Final fling
World’s best player in line to merit a place alongside Maradona and Pele in the game’s trinity of immortals Argentina need their captain to fire to have any chance of defeating Germany
LIONEL Messi is fighting history as well as trying to make it. World Cup finals have become desperately tight affairs: the last six, stretching from Italia ’90 to South Africa 2010, have produced only nine goals whereas the previous six, dating from Wembley ’66 to the Azteca in ’86, wallowed in 27 goals. If Messi helps Argentina become world champions, the 27-year-old deserves to be hailed alongside Pele and Diego Maradona as the three greats of the game.
Argentina’s captain, catalyst and No 10 has actually not had the most dominant of tournaments. Far worthier nominees can be found on the Golden Ball short-list such as Mats Hummels, Toni Kroos, Philipp Lahm, Javier Mascherano, Thomas Müller, Neymar, Arjen Robben and James Rodríguez. Angel Di María’s inclusion is bizarre.
This wonderful World Cup has still not been given the Full Messi, the fabulous flowing force that sweeps through defences in the colours of Barcelona. He must now escape Kroos, Bastian Schweinsteiger and Sami Khedira in that cen-
He started this World Cup at the Maracana and finishes it in what his fans hope will be Leo de Janeiro
tral thicket in the Maracana. He must then elude Hummels and then beat Manuel Neuer. If he can overwhelm one of the most confident and resolute collection of footballers, Messi merits all the glowing headlines.
What should particularly encourage the swarms of Argentine fans camping on Copacabana beach, some parked up in petrol stations, others sleeping under palm trees that provide little shelter from the rain, is that Messi is so aware that he stands on the threshold of something truly special. He understands Argentina’s sense of history, of magical players stretching from Alfredo Di Stéfano through to Diego Maradona and now Messi himself.
There is symmetry in the way he started this World Cup at the Maracana and finishes it in what his fans hope will be Leo de Janeiro.
His greatness is confirmed by the respect of adversaries.
Before kick-off in the Sao Paulo semifinal, Holland’s Louis van Gaal approached Messi in the tunnel, staring respectfully into the No 10’s eyes, shaking his hand. Of those he most admires, Van Gaal has himself at No 1 but Messi clearly comes high in the list.
His greatness is voiced by the words of rivals. “Messi is No 1 and the best in history and deserves to win the World Cup,’’ said Robben after Holland lost to Argentina on penalties. “I wanted to meet Messi to check if he is real,’’ said Tim Howard. Neymar, albeit a club-mate, argued that Messi “deserves to win the trophy for all he has done for football”.
That is unarguable. Messi embodies sporting virtues that many fear are ebbing from the modern game. He does not dive. He is not a dilettante. He trains, he plays, he goes home.
He takes the close marking with equanimity, occasionally glaring at or talking to the referee but mainly getting on with beating his tormentors.
He has a humility, a dignity, a touch of grace.
For all the lauding of Messi, it needs emphasising that an accomplished player is actually not having a great World Cup. He started strongly, man of the match against Bosnia and Herzegovina where he created the first and scored the winner, and against Iran with the marvellous late winner and against Nigeria with a double.
But in the knockout stages, he came up against complicated tactical conundrums, a net spread across the pitch.
At one point, he was cornered by Ricardo Rodriguez, Fabian Schar, Stephan Lichtsteiner and Granit Xhaka. He still created Di María’s winner, earning his fourth successive man of the match award.
Seemingly weighed down by history, a nation’s expectations and a body drained by a long season, Messi has resembled a marathon runner who begins powerfully and then encounters difficulties as the race progresses. Can he outmanoeuvre the patrols guarding him?
Messi has not been the dominant performer for Argentina in the knockout journey, but he has influenced every game, with an assist, a pass, a penalty. He needs to be his country’s trump card one more time. — © The