Man United midfielder Cristiano Ronaldo recaptured the lead in the World Top 23 after scoring a double in the Red Devils’ decisive 5:2 win over Tottenham Hotspur at Old Trafford on Saturday. Ronaldo now has 223.68 points and is the best rated football player in the world at the moment.
Ronaldo’s double was instrumental in helping United save what looked at the beginning as the making of a monumental flop by the Red Devils as they were behind 0:2 at halftime. Tottenham’s goals were scored by Daren Bent and Luka Modric. But Sir Alex Ferguson’s men came back in the second half completely transformed and produced a stunning comeback. Ronaldo first pulled one back at the 57th minute after referee Howard Webb handed United a controversial penalty. The decision might have been a fateful one for United as far as the championship is concerned and for Spurs as they might have thought for a moment that they could return with their first win from Old Trafford since 1989. But the game from then on became a demonstration of United’s talent and unshakable determination. Wayne Rooney was to level the score at the 67th after some poor defending by Spurs. Rooney was central again just two minutes later when he set up Ronaldo with a beautiful assist: the Portuguese international made sure United were ahead in the score. The Red Devils were practically unstoppable from then on, and for their fourth, it was Ronaldo’s turn to return the favor to Rooney. The England forward racked in 33.45 rating points in the game and now has 215.61 points over all. Ronaldo earned 30.20 rating points.
Dimitar Berbatov put the final touches to Tottenham’s rout when he used a missed clearance by Spurs’s defense and practically ‘stuffed’ the ball into the net. United now seem certain--bar a catastrophe of epic proportions—to win their 18th league title this season.
The former leader of the World Top 23, Bosnian international Edin Dzeko, will have an opportunity to return to the top spot today when Wolfsbur travel to Energie Cottbus today in Bundesliga action. Dzeko currently has 219.54 points over all. He has a high bar of more than 30 rating points to beat. But given the Bosnian’s ability to score 2-3 goals in a match, that bar does not seem so impregnable.