Sunday, May 19, 2002
Sunday, May 19, 2002 |
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Football
There he was on a resplendent night in Glasgow, his eyes gleaming with pride, face flushed with joy, holding the Champions Cup, high above his shoulders. The captain had every reason to be pleased after Real Madrid had clinched the trophy that matters in European club football for the third time in five years. An outstanding feat. Fernando Hierro (see picture, right) and his men presented a happy picture on the big night. How wonderful it would be for Hierro if he shares a similar moment with Spain on the biggest stage of 'em all. For all its talents, Spain has been an underachiever in the World Cup, and the last time the side made it to last four stage of the competition was way back in 1950. Hierro realises this. At 34, he is an old warrior and knows this will be his final tilt at World Cup glory. He will be at the heart of the Spanish defence along with another battle-scarred soldier Miguel Nadal. A formidable duo for any bunch of attackers. Defender, he certainly is now, but Hierro also holds the record for the most number of goals by a Spaniard in international football — 28. It is a fact that reflects his versatility. Hierro is strong in the air, is fluent with his passing, and possesses a booming drive that has caught several goal-keepers by surprise. Not long ago, he turned up in the midfield for Spain, where apart for creating for his team, he also played the role of a spoiler. He is a touch slower now, and is better value at the rear, where his swift and fluent tackles have nipped many a move in the bud. Not that he has forgotten to score. One of the highlights of the high voltage Spanish league this season was Hierro's hat-trick against Real Zaragoza in a crucial encounter. He can still pull the trigger with deadly precision. Hierro also happens to be the most capped player for Spain, and interestingly, it was his current coach and former Real Madrid team-mate Jose Camacho's record of 81 appearances that he surpassed during the World Cup qualifiers this year. Camacho, who took over from Javier Clemente after France '98, has brought with him more attacking methods, that blend better with the Spanish temperament. Spain, possessing several flair players has a brisk, entertaining, hard-running style, and the side did coast into the World Cup Finals from its group where the other sides were Austria, Israel, Bosnia Herzegovina, and Liechtenstein. The Hierro-led side won six games, drew two, and was never in a spot of bother. In the World Cup, Spain has been grouped with Slovenia, Paraguay and South Africa and Hierro would be confident that Spain would progress to the next stage. He is the skipper and will have to carry with him the burden of expectations of a country starved of success. He will have a huge role to play — cutting the raids, and making the occasional surge upfront to support the dazzling Real Madrid and Spain strike twins of Raul and Morientes. The man has the heart of a lion. Hierro and Spain could make up for the huge disappointments of the past. Hierro might still hold aloft a glittering Cup on a resplendent night. The `Cup of Joy' that the whole of Spain seeks. — S. Dinakar
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