The Next Maradona: Carlos Tevez
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Having watched Carlos Tevez all summer long--first in Copa
Libertadores, then in Copa America, and finally in the Olympics--I am
convinced that he is now on the level of the best football players in
the world.
At a ripe age of 20, he has already won the South American under-20
championship, the Argentine Title, the Copa Libertadores, and the
Intercontinental Cup. In 2003, he was named South American Player of
the Year. This year alone he led his club team, Boca Juniors, to the
finals of the Copa Libertadores, scoring three goals, he led the
Argentina National team to the finals of the Copa America, scoring two
goals and an assist, and as of this writing, he is the leading scorer
in the Olympics with seven goals, positioning Argentina to win its
first ever Olympic Gold in soccer. He also leads the Olympics in shots
(20) and shots on goal (14).
Tevez has many similarities to the infamous Argentine player Diego
Maradona. They both grew up in poor neighborhoods of Buenos Aires. Like
Maradona, Tevez began playing professionally at a very early age (eight
years old). Then, following in Maradona's footsteps, Tevez became a
striker for Boca Junior's main squad at the age of 17. Like Maradona,
Tevez wears the number 10.
It is not only these biographical characteristics that make Tevez
similar to Maradona. When watching Tevez play, his superb dribbling
skills and his danger to the goal at any spot give one reminders of
Maradona. They are also of a similar physical stature, short and
stalky. Lastly, Tevez's personality, while maybe not identical to
Maradona's, is equally colorful. My favorite moment was when he ran
onto the field as a substitute in the Copa America game against
Colombia, tapped the referree on the ass, then 2 minutes later scored a
goal. That's dominance of the pitch, if I ever saw it!
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