'The Messiah' - Lionel Messi V.2

messixaviesta wrote:So my question is if Maradona hadn't returned would Argentina have had a legit chance of winning the tournament?

Not sure, I was 4 at the time. Wish I could be more helpful.

Fussball you can't be serious, right? Di Maria scored off exactly the same position Lavezzi is in vs Paraguay. He was one on one with the keeper, and Lavezzi botched his chance with a poor pass. Maradona didn't score in any WC final either, or a Copa final, yet Messi is a failure because he failed to do the same? It's honestly a bit ridiculous that the difference between a 'signature tournament' and flopping is Higuain/Palacio/Lavezzi not finishing their chances.

Anyways, Germany were 2nd in 2002, 3rd in 2006, 3rd in 2010, semifinalists in 2012, before they finally won in 2014. Our turn will come, and I hope that Messi has a chance to be a part of that.

They were also finalist in 2008.^

Here's Maradona's "inventive" passing from WC86 SF vs Belgium, having more space and time than Messi had collectively in the whole WC14:



Here's the best pass (WC14 QF vs Belgium) of World Cup history:

Yeah Messi's the best passer of the game, it's obvious. His throughballs are insane with so little space

Harmonica wrote:Here's Maradona's "inventive" passing from WC86 SF vs Belgium, having more space and time than Messi had collectively in the whole WC14:

And why nobody marked maradona there? can you imagine messi free like that?
This shows quality of world cup in 86. When i say tactics and defense is improved nobody believes me. This imporevement is the reason why there are no flashy players anymore.and also carrying team alone not possible anymore

Football from 20 years ago or more is just ridiculous. Players barely run, no one is double marked, there are tons of space between the lines, no pressing...

Look at that play, in a very slow counter attack, they end up 4vs4 with Maradona free just outside the box!!

In Diario Olé, Messi's performance in the final and his role as captain have been called into question in a harsh letter. Meanwhile, online criticism from fans and the abuse his family received at the Estadio Nacional have also provoked Messi to think, according to Olé, about being asked not to be called up by Tata Martino for the time being.

Argentina's next friendly is planned for September 8 against Mexico and the first qualifying games for Russia 2018 World Cup will begin in October. They could be played without Messi, though. Barcelona fans would certainly not be against him taking a break from his national team duties.

http://www.sport-english.com/en/noticias/resto-del-mundo/barcelonas-lionel-messi-could-take-break-from-representing-argentina-4336979

free_cat wrote:Football from 20 years ago or more is just ridiculous. Players barely run, no one is double marked, there are tons of space between the lines, no pressing...

Look at that play, in a very slow counter attack, they end up 4vs4 with Maradona free just outside the box!!

"Very slow counter attack "

I give you the benefit of the doubt as Harmonica cut out the initiation of the counter - it could hardly be a faster transition, a Belgian attempted a long forward pass and the argentina defender literally cleared the ball 60 yards in the other direction with his interception, to where we see it in the start of the gif. That's just an unlucky freak occurance, against a west European team that had little rest since their previous game playing in a hot American climate.







20:25 That's how you play a pass in the biggest moment of your career when you're "Double marked".  

BarrileteCosmico wrote:

messixaviesta wrote:So my question is if Maradona hadn't returned would Argentina have had a legit chance of winning the tournament?

Not sure, I was 4 at the time. Wish I could be more helpful.

Lavezzi botched his chance with a poor pass.

Never mind then. Thanks.

Are you sure Lavezzi had tried to pass? The first time I saw it I thought he had tried a shot towards the position of maximum opportunity so that if he misses then Higuain might get it and being towards the goalkeeper's far post would make it harder to save. Since then I have heard varied opinions and I am not sure.

Lavezzi is the one who's really at fault there , more than Higuain.

It was either a bad pass or a bad shot either way :/

https://i.imgur.com/uPaVgCm.png

Pictured: Charles Aranguiz' brother and cousin telling Messi after the defeat "Relax Messi, you are the best in the world and in Barcelona you have won everything"

Inb4 we sign Aranguiz, Coachessi

Aranguiz' is a good little player, wouldnt be mad honestly.

I just read again that some in the Argentine media are asking for Messi to be dropped from the team.

Even though I have criticized certain things about him this is really taking it way too far.

I don't think the team should remain a one man show. They should try to find a more co-ordinated style of play not so dependent on one man and instead of asking Messi to drop deep into midfield and run the game, let him play the way he can play at his absolute best.

Captaincy change would not be a bad idea provided Messi doesn't mind giving up the arm band and they can find the right man for the job. Just as Mascherano gave up the position cheerfully when he was asked to, maybe he can now take it back since he seems to be the guy to rally others in difficult circumstances and has over the years become more communicative and vociferous.

Essentially stop asking Messi to carry the burden of a team and a nation. Instead let him play relatively carefree and get maximum benefit out of his genius.

All this talk about him being "The New Maradona" should stop right here for good. Let him be Messi.

It's very rare that a player's family member criticizes his performance. So I was shocked to read this. Maybe it's largely cooked up by the media.

http://www.goal.com/en/news/586/copa-america/2015/07/09/13431032/messi-was-lazy-in-the-copa-america-says-grandfather?ICID=OP

he should try his best in 2018 WC and if fails he better retire from NT. NT glory is not for him. he sacrificed it the moment he had chosen Argentina over Spain. yeah, people would then have called him selfish but where is the sympathy for him right now. in the end of the day everyone is selfish. you earn glory , you receive respect. if not, people throw you into dustbin without thinking twice. He rejected one MOTM and one MVP award. is there a player in the history who did the same. you can call him a choker but calling into question his willingness and drive for win show how pathetic people really are.
had he chosen Spain he would definitely have gone into history as a legend by now. no matter how you compile it he would never be mentioned on the same line as Pele and Maradona even if he reaches few more finals but ends up loosing all. thats the cruel truth.

As a response to the bitter and mostly unjustified media campaign against Messi, one journalist sends him an open apology letter.

https://twitter.com/AddictedToBarca/status/619186730609025024/photo/1

neuro11 wrote:he sacrificed it the moment he had chosen Argentina over Spain.

At the time when Messi chose Argentina over Spain, it was before Euro 2008. Spain were the perennial underachievers, essentially nobodies. Not for a second do I doubt that Messi chose Argentina because he is Argentine at heart but saying that choosing Spain at that time would be opportunistic is not really acceptable. It's the generation of Xavi, Iniesta, Casillas, etc. and the vision of Luis Aragones that has changed Spain's history forever - from underachievers to supreme trophy winners. Today playing for Spain might be an opportunistic choice but at the time these heroes started it was one filled with a lot of sometimes unbearable pain. I can accept that having Messi could have made Spain even better but all this is in hindsight. At that time Spain were likely to flop even if both Pele and Maradona played for them.

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/CJUskz_WsAEfDpf.png

Messi would have been second on this list if not for Higuain/Palacio. He will suprass them all anyway though.

I don't know if you know anything BC, but whats going on with Messi and his grandfather?

I mean he came out and said something negative regrading his performance at the WC and again in Copa

'Some of him was there,' Cuccitini told Radio Casilda.

'Triumphs are the greatest things there are. But the last three games he was bad. He was lazy.'

Or is this just media created?

He also said that he broke up with Antonella a few years ago and now they're expecting their 2nd child... Take what he says with a grain of salt.

What a frustrating video to watch

BarrileteCosmico wrote:https://youtu.be/1ZWFbr07Dnc

What a frustrating video to watch

headless chickens

It's particularly frustrating because Martino took off the only player that played off Messi, Pastore. The instance where Banega could've passed to Messi, who was free on the edge of the box... ffs, for that alone he should never be called up again.

Argentina has a very complete team but seriously needs a CM that can think.

I think they suck at every area except strikers. Their decision making sucks. All of them take the ball and tries to dribble 2-3 players. In that video alone the ball is lost 5 times due to stupid dribbling attempt. Serious teams dont do like this.
Once Alba tried to dribble and lost some balls after the game all barca forum bashed him. But nobody gives a sh.t when Rojo does the same every game. They just bash messi and move on

Another thing is they pass to messi when his is surrounded and avoid him when he is free. This is just stupid team. Coach cant handle their stupidity they need better coach

Xaviesta+Villa

WC10 champion (Villa Bronze Ball)
Euro 08 champion (Xavi Best Player)
Euro 12 champion (Iniesta Best Player)

Involved collectively 25/32 goals.

Messi @28

WC14 runner-up (Golden Ball)
CA07 runner-up (Best Young Player)
CA15 runner-up (MVP)

Involved in 24/34 goals.

That's the problem, Messi has to do the work of three players for Argentina.