As the world cup draws to a close , it’s time to discuss the successes and the duds . While we still dont know who the eventual winner will be , I was wondering how some players who have led their clubs to glory over the years have failed to do so for their country ....
As someone who tries to keep track of the epl , the primera liga and the champions league ( though I confess I am not an avid watcher of all the games ) , its perplexing how some superstars at club level have gone out with a whimper at this world cup ....
Ronaldinho : There’s no doubt that he is genius ...those who have seen him play for Barcelona over the past 2 seasons know what a magician he can be . The flicks , one touches , pin point precision passes , his dribbling skills , the vision , leadership , all were so obviously missing...Don’t give me the bull**&% that he was closely marked at the World Cup , coz even when he plays for Barcelona , he is a marked man day in & day out . For Brazil , he had Kaka , Ronaldo, Adriano & Robinho for company and so oppostion defences had that many more people to mark , whereas for Barca , he & Deco are the engines . What happened ???
Kaka : The AC Milan powerhouse is such a potent attacker for his club . He plays behind Shevchenko & Inzaghi and adds a powerful goal scoring dimension to the Italian giant . His presence at the heart of the AC milan midfield is as important as Riquelme’s for Villareal or Ballack for Bayern ? How come that didn’t reflect for the Brazilian team ???
Thierry Henry : If there is anyone who has single handedly managed his clubs fortunes and held Arsenal from disintegrating altogether , it has been Henry ( I know that there are a lot of Arsenal fans out there and they are going to be pissed at reading this !! :-) ) . The french maestro though supposed to be a forward , runs the entire length of the pitch when playing for Arsenal, winning balls , making runs from deep , marshalling the forces and holds the team together . ( as an aside , I think that Arsenal looks like they have the best & most talented of the youngsters what with Reyes , Fabregas , Van Persie , Walcott , Diaby , Senderos , Adebayor being part of this young side ) . Henry did score a goal against brazil and he still has chance to redeem himself in the remaining games . The french will be hoping he does .
Frank Lampard : Abramovich might have signed on the world for Chelski ..but the fact of the matter remains that at the heart of this expensive team filled with superstars are 2 englishmen ...John Terry & Frank Lampard . Lampard has been stunning for Chelsea , striking goals by the dozen and providing inspiration to his team mates . At this world cup , he has been a joke , getting the maximum number of chances and failing to convert any at all . The worst part is , he has missed
even a penalty ....His performance has been simply pathetic
Steven Gerrard : He scored a good goal in the earlier rounds and has played much better than a lot of the other mentioned above . But the fact is that Steven Gerrard single handedly had won Liverpool that Champions league last year ....Much Much more was expected of him . He was part of a lineup that included Rooney , lampard , beckham , Owen , joe cole , ashley cole , ferdinand , John Terry . For fans of the EPL , this lineup is second to none ....It was like a dream team ....the dream turned into a night mare ....
There are so many other names that come to mind Raul , Del piero , Totti , Robben players who are fantastic for their clubs ...but haven’t lived upto expectations for their country ... What is the reason ? Is it because they are so money minded ?? Do they lack patriotism for their countries ? are they faced with a coach with a different mindset not suited to their game ? Are there ego clashes with fellow superstars ? Does lack of responsibility cause them to perform below their best ? Are they tired at the end of a long & tiring season with their clubs ??? Whatever the reason , ulitmately it is we spectators that are the losers as we miss out on the best of these talented superstars ...