Quadrennial World Cup is a different kettle of fish

 
Ben Somerford Columnist

By , 1 Jul 2010 Ben Somerford is a Roar Expert

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Have you heard about the Nike ‘Write The Future’ curse? You’ve seen the commercials, right? The superstars from those ads, such as Wayne Rooney, Cristiano Ronaldo and Fabio Cannavaro, have failed to replicate their club form on the world stage in South Africa and you’ve got to wonder why.

Those three aren’t alone, though, as Brazilian wizz Ronaldinho didn’t even get the call-up, Ivory Coast’s Didier Drogba is already back in West Africa and France’s Franck Ribery played his part in the Les Bleus’ mutiny as they went home early in disgrace.

Okay, maybe it’s not so much a curse as a coincidence, but the main point is some of club football’s best stars haven’t lived up to their billing at the World Cup.

Maybe it’s the mental and physical strain of getting up for another tournament after a long domestic season. Maybe there’s more to it.

Indeed, if you put yourself in a player’s shoes for a brief moment, you realise international football (especially the month-long World Cup tournament) is a totally different kettle of fish compared to the club game.

Different teammates, different coaches, different tactics, different surroundings, a different environment, a different routine, a different schedule and time-frame, all make the World Cup, well, erm… different.

Sure, you’d think quality players would remain quality players, but the standard of the World Cup these days is pretty good, so you’ve got to be on your game if you’re going to do well.

Portugal’s Ronaldo was a curious example where Carlos Queiroz’s conservative and disciplined gameplan didn’t play to the Real Madrid star’s strengths, but nor did his obvious mindset of frustration towards it all.

We’ve seen him frustrated at Real and Man U before, but in a four-week tournament like the World Cup, it’s hard to overcome and reverse the negativity associated with that mindset in such a short space of time.

To emphasize Portugal’s conservative approach, you only need to ponder they conceded just one goal in South Africa, whilst only scoring (albeit heavily) in one game too. Pretty prudent stuff!

But a frustrated Ronaldo didn’t do himself any favours, and his South African safari will be moreso remembered for him running into opponents and complaining to the ref on the floor, rather than any inspiring brilliance. He did show flashes of his magic, but it was usually lacking substance and non-influential.

And while Ronaldo’s example shows unfamiliar tactics or a foreign gameplan can lead to frustration in a player’s mind, the England example represents another side of the challenge of a World Cup.

Throughout England’s time in South Africa the issue of player boredom had been well reported by the English press.

John Terry, who infamously had a go at England boss Fabio Capello after the Algeria draw, said during the tournament: “We have table tennis, darts, snooker and the pool. But between lunch and dinner is about six hours and there is a little bit of boredom kicking in.”

Wayne Rooney admitted: “I don’t really enjoy sitting around or lying in bed at two in the afternoon”.

You wonder if Rooney spent those afternoon hours surfing the net browsing the English press because he appeared anxious to quieten his critics and his public attack on the boo-boys was odd.

Boredom, like frustration, is a negative emotion and staying stimulated and positive is pretty important in all realms of leading a successful life, let alone when you’re striving to win the fiercely competitive World Cup. It’s obvious there’s a big mental game going on at the World Cup.

Sure, you can understand players getting bored at the World Cup in a foreign land, as they’re away from their families, in an unfamiliar environment with a new routine. But then again, it is one of the challenges which teams face.

Even the Socceroos had their own issues with player boredom, with wives and children invited to Kloofzicht Lodge as a positive distraction on a few occasions at the Australia camp.

It’s an interesting point, though, as it clearly goes both ways. Just look at the Germans who are known as tournament specialists, or the business-like Brazil who seem to always be there or thereabouts at the end of these competitions.

Germany’s Polish-born attacking duo Miroslav Klose and Lukas Podolski provide an excellent example of players who’ve done the opposite of Nike’s superstars by turning poor club form into excellent form for the national team.

It’s hard to put a finger on it, but people often refer to the German mentality, which is a rather ambiguous term. But when you ponder the aforementioned points, perhaps this is where the Germans get it right, in preparation, stimulation and staying positive.

So much of football is played between the ears and the quadrennial World Cup provides unique mental challenges for players, so mastering the art of tournament play is something worth paying special attention to.

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