FIFA World Cup 2010: Why Have The Super Stars Failed To Perform?
Every World Cup competition in recent history is remembered by a legendary player, whether that player contributed to that tournaments appeal with his goals, defensive displays, saves or even atrocious tackles or head butts which caused unimaginable controversy.
FIFA World Cup of 1990 was associated with Paul Gascoigne, the young English footballer who lit up the world cup with his childlike love of football and ultimate devotion to the sport. His displays in all of the matches he played in were superb. In 1994, it was Italy’s Roberto Baggio who led his team to the finals of the World Cup in America only to miss his penalty during the shootout and lose to Italy in the final game.
In 1998 it was Ronaldo and Zidane, Zidane’s hatrick of goals in the final match against Ronaldo’s Brazil will always be remembered in French football history as the most important goals ever scored. Ronaldo’s displays of skill and superb finishing in the lead up matches towards the final propelled him into becoming the best striker of his generation undoubtedly.
In 2002, it was Ronaldo again who made up for his World Cup final disappointment and won the World Cup with Brazil after inflicting a painful yet comprehensive victory for Germany in the final. In 2006, it was Cannavaro, Italy’s captain led them to their fourth world cup final victory after a fine defensive performance throughout the match.
The 1970 World Cup was Pele’s World Cup as he led Brazil to World Cup glory. Similarly it was Beckenbauer who led his team in 1974 and Johan Cruyff’s total football entertainment that took the shape of the Netherlands football team in the same year.
1966 was Eusebio’s and Bobby Charlton’s World Cup as both of them were crucial to their team’s world cup campaigns. Bobby’s team came out on top in the end as England won the World Cup on their home soil.
Paulo Rossi made the 1982 World Cup his own with Italy after a tumultuous life. In 1986, it was Diego Maradona who led Argentina to their second world cup victory with his dazzling runs and short center of gravity which helped him maneuver his way around defenders.
However, the 2010 World Cup has been different in this regard. There are no super star names that one can associate with the tournament so far. With only two games left, the semi-finals and the finals of the World Cup, it is difficult to see how that can change.
There were a number of stars in this World Cup, Kaka, Rooney, Messi, Ronaldo and Ribery to name a few. A lot was expected of them but these players flattered to deceive and failed to perform in the World Cup. Their respective teams are thus already out of the World Cup.
The main reason for this is the emerging trend in modern football of man-marking a player out of the game. Defensive midfield position which has gained prominence throughout the past decade has shown that players with talent can be man-marked and their influence on the game can be limited as a result.
This is exactly what has happened with the likes of Rooney, Messi, Ribery, Kaka and Ronaldo. The former four went out of the tournament without even scoring a single goal despite scoring plenty for their clubs in the previous football season. Every time these players got the ball in the matches that they played for their national teams, they were marked by not just one but sometimes two defensive players from the opposition’s side.
This meant that they had no choice but to either try to by-pass them and risk losing the possession of the ball or either pass it to a team mate. This inclination towards man-marking an important player out of the game also signifies a movement towards football’s roots where it has always been established that football is a team game and team is always greater than an individual.
Coaches who have such managers in their times, players like Messi and Ronaldo tend to plan and build a team around their main player, so what happens is if these players are marked out of the game, their team system fails as the system on based on an individual rather than an collective effort of the eleven players on the field.
A lot of tactical managerial lessons can be taken from the on-going FIFA World Cup but perhaps the most important one so far has been that team performance will always triumph individual performance. It should be noted thus, that teams are permanent and individuals are always temporary.
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