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They have been great names in world football. In fact, experts believe Luis Garcia has been the most renowned attacking midfielder ever to grace the game while David Trezeguet’s goal-scoring ability is part of footballing folklore. People still talk of the fiery combination that Trezeguet and Thierry Henry used to be in French football.
Both have put on years, gone past their dashing best but as they say, form is temporary but class permanent. Garcia and Trezeguet thus are special, both marquee players whose very presence can be not just influential, but illuminating for the game.
Having said that, it must be emphasised that both Garcia and Trezeguet have their roles cut out for the ISL. One has to shore up the side’s fortunes which is what Garcia does for Atlético de Kolkata and the other lends sharpness to the attacking line in FC Pune City. Perhaps the degree of their influence differs but there is no debating their worth.
Garcia brought a glimpse of his form and abilities in delighting the Kolkata fans early with his goal-scoring efforts and also helping Kolkata to the top of the table in the initial phase. Goals did dry out for the side thereafter – something that worried head coach Antonio Lopez Habas, but even he will acknowledge Garcia can only do his bit in a game that needs a collective effort. With Ethiopian Fikru Teferra showing the hunger to score, Garcia has found an ideal foil to keep the optimism high for his team.
Even if he did not score, Garcia’s experience and standing ensure no rival takes him easy. Like the way he rattled the bar once with a free kick against Chennaiyin FC. Even the goalkeeper Gennaro Bracigliano was beaten all ends up with that beauty of a shot. Then there was this moment when he brought cheers to his side with a header for the only goal in the match to help Kolkata get full points against NorthEast United FC.
On another occasion, his genuine effort – or so it seemed from TV replays – was vetoed by the referee in the match against Kerala Blasters. Garcia’s goal could have helped his team gain a draw and a point. The essence of a great player lies in the moments of magic he can create. Garcia belongs to that genre.
Trezeguet finds himself in a different situation in a team like Pune City which already has quality strikers like Ivan Bolado Polacios, Joaquim Abranches and, their latest addition, Dudu Omagbemi. If head coach Franco Colomba kept out Trezeguet for three matches, he knew he could afford to do that with the resources in hand. “Use the marquee player sparingly” seems to be the coach’s reading so that he can be preserved.
Trezeguet can conjure up goals like the one he scored against FC Goa when he latched on to a defensive error and in a jiffy capitalised. Then again, at 37, Trezeguet may not be at his tearing best like a younger Dudu. The coach saw this in the match against NorthEast when Dudu replaced Trezeguet. That was a game-changing move. Not that this immediately makes Dudu a better option for Pune. The world knows Trezeguet’s class and his ability to play with his back to the goal. Simply put, he is a different type of player who can make the impossible possible with one deft touch. Colomba that way has a crisis of riches in hand, but he knows the most valuable of the lot.
