Cristiano Ronaldo passed Raul on the UEFA Champions League all-time scorers league as he tries to catch Lionel Messi who currently holds the record. Meanwhile, Liverpool failed to qualify into the Round of 16 of the tournament, eliminated by FC Basel after 1-1 at Anfield.
Manuel Neuer made headlines earlier this week when he landed a top three spot for the FIFA Ballon d'Or. While many expect Cristiano Ronaldo to lift the trophy in January, Neuer's arrival on the scene is already a huge triumph.
Having lost two of their first three qualifier matches, the Netherlands finally came through with a huge 6-0 win over Latvia but ended up losing Daley Blind to a knee injury. Meanwhile, Italy and Croatia ended up unbeaten after playing to 1-1 tie while Israel stays undefeated at the top of Group B with a win over Bosnia-Herzegovina.
World Cup winners Germany were upset 2-0 on Saturday by Poland in the Euro 2016 qualifiers, giving Poland their first win over their neighbors in 18 previous games. Also, LA Galaxy's Robbie Keane scored a hat-trick for the Republic of Ireland against Gibraltar in their 7-0 at Aviva Stadium in Dublin.
In 2006, Italy became an improbable World Cup champion. The team was known for having an impenetrable defense, but was also suspect for giving up a lot of scoring chances to the opposition. Fortunately, the team had arguably the greatest goalie the world at the time manning the nets. Buffon was given the Golden Gloves at the tournament for being the best keeper, an award that he amply deserved.
