Why PSG's Javier Pastore Can Use Fine End of Season to Star at Copa America

Like his club side Paris Saint-Germain, Javier Pastore gathered momentum as the 2014-15 season progressed and he finished the campaign in strong form. The French champions swept all before them domestically and the gifted Argentine playmaker was a key part of that unprecedented success.

Since the start of 2015, El Flaco has chipped in with five goals and eight assists across all competitions. That might not seem like much, but compared with his two previous campaigns, his first five months this year alone have been more productive than either of those two last terms in their entirety.

Coming into the season just finished, Pastore was under pressure to rediscover his best form.

The 25-year-old had endured two disappointing campaigns after a good 2011-12 debut in the French capital—13 goals and five assists in Ligue 1—and questions were being asked of his long-term future at Parc des Princes.

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Pastore started the 14-15 season well and even if he did not necessarily have the goals-and-assists figures to prove it, his form from the start of the term was strong and a big improvement on two disappointing campaigns.

Fuelled by missing out on the FIFA World Cup in Brazil last summer, the Argentina international got a full preseason under his belt and approached games with real purpose and a desire to impose himself on PSG’s domestic and European opponents.

After maintaining a high standard of performance pretty much all the way through the campaign—still occasionally ghosting in an out of games but not nearly as often as before—one of Les Parisiens’ first moves this summer was to tie Pastore down to a new contract.

The PSG man is now tied to the French capital outfit until 2019 and he has to option to extend that stay by another season. It is no less than the former US Citta di Palermo player deserves after proving to his many critics that he is not a lost talent and reaffirming his status as a fans’ favourite in Paris.

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Pastore’s renaissance has not gone unnoticed outside of Ligue 1 either. Shortly after replacing Alejandro Sabella at the helm for 2014 World Cup runners-up Argentina, one of Gerardo Martino’s first moves was to bring El Flaco in from the cold.

Following on from receiving his first international call-up since late 2011 in October of last year, Pastore has been in the Albiceleste picture ever since and he now finds himself a part of Martino’s Copa America squad and a regular starter at that.

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Surfing the crest of a wave of confidence built up by finding his feet with PSG once again, the French champions’ No. 27 could now go on to star in Chile this summer.

Pastore finished the '14-15 season with five Ligue 1 goals and 10 assists in 34 appearances, although that pales when compared with the 13 goals and five assists he racked up in his debut '11-12 Championnat campaign, the figures do not do his performances justice.

While he provided the penultimate touch in 10 of PSG’s 83 goals scored last term, Pastore was the architect for far more and anybody who has watched the South American and PSG regularly since his arrival in Paris back in 2011 will agree that it was by far his best season in France to date.

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This summer, the 25-year-old will be bringing that creative genius to Argentina’s Copa America bid and a reinvigorated Pastore is bad news for other defences at the tournament.

Combined with the likes of Barcelona’s Lionel Messi, Manchester United’s Angel Di Maria, Manchester City’s Sergio Aguero and SSC Napoli’s Gonzalo Higuain, the attacking talent at Albiceleste coach Martino’s disposal is frightening.

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Pastore is capable of playing in a midfield three alongside the likes of Boca Juniors’ Fernando Gago and Sevilla’s Ever Banega or as one of a front three featuring Messi, Di Maria, Aguero, Higuain or PSG teammate Ezequiel Lavezzi.

He can also play behind any two of those attacking options and that polyvalence gives Martino plenty of tactical flexibility. Although the Argentine defence is arguably still a bit of a concern, they will be very difficult to stop in attack and Pastore will be one of the main threats pulling the strings.

Buoyed by his strong end-of-season form with PSG and his consistent level of performance since returning to the international stage, Pastore can take this summer’s Copa America by storm.

Finishing what has already been the most successful campaign of his career so far by being crowned a continental champion would add further gloss to a remarkable last 12 months for El Flaco.