FIFA World Cup 2010: Premier League Stars To Plead For Starting Spots
It is quite strange that two of the most influential players of the English Premier league have so far failed to impress at the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Spain’s stars such as Xavi, Alonso, Villa and Iniesta have kept Fabregas and Torres away from their national team’s starting lineup.
Torres and Fabregas have come to the world cup, after the end of fantastic seasons for their respective clubs. Fabregas, who is Arsenal F.C’s captain, was their key midfielder in the past season. Fabregas’s best match for Arsenal last season came against Barcelona in the quarterfinals of the UEFA Champions league. Fabregas led a second half comeback against his former club to bring the score from 2-0 to 2-2, he also played the last 15 minutes of the match with a broken bone in his leg.
On the other hand, Torres also featured prominently for his club side Liverpool. Despite their disappointing end to the season in the seventh place, Torres scored 18 goals in 22 league appearances. In total a number of 32 appearances for the club during their 2009-2010 season, Torres scored 22 times for the former European cup winners Liverpool.
In spite of such wonderful previous seasons, Fabregas and Torres have failed to make their way into the Spanish national team’s starting eleven. Torres has seen more football in a Spanish shirt than Fabregas but he has failed to reproduce his club form for his country and still has to score a goal in the FIFA World Cup of 2010.
Fabregas on the other hand has been plagued by injury problems. The Spanish midfielder was not fit for the semi-final tie against Germany and took pain killing injections to gain satisfactory fitness levels. Even with such extreme measures, Fabregas remained limited to a substitute’s role in the semi-final.
According to the latest news reports, Fabregas and Torres are pleading with their national team manager, Vicente Del Bosque for a place in the starting lineup against Holland in the final match of the tournament. English news paper, Daily Mail has claimed that Torres is set to start for the Spanish national team on Sunday after talks with Del Bosque.
Fabregas has told the English newspaper 'The Sun' that he is desperate to play some kind of a role, even if just a limited one, in tomorrow’s match in the Soccer City Stadium. Fabregas told the press that he was disappointed that he was not in Spain’s starting eleven. However, he was happy for the team because of the result and also told the newspaper that it is an honor for the Arsenal captain to be part of such a talented Spanish side.
He also added that this Spanish squad can make history for Spain by winning the World Cup for the first time in their history. He went onto say that if he gets a chance in the starting lineup for tomorrows match he will do everything in his power to win the match. Fabregas also said that if he starts as a substitute again, he will still pray that he gets a chance to feature in this once in a life time game.
Fabregas also revealed that he has been in contact with his Arsenal teammate Robin Van Persie who is part of the Dutch squad. He said that they had been texting each other and that playing against Van Persie will not be a surprise after the opening games of the tournament, both of these youngsters joked about it with each other.
However, when both of the finalists take the field in Johannesburg, there will be no friends and club companionships will be put aside as a footballing war will take place to determine the winner of the 2010 FIFA World Cup.
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