Another World Cup is still three years away, but the best soccer players in the world will be on display Saturday (2 p.m., Ch. 5.) FOX analyst and three-time World Cup forward Eric Wynalda breaks down the Champions League final between Barcelona and Manchester United.
Q: Fans in America fell in love with soccer during the World Cup. But with no U.S. involvement, why should this game be watched here?
A: Champions League has always been built around the premise that this is the best of the best. The World Cup may be the best spectacle, but it’s certainly not the best soccer; that is the Champions League. And when you have two teams like Manchester United and Barcelona, it is a dream final. It’s two of the top three teams in the world playing for the biggest title.
Q: Barcelona star Lionel Messi is considered the best player in the world by most. At 23-years-old, what is his ceiling?
A: He is the best soccer player. Not just now, but ever. We’ve never seen anything like this. Usually in situations like this, you have to wait for a guy to retire before you can actually appreciate how good he was. There is still a lot more to come, but never have we seen anyone doing what he’s doing.
Q: So how does Manchester United stop him?
A: They have two players in (Rio) Ferdinand and (Nemanja) Vidic that can cause some problems for Messi. He’s going to have be on his game to get past them. They are the kind of guys with just a little toe, or a nudge can stop him from breaking through. And No. 10 on the other side, Wayne Rooney, isn’t bad, either. Manchester United is the only team that can play with Barcelona and possibly beat them.
Q: And for World Cup fans, there will be no problem recognizing Barcelona’s players, right?
A: What’s interesting about Barcelona is that they have seven of the starters from Spain’s World Cup-winning team. Playing for your country forges a friendship — but rarely do you see those same players on a club team, but that is the case with Barcelona.
Q: How has Hans Backe turned around the Red Bulls since taking over?
A: The team has some funny characters with (Luke) Rodgers and (Joel) Lindpere. They are here for a reason. They’ve got talented players that have something to offer, but they fit into what Backe is trying to do. I like the inclusion of (Dwayne) De Rosario because until last year no one has ever won the MLS Cup without a playmaker. Hopefully (Thierry) Henry stays fit, and Rodgers doesn’t go nuts and bite someone’s kneecap off.