Top Scorers to be No-Shows at Cup
June 3, 2005
The Brazilian Football Confederation (CBF) and national coach Carlos Alberto Parreira used the term "release." The South American and Real Madrid super striker Ronaldo said he wanted "rest."
Whatever the case, the World Cup 2002 top scorer will not be appearing at the Confederations Cup which kicks off in Cologne, Germany on June 15.
"I needed a rest and a chance to forget about things I've been going through," he said on television in reference to the recent break-up with his fiancee. "I'm going to prepare well for next year."
Yet in addition to the vacation from the Confed Cup, he will miss the next two crucial World Cup qualifiers in the South America group, including a top match on Wednesday against group leader Argentina in Buenos Aires. Coach Parreira (photo) had little sympathy for the striker's personal problems.
Confederations Cup useless
The increasingly tight league and national schedule forces players, coaches and clubs to make tough decisions about which competitions they should participate in. The Confederations Cup does pit the top national teams from around the world against each other but the true meaning is missing for many.
"The Confederations Cup is just like the Copa America," Ronaldo said. "Tournaments like this should be abolished."
It's a clearly understandable viewpoint for a top player like Ronaldo. To strike his name from Brazil's World Cup roster would be close to blasphemy. Other players, however, are fighting for a spot on the national squads and look to take advantage of such an absence. Nevertheless, club coaches are concerned about the health of their top stars.
"It is unreasonable for international players to be on the pitch for the entire summer," said Bayern Munich coach Felix Magath coach. "I am puzzled how you can expect them to have a successful World Cup next year."
National managers see it differently -- including German coach Jürgen Klinsmann (photo). He is still trying to put together the team pieces so that Germany can reach his stated goal at the World Cup 2006, namely the final.
"Everyone needs to give it their all if they want to be at the World Cup," he said.
Injuries a problem
For some players, nagging injuries present the biggest problem. Germany's top scorer in South Korea and Japan three years ago, Miroslav Klose (photo) from Werder Bremen, left the training camp this week to have his right knee operated on. Along with midfielder Dietmar Hamann from Champions League victor Liverpool and defender Philip Lahm, some key players will be missing from the German roster in the June tournament.
But are the hectic schedules responsible for the injuries and burnouts? Rainer Holzschuh, editor-in-chief of the German soccer magazine Kicker, said things could be better organized.
"With reasonable practice schedules and vacations place properly, it should be possible for a player to deal with the schedule," he said but added that playing the Confederations Cup one year before the World Cup is not reasonable.