About the excellent form the Uruguayan and Colombian are going through at Valencia and Rayo Vallecano.
A second Kempes
Although he didn’t perform poorly, Cavani was entering a weaker phase at Manchester United and some were predicting the end of his career. Of course, it wasn’t very hard to get into such a tricky situation at United, who until the arrival of Casemiro were playing on half a foot. Cavani has the age that Luis Suarez had when he returned home to Montevideo: he’s 35 and in a few months he’ll be 36. He was already considered by the European supporters as a former footballer. That was a mistake because Edinson Cavani has rediscovered his form and the joy of playing football at Valencia. Of course, anyone who has been to Valencia knows that it’s not hard to keep smiling in a city that is both modern and friendly, with a magnificent climate and a vibe that announces that life is beautiful.
But what’s happening to Edinson Cavani now is not a stage, not a pre-World Cup moment. No. Cavani has rejuvenated. He’s playing as when he was a player of Palermo, in his first European experience. He’s delightful and the full backs don’t know how to mark him. So, Edinson Cavani scores and scores and scores. Probably the old Valencia fans see him and remember Mario Kempes. He has the same ease of slipping through defenders, the same hard-to-explain, poetic, spectacular allure of tango dancer & matador.
Suarez should have stayed in Europe, Spain to be precise. After Barcelona and Atletico, he could easily have played for Sevilla or Betis, for example, and would have had ten goals so far in La Liga. He didn’t. He left. But Cavani made the right choice.
Gateway to the magic of Latin America
And Radamel Falcao made the right choice too. The Colombian who once brought Atletico Madrid a European Cup is almost 37 but has days when he plays like he did at 25, when he was at Porto and driving Europe crazy.
It’s no coincidence that he’s the one who made Rayo Vallecano leave Madrid unbeaten this weekend, jeopardizing Atletico’s first half of the season, if not the whole season.
What I wanted to point out: La Liga is a league where South American veterans are living their second youth. The wide markings of Spain’s defenders and the exceptional quality of these strikers make this miracle possible.
But whatever the explanation, there is one certainty: it’s beautiful. La Liga remains one of Europe’s most beautiful leagues. Without the billions of England, without the tactical discipline of Italy, without the physical commitment of France, La Liga is still Europe’s gateway to the magic of Latin America.
