Totti's time

Few athletes -- apart from professional wrestlers and Major League relievers -- have their own entrance music, so you could say it's a testament to Francesco Totti's status that his presence on the pitch is often accompanied by the opening riffs of The White Stripes' Seven Nation Army.

It started back in January when his club, Roma, went on a 10-game winning streak and it was completely spontaneous. Nobody knows where it originated, least of all Totti himself. "I hadn't even heard the tune until I stepped out on the pitch," he says. "It sounded cool and the crowd was really into it. So I got myself a copy of the album."

Totti was serenaded with the song during Italy's opening 2-0 victory over Ghana, but the mere fact that he was even on the pitch was a minor miracle. A knee injury in February left him doubtful right up until the start of the competition. Against Ghana, his first start in four months, he was far from his best physically, but nevertheless received a standing ovation from the Azzurri fans.

"I was pleased because I proved to myself that my injury has healed," Totti said after the game. "Does that mean that I'm 100 percent? No. But I'm getting stronger by the day."

Outside of Italy, Totti is still viewed with a mixture of skepticism and derision. The knock on him is that he is the ultimate big fish in a small pond, a player who regularly underperforms on the big stage. While there is no question that Totti's public image does not match his talent, suggesting he is not a clutch performer is a bit harsh.

For one thing, the reason he doesn't hog the limelight is that he never left Roma, the club which he supported as a boy and eventually went from the club's youth ranks to the first team. Totti has never worn any jersey other than the red-and-yellow of Roma and the blue of Italy and he is proud of it.

"I could have moved elsewhere and I probably would have earned more money and won more trophies," he says. "But being able to play for the team you love, in your city, in front of your own fans... well, that's priceless. I wouldn't trade that for anything."

In a world where sponsors and cash seem to be the driving force behind many players' moves, Totti is refreshing. The lack of silverware is a mark against him, for sure, but as he points out, winning one title at Roma (as he did back in 2000-01) is worth three or four trophies at perennial superpowers Real Madrid or Juventus.

Totti's performances with Italy are often cited by his critics as evidence that he can't raise game. Yet a closer look reveals that this is only partly true. At the last World Cup, he led Italy into the second round before the Azzurri fell victim to poor officiating against South Korea and crashed out of the tournament. His Euro 2004 lasted a single game. A Danish TV camera caught him spitting at Christian Poulsen, earning Totti a six-game ban which effectively sent him home. But back in 2000, Totti led Italy to the final of the European championships, setting up what would have been the winning goal, had it not been for France's dramatic last-second comeback.

At this World Cup, Totti's role with Italy is a bit different. He still sits in the hole behind strikers Alberto Gilardino and Luca Toni, but unlike in the past he is not the focus of the team. Every ball no longer goes through him, Andrea Pirlo is the virtual point guard on this team. Totti's job is to wait for the right moment and deliver the defense-splitting pass or the shot on goal. It's a role which suits him because in the past, he has tried to do too much, attempting to win games single-handedly (and, more often than not, succeeding).