| KNOW THE BEST IN SPORT Global Edition |
| January 12-18, 2021 |
Cristiano Ronaldo: one goal away from history?
Oh, comparing old records in sport with their present-day counterparts…In another edition of this series we now present the question: Can Cristiano Ronaldo (POR) become the striker with more goals in history of professional football tomorrow, when Juventus faces Genoa in the Coppa Italia?
There are legends of Pelé (BRA) and Romário (BRA) scoring over 1000 goals throughout their career, but many of those scores came in un-registered matches, such as friendly matches. As the BBC points out, the Rec.Sport.Soccer Statistics Foundation lists Josef Bican (CZE) as the historical number one in that regard, with at least 805 goals scored, while Romário has 772 and Pelé 767. Ronaldo has 759 so he would be behind them, right?
Again, as the BBC points out, 27 of those goals were with Rapid Vienna’s reserve and amateur teams. Removing those, the total would be 759, just like Ronaldo’s. If we were also to remove friendly and amateur matches, then Pelé would have 757 and Romário would have 745, both behind Ronaldo.
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Cristiano has also scored plenty of goals in club friendly games and certainly in inter-squad games and as an amateur, but were these goals tallied in the totals then we would have a mess that is not verifiable and where a lot of the merit is reduced.
Being the Association Football player with most goals in all time does not make you the best ever player. Probably most players would trade their individual goal accolades for winning a FIFA World Cup, for example. Being the player with most goals score does not make you the greatest face and icon or a revolutionary, as Pelé was.
Pelé was possibly the first global household name in history of sport, brought a style of playing that has ben influential since. His legacy is bigger than numbers but maybe in just this particular regard Ronaldo should get the accolade if he scores tomorrow, if it means anything.
| Five things to know from last week |
- English, Champion among Champions. Harris English (USA) had not won an official individual PGA tournament since 2013 but he got an invite to the Sentry Tournament of Champions because the pandemic would have made this year’s field quite small. He beat Joaquín Niemann (CHL) in a playoff to win. (The Sportspedia)
- SK respawns as PK to win SMITE. The 2020 SMITE (a very popular esport) World Champion tea, SK Gaming, disbanded. Three of their members formed the Pittsburgh Knights and they now won the World Championship against #1 seed, Ghost Gaming. (The Sportspedia)
- The best and worst of Eckoff and Bø. Karil Eckoff (NOR) and Johannes Thingnes Bø (NOR) took two and one golds respectively on their individual IBU Biathlon World Cup competitions in Oberhof. Bø would have won two but he made a shooting mistake under pressure. This was the “dream team” for the Individual Relay gold, yet Eckoff missed various shots. France and Sweden beat them. (Watch the highlights – IBU)
- Giant Slalom. Alexis Pinturault (FRA) won both FIS World Cup Giant Slalom meets at Adelboden (SUI). He was now won three Giant Slalom World Cup race wins in a row.(Watch the run 2 – FIS)
- German sliders. Felix Loch (DEU) won his 46th Luge World Cup gold, in Sigulda (LVA) but again Germany did not win the Mixed Realy. This time it was won by Russia, over Latvia and Germany. Latvia won in Doubles, breaking a 4-race win streak for Germany. Tatiana Ivanova (RUS) also broke a 4-race win streak for Germany in Women’s Singles. In Bobsleigh, Francesco Friedrich (DEU) took both the 2-Man and the 4-Man World Cup golds in Winterberg and Laura Nolte (DEU) won her fourth straight 2-woman Bob race, this time with Deborah Levi (DEU). Watch the IBSF Winterberg highlights magazine
| GLOBAL PODIUM OF THE WEEK |
 Gold: Francesco Friedrich / Thorsten Margis(Germany, Bobsleigh) Francesco Friedrich won gold in both IBSF World Cup races at Winterberg (DEU): the 2-man and 4-man Bob races, both with Torsten Margis. With this win, Friedrich has become the winningest Bobsleigh male competitor in World Cup history, with a 46th gold medal, one more than André Lange (DEU), and is joint first between men and women, tied with Sandra Kiriasis (DEU). These also the 8th and 9th World Cup gold in the season for Friedrich in 10 races, while Margis has 5 gold medals in 6 races contested. Watch the Winterberg World Cup highlights magazine (IBSF) |
 Silver: Alexander Bolshunov(Russian Federation, Cross-Country Skiing) Although the Norwegian team was not present, Alexander Bolshunov (RUS) was the defending Champion of the Tour de Ski and he won it again, and in a more impressive fashion: by taking five consecutive gold medals plus taking two silvers and a bronze in the other races he did not win. Of these, three golds, a silver and a bronze were this week. His five consecutive race wins are also a joint-record at Tour de Ski. Watch a summary of his record-equalling 15 km MST Tour de Ski win |
 Bronze: Kamil Stoch(Poland, Ski Jumping) Stoch won the FIS World Cup at Bischofshofen (AUT) to take his third Four Hills Tournament Championship (2017, 2018, 2021). He then won the first World Cup at Titisee-Neustadt (DEU) and became the joint-third winningest World Cup Ski Jumper of all time, with 39 gold medals, tying fellow Polish ski jumper Adam Malysz. Halvor Egner Granerud (NOR) took the second World Cup at Titisee-Neustadt, where Stoch was 17th. Watch Stoch’s winning jump at Titisee (FIS) |
| GLOBAL SPORTS AGENDA Week Preview Several Association Football Cups will have activity. France and Spain will crown their “Super Champions“. Cristiano Ronaldo has a Coppa Italia match and there he could become the Association Football player with most official goals in history. Winter sports go on with their seasons. There will be World Cups in eight Winter Olympic Sports. The Dakar Rally will conclude. It is currently dominated in cars by Stéphane Peterhansel (FRA) but Nasser Al Attiyah (QAT) is close by. Nasser has now won a stage in 14 consecutive Dakar editions. Dmity Sotnikov (RUS) leads the Kamaz dominance in Trucks. Toby Price (AUS) had to abandon while 2nd morning in motos, where Ignacio Cornejo (CHL) leads. Marc Douton and Emilien Etienne (FRA) have won almost every single Dakar Clasisc (Regularity Rally) stage. The Men’s Handball World Championship starts in Egypt and several other sport teams hav activity, such as American Football (NFL Divisional Games), Rugby Union, Flag Football, Basketball, Ice Hockey (the NHL starts), Bandy (after SKA-Neftyanik took a 3rd straight Bandy Supercup), etc. Alpine Skiing: FIS World Cup (Switzerland, Austria, Slovenia) American Football: NFL Divisional Games Archery: Indoor Archery World Series Online Association Football: African Nations Championship start CONMEBOL Copa Libertadores Semi Finals (Vuelta) Domestic Cups (Copa Diego Armando Maradona matches, DFB Pokal matches, Coppa Italia Round of 16, Súper Copa de España Semi-Finals and Final, FA Women’s League Cup, Trophée des Champions, etc.) Domestic Leagues (La Liga, Ligue 1, Bundesliga, Serie A, Liga MX, Brasileirão Assaí, Barclays FA Women’s Super League, etc.) Autosport: 24H Series – Dubai 24 Hours Best in the Desert (Parker, USA) Dakar Rally (Saudi Arabia) Lucas Oil Chili Bowl Nationals presented by General Tire (Tulsa, USA) Súper TC 2000 (Paraná, ARG) Trophée Andros (Serre Chevalier, FRA x2) Unlimited National Bangers World Series (Ipswich, ENG) World of Outlaws Late Models (Volusia Speedway Park, USA x3) Badminton: HSBC BWF World Tour Super 1000 – YONEX Thailand Open Bandy: XXIX Championship of Russia. Super League – 2020-2021 Stage I Baseball: Liga Mexicana del Pacífico Semifinals Serie Nacional de Béisbol de Cuba Basketball: FIBA Basketball Champions League Regular Season NBA Regular Season Turkish Airlines EuroLeague Regular Season Basque Pelota: Miami Jai Alai games Biathlon: IBU World Cup (Germany, Italy) Billiards: World Snooker Tour Masters Bobsleigh & Skeleton: BMW IBSF World Cup (Switzerland) Women’s Monobob World Series (Austria, Switzerland) Chess: Tata Steel Chess Tournament Women’s FIDE Grand Prix Series Climbing: UIAA ICE CLIMBING WORLD CUP (Republic of Korea) *Possible Cricket: 2019–21 ICC World Test Championship Australia vs India Australian Big Bash League Cylo-cross: Lampiris Zilvermeercross Esports: BLAST Premier: Global Final 2020 DH SC2 Masters 2020: Last Chance 2021 Mobile Legends: Bang Bang M2 World Championship Quake Pro League Season 2: Stage 2 Smash – Frame Perfect Series 4: ONLINE Starcraft Brood War – AfreecaTV StarCraft Team League Season 2 Flag Football: FFWCT Adult Flag Football World Championships Golf: PGA Tour – Sony Open in Hawaii (USA) Handball: 27th IHF Men’s World Championship Horse Racing (Flat): South India Derby, Indian St. Leger, Calcutta Derby (India) Levin Classic, Telegraph (New Zealand) King Abdullah bin Abdualaziz Cup, King Fahad bin Abdulaziz Cup, King Khaled bin Abdulaziz Cup, King Faisal bin Abdulaziz Cup, King Saud bin Abdulaziz Cup (Saudi Arabia) Gran Premio Pedro Pineyrua, Gran Premio José Pedro Ramírez, Gran Premio Ciudad de Montevideo (Uruguay) Ice Hockey: Kontinental Hockey League Regular Season NHL Regular Season Indoor Soccer: Major Arena Soccer League Regular Season Judo: IJF Doha Masters 2021 Luge: FIL World Cup (Germany) World Cup Natural Track (Italy) Motorcycling: Best in the Desert (Parker) Dakar Rally (Saudi Arabia) Monster Energy AMA Supercross, an FIM World Championship (Houston) World Off-Road Championship Series ATV, SXS (Primm) Mushing: La Grande Odyssée Savoie Mont Blanc (France) Nordic Combined Skiing: FIS World Cup (Italy) Para Snowboard: Dizin 2021 World Para Snowboard (Possible) Platform Tennis: APTA Grand Prix Series – The Midwesterns Women’s, Men’s NRT Rugby Union: Premier 15s Matches European Rugby Champions Cup Round Matches Sailing: America’s Cup – Prada Cup Vendée Globe Sodebo Ultim 3 Round-the-world voyage Tropheé Jules Verne – Gitana Simracing: Porsche TAG Heuer Esports Supercup Ski Jumping: FIS World Cup (Poland) Snowboard: World Cup Parallel Slalom (Austria) Sumo: JSA- Grand Tournament – The January Tournament combats Surfing: Red Bull Magnitude Tennis: Abu Dhabi WTA Women’s Tennis Open, WTA 500 ATP, WTA Australian Open starts Water Polo: FINA Women’s World Qualification Tournament Wrestling: UWW Grand Prix de France Henri Deglane UWW Grand Prix Zagreb Open *This agenda is based on official information at time of publication. All events are subject to change and/or cancellation. |
Sport’s best values
| Leadership: Paul Westphal |
Reinvention: Tommy Lasorda
It is well known that Tommy Lasorda (USA) is in the Baseball Hall of Fame due to his two World Series wins as the Dodgers manager, in 1981 and 1988, and his Olympic Gold medal as the US manager, in Sydney 2000. But few know that his career in baseball could have lasted for less than an inning.
Tommy Lasorda played with the Dodgers when they were still in Brooklyn but he only played for less than an inning because he, a pitcher, tied a non-enviable Major League record: throwing three wild pitches in a single inning. He would be taken out in that inning and demoted. He would never play for the Dodgers again. Who would say that he could be one the Dodgers’ biggest stars?
Watch this Tribute by the Dodgers.
QUOTE OF THE WEEK
“There isn’t much fun left in the eating, it is just a source of food. But I’m totally fixated on the positions, completely addicted, even. I’m waiting for the next rankings like a kid waiting for Santa Claus. I look at the positions of the others, trying to find out how to get closer to them. I’ve never experienced this pleasure, especially not four years ago, maybe a little bit at the beginning of the race this year. I count the miles that separate me from Thomas and Damien, I check their course… Apart from that, I listen to podcasts, notably Historiquement Votre Yours, on Europe, I have finished almost all the Affaires Sensibles. There is the full works of Brassens left to listen to and then lots of messages from the family, children, Servane, friends. And all the press articles which I receive daily.”
Louis Burton (FRA)
Currently 5th place at the round-the-world Vendée Globe Race
Vendée Globe
