BPL blogger David Weiner is a Sydney lawyer and sports journalist.

The first thing that struck me upon entering Madrid's Plaza Puerta del Sol last month was a giant billboard starring members of Spain's national side. Ramos, Iniesta and Silva all featured in the pervasive advertisement - an imposing poster that catches your eye as you enter the square.

Front and centre of the imposing banner is none other than diminutive midfielder, Xavi.

Not Torres, not Cassilas and not Villa. Xavi.

Now it is time for the player of the tournament in Euro 2008 to take the real, not just figurative, front and centre if Spain wants to live up to its potential in this tournament - and at a minimum, avoid a Round of 16 clash with Brazil.

And they could look no further than the team that has trumped them for early favouritism, Argentina, for inspiration.

The theatre of seeing Diego Maradona, arms folded, thoughtfully stroking his beard, while jumping tempestuously to every ebb and flow of the match has been enough of a talking point for those who have watched him at Ellis Park or Soccer City so far. The Argentine hero's face is draped over the terraces on countless blue and white banners, he struts around the sideline - and the biggest cheer of the day against South Korea came when he produced a nonchalant back heal to retrieve a stray ball. In a World Cup, Maradona is never too far from the main story.

But between sledging Pele, Platini, and whoever else catches his ire, he has also proved to be true to his ideas - creating a shrewd game plan.

He has cleared the way for his heir apparent to leave his own mark on World Cup folklore.

Iguain and Tevez, dynamic strikers in their own right, can be found frenetically streaking wide, creating space for the greatest player in the world to strut his stuff - for his toil, Iguain also earned three goals yesterday to boot. If Maradona is the puppeteer, he has Juan Sebastian Veron (when fit), pulling his strings for him on the pitch, covering the width of the midfield to feed the precocious number 10 with as much ball as he wants.

To have sat 30 metres away from the little maestro, as he burrowed his way through defences, is a football fan's privilege. But what is most noticeable here is his fierce determination and focus. This is his tournament. While Ronaldo whines about referees, Messi goes about his business. Constant deep breaths. Disgust at the sight of a shot on target being saved. Dedication in defence. The boyish figure who glides across our television screens is no distortion - he craves the ball, he still loves scoring like a boy in the yard. It looks like he knows he will leave an impression on this tournament, and he can thank his coach for helping him.

Which brings us to Xavi - a different player, but just as vital. While Messi runs riot, Xavi has to work in a claustrophobic midfield, competing with Xavi Alonso and Gael Busquets for the limelight. It's hard to see him dictating the game like he does for Barcelona, or like he did in 2008 (where David Senna sat in midfield winning the ball and giving it to him to do his thing). His style is cramped.

With so many cooks, as they say, or in football parlons, so many passers, perhaps its time to complement Xavi with someone to penetrate (Fernando Torres-David Villa combination, thank you very much) or who can advance into the box (Cesc Fabregas, perhaps?) to benefit from his vision. His current teammates are world class, but so too are Diego Milito and Sergio Aguero - and they are warming the pine for Diego.

A fascinating puzzle awaits, as Spain, and other super powers work out how to get the best out of their key men.

In a World Cup that has so far lacked headlines, drama, consistent quality, and will soon lose the local side, it's time to let the stars off their leash.