So,
After talking about the players from outside the big two in the main review, I highlight the best of the bunch from the Spain's two biggest clubs - Barcelona and Real Madrid. Both teams are stocked with high octane, top class talent. We look at the top performers from the 2010-11 season.
The best players in the World currently ply their trade in Spain and luckily for the national team, are mostly Spaniards. So this list is as much a review of their performances as it is a citation of their skills and talent. It is scary that so much talent is concentrated on two teams in the same league.
Top Players:
Lionel Messi - Despite playing in a team that contained match winners all over, Messi was very much the cherry on the cake, the focal point of their play and the cutting edge of their attack. It says much that even after scoring 31 goals, Messi still carved out 21 assists in the league. Even for a team like Barcelona, to be involved in 52 goals, is a sublime achievement. Put simply, the world's best player when in Barcelona's uniform.
Cristiano Ronaldo - With 40 league goals and 10 assists, Ronaldo did his best to bring the league crown back to the Bernebeu. Set a new record for the league goals as he scooped the Pichichi award ahead of rival Lionel Messi. Too often looked to be waging a lone battle and not just because of his teammates' abilities. Would be nice if he passed or smiled in defeat a bit more. Other than that, the World's best winger / half-striker.
Andres Iniesta - Humble and soft spoken, his passing and movement are critical elements of both Barcelona's and Spain's engine room. Despite a languid style he always seems to have an extra moment or two on the ball and can release and regain possession in the blink of an eye. Although a midfield general in the classical sense, Iniesta's game is mature and versatile enough to include clinical shooting from the top of the box, a skill backed up by his eight goals.
Xavi Hernandez - The only reason Andres Iniesta is not the world's best midfielder is because Xavi lays claim to that title. After a lifetime in the red and blue for Barcelona, Xavi is the best exponent of the central midfielder in modern times. Regularly notches up to a hundred passes a game (while Barcelona often rack up over a thousand), Xavi's diminutive frame belies a canny operator who sees and controls everything from the middle of the park. Alongside Iniesta, Xavi runs the classiest pass factory in the world.
Xabi Alonso - Often overlooked by the flashy stylings of the end product in Ronaldo, no one is more important to Real Madrid than their own 'Xa' prefixed midfielder. A natural with the ball at his feet, who can pass the ball into attacking positions with a turn and a glide, Alonso is a gifted distributor who plays deeper in the team. Real may have scored the most goals but they would be a fraction as prolific, if Xabi were not around.
Gerard Pique - Not just the league's best defender, Shakira's latest boyfriend is also the best passer of the ball from the back four of any team in the world. Composed in possession, confident in his tackle and astute in his delivery, Piques recovery and pass to Xavi/Iniesta is ofen the starting point of many an attack. Spinal to his team and central to their ethos, his mastery of passing often distracts from his imperious defending and cultured positioning. A natural leader at the back, Pique is the 21st century's Franco Baresi, when it comes to holding court in defence.
Victor Valdes - Iker Casillas is the national team's captain and starting goalkeeper but Valdes is Spain's best one. Often overlooked by his bad boy stylings and off field distractions, as well as Barcelona's mastery of the art of football that often relegates Valdes to a redundant spectator, he remains a natural shot stopper with a command of his area, keen reflexes and an innate ability to get the ball in a scramble or a ruck. Twice in three years voted the best custodian in the league.
Iker Casillas - The only reason Real held on in several games when their defence went AWOL is because Iker held the keys to the fort and kept everyone out. Was time and again the last and most effective line of defence in Real's games against Barcelona when Real were often sliced open at will. Despite possessing a back line that disappears at key moments, appears slow and ponderous and contains the eccentric lunacy of Sergio Ramos, Casillas retains the calm air of a captain who is in command of his ship. Also dates an attractive TV anchor.
Angel Di Maria - A debut season in the cauldron of the Bernebeu was an excellent one as Di Maria thrilled with his pace, passing and keen eye for goal. Wily, wiry and quicker than he looks Di Maria took to Reals system like a duck to water, linking well with Xabi and Ronaldo by often being the only mode of communication between them and the ball. Opta will reveal that when started Xabi to Di MAria to Ronaldo was the second most common passing string in the league (no prizes for guessing that Iniesta - Xavi - Messi was number one). Scored six times with 11 assists.
Mesut Ozil - After a sparkling World Cup campaign, the Turco-German midfielder was a revelation for Real. While his dribbling was a distant second to Ronaldo, his give and go run and gun style was a perfect match for the Portuguese forward and his pace on and off the ball allowed Real to attack with speed and precision. Chipped in with six goals and 17 assists as Real's new look midfield borrowed Germany's rampant pressing and passing style.
David Villa - After carrying Real Zaragoza, Valencia and even Spain at the 2010 World Cup, Villa took a turn on the passing carousel that is Barcelona. Being an accessory to attacking rampage instead of the sole architect of the opposition's destruction was a welcome change for Villa and one which he took to like a duck to water. Always highly rated for his shooting and finishing, he turned a natural at passing too with his ball retention and possession up the pitch a crucial addition to Barcelona's armoury, one that previous attacking incumbents famously lacked.
Dani Alves - The World's most destructive wingback, Alves is a rampaging forward masquerading as a defender. It's a real shame that he is also an excellent defender, but for which he would have been found out and exposed as one. Confident with the ball at his feet and able to both regain the ball at will while pushing the play up field, Alves is a natural thoroughbred down the wing joining the attack at every opportunity. Despite being a dead ball expert, he rarely lets rip from set pieces, preferring to bombard the box with his crossing instead, a skill that contributed 15 assists this season.
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As an endnote, consider that despite having good seasons, the likes of Sergio Busquets, Pedro, Marcelo, Lassana Diarra, Karim Benzema, Seydou Keita, Eric Abidal, Sami Khedira and Raul Albiol are absent from this list, despite having good seasons with key contributions and stellar performances.
Also consider a team that has the best of this list on its roster - Xavi, Xabi, Iniesta, Pique, Villa, Casillas, Valdes, etc.
Ladies and Gentlemen - meet Spain, Euro 2008 and World Cup 2010 Champions.
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