments

Features

Ranking the 5 best Spain players at Euro 2024

Spain are one of the biggest favorites heading into Euro 2024. Under manager Luis de la Fuente, La Roja have maintained the dominant possession style they used so well when Luis Enrique was still in charge. However, this Spain team can play direct, attacking football when they need to. This makes them a much more versatile and dangerous side than the Spain we saw get knocked out by Morocco at the 2022 World Cup. None of this matters if the players don’t perform well. Here are the best Spain players we’ll be watching at Euro 2024. 5. Álvaro Morata (FW, Atlético Madrid) Álvaro Morata has not had the best of seasons for Atlético Madrid this year. He scored 21 goals, but never truly looked like he deserved being the Colchoneros’ number one option up front. As a result he played jus...

EPL Player of the Season Rankings: Tottenham rate highly; Bukayo Saka or Mohamed Salah No. 1?

1Mar

By Kevin ParviziNo Comments

Features, Premier League

EPL Player of the Season Rankings: Tottenham rate highly; Bukayo Saka or Mohamed Salah No. 1?

With 26 Matchdays in the books, it's time to take an updated look at the top 10 contenders to win the Premier League Player of the Season award in 2023/24. 10. Tottenham ST Son Heung-min Son Heung-min was one of the biggest disappointments in the 2022/23 Premier League campaign, as Tottenham failed to qualify for Europe despite a sensational season from current Bayern Munich man Harry Kane. The South Korean superstar has been back to his superstar status in 2023/24, leading the way for a Spurs side that still has an outside shot at qualifying for the Champions League under new manager Ange Postecoglou. Son has really stepped up as the main man up top, scoring 12 goals to place himself among the league leaders. He's been so effective all-around, notching six assists and an avera...

Final 2022/23 Premier League Team of the Season

29May

By Kevin ParviziNo Comments

Features, Premier League

Final 2022/23 Premier League Team of the Season

Now that the 2022/23 Premier League season has officially come to a conclusion, it's time to take one final look back at the season's top individual performers at every position. Here is the Premier League Team of the Season, utilizing a 3-5-2 formation that is highly attacking because the four players in the attacking midfield and at striker absolutely HAD to make a list like this. GK Bernd Leno, Fulham: Alisson and David Raya also merited consideration here, but Bernd Leno has to be the pick in goal for the 2022/23 Premier League Team of the Season. Leno was second behind Alisson in post-shot expected goals prevented per 90 at +0.26 to Alisson's +0.27. Meanwhile, he was second in save percentage at 77.2 compared to Raya's 77.4. Whichever way you spin it, Leno was the most consis...

Ranking the 10 best defensive midfielders in the world in 2023

7Apr

By Kevin ParviziNo Comments

Features

Ranking the 10 best defensive midfielders in the world in 2023

As teams look to get more tactical and reinforce their defensive structure, maintain possession, and consistently progress play with quick decisions in set patterns of play, the defensive midfield position is becoming an increasingly coveted and demanded position in modern football. Look no further than the fees Chelsea paid for Enzo Fernández and Real Madrid spent to sign Aurélien Tchouaméni, who shows up on this list. Who joins him? Where does he rank? Here are the 10 best defensive midfielders in the world right now. 10. Aleix García, Girona Aleix García has been one of the sensations of the 2022/23 season, and he isn't the only breakout star who finds himself on this list of the best defensive midfielders in the world. The Girona leader's numbers have to be seen to be bel...