Torr-id times ahead, indeed.

Date- 29^th June 2008,

Venue- The Ernst Happel Stadion in Vienna,

Occasion- Final of Euro 2008, the teams- Spain and Germany,

Atmosphere- ELECTRIC!

Both teams had displayed immense talent and showed a lot of promise throughout the duration of the tournament with Germany beating the likes of Portugal and Turkey to reach the finals and Spain ousting the defending champions Greece in the group stages. The final encounter between these two teams was touted to be nothing short of exhilarating, but in the 33^rd minute, all those hopes seeme far-fetched. A tall, skinny and extremely fast Spaniard made a run for the ball, fooling the likes of Metzelder, Lahm and Hitzlsperger. The German goalkeeper Jens Lehmann read the play quite well and advanced towards the speeding Spaniard. Little did he know that the Spaniard was a class apart. He chipped the ball over a diving Lehmann and Spain had the lead. No more goals were scored in the match, and Spain won. The Spaniard was aptly rewarded for his clinical finishing when he was adjudged the man of the match. The Spaniard was Fernando Torres and this was just another feather in his cap.

The goal that won them the cup

He had established himself as a force to reckon with both at club and international level. Considered by many as a player with a future that possessed pole-star like brightness compared to others, Torres had it all in his stride which is what precisely made his fall from grace hard to fathom.

His club level performance started with Atletico Madrid. Even though his first few seasons were marred with injuries, he still came back with a bang, making himself a wanted commodity in the player market. He turned down offers from both Chelsea and Newcastle United, to eventually join Liverpool where he blossomed as a footballer.

His Liverpool dream-run

His first season at Anfield was laden with accomplishments

• He scored for Liverpool in his first appearance at Anfield.
• He became the first player since Jack Balmer in 1946 to score hat tricks in successive home matches against Middlesbrough and West Ham United (the rest of the squad managed only one goal in both the matches)
• He became the first Liverpool player since Robbie Fowler to score 20 goals in a season.

Yet another strike, yet another goal

Subsequent seasons brought more and more laurels to Torres’ career with his being shortlisted for PFA Player of the Year many times and deemed fit to be part of the FIFPro World XI team. His stint at Liverpool was dreamy, to say the least. Even though the Premiership crown eluded them time and time again, his performance was the subject of widespread adulation and admiration. He was part of the “50 greatest Liverpool players of all time” poll conducted by fans. Nicknamed “Ël-Nino” by his fans, his knack for decimating the opposition was evident from his sleek playmaking. He would dribble pass defenders if not through skills then through power for he may have been skinny, but make no mistake, he was powerful.

A snap from the liverpoolfc.tv showing Torres in action

His dedication was his strong point, case in point, the Round of 16 match ups of the Champions League where Liverpool squared off with the might of Real Madrid. He had sustained an ankle injury during a Premier league match prior to the encounter. Speculations were rife as to if he would play or not. Eventually with the assistance of pain-killers, he was on the field and ready to roll and roll he did, scoring the first goal of the game which they eventually won 4-0. He showed his hunger for goal throughout the next match which was against Manchester United and satiated it aptly by scoring the equaliser (Liverpool won that match by 4-1).

Everything was looking bright for Torres. Offers from many clubs, interested in availing his services, came through, all of which were turned down by a determined and loyal Torres who said in an interview

“My commitment and loyalty to the club and to the fans is the same as it was on my first day when I signed”

He was climbing the ladders of success in the field of football high and mighty, but little did he know, the higher you rise, the harder you fall.

Move to Chelsea and injuries

His move to Chelsea was criticised by the Kop brigade who felt betrayed since he had proclaimed loyalty towards Liverpool time and time again. Some called him greedy; others felt it was human nature. His 50 million pounds move was laden with hopes from the Chelsea management, hopes that he would be the force that would drive Chelsea towards certain victory, that he would bring Stamford Bridge on its feet, but all of that was not to happen. In a sudden change of fortune, Torres went 903 minutes without scoring a single goal for his team. The footballing world was amazed at the plight of the player once considered as a goal scoring machine. Even set-pieces (a speciality of sorts for him) went awry. He was having, as a paper put it “a Torr-id time”. This goal drought was ended eventually, that too primarily because of the awkward movement of the ball due to rains.

One of the 903 moments that he went hungry for goals

Injuries were problems that had been nagging him since the time he joined the EPL. Hamstring, ankles, shin-bones, strains, all were common occurrences ever since the beginning of his second season at Liverpool. The only thing that went his way was that he was an in-form player at that point of time, which didn’t harm his reputation.

On the other hand the present day scenario has put Torres in a precarious situation. His recent injuries, coupled with an awful run of form had severely damaged the reputation and respect that he used to command. The recent exclusion from the Spanish national side was yet another blow to the already damaged Torres. Spain coach Vicente del Bosque had admitted that the players he would select “are those who do well for their clubs, not the other way round,” in a dig at the former Atletico Madrid forward.

His exclusion from the thick of things didn’t stop him from helping his team out. It was reported that he influenced his Spanish teammate Juan Mata to accept the offers of transfer from Valencia to Chelsea, in affect assisting him in the attacking front when he steps on field. The inclusion of Raul Meireles only helps the cause further.

Down and out

What Torres has to do now is simple, score a ton of goals to catch the eyes of the management, give a staunch reply to del Bosque and regain the glory that once defined him. As an expert said in an article regarding Torres

“For him to regain his stature as one of the top players of the world, the goals will have to become Torre-ntial, because frankly speaking he’s not even half the player that he used to be..”

The hope remains intact