Frankowski shoots way to top

The race for the 2004/05 ESM Golden Shoe is firmly under way with last season's winner Thierry Henry in prolific mood once again.

Strong challenge
With the halfway stage of the season approaching, Wisla Kraków striker Tomasz Frankowski and Rosenborg BK forward Frode Johnsen are setting the pace although the latter's season has now concluded. Frankowski, however, has scored 19 goals in just 13 Polish league games to date and could provide a strong challenge.

Closing in
Henry drew a blank at the weekend when Arsenal FC went down 2-1 at Liverpool FC but still has eleven goals to his name. Because, in the ESM standings, goals in the Premiership are multiplied by two, as opposed to 1.5 in the Ekstraklasa, Henry would need to score four more to overtake Frankowski. Marek Mintál, the 1. FC Nürnberg forward, would require a Bundesliga hat-trick to do the same, provided of course Frankowski did not add to his tally.

Pos

Name Club (Country) Gls Val Pts 1 Tomasz Frankowski Wisla Kraków (POL) 19 1.5 28.5 1 Frode Johnsen Rosenborg BK (NOR) 19 1.5 28.5 3 Vjateslav Zahovaiko FC Flora (EST) 28 1 28 4 Aleksandr Kerzhakov FC Zenit St. Peterburg (RUS) 18. 1.5 27 5 Andrei Kariaka FC Krylya Sovetov Samara 17 1.5 25.5 6 Jason Byrne Shelbourne FC (IRL) 25 1 25 7 Marek Mintál 1. FC Nürnberg (GER) 12 2 24 8 Martin Kamburov PFC Lokomotiv Plovdiv (BUL) 15 1.5 22.5 8 Aleksandr Panov FC Torpedo Moskva (RUS) 15 1.5 22.5 8 Dmitri Sytchev FC Lokomotiv Moskva (RUS) 15 1.5 22.5 8 Alexander Ødegaard Sogndal IL (NOR) 15 1.5 22.5 8 Christian Mayrleb SV Pasching (AUT) 15 1.5 22.5 13 Thierry Henry Arsenal FC (ENG) 11 2 22 13 Vincenzo Montello AS Roma (ITA) 11 2 22 13 Arsen Tlehugov FC Kairat Almaty (KZK) 22 1 22 13 Ulugbek Bakayev FC Tobol Kostanay (KZK) 22 1 22 17 Galust Petrosian FC Pyunik (ARM) 21 1 21 17 Arild Sundgot Lillestrøm SK (NOR) 14 1.5 21 17 Olivier Occean Odd Grenland (NOR) 14 1.5 21 17 Sigurd Rushfeldt FK Austria Wien (AUT) 14 1.5 21 17 Aleksandr Katasonov FHK Liepajas Metalurgs (LAT) 21 1 21 17 Edgar Manucharian FC Pyunik (ARM) 21 1 21 23 Delron Buckley DSC Arminia Bielefeld (GER) 10 2 20 23 Samuel Eto'o FC Barcelona (ESP) 10 2 20

Last updated: 29 November 2004

Only the leading five countries (Spain, Italy, Germany, France and England) on the UEFA Ranking have two as their multiplier. This is to emphasise the difference in international performance level between clubs from those countries and those from the other countries.

A player cannot first play in a summer league (eg Norway) and then in a winter league (eg Spain) and combine the points total for each season.

Figures from Voetbal International