Football: Not a 'beautiful game' anymore?

Football has some really skillful players like Brazilians Robinho and Neymar,who can dazzle crowds with flair and an amazing array of skills and ball trickery, which can leave even the best of defenders dumbfounded.

Robinho and Neymar are undoubtedly two of the best ‘show boaters’ in modern day football and watching them in action is pure delight.

Neymar… bringing back skills and trickery of an era gone by

But, not all modern day players are blessed with the genius and ball skills of, say a Ronaldinho, as there are not many players with the same amount of flair, with modern day football seeming almost ‘robotic’, save for a flash of brilliance, like Wayne Rooney’s overhead kick against Manchester City a couple of seasons back.

The 1970’s and the 1980’s were a different era for soccer altogether, as there was none of the monotonic passing and tactical emphasis which spoils the current game. With players of high caliber such as Zico and Johan Cruyff, who could really change the course of a game with their magical displays with the ball, leaving the defenders dumbfounded on the park.

Cruyff started the concept of ‘Total Football’

So the question arises, whether playing soccer beautifully in the modern era is relevant anymore?

There are cases of some players who end up failing miserably while trying to spice up the game, like Liverpool’s Djimi Traore, who attempted an outrageous 360 degree spin in his own area, instead of clearing the ball in a match against Burnley .

He scored an own goal – Traore being no Neymar, had to listen to a mouthful of abuses from the Liverpool bench.

Traore pulls of his own version of a 360 degree spin!

And there’s Manchester City’s Mario Balotelli, who tried the same trick against LA Galaxy, but this time in the opposition half, during City’s pre season tour to the United States in 2011.

Needless to say he missed in comical fashion, an otherwise sure shot finish, which forced City manager Roberto Mancini to take him off immediately.

Though, skillful players like Neymar and Robinho, are few and far by in today’s game, Argentine wizard Lionel Messi and Portugal’s Cristiano Ronaldo also are among a handful of players who add a touch of class to the modern game.

It’s probably time that European coaches also think of helping young players play and enjoy soccer with a touch of flair, else modern day soccer runs the risk of evolving into something resembling a Playstation game sans the step over’s and nutmegs.