Players to Watch Out For

Individual genius marks victories as surely as epiphanic gushes of inspiration. Here are 11 players to watch during the World Cup.

Football is all teamwork, they say. Is it, really? Individual genius marks victories as surely as epiphanic gushes of inspiration. Our pick:

To use a cricket analogy, just imagine a footballer with the skill of Yuvraj Singh and temperament of MS Dhoni. That’s Kaka. In a Brazilian team that has swapped swagger for solidity, Kaka is the man who manager Dunga turns to for creative inspiration, midfield. An evangelical Christian who’s survived a spinal fracture, Kaka, unlike some of his teammates who seem to see themselves as the male version of Vengaboys, doesn’t make the headlines for off-field exploits. His fans want him out there where it counts. That’s exactly what they get.

Given the injury crisis Germany faces, Schweinsteiger will have to do what Wayne Rooney does for England. A feisty competitor, this footballer with a tongue-twister of a name has been likened to a dog with a bone in the midfield. At 25, he’s already a veteran with nearly 80 international caps. Germany is famed for its precision passes and team-work. But that leaves enough space for individual excellence. This man’s pace (skiing has been a passion too), ball control, dribbling skills and ability to shoot thunderbolt free kicks, all make Schweinsteiger Germany’s most potent weapon this World Cup. For opponents, marking him will be priority No 1.

Eto’o achieved the rare distinction of winning the Uefa Champions League two years in running for his team, but with different clubs. Barcelona were glad the enfant terrible moved to Inter Milan last season. But Eto’o had the last laugh, not only being part of the title winning team, but also beating his former club decisively along the way. Currently engaged in a verbal duel with former Cameroon great Roger Milla, Eto’o threatens to pull out from the national squad in South Africa. This is supposed to be an Africa-moment Cup. But if Cameroon have any chance of progressing to the knockout stages, the whingeing Eto’o needs to be at his goal scoring best. Too much to ask?

France legend Zinedine Zidane calls him the jewel of French football. But Ribery has to shine brighter than ever if the geriatric French team, its glory days now past, has any hope of making it even to the semi finals. Injuries notwithstanding, la scarface came to the rescue of his club Bayern Munich on many occasions. He has the speed, skill and striking power to muzzle most defences. But coach Raymond Domenech, no less a maverick himself, will have to keep a check on Ribery’s wild post-match celebrations, and wild they usually are.

His partnership with Fernando Torres makes Spain’s attack the most fearsome in the world. Villa has been one of the most coveted goal scorers in Europe these past few seasons, and there’s enough net stretching he’s done to justify that. Playing in national colours, he has netted 36 goals in 55 games. Superslick Barcelona, ever on the lookout for talent, snapped him up this year for €40 million, and are mighty proud of him too.

Hasn’t had a great time since leaving Manchester United. Despite his heroics for Real Madrid last season, he was always the nearly man as Lionel Messi showed whatever Ronaldo did, he could do better. Portugal usually play as if they’re Europe’s Brazil. But they’ve got a team a tad too ordinary in the Cup this time. If only Ronaldo can go easy on the showboating and lead by example, now that he’s captain, he is more than capable of doing a Maradona.

When a team is built around the goalkeeper, expect attritional football. And no one can beat the Italians at that. It’s as hard for the Italians to find goal scorers as it is for India to find genuine pace bowlers. Many describe him as his team’s most attacking player. Every goal stopped by Buffon is a goal scored for Italy. If they can stretch each and every knockout game to a penalty shoot out, ‘Gigi’ Buffon can get them glory.

Many England fans believe they need 11 Rooneys on the pitch to entertain any hopes of winning the 2010 World Cup. It’s a telling comment on England’s overpaid underachievers, and Wayne Rooney’s Superman-like performance for his team over the last few years. It’s not unusual to find him doing defensive duty, and fighting with an opposing midfielder with the ferocity of a Rottweiler barely a second or two later, or playing a perfectly weighted pass to, well, himself near the penalty box, and then scoring a goal. Any more of this, and Energizer might just find itself a better brand ambassador. And Abbey Clancy’s bodypaint modelling would’ve paid off.

When fully fit and in form, not many can match Robben’s skills and technique. He almost single handedly dragged his  some•what mediocre Bayern Munich club team to European glory. The Dutch winger has the distinction of winning league titles in four different countries. Holland yet again bring an extraordinarily talented squad to the World Cup with Robben in the form of his life. They have a good chance, assuming  the Dutch won’t fight amongst themselves. Their self-destruct button is much too close.

America’s Time magazine recently named him as one of the most influential people in the world. The muscular centre-forward who has donated close to $5 million towards humanitarian causes displays little charity towards opposing defenders. And a chunk of Africa, England and even America loves him just for that. Week-in-week-out in the English Premier League, Drogba renders 15-stone defenders entirely helpless. Born in Abidjan, Ivory Coast, and nicknamed ‘Tito’ (after the Yugoslav leader) by his mother, he was sent by his parents to France, aged five, to stay with his footballer uncle Michel Goba. Homesick, he returned after three years. Now he not only carries the burden of expectations of his tiny nation, but almost all of Africa, whose emergence this Cup is meant to signify.

For a boy whose physical growth was stunted by a hormonal problem, Messi’s stature in world football is fairytale-like. His presence makes Argentina red hot favourites in large parts of India and overseas to win the Cup. Coach Maradona thinks Messi is even better than he was in 1986. Arsenal coach Arsene Wenger likens him to Playstation:  for making the most of every mistake you make. Messi can exploit defence chinks to devastating effect, but well organised teams can contain him, as Inter Milan showed recently against his club Barcelona. Also, Messi’s shins would be the target of defenders. Still, by the reckoning of fans, the World Cup is Messi’s to lose.

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TR Vivek