WORLD CUP: SHOULD ARGENTINA BEAT GERMANY, MESSI WOULD SURPASS MARADONA AND PELE

We cannot measure the talent, level of technical skills and individual accolades achieved by the footballers such as Maradona, Pele and Messi. We can try instead to compare the achievements of the teams in which they played, the strengths of the teams against whom they were competing and the quality of the supporting players in their own teams, as well as our stars' impact on their own teams, through decisive plays and goals, through creative vision exhibited. The highest amount of trophies with national team won Pele with Brazil. Yet Pele played in such strong national team of Brazil that one cannot say that he was indispensable to Brazil to win the championship. During the 1958 tournament, when Brazil won the first title, 17 year old Pele wasn't even the Brazil's best player. He had around the best player of the World Cup 1958: Didi, as well as such greats as Vava, Garrincha, Altafini, Zagallo, Nilton Santos and Djalma Santos. In World Cup 1962 Pele was injured, in a second group match against Czechoslovakia, and didn't play further, instead he had to watch Garrincha, the best player of World Cup 1962, to lead Brazil to their second world title. Again, in World Cup 1970 played in Mexico, Brazil was so full of talented players, that one cannot say that it was Pele whose impact was indispensable to the Brazilian third world title. Having around such players as Jairzinho, Tostao, Rivelino, Gerson, Clodoaldo, Carlos Alberto, Brito, Piazza, or Everaldo did not put much pressure on Pele. His task was easy and he did not have to deal with major stress accompanying for example Maradona, or Messi and Neymar in their world cup campaigns. The proof is in that famous Carlos Alberto's goal (after a series of moves and passes between seven Brazilian players) of the final match of World Cup 1970, stamping the Brazil's win over Italy. Pele did not have to dribble through whole defenses of opponents like Maradona did in World Cup 1986 in Mexico (against England, then Belgium). Otherwise, Pele's Brazil did not have as strong opponents as Argentina did in World Cup 1986, which they won, and World Cup 1990, which they lost to Germany on a hugely controversial penalty. Also, Maradona did not have such support as Pele always had. With their clubs, Pele won Libertadores Cup and the Intercontinental Cup, yet again he had stars in his Santos team. Maradona was not so successful with his clubs, yet he had more competition as he left for Europe, after playing in Argentina for a weak club Argentinos Juniors and then for a year at Boca Juniors. Maradona's two years at Barcelona, Spain were not successful either as he only won Copa del Rey, but one has to say that he was injured for long spells of time. Only with Napoli in Serie A he was relatively successful by winning Serie A in 1987 and 1990 and being twice Serie A runner up, and adding to collection UEFA Cup. He managed to do it all in the time when Serie A was at its peak and was the strongest league in the world, and AC Milan was the best team in the world, and Inter and Juventus were not far behind. Maradona on a weekly basis had to play against Van Basten, Gullit, Rijkard, Baresi, Maldini, Donadoni, Matthaus, Klinsmann, Bhreme, Zico, Platini, Cabrini, Rush, Laudrup, Roberto Baggio, Schillaci, It seems that Maradona played in a much tougher environment than Pele, who never was brave enough to take on a challenge of playing in European best leagues, against better defenses of European teams, more sophisticated tactically, and better athletically than those in Pele's native Brazil. Consequently, Maradona until now was the greatest player, with Pele behind, followed by Johan Cruyff , Garrincha and Zinedine Zidane. And here comes Lionel Messi, the player with the ball glued to his feet while running at highest speeds (Pele and Maradona were slow in comparison to Messi and in their dribbling they relied mostly on control of the ball and body moves ) , shattering goal-scoring records, who achieved in club football everything - neither Maradona, Pele nor Zidane can compare to his achievements with their clubs. Only Alfredo di Stefano, Johan Cruyff and Franz Beckenbauer achieved so much (or perhaps more) with their club teams. Of course, Messi is not finished yet. In World Cup 2006 Argentina was so rich in talent (that it should have won the title except for that tactical mistake of Pekerman who took his playmaker Juan Ramon Riquelme  off the pitch while leading 2:0, allowing Germany to make a comeback and to advance to semifinals) that there was no place for 19-year-old Messi, in World Cup 2010, Messi was quite good, but Argentina was handicapped by the worst coach in history, Diego Maradona himself, and Argentina again was knocked out in quarterfinals by Germany. Now, after club season when Messi was trapped by recurring injuries, he does not run so much with the ball, he is much more economical in his game, plays deeper as the real playmaker of the old times, yet when he is needed, he delivers. He led Argentina unbeaten in qualifications to this world cup. Now, in Brazil, his goals against Bosnia and Iran were decisive, his two goals against Nigeria had a calming effect on the team. The tough game against Switzerland, was iturned around by the Swiss, who strongly knocked at Argentina's goal, yet little Messi made decisive play and assisting pass to Di Maria, who managed to kill the game. In the match against Belgium, the plays around Messi became more and more physical, yet Messi was brilliant in tight spaces, holding the ball, liberating himself at times from swarming around him Belgians, and playing precise 40 yard passes. Decisive was his play, after which Argentinians scored the winning goal: Messi, in Belgian half, in the the middle of the pitch, was swarmed by several Belgians, when he spun away from two defenders and clipped a pass to Di Maria, who quickly passed further to Higuain, and the latter turned and volleyed beautifully home. One of the several passes of brilliance. In the semifinal match against Holland, the team playing with seven defensive players, Messi seemed to be contained (his father said after the match that his legs were stiff and he cannot run anymore). Yet he made a brilliant play in tight space in the right corner area, when he spun away from the Dutch defenders and send beautiful pass across the penalty area to free Maxi Rodriguez who should have converted, yet he ended up with a tame shot, which bounced from the ground, allowing Cillessen to calmly stop it. It was the moment when the decisive goal, resulting from Messi's flash of brilliance, should have been scored. Instead, the game went to penalties, where Messi calmly gave the lead to Argentina, after the first Dutch penalty was saved by Romero. Little Messi delivered again, on dead legs this time. If the Argentinian physiotherapists can somehow prepare those legs for one more match, if those legs can give Argentina another decisive play against the toughest opponent any team in history had to play in a world cup final, little Messi would surpass Diego Maradona as the greatest player in the history of this sport. But make no mistake, their opponent is the favorite of the final, no matter how much sentimental and sympathetic I am to Argentina's and Messi's campaign, nobody in the history of the World Cup had ever had to play such a formidable opponent as Argentina has in Germany, in such a great for Germany time, when they enjoy mental as well as physical advantage coupled with a better schedule of matches, giving them an additional day for recovery before the final. This German team is brilliant tactically, full of players with high individual skills, majority with great physical parameters. These German young men, who before played together for Germany teams under the age of 21, 19 and 17, are guided for a long period of time by the same coach, Joachim Low. In addition, this Mannschaft seemed to have recovered the old German "never die attitude" and the ability to win when it goes tough. If Argentina can somehow turn around the tables, and beat the Germans, Messi indeed would become the greatest of them all. Not that he is not the greatest in my eyes already. Good luck, little genius.

Janusz Andrzejewski is a New York City attorney, writing on legal and other important community topics, as well as on the subject of sport. You may contact him by telephone (212) 634-4250 or through e-mail: janusz@januszandrzejewski.com

WORLD CUP 2014: THE TEAM OF THE TOURNAMENT - PRIOR TO SEMIFINALS

I might still make corrections to the selected eleven after the semifinals and final are concluded. Also, since James Rodriguez and Leo Messi until now appear to be the best two players of this world cup, and they both are playmakers, I took a liberty of moving Rodriguez to centre-forward position, particularly that in nowadays football teams often play without nominal centre-forward. It is not a big stretch as Rodriguez, until now, has scored the highest amount of goals in the tournament. This way, I did not have to put Rodriguez as a reserve player in his natural position of a playmaker.  For now, here they are:


                                         Neuer - Ger. (reserve: Howard - USA)

Zabaleta - Arg.               Gonzalez - Costa R.     Hummels - Ger        Blind - Hol
(res. Gamboa-Costa R.) (res. Kompany-Bel.) (res. T. Silva-Bra) (res. Verthongen-Bel.)


                                      Lahm - Ger.         Schweinsteiger - Ger.
                                     (res. Fernandinho-Bra) (res. Mascherano-Arg.)

                                                           Messi - Arg.
                                                    (res. de Bruyne-Bel.)

Robben - Hol.                              J. Rodriguez (Col.)                            Neymar (Bra)                             
(Valbuena-Fra.)                          (res. T. Muller-Ger.)                          (res. Bolanos - Costa R.)
                                            

WORLD CUP 2014: FRANCE V. GERMANY IN REPEAT OF THE CLASSICS OF THE PAST

This World Cup has been so exciting that I did not even notice that only 8 matches separate us from its conclusion. Tomorrow two quarterfinals are to be played, the first one between  France and Germany, and in the second the hosts Brazil are taking on Colombia. On Saturday Argentina led by the great Leo Messi will meet Belgium and the Netherlands will attempt to finish off the modest Costa Rica in the last of the quarterfinals. Here is my prediction for France v. Germany:
Who does not remember the 1982 and 1986 semifinals between these teams, so deeply embedded in the World Cup mystic? Incidentally, the Germans were eventually victorious in both of them, notwithstanding the great French midfield quartet led by Michel Platini. Nowadays, the characteristics of these two teams are quite altered: while Germany have now more creative players who seem to have lost some of that German never die attitude, the French, who in the past relied on gallic flair, now have acquired more power and solidity in defense and midfield. Although Germany seem to have riches of talent, experienced in big tournaments coach and the pedigree, France, as coached astutely by Didier Deschamps, who won the World Cup as a player in 1998, are a well balanced team. The defense, as I mentioned already, seems to be quite solid this time around. Goalkeeper Lloris is good on the line, however, he is more awkward when he comes out to high balls, notwithstanding some improvement in this area. Deschamps until now played three of his centre-halfs: Varance, Sakho and Koscielny. It appears that Varane and Koscielny will be paired against the Germans. Both are quite mobile and position themselves quite well, even though Varane is very young for a defender and relatively inexperienced, despite for playing for Real Madrid. Debuchy and Evra, playing as full-backs, are both experienced and solid enough notwithstanding Patrice Evra's decrease in mobility and erratic performance in the last season of English Premier League. In midfield France are so well balanced that I believe no team in this tournament can claim to be better. In two holding positions in midfield Deschamps utilizes Pogba and Matuidi, both powerful players, striking the ball very fiercely, yet at the same time able to creatively pass the ball into spaces in opponents penalty area. In front of them operate Cabaye, technical playmaker, employing sublime passes as well as long balls, and able to shoot from outside of the penalty area. On flanks Deschamps has technical wizard Valbuena and young Griezmann who usually cuts in from the left wing to score often. Griezman plays only when Deschamps utilizes one forward (Benzema), when the coach decides to employ two forwards, Benzema takes Griezman position on the left, whereas Giroud roams in the penalty area as the main forward.
The Germans in Neuer have the best goalkeeper in the world, however, he too often likes to leave the goal line, even the penalty area... The defense is a bit less solid than the French one, particularly if Hummels is absent. Should Hummels be fit, Joachim Low will play Mertesacker and Hummels in the middle, and Boateng and Howedes as full-backs. Both full-backs play usually as centre-hals in Bundesliga, and are quite awkward in going forward. If Hummels is unfit, Mustafi should play as right full-back whereas Boateng would join Mertesacker in the middle of defense. In midfield, it must be again Lahm with Schweinsteiger and Kroos. Each of them is capable of holding the ball as well as playmaking. As the offensive players, it probably will be again Ozil and Goetze on flanks, with Muller roaming in between the way he sees fit. There would be a lot of interchange of positions between theses three. Both teams appear to be quite even but Germans have better and larger bench, with Podolski, Schurle and old fox Klose ready to pounce on the French. The Germans should advance, but in no way I would be surprised if the French did.

Janusz Andrzejewski is New York City based attorney writing on legal and other important community topics. You can contact him by telephone (212)  634-4250 or through his e-mail: janusz@januszandrzejewski.com