Akers Comes Up Short in Internet Vote

A billion Chinese can be wrong.

Because FIFA turned the voting for the men’s and women’s soccer players of the century over to fans with access to the Internet, rather than restricting it to, say, coaches and/or journalists, Michelle Akers has been short-changed.

The greatest women’s player of all time--a winner of two world championships and an Olympic gold medal in a 15-year career, all while battling chronic fatigue syndrome--lost the election.

Instead, the Internet voters chose China’s Sun Wen, a gifted player and playmaker, to be sure, but one who is not in the same class as Akers.

Belatedly recognizing the flaws inherent in Internet popularity polls, FIFA--as it had done in the men’s balloting--instituted a second award, one voted on by coaches and officials.

Akers, who retired from the U.S. national team before the Sydney Olympics, easily won that election when results were announced Monday.

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FIFA announced that France’s Zinedine Zidane had been chosen world player of the year for 2000 on a vote by 150 national team coaches. Zidane edged Portugal’s Luis Figo, 370 points to 329.

In addition, European champion Real Madrid was voted the FIFA team of the century with 42.35% of the vote, ahead of Manchester United with 9.69%.