Lets get few facts out first. The FIFA world cup currently is a no-match, in terms of quality, to the champions league. The growth of the champions league has been a recent phenomenon. With the arrival of players from the Americas/africas to europe, the champions league is a global platform for the players to showcase their true class. The globalization of the game has actually happened only over the last 2 decades. A quick glance at the Brazilian NT or the Argentine NT will suggest the same -almost all players are based in Europe. Note that this was not common say abt 12 years back when these teams were dominated by home-based¨players. The growth of the club-culture is a win-win scenario for the players and clubs. The player gets the money (a measly earning of 50,0000 euros a week ), a professional atmosphere and an international audience while the clubs benefit by winning titles and drawing a lot more fans. Its clearly a win-win situation for the clubs and the players. However, all this has meant that international football (hmm when a player plays for his country) takes a firm back-seat. Note the time the World cup is scheduled - at the end of the season. A lot has been made of the fact that players are too tired after a stressful season with the club. While it is largely true, cant the governing body move the WC at the beginning of the season?, pushing the tournament by 2 months from its current schedule. Wouldnt this ensure that players are fresh for the WC and given adequate rest before the tournament begins. The fact is such a schedule would be detrimental to the clubs as it would screw up 2 seasons. The bottom line is that the clubs are ruling the game.
Of course the game has benefited immensely from the globalization of the champions league. The champions league is an arena where the players can display their talents. The quality of the games are really of the highest standard. Additionally, with the increasing revenues of these clubs, they can buy the best and pay them handsomely as well. Hence, a team like chelsea, a team which was nowhere in the elite of europe as late as 2002, is currently the best team in Europe (its a very open question whether they play attractive football nevertheless they are effective). With the financial muscle of Roman Abrahamovich the Chelsea FC team can afford the likes of John Terry, Ashley Cole, Carvalho, (some of the better defenders in the world), Petr Cech, Michel Essien, Andriy Shevchenko (winner of theBallon Dor), Michel Ballack (unlucky not to win the B Dor in 2002). Of course other teams have also followed suite. All this means that only a few selected clubs dominate and will continue to dominate in Europe. The european glory days for teams like Red Star Belgrade or even teams like Ajax look realistically a distant dream. Is this doing any good for the game?. The positives are very obvious-watching a game between Barcelona and Chelsea or Real Madrid and AC Milan is almost like watching a world cup. However, this also means that the pressure on players is immense- one bad season and the knives will be out for the axing of the player (the talk about Ronaldinho can all be attributed to an ordinary season by his standards). Further, the stakes involved in some of these games are really really huge. Once a team enters the CL semi-finals or thereabouts then it just means that the team will have to focus on multiple dimensions - the league title (which are becoming extremely competitive) plus glory in Europe. It can be a glorious treble as in the case of ManU in 1999 or it can be a close photo-finish second as in the case of Milan in 2005 (lost the CL to Liverpool and then lost the Scudetto to Juventus in the last week). The margin for error is indeed very small. It is hence no surprise that not a single club over the last 16 years has been able to defend its CL medal the next season. Realistically speaking, Frank Rijkaard and Fabio Capello would not have been disappointed by the exit of their respective teams from CL as it would enable them to concentrate just on the La-Liga - a safer and more secure option.
to be contd...
Tuesday, April 24, 2007
Thursday, April 19, 2007
Messidona ?
The footballing world is all talking about the fantastic goal scored by Lionel Messi against Getafe (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_0WpDO1PBSg). Pundits have gone aboard and even declared it even better than the famous El Diego goal. Leo´s team-mates have also been quick to claim that it is one of the best they have seen.
Of course there is no doubt about the quality of that goal. Firstly, Getafe are no ordinary teams. With Schuster in charge they have the best organized defense in La-Liga. Even a quick glance at the goal would suggest the same. Messi was surrounded by about 4 to 5 players when close to the P-Box. The pace and more importantly accelaration of Lionel really ensured that he left about 4 (or is it 5?) defenders literally dead in the field. To me the finish was brilliant, the opposition defender had nicely closed in on the near-post. Leo decided to go to the far post with his unfancied right foot. The composure shown at that point is really incredible, considering that Lionel is just 19 years of age. Messi has had a good come-back since returning from injury. A hat.trick against Real Madrid and a couple of impressive displays have really capped a good latter part of the season.
The goal scored by Messi might very well be better than Maradona´s stunner at the Aztec stadium. But then, it is worth noting that Maradona´s goal was scored in a World cup quarterfinal and that too in a very tensed and heated game. Of course, Maradona went on to repeat the same (or nearly the same) against Belgium and Germany (The Burruchaga winner where Maradona provided the crucial assist). After all, Maradona is not just remembered for the goal he scored but for the innumerable titles he won. The World cup victory in 1986 is even more remarkable considering that Argentina almost failed to qualify for the 1986 WC, and the team that won it was not the most distinguished WC winning teams(in terms of talent). As Jorge Valdano (a striker in that Argentine team) put it very exaggeratingly that the rest of the players used fetch the ball and give it to Diego, and that was their only job in that WC. Then of course, there is the love-hate relation Diego had with Napoli in Italy. It was really a gamble by Diego to move to Napoli, a club with very little pedigree in Serie-A. But then his success at Napoli was really the icing on the cake. He took a small town club to the elite of Europe- incredible indeed. Maradona was more than just a player with infinite talent. Luis Cesar Menotti (the manager of the WC winning Argentine team in 1978 and the WYC winning team in 1979) observed that he has never seen a player who works on his game as hard as Maradona in the field, coming from first-hand experience just shows that Maradona was more than just talent. The work-rate that Maradona possessed was also incredible. When the team did not have possession of the ball, he would chase (like a Gattusso )and help the defense and do the dirty work and of course inspire the team at crucial moments. The confidence that Diego provided to the team was really amazing. It is actually this (the confidence) that a team like Argentina has lacked in the last 4 WC campaigns. Hence, this obsession with the next Maradona and all that. There have been players with Maradona´s abilities (or close to his abilities) but they have somehow faded at crucial moments in big games.
This season has really shown the talent in the impish boy-wonder (Lionel Messi) that has been obvious since the World Youth Cup days . Of course, he did play a more than a dominant part in the World Youth Cup victory of Argentina in 2005. But international football is a difficult test altogether as compared to Youth football. (As Pekerman rightly puts, the main purpose of youth teams is to serve as a constant source of talent for the national side.) The pressure and expectation from the fans could very well work in a negative direction as has been the case with a lot of players. With each little progress that Messi takes more comparisons would be drawn with great players which would also translate into more pressure to perform and more crucially ensure victory for his side. Additionally, with increased teams in the league and the competition the physical fitness and the consistency of a player is really tested. Something, which has not been existing in Maradona and Pele eras.
However, the evidence presented so far has been very encouraging and Messi seems to be very positive and confident on the pitch, time will only tell if Messi will continue on the good work and be remembered with the likes of his illustrous predecessors like Maradona and Di-Stefanio.
Of course there is no doubt about the quality of that goal. Firstly, Getafe are no ordinary teams. With Schuster in charge they have the best organized defense in La-Liga. Even a quick glance at the goal would suggest the same. Messi was surrounded by about 4 to 5 players when close to the P-Box. The pace and more importantly accelaration of Lionel really ensured that he left about 4 (or is it 5?) defenders literally dead in the field. To me the finish was brilliant, the opposition defender had nicely closed in on the near-post. Leo decided to go to the far post with his unfancied right foot. The composure shown at that point is really incredible, considering that Lionel is just 19 years of age. Messi has had a good come-back since returning from injury. A hat.trick against Real Madrid and a couple of impressive displays have really capped a good latter part of the season.
The goal scored by Messi might very well be better than Maradona´s stunner at the Aztec stadium. But then, it is worth noting that Maradona´s goal was scored in a World cup quarterfinal and that too in a very tensed and heated game. Of course, Maradona went on to repeat the same (or nearly the same) against Belgium and Germany (The Burruchaga winner where Maradona provided the crucial assist). After all, Maradona is not just remembered for the goal he scored but for the innumerable titles he won. The World cup victory in 1986 is even more remarkable considering that Argentina almost failed to qualify for the 1986 WC, and the team that won it was not the most distinguished WC winning teams(in terms of talent). As Jorge Valdano (a striker in that Argentine team) put it very exaggeratingly that the rest of the players used fetch the ball and give it to Diego, and that was their only job in that WC. Then of course, there is the love-hate relation Diego had with Napoli in Italy. It was really a gamble by Diego to move to Napoli, a club with very little pedigree in Serie-A. But then his success at Napoli was really the icing on the cake. He took a small town club to the elite of Europe- incredible indeed. Maradona was more than just a player with infinite talent. Luis Cesar Menotti (the manager of the WC winning Argentine team in 1978 and the WYC winning team in 1979) observed that he has never seen a player who works on his game as hard as Maradona in the field, coming from first-hand experience just shows that Maradona was more than just talent. The work-rate that Maradona possessed was also incredible. When the team did not have possession of the ball, he would chase (like a Gattusso )and help the defense and do the dirty work and of course inspire the team at crucial moments. The confidence that Diego provided to the team was really amazing. It is actually this (the confidence) that a team like Argentina has lacked in the last 4 WC campaigns. Hence, this obsession with the next Maradona and all that. There have been players with Maradona´s abilities (or close to his abilities) but they have somehow faded at crucial moments in big games.
This season has really shown the talent in the impish boy-wonder (Lionel Messi) that has been obvious since the World Youth Cup days . Of course, he did play a more than a dominant part in the World Youth Cup victory of Argentina in 2005. But international football is a difficult test altogether as compared to Youth football. (As Pekerman rightly puts, the main purpose of youth teams is to serve as a constant source of talent for the national side.) The pressure and expectation from the fans could very well work in a negative direction as has been the case with a lot of players. With each little progress that Messi takes more comparisons would be drawn with great players which would also translate into more pressure to perform and more crucially ensure victory for his side. Additionally, with increased teams in the league and the competition the physical fitness and the consistency of a player is really tested. Something, which has not been existing in Maradona and Pele eras.
However, the evidence presented so far has been very encouraging and Messi seems to be very positive and confident on the pitch, time will only tell if Messi will continue on the good work and be remembered with the likes of his illustrous predecessors like Maradona and Di-Stefanio.
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