Player Profile: Diego Forlan - Part 2
The 31 year old Uruguayan gave a fabulous performance during the Europa League as he was able to overthrow Rafa Benitez’s “not-in-form” Liverpool. The English club lost both the legs of the semi-final and Atletico Madrid won to qualify for the final match
of Europa League. Liverpool wasn't the only club that was “heartbroken” because of this amazing striker.
In the final, it was Fulham who suffered due to Diego Forlan as he showed his pure football form and totally owned the show, telling the English side that he was never a bad striker and it was definitely a mistake to let him go. It was the Spanish side raising
their hands with victory as they won to prove to the world that they were not out of this, yet.
Many might have forgotten about Forlan’s Manchester United career but it was indeed him who had scored some “big-name” goals against Chelsea and Liverpool then. If the club level wasn't enough to show the world what he was made of, then it was in South Africa
where he told everyone and showed them clearly that he was a one-man army. He led the Uruguayan team and took them to the last stages of the tournament.
The Uruguayan side were the underdogs in the 2010 FIFA World Cup but it was Diego who carried out the role of a leader as he carried them on like Diego Maradona had carried Argentina back in 1986. Their comparison, however, is unlikely because of their different
style of play and position but it is true that it was Forlan who single handily kept on scoring goals for his team and helped them advance to the next round of the World Cup.
The Dutch, Ghanaians as well as South Africans probably won't deny even a single fact mentioned above. It was Diego Forlan who, with his ambidextrous abilities and amazingly accurate shots, took his team to the semi final of the World Cup. He was one of
those players who were actually able to master the “unpredictable” Jabulani ball. He not only mastered it but in fact, he was also able to control it with both of his feet while his team mates were the ones struggling with it. It was like he tamed the ball
to his liking which is an art in itself.
The five goals that he scored in South Africa and his amazing performance throughout the tournament was just enough to crown him with the Golden Ball award; given out to the best player of the tournament. With his team mate, Luis Suarez becoming famous for
his “handball” against the Ghanaian team in the quarter final, Forlan was the player who stood out for his team.
World Cup has always been a breeding ground for such amazing players. Roberto Baggio for the Italians, Hristo Stoichkov for Bulgaria and Cruyff for the Dutch side and of course Diego Maradona for Argentina are a few names that are still remembered when people
talk about football.
Diego Forlan is definitely the player who has written his name with such players and he is no doubt one of the best players in the world at the moment.
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