Souttar, Rowles cast in role of villains
HOW do you stop the greatest? How do you crush a legacy? How do you defend a genius?
These are the questions confronting the Socceroos defensive unit as it prepares to ruin a global legend’s fairytale.
Lionel Messi has won it all. Except a World Cup.
Every fairytale has a villain, and for anyone from outside Australia, there are a couple of Socceroos who could fill the role.
The details, though, are what will matter.
For starters, says a Socceroos veteran, respect cannot extend to liberties with time and space.
“You need to be in (his) face, need to rattle him. Give him time on the ball, let him turn forward and you’re going to have problems,” Luke Wilkshire said.
“It’s the same as (French star Kylian) Mbappe, they can change the game in a moment . . . you have to get in their faces, get them frustrated. They don’t like the physical side of the game, but it’s part of the game.”
Should Messi start in a central role, as he did against Poland, communication between Socceroos centre backs Harry Souttar and Kye Rowles will be vital.
The sight of Souttar marking Messi will be football’s modern day David v Goliath, except in this instance David is somehow the giant.
Standing 198cm tall, Souttar is the most imposing figure at the World Cup and will dwarf the 169cm Messi, whose brilliance comes from his nimble feet, lightning reflexes and speed of thought. Messi will look dormant, walking, shuffling then . . . bang: one sniff that a defender is out of position, or not thinking clearly and he will pounce.
On this stage, with what is at stake, it will be the greatest challenge Souttar, and his defensive partners, will face in their career.
Mathew Leckie has no doubts, however. “Huge belief. They have been amazing, the boys at the back,” Leckie said.
“We all have our individual qualities but our biggest quality is us collectively as a team. If we’re not a team on the night, it’s not going to work.”