Wednesday, September 28, 2011

FIFA World Cup 2010 - Who is More Likely to Succeed, Rooney or Messi?

World Cup 2010


Lionel Messi, the star striker for Barcelona and Argentina, will celebrate his 23rd birthday, on June 24, while the FIFA World Cup 2010 is on. Wayne Rooney, his counterpart at Manchester United and England, will turn 25, in October.

Mention either of these players, and chances are, you will also mention the other, because these are arguably the two best players in the world. Both are geniuses on the football field who can transform the fortunes of their respective teams, if they are fully fit and playing to potential.

Hence the question:  who is more likely to set the World Cup 2010 ablaze with his performance, Rooney or Messi?

They have had amazing similarities in their careers. Both players were signed by clubs at age 11, Messi by Barcelona, Rooney by Everton.  Rooney held the record for the youngest player to represent a team in the EPL; Messi was the team's youngest ever player, when he debuted in the Spanish League (La Liga). Messi was the youngest to score a goal in La Liga; Rooney held the record for being the youngest ever scorer in the EPL. Both players achieved the feat before they turned 17. Rooney who got a debut hat-trick for Man U also went to become the youngest international for England, in 2003.

The coincidences don't end there. Both players completed 100 goals for their respective club teams, in January 2010. Both players chose the 2010 season to score 4 goals in a single match. Messi did it against Arsenal in the Champions League, while Rooney's four goals came in a match against Hull.

There are some differences, too: To start with, Messi  is slightly built and 5'7" tall; Rooney is 3 inches taller, and built like a bull.

Championships Won:

Messi has been a part of championship winning Barcelona on 12 occasions, including the Champions League twice, and the FIFA Club World Cup, once. He has also helped Argentina win two titles, the FIFA U-20 World Cup, and an Olympic Gold at Beijing.

Rooney has won eight titles, all for Manchester United, including the Champions League, and the FIFA Club World Cup, once each. Both players have a host of individual awards. Messi would have particularly relished winning the World Soccer Player of The Year award, 2009.

Fittingly, both players are among the richest in their respective leagues. Rooney has several commercial endorsements, apart from a lucrative book deal with Harper and Collins.

Personal Endorsements:

Both players have gushing endorsements from players and managers. Manchester City manager Roberto Mancini, England player, Steven Gerrard, Chelsea boss, Ancellotti,  Mark Lorenson, Argentina player, Tevez, Rooney's Man U teammate, Wes Brown, David Beckham, and ex-England strikers, Shearer and Lineker, are all unanimous in their view that Rooney is the best player in the world.

Brazilian midfielder Kaka, his Argentina teammates, Deco and Riquelme, Barcelona boss Laporta, Barcelona manager Josep Guardiola, Arsenal FC Forward and Denmark international Nicklas Bendtner, Real Madrid striker Arjen Robben, and Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger are amon Messi's abiding fans. In fact, La Porta claims that Messi is the greatest player of all time. Maradona has anointed Messi as his successor, while Pele who predicted that Messi would get the FIFA best player award in 2009, says Messi should first establish as the best ever Argentina player, and also score 1,000 goals before he can replace the Brazilian legend as the best ever.

Strengths:

Rooney is fast and strongly built and uses his physical strength to get past defenders. He is comfortable playing through the middle, and can operate on his own, up front. He is naturally gifted, and extremely opportunistic, and inventive. He revels in unleashing powerful volleys from the top of the box. Rooney owes his physical strength to four years spent in amateur boxing. Although a striker, he excels from deep, and capitalizes on his close control and strength while running at defenders even as he uses vision to create openings for others.

Messi  is arguably the best dribbler in the world, and can dance his way past defences. He has, in a club game replicated Maradona's goal against England in the `1986 quarter final, dribbling past 6 players and running the same distance as the Argentina legend did on that occasion. Messi displays quintessential South American flair, and his goals come from close range, inside the box, and depend not so much on power, as on guile and precision.

Weaknesses:

Rooney has been injury prone. He has also shown a penchant for being hot headed. Messi has also had injury issues. There are no perceptible weaknesses in his game, but nitpickers could claim that he has not been as successful for Barcelona, in away games, as he has been in home games. Also, Messi is yet to play to potential for Argentina - the team had a mediocre showing in the qualifiers. Could it be that he doesn't have as great a supporting cast in the national team, as in Barcelona, which has the likes of Xavi, Pedro and Pichichi combining well with Messi?

In contrast, Rooney has been prolific for England, with 25 strikes in just over twice as many matches. There are critics who claim that Rooney is over-rated and is likely to meet his comeuppance whenever he meets a strong South American team. The best way to dispel such doubts is for Rooney to perform on the field. To his credit, Rooney scored a goal in a 3-2 win in a friendly, against Argentina, in 2005.

Recent form:

Both players have been in tremendous form in 2010. Rooney has had 34 goals from 44 appearances for Man U, and Messi  47 goals in 53 appearances.

Prospects in World Cup 2010:

Although Messi's relatively unimpressive record for Argentina is an argument used against him, he had a goal against Croatia in World Cup 2006. In contrast, Rooney had a lacklustre goal-less outing, in Germany, in 2006, playing in the shadow of injury until his ignominious red-card exit in the quarter-final. But all that will be history, when the tournament kicks off in South Africa, come June 11.




For the latest sports gossip and news you will not find anywhere else on the Internet, and to download a FREE eBook on the 2010 FIFA World Cup, click http://www.cricinfosite.com

Suresh Iyer is an avid sports fan and blogger.

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