The World cup has been the tournament of 4-2-3-1 which Spain adopted against Germany and stopped trying to squeeze Fernando Torres and David Villa into the same side, fiddled with the line of three, pulling Xavi back and pushing Andres Iniesta and Pedro forward so it almost becomes 4-2-1-3, which seems to be the route club football is taking.
Argentina did have a creative, deep-lying midfielder in their squad, but Maradona seduced by the firepower on show in his all new Tevez-Messi-Higuain attack, elected to leave Veron on the bench for the quarterfinal massacre at the hands of Germany. By selecting Tevez instead of Veron, Maradona left Mascherrano completely isolated against 3 germans in the center of midfield.
It is very difficult to establish control of the game without a composed player operating in central areas who is capable of picking a pass and either slowing or raising the tempo when necessary.
Deploying 2 destroyers leaves a team bereft of that control in the middle of the pitch and unhealthily dependent on their forwards for inspiration. Deploying just one nominally defensive midfielder against a well equiped 4-2-3-1 as both England and Argentina can testify, often can be a sure fire shortcut to humiliation.
Argentina did have a creative, deep-lying midfielder in their squad, but Maradona seduced by the firepower on show in his all new Tevez-Messi-Higuain attack, elected to leave Veron on the bench for the quarterfinal massacre at the hands of Germany. By selecting Tevez instead of Veron, Maradona left Mascherrano completely isolated against 3 germans in the center of midfield.
It is very difficult to establish control of the game without a composed player operating in central areas who is capable of picking a pass and either slowing or raising the tempo when necessary.
Deploying 2 destroyers leaves a team bereft of that control in the middle of the pitch and unhealthily dependent on their forwards for inspiration. Deploying just one nominally defensive midfielder against a well equiped 4-2-3-1 as both England and Argentina can testify, often can be a sure fire shortcut to humiliation.
