Or, heroes and England players as you might want to put it
Heroes
David Villa
I think it’s fair to say that Spain are still yet to rise to the levels that we saw from them during their victorious Euro 2008 campaign. The ball retention is still there, yet the speed and pace with which they move the ball and the way they use their movement and passing to pull teams apart, is yet to really click into top gear. There are signs that they are slowly getting the machine moving, but right now, for all their great talents, you have to wonder just where they’d be without the striking talents of one David Villa.
The new Barcelona man has been in sensational form thus far in the tournament, often cutting in from a position on the left to unleash a shot across the keeper’s bows. He’s a poacher, but a modern poacher. Not a Van Nistelrooy/Owen type of striker who stands in the penalty spot waiting for the ball to hit him, yet not an all round centre forward like a Drogba. Villa is a goal scorer, a taker of chances, but also a man that can create them for himself as well. At this tournament his striking has been deadly, always making the keeper work, always making sure to hit the target. So far Fernando Torres (like so many other big names) is yet to really show up in South Africa, yet his strike partner most definitely has. Right now, it’s hard to think of a deadlier player in world football.
Germany’s next generation
One of the most striking aspects of Germany’s 4-1 defeat of England was the fact that whilst one team rolled out the same side that has basically been contesting major finals for near on eight years now, the other (and here’s a clue – it wasn’t England) have successfully refreshed their team with a generation of young, dynamic and exciting players.
At the turn of the 21st Century, German football was being widely criticised as old fashioned, slow, boring and incapable of keeping up with the changes in the modern game. Witness their awful performances at Euro 2000, and the poor quality in the makeup of their squads in Japan and Korea in 2002 (although they still got to the final of course) and Portugal in 2004. Yet after the nadir, it seemed Germany decided enough was enough, and it was time to reinvent the wheel. Ditching the ‘tried and trusted’ approach of the past, Germany are now reaping the rewards of an increased emphasis on youth development as well as changes to German citizenship laws allowing the children of immigrant families to play for their adopted home land.
Obviously some see a problem with this (*coughDailyMailcough*) however the new German national team embodies the new German nation. In recent years Germany have won European titles at under 17, under 19 and under 21 levels (where they hammered England 4-0 in the final last year) and the most significant aspect has been the progression of several of those players into the senior line up for the World Cup. That’s a key difference with the England national team that has had no real fresh blood in it for years. How many of those who come through and perform with the England under 21’s make that transition into the national team?
Brazil’s counter attack
Jogo Bonito, samba football, carnivals, step over’s, nutmegs, girls in the stand wearing not very much...that’s Brazilian football right? Well no, not really, as with many things, right now, that’s a lazy stereotype. The Brazil class of 2010 are a machine, one built for professionalism rather than pleasure. There is no “we only want to entertain with smiles on our faces” this is a Brazil team designed to do one thing this summer; win.
Part of me would like to put some aspects of Brazil’s approach into the ‘villains’ section, their lack of creativity in central midfield, a loss of the midfield player who can pass and move, rather than just destroy and defend, but when all is said and done, in a way you have to admire this Brazilian team for the sheer explosive nature of the way they play.
Dunga’s Brazil play for the counter attack, for the moment when their opponents come onto them and when they can strike; fast and lethally. When a team is attacking Brazil they are at their most vulnerable, leaving themselves vulnerable to a lightning fast break, comprised of pace and power. With fullback Maicon, tricky winger Robinho, centre forward Luis Fabiano and creator in chief Kaka ready to explode at a moment’s notice, Brazil rely on their world class goalkeeper, rock like centre back pairing and defensive midfield wall to hold opponents at bay before waiting for the right moment to strike and go for the jugular.
Brazil are not unbeatable however. Indeed they struggle most when a side refuses to play ball against them. When a team sits back, doesn’t come onto them and doesn’t allow them to break at speed, the boys in yellow can struggle and struggle badly. In qualifying, they were held to home 0-0 draws when their opponents parked the proverbial. However the sheer power and force they are able to bring to the table makes them a formidable outfit.
Villains
Mauricio Espinosa
Well let’s get this one out of the way. This is the assistant referee who somehow failed to see the ‘goal’ that Frank Lampard scored against Germany, which would have tied up the game at 2-2. His failure to spot the whole of the ball being clearly, clearly over the line has been met with much incredulity. It’s prompted mass debates about the use of technology, but how he was not able to spot the ball being over the line with the technology the God gave him, i.e. his eyes is still beyond me.
If the goal was given, England are back level, Germany rocking. Maybe England don’t have to force the game so much. Who knows? We never will. Let’s not hide behind this admittedly terrible decision though, England were horrific throughout the whole tournament and got what they deserved, i.e. nothing.
The ‘golden generation’
I was never really sure what that related to really, given that I thought to be golden you had to have won things. Maybe golden just related to their watches, cars and jewellery. By now there’s not really too much else I can say about England’s performance that hasn’t already been said. English players can’t keep the ball. We can’t produce our own coaches, so throw money at a big name foreign one. Any player who shows any sort of creativity or has maverick flair is mistrusted and looked on with contempt, ostracised for life. Youth development is all wrong, kids picked for how big they are, not if they’re actually any good.
That’s just some of the problems at the base of the pyramid, but at the top, it’s hard to think of another group of players engulfed in such a state of self worth and entitlement. I don’t know anyone of them personally, I’m sure many of them are good guys, who play for the love of the game. I’ve never criticised their spirit, that’s not the issue, they all clearly were trying (which arguably made it more depressing) they just weren’t good enough. During the game, the commentator on the BBC said, “How many of the German team would get into the England one? – two maybe three?” Herein lies the problem, what planet are you on? What evidence is there to support that claim? None, absolutely none at all.
Finally, and call me unpatriotic if you want, but I’m just bored of this England team. James, A. Cole, Terry, Ferdinand, Lampard, Barry, Gerrard, J. Cole, Heskey, it feels like this team has been playing together for around 50 years sometimes. I don’t deny that some of these players are still the best in their positions in the country (well not Heskey), but it’s just the same old, same old, same players, same team, same problems, same issues, everything is the same. Nothing changes, it’s boring, where’s the next generation? I honestly don’t care England don’t win every tournament they enter, I just want to be excited to watch them again. This team is played out, and I have no desire to see any of them play again.
Carlos Queiroz
A bit of a harsh one, given the general ‘non-descriptness’ of Alex Ferguson’s former right hand man, but I was just so disappointed in Portugal against Spain, they were just so, unbelievably negative. Whilst not being quite the team of a few years ago (resisting the temptation to use ‘golden generation’) they surely still possess enough flair players to go and beat their opponents. I know that Switzerland have shown haw Spain can be beaten; play compactly, get men behind the ball, crowd the space, retain discipline, but Portugal; offered virtually nothing for the whole game.
The most striking aspect was when they had just gone 1-0 down and had no idea what to do, they just couldn’t seem to comprehend that they then had to attack or they were going out. The manager offered nothing, no new tactical shape, no dynamism, no positivity. I’ve seen a lot of criticism for Cristiano Ronaldo this morning, Maybe he never did really turn it on in the tournament, but he was never allowed to, straight jacketed by his manager. Ronaldo barely touched the ball in the second half as he was never given the ball by his teammates. Aside from being Sir Alex’s yes man, chalk up his reign as Portugal boss as another red cross on the CV of Mr Queiroz.
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