Manchester United's wingers in disguise
When the da Silva twins were 11 years old, they watched on television at home when Brazil
- Rob Hughes, The New York Times
- Updated: March 16, 2011 06:03 PM IST
When the da Silva twins were 11 years old, they watched on television at home when Brazil's captain, Cafu, lifted the 2002 World Cup in Yokohama City, Japan.
"One day," said their father, "it will be you two." At age 15, Rafael and Fabio da Silva lived and trained with their nearest big club, Fluminense, in the state of Rio de Janeiro. By 17, the scouts of Real Madrid, Manchester United and Arsenal were seeing what their father saw.
United, the first to make an offer, won the signatures. Now 20, and still so identical that they are difficult to tell apart, the da Silvas tore Arsenal apart in England's oldest competition, the F.A. Cup. They looked, indeed, to be contenders for the World Cup on Brazilian soil in 2014.
Fabio scored one of the goals in United's 2-0 home victory on Saturday. His brother played a part in both goals. And neither was selected to perform in the fullback positions they are maturing into. With a heavy list of injuries, and with senior players held back for the Champions League match against Marseille on Tuesday, the United manager Alex Ferguson improvised. "I needed to come up with a plan that gave us energy in midfield," said Sir Alex. "The da Silvas are such keen and enthusiastic boys, I felt they could do it." He chose them on the wings.
It took a grasp of history rather than foresight to make the switch. Cafu and Roberto Carlos, the 2002 World Cup fullbacks, were actually wingers in disguise, as were many Brazilians before them. The movement, the skill, the soul of the true Brazilian "fullback" automatically makes him at least a wing-back - a player who counter attacks by instinct.
But since Manchester United's older players had no inkling of their team manager's lineup in advance, how could Arsene Wenger, the Arsenal manager, prepare for it? Wenger has his own problems. Two weeks back, he was talking enthusiastically of his squad winning an unprecedented four trophies this season - the Premier League, the F.A. Cup, the English League Cup and the Champions League.
In the space of two weeks, Wenger's fourfold hope has been cut to just one, and even that, the English league, is led at the moment by Manchester United.
We watched Saturday as Wenger's optimism disintegrated on the sideline. His team, he later acknowledged, was psychologically damaged, especially by losing the League Cup final in the last minute to Birmingham, and especially by the chasing it was given by Barcelona last Tuesday.
The master of psychology, Wenger had sounded in denial to the reality that his team - the finest passing side in England - was outplayed in Barcelona.
He does not, even now, concede that the challenge for the English title is over.
"You could see something has gone," he did admit Saturday. "Not in our effort or our attitude, but confidence-wise." Typical Wenger. Elimination from three tournaments could, he insists, help clarify matters. One last response, one big effort, he says, and Arsenal can win the Premier League.
All it might take is to restore Cesc Fabregas, whose dodgy hamstring was stretched too far by attempting to play too soon, against Barcelona last week. Restore Fabregas, restore the faith, and Arsenal will still try to win its first trophy in six years of near misses.
It cannot help that Johan Djourou, Arsenal's Swiss defender, is out for the season after he dislocated a shoulder colliding with team mate Bacary Sagna on Saturday.
The month of March begins to separate the wheat from the chaff. Injuries start to happen, fixtures pile up twice or three times a week, and if your reserves are not sparkling or your rhythm gets knocked out of stride, all can be lost.
It is a time when you need everything pulling together. How sad, then, that Saturday brought out the worst in Arsenal fans. Some joined in the television and radio chat shows, lamenting that Wenger, who has brought to Arsenal a style that it had never previously enjoyed, was guilty of hiring "ballet dancers" rather than winners.
Alex Ferguson, on the other hand, just keeps on finding match winners. His two rabbits out of the hat Saturday were undoubtedly the verve and energy of the twins, and the enduring reflexes and reactions of his goalie Edwin van der Sar. The goalkeeper, well past his 40th birthday, pulled off one double save against Arsenal that had to be seen to be believed. One moment he was down on the grass, deflecting the ball with his legs; the next he was leaping high to claw away a shot bound for the top corner of his net.
For Sir Alex's next trick, he is going to try to persuade van der Sar to call off his retirement one more time. "No chance," the goalkeeper insists.
But that is before he tastes nectar in any of the three competitions United still hopes to win. One potential opponent in England's league remains Arsenal. The teams are scheduled to meet again, this time in London, on May 1 but that might need rescheduling if United is still in the Champions League.
And one opponent in that competition could even be Bayern Munich. On Saturday, days after Munich announced that the contract of the coach, Louis van Gaal, would be terminated at the end of the season, his team routed Hamburg, 6-0. Arjen Robben struck a hat-trick in 15 minutes. Franck Ribery twisted, turned and bemused Hamburg until it seemed the blood might coagulate in their veins. Ribery claimed one goal, set up another and tricked Hamburg's hapless defender Heiko Westermann in scoring an own goal. Hamburg on Sunday fired coach Armin Veh.
It all comes too late for van Gaal, whose tenure was ended after three consecutive defeats before Saturday. Bayern, a goal up after winning the first leg against European champion Inter in Milan, can yet move a step closer to that trophy when it plays the second leg this week in Munich.
"Who would have thought this, eh?" said van Gaal sarcastically after his team's victory Saturday. "Certainly not my friends from the media." He blames the news media for his dismissal, rather than blaming the team that found its shooting boots the very next game after his departure date was decided.