Nicolás Lodeiro: “LCB PLAYER OF THE YEAR”
We here at LCB are proud to announce “the LCB Player of the Year” although the candidates were few (Fernando Muslera, Luis Suarez, Diego Forlan & Lodeiro) we feel its only right that one of them is singled-out as having a sensational year both professionally and internationally. I’ll dissect the reasons why I didn’t pick the other guys and then describe in full why I think Nicolás Lodeiro has been the LCB Player of the Year. Regarding Muslera, after reaching new heights with Lazio, winning a Coppa Italia and finally being capped for NT duty, Muslera’s Lazio is regressing fast, Suarez had a spectacular year for Ajax but has been so-so for Uruguay. The only other possible candidate would have been Diego Forlan, it could be argued that Uruguay qualified to the World Cup because of Diego Forlan, and Forlan came alive for Uruguay at just the right time, he did win the Pichichi this year for Atletico Madrid but the knock on Forlan is his no-show performances versus Brazil & Argentina which to me were detrimental. So now here’s the reason why Nicolás Lodeiro is the LCB Player of the Year.
Lodeiro’s growth this year has been nothing short of phenomenal. Most of us got a look at Lodeiro in the Under-20 South American Championship, Lodeiro helped Uruguay qualify to the Under-20 World Cup. Lodeiro then played incredibly for Nacional which was highlighted by a sensational Libertadores run. He was part of the Nacional team that won the Campeonato Uruguayo and then the Apertura this year. In between the Campeonato and the Apertura victories, there were two Clásico victories and an Under-20 World Cup where he scored 2 goals and helped Uruguay reach the final 16. Despite his young age, Oscar Tabarez finally capped the up & coming player for the crucial “Repechaje” games. Although his Celeste debut was inauspicious, his followup game in Montevideo gave many a glimpse of what’s to come. In short Lodeiro has been a part of many good teams this year and has shown that he can play at any level and be an important factor whether playing for a professional team or for the National Team.
I dont think “he has shown that he can play at any level”.
It is hard to have a conclussion after playing against a so weak oponent like Costa Rica. To me he has shown he cant be our playmaker, but he can be our puntero.
My opinion, LCB player of the year, it is either Forlan or Suarez. The first one for what we already know, being pichichi in a league that Villa plays in is something to take into consideration.. while Suarez has been great for Ajax and scored in the toughest game we had during the qualifiers, the Ecuadorian match.
I say Forlan. Hes also very well known internationally.
Makes more sense to me.
i agree with the choice of lodeiro, what a year for this kid, i belive he can be our creative player, and as for runner up muslera, he has came out of like 3rd rank keeper at lazio to be number 1, wanted by big clubs and also starter to uruguay…..
forlan he is amazing but his club lack concitency and that may effect him more and more…. and suarez needs to go a top league and show his brilliancy
bit off topic but i thought i would throw it in… carlos diogo???? he back to playing even scored a lucky goal, iv alway been a fan of his can he make it???i hope soo…
and nacho to greece… i think its a bad move and if so maybe his chances are over, even though im sure he would have spoken to tabarez….
hmm suarez needs to go and play in a more competitive league to be LCB player of the year, im cool with that, but how about lodeiro? there is where i have to strongly disagree with ya guys.
Regarding Nacho leaving Valencia i have to say his appearences have been more than acceptable and I wish him good luck in Greece but hey, that team Levadiakos or whatever is close to relegation, similar to what happened to Newcastle. I dont like it, not one bit. Regardless of all of this, I will follow him, I am totally certain hes the one and only truly original playmaker from head to toe, lodeiro needs more experience, he needs more game vision and passing skills. Put lodeiro as a puntero like Yorugua keeps suggesting us. Hes not mature enough to conduct our national team, just nacional, in an incompetent league like ours. Sounds mean from me but its true and you know it, we better say it now than waiting it to happen and afterwards complain blaming tabarez..
Nico—you point about Nico14 only playing 2 games is a valid one but we have to take into account his Under-20 duty and his play for Nacional, also the Copa Libertadores, 2 Clasicos where he was a factor and so on. From the start of 2009 to the end, Lodeiro has been solid.
As for Forlan, yes he should have been the LCB Player but the Argentina & Brazil losses still hurt, in fact it will take some time before I can get those losses out of my system.
i don’t think its forlan’s fault that we lost to argentina & brazil. Lodeiro is becoming a really good player & he has tremendous confidence which is important. Anyone see his palomita yesterday ? We’ll see what happens in the libertadores.. i hope he tears it up.
yes i take into account his play for Nacional, he has been great. but do you think he could have changed things against Arg and Bra? i doubt it. Forlan plays for one of the 2 most competitive leagues in the world and he won the pichichi there, i acknowlegde he has not been one of my favourite footballers of the year, but when it comes to uruguayan players, i think he has been the best.
My vote would be for Forlan. He had success on the club level (winning the Pichichi and the Golden Boot) and played great in the crucial games against Colombia and Ecuador (the cross to Suarez to tie Ecuador and the penalty kick at the end, just phenomenal!). I also realize how he draws coverages in all the games, I mean 1-2 defenders are always on him, which makes it more difficult for him and should make it easier for his teammates to find the holes. Unfortunately, as a striker, with Uruguay, unless he scores, people will say he did not play very well. I can’t really put the blame on him specifically for the Brazil and Argentina losses.
Runner-up would be a difficult one between Suarez and Lodeiro.
Based on contributions to La Celeste, it would be Suarez. He also has scored some important goals for La Celeste, including the 1st goal in the crucial game against Colombia. He also had a great game against Ecuador. And make no mistake, Suarez is a skilled world class player. The top scorer in the Dutch league which was ranked 6th in 2008 in the world (behind England, Italy, Argentina, Spain and Brazil). Uruguay’s league was ranked 22nd.
My vote for Lodeiro would be based more on his club achievements than his play for La Celeste. He was voted 2nd best player (behind Veron) in Libertadores for a reason. He played great for the “Baby” Celeste but in the bigs, he had 1 good game and 1 bad game. Don’t get me wrong, I’m the first one to applaud Uruguay’s accomplishments at the U17 and U20 level this year. But that can’t compare to the pressure-cooker situation all the players on the SR team have gone through since the loss to Peru.
I’d have to give it to Forlan too .. though his game can be spotty (this w/e as a prime example) I dont think we would have made it to Africa without him. At this point and time he is the best we can offer the world. Suarez needs to become the player he is with Ajax on La Celeste -(no short order) and to show me he can overcome some of the weak outings he’s had with the team. I would even throw some votes for Abreu -because besides Lugano – no one “siente la camiseta” like he does and comes thru with mostly guts when ugly games are on the line. Lastly Lodeiro — man that boy can play.. but I need to see more games outside our meager league to bestow him the player of the year, he has a great attitude and mad skills but its the experience that’s missing
As for Nacho’s move, my understanding is that the coach at Levadiakos (?) is valenciano, and close to the Valencia organization. That’s why he preferred that versus a move back to Uruguay. BTW, the Greek league was ranked 12th. The guys needs some playing time. If he can regain his form and not get injured, then his stay should be short-lived. It sounds as if Nacho spoke with Tabarez, before the decision. He knows that Tabarez has not shied away from players in the Greek league like Lugano and Abreu.
What’s our Plan B in case Nacho is not ready? Lodeiro, de Souza, Albin
I agree with this. Lodeiro is the reason Uruguay can approach the World Cup with renewed confidence, and an ability to play in more than one way. Gustavo Poyet is convinced that with players of the quality of Forlan and Suarez up front, Uruguay should play a much more dynamic, higher tempo game; if Lodeiro continues his progress, he makes that style viable it seems to me.
Yeah I don’t know where this low opinion of Lodeiro is coming from, even Tim Vickery is saying this kid is something special.
I’m still sticking to the script, Lodeiro deserves it hands down, as for Forlan he still has to walk on water, turn Cheese into Wine & score maybe a Chilena in a World Cup match to please me.
I dont think Forlan has to deliver a cornerkick and afterwards score from a header to become LCB Player of the Year whereas Lodeiro just needs some good games for Nacional. We are not being fair lol.
The smartest comment on this article has come out from 433 fingers. He exposed facts. He also strengthen my viewpoint saying everybody tries to stop Forlan and we get that edge because any of his teammates can be the standout at his expenses. That is positive for Uruguay. Nobody seemed to be smart enough to realize that, me included.
Regarding Forlan, he had some really good games (Paraguay, Colombia & Ecuador) but we’ve been down this road before… he truly disappointed against Brazil but ok I understand if everyone wants to give him a free pass (even though he was the only other person not named Sebastian Viera who was booed at the conclusion of the game) — the Argentina match which is more recent showed you the kind of frustrating performance Forlan is capable of giving you. I thought after the Ecuador match he got that out of his system and yes I realize Argentina played him tighter but… Nico14 is still the LCB player of the year! — As for Blondie… hey maybe next year?
NicoGF player of the year.
Nicolas Lodeiro es mejor que Maradona