Source: Team_Talk
Mascherano key to Argentina hopes
Argentina captain Javier Mascherano was described this season by Rafael Benitez as one of the top four players in his position in the world.[LNB] Coming from Benitez, a man well known for his reluctance to lavish fulsome praise on any of his players, that was worthy of note.[LNB]"He is captain of Argentina, one of the best teams in the world, so if you say to me 'How many?' I would say there are four or five players at this level in the world and he is one of them," said the Liverpool boss.[LNB]"He's a player every manager would like to have in their team."[LNB]But in the Spaniard's typical style he probably underestimated the defensive midfielder's worth even then.[LNB]When you look around the world for no-nonsense ball-winners who do the simple bits[LNB]of the game well, then there are few to surpass Mascherano.[LNB]Ghana and Chelsea's Michael Essien may be a better all-round midfielder but he does not match up in the defensive stakes.[LNB]Argentina team-mate Esteban Cambiasso is a better footballer, while Italy's Daniele De Rossi and Brazil's Felipe Melo all have their qualities, but it is difficult to see beyond Mascherano when you are looking for someone to provide the screen in front of your back four. Argentina coach Diego Maradona, who has left Inter Milan star Cambiasso completely out of his World Cup plans, clearly sees it that way.[LNB]So whereas the previous generation had France's Claude Makelele as the benchmark, Mascherano is the standard-bearer of a new era.[LNB]Which is appropriate, because former Chelsea midfielder Makelele is the player Mascherano based his game on.[LNB]Maradona was not nearly as reticent as Benitez when asked for the reasons why he made the former Boca Juniors man his captain when he took over the national team.[LNB]"I say Mascherano and 10 more," was the 1986 World Cup winner's response to being asked who was Argentina's most important player.[LNB]"After him you have Carlos Tevez or Lionel Messi. Mascherano is much more important than Messi."[LNB]Maradona may have to adjust his last comment considering the season the Barcelona forward has had, but his sentiments about Mascherano - who will be 26 when the tournament kicks off - were echoed by fellow Argentina legend and current Real Madrid general manager Jorge Valdano, who said that "with Mascherano on the pitch a coach can sleep easily".[LNB]The Liverpool midfielder has flourished since being handed the captain's armband by Maradona and admitted it had made him a better and more determined player, if that was possible.[LNB]"As captain you feel a more general pressure of the team, rather than just as an individual," he said.[LNB]"I have learnt a lot very quickly from being captain of the national team and it has made me a better player and a stronger person.[LNB]"But I don't think any player can stop and say, 'This is my best form'.[LNB]"The day you say that, you are finished as a player because nobody is complete.[LNB]"I'm not going to win any personal awards because of the position I play in and the way I play. I just try to do what I do well and help the team, that's all.[LNB]"Every morning when I get up I know I've got to give my all to keep on progressing.[LNB]"Only after your career has finished can you look back and point out the best moments and the worst moments, otherwise you can lose focus and a determination to become better."[LNB]Mascherano's focus, after a disappointing season with Liverpool, is firmly on being successful in South Africa.[LNB]But for a player who is the epitome of the team ethic he is thinking about Argentina and not himself, despite the fact that he would emulate Maradona and lift the trophy should they win.[LNB]"We have some great players who are in fantastic form and the challenge for us is to reproduce that for the national team, which is something we didn't do in the qualifiers," he added.[LNB]"It's a big challenge to be captain as you have to be able to rise to the occasion.[LNB]"I think I'm able to do the job. I've already played in one World Cup and I'm more mature now.[LNB]"Four years ago I was still playing in South America and I'd never faced players like Didier Drogba and Michael Ballack.[LNB]"But for the last four years I've been playing against the best every weekend and that means when you go out and play in a World Cup you know you're going to take the right decisions.[LNB]"But I don't care who lifts the trophy. The important thing is to win something for the country again. Absolutely nothing can compare to that."
