No. 10’s a flop in South Africa
Jul 04, 2010
PARIS-It has long been seen as the magic number in football, but the number 10 shirt has failed to live up to its star billing at the World Cup. Wearing the number ten on your back has earned exalted, almost sacred, status over the years thanks not least to the exploits first of Pele with Brazil, t
PARIS-It has long been seen as the magic number in football, but the number 10 shirt has failed to live up to its star billing at the World Cup. Wearing the number ten on your back has earned exalted, almost sacred, status over the years thanks not least to the exploits first of Pele with Brazil, then Diego Maradona with Argentina with Zinedine Zidane reprising the role in 1998.
But the current generation have thus far failed to live up to their forebears. Brazil number ten Kaka had hoped to engrave his name in the World Cup hall of fame despite coming into the tournament on the back of an injury-plagued, below par season at Real Madrid.
But his showing remained obstinately on a lower plane as the Brazilians never hit the heights of Pele’s generation, bowing out meekly to the Dutch after Kaka again failed to hit the target.
As for Lionel Messi, the record books will show that his second World Cup finals ended in similar ignonimity as his first. This time, he failed to live up to his billing as the world’s greatest player continually running down blind alleys as the Germans this time thrashed his countrymen 4-0.
England’s vintage, Wayne Rooney, endured a turgid tournament which saw him produce plenty of toil but with little reward.
As for other pretenders to the number ten crown, Cesc Fabregas would walk into most teams, but Spain believe they can keep a man even of his talents on the bench. But Holland’s Wesley Sneijder remains very much alive.
AFP
But the current generation have thus far failed to live up to their forebears. Brazil number ten Kaka had hoped to engrave his name in the World Cup hall of fame despite coming into the tournament on the back of an injury-plagued, below par season at Real Madrid.
But his showing remained obstinately on a lower plane as the Brazilians never hit the heights of Pele’s generation, bowing out meekly to the Dutch after Kaka again failed to hit the target.
As for Lionel Messi, the record books will show that his second World Cup finals ended in similar ignonimity as his first. This time, he failed to live up to his billing as the world’s greatest player continually running down blind alleys as the Germans this time thrashed his countrymen 4-0.
England’s vintage, Wayne Rooney, endured a turgid tournament which saw him produce plenty of toil but with little reward.
As for other pretenders to the number ten crown, Cesc Fabregas would walk into most teams, but Spain believe they can keep a man even of his talents on the bench. But Holland’s Wesley Sneijder remains very much alive.
AFP