Why Cesc sits on the bench

The Spanish team is brimming with world class talent. Famous names like Fernando Torres, David Villa, Xavi Hernandez, David Silva, Andres Iniesta and Cesc Fabregas roll off the tongue when we come to discuss the merits of the EURO 2008 champions. But here in South Africa, one player in particular has emerged as the apple of Vicente Del Bosque's eye. This player is far less celebrated than the aforementioned stars. His name is Sergio Busquets.

Spain's manager sees something in the Barcelona midfielder that is not all that easy to spot. He was extolling Busquets this week and went as far as to say: "If I were a player, I would like to be like Busquets". Not Lionel Messi, not Cristiano Ronaldo, not even Xavi Hernandez. Sergio Busquets. The 21 year old has just fifteen caps and yet he has emerged from relative international obscurity to fill the space vacated by Marcos Senna in the midfield holding role, a position which is absolutely vital to Spain's stability.

The son of former Barcelona hero, Carles, Sergio Busquets is by no means an unknown quantity in Spain or in Europe. Barcelona's domestic and European success in recent seasons has made all of their players household names, but the Sabadell born player is never really one to stand out from the crowd. He is an efficient passer, a man who rarely loses the ball but is vey adept at winning it back thanks to his far reaching, gangly long limbs. In other words, he is a dream of a holding midfielder for a team like Spain or Barcelona, where dominating possession with a combination of slick passing and aggressive pressing tactics is the number one priority.

It is no surprise that Busquets has matured into the most obvious partner for Xavi and Iniesta in the Barcelona midfield three, but that is not to say that he starts every game when everyone is fit. Fierce competition from defensive midfielders Seydou Keita and Yaya Toure has ensured that there is continual rotation in the blaugrana eleven. Pep Guardiola's increasing preference to field Busquets, however, has already convinced Ivory Coast star Toure that his future lies away from the Camp Nou.

The Spanish press are already speculating about potential replacements. Javier Mascherano is often mentioned in a follow up to last summer's flirtation with the Argentine captain, but he is more likely to follow Rafa Benitez to Inter Milan if he leaves Liverpool. Tottenham's Honduran midfielder Wilson Palacios has also been linked to Barca after a fine performance against Spain in their Group H clash. The one man expected to join Barcelona this summer is Arsenal's skipper Cesc Fabregas and he would be in direct competition with Sergio Busquets. As at international level, however, the latter's strength in a more withdrawn role would give him the edge, and Cesc would actually more likely represent the long term replacement for Xavi. He could be accommodated immediately, though, with a few changes, one of which would involve moving Andres Iniesta into the front line.

Few people would doubt Fabregas' technical superiority as a complete midfielder and I can fully understand the confusion in England as to why Arsene Wenger's protege is not an automatic starter for La Roja. But the system Spain have employed under Luis Aragones and Vicente Del Bosque is completely dependent on one player protecting the back four in a withdrawn midfield capacity. Distribution is essential to a team which neglects the long ball game in favour of "tiqui-taca" short passing, and the holding player is the chief link between the defence and the midfield. It used to be Marcos Senna's responsibility, but now the torch has been passed to Busquets.

We don't have to look far to find other examples of teams where more skilful footballers are shunned in favour of someone who can play this role to great effect. Gilberto Silva and Felipe Melo are first choice in Dunga's eleven and yet Diego and Ronaldinho didn't even get into the Brazil squad. Joao Moutinho was left out for Portugal and Deco has to settle for a place on the bench most days as Carlos Queiroz opts for former Portsmouth and Tottenham man Pedro Mendes. Diego Maradona sticks with Newcastle wide man Jonas Gutierrez as opposed to, well, anyone eligible to play for Argentina.

Sergio Busquets and these other beneficiaries are prime examples of the fact that football is a team and not an individual sport. But there is a down side to Busquets' game. If we cast our minds back to the Champions League semi-final against Inter Milan we are provided with evidence of his flaws. In that game, some egregious exaggeration and down right play acting from Busquets saw Thiago Motta sent off for Inter in the second leg against Barcelona and it cost the former blaugrana star a place in the final. Busquets is a diver. He doesn't necessarily go down without being touched but the slightest hint of a challenge will see him sprawling on the deck, clutching at imaginary wounds. Spain's newest star would be deservedly vilified in the Premier League, but in Spain, as in most Mediterranean/Latin countries, this sort of behaviour is accepted as part of the game and all too prevalent. Busquets is indicative of that unfortunate reality rather than an exception, and it certainly doesn't undermine his value in the eyes of his managers at club and international level.

Spain take on Chile today in a match that they must win to seal progression to the last 16 of the World Cup. Sergio Busquets will be the linchpin in the Spanish midfield and he will have a crucial role to play against Marcelo Bielsa's notoriously dangerous, ambitious young attacking team. Having scored just twice despite forty-nine shots so far in this competition, Spain are not enjoying their best spell in front of goal and could be more reliant than ever on their defensive discipline.