Those big men in the middle

The last stages at France 8217;98 are now underway. It is therefore appropriate to assess who has really been calling the shots. Have thereferees been so pressurised to follow FIFA dictum that this has almost turned the age-old, often hard-to-discern tussle between defender and striker a no-contest. And still, it has not resulted in a rash of goals. But even if that has been a feature, it should be known who have made those bullets for Christian Vieri, Thierry Henry and Gabriel Batistuta to fire.

While Zinedine Zidane found suspension and the French, momentary distress, they also found in Petit 8212; previously an erratic, ill-tempered spoiler 8212; an unlikely playmaker and goalscorer, a role that an off-colour Youri Djorkaeff, usually the other French midfield marshall, has failed to provide. Hiding an injury from his coach so that any further alarm bells don8217;t go off, Petit has been unflinching in a task he has taken upon himself.

The long-ranger against the Danes also meant that he seemed bent upon proving his mentor at the club wrong when Wenger opined that France despite all their creativity in midfield would not win the title solely fortheir lack of a geniune strikers. With Petit now solidly established in the French midfield and the return of Zidane means that the hosts are sitting pretty when they face a traditionally powerful Italy in the first quarter-final.And what of France8217;s opponents? Italy, for all their struggle in qualification to France and then against Chile in the group game have in Vieri a big ace. But perhaps their biggest hero has been the unassuming figure of Luigi Di Biago in the role of attacking midlfieder, who has done well to wrest away the spot from a softer Roberto Di Matteo. It was Di Biagio8217;s pass off a break from central midfield to Vieri that laid the way for the sole strike in the Round of 168242; battle against a stubborn Norway.A major reason for Midfield Marshals going unnoticed could have something to do with the offering on a platter of footballing minnows. That has enabled sides of pedigree notch up scores previously unheard of in recent Cups. With all due respect to the glorious stuggle of the likes ofJapan, Jamaica, Tunisia, South Africa, and now even the USA, you don8217;t need a playmaker par excellence of the calibre of Michel Platini or a Bruno Conti. Instead what you get is that the ginger-haired Hidektisho Nakata, the Japanese playmaker who surprisingly has been fouled the maximum number of times. France 8217;98 offered the playmakers from football8217;s Third World to exhibit and exploit their wares for their cause. If only their rival defenders, had not been so strongly instilled with the idea of victory and the shortest way to get there.

Talking of escape routes to victory, Brazil seems to have taken the speedway. Strange to have Zico as a technical director for a team where the all the playmaking comes from Roberto Carlos, a defender and the goals from Cesar Sampio, essentially an understudy to Dunga in defensive midfield. Still, the side that can boast of a Denilson, or Rivaldo and an all-round player like Leonardo, and still leave out Juninho when the chance to take him on recurs, may mean a lot ofdepth in the side. But sadly three games away from the title, and it8217;s not showing as conspicuously.

France 8217;98 can be consigned to history as a tournament where all the brilliant, unpredictable key men have made already their exit. So gone are Gheorghe Hagi, Carlos Valderamma, Jay Jay Okocha and Dragan Stojkovic. Also taking the bow, though not in a way anyone would have wanted, was David Beckham, who was growing from strength to strength, until a wily old Diego Simone and a red card came his way.

Still, from among those who remain on in the classical playmaker mould are Zvonimir Boban, Argentine Veron and the young Dutchmen, Clarence Seedorf and Edgar Davids. And of course there are Di Biagio and Petit, on a new lease of life. But someone from the old guard still remains, and he provides a throwback to the days of yore. In Nigeria8217;s annihilation by Denmark, a certain Michael Laudrup suddenly re-emerged.

Sad, somehow Denmark run into Brazil next. For the purists, more than a vintage Ronaldo, it wouldbe the supreme battle with Dunga and his defensive midfield on one side and the creativity from Laudrup on the other, that would entertain. The classical Latin American-European roles seem interchanged, and given the sign of the times, we somehow know who the winner will be.