A Look at the Best Young Player Award as Voting Closes

Ecuador midfielder Luis Valencia finishes first in voting for FIFA’s Best Young Player Award. That puts Valencia in the final group of six candidates for the award.

The other five finalists are: Tranquillo Barnetta (SUI), Cesc Fabregas (SPA), Lionel Messi (ARG), Lukas Podolski (GER), and Cristiano Ronaldo (POR).

The three top vote getters made the final six, with the balance being chosen by FIFA itself. The top vote getters were Valencia, Ronaldo and Messi. That means that FIFA chose Podolski, Fabregas and Sepp Blatter’s countryman Barnetta.

Of the Award, FIFA sez:

The award will be presented to the player who creates the biggest impact in Germany 2006. Judges will be looking for certain technical qualities such as skill, style and charisma but also other important facets such as a sense of fair play and a genuine impression that they are playing merely for the love of the game.

Given all that, here’s my case for Valencia. I don’t think Messi and Fabregas, as good as they are, played enough of a role in their teams’ run at the World Cup. Messi, in fact, watched the final match against Germany from the bench.

Barnetta had a good tournament for Switzerland, but I haven’t heard an ounce of buzz about him.

Podolski and Ronaldo both had great tournaments. There may be some sentiment to give the award to the hometown hero, Prince Podolski. I don’t think much of the offense ran through him for Germany, but he’s not a bad choice.

Ronaldo, again, had a great World Cup, and was one of the few sparks for Portugal in their match against France. Nevertheless–and I don’t always jump on the diving bandwagon–but if FIFA were to name Ronaldo as the winner, given all of the criteria used, it could engender great laughter in certain sections of Planet Football.

That leaves…surprise!, Luis Antonio Valencia Mosquera. The 20-year-old Valencia has less experience playing in Europe’s top flights than the others, but much of Ecuador’s offense consistently ran through him. He was poised, and showed all of us how dangerous his crosses can be.

Here’s one more vote, then, for Luis Valencia as FIFA’s Best Young Player.