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As billinho g was saying:
Twenty years after winning the FIFA World Cup™ with Argentina, Jorge Valdano remains a prominent figure in world football. A straight talker widely respected within the game, the erudite 50-year-old ex-striker has influenced an entire generation of football fans around the globe with a stream of thought-provoking books and articles.
Valdano took time to give FIFAworldcup.com his impressions on Germany 2006 and voice disappointment in, among other things, the conservative approach favoured by three of the four remaining teams.
FIFAworldcup.com: Señor Valdano, what do you think of the FIFA World Cup to date?
Jorge Valdano: There has been some good news. Teams aren’t just defending again with a back four, they’ve also gone back to zonal marking and have done away with wing-backs. They’re also defending a little further up the field than we’re used to, and some teams have even used three forwards.
And the bad news?
There’s plenty of that too. The main problem is there isn’t much risk-taking going on and that’s true for both coaches and players. Everyone’s sticking to what they’ve been told to do. No one tries to go on a run or hit a crossfield ball for fear of breaking the pattern of the game. Naturally enough, the greater the pressure – from the Round of 16 onwards, for example – the harder teams play and the greater the fear of trying something different.
So that is when figures like Zinedine Zidane make their mark even more?
Exactly! In tight games like the quarter-finals someone with the zest, talent and vision of Zidane stands out head and shoulders above the rest.
Why do you think Brazil got knocked out, and what did you make of Ronaldinho’s overall performance?
(Pauses for a moment) It’s difficult to defend the way Brazil played. Too many good players just moving the ball around a lot, positional problems, an undermanned midfield and the failure to abide by one of the maxims of Brazilian football: keep control of the ball. This team struggled in all those areas.
As for Ronaldinho, I think he started slipping out of the role he normally occupies with Barcelona, and then he started losing the ball, and he's at his best when he is in possession. Throughout the World Cup he just looked like a stranger in the team. My only conclusion after seeing Ronaldinho here is that he needs Barcelona more than Barcelona needs him.
Four European semi-finalists. Does that signify a new trend or is it just because the World Cup is being played in Germany?
The fact the tournament is in Europe does have something to do with it, but there are less extenuating circumstances this time around. Most of the Brazil and Argentina players play in Europe now and they should be used to playing here.
Talking of Argentina, what is your lasting impression of the team’s performance?
Argentina played extremely well, but there was too much of a difference between the highs of the Serbia and Montenegro game and the lows of the Mexico match. I got the feeling the team had some doubts in their mind when they played Mexico and that led to a seeming obsession with tactics against Germany. Sometimes, when you worry too much about tactics, some of the best players get overlooked. The only thing I’m sorry about is that we didn’t see more of (Lionel) Messi in action. That said, the team performed very well indeed.
Would you mind expanding a little more on Messi?
I just think we saw very little of him. Even so, it was enough to realise that he’s a player with something that sets him apart from the rest we’ve seen in Germany. He’s also prepared to go out and take risks, all that in a World Cup where nobody wants to gamble.
There is a lot of speculation as to whether Jose Pekerman will remain in the job (as of 3 July, the AFA had yet to accept his offer to resign). What is your opinion?
I think Pekerman did a good job. Nevertheless, it’s a job where you have to cope with some very strong emotions and you need to be very sure of yourself. He’s decided to turn his back on it all, and I imagine he’s got his reasons for that.
Spain coach Luis Aragones has had his contract renewed. Did you like the way the Spanish played?
He defined a style, a specific way of doing things and they became a team with a character of their own. They’ve made some interesting progress particularly when you bear in mind the team has an average age of around 24. If he carries on working with the same group, Spain could have a very exciting future.
Germany, France, Italy and Portugal. Who are the favourites for the title?
Well, it’s probably better not to say because none of them want to be favourites, they all seem keen to reject the tag. With the exception of Germany, their games are based on conceding possession to their opponents.
Is that the difference between Jurgen Klinsmann’s side and the rest?
Yes, that’s the major difference – their intentions. We really need to do something about it. We’ve become so concerned with the result that we no longer value the resources we use to get there
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Let's take a trip down Whittier Blvd.
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