That’s what I’m talking about. Sure, Portugal can cream North Korea 7 – 0. Not that I put unlimited faith in the FIFA/Coca-Cola ranking table, but when team #3 plays team #105… well, duh. Being on a numeric par, the Spain/Portugal fixture promised a tighter match, and delivered on that promise — though not by all that much.
Portugal’s strategy of negative tactics, histrionics and Ronaldo simply didn’t pay off against Spain’s invention, teamwork and 4-man attack force (Villa, Torres, Ineista, Xavi). Spain looked calm, collected, confident and always the more likely to score. Alonso’s uncanny ability to read the game and release the forward players into dangerous areas was play-making at its best. Ramos’ penchant for making full-field runs up the right to threaten just outside (or even inside) Portugal’s 18-yard box essentially gave Spain an additional forward.
The only damper on the day was Torres’ grim look when he was subbed out without scoring yet again. Strikers like to score, and so they should. It’s what they’re paid for after all. It’s why they get the big (mega-big) bucks. It’s hard for strikers to hold their heads up high, hard for them not to feel they’ve let absolutely everyone in the world down when they can’t find the back of the net. Repeatedly. Match after match.
I think they need to step back from the gaping goal for a sec and get a little perspective. Strikers (and some of you wingers and attacking midfielders, as well) — listen up.
If your team is going home from WC for lack of goals and you haven’t managed to beat a keeper even once (Rooney, Heskey, Altidore, Ribery, Hamsik…) then, yes. Go ahead. Hang your head. Tsk, tsk.
On the other hand, if you are a striker with such a high profile you are one of the ad/media faces of the tournament (Messi, Ronaldo, Kaka…), remember that the hype isn’t just for the fans. (And no, Ronaldo, it’s not just for you “because it’s true” — put some ice on that swollen head of yours.) You think that’s a number on the back of your shirt? It’s nothing but a big bull’s-eye. Sit down, put your feet up, and watch a few minutes of your team’s matches on replay. Before the pass even gets to you, the opposing defenders and midfielders have you boxed in. Once you take it down, six or so players converge on you. It’s a compliment really. They figure all they have to do is close you down, and they’ve got the game won. Assuage your egos with the knowlege that as your teams are blessed with several attacking options, you can serve your side by being a handy distraction. Kaka — while you steal focus, Robinho can whip one into the back of the net for Brazil. Messi — Higuan and Tevez can rack them up for Argentina, while the opposition is sending you sprawling. Just ’cause you’re not scoring doesn’t mean you’re not doing your part.
If you’re not selling the WC in international ads, but your country’s hopes are pinned on you (Santa Cruz, Adiyiah, Van Persie…), try to relax. Your tourney’s not over. You could net a goal yet. Dwelling on the goals you didn’t score and worrying about whether you’ll break your goal drought is the best-est way there is to screw up your game and extend your dry spell. Play for the moment, not for recognition in the end-of-match statistics.
And finally, El Niňo… you just had knee surgery in April. I had simple arthoscopy in March of 2009 and couldn’t do a bloody set of Tai Chi Ch’uan full out for at least 3 months. Perhaps I’d have snapped back a mite sooner had I been a young whippersnapper prior to the operation and my day job had been playing top-level competitive Tai Chi Ch’uan. Perhaps my recovery time would have been abbreviated had I been in primo physical condition before and had the best physical therapists to get me back to snuff after my mini-medical time-out. Still and yet and nevertheless, returning to full match fitness for these WC games was a crazy expectation. Drop it. You’re doing great, playing well, threatening the keeper, providing chances for your team to score and Spain is still in the WC. For all you know, your shooting boots could be waiting for you in the locker room for the game with Paraguay. (Fingers crossed.)
I don’t think Tevez, Kuyt or Mascherano detract from your theory in the slightest — but I would expand the theory to include the effects of team-consciousness — evident in some squads (Holland, Argentina, Spain, Germany, Brazil…) and a bit, somewhat or entirely lacking in others (England, Portugal, South Africa, USA, France…)
Yeah, Christiano got terrific service for his style of play at ManU. So did Rooney. A 40-game season allows savvy management to figure out how to maximize the skills of each individual (Vidic, van der Saar, Scholes, Giggs, Carrick also got to shine, ja?) — and create a powerhouse 11-man threat.
Aguirre’s done well with that internationally, I’d say. And Marwijk. Brazil and Germany always seem to excel on the world stage. But England was a discouraged team before they hit the pitch. USA has consistency issues (less-famous players try to get the ball to the big names instead of just playing it). Portugal, as I said, thought they could prevail by feeding the ball to their superstar — so their opposition just had to close down C.R. and dispossess him, and Portugal was likely to go down.
As for France, I will point out that the nation’s highest hopes were actually on non-EPL players Gourcuff and Ribery, both of whom failed to deliver, and that the manager’s resistance to putting non-EPL stars Cisse and Henry on the pitch may well have hurt their chances.
Sorry, Ronaldo barely touched the ball in second half Against Spain.
A couple of things have occurred to me during this tournament, and one is how much Ronoldo benefited from that marvelous Man-U midfield. He barely touched the ball in the second half for Spain, and while some of that is clearly due to Spain’s defense and the negative aspect of Portugal’s strategy, I suspect that Ronaldo might fare better with a different side. Not so for Torres who is as you point out not 100% fit. It is clear to anyone who has seen El Nino at his best that he’s not ready.
That said, what has really troubled me through this tournament is the attitude and emotional funk that seems to hang over players from the EPL. At first I thought it was England and I laid the blame at Capello’s feet. He has straddled English football like a boarding school sadist and there is no joy on that side. I don’t think I saw Wayne Rooney smile, Gerrard was a game warrior but I never saw his swagger but once. I starting thinking it might be something else, when I saw how disengaged Torres seemed, and how volatile things became in France between their lame duck manager, and Nicholas Anelka, Florent Malouda, and Patrice Evra all EPL players. Some folks hate the inference of psychology in Sport, but it was a tense and unhappy year in the EPL and I think the anxiety and animosity being sown in the board rooms is being reaped on the pitch.
Of course this theory is shot to shit by the wonderful play of Carlos Tevez, Dirk Kuyt, and even Javier Mascherano.