If you thought all of world soccer’s Number 10s were gone, then have no such fears. Jorge Valdivia isn’t the last of the 10s.
Javier Pastore is carrying the torch. Someone will take it up after him.
El Flaco is a pure Number 10, and he not only creates and keeps possession, but he’s also full of running and defense. At the peak of his powers Zinedine Zidane was all over the field, constantly involved with everything.
Alternating between Paris Saint-Germain’s Midfield Three and Front Three, the Argentina playmaker has become a key component of the Albiceleste.
The increased running and defending adopted by Pastore has made the Argentine more indispensable, and these improvements in his play have made him more influential all over the field.
Pastore also has a level of speed and quickness that is quite uncommon amongst pure 10s, and this allows him to burst into the penalty box to score and set up goals.
After Argentina’s Copa America semifinal goleada over Paraguay, the Argentine publication, Canchallena, gave Pastore an extremely high rating of 9, an almost unheard of rating.
On the Argentinean National Team and for Barcelona, Lionel Messi essentially plays as an attacking midfielder, forward, and wing at the same time, but Pastore knows how to play with Messi, which makes him not superfluous alongside Messi.
This ability to thrive with Messi was one of the reasons for Pastore’s amazing rating of 9 for the Copa America semifinal.
The Córdoba, Argentina native has done what more playmaking magicians need to do to not be kept out of the starting line-up: run all game and win back possession.
Pastore’s now two-way play hasn’t resulted in a dip in his creativity in his passing and dribbling, and this quiver of qualities has him now fulfilling his promise.
The Argentine knew that coaches, fans, and the media would criticize him if he didn’t change his style of play, and luckily this change didn’t mean that he was no longer the technical genius that made him special.
Many have lamented the disappearance of world soccer’s Number 10s in the style of Zinedine Zidane, Juan Roman Riquelme, and Jorge Valdivia, but Pastore plays in this style, which has delighted the likes of Eric Cantona and Thiago Silva.
With the 2014-2015 season with Paris Saint-Germain and this Copa America, Javier Pastore has officially arrived as an elite attacking midfielder.
Long Live Javier Pastore, and in a world where Number 10s are being pushed out of line-ups and off rosters, may there be more creative midfielders like him.