The picture is starting to come into focus

I've long thought Kaka to be over-rated, a very nice player and someone that certainly reached the pinnacle of his career when he helped AC Milan win the Champions League in 2007. He was the best player on the best team, which is why he won all the hardware he won that season including the FIFA Player of the Year award, although I thought at the time Cristiano Ronaldo was still better than him.

He didn't have as dismal a tournament as some would make out, 3 assists in four games helping Brazil to the quarterfinals. In fact as Austin and I stated before the tournament we hated the team that Dunga had selected not including people like Pato and Ronaldinho and not placing Dani Alves in the starting lineup. I'll put far more blame on the selections and style Dunga chose to play than what Kaka did or did not do in South Africa.

That being said he Kaka certainly was not at his explosive best. When Kaka is in top for he is as graceful as any player on the planet seemingly gliding by players, meticulously finding teammates, and making difficult goals look effortless. That Kaka did not show up at the 2010 World Cup, and as Rich said yesterday he just had surgery that will keep him out 3-4 months, surgery on his MCL.

Well it came out today, according to the doctor that performed the operation on him, that Kaka played through an injury that could have ended his career. That may have also been why he was so poor for Real Madrid last season.

Anyway that buy is looking worse and worse. They say soccer players hit their prime at age 27, Kaka just recently turned 28. Kaka has been a part of 3 World Cups for Brazil, not many players play in that many tournaments because of the wear on the body through the massive travel - you don't get much time off for your body to recover after long taxing seasons. And Kaka has been playing at the highest level in Europe with AC Milan and now Madrid since 2003.

Like I said Kaka has not looked right since 2007, he's got plenty of miles on his legs and now he has a bum wheel. He may still have a little magic left in those brilliant Brazilian feet, however, I would guess it will be far more fleeting and much more inconsistent.