Juan Roman Riquelme's style of playing reminds me of some of our quality midfield maestros of the bygone era. Mumbai, Maharashtra and Mahindra midfielder Santosh Kashyap did a few things like Riquelme does today and kept on inspiring his fellow jeepmen for good many years. Then there was the late Krishanu Dey in Kolkata who mesmerised the opposition with his well taken deceptive free kicks. Ashok Phadte and Lawrence Gomes too were great in midfield organization and set play situations. Sudip Chatterjee, Prashanta Bannerjee, Bikash Panji, Joe Paul Ancheri, Mauricio Afonso and Savio Madeira did leave a mark as intelligent masters of the midfield in Indian football in the final quarter of the last century. Riquelme, Kaka, Beckham, Dwight Yorke and Ghana's Michael Essien have looked supremely gifted playmakers with positive and constructive influence in every outing they have fared so far. As we go along, we hope to see many more quality midfielders in the course of this wonderful World Cup.
