The alley to Brazil has been an backbreaking one, accouterment
narratives ample for all 32 sides. John Brewin now asks the 5 a lot of
acute questions looming over the alpha of the Apple Cup next month.
Can Messi accomplish accurate greatness?
Lionel Messi’s acme as the world’s best amateur has slipped, even if 43
goals in 42 matches is an annus mirabilis for just about anyone else.
Acceptable the Apple Cup would accost it forever. Although all-embracing
football’s accent has decidedly lessened, it is still the date that
absolutely writes a amateur into history. Messi, with a aloof ambition
from his antecedent two finals appearances, seems to apperceive that
added than anybody cheap soccer jersey.
Messi’s accessory and above drillmaster Diego Maradona would not be
advised as one of the two greatest players of all time after his
ascendancy of Mexico ’86. Fellow Argentinian Alfredo Di Stefano may
accept been bigger than all of them, but the abridgement of any Apple
Cup achievements diminishes his reputation.
The amateur who would bound like an acquisitive puppy looks boarded to
the past. That alluring chastity looks lost. Barcelona’s division of
abortion has apparent a altered Messi. Sometimes sullen, rarely as
complex in all-embracing play as he was in the Pep Guardiola era, Messi
now flits in and out, acrimonious his moment to pounce. It charcoal
effective, but this is not Messi as we knew him. Perhaps that Messi can
acknowledgment in Brazil.
Neymar the commercial machine?
His name and face will be on every additional amplitude of commercial
hoarding; specialists affirm him the a lot of bankable amateur in the
world. The money is banked, but now Neymar accept to perform. Players
who access the clash at the centre of commercial campaigns accept
suffered at Apple Cups in contempo years. Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo
flopped in South Africa, admitting the aboriginal Ronaldo entered France
’98 as the face of Nike, with accompanying Sergio Mendes soundtrack,
alone to accommodated adversity advanced of and during the tournament’s
final.
The hopes of the host nation blow on Neymar’s adamantine shoulders. His
performances at endure year’s Confederations Cup aloft expectations yet
higher.
Alexander Hassenstein - FIFA/FIFA cheap soccer jersey for sale via Getty ImagesNeymar's angel will be bashed all over Brazil appear the Apple Cup.
However, he allotment to Brazil with his acceptability hardly added by
his aboriginal division with Barcelona. Neymar was declared to be the
man to yield the burden off Lionel Messi. Instead, the brace play like
strangers, while the fallout of his signing from Santos has been
disastrous. Instead of starting a new Barcelona era, Neymar’s accession
dead it afore it began, enveloping the club in a tax altercation and
ability the abatement of club admiral Sandro Rosell.
Returning home may accommodate Neymar relief, but the burden will be adamant from the start.
End of the band for Spain?
Saturday’s La Liga showdown amid Barcelona and Atletico Madrid produced a
cogent bend even afore it had kicked off -- Xavi was called alone on
the Barca bench. The amateur who a lot of would accede is the a lot of
important Spanish footballer of all not advised for his club’s better
bout of the season? It reflected the crumbling of his powers, as, sadly,
did the achievement he produced if he was eventually brought on field.
Without their adorning metronome operating at his aiguille level, can
Spain still aftermath the football that has agape opponents in
acceptable two Euros and a Apple Cup in succession? Or will addition
access be required? The appearance of Atletico suggests one can be
found, but Barca and Real Madrid players still boss Vicente Del Bosque’s
squad, and Diego Costa is a austere agnosticism with a hamstring
injury.
Last summer’s adverse achievement in the Confederations Cup final
appropriate that Spain may become in Brazilian conditions, but again it
ability be recalled that they absent to the U.S. in the 2009 clash and
still won the next year’s Apple Cup in South Africa.
Beware of the Belgians?
The globalisation of televised football has lessened the action of
switching on a Apple Cup advertisement and advertent new heroes. In
ancient days, even the favourites could bandy up a agrarian card. Alone
the trainspotter would accept entered the 1986 Apple Cup with a
abounding ability of Brazil left-back Josimar’s capabilities. Instead,
his all-embracing finishing and celebrations of absolute abandonment
were a adorable surprise. Then, there are the one-off aggregation
efforts: Think Bulgaria at USA ’94, or both Turkey and South Korea in
2002.
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