Messi in doubt for next clash
ARGENTINA are concerned over star player Lionel Messi’s fitness ahead of the Venezuela clash after their 1-0 Conmebol World Cup qualifier triumph over Uruguay.
Argentina meet Venezuela away from home on Tuesday.
The Barcelona star was the hero for his country, scoring the only goal of the match on Thursday, but his coach says he is struggling with a groin problem and will not be risked.
The skipper vindicated Edgardo Bauza’s decision to convince him back into the Albiceleste fold with a firstrate performance, as Uruguay fell to a narrow defeat in Mendoza.
Could it really have ended in any other manner? Just over two months after a deflated Messi walked away from the Argentina national team, he was back with the captain’s armband in Mendoza to see his nation past a dogged Uruguay.
His goal was worth three invaluable World Cup qualifying points, and served as a statement of intent after the toughest summer of his career.
There is no doubt that when he said goodbye to the Albiceleste, he meant it.
Messi was broken by yet another final defeat, and suffered the added indignity of missing the first penalty of the shootout eventually won by Chile.
The loss wasn’t his fault, nevertheless, and nobody did more to take Argentina to within touching distance of their first trophy for 23 years. RETIREMENT BE DAMNED: Lionel Messi was as magnificent as ever and if his ‘comeback’ is any indication, he will continue to shine
But the failure cut deep, and many questioned whether they would ever see the world’s greatest player pull on the jersey again.
Mercifully, the wait was far shorter than even the most optimistic Argentina fans could have hoped for.
The beard remained from the Copa, and his hair was now bleached blonde. But it was the same magician that took the field at the Estadio Malvinas Argentinas to take on his club teammate Luis Suarez, another man returning to competitive international action after a far longer absence following his suspension in the 2014 World Cup.
Suarez has been in brilliant form for Barcelona in 2016, but he had to take a backseat on Thursday evening.
The night belonged to Messi, as vital as ever to the Albiceleste in a new team taking shape.
Gerardo Martino’s replacement opted for evolution rather than revolution in his debut on the bench. Gone was the faux-Barca 4-3-3 lineup, for a more pragmatic, controlling 4-2-3-1.
Messi dropped slightly further down the field, as part of a creative engine room alongside Paulo Dybala.
“Argentine football has many problems, but I am not going to give it another one,” Messi had said on confirming his return.
As usual, his words were brief, but brutally honest. He is the heart and soul of the Albiceleste, the undoubted superstar and game changer even in a squad that boasts some of the richest talent in the world.
At a time when institutionally the Argentine FA is in chaos, and the start of the domestic season was postponed for a week due to financial wrangling between clubs, Messi is one of the few examples of exemplary professionalism in the nation’s football right now.
For almost two months the question of how to replace a star of La Pulga’s magnitude gave an entire nation many a sleepless night. Happily, that is a bridge they will not have to cross for a while yet. Retirement be damned: Leo is here to stay, and if his comeback match is any indication, he will continue to shine. — goal.com