Sir Carlitos of Upton Park

I can’t help been biased when I write about Carlos TEVEZ. He is my favourite player in the World right now. Even though I know there are better players than him (Kaká, Cristiano RONALDO, RONALDINHO, even MESSI), I admire him so much because of all the things he overcame to become who he is now. More than just for his talent. I choose him because I believe he is the only present player that has what Diego and a few others had: A GIGANTIC HEART!

That’s what every single supporter of every team he ever played for will tell you. And for the record, I’m not a Boca Juniors, Corinthians or West Ham supporter. I have the pleasure and the enormous privilege of having him playing for my national team and I have already enjoyed an Olympic gold medal thanks to his world-class efforts in Athens.

Carlos TEVEZ, at this rate soon to be named Sir Carlitos of Upton Park, was given the West Ham’s Player of the Season Award and then celebrated with a brace and created a third goal for Mark NOBLE in a 3-1 victory over Bolton.

This performance by TEVEZ could prove decisive in the Hammers’ fight for survival, as they are now 3 points clear from the relegation zone coming into the last match of the season.

West Ham’s quest for survival is far from over and they have quite a tricky fixture: Manchester United at Old Trafford. But only a point will keep them afloat and United could very well be champions before they play that game so they could be thinking of celebrations instead of 90 minutes of football.

But first, let’s focus on what Carlitos did today. Here’s a brief match report from SkySports.com:
West Ham's sixth win in eight games, a 3-1 victory over Bolton in Sammy Lee's first game in charge, means that Alan Curbishley's side are three points clear of danger ahead of their game against Manchester United on the final day of the season.

The Hammers' relegation rivals are threatening legal action after the Premier League's failure to impose a points deduction on the Londoners, but the on-going debate surrounding Carlos Tevez's transfer did not affect the Argentinian as he curled home a beautiful free-kick after 10 minutes at Upton Park.

Tevez has been West Ham's controversial catalyst in recent weeks and duly added a second on 21 minutes when Luis Boa Morte played him in after a quick break.

And, as The Hammers turned the screw in the first half, the former Corinthians man then turned provider, sending in a deep cross on 29 minutes which Mark Noble dispatched emphatically to ensure a nightmare first half hour for new Bolton boss Lee.

Gary Speed pulled one back for The Trotters on 67 minutes when he drilled a shot past Robert Green, but the defeat leaves Bolton with just a two-point cushion in the European places. (SkySports.com)

Finally, just my two cents on what the season is slowly speaking out loud about who is who in the football World.

Javier MASCHERANO, harshly criticised when he arrived to Upton Park and hardly given a chance to prove his worth is now on his way to Athens to play the UEFA Champions League final with Liverpool and he is an established first team player in Rafa BENITEZ’s team.

Carlos TEVEZ has become an instrumental figure in West Ham’s resurgence in the final weeks of the season and he has found his scoring boots just in time to win the Hammers’ Player of the Season award and inspire his team to get 6 wins from the last 8 Premiership games to finally raise their heads above the surface.

Alan PARDEW, a clueless manager who constantly refused to give MASCHERANO and TEVEZ enough chances and when he did play TEVEZ used him out of position, is now at Charlton and he needs two wins out of the last two games to dream of staying up. Will he do it? Well, I’m sure he could use some help from the World Class players he rejected, doesn’t he?

Time is slowing telling us a story. A story that those of us who knew what MASCHERANO and TEVEZ could give to a team, already knew from the start.