The biggest competition on the planet is set to kick off in a matter of hours and as it does so I thought it timely to have a look at which Milan players will be taking part in South Africa for their respective national teams. Following this, I will briefly discuss those Rossoneri players that are not going to the world cup, paying particular attention to two very surprising omissions made by Dunga concerning our two Brazilians stars, Ronaldinho and Pato.

MILAN PLAYERS IN SOUTH AFRICA

Italy – Gianluca Zambrotta: A survivor from the World Cup winning team in 2006, there is a feeling that Zambrotta has been selected more for his past performances rather than his season with Milan, which has been steady but very unspectacular. The fullback started 19 league games for Milan this season and was often over shadowed in the fullback department by up and comer Antonini who has been curiously left out of the Azzuri squad. At 33, Zambrotta has lost some of his pace although he still seems to have the stamina to get up and down the flanks which, along with his final ball, is one of his strong points. Zambrotta became the fifth most capped Italian player ever while captaining Italy against Switzerland in a recent friendly which is a great accomplishment.

Brazil – Thiago Silva: Following a great first season with Milan, Thiago Silva has been deservedly called up by Dunga for the Brazil squad. Though there were times when he looked vulnerable without Nesta by his side, as the season wore on the Brazilian’s performances grew and he looked more confident on his own. Unfortunately for Thiago Silva, the Brazil team is well stocked for centre backs and he might find himself further down the pecking order than he deserves. During qualifying Lucio, Luisao and Juan all played more games than him. Going to the World Cup will still bring great
experience to the defender and hopefully this will benefit Milan next season.

USA – Oguchi Onyewu: A player whose season was unfortunately wrecked by injury, Milan fans are yet to see what Onyewu is going to bring to the team as he has been unable to play a single game since he signed. One thing is certain though: for his national team, he is essential. How many other players can boast being called up for the World Cup despite not playing a single game all season? It was a shame Onyewu was out for the season because he certainly would have been given a chance due to the various injuries to our other centre backs. Hopefully he can regain some match fitness during the World Cup and show us what he is capable of.

Italy – Rino Gattuso: Like Zambrotta, Gattuso is another player whose selection probably has more to do with his past performances rather than his current form. In years gone by, Gattuso would have been one of the first names on the team sheet for both Milan and Italy. His tenacity and aggression were unparalleled which made him a force to be reckoned with. Now however, following a few long term injuries, he seems unable to get back to what he was and has been caught off the pace in several games this season for Milan. It is again curious that Gattuso was selected when his Milan team mate Ambrosini appeared to be much more effective in a similar position this season. How much Lippi plans to use Gattuso remains to be seen, but a few good outings in the World Cup could boost his stock and help Milan to get a better price for him should they decide to sell him in the summer.

Italy – Andrea Pirlo: Probably the only Milan player at the World Cup who is likely to be a protagonist for his team, Pirlo is capable of dictating the flow of a match with elegance and grace. It is therefore very unfortunate that he has picked up an injury just before the start of the tournament, although despite this injury, it looks likely that Lippi will keep Pirlo in the squad with the hope that he will recover by the third group game against Slovakia. This demonstrates how integral Pirlo is to the Azzuri, during the last World Cup he was voted man of the match in the final and there must be some hope that he will reach those heights again this time around. This season he has been a consistent performer at Milan and while at times he has been caught in possession too often Milan still rely on him to be the creative force in the midfield.

Holland – Klaas Jan Huntelaar: A striker who had a frustrating season, unable to become a consistent starter for Milan, he often went missing in games but did pop up now and then to score some sublime goals. His first season with the Rossoneri ended with a tally of 7 goals with only 11 starting appearances and 14 as a sub. Huntelaar has been consistently linked with a move away from Milan in the summer although he has stated in the press this week that he wants to stay to prove his worth. A new coach and a new formation might lead to a rebirth as he never quite looked comfortable in Leo’s 4-3-3 system, especially when playing out of position on the wide right. While not an automatic starter for his national team, an injury to Holland’s star forward Arjen Robben in a recent friendly might give Huntelaar the opportunity to get a few games in the World Cup. He has a lot to prove and will be hungry to make his point.

Ghana – Dominic Adiyiah: Another mystery for Milan fans. Brought in during the January transfer window and compared to young super stars Lionel Messi and Sergio Aguero due to his exploits in the under 20 World Cup, a tournament which saw him finish top scorer with 8 goals, the Golden Boot (player of the tournament medal) and a winners medal. Both Messi and Aguero had finished with the same three honours in 2005 and 2007 respectively although they ended their competitions with 6 goals each. So there was much to be excited about when the young Ghanaian arrived but the hopes never became a reality as he failed to make a single appearance for Milan all season. Hopefully we will see something of him in the World Cup to wet our appetites. He could become the next big thing in world football.

So those are the seven players taking part. It seems to me that we are sending less quality to the World Cup than usual. For the 2006 World Cup we had 12 players called up and this is indicative of Milan’s recent decline from the top of the footballing world and further proof that more money needs to be spent to keep the squad competitive. Having said that, there are several of our highest performing players from the past season who will not be making the trip to South Africa.

MILAN PLAYERS WHO MISSED OUT

Even after being asked by Lippi to change his mind Nesta has decided to stay in international retirement. Borriello, despite being Milan’s top scorer with 14 goals, has been left at home even though he was included in Italy’s provisional squad. Two of the biggest surprises though are our two Brazilian attackers. Ronaldinho discovered some of his old form this season and created chance after chance for his team mates while bagging 12 for himself. At the age of 30, this was probably his last chance to appear at the World Cup and even though he is still not up to his old high standards he has the ability to change a game in an instant. His trademark smile and skill will be missed.

The biggest shock for me though is the exclusion of Pato. It is a massive shame that Dunga has left Pato behind but decided to take Robinho. Pato has had his fair share of injuries this season but has always bounced back to score some crucial goals and play some great football. He has proved that he can perform at the highest level with his two goals in the Champions League away to Real Madrid in that historic win and he has also been consistent by being our joint second top scorer with 12 goals. Robinho failed in the first half of the season at Manchester City and only got 5 goals while playing for Santos in Brazil in the second half of the season.

The only consolation for Milan fans is that these players who will be left behind can have a good rest during the summer and will feel less fatigued when the new season begins.