As the round of 16 it is quite possible that the winner of the Golden Shoe - the tournament top scorer - has not hit the mark yet.
Here are the current scoring leaders and here is a list of past winners back to 1966 and in what game they broke their duck.
2002 Ronaldo (8 goals) 1st game vs. Turkey 1998 #### (6) 1st vs. Jamaica
1994 Salenko (6) 2nd game vs. Sweden and Stoitchkov (6) 2nd game vs. Greece
1990 Schillachi (6) 1st game vs. Austria
1986 Lineker (6) 3rd game vs. Poland
1982 Rossi (6) 5th game vs. Brazil
1978 Kempes (6) 4th game vs. Poland
1974 Lato (7) 1st game vs. Argentina
1970 Muller (10) 1st game vs. Morocco
1966 Eusebio (9) 2nd game vs. Bulgaria
You can see from the list of previous winners that getting to the semi-final stage and ensuring the maximum number of games appears to be important. Only Salenko (5 goals in one game against Cameroon distorts his stats) and Gary Lineker in 1986 fail to fit the profile.
Of the current top 20, nine players have packed their bags and gone home.
However, I can't see anyone ever beating Just Fontaine's 1958 record of 13 goals at a single World Cup Final.
Of course after tomorrows games we may be looking at Ronaldo as being the single greatest goal scorer of all time at the World Cup finals.
I don't know about tickling...I'll give you a yellow for that. However, I'm going to go with Crespo. I think he'll have a good one versus Germany and expose them then chip in another two the rest of the way.
I do like Klose and Podoski though. They worked so well off each other against Sweden in the first half.
You know my bias, same as Paul Jewell and Alan Pardew!
Lampard is due to slam home a couple of goals, or a hat trick. Statistically he's already overdue 3 or 4 goals!
Paul Gerrard is clearly winding up and has a couple of terrific goals already. Gerrard has proven consistently that he can scores critical goals from long range - he'll end the tournament with at least 5 or 6, possibly not enough to win the Golden Wellie but close.
Cheers Rich
PS. Podolski may pass Klose, but only by Klose feeding him more excellent chances. R
He may not be the player he once was, but I want Ronaldo to #### in as many goals as possible. He is arguably the greatest striker of all time, certainly the best of his generation. He fully deserves to shatter the scoring record and elevate his name above all others, hopefully for a long time to come too. He is playing better, and with the best players in the world providing service-Kaka and Ronaldinho-I think this is a possibility.
I did not pay him for the above commentary but fully agreed, Japan was the appettizer! Ro Ro Ro Ronaldo!! Hope hes terrific and gets many more in the next 4 games.
I'll come forward... I was a Ronaldo doubter. Not because of his weight, but more because of his attitude. His best playing days are behind him, but I thought he was down for the count. That guy is going to prove me wrong many times over. I often have to rub my eyes and double-take at his club scoring record. We marvel at TH14 because we're EPL fans, but what he has accomplished isn't much when compared with the one-and-only R9. He won't be getting any golden boots though. I had Klose winning it from day 1. Why? He's from the host country (well, sort of), and he's the deadliest they have. Still, he went above and beyond my expectations. He's been fantastic! As far as England are concerned, I could see a 3 way tie happening for goals scored. Rooney, Gerrard, and Lamps or Crouchy with 2 or 3. I'm expecting a game v. Portugal.
...that Germany thing reminds me. Anyone notice how 1 of their 5 strikers (Hanke) was born in Germany? And I think he is the only one who hasn't played. In the last WC, I don't know if it was any different. I know they had Jancker, but I don't know beyond that. Naturalizing players is an interesting issue. What do you guys think about it?
There's naturalizing players and then there's naturalizing players. If someone is born in another country but is reared in a certain country then I won't question it. If, however, there is a player naturalized because he has permutations to the country I get a little nettled. There really isn't one absolute rule.
For example, I believe it was S. Sampson who brought a German or two to the US camp in the 98 year who could only be considered American on a technicality (Michael Mason rings a bell...that might be it). David Regis as well. I'm sure there's a slew of them.
On the other side you have Tab Ramos who I believe was born in Uruguay. He grew up in Jersey for a good chunk of his life and played for the US. He's American and I don't question that.
The Brazilian on the Japanese squad...well, that's just funny. A homogenous country like that and all. Oh well.
Still, Podolski and Klose have always honed their skills in Germany though both were born in Poland. I'm fine with that.
Last edited by EaglesPerch on June 27th at 6:53 AM.
Youre funny Eagle. The brasilian on japan has lived in japn since hes been a kid, married to a japanese girl and is fully integrated into the country. Seems to meet all the criterian you laid out.
I enjoyed Cruyff's comments this morning blaming the Immigration Minister for the Dutch failure in Germany. Apparently theres an Ivorian striker who is pretty good and was smoking some dope in a coffee house in AMsterdam once and they wanted to naturalize him, alas the minister said "uhhhh no!"
Pretty sure you're talking about Kalou. I don't think he would have played a minute. It's a stretch to say he would have played ahead of Hesselink. Anyways, as hard as times are in the Ivory Coast politically, it's hard to understand why anyone would want to switch nationalities and miss out on the opportunity to make history with them. They are one of the most exciting countries in international football, and here's hoping Kalou stays and the CIV shock the world in 2010.
On the Santos subject, I guess you should consider him Japanese, but the cultural difference between the Brazil and Japan makes it inevitably funny... if only a little.
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