The news breaking out among football fans is that there’s a new superstar on the block. Maybe he doesn’t have the commercial appeal or can’t sell as many jerseys as James Rodriguez or Cristiano Ronaldo, but in terms of overall ability, he is the best player in the world.
His name is Ángel Di María and he hails from the same city as Lionel Messi in Rosario, Argentina.
He was previously overshadowed by the likes of Messi, Ronaldo and Falcao. In 2013 he wasn’t even named among the top 23 players vying for the FIFA World Player of the Year, while lesser players like Hazard, Cavani and Pirlo were on the list of nominees. He was passed over not because he didn’t deserve to be nominated, but because the award is more of a personality contest than merit.
However, today we are comparing him with the best players. But there is a big difference and that is that he is more creative, more versatile, he has more passing ability and more rhythm than all of them.
As for his creativity, in the 2013-14 season he gave 22 assists (more than Messi or Ronaldo) and was the top assister in the League. He created 90 chances playing as a central midfielder rather than in his usual role as a winger. In the recent friendly against world champions Germany, he opened up his defense from wide positions to score a goal and set up another three goals.
He is more versatile and has a higher work rate than Messi and Ronaldo. This is why he is called the “endurance beast” as he can play in offensive positions but often drops back to help the defense (unlike Messi and Ronaldo). He plays on the left or right flanks as a midfielder, as an attacking central midfielder and playmaker or as a supporting striker.
His passing ability sets him apart from all other players. He sees space, has a quick eye for a killer pass and can deliver a pass with pinpoint accuracy.
He has pace over long distances and has explosive acceleration. One can remember his 90-yard run to set up Ronaldo against Fiorentina in 2014 and in the Champions League final he did a zig-zag dribble over 3 players, took a shot that bounced off the goalkeeper which Gareth Bale finished off to give Real Madrid the advantage. trophy. His solo career changed the face of the game and, unsurprisingly, he was named man of the match. Then the experts suddenly began to notice him.
His success continued at the 2014 World Cup and in the round of 16 he scored the only goal of the game against Switzerland after running to the end of a pass from Messi that was pure class. Throughout the tournament he had more shots on goal than Messi and although he played almost 300 minutes less, he only had one less solo run into the box than Messi, who won the Ballon d’Or as best player. Unfortunately, he missed the last game against Germany through injury, which makes one wonder what he could have been.
After the World Cup, he asked his club Real Madrid to pay him as one of their best players, but they refused and then sold him for almost $100 million to Manchester United, which is the fifth most expensive transfer ever. the times and the highest rate paid. by a British club.
After a slow start to Manchester United’s new season, Di Maria in his first match against Queens Park Rangers scored his first goal with an impressive free kick that floated over the line of defensive players and bounced inside the far post and Manchester United United claimed their first win under new manager Louis Van Gaal.
With the addition of Argentina to the Manchester United squad, they have returned to winning ways, so it’s no wonder they were willing to pay so much for him.
Given his success at the end of last season, his performance at the World Cup and his impressive start to the new season for club and country, it will be difficult for FIFA to exclude Di Maria from Player of the Year in 2014.
Victor A. Dixon
September 21, 2014