We’ve just endured a soccer year mostly void of drama. It doesn’t mean it was a bad year, but if the most suspense comes in Germany’s relegation battle (poor Freiburg), then it hasn’t been the best year for world soccer’s script writers. But we get to watch Messi in a Champions League final, Jose Mourinho has been at the top of his maniacal press conference game, and Luca Toni just won Serie A’s scoring title (!!!), so we gon’ be all right.
Serie A’s been determined for some time now, but the 38-year-old Verona forward secured the Golden Boot by scoring his 22nd goal of the season. Technically, Mauro Icardi scored twice for Inter to tie Toni and make them co-champions, but then again here’s my garden of fucks, you’ll notice its empty.
Luca Toni was one of the first soccer players I knew. When I was a kid, he - and that name, and his aggressive Italian-ness - just screamed world soccer to me. He scored twice in World Cup 2006 and I was enamored. But I’ve looked past him for years, partly because he hasn’t scored an international goal since 2008.
It’s not easy to forget guys like Toni, though. He was one of Italy’s most impressive goal scorers from 2003 to 2010. Fifty goals for Palermo in 80 games. Forty-seven for Fiorentina in 67. Thirty-eight for Bayern in 60. He was a star, which is what makes this a wonderful, wonderful moment in a season full of good ones.
At 38, Toni just put together one of the best single seasons of his career, and he edged Carlos Tevez for the title. Tevez - 20 goals - also had a career year. Serie A isn’t the world’s best league, and it’s easy to call it the retirement community of world soccer (it isn’t because MLS is), but when Luca Toni is scoring 22 goals a year, count me in.
