Messi-Xavi-Iniesta: An immaculate but inseparable trio

The talismanic trio

Art, craft, rigour and aesthetics are certain words which can be critical in magic or football. That’s one of the key reasons why I adore this game because, for me there’s nothing close to miracles other than the adrenaline pumping on that turf, surrounded by passionate supporters. However, it’s the props or the on-field executors who defy the practicalities of the game and achieve the most unlikely pass, interception or the ever so important finish that leaves us with extraordinary memories enough to live the rest of our lives.

As in magic, every team in this beautiful game is often judged with respect to the qualities possessed by its chief illusionist. They are often quoted as the missing link which differentiates an ordinary and an extraordinary act. The key to the act’s success and even for its unwelcome failure, the illusionist often provides the finishing touches to a magnificent but raw article. The ‘prestige’ is what they call it, and successful teams, especially in the modern phase of result oriented sport are defined by the performances of their talisman.

As I was analyzing the flow of the game which took place at Wembley earlier this weekend, I can’t help myself being frustrated for the fact that Spain, even for the fact being the reigning world champions still lacked that defining moment that separates them from the league of contenders to being the very best in the game. England, to their credit, played with immense strategic discipline and commitment, but still a home victory against Spain was never on the cards until an improbable second half finish from Lampard.

Being as naive as it can be, I just cannot help but wonder about the scheme of things with Lionel Messi being a part of this golden crop of conquistadors. It’s there up for display, what the Argentinean can do with the help of the Xavi-Iniesta midfield alliance, for this Barcelona unit powered by the talismanic trio has been at the core of the very best of the Nou Camp moments in recent years. Their ability to magically control the outcome of a game has been the major highlight of European league football in recent years. But, when this trio is tested on the international front, one can certainly discover some loopholes in their performances.

The Spanish midfield left frustrated due to the lack of attacking options to execute their decisive passes in the attacking third

Considering the fact the Lionel Messi’s troubles in front of the goal for Argentina are well documented thanks to the lack of creative support from the team’s midfield, for the entire Argentine midfield can still not equal the class of the two Spaniards at the heart of Barca, and that the same dominant midfield duo of Xavi and Iniesta are faltering off late to weave the same fluency for the Spanish side as they do at club level has provided a hint of inseparability. It’s like Messi, after playing a large part of his football in Barcelona, finding it difficult to adapt at the national team without the consistent supply of decisive balls, while Xavi and Iniesta are feeling a sense of wastefulness from the available attacking options of Spain. These adaptability concerns do crop up when you play as an indispensable group of a side and realize every need of the other individual on the field. This match of establishing a similar thought process is rarely found in football, and it’s the benefit of learning and executing every detail in the Catalan camp that has helped them the most.

Had Messi been Spanish, one can’t help but wonder that the possession dominance in the game against England could have achieved the needed results. The Spanish side would have found their missing piece of the puzzle and also would have retained the scintillating trio of Xavi, Iniesta and Messi; the key to unlock the sternest of defenses around the globe.

However, when we stick to reality and a Spanish side without the gifted Argentinean, all one can notice is that the team is slowly turning out to be promising but an unfinished article. David Villa, their finishing force in the World Cup looked a forlorn figure throughout the game, except for his late bursts of attacks which were more out of desperation than intent. Many would argue the fact that even Villa has been a part of the Barcelona camp for a year now and hence it shouldn’t hamper the side’s fluid game-play. But one should remember that Villa is employed in a false-nine role for the Spanish side which is normally filled by the Argentine wizard in the Blaugrana outfit. Villa at Barcelona has has been deployed on the wings, a tactical move which has seen his prowess as Europe’s top marksman regress despite the benefits for the team.

On more than one instance, Xavi and Iniesta literally passed their way through to the goal, in search for that miraculous finishing intervention, only to be disheartened by their attackers in the final third. With Villa being played out of his position on a consistent basis in the league side and Torres being arguably past his heydays, Spain are left with little promise and lethality when it comes to getting those all important goals.

Even the press can’t stop comparing Spain’s performance with Barcelona’s victory at Wembley in the Champions League final, and it’s rather easy to evaluate the differentiating factor between the two encounters with the English sides. To sum it up, the ‘Xavi-Iniesta-Messi’ trio are modern football’s most magical trio, there’s no one denying that. But, when it comes to delivering the goods individually, the effortless patterns of invincibility often fade into a something very much laboured and human.