Another Record Broken

Messi breaks Gerd Muller's record for most goals in a single season. Messi surpassed the previous mark of 67 goals in dramatic fashion, scoring a hat trick against Malaga and taking his season total to 68 goals. 

Ronaldo vs. Messi, the 2011-2012 Season

The most debated question in football of our time: Who's better, Ronaldo or Messi?
It's too early to answer that question in terms of who is better all time because neither has ended, nor is close to ending his career. But as far as the 2011-2012 season is concerned, here are the facts:


Lets start by comparing goal scoring statistics:
Portuguese ace Cristiano Ronaldo has tallied a remarkable 57 goals in all competitions so far this season. While the Argentine virtuoso, Lionel Messi, boasts an even more impressive 65 goals. Messi’s goal total (so far) is only two short of the all time record of 67 set by former Bayern Munich striker Gerd Mueller in the 1972-1973 season.

Who is more efficient: Messi on average takes fewer shots (6.2), on average,  than Ronaldo (7.1) and still manages to score more. 

Who is the better dribbler: Messi has dribbled the ball about twice as much as Ronaldo, they have 213 and 94 completed dribbles respectively. This averages out to 4.5 completed dribbles per game for Messi, and 2.4  for Ronaldo.

Who really gets the most help:

Too often I hear comments like: "Oh, well Messi has Xavi and Iniesta so of course Ronaldo is better." First of all, what the effff does that even mean!? I interpret such comments as Madrid fans accepting that Barça is the better team. If you take a look of the table belo, clearly Ronaldo gets more goal scoring help, as Higuain and Benzema round out the top  five goal scorers in La Liga. Moreover, Messi has scored 43% of Barcelona's total La Liga goals while Ronaldo has scored 38% of Los Blancos La Liga goals. 

When it comes to assists, which can be seen as the possible help available to each of these remarkable players, it looks Ronaldo has more teammates capable of delivering assists. 

Based on the table above, Messi is also the more helpful of the two super stars, with 4 more La Liga assists than Ronaldo. 


The better passer of the two: Messi completes nearly 73 passes per game while Ronaldo completes about 40. Messi has a greater pass completion percentage at 85.6% compared to Ronaldo's 79.8% 
When it comes to finishing with the head, executing on set pieces and physical prowess Ronaldo is superior to Messi. These, however, are difficult to quantitate. 


One thing that I've noticed about Ronaldo is that he's really cut down on the flashiness of his dribbles, which kind of disappoints me.

Currently, the two super stars are level at 43 goals in La Liga, having surpassed the record for most goals in La Liga in one season.


In my opinion, Messi is having a more extraordinary season. His contributions to the team are unprecedented and if he surpasses Mueller's record for most goals in one season in all competitions, it would be absolutely historic and, the way I see it, Messi would no doubt win his fourth Ballon d'Or. 

Oh, and just for laughs:

And while I am a die-hard Barcelona fan, and constantly talk about how I think Messi is better, I do understand and acknowledge the fact that it's really too early to say which of the two is better. For we have many years of greatness to witness. Many years to duke it out and debate the question. And even when they're done and retired, we will still continue to debate. So for now, who do you guys think is better? Who is having the better 2011-2012 season?

Matt Kemp's Brilliant April

It's no secret that Matt Kemp has been on a tear this season. His incredible start to the season includes a .417 batting average, .490 on-base percentage, .893 slugging percentage, 12 home runs and 25 RBIs through today, April 30th.

Though not the best start to a season ever, it's no doubt been a memorable one for fans of the game. 

Not only has Kemp done great so far, he's done it in dramatic fashion. Just two nights ago when the Dodgers hosted the Washington Nationals and 19-year old baseball prodigy Bryce Harper made a memorable MLB debut, Kemp somehow managed to steal the limelight. Harper managed to send a double right over Kemp's head in center field and followed that up with a sacrifice fly in the top of the ninth to contribute to what was shaping up to be a Nationals win. Until Matt Kemp stepped to the plate in the bottom of the 10th inning and blasted a monstrous walk-off home run over the right-center field wall to give the Dodgers a 4-3 win over the Nats.

This beastly start to the season has lead many to wonder if Kemp has a legitimate chance at winning the triple crown or even becoming the third player ever to have a 50-50 season. (50 homers, 50 stolen bases) Last season Kemp hit 39 home runs and stole 40 bases last season and should have won the MVP. His BA, HR's and RBI's so far this season are astonishing, and if he avoids a serious slump he will no doubt contend for the triple crown. 

Which of the two is more likely, 50-50 or the triple crown? Do you guys think Kemp will accomplish either of the two this season?