The roll call of World Cup Golden Boot winners features myriad household names, Lineker, Kempes, Eusebio, Garrincha, Ronaldo (Brazilian version) Gerd Muller, Klose and the Italian who came from nowhere, Salvatore (Toto) Schillaci who kept popping up with solitary winners at Italian 90.
This year, the fitting will take place in Brazil, the names at the top of the betting are predictable. Neymar, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. Neymar will have the nations Samba hopes pinned on him like a prefects badge at an Inner City Comprehensive. A no win situation in many respects. The world’s 8th most expensive player in history loves the limelight. let’s examine why?
Well, it’s simple, Lionel Messi has left more shadows behind than a Hank Marvin tribute band, and Neymar, fresh from a Camp Nou bathroom mirror has not enjoyed playing on the same team as the little magician from Rosario. 9 goals in 26 La Liga games provide the evidence. In fact his only hat trick came in a Champions League game against Celtic when the Argentine was injured.
Messi himself has not had his best season, embroiled in a legal stand off with the authorities and beset by a number of niggling injuries. In the last World Cup, he was overshadowed by the French born mercenary Gonzalo Higuain, who bagged a hat trick in the second game against South Korea, and followed up with an opportunistic effort against Mexico. I was on him at 50s, and followed up at 33, only to have Miroslav Klose set fire to the hoops I was jumping through by slotting 5 goals to nail the prize. Such is life.
Cristiano Ronaldo, the best player in the world at the minute, surely, is hindered that he plays for one of the most enigmatic teams in world football. Watching Portugal is akin to hiring a steamer to strip wallpaper,before hanging 8 rolls of magnolia. You can just see his frustration before your very eyes, somehow you just know he’ll score a worldy before his team capitulates.
Hanleyontheball 