88 Days To The World Cup

David Beckham

Imagine that you have to fly from Los Angeles to Milan or to London and quite often just to warm the bench not knowing if you were selected to play and yet you keep plugging at it. Then after doing this dedication for sometime hoping to play in your last World Cup and the world around you collapsed around you when you raptured your achilles tendon. This is what had happened to David Beckham. 


Whether you love him or loathe him, you can have my assurance that Beckham was as good as having that ticket to South Africa in the bag until this unfortunate incident - 88 days to the World Cup. Is 88 a lucky number after all? How and why is he crucial to England? He is fit, experienced and a highly motivated professional and can be useful even in the dressing room. With 15-20 minutes to go in a big game, his dead ball expertise can be crucial from a free-kick, corners or even threading a 60 yard pass throught the eye of a needle with the ball dropping on the galloping feet of say Rooney or Defoe can make a difference.

Why is he still around and seems valuable? AC Milan manager Leonardo (De Araujo) was a gifted Brazilian soccer star who signed Beckham and admired him greatly as a professional. His team mates are top pros from Brazil, Italy, the Netherlands and Spain. Beckham is always the first player on a training pitch and the last to leave. He is so fit that AC Milan trainers and physio was said to have stated he has so little fat in his body and so fit he could go on playing for another five years without any difficulty. When Fabio Capello picks you to play, you must be something. 


Becks is not your traditional winger who usually need to have a lot of pace and acceralation to take on and beat defenders, get behind the line and cross. He could cross the ball from where he is without breaking sweat or stride. While missing the World Cup is going to be painful for him, it increased the chances of the rest who will have to catch the eye of Don Fabio. Meantime, some friends are inviting me to start soccer training again for a small soccer carnival in May. Much as I am tempted, I may wish to skip this time to avoid ending up like Beckham so I can go for the World Cup.

Joe Cole has limited appearances this season but if skills are what is needed, look no further. Aaron Lennon is recovering and he is a guy who can make dead dogs tired with his sheer speed and acceralation. Shaun Wright-Philips will fancy his chance to provide some twinkle toe effect on the right wing. 

Take a look at the new kid on the block - Adam Johnson, signed from Middlesborough by Manchester City for 7 million pounds and has already paid for part of the downpayment with some goals and assist. He could provide natural width on the left flank, an area that has been a weak link for England. Theo Walcott can surprise but only if he could conjure that magical game he had v Croatia with that amazing hattrick.

If you saw Joe Hart (Birmingham) made that one-handed save while diving full length against Sunderland, you will agree with me he should be on board that plane. Liverpool was dismal to say the least. How can you take an early lead through that Torres goal and let Manchester United comeback to win. Firstly, would someone please point out to the commentators that the scorer of the winning goal is called Park Ji Sung and not Ji Sung Park for a start. It was a good goal and for an Asian to score makes me proud. 

However, where were Liverpool defenders. Are they playing so that Benitez will be sacked? I mean if mafia hitmen were sent with automatic tommy guns to spray at the Liverpool defence, no one would have died as they left such big gaps behind. Sigh. They let Brad Friedel go and he is now starring gor Villa and rated no.1 on the goalie list. Ditto for Stephen Warnock at Villa and Craig Bellamy at Man City.

I told you Arsenal is looking really very good. How many teams can beat FC Porto 5-0? Unfortunate as it may be for them to meet Barcelona in the quarters, Arsenal which I have said is like Barcelona light for their attacking play can spring a surprise. Bendtner can cause a few problems as most of Barcelona players like Arsenal are not big and tall. This should actually be the Final. Putting themselves with a chance of landing the EPL title and Eueopean crown can boost their confidence. If they beat Barca, their title hope could soar and vice versa. Firstly, they need a win at the Emirates.

Lionel Messi

I have always said the Messi is massive even when he was just 18. He is getting better each day and at 22 now, I thought he is an even better player than even the great Maradona was at the same age. I have always maintained that Messi is the world's best not C. Ronaldo. In just one week, he scored 8 goals including two hattricks in the Spanish League and two in the midweek 4-0 UEFA thrashing of Stuttgart. If you saw the second goal over the weekend, he beat a few defenders including turning a defender twice before netting. He is just phenomenal. 

Arsenal is unfortunate to be paired with Barcelona for the UEFA Quarters and Argentina is raising their hopes based on Messi. You can put a "Star" next to Argentina now as one of the favourites as besides Messi they have many good players plus another star in Real Madrid's Gonzalo Higuain. In recent times, you have seen Zidane, Ronaldo, Henry, Ronaldinho, Rooney, Cristiano Ronaldo but frankly Messi is not from this planet. This is the guy who used to have hormonal problems. He is not only blessed with the most natural breathtaking skills but he a chap with great humility and character. Watch this guy, he is going to take the world by storm.