Forget Rooney Ronaldo or Messi : David Villa of Spain is the best striker of 2010 world cup
Forget about Wayne Rooney, or Cristiano Ronaldo. They couldn’t hold a candle to Kaka, Robben, or Messi in this 2010 World Cup. In turn, those three strikers pale in comparison to David Villa of Spain, who scored the sole goal in a match on Tuesday to lead his team to a quarter-final confrontation against unfancied Paraguay. If they win that, they could face an excellent Argentinian team in the semis, a stage where they haven't managed a win in 60 years. Much will depend on Villa keeping up his torrid goalscoring pace.
So far this season, Villa has played seven international matches, with seven goals scored. That beats out Kaka, Robben, and Messi handily. He’s also shown a capacity to maintain his composure on the field, which amounts for much on the world stage.
Villa was born on 3 December 1981, the son of a miner, in Tuilla, a small village in Langreo, Asturias, a region in northern Spain. His future as a professional footballer was put in jeopardy when he suffered a fracture to his femur at the age of nine, but made a complete recovery.
Due to the injury to his right leg, he and his father José Manuel Villa worked on strengthening his left leg and he ultimately became an ambidextrous footballer. He recalls his father being consistently supportive: "He would be there throwing me the ball over and over, making me kick it with my left leg when my right was in plaster after breaking it. I can barely remember a single training session when my dad wasn't there. I have never been alone on a football pitch."
Villa admitted that he came close to giving up football at the age of 14 after growing disillusioned and falling out with his coach. However, thanks to his parents' encouragement, he persisted in pursuing his dream, realising his talent could earn him a living. "In those days I was a nobody, not earning a penny and after being made to sit on the bench all season I just wanted to get away and play with my friends," he said. "But my dad always supported me and cheered me up until my career turned round." He went on to begin his footballing career at UP Langreo, and when he turned 17 he joined the Mareo football school.
Fast forward to 2008. Villa was the top scorer of the 2008 Euros. His team won the tournament and became 2008 Champions despite Villa being injured for the final game. Real Madrid tried to sign him, but he refused, and Real manager Bernd Schuster accused him of having "no ambition.”
Villas responded assertively: "Footballing ambition is not about your mouth, it is about your feet. You can accuse me of lots of things—of having a bad day, of missing chances, of many things—but I have always had ambition and always will have. I think I have proved that on the pitch with Zaragoza, Sporting, UD Langreo, and the national team."
On beating Portugal in the round of 16, Villa said: "I am very happy for the win, although we suffered a lot. We deserved to win, so I believe the result is fair. They finished really well and individually have two excellent central defenders, but luckily, we were able to take one of our chances.”
He continued: "My aim is to keep scoring like this, especially in the big matches, so we can advance through the tournament.”
Villa is currently tied for lead scorer at the 2010 World Cup and might be a good bet to win the Golden Boot. He is undoubtedly a force to be reckoned with, and Spain remains the heavy favourite against Paraguay. After that, Spain are in with a good chance to beat either Argentina or Germany, leading to a possible World Cup Final confrontation against joint favourites Brazil, where one might expect goal scoring chances galore.
In the next few days, definitely a player to keep tabs on.
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