Juan Roman Riquelme: on & off the pitch

hundreds of fans saw his first training session for boca:

before, riquelme had quit from boca which cause unhappy situation among his fan

in one time, they decide to do online petiton in asking obama (us president) to help bring roman back to boca

below is the article:

Online petition asks Obama to help bring back Riquelme

''Bring Riquelme back to the Boca Juniors squad''
As anxiety over the possible return of Juan Román Riquelme to Boca Juniors continues, demands for his reinstatement reached the most unthinkable of places: the White House’s ‘We the People’ petition website.
An unidentified user decided to create an online petition asking US president Barack Obama to intervene so Riquelme returns to the popular Argentine football team.
“We consider Juan Román Riquelme to be the fundamental piece for winning another Libertadores Cup,” the petition reads, “and therefore we ask President Obama to contact Mr. Angelici in order to assure his return.”
The petition has so far managed to attract the eagerness of 99 internet users, which means that they need 99,901 more signatures before the White House is forced to issue a response.

source:
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17-04-2014, roman vs san lorenzo (home):

21-04-2014, roman superb winning goal vs tigre (away) at 91st min

marvellous

from other forum about riquelme that make sense:

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laudrup_10 said: ↑
Even with Riquelme he may have displayed some great technique over his career but I really don't recall it to the consistency and level in comparison to the likes of Zidane, Ronaldinho, Rui Costa or even Xaviniesta.

Do you honestly not understand the OBVIOUS flaw of your logic?

Zidane, Ronaldinho, Rui Costa, Xavi, Iniesta -- not one of those players is "slow".

Now, when you talk about "slow" players such as Valderrama or Riquelme, you really should be looking at different strengths because, OBVIOUSLY, these slow players will have OBVIOUSLY different strengths than the players who you claim had better technique.

Ronaldinho, Riquelme, Iniesta, and Valderrama, I consider to be on the same level more or less when it comes to technique.

Zidane, Rui Costa, and Xavi, are simply a step below. Zidane's first touch is up there with the best all-time players, but his actual overall technique? No.

You have your opinion, and I have respectfully explained why I disagree with you. These are the "quantum numbers" (so to say) by which I measure technique: (1st) first touch, (2nd) dribbling, (3rd) evasive dribbling, (4th) in-movement shielding, (5th) stationary shielding, and (6th) difficult specific skills such as sombreros or nutmegs or roulettes or step-overs.

1st -- first touch: any technique involving first touch.

2nd -- dribbling: any technique that involves running at a defender, and then dribbling past the defender by "tricking" or "side-stepping" the defender rather than by running past nothing but empty space.

3rd -- evasive dribbling: any technique that involves *not* running at a defender, and then dribbling past the defender by "tricking" or "side-stepping" the defender rather than by dribbling past nothing but empty space.

4th -- in-movement shielding: any technique that involves *not* running past defenders when you are covering yards or feet of space, without loosing possession of the ball even when pressed by one or two or multiple opponents.

5th -- stationary shielding: any technique that involves *not* running past defenders when you are *not* covering yards or feet of space, without loosing possession of the ball even when pressed by one or two or multiple opponents.

6th -- difficult specific skills such as sombreros or nutmegs or roulettes or step-overs: self-explanatory category.

Zidane was very average at the (5th) ability, an all-time great at the (1st) ability and at the (4th) ability, and good at the remaining abilities; Zidane rarely used the (6th) ability, and his 6th ability would be the roulette and step-overs, which he did not used consistently nor effectively as far as I'm concerned; actually, Zidane's most difficult skills are first touch skills, which is covered by the (1st) ability rather than understood as a part of the (6th) ability. Zidane used the (6th) ability as a "gimmick", as an "adornment", rather as a substantial part of his game.

Iniesta is obviously better than Zidane at the (2nd) ability, an all-time great at the (5th) ability and the (4th) ability and the (3rd) ability, and not as great as Zidane at the (1st) ability; unlike Zidane, Iniesta consistently used the (6th) ability, he had his own original tricks which he used quite consistently and effectively.

Riquelme was perhaps a little below Zidane in the (2nd) ability, a little below Zidane in the (1st) ability as well, but vastly superior when it comes to the (5th) ability and the (3rd) ability, and a little below Zidane but still great at the (4th) ability; Riquelme used the (6th) ability all the time, he combined sombreros and sole-of-the-foot tricks rather consistently as well as effectively, vastly superior to Zidane in this respect. Riquelme used the (6th) ability as a substantial part of his game, not as a mere adornment.

Valderrama was below Zidane at the (2nd) ability, a little below Zidane but still amazing at the (1st) ability, but vastly superior when it came to the (5th) ability and the (3rd) ability, and just as good as Zidane at the (4th) ability; Valderrama used the (6th) ability consistently and effectively, though his 6th ability consisted almost entirely of stationary dribbles and soul-of-the-foot dribbles, better than Zidane in this respect. Valderrama used the (6th) ability as a substantial part of his game rather than as a superficial side-show.

Ronaldinho was as good if not better than Iniesta at the (2nd) ability, below Zidane at the (1st) ability, perhaps also below Zidane at the (4th) ability, better than Zidane at the (5th) ability, better than Zidane at the (3rd) ability, and vastly superior at the (6th) ability.

Bottom line -- all these players are great technicians, but, the only one who is plain average at an important ability is Zidane. Riquelme and Valderrama, their greatest weakness is their lack of pace and their lack of general athleticism, but their actual technique has no obvious weak spots, whereas Zidane did indeed have an obvious weak spot.

It is obvious to me that you do not understand what the (5th) ability is, nor what the (3rd) ability is. So logically, your ignorance with regards to the mentioned abilities, means that players like Riquelme and Valderrama are lost on you, since you do not even understand their actual strengths to begin with.

laudrup_10 said: ↑
These player's were/are the epitome of technique. Riquelme gets overrated in this aspect, along with his ball retention ability or "shielding" as you like to call it.

I do not make the "rules", I merely observe and report -- you obviously have a complete disregard for the (5th) and (3rd) ability that I mentioned before. The fact that you chose to ignore and disregard said abilities, does not actually mean that those abilities are less important than the abilities that you personally think are more important.

This "shielding" as I call it, is an actual ability, objectively speaking, regardless of whatever you chose to make of it.

Zidane was amazing at "in-movement shielding", yet very average at "stationary shielding". Riquelme was amazing at every conceivable type of shielding -- deal with it.

laudrup_10 said: ↑
Here's the thing, one can't deny Riquelme's ability to shield the ball the way he did, but more often than not he would either go to ground or subsequently get fouled. What set players with great ball retention/possession like Zidane, Laudrup, Ronaldinho was their ability to create while retaining the ball usually from a clever pass or a flick.

That is rather false. More often than not he would go to the ground because he was marked rather harshly, and most of the time that he would end in the ground, he would earn a free-kick, and, oh boy, was he effective at producing positive things from the free-kick spot.

As for the point concerning Zidane, Laudrup, Ronaldinho: of course, because Zidane was "faster" -- you understand what being "faster" and more "mobile" adds to your game?

I have never seen, ever, a player with either Valderrama's or Riquelme's (lack of) pace playing the way Zidane, Laudrup, or Ronaldinho, could. Considerable speed or pace is required in order to play like Zidane or Laudrup or Ronaldinho.

Francesco Totti also, not even in his prime, could play like any out of Zidane, Laudrup, or Ronaldinho -- why? Because Totti was too slow for that type of play, and he also lacked general mobility/athleticism as well.

I cannot stress this enough -- Zidane was not slow. In his 2001/2002 he could even out-run fast defenders. Explosive isn't exactly the word for prime Zidane, but prime Zidane, if he had space to run, could out-run past defenders without problem -- not a slow player as his legend suggests.

The fact that you obviously prefer "mobile" players, does not actually mean that mobile players are, objectively speaking, better than stationary players.

laudrup_10 said: ↑
Marcelo Lippi once said Zidane was the best when it came to this ability. Again not that Riquelme or any other fine playmaker didn't, but not to the level of the aforementioned players from what I recall.

I have also said, many times, that Zidane is one of the all-time greats at that type of ability -- even if I don't think of him as a particularly amazing passer.

laudrup_10 said: ↑
You are absolutely delusional if you believe Valderrama and Riquelme had better technique than Zidane and Rui Costa.

Do you even understand what "technique" is? Of course Riquelme and Valderrama and Iniesta all had better technique than either Zidane or Rui Costa.

You are delusional. Not me. Please get your definitions correct before, yet again, showing how much of a full fledged ignorant idiot you actually are -- sir.

Zidane had exceptional first touch, exceptional in-movement shielding, and that was basically it as far as his technique goes. As a "stationary technician" he was average at best. As a dribbler, many players were better than him, even in his own generation.

Oh and, Zidane was significantly faster than either Riquelme or Valderrama, which is a great advantage in European Football.

laudrup_10 said: ↑
I mean even with all the ranting and raving you do for with Valderrama with his 'great' passing, intelligence and technique why was he considered a failure in two of the better leagues in Europe or even on the World stage? Lack of consistency or tougher opposition?

What "ranting and raving" are you talking about? I talk clearly. I do not "rant" nor do I "rave" -- that would be what you do, and you do it in a very disgusting manner as well.

As for Valderrama -- consistently played well or great against Argentina and Brazil. In the World Cup he had very good games against West Germany and Cameroon (the same Cameroon team which did a great job containing both Maradona and Hagi).

I must ask -- How many matches did you watched of Valderrama between 1989 and 1992?

laudrup_10 said: ↑
Even in their bad games players like Zidane and Costa always had their technique to rely on.

That applies to just about any player with great technique.

laudrup_10 said: ↑
Here's the reality, most of us don't need to rely on a 10 min YouTube clip to substantiate our opinion on Zidane's great ability and talent, if anything I feel those clips don't do enough justice for the player, his greatness has transcended though time and a generation regardless.

It is gibberish like that, that makes me wonder if you even stop to think for one second before responding -- what is the point of all the romantic and false rhetoric above?

What does "greatness" have to do with passing ability?

What does "transcending time" have to do with passing ability?

Being a greater player or even a better player, doesn't necessarily make you a better passer. As usual, people who defend Zidane must talk about the "transcending of time" and the "big game" childish bullshit that invariably makes me want to throw up -- we are talking about passing ability. Please save the "Zidane's fart smelled like flowers" romantic bullshit rhetoric for another ocassion in which the person listening at the other end is just as gullible as you are.

laudrup_10 said: ↑
The irony in all this is that it seems that players like the Riquelme's and Valderrama's are the one's that need the outlet clips and highlights on YouTube to substantiate their talent and ability, unfortunately this paints a somewhat distorted picture of what they actually did on a consistent basis giving them way too much credit than what they actually performed. I mean it brings me back to an earlier point about Riquelme, a player you claim to have been a great passer who always made dangerous passes, great technique and had a level of consistency but somehow seems to have gone under the radar with his poor ESM showings.

And you would know that Valderrama and Riquelme get too much credit because? I wonder. Is it because you watched them playing at club level, in their respective leagues (as opposed to watching the odd European Cup game here and there), to make up your own opinion? Or why exactly?

Their lack of Champions League games and Euro appearances? Why are you so sure that they are given way too much credit?

And, was Zinedine Zidane at the 1998 World Cup not given too much credit?

Here's the other side of that "reality" that you mentioned -- memory is not accurate nor reliable most of the time. Nostalgia consistently plays a great factor whenever people "remember" someone who they once admired.

Zidane played for one of the biggest NT of his generation. Zidane played for the biggest club in the world: Real Madrid. Obviously, Zidane does not need a youtube outlet as much as other players because playing at Real Madrid is a youtube outlet in and of itself -- obviously. Other players have had much better club careers than Zidane and they aren't remembered as much -- why? It isn't "transcendence", it's money, Zidane was great business.

Valderrama who played at Montpellier, and Riquelme who played at Villarreal, are therefore, obviously more reliant on independent sources such as YouTube. Their evident lack of pace is also a factor when you consider that football is more reliant on speed with each passing year.

And even then Valderrama's club career is virtually non-existent, only 7 or 8 games can be found of his entire, I repeat, his entire club career. Therefore, by logic, his youtube video clips consist only of Copa America and World Cup games + a very small number (no more than 9 games in total) of club games. Quite simply, that simply is not enough to "magnify" Valderrama's passing abilitites.

Between 1990 and 1992 (Valderrama's best years by far; he quickly deteriorated in my opinion by 1993, and many people consider 1993 his best year) there's virtually no video of Valderrama. You can find Copa America 1989, World Cup 1990, and Copa America 1991 -- that is it. Again, it is simply impossible to "magnify" Valderrama's passing ability on the basis of such a small number of matches.

The rest are games from different eras: 1993, 1994, 1995, and by then Valderrama had declined significantly, even if it is understandable that most people consider 1993 to be Valderrama's best year due to the TV exposure of the 1993 Copa America as well as the 1993 World Cup Qualifiers (and of course the famous game against Argentina, which is extremely overrated, helped in this respect a great deal).

For example, a Valderrama youtube video, would be like taking all of Zinedine Zidane's World Cup games and Euro games, and trying to make a passing video compilation based on just that -- it would not be an "amazing" video let me assure you. But what Zidane has, that Valderrama does not have, is over 100+ club games on DVD format, which I could easily buy if I cared to spend some serious money on DVDs. I can literally get every single game that Zidane played for Real Madrid -- literally. Do you understand just how many great passes I could find in 100+ games?

When you take over 100+ club games and you reduce it to a 10 minute passing compilation -- of course, the player will look like an absolutely amazing passer. But when you actually do what I did, and you buy 27 games of Zidane in season 2001/2002, and you actually sit and watch each game individually, 90 minutes at a time, day after day, it is very difficult to see Zidane as a "top 10" passer of all times. I sincerely do not hate nor dislike Zidane, but his passing ability is ridiculously overrated.

In the 7 games that I have of Valderrama between 1990 and 1992, I have seen better passes than in the 27 games that I have of Zidane between 2001 and 2003. You can have your opinion, which by all means, I should respect, but that does not change the fact that Valderrama's club career was not televised/broadcasted, and that, as a result, little or nothing of Valderrama's club career can be watched today.

So you can continue saying that Valderrama was overrated, but the fact of the matter still is the same -- you barely watched Valderrama playing club football. Your opinion of Valderrama is based on a handful of World Cup games and Copa America games added to whatever the newspaper of the time was telling you to think.

laudrup_10 said: ↑
Bottom line: I could care less how many Zidane videos you have claimed to have watched it doesn't enhance your opinion any more. You're the kind of guy if Zidane made a simple square pass and Riquelme did the exact same thing you would say that Riquelme's had more substance.

No. I'm the guy who looks at guys such as the prototype you described above (you sure you aren't talking about yourself there?) and instantly gets bored. Fanboyism bores the life out of me.

Fact of the matter is, believe it or not, agree with it or not -- I have recently watched both Zidane and Riquelme. Zidane was not as direct as Riquelme was as a passer, Zidane was also not as consistent as Riquelme was as a passer, it really is that simple. Maybe Zidane was a more direct player than Riquelme, perhaps, but a more direct passer he was not. You can talk about greatness and about other similarly unrelated bullshit all you want -- I'm talking about passing ability, simple as that.

You are the type of guy who says "what Riquelme did with Boca Juniors is irrelevant" because you did in fact actually said that about five or so months ago. Riquelme reached the Champions League semi-final with a team like Villarreal -- he got lucky and his performances are extremely overrated, of course. Of course, had it been Zidane the one doing the things Riquelme was doing with Villarreal, then your opinion wouldn't be the same

guest_07 wrote:21-04-2014, roman superb winning goal vs tigre (away) at 91st min

marvellous

his performance in this match:

 fantastic player even though i never figured out what happened between him and Villarreal at the end. Even though his middle name is the sign that he is awesome 

Lupi wrote: fantastic player even though i never figured out what happened between him and Villarreal at the end. Even though his middle name is the sign that he is awesome 

there was a tense situation between roman, board of directors and manager manuel pellegrini, which later on had cause villarreal to sold roman to boca in order to control the situation

28-04-2014, roman superb ball control vs arsenal (arg) (home)

guest_07 wrote:

Lupi wrote: fantastic player even though i never figured out what happened between him and Villarreal at the end. Even though his middle name is the sign that he is awesome 

there was a tense situation between roman, board of directors and manager manuel pellegrini, which later on had cause villarreal to sold roman to boca in order to control the situation

He is the most underrated player in history of football, as its shows in the most of video's his ability to dribble pass opponent , shield the ball and find himself space along with his passing makes him one of the greatest. With pellegrini he found some success because pellegrini liked slower tempo and open up the opponent patiently that's why i found it strange that the tense situation happened. I always wondered if he played in Italy instead of Spain,he could have gained more attention than  spain(i might be wrong) but nevertheless thanks for videos

guest_07 wrote:28-04-2014, roman superb ball control vs arsenal (arg) (home)

his performance in the same match

Lupi wrote:

guest_07 wrote:

Lupi wrote: fantastic player even though i never figured out what happened between him and Villarreal at the end. Even though his middle name is the sign that he is awesome 

there was a tense situation between roman, board of directors and manager manuel pellegrini, which later on had cause villarreal to sold roman to boca in order to control the situation

He is the most underrated player in history of football, as its shows in the most of video's his ability to dribble pass opponent , shield the ball and find himself space along with his passing makes him one of the greatest. With pellegrini he found some success because pellegrini liked slower tempo and open up the opponent patiently that's why i found it strange that the tense situation happened. I always wondered if he played in Italy instead of Spain,he could have gained more attention than  spain(i might be wrong) but nevertheless thanks for videos and just out of curiosity whats Ur take on a by that is  known The successor of Juan Roman Riquelme ,Leandro Paredes ?

in my heart, yes, one of the best playmaker in history

actually, he is not "yes man" type of person, which mean, almost every coach have a problem with him

sometime he express his opinion about coach's tactic that he feel too defensive, cause he adores attacking football

i don't know much about other players like paredes, but from what i seen in the boca section in other forum, there is still no player that can be a successor to roman, nobody come close

when he was 26 y.o., 2004 La Liga vs Valencia (with nice goal by him):

Sissoko with undeserved yellow. *ahem*

Curro Torres & David Navarro got pwned on that goal. Riquelme did a number on Valencia that day though. He would normally force Valencia to defend everytime the ball was given to him. Not an easy thing to do when you had a prime Baraja & Albelda to deal with. He was that good though.

Lord Awesome wrote:Sissoko with undeserved yellow. *ahem*

Curro Torres & David Navarro got pwned on that goal. Riquelme did a number on Valencia that day though. He would normally force Valencia to defend everytime the ball was given to him. Not an easy thing to do when you had a prime Baraja & Albelda to deal with. He was that good though.

was Aimar still around, i'm not sure? i think Mendieta already left that squad, is it?

Yeah Aimar was still there and Mendieta was already at Middlesbrough, if I recall correctly. Those were days were goodtimes for Valencia.

Lord Awesome wrote:Yeah Aimar was still there and Mendieta was already at Middlesbrough, if I recall correctly. Those were days were goodtimes for Valencia.

this valencia actually on the road to became the 2004 la liga champion, if i'm not mistaken Benitez as a coach

Yep they won the league & the Europa League (then called the Uefa Cup) and the European Supercup. Rafa made a name for himself along with Mou that season.

12-05-2014 (today), roman simple yet effective back pass vs lanus (home)

guest_07 wrote:12-05-2014 (today), roman simple yet effective back pass vs lanus (home)

his highlight of the same match, awesome:

Riquelme nutmegs defender without touching the ball

On Sunday, he felt like nutmegging someone, but he didn't feel like touching the ball. He did it.

HE DOESN'T EVEN NEED TO TOUCH THE BALL TO MAKE MAGIC HAPPEN.

But seriously, how the hell did he do that?

see slow motion, genius at best



the source:
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his highlight in 2013-2014 (35-36 years old)

when he was 28 y.o., 2006 World Cup Group Stage vs Ivory Coast

when he was 34 y.o., 2012 Argentina league vs Indepediente (home)

(he played superb which help boca scored 4, but thanks to "magnificent" boca defensive unit, they managed to lose in 4-5 thrilling match)

when he was 34 y.o., 2012 Argentina league vs Godoy Cruz (home)

(he had hattrick of assists)

when he was 33 y.o., 2011 Argentina league vs San Lorenzo (home)

(there was an awesome ball control by him)