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Night the little chief Mascherano claimed Ronaldinho's scalp
By MATT LAWTON

Last updated at 08:57am on 22nd May 2007

On the day he turned 21, Javier Mascherano came of age. He was in Buenos Aires for what proved to be a defining moment in his career and the key reason why a group of overseas businessmen, Kia Joorabchian among them, decided to buy him.

Mascherano had already made a name for himself in Argentina's national team. He was called "Jefecito" (little chief) and he returned from the 2004 Copa America as his country's player of the tournament.

They lost to Brazil in the final on penalties that year but when they met the then reigning world champions again, in a World Cup qualifier on June 8 2005, Jose Pekerman had a plan he believed would enable Argentina to gain revenge.

Mascherano was summoned and told, if Argentina were going to conquer their fiercest rivals, he would have to take care of the finest player on the planet. He would have to stop Ronaldinho.

Stop Ronaldinho, explained Pekerman, and you stop Brazil. If the diminutive but destructive midfielder showed not a hint of big-night nerves at the Monumental Stadium that evening.

"He was incredible," recalled Joorabchian yesterday. "I remember him running the full width of the pitch to win the ball off Ronaldinho and then winning at back again on the other side of the pitch what seemed like a few seconds later.

"Some of the world's best coaches were drooling over him and it was that game that convinced us to buy him."

Argentina were magnificent and so was Mascherano, suffocating Ronaldinho to such an extent that the Brazilian eventually lost his cool.

Three first-half goals from Hernan Crespo, who scored twice, and Juan Roman Riquelme ended the game as a contest and, while Brazil eventually responded with a trademark free-kick from Roberto Carlos, secured Argentina's place in the 2006 World Cup.

The Little Chief's commanding display led to a move from River Plate to Corinthians in Brazil and then to the Premiership.

That performance in Buenos Aires cemented his place in the side and inthe World Cup in Germany last summer he played every minute of a campaign that, on form, probably should have ended with an appearance in the final in Berlin.

Kaka might have replaced Ronaldinho as the world's greatest footballer but Mascherano has scant regard for such reputations.

He proved as much in Buenos Aires two years ago and he will endeavour to prove as much again when he appears for Liverpool here in Athens tomorrow night for what promises to be a fascinating Champions League Final.

Mascherano is handed key role of snuffing out danger-man Kaka
By JOHN EDWARDS in Athens

Last updated at 01:48am on 22nd May 2007

He listens intently and answers, with the aid of an interpreter, just as thoughtfully. Javier Mascherano is not given to displays of emotion, but even he shakes his head in wonder at the way he has climbed from the depths of despair to scale the heights of a Champions League Final.

Cup football has thrown up its share of improbable tales down the years, but the account of the Argentina midfielder’s first season in England takes some beating.

A bewildered, peripheral figure at the outset as he struggled in vain to hold down a starting place at relegation-threatened West Ham, he is now heading for the biggest event on the European club calendar.

Not just to make up the numbers, either. As Rafa Benitez puts the finishing touches to his tactical masterplan ahead of Liverpool’s Athens meeting with AC Milan tomorrow, Mascherano looks earmarked for the crucial role of trying to shackle a player he describes as the best in the world.

Kaka’s darting runs and unerring finishing contributed most to Manchester United’s semi-final downfall. It says much for Mascherano’s standing at Anfield that he is likely to be trusted with a task that could hold the key to Liverpool’s hopes of a sixth European title.

It seems an age away from his Upton Park misery, yet it is barely three months since UEFA sanctioned a transfer which allowed the 5ft 9in anchorman to demonstrate why — a month short of his 23rd birthday — he has already won 22 caps for one of the world’s leading nations.

Expert at winning the ball and just as proficient at keeping it, he freely admits to owing Benitez a huge debt and insists he is ready to repay a sizeable chunk of it if asked to reprise one of international football’s fiercest rivalries.

Twice he and his Brazil counterpart have contested World Cup qualifying points. The record stands at one win apiece and the thought of another momentous personal duel serves as a reminder of how his fortunes have been transformed since he left his compatriot Carlos Tevez behind at Upton Park.

Mascherano said: "To many, Kaka is the best in the world at the moment and he will be a real danger to us in the final.

"He is Milan’s most important player, for sure, as he showed against United and he is the leading scorer in this season’s Champions League. That tells you how important it is we pay close attention to him.

He is not Milan’s only great player and we have to think about how we can cause them damage as well as contain them. We have to be proactive and give Milan something to worry about.

"But if it is my job to stop Kaka I would be very happy to take on the responsibility. Every player in the world would love an occasion and challenge like this.

"To be living this moment, just a few days away from the biggest club game in the world, is something you dream about as a small boy.

"After what has happened in my career this season I find it almost unbelievable. I could never have envisaged my season finishing like this. The thought of playing in the Champions League Final never crossed my mind. It simply couldn’t.

"The season has been a very strange experience for me. At the start of it, I was part of a struggling team. Not only that, I wasn’t getting picked.

"Then this opportunity came out of the blue and here I am getting ready to take part in a European Cup Final. Surreal is probably the best way to describe it.

"I will always be grateful to West Ham for opening the door for me to come and play in Europe. If it wasn’t for West Ham I wouldn’t be enjoying this special moment with Liverpool now.

"But in three months here I have played more football than in five months at Upton Park, so there is no question I made the right decision leaving.

"Liverpool made me feel at home straight away and being given the chance to play in the Champions League Final is just an incredible extra twist."

In their first meeting in London, Benitez pulled out a pen and paper and began drawing a precise picture of how Mascherano would fit into Liverpool’s midfield. The Liverpool manager has been impressing his latest acquisition ever since.

"He has been crucial in my resurgence this season, absolutely crucial," he said. "I was languishing at West Ham, after months without a game, when he came in and showed so much faith in me. He has had a great influence on me already and has given me back my self-belief.

"It counts for so much when you know the manager has trust in you. I have a lot more confidence now because of that — and because I am part of a team on the cusp of being European champions for a sixth time.

"I am very lucky to be part of that and I welcome the responsibility of trying to make sure we do it.

"Athens is a special place for me because that is where I won my first gold medal when Argentina beat Paraguay 1-0 at the 2004 Olympics.

"The medal is locked away at my parents’ home in Argentina. They look after all the things I have picked up during my career and I just hope there will be another winner’s medal to add to the collection after this game."

The first time I ever heard of Mascherano was when Gerrard turned Chelsea down and "the special one" was saying how it didn't matter as both Mascherano and Essian were better players anyway. (So why did he offer more for Gerrard? )After that I kept my eye open for news of Mascherano and watched a few of his games for Argentina. He impressed me from the first time I saw him, so I was disappointed when he went to the 'ammers and delighted when he finally arrived at his true home Liverpool.

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What a year for the bloke on a personal level, one minute scrapping it out with West Ham, and the next a European cup final.


At first glance on the topic title, I thought that was little Chef, ya know the thieving roadside rip-off. 

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sorry i thought it said 'little chef' and i just popped in for some waffles

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Little rip off.

Lets hope our Argie can rip off Kaka Wednesday night !

[Rafa D]

I've already made my feelings quite clear on Maschereno in another thread. It speaks volumes the fact he is considered first choice out of Momo and Xabi when it was the form of the latter two that kept Stevie shifted out to the right.

When we signed him, I was made up. He doesn't play for Argentina and not be a good player but what he has gone on to show us in such a short space of time is nothing short of miraculous. He's a good player, well on his way to becoming a great player. I just hope its with us.

[Sabre]

Good that you've brought that S@int, good read.

I think that many times it's said here "he hasn't adapted to english football".

I'd bet my mortgage that something like that was said by West Ham supporters a while back.

IMHO, a good player is a good player, but every club is different, every formation is different, so it's perfectly possible that Morientes might be successful in one club and not successful in another.

Happy to see that Rafa has spotted this and has brought a player that can be a replacement for Alonso, or even first option, meaning, REAL COMPETITION and IMPROVING THE SQUAD with quality.

Arbeloa said in an interview he and Mascha are very together due to being the last who came. I'm really happy with this signing up.

Rafa-Dood he's not playing for Argentina at the moment, because in a national squad like that, if you don't play regularly in your team, you don't play in the squad. Hopefully (for him, not the club) he'll be summoned again now. I know that for the supporter losing a player for national squad is a bad thing, but if you look the bright side, it also rises the value of the player, which ultimately is good for the club.