The Singular Genius of Diego Maradona: A Footballing Messiah

 

Genius is an elusive attribute in football, often brandished as hyperbole, bestowed upon those whose skill transcends but rarely eclipses the stage they perform on. Yet, among this pantheon of exceptional players, a true footballing genius emerges but once in a generation—those rare few who elevate both their game and the spirits of a nation, resonating across the pitch and far beyond. These are the players who, driven by more than mere personal glory, bring an entire nation to the pinnacle alongside them. They do not simply perform; they embody hope, resilience, and inspiration, rising beyond drama, excuses, and even failure. To speak of such a player is to speak of Diego Maradona, a footballer who redefined greatness as both individual brilliance and an unyielding patriotism, intertwined in a relentless drive to lift those around him.

Unlike those who shy away from this national weight, Maradona bore it with pride. Pele, Garrincha, Beckenbauer, and Zidane—icons who are often crowned footballing “geniuses”—achieved remarkable feats, but it was Maradona who held a seismic influence, particularly during his spellbinding rise from humble beginnings to global icon. His journey reflected both prodigious talent and profound commitment, capturing the hopes and struggles of his people. Since the days of Pele and Garrincha, no player has matched Maradona’s singular impact on the sport, not just in dazzling play but in imbuing every move with the fierce spirit of Argentina itself.

Maradona’s genius shone early. By leading Los Cebollitas youth team to an astonishing 136-game unbeaten streak, he caught the world’s eye, making his international debut at 16—a precocious spark destined to blaze. Physically, he was no towering athlete. Standing just 5 feet 5 inches, with a stocky frame, he defied expectations. But his left foot was, quite literally, a stroke of alchemy, weaving dribbles with a surreal balance and pace that left defenders stranded. Maradona’s progression from a talented youth to an icon of the game wasn’t accidental. Through experience, he honed a repertoire that transcended dribbling: his vision, tactical acumen, and adaptability were nothing short of genius. He crafted space where there was none, anticipating moves as if guided by an instinct beyond the mortal. As his career unfolded, this unorthodox artistry evolved into an almost otherworldly expression of intuition, intelligence, and tactical flair.

Joining Napoli in 1984, Maradona’s arrival was nothing short of messianic. Over 80,000 fans thronged the Stadio San Paolo to welcome him, sensing he would transcend ordinary stardom. For Napoli, Maradona became more than a footballer; he was a beacon of hope and transformation. He turned a middling Serie A team into a force that commanded global respect, giving a traditionally struggling club the taste of supremacy. It was no surprise then that his influence extended to Argentina’s 1986 World Cup campaign, which is remembered as Maradona’s tournament. In Mexico, he led Argentina with a masterclass in leadership and skill, achieving moments so sublime they defy replication. Perhaps no player, since Garrincha’s singular display in 1962, had so dominated a World Cup through sheer force of will, and the world bore witness as Maradona led his country to the ultimate triumph on the same stage where Pele had done so in 1970.

The World Cup showcased Maradona at his most sublime. Against England, he delivered two of football’s most memorable goals—one, the infamous “Hand of God” that melded cunning with audacity, and the other, a dizzying solo run that embodied the very essence of genius. His impact was undiminished by time; four years later in Italy, with Argentina’s squad wracked by injury and lacking depth, he nearly willed his team to another title, reaching the finals through sheer determination and tactical brilliance, playing from a deeper position to orchestrate the play.

In this narrative of divine genius, there lay, too, the human flaws. Maradona’s off-field struggles, whether with substance abuse or discipline, shadowed his brilliance. These frailties humanized him even as they detracted from his potential longevity on the field. But his setbacks did not diminish his gifts; instead, they served as a testament to his complexity—a reminder that genius does not require perfection. Maradona’s resilience, despite personal battles, solidified his status as a legend, but he paid a heavy toll. In his final years, health issues plagued him, culminating in his passing—a bittersweet end to a life lived with reckless, impassioned abandon.

Now, Maradona has taken his place in the celestial stadium, joining the ranks of Garrincha, Puskas, Eusebio, Di Stefano, and Cruyff—legends who changed the course of the sport. Yet, Maradona’s legacy is singular. His genius was not in his accolades alone but in his impact on the hearts of those who watched him play. To have witnessed Maradona was to witness not only the beauty of football but the power of a spirit that could lift the game—and his people—to unimaginable heights.

Thank You

Faisal Caesar 

 

Manchester United take advantage

 

When Manchester United and İstanbul Başakşehir F.K. met in Turkey, the horrifying defending by the English side allowed the Turkish to take advantage during the counter. It led to a shocking defeat. The Turkish champions were well-organized and resolute in defense, throwing their bodies on the line in a series of last-ditch tackles as they emerged with the three points.

But the same tactics backfired in Old Trafford.

The Turkish side relied on a deep-lying defence, but they committed defensive mistakes which meant that Manchester United were three goals ahead with just over half an hour played.

It took United just seven minutes to begin the scoring, and they did so in style, Fernandes lashing a ferocious half-volley in off the crossbar from just outside the box after Basaksehir partially cleared a corner.

Fernandes was in the right place at the right time 12 minutes later, on hand to tap in from close range when Basaksehir goalkeeper Fehmi Mert Gunok inexplicably spilled a routine cross.

Fernandes might have had a hat-trick just past the half-hour mark, but he allowed Rashford – who earlier had an effort disallowed for offside – to take the penalty that the England international had won following a foul by Boli Bolingoli.

The early success encouraged Manchester United to come forward with increasing regularity, once again leaving spaces in behind for Basaksehir to exploit.

However, the Manchester United defence was much-more tuned-on than before and the Turkish side failed to exploit the spaces.

Additionally, the Turkish side’s attackers were guilty of missing a few presentable chances, the conversion of which might have put a different spin on proceedings. When the goal did come, it was too late for Basaksehir to mount a comeback, with the home side capable of seeing the game out and securing the three points.

It was a neat performance by United, but one could say, Ole Gunnar Solskjaer made some changes to the side, which bore fruits.

Donny van de Beek and Edinson Cavani, who was making his first start for the club, came in for Nemanja Matic and Juan Mata and it was remarkable to witness their combined effect on the fluidity of United’s attack.

Where the hosts were laboured and lethargic against West Brom, they were full of vigour against Basaksehir. Deft touches from Cavani brought the class back to United’s front line but it was Van de Beek who really stole the show.

Donny van de Beek, who started with Fred, was at the heart of it all.

The difference was simply that he always looks forward. Not that he always plays it forward, but he always looks to get the ball moving towards goal at speed. The presence of van de Beek masked the scratchy passing of Fred and the Brazilian looked shaper and confident enough: the center of the park became enlightened.

Van de Beek’s lively presence in the midfield pushed the frontline with confidence and the results were productive.

Bruno Fernandes, Marcus Rashford, and Anthony Martial didn’t have to keep coming deep to search for the ball; they could stay high and knew the ball would reach them.

Then there was Alex Telles, who enjoyed an excellent game as a full-back.

Both Shaw and Wan-Bissaka have been guilty of not delivering inviting crosses into the box for their forwards to attack. This, in turn, piles more pressure on the likes of Bruno Fernandes to create chances, in addition to making Manchester United’s forays forward more predictable.

However, Alex Telles came up with an excellent passing range as well as a sense of timing that gives their attacks a significant boost.

In his short career at Manchester United, Telles has shown himself willing to get forward at every opportunity while also showcasing his excellent delivery, both from open play and from set-pieces.

He displayed those qualities against Istanbul Basaksehir as well, with Manchester United’s second goal resulting from one of his probing crosses that the goalkeeper dropped into the path of a lurking Fernandes.

Still, at the back, the center-backs remain a headache for United and require more polishing.  

Note: This article has been posted at Cricketsoccer as CSdesk on 25/11/2020 Manchester United take advantage

Thank You

Faisal Caesar 

 

 

 

Real Madrid: Let Vinicius Junior, Marco Asensio and Rodrygo Goes take over

 

In the last season the famous number 9 of Real Madrid, Karim Benzema proved fruitful in bagging goals for the Los Blancos. Since the departure of the best footballer in the world, Cristiano Ronaldo in 2018, Benzema came out of the shadow and took the role of a leader up front – he not only scored goals but also, dropped in the midfield to mobilize the center of the park whenever needed.

Real Madrid had been benefited and their attack in this season, yet again, depends heavily on Benzema. Yes, Benzema has been scoring goals, but with time, age takes its toll as well and thus, the sharpness tends to fade. It’s not that Benzema has been blunt this season so far, but it is always better to look for the future, where Real Madrid have the quality available under their wings.

How much Real Madrid could fetch most out of its attackers revolving around Benzema remained the focal point of interest this interest. The wide players like Vinicius Junior, Rodrygo Goes, and Marco Asensio have been delivering whenever they are given the playing time.

Why not Vinicius Junior, Rodrygo Goes, and Marco Asensio take the role as the front three of Real Madrid?

For the future, this could be a very good move. If anyone questions about who should be the number 9 instead of Benzema, then he or she must not forget, Rodrygo Goes is a forward and can play as a pure number 9. He has proved such while playing for the Brazil Under-23 squad.

He played as a center-forward against South Korea and score goals and scored again in the clash against Egypt in Cairo, where he was at his very best.

In Real Madrid, Rodrygo goes has only evolved – while playing as a winger, he developed those notorious cut-backs inside and polished his finishing touches in the final third. He is able to exploit the angles and does not shy to prove himself as the real fox in the box whenever the opportunity comes to discover himself in the center-forward position.   

Rodrygo Goes knows how to score goals and there is no need to worry about the next number 9 of Real Madrid.

Meanwhile, in the wider areas, Vinicius Junior and Marco Asensio have proved their mantle. Asensio can score goals while Vinicius is still trying to improve his finishing in the final third. But, the astonishing pace amalgamated with dribbling qualities makes Vinicius a dangerous customer in the final third, which split opens the defence and creates the platform for the center-forward to exploit.

Benzema can miss many apart from scoring, but Rodrygo Goes can be more clinical if played as the number 9.   

Real Madrid have had enough with Luka Jovic and Eden Hazard.

They cannot deliver anything.

Let Vinicius Junior, Rodrygo Goes, and Marco Asensio take over.

Note: This article has been posted at Cricketsoccer as CSdesk on 19/11/2020 Real Madrid: Let Vinicius Junior, Marco Asensio and Rodrygo Goes take over

Thank You

Faisal Caesar 

 

Brazil conquer Montevideo

 

No Neymar. No Philippe Coutino. No Casemiro. No Fabinho. No Eder Militao.

Yes, without the abovementioned names, Brazil and Tite traveled to Montevideo to face Uruguay, who are one of those teams in world football that can unnerve Brazil. And, whenever, the El Clásico del Río Negro takes place, the ghost of Maracanazo juts comes from nowhere to shake Brazil. But since the arrival of Pele and Garrincha, Brazil have overcome that fear of 1950 and maintained a sound record against their stubborn neighbours.

And for which, even though, the major players remained absent, Brazil did not lose the composure in Montevideo and ended up conquering one of the toughest venues in world football.

Uruguay came to this match after thrashing the Colombians, while Brazil were found wanting against Venezuela at Sao Paulo – they huffed and puffed until Roberto Firmino came good to script one of his traditional volleys to pull the match out of the fire, where the visitors were sitting deep and making the frontline struggle like hell in the final third.

Oscar Tabarez, the manager of Uruguay noticed such and decided to apply the same. They did sit back, but yet again, Uruguay would not love to just defend against Brazil, but press and attack to bag the first-ever victory for their beloved manager, who is yet to win a match against the Canarinhos.

Tite went for the 4-4-2 formation – a tactical move, which we hardly noticed in his system – against Tabarez’s 4-3-1-2. The midfield of Brazil was in a diamond-shaped form, where Firmino formed the tip of the diamond, Douglas Luiz stayed at the defensive midfield, Arthur on the left, and Everton Rebeiro on the right. Richarlison and Gabriel Jesus played as strikers.

The inclusion of Arthur changed the scenario of the midfield, which looked stagnant at Sao Paulo. His passing was smooth and accurate, won the ground and aerial duels, provided key passes, and opened the scoring with his powerful right foot. Brazil went up 1-0 and it put them in momentum.

Again, Arthur guarded the left side when Renan Lodi went high up the pitch to aid the attack. Lodi was impactful on the left flank and assisted the second goal for Richarlison. The improvement of Lodi as left-back under Diego Simeone in Atletico Madrid is evident. He is not an over-attacking full-back like Marcelo, who leaves the space and defends less, but the lad knows when to join the attack and run back quickly to guard the left-flank.

Adding a further edge to the attack was Everton Ribeiro, who was superb with his marauding runs as the right-winger and provided great width down the flank in Philippe Coutinho's absence.

At the back, Brazil were hardly troubled – Uruguay failed to muster even a single shot on target from 5 attempts. They did put the ball in the back of the net in the second-half, but it was ruled offside while Darwin Nunez and Diego Godin both rattled the Brazil crossbar.

Brazil’s display was far better than Sao Paulo and their finishing in the final third was sharper, even though it was not a vintage display like Bolivia and Peru, but one can say, even without the major players, Tite and Brazil exhibited character to maintain the hundred percent record in the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers 2022.  

Note: This article has been posted at Cricketsoccer as CSdesk on 18/11/2020 Brazil conquer Montevideo

Thank You

Faisal Caesar 

 

Argentina break the jinx in Peru

 

Argentina signed off the year 2020 with a victory. Like their arch-rivals, Brazil, they were the visitors against Peru. The Peruvians are not as competent as their heavyweight neighbours, but one can remember, how they posed a threat against Brazil and almost stunned them.    

The experience against Paraguay was not chummy for Lionel Messi and his men and they had no intention to taste the same in Lima. Again, Argentina have not won in Peru since 204.

Peru started better – they had better control over possession and confidence while passing, but against the run of play, it was Argentina, who took the lead early in the first half.  Nicolas Gonzalez controlled Giovani Lo Celso's ball with a brilliant first touch and beat Pedro Gallese with a driven left-foot effort.

11 minutes later, Lautaro Martinez doubled the visitors' lead in the 28th minute after Leandro Paredes set him up with a great through-ball. Martinez saw Gallese coming off his line and made him commit early with a dummy, then rolled the ball into the empty net from a tight angle.

Peru's resurgence in the final minutes of the first half was inspiring, but their lack of intent had already cost them a couple of clear goal-scoring chances. After the break, Peru just failed to push that final ball into the box. They did come close from two free-kicks but that Midas touch was missing.

 Argentina maintained their solidity at the back in the second-half and Peru found it tough in the final third. The game was becoming monotonous until Messi danced past every Peruvian defender and found himself one-on-one with Gallese, but his effort was deflected behind for a corner.

And that was the only exciting moment in the second half.

Argentina broke the jinx and end the year with a win.

Giovanni Lo Celso was the performer of the night. He was handed a start in the game after impressing against Paraguay and rewarded Scaloni for his faith by grabbing a wonderful assist for Nicolas Gonzalez in the 17th minute. The Tottenham Hotspur man displayed his quick feet, vision, composure, and passing tonight, which would go a long way in helping him secure a guaranteed spot in the starting XI.

Lionel Messi has not been at his attacking best in the qualifiers so far and has only a goal which came from the penalty spot to his name – but that cannot deny his impact on this team, which still, relies heavily on him. These days, Messi pulls the string from the midfield and helping the team in the build-up.

Argentina need this from the 33-year-old superstar.

Note: This article has been posted in Cricketsoccer as CSdesk on 18/11/2020 Argentina break the jinx in Peru

Thank You

Faisal Caesar

 

Brazil would meet Uruguay with the intent to conquer Montevideo

 

Apart from Brazil vs Argentina, in South America, the clash between the Selecao and Uruguay is another contest, which garners huge interest among the football fans back in South America. Traditionally, their rivalry is known as also known as El Clásico del Río Negro, or Clássico do Rio Negro.  The games between them have a very tense atmosphere due to their infamous encounter in the de facto World Cup Final in 1950, where Uruguay surprisingly beat the hot favourites Brazil at the Maracana Stadium allowing La Celeste to claim their 2nd World Cup title.

The game nicknamed, the Maracanazo, is considered by many Brazilians (and the world media) as one of the nation's worst and most embarrassing defeats ever!

Since then, Brazil have proved to be the more dominant team, both head-to-head with Uruguay and at international tournaments like the FIFA World Cup and Copa America.

However, whenever they play against each other, there is a lot of fear in the Brazilian public that the "Phantom of 50" would resurface and they would lose again just like in 1950. Many Uruguayan fans love to remind their next-door neighbors of the "Phantom of 50", although many Brazilians say that the phantom is gone as Brazil have won 5 World Cups (the most of any nation), and Uruguay hasn't reached another final since 1950!

In the World Cup Qualifiers, both the teams met for the first time in 1994 at Montevideo where Brazil were halted by 1-1 and made the possibility of qualification for the USA 94 a tough task – the teams met at Maracana for the return clash and it gave birth to a legend named Romario, whose double strike not only ensured Brazil’s qualification but broke the 24-year jinx as well!

Uruguay lost their sting for almost four decades until they rediscovered their lost mojo back in South Africa 2010. Even when they were not a force to be reckoned in world football, in Montevideo, they always tested Brazil and whenever, Uruguay meet teams like Argentina and Brazil – they change their colours.

At the Estadio Centenario in Montevideo, on Tuesday night, it would be another World Cup Qualifying adventure for Brazil and Uruguay.

Uruguay are currently fourth in the qualifying table, having picked up six points from their three games. Oscar Tabarez’s side started the qualifiers with a 2-1 win against Chile following which they slumped to a 4-2 defeat against Ecuador.

La Celeste thrashed Colombia last week and will be hoping to carry forward the momentum at home.

Brazil, on the other hand, are perched atop the standings, with the Selecao being the only team to have a 100 per cent record in the qualifiers so far.

The last time these two teams squared off was in 2018, in a friendly setting, with Brazil emerging as 1-0 victors.

This time around, Brazil would be without their five major players and would invest faith in their bench strength, which discovered the going tough against Venezuela at Sao Paulo, who decided to frustrate Brazil by sitting deep and defend. Surely, the Uruguayan manager, Oscar Tabrez has witnessed the Brazilian struggle against Venezuela and might also decide to strengthen their defence and fill the spaces so that Brazil can’t breathe.

Martin Silva, Sebastian Coates, Ronald Araujo, Federico Valverde, Giorgian De Arrascaeta and Maxi Gomez are all out with injuries. Yonatan Irrazabal, Alexis Rolin and Gabriel Neves have been called up as replacements. In addition, defender Matias Vina and striker Luis Suarez would miss out after testing positive for COVID-19.

Tabarez would go with his favourite 4-4-2 formation.

 Martin Campana is expected to start as the shot-stopper with the first-choice centre-back pairing of Jose Maria Gimenez and Diego Godin also remaining intact. With Vina out, Agustin Oliveros is expected to step into the side at left-back while Caceres on the right.

In the midfield, Nahitan Nandez and Nicolas De La Cruz would occupy the right and left midfield respectively. The responsibility of holding the fort in the middle of the park will fall on the shoulders of Lucas Torreira, while Rodrigo Bentancur will look forward lying just behind the two strikers lying at the tip of the diamond shape, which might change from 4-4-2 to 4-3-1-2 or even 4-5-1 if the scorer decides to join the midfield to suffocate Brazil.

Inform Edinson Cavani would provide the cutting edge up front along with Darwin Nunez.

The expected XI of Uruguay suggests, they would invite Brazil to advance forward and caught them on the counter. After the frustrating night against Venezuela, it is expected, Brazil would come out all guns blazing against Uruguay to shrug off their struggle in the final third against teams, which invest faith in low-block.

Tite might stick to the same side, which played against Venezuela, but if he does such, he needs to keep in mind; the midfield trio of Douglas Luiz, Allan and Everton Rebeiro failed to dish out any sort of creativity and provided a lot of miscued passes.

This midfield needs Arthur in Montevideo - the man who has the ability to dictate the game from deep and orchestrate attacks. He is a creative force and Brazil would need him and the center of the park to mobilize thins. 

Meanwhile, the struggle of Gabriel Jesus was evident and the inclusion of Everton Soares on the right flank would be a sensible choice. Soares is a dynamic player as a winger, blessed with pace and dribbling abilities, which would be needed to break the resistance of Gimenez and Godin. This reminds us of Vinicius Junior and his dribbling abilities, which could help to inject life in the second half if Richarlison fails to deliver.

This will be the 77th meeting between Uruguay and Brazil. The latter has the upper-hand when it comes to head-to-head record, having picked up 38 wins, in comparison to the former’s 21 (D17).

Brazil are unbeaten in their last ten fixtures against Uruguay. The last time the Selecao lost against their South American rivals was in 2001.

Uruguay have lost just one of their previous nine fixtures in all competition - that defeat came last month against Ecuador.

Most importantly, under Oscar Tabarez, still, Uruguay have not beaten Brazil.

Brazil are expected to conquer Montevideo!   

Note: This article has been posted at Cricketsocer as CSdesk on 17/11/2020 Brazil would meet Uruguay with the intent to conquer Montevideo

Thank You

Faisal Caesar 

   

 

 

  

Brazil break the resistance of Venezuela

 

Neymar had been cut off from the Brazilian squad for the World Cup Qualifiers this week because of a groin injury which he sustained playing for Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League.

Thomas Tuchel said last week that it would be impossible for Neymar to play for Brazil as he recovered from the injury, but Brazil coach Tite insisted that Neymar joins the squad, but Brazil team doctor Rodrigo Lasmar said, Neymar's recovery after four days off training was not enough.

Brazil had lost five players for the two matches, including injured midfielders Philippe Coutinho and Fabinho, and defender Rodrigo Caio. Defenders Eder Militao and Gabriel Menino were ruled out after contracting COVID-19.

The absence of players like Neymar and Coutinho would be felt, but, hey, we are talking about a team, that is habituated to produce performers and they play a very good role as the back-ups when the major players are absent.

Tite surfaced a team that had Roberto Firmino as number 9, Richarlison on the left, and Gabriel Jesus on the right-wing. Allan Douglas Luiz and Allan formed the 3-man midfield backed up by a 4-man backline: Danilo, Renan Lodi, Thiago Silva, and Marquinhos. Ederson featured instead of Alisson as the shot-stopper.

On paper, this team looked potent enough to test the opposition at Sao Paulo, and thus, Venezuelan manager, Jose Vítor dos Santos Peseiro decided to sit back deep and hamper the rhythm and attacking intent of the Selecao. And, when a team decides to do nothing but park the bus, it becomes very tough to break the defiant resistance.

Brazil had control over the game, but with the progress of time, the attempt to break the Venezuelan wall was becoming a tough task.

 Brazil had cut a swath through the likes of Bolivia and Peru in the previous encounters, netting 9 times in the process, but Venezuela kept it really tight at the back, not allowing Brazil space to breathe.

With the opposition sitting deep and relying on low-block Brazil decided to orchestrate long passes and attack through the flanks.

An unmarked Jesus was unable to turn the ball towards goal just past the half-hour mark, instead scuffing an effort to Richarlison, who could only steer his close-range effort wide of the post.

Brazil had the ball in the back of the net again prior to half-time however Douglas Luiz's effort was waived off for a foul on Venezuela goalkeeper Wuilker Farinez.

After a VAR review for handball was waived way nine minutes into the second half!

Brazil struggled in the midfield – apart from Rebeiro, the likes of Allan and Luiz were unable to orchestrate the creative play.

There was no need to explain in details, how Brazil missed the all-round brilliance of Neymar, who not only play his role as a forward but drops deeper to marshal the game from the midfield, whereas, the creative role of Coutinho was well and truly missed.

Allan was largely anonymous and his misplaced passes never helped while the team was build up to advance forward.

Luiz was the poorest link in the midfield - His passes were hopelessly miscued, while he also failed to track Jesus' run at one point which could've created a good chance for him. As he was on a yellow by half time, Tite opted to sub him off at the break.

Rebeiro tried his best to overcome the low-block of Venezuela but failed until and unless he decided to operate from the flanks, at which he is well-equipped and finally his cross from the wide-right area was met by a poor defensive header from Osorio, allowing Roberto Firmino to tuck his awkward volley past Farinez from the close range.

It was a moment, which was needed to be grabbed and Bobby, until scoring the goal, struggled to impose himself in the match. He tested Farinez midway through the first half with a rasping shot and that was his only notable piece of the action in the match.

Brazil enjoyed 74% of possession and mustered just 3 shots on target, which does not do any justice to the names like Firmino, Jesus, and Richarlison. These players are well-renowned forwards and can cut through any defence, but at Sao Paulo, they found the going tough.

They need to rediscover their cutting-edge because the clash against Uruguay in Montevideo would be another test of patience and character without their talisman – Neymar!

Note: This article has been posted at Cricketsoccer as CSdesk on 14/11/2020 Brazil break the resistance of Venezuela

Thank You

Faisal Caesar 

 

 

Scotland break the jinx

 

Back in the 70s, 80s and 90s; Scotland boasted some quality players and regarded as one of the giant killers of the game. In the World Cup 1974, they came good against the world champions Brazil and European powerhouse Yugoslavia while in 1978, they stunned the mighty Dutch and their players gained fame in European Leagues. But one thing always denied the Scotts and which was, achieving the glory according to talent, skill, and expectations.

In the World Cups and major tournaments, they always ended up as the underachievers and failed to progress further whereas, they should have featured in the top four of the competitions.

But then the 22-year old wait showed up!

Since the World Cup 1998, Scotland failed to qualify in any major tournaments.

Even when managers like Alex McLeish, in his first reign, and Walter Smith did excellent jobs, it was not quite enough. They alternated between play-off defeats and earlier exits, near-misses, and embarrassments. 

Finally, the Scotts have broken the jinx.

As torrential rain cascaded down on Belgrade, Scotland looked instantly at home, initially dominating possession to such an extent that Serbia had a reason for relief their 50,000 capacity stadium was virtually empty.

The Scotts were unable to make the most of some early pressure, with a barrage of crosses failing to find their target and an ambitious free-kick from Christie the best they could muster.

Serbia gradually found their footing and in the 23rd minute Mitrovic teed up Sasa Lukic for a shot from the edge of the box that was placed just outside the upright.

After Andy Robertson blazed over, Christie worked the space on the edge of the box to create room for a shot that went in off the base of the post.

Sergej Milinkovic-Savic and Jovic missed the target with headers before he was left unmarked by Scott McTominay to nod in Filip Mladenovic's corner and force extra time.

Despite the blow, Scotland picked themselves up and bagged all five penalties - Griffiths, McGregor, McTominay, McBurnie, and McLean - before Marshall saved the final Serbian spot-kick from Aleksandar Mitrovic.

Steve Clarke has achieved what Berti Vogts, Tommy Burns, Walter Smith, Alex McLeish, George Burley, Craig Levein, Billy Stark, Gordon Strachan, and Malky Mackay all failed to do in leading Scotland to a major tournament.

In this century, 33 European nations have played in either a World Cup, a European Championships, or both.

A 34th, Finland, have qualified for a first in their 109-year history.

They include some of the unusual suspects: Latvia and Albania, Northern Ireland and Iceland, Slovenia, and Slovakia.

They include countries with a glorious past - Austria and Hungary.

They include those who had never occupied the major stage or ones absent for more than half a century, such as Wales.  

But there was no sign of Scotland.

But perhaps, like North Macedonia, the UEFA Nations League came as a blessing for the Scotts to bring an end to the wait.

Scotland traveled to Belgrade via a method approximately very few understand, courtesy of the 2018-19 UEFA Nations League, and despite a largely undistinguished Euro 2020 qualifying campaign that began with the humiliation of 3-0 defeat to Kazakhstan.

The progress has been complex and bumpy – in the end, the achievement is sweeter than ever.

Scotland simply lacked the mentality to grab the moments when it mattered the most and they lacked goal-scorers and leaders on the pitch.

This time around, in Andy Robertson, Scott McTominay, and Kieran Tierney, they found the characters who could give them the lift when the chips are down. These players are renowned names in the English Premier League and the way they, especially, Andy Robertson, fought till the last breath, deserves to be admired by all.

Scotland have got the breakthrough they needed and now it is the time to advance further.

Note: This article has been posted in Cricketsoccer as CSdesk on 13/11/2020 Scotland break the jinx

Thank You

Faisal Caesar 

 

VAR denies Argentina

 

Certainly, Paraguay are no pushovers in world football. If they cannot threaten you with attacking football, then, they would build a wall – solid enough – to deny you from scoring and neutralize your aggressive intent. As a matter of fact, this has been their style of play for many years and against Argentina, they took the pitch with a similar intent.

At the Estadio Alberto Jose Armando, Argentina led by Lionel Messi took the pitch to bag full points and continue their brilliant winning streak. Lionel Scaloni stuck to his 3-4-3 formation with Lionel Messi and Ocampos lying behind Lautaro Martinez to provide the necessary fuels for the striker.

Gonzalez, Exequiel Palacios, Leandro Paredes and De Paul parked at the center of the pitch that were backed up by Otamendi, Lucas Martinez and Montiel.

Despite the defensive weaknesses, it was a brilliant line-up and obviously, they were expected to break down the Paraguayan resistance.

The Paraguayan coach, Eduardo Berizzo decided not to play safe rather pushes his men forward. He had selected a defensive line of four centre-backs, but that did not mean he wanted to sit deep. His aim was to defend on the front foot, proactively, breaking up Argentina's moves far from goal.

And this accounted for the opening goal.

Miguel Almiron’s strong run exposed the lack of pace and quality at the back of Argentina.

The lack of quality at the back put pressure on Paredes, whose game is more suited to playmaking rather than shielding the defence.

Thus, when Almiron picked up possession close to the left touchline, he knew what to do with the back three - scripted a diagonal beeline toward the heart of the defence.

Paredes was not protecting the space, and Almiron won his duel against Martinez Quarta, who, off-balance, caught Almiron with a trailing leg. Angel Romero slotted home the penalty.

That goal seemed to have reignited Argentina, who started to enjoy more possession whereas Paraguay found it tough to link-up between their ragged defence and attacking intent upfront.

Romero clattered into Palacios and was forced to leave the field before half an hour had passed.

On came Giovani Lo Celso, whose left foot and forward movement gave Argentina more momentum.

Argentina started to play with the Paraguayan defence and before long they were level.

Lo Celso took a corner from the left.

Nico Gonzalez had come into the team at the last moment, improvised as a left-back when Nico Tagliafico proved unfit, and his run from deep was not picked up.

He rose above the Paraguay defence to head home and level the scoreline.

The equaliser gave Argentina a boost and Rodrigo De Paul's long-range drive forced a save from Paraguay goalkeeper Antony Silva on the stroke of half-time.

In the second half, Argentina tightened the screw.

Lautaro Martinez and Paraguay defender Gustavo Gomez squandered good chances shortly after half-time before Argentina thought they had the lead.

Messi had to step up.

Messi, right now 34-year-old, has lost the cutting edge and is not as fit as Cristiano Ronaldo. He relies more on depth touches rather than pace amalgamated with dribbling skills. As he turns and spins he now finds it harder to burst away from his markers, and there were many times against Paraguay when he lost possession.

Thus, the depth touches and building up partnerships with his fellow attacker highlighted his game and also it led to that goal, which was denied by VAR.

After a brilliant exchange with Lo Celso, who was the most effective partner of Messi other than Ocampos, who had a bad night and was replaced by Angel Di Maria.

A well-controlled possession followed by a sudden change of rhythm and a mass arrival in the opposing saw Paredes played the key ball, opening out the field with a long pass to Gonzalez down the left.

He squared inside for Lo Celso, whose clever pullback was met by Messi with a side-foot shot that beat the keeper diving to his right.

But the goal was denied by VAR and Messi went close in the 72nd minute, Silva tipping his free-kick onto the crossbar after Lo Celso was fouled as Argentina continued to push, but they were unable to find a winner.

Clearly, Argentina were denied by VAR and it did not satisfy Scaloni at all.

Scaloni said after the match, “I think that in some way it is necessary to seek to unify the issue of the VAR," Scaloni told a news conference. "I am not talking in good or bad faith, but to unify criteria.”

Regarding a foul on Palacios, Scaloni added, “We are left without a player for several days or months. The knock was there and VAR didn't review it.”

"In the first 15 minutes, the team did not go well. After the penalty I think it was all ours, honestly," he said. "The team reacted, created situations, did what it had to do. We achieved a draw.

“We are leaving with a bittersweet taste because Argentina did everything to win. In the second half, we put the rivals behind. We must also value the attitude of the team, which always believed in achieving victory.”

 The hierarchy of Football should rethink whether VAR is needed in football or not. Any kind of new technologies or ideas are always welcome in sports, but the flawed ones should not continue and so far, VAR has failed to deliver and teams are suffering for this.

Note: This article has been posted at Cricketsoccer as CSdesk on 13/11/2020 VAR denies Argentina

Thank You

Faisal Caesar  

 

Joshua Kimmich: Mr. Versatile

 

“Jose Mourinho tagged Kimmich as ‘absolutely phenomenal’ among other giants of that Bayern Munich unit and Jose is not wrong by any means.  Indeed, Joshua Kimmich is Mr. Versatile”

Germany – a nation that is known for its brave and never say die nature. They are a nation that gives birth to the greats in every professional field. Just have a look at their footballing history. Despite being ravaged by war and hated by all, the German factory kept on producing one great after another and for them, the transition period is just a temporary thing – the new generation is always ready to take the baton from the old and keep the German flag flying high.

It was a devastating experience in Russia two years ago. For the first time since 1938, the German Giants were knocked out of the FIFA World Cup in Group Stages. At Kazan, it was a humiliating experience to digest a defeat against the South Koreans. It triggered a worldwide shock wave, but back in Germany, the project for the future was ready – a bunch of youngsters was nurtured to don the German shirt and carry on the responsibility to convey the message – the Germans are always here stay and remain the best.

The boy from the village Bosingen

On February 8, 1995, Anja Kimmich gave birth to a baby boy in Rottweil, Germany. Father Berthold Kimmich was very happy to see the cute boy and named him Joshua. The boy grew up as someone shy and quiet, but he could be eccentric and energetic according to Anja and Berthold.

Joshua Kimmich was growing up in a rural village named Bosingen, located in between the Black Forest and Baden-Wurttemberg’s capital Stuttgart. With almost 1700 inhabitants, football was the soul of Bosingen. For the boys and adults; football was the favourite time-pass and Joshua Kimmich grew up in such a football friendly environment.

Kimmich would play football in the garden and backyard. But his practice was pretty smashing in nature – more often the windows would be smashed by his wayward kicks. But the Kimmich family was never lost temper with this; rather, they sorted out an alternative solution by replacing every single broken- glass shattered by their son.

Kimmich said to Players Tribune, “One day, I came home and found two regulation soccer goals in the front yard! The local football club did not need them anymore and my parents had taken them off the team’s hands. My dad pointed to the plot of unused private land across the street and said to me and my friends; boys, go over there enjoy football.”

The ambition of Kimmich started to grow bigger while playing with his friends in New Park. He wished to become a German Footballer and one of the best in the business like his childhood idols: Zinedine Zidane, Tomas Rosicky, and Bastain Schweinsteiger.

These were the three names he had on the back of his replica shirts.

At the Stuttgart Youth Academy

The passion for football and the dream to become one of the best in the world let Kimmich join a local youth club to showcase his talent. During the match against the Stuttgart Youth Team, Kimmich scored all three goals in a 3-2 win, which was a defining moment in his youth career.

Immediately after the match, the scouts of Stuttgart expressed their wish to sign Kimmich. His parents initially refused the offer, but Stuttgart would not let such a versatile talent vanish from their sight, rather, the coach of the youth team visited Mr. and Mrs. Berthold and convinced them.

After spending several years to-and-from Stuttgart several times a week, Kimmich began taking his first real footsteps in the world football when he was welcomed to Stuttgart’s academy as one of only 18 annual recruits.

Kimmich and one of his friends were the youngest members of the academy.  The tasks were heavy in the academy, but Kimmich would not complain but work even harder to improve and was the last one to leave the training ground. His determination caught the eye of everyone and his versatility gained enough accolades.

The youth coach, who brought him the academy left and it saddened Kimmich; but he continued to improve each day and when the opportunity to play in the senior team he was denied by saying that Kimmich was not good enough, his body was not strong enough!

It broke the heart of Kimmich, but in turn, his determination grew stronger.

In 2013, Kimmich moved to RB Leipzig.

Stuttgart secured an option to rebuy. He made his 3. Liga debut for the club on 28 September of that year, as a substitute for Thiago Rockenbach in a 2–2 draw with SpVgg Unterhaching. He scored his first professional goal in a 3–2 victory over FC Saarbrucken.

He finished the 2013–14 season with one goal in 26 appearances.

He finished the 2014–15 season with two goals in 29 appearances.

The impact of Pep Guardiola

The genius Pep Guardiola spotted the youngster while he was a still relatively unknown player in Bundesliga 2 at RB Leipzig, and decided to bring him in Bayern Munich.

"I said: ‘Don’t joke with me.’ I couldn’t believe it because when you’re in the second league it’s not normal that Bayern want you. They can buy nearly any player in the world. It was even harder to believe Guardiola wanted me,” such was the reaction of Kimmich after he was offered a contract from Bayern Munich.

On January 2, 2015, Kimmich agreed to join Bayern Munich on a five-year contract which lasts until 30 June 2020, for a reported fee of €7 million, most of which went to VfB Stuttgart. He made his debut for the club on August 9, starting in the first round of the DFB-Pokal against FC Nottingen.

 Pep Guardiola gave him his Bundesliga debut the following month when he entered the pitch as a late substitute at home against FC Augsburg.

Four days later, Kimmich made his first appearance in the UEFA Champions League in Bayern's tournament opener away at Olympiakos and he started in the Bundesliga for the first time three days thereafter, playing 90 minutes against SV Darmstadt 98 in a 3–0 victory.

Pep was a blessing for Kimmich. He realized Kimmich is special and can be utilized in any position of the pitch whenever he wants.

Back in the 2015-16 season, Pep ran into the pitch to talk with Kimmich after a dramatic 0-0 draw against the arch-rivals Borussia Dortmund. He confronted Kimmich in the center circle and spent time remonstrating passionately with the young German. This was not an act of annoyance from Guardiola but rather an opportunity in Guardiola’s eyes for a teaching moment.

It looked as though Guardiola was berating the then 21-year-old, but it turns out the opposite was in fact true. "I told him he’s one of the best center-backs in the world," Guardiola said at the time. "He’s got absolutely everything.”

Speaking in an interview with The Guardian, Kimmich explained further, “I played at center-back and five minutes before the end Xabi Alonso went out and Medhi Benatia came in. Benatia went into my position in defence and I took Xabi’s place in midfield. But I was still thinking like a center-back. I was playing too deep and Medhi and I were nearly in the same position.”

“Pep shouted at me in the game to move up but I didn’t recognize why. So he told me exactly what he meant before I left the field. In the first moments, I was surprised. But, when you know Pep, this is what you get. Pep wants to tell you immediately to make you better. He wants to tell you there and then. Maybe it looked strange but for me it was great. It showed how much he sees and cares.”

The impact of Pep in the development of Kimmich was huge – he started to become a player who can play as a right-back, defensive midfielder, playmaker and at times join the attack either as a pure winger, center-forward, or attacking midfielder.

The true nature of his versatility started to show up and critics started to call him Mr. Versatile.

Mr. Versatile

Under Niko Kovac, Bayern experienced a bumpy ride and the in a very critical situation Hansie Flick was given the responsibility of reshaping Bayern Munich and immediately Flick transformed Bayern into a Giant against whom you only dream of losing without any disgrace.

Flick started to use Kimmich in the defensive midfield area while Alphonso Davies was allowed to flourish fully on the right flank.  

He has thrived in his position since Flick became the manager at Bayern. His positional awareness has improved since then. Kimmich’s run off the ball is important to Bayern’s style of play as he closes down the opponent’s attack and starts the counter.

Flick starts with a 4-2-3-1, which changes to a 4-1-4-1 while defending.

Kimmich stays back most often to help the defence and moves up to press the opponent in the central channel – hampering their build-up play and counterattacks.

He smartly moves to the final third to provide support to the forwards.

But it's his versatility in the back, staying along with another pivot, helps Bayern an extra-force to stop an attack anytime.

Flick loves to push his full-backs forward both on and off the ball.

 In such a situation, Kimmich tucks into their place and maintains the width very well to form a back 4 in an emergency situation.

Due to Bayern’s compact defence, he stays close to the backline and patiently waits for the opponent to make a mistake and start the counterattack.

When the opposition looks to play from the back, Kimmich hides behind their midfield line. When Bayern’s forwards pressurize in the wider areas, they are forced to play between the lines, that’s where Kimmich comes in handy.

He waits for the correct moment to snatch the ball away from their attackers and plays the ball to the front. He always looks to press from the blind-side and this makes it even more effective as the player in possession of the ball is unaware of his presence.

His long-balls are very effective alongside his crossings from the flanks. Dribbling and providing key passes are his specialties as well and again, he is very good in taking set-pieces – a dynamic customer when the matter is about taking shots from a long distance.

In the last season, he played 5075 minutes and scored 7 goals from 59 matches across all the competitions in Europe, and provided 17 assists which are 0.22 assists per 90 minutes.

In this season, Kimmich, he appeared in 6 matches in the Bundesliga, playing a total of 461 minutes. He gets an average of 0.78 assists for every 90 minutes that the player is on the pitch. In the Champions Leagues, he scored one goal in 3 matches and provided 3 assists.

Jose Mourinho tagged Kimmich as “absolutely phenomenal” among other giants of that Bayern Munich unit and Jose is not wrong by any means.

Indeed, Joshua Kimmich is Mr. Versatile.

Note: This article has been posted in Cricketsoccer on 12/11/2020 Joshua Kimmich: Mr. Versatile

Thank You

Faisal Caesar 

 

Brazilian magic rescues Real Madrid

 

“Real Madrid and Florentino Perez have faith in the talent and skill of the Brazilians. Perez knows very well, how crucial the Brazilians would be to build a team for the future and travel through the choppy water when the Los Blancos entered the transition phase after that 2017-18 season”

At the Alfredo Di Stefano Stadium, it was an unpredictable night. Yet again, a Real Madrid clash in the Champions League shredded the nerves of their die-hard fans and left them thinking, which Real Madrid would show up in the next match! The Royal Whites almost pulled up a stunner in the opening encounter against FC Shakhtar only to be denied by the VAR, Borussia Monchengladbach almost sunk them until Casemiro showed up and last night, at one point, it seemed, Real Madrid might have to pack their bags early in this season’s UEFA Champions League.

But, Real Madrid and Florentino Perez have faith in the talent and skill of the Brazilians. He signed the emerging talents during the time when the rest were either busy with worshipping a particular player or signing the stars. Perez knows very well, how crucial the Brazilians would be to build a team for the future and travel through the choppy water when the Los Blancos entered the transition phase after that 2017-18 season.

The Royal Whites are not the force to be reckoned like the Cristiano Ronaldo era, but still, they have not completely drowned and became a chaotic unit, rather, they are progressing gradually, and the likes of Vinicius Junior and Rodrygo Goes are playing a very important role in this progress. Considering their age and experience, not every day, they could shine, but at least, they don’t show up after 392 days and whenever Real Madrid needed them during crucial moments, they delivered.

Last night, the nerves of Real Madrid calmed down in the 80th-minute thanks to a superb goal from the substitute Rodrygo who, asked afterward if he was happy or relieved, replied “both!”

His winning strike had come when Madrid, who came into this game with a single point, were most under pressure; it also lifted them off the bottom of the group and left Inter there instead. It could have gone either way until Vinicius delivered the ball from which Rodrygo changed the match and the shape of things to come.

Zinedine Zidane and Antonio Conte were teammates in Juventus and at the start of his coaching career, Zidane would spend time with Conte in Italy to learn the pros and cons of the game. Both know each other very well and the build-up to the contest was absolutely brilliant – two of the best brains in the game would contest in the game of chess and in the end, it turned about to be a feisty contest.

Zidane pressed with all his men aggressively and the front three of Real Madrid cut the passing lanes of the back three of Inter, who build from the back. But the high press created spaces in the Real Madrid midfield, which offered Brozovic to push towards the angle and pass the ball to Barella, who invited Perisic and Lautaro Martinez to drop deeper and receive the ball to exploit the spaces behind the highline defence of Real Madrid.

Real pressed more and Inter used the long-balls to the lone strikers who more often found the space to threaten, which forced the two center-backs to drop deep and when Real occupied the center of the park and marked a deeper Martinez, Inter went for the flanks, where Achraf Hakimi received the ball from Martinez to exploit the spaces – 45% of Inter’s attack was orchestrated through the right flank because on the left, Lucas Vazquez did a brilliant job to keep Ashley Young quiet. Inter could manage 34% of the attack from the left.

Zidane noticed this and decided to change the shape with a 3-2-5, where either Casemiro or Toni Kroos dropped deeper to aid the position and allow the wing-backs to stay in the midfield and accelerate higher when needed. The wing-backs and the wingers stayed in a vertical position to outweigh Inter aggression.

But Eden Hazard was out once again. Kroos had to be substituted. Rodrygo and Vinicius had to enter. The substitutions actually changed the dynamics of the Real Madrid game, whose 2-0 lead through Karim Benzema and Sergio Ramos were cut-out by Lautaor Martinez and Perisic.

Real formed the double pivot with Casemiro and Luka Modric, which invited the Inter players to press forward and leave spaces. The ball was passed to Fede Valverde who outclassed the marker because D’Ambrosio had to move to the right to cover Hakimi and pushed the ball on the left flank to Vinicius.

Vinicius ran like a Panther and produced the killer assist to Rodrygo, who maintained his composure and scored the vital goal leaving Arturo Vidal to enjoy the view.

The Brazilian magic rescued Real Madrid in a thrilling encounter.

Note: This article has been posted at Cricketsoccer on 04/11/2020 Brazilian magic rescues Real Madrid  

Thank You

Faisal Caesar 

 

Lionel Messi: No penalty, no party

 

Deportivo Alaves had Jota sent off for a second bookable offence just after the hour mark, and were leading by 1-0 until Antoine Griezmann stepped up to score the equalizer and saved the face of Barcelona.

Visitors Barca, who had lost their prior two league matches, fell behind in the first half after a goalkeeping blunder by Neto allowed Luis Rioja to open the scoring. Neto, upon receiving a backpass from Pique, made a poor first touch under pressure from Rioja, who then snatched the ball from him and tapped it home into an empty net for the opener.

Alaves then maintained their solidity to diminish any threats posed by Barcelona. Barcelona grew increasingly desperate and threw caution to the wind. They pushed bodies forward, deploying almost the entire team in the opposition half, and kept Alaves firmly on the back foot by unleashing an avalanche of attacks.

But Alaves kept on organizing their defense very well and leaving no gaps for the visitors to exploit.

Alaves, too, had the whole team back, with each player firmly marking someone to deny them a clear chance. And it worked, as Barcelona were forced to play long passes inside the area, which were easily dealt with by the defenders.

When none of that worked, the last pillar of the Alaves defense - goalkeeper Fernando Pacheco- came to deny them, who had a night to remember.

 Even though his team was resilient when the visitors were in utter desperation, there were a few occasions where Pacheco's interventions were needed, and the Spaniard duly stepped up to the plate, stopping, punching, and parrying one shot after another.

In one key moment, right after Griezmann's equalizer, he denied Messi with sensational diving save after the Argentine somehow maneuvered his way inside the area and lashed a shot towards the far post.

The 28-year-old was quick to react and got the ball out of play in a phenomenal move. He then cleared Dest's effort from Messi's free-kick in the final minute of normal time.

Pacheco didn't get a clean sheet nor could he rescue a famous victory for his side, but his stupendous performance earned him the accolades.

Lionel Messi played well and even his frustrations were evident, which could have earned him a suspension, but we live in an era where very few are lucky enough to receive protection from all.

He was at the heart of every action, though the one thing missing from his game was a goal - an open-play goal.

All the four goals that the Argentine has managed in the 2020-21 campaign so far have come from the penalty spot.

These days – no penalty, no party for Messi!

Barcelona are off to their worst start in a La Liga campaign since 2002-03 following their 1-1 draw with Alaves.

Ronald Koeman has seen his side pick up just eight points from six games so far with Barca currently 12th in La Liga.

Despite winning consecutive Champions League matches, Barcelona have failed to win their past four games in Spain's top-flight with their last victory coming on October 1 against Celta Vigo.

Note: This article has been posted at Cricketsoccer as CSdesk on 01/11/2020 Lionel Messi: No penalty, no party

Thank You

Faisal Caesar