Time to move on
I do not keep track of star footballers in the club championships taking place across Europe. I am ardent follower of World Cup football and what sticks to my mind are the stars of the World Cup.
I am aware that as professionals, the leading footballers reserve their best for the clubs and do not fare as well for their countries at the World Cup. It is also possible that unlike club teams where the players are together for years, the national teams assemble only a month before the World Cup and there is little time to build up team cohesion and camaraderie. Ego also stands in the way- I remember World Cup 1994 which Brazil won with Romario and Bebeto as forwards and star performers. There was tremendous rivalry and animosity between them and they never used to talk to each other !
Some of the best games I have savoured were those played by the Brazilian team which won the 2002 World Cup in Japan. The way Ronaldo, Rivaldo and Ronaldinho played in the final was unforgetable. Ronaldinho was the new find of the tournament and was poetry in motion. Ronaldo was the star off the tournament and what a swan song it was for Rivaldo.
Ronaldo was a pale shadow of himself by World Cup 2006. Ronaldinho did not make much of impact in 2006 and it looked as though he did not want to exert himself.
Now comes the news that Brazilian Coach Dunga ( he was the Brazilian Captain in 2002 ) has dumped Ronaldinho and Adriano from the World Cup 2010 team.
Some of the stars of 2006 are doing well.The name I often come across is Drogba.
World Cup does not seem to be the stage for making a big name in football. Look a David Beckam. He has done nothing of note in World Cup but he stayed on the popularity chart for long.
It is European club football which makes players famous - Cristiano Ronaldo, Messi,Wayne Rooney, Gary Linekar,so on and so forth.
I am aware that as professionals, the leading footballers reserve their best for the clubs and do not fare as well for their countries at the World Cup. It is also possible that unlike club teams where the players are together for years, the national teams assemble only a month before the World Cup and there is little time to build up team cohesion and camaraderie. Ego also stands in the way- I remember World Cup 1994 which Brazil won with Romario and Bebeto as forwards and star performers. There was tremendous rivalry and animosity between them and they never used to talk to each other !
Some of the best games I have savoured were those played by the Brazilian team which won the 2002 World Cup in Japan. The way Ronaldo, Rivaldo and Ronaldinho played in the final was unforgetable. Ronaldinho was the new find of the tournament and was poetry in motion. Ronaldo was the star off the tournament and what a swan song it was for Rivaldo.
Ronaldo was a pale shadow of himself by World Cup 2006. Ronaldinho did not make much of impact in 2006 and it looked as though he did not want to exert himself.
Now comes the news that Brazilian Coach Dunga ( he was the Brazilian Captain in 2002 ) has dumped Ronaldinho and Adriano from the World Cup 2010 team.
Some of the stars of 2006 are doing well.The name I often come across is Drogba.
World Cup does not seem to be the stage for making a big name in football. Look a David Beckam. He has done nothing of note in World Cup but he stayed on the popularity chart for long.
It is European club football which makes players famous - Cristiano Ronaldo, Messi,Wayne Rooney, Gary Linekar,so on and so forth.
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