Latest Serie A sensation – Javier Pastore
Javier Matías Pastore is another attacking talent to have come out of Argentina in recent years. El Flaco,
as the fans call him, made his senior debut in the Argentina second division with a relatively unknown club Club Atletico Talleres. The club failed to realise his potential as he was loaned out to Huracan after just five appearances.
Pastore soon found his feet and established himself as a first team regular as the club played in the Clausura 2009. Under the tutelage of Angel Cappa, El Flaco started to show his hidden potential with breathtaking regularity. His best performance with
the club came against River Plate where he dazzled against his far superior opponents with sheer skill and technique. Pastore scored a brace with his sublime skill as the club thrashed River by a 4 – 0 score line. The result was Huracan’s biggest victory against
River Plate in 60 years.
In a span of just 12 months, Pastore had transformed from an unknown footballer to an Argentine sensation. His rise to stardom can be gauged from the fact that Pastore has not been a part of Argentina’s youth setup at any level. On 11th July,
2009, Palermo President Maurizio Zamparini completed another of his trademark transfer coups by signing the starlet for a reported 8 million Euros despite the interest shown by European giants AC Milan, Chelsea and Manchester United.
After a slow start in Italy, the wunderkind was put in the trequartista role by Delio Rossi. With Edison Cavani and club favourite Fabrizio Miccoli playing ahead of him, the trio ran havoc in the Serie A defences. Pastore’s skill on the ball and his intelligent
runs were a breath of fresh air while his stupendous through balls were a joy to behold. Serie A had finally found the perfect Kaka replacement.
At 21 years of age, Pastore was still an unknown commodity at the international level. His form on the pitch was so impressive that Diego Maradona included the playmaker in Argentina's 23-man squad for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Pastore made his competitive
International debut on 22 June following his substitute appearance against Greece in a group stage fixture. Although Argentina crashed out of the World Cup a few days later, Pastore had laid the foundation for a sparkling international career.
Palermo refused to sell their crown jewel in the summers and their faith has been repaid with a series of outrageous performances by the youngster. Playing against Juventus is an honour and an awe-inspiring moment for many youngsters. Youngsters of his age
are usually overawed by the occasion, failing to make an impact. Pastore, however, thrived under the momentous occasion and put in a spectacular performance on Thursday. His intelligence and sublime skill meant the Juventus backline was left chasing his shadows.
With El Flaco pulling the playmaking strings, Rossoneri faithful have a juicy season ahead.
Zamparini has a reputation for bringing unknown entities and selling them as stars. The likes of Simone Kjaer and Edison Cavani were little known before Zamparini brought them to Sicily. The players were groomed to be wunderkinds only to be sold on profit.
Delio Rossi has brought the gem out of Pastore’s raw talent. Sadly for Palermo faithfuls, a club of Palermo’s status will never be able to hold the shining start that is Pastore. The young prodigy has earned himself comparisons with legendary Zinedine Zidane.
Pastore for his part remains modest when he said, “Zinedine Zidane? He was a champion and a one-of-a-kind player. I only hope I reach his levels one day”
Wherever his future lies, Javier Pastore will only improve with time to have a world class career. In an era where physique and strength are the rules of the day, the forward with his dazzling technique is a breath of fresh air. The fans of this beautiful
game should certainly feel excited for there is a lot more to come from the young magician.
Tags: