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When Juan Sebastian Veron decided to take a pay cut in 2006 and return to his hometown club, Estudiantes de La Plata, it could have been interpreted as a chance to wind down his career peacefully.
Many South American stars return from long careers in Europe with little left in the tank, and although they can supply moments of brilliance, long term success is usually not in the cards, which is what makes Veron’s rebirth so incredible.
Although many felt that “La Brujita” was finished after a less than satisfying spell in England with Manchester United and Chelsea, Veron actually played very well upon returning to Italy for Inter.
Roberto Mancini, Inter’s manager at the time, seemed ready to resign the former Parma, Lazio, and Sampdoria star, but Veron went home to continue the love affair that his family has had with the modest club that resides in La Plata, about an hour south of Buenos Aires by car.
Veron’s father, Juan Ramon, won three Copa Libertadores between 1968 and 1970 and won the Intercontinental Cup against Manchester United in 1968. The younger Veron made his debut for the club in 1993 helping them gain promotion to the Argentine First Division before leaving for Boca Juniors, where he played with current National Team coach Diego Maradona.
While in Europe, "La Brujita" helped the club financially with the millions he earned in Italy and England, but upon returning, his position amongst the pantheon of club idols was anything but assured.
Then came the 2006 Apertura, when Veron inspired the unfancied Estudiantes to the title, beating Boca Juniors 2-1 in a dramatic one game playoff after the sides finished level on points during the tournament.
His success with Estudiantes brought about a shock recall to the National Team under Alfio Basile for the 2007 Copa America after three years in the International Wilderness.
Veron helped Argentina reach the Final, but the best of his return to top form was yet to come.
After falling in the 2008 Copa Sudamericana Final in 2008, Veron pushed his team forward to win the 2009 Copa Libertadores while winning the South American Player of the Year Award for two years running.
In December, Veron picked up the Silver Ball in the Club World Cup, as Estudiantes came within minutes of knocking out Lionel Messi’s Barcelona.
Veron has also pushed himself into a key role for Maradona’s Argentina, acting as the midfield organizer, using his patience to wear down defenses and hold up the ball before springing the likes of Lionel Messi, Gonzalo Higuain, or Angel Di Maria.
During the current season, Veron, now 35, and Estudiantes are attempting to achieve an improbable feat: fighting for the title on both fronts, both domestically and in the Copa Libertadores.
While this is common practice in Europe, South American teams are faced with longer distances to travel, more hostile environments, and perhaps the most difficult of all: altitude.
After suffering a shock defeat to Alianza Lima in Peru, Estudiantes persevered, clinching first place in the group and passage to the knock stages after a hard fought 1-0 victory in Quilmes (the adopted home of Estudiantes while their new stadium is being constructed) last night.
Veron was again the figure of “El Leon,” as it broke down the resilient Peruvian defense. Seba ’s free kick led to a moment of madness from an Alianza defender, who handled the ball inexplicably in the penalty area.
There was never any doubt that the captain would take the resulting spot kick, and although George Forsyth stopped Veron’s initial effort, the greatest idol in the history of Estudiantes thumped home the rebound sparking a raucous celebration.
After the match, Veron was emphatic that he intended to play Saturday against River Plate in the fight to clinch the Argentine Clausura, but now the question must be asked: with all the games he has played, and those still to play, what will Veron have left in the tank for the World Cup in South Africa?
After the travesty that was Argentina’s 2002 World Cup group stage exit, many pundits and fans blamed Veron, the fulcrum of Marcelo Bielsa’s side, for the heartbreak. Eight years later, Veron knows that although he has become beloved by many, there are still those who hold a grudge.
At 35, Veron has already shown of tiring this season, and was forced to be subbed out during Estudiantes’ 2-1 victory of Tigre during the weekend. At the highest level, it has been even more evident.
During Argentina’s 1-0 victory over Germany in Munich in March, Veron played a brilliant match, but was ineffective for large parts of the second half when Maradona inexplicably left his former Boca teammate on the pitch until the dying seconds.
After all the games over the past two years: league matches, Copa matches, Club World Cup games, and of course World Cup Qualifies, it seems unlikely that the aging maestro will be able to put in the seven games in a month span required to lift the trophy.
Making matters worse, is that Maradona appears to have no “plan b” to Veron.
Pablo Aimar has played just once under El Pibe de Oro, and Maradona’s falling out with Juan Roman Riquelme is well documented. That leaves the brilliant, but very green Javier Pastore as the only player in Maradona’s plans capable of supplying the creative spark from center midfield.
Can Pastore, a player who has yet to play for Argentina in a full international game, come in during a World Cup quarterfinal against the likes of Germany or England to provide the magic needed should Argentina be trailing?
With each game that Veron plays in the more of a headache it will become for Maradona come June. Or perhaps worse, he may not think about Veron's fatigue at all leaving Argentina void of options off the bench.
Jack Tilghman is a featured columnist for Bleacher Report, the open source sports network.
