FIFA World Cup 2010: Has Felipe Melo self destructed?
Felipe Melo might be one of the few players in world football who managed to lose a match for their national team totally single handedly. Melo who plays for Juventus in the Italian League came to the world cup as a promising Brazilian defensive midfielder.
One of the few players in Dunga’s line up which had a guaranteed start alongside Gilberto Silva in the midfield of the five time world champions. In the quarter final tie against Netherlands, Melo was given the task of limiting Robben’s influence on the game. The Dutch, winger who returned to Holland’s starting 11 after a torrid time with an injury ever since the start of the World Cup, was finally featured on the start for the Dutch.
Robben known for his simulation abilities throughout world football, made the most of an horrendous mistake by Felipe Melo. Melo approached the Dutch winger from behind and put in a tackle. Robben went to the group because of the tackle from behind and then Melo decided to stomp Robben for no good reason.
Referee spotted this and gave Melo a red card. The rest of the game was predictable after that, Brazil went a goal down after defending abysmally from a corner, and they then tried to chase the game but failed miserably. Eventually the Dutch won the game 2-1 and progressed to the semi finals whereas Brazil were knocked out of the world cup despite being favorites to win the competition.
Melo himself says that he performed above average during his time with the team in the 2010 World Cup. He also says that if Brazil won the cup, his performances would have been perfect.
Maybe Melo is one of those players who have a problem handling pressure. The Quarter final of a World Cup is a big game for any player, no matter how much experience you have, Quarter finals in the world’s biggest football tournament gives you butterflies in the stomach.
Melo was transferred from Fiorentina to Juventus for a considerably big amount of 25 million Euros. One would expect a player with that high a price tag to perform up to the standard expected of him by fans and managers alike. However that was not to be, in Juventus’s crucial tie against league champions Inter Milan, Felipe Melo managed to get himself sent off during the match. As if such an act wasn’t enough, the Brazilian midfielder then went on to insult the club fans after disappointing results from matches against Fulham in the Europa League.
When Melo was called up to the national squad, he said in a statement to the press that he was much happier with the national team than with his club in Italy. Gigi Delneri, Juventus’s new coach fined the player because of these comments and also said that Juventus will have to reconsider the player’s future at the club. He also said that it will be nice if Melo returned to Juventus and proved to be “useful”.
Despite single handedly losing Brazil the game, Melo told the reporters after the match that Robben had acted to influence the referee into sending Felipe Melo off. He also said that if he meant to hurt Robben, he would’ve broken his leg and assured the reporters that he has enough strength to accomplish that feat.
After Brazil’s elimination from the World Cup in South Africa, Melo has been advised by his former national team mate, Ronaldo to not visit Brazil for vacations after his performances for the five time champions in the World Cup.
Juventus’s manager Gigi Delneri will try to reshape Melo not only as a player but as a character as well. His off-field remarks and his on the field failures have turned him into one of the most hated players in Turin for Juventus and in Brazil for his apparent performances with the Brazilian national team.
If the Juventus manager fails in this task, another promising talent’s career can disintegrate into nothing. Melo himself also needs to realize, that a change has to come from within sometimes, by the looks of his remarks though, it seems as though he believes everyone other than him is at fault.
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