MESSI, MESSI, MESSI
Lionel Messi fired Argentina into the World Cup with a brilliant hat trick early on Wednesday as South American champions Chile suffered a shock elimination.
Messi single-handedly resurrected Argentina’s hopes in a 3-1 win over Ecuador in Quito that drew a line under a chaotic campaign that had left the two-time champions in danger of failing to qualify.
The Barcelona superstar scored twice inside the opening 20 minutes to give Argentina the lead after Ecuador had stunned the visitors with an opening goal from Romario Ibarra after 38 seconds.
Messi then completed his hat trick — the 44th of his dazzling career — with a sublime chip in the second half to seal the victory.
The Argentinian superstar can now look forward to his fourth appearance at the World Cup at next year’s finals in Russia, where he will attempt once more to lead his country to an elusive major title.
Since his country’s defeat to Germany in the 2014 World Cup final, Messi has twice suffered agony at major tournaments with Argentina, losing the finals of both the 2015 Copa America and the 2016 Copa America Centenario.
Messi, who will turn 31 during next year’s World Cup, now has one, perhaps final, chance to emulate his idol Diego Maradona by lifting the World Cup.
Relieved Argentina manager Jorge Sampaoli — the third coach appointed during the qualifying campaign — could not avoid expressing his gratitude to Messi following Tuesday’s win.
“Messi doesn’t owe a World Cup to Argentina — football owes a World Cup to Messi,” Sampaoli said. “He’s the best player in history. This is a team victory. They played a brilliant match.” Messi later told reporters the prospect of not qualifying had weighed heavily on the squad. “It would have been crazy for Argentina, for all of us,” he said. “Obviously there was that fear, but today we knew how to play.”
The striker said he expects Argentina to improve now the pressure of qualifying is lifted.
“I think there is going to be a very big change. I think the team will grow much better now,” he added. Argentina had started the day outside the automatic qualifying positions, needing to secure their first win in Quito since 2001 to be certain of claiming at least a playoff place.
It looked as if Argentina’s worst fears were set to become a reality after Ibarra’s opening goal in the first minute. But it was not long before Messi stamped his authority on the game, hauling his team back into the contest with a composed opening goal.
The equaliser came in the 12th minute when Messi darted forward and quickly released Angel di Maria down the left. The Paris SaintGermain attacker duly returned the favour as Messi raced into the penalty area to poke home a low finish past Maximo Banguera.
Eight minutes later Messi fired Argentina into the lead with another virtuoso strike, lashing into the top corner.
Messi then completed his hat trick with a sublime chip in the 62nd minute to make it 3-1.
But while Argentina celebrated, it was a miserable night for Sampaoli’s former team Chile.
The Chileans — winners of the Copa America in 2015 and 2016 — were soundly beaten 3-0 by Brazil in Sao Paulo to see themselves eliminated on goal difference.
Barcelona’s Paulinho opened the scoring before Manchester City’s Gabriel Jesus bagged a brace to secure a win for already-qualified Brazil who relegated Chile to sixth place in the standings. The Chileans finished level on points with Peru, who secured a two-leg playoff against New Zealand, but trailed on goal difference.—
Messi doesn’t owe the World Cup to Argentina, football owes the World Cup to Messi Jorge Sampaoli
buenos aires — A nation exploded with relief on Tuesday as Lionel Messi single-handedly dragged his Argentina team into next year’s World Cup finals with a spellbinding hat trick in Quito.
“Messi is E.T. He’s from another planet. He’s not from this world,” Marco Mouras, a 28-year-old Brazilian said in a crowded Buenos Aires cafe as Argentinians around him went wild.
Messi gave the world a masterclass of what it would be missing if he didn’t go to Russia 2018, a distinct possibility when Argentina went a goal down inside the first minute of a match they had to win.
A graveyard silence descended in cafes and homes when Ecuador’s Romario Ibarra struck in the first minute of the game, casting a pall of gloom across Argentina as he scored.
It was proof for the doomsayers that this team was a lost cause. Argentinians had suffered too much during a lacklustre qualification series and this was the last straw.
But Messi burst through the gloom to equalise and then soon scored again to give Argentina the lead.
“2-1 was not enough. We couldn’t be calm,” said Lautaro Gonzalez, 35, celebrating after being put through an emotional wringer by his national team.
Beside him a disbelieving Maximiliano Lacasa proclaimed himself a devotee of “Saint Messi. Thank God we have him.”
Pride in the shirt was restored when Messi completed his hat-trick in the second half. It was time for Argentinians at home to believe again.
Pablo Ramos, 34, could hardly take it in. The team is still a misfiring mess going to the World Cup, he said, “so it’s all suffering.”
Even music yielded to Messi when Irish rockers U2 delayed their concert by almost two hours to allow fans in the La Plata stadium near Buenos Aires time to watch the match on giant screens. When they finally came on stage, they kicked off a giant party.
With seemingly everyone crowded around every available TV set, the streets of Buenos Aires were so empty it seemed like a curfew.
People wore the Argentine shirt in the build-up, but not many. The Argentine public had grown tired of believing in vain.
A win seemed a little too fanciful to most, exasperated by a series of under whelming performances by the national side.
Only a win would do in Quito, where Argentina hadn’t won since 2001. The nation held its breath.
Nobody here, or anywhere else, wanted to contemplate the unthinkable but very real prospect of Argentina losing.
That would mean next year’s World Cup in Russia would go ahead without Messi, arguably the world’s greatest player.
“It’s complicated, I want the team to be at the World Cup in Russia, but only a miracle can save them. I’m going to pray for them,” said Maria Cordoba, a 64-year-old optician.
Cometh the hour, cometh the man, and now Argentina will bask in the fact that the ‘Messiah’ will lead them to the World Cup finals.
Team coach Jorge Sampaoli said he had told his players: “Messi doesn’t owe the World Cup to Argentina, football owes the World Cup to Messi.”
“Messi is the best player in history and I’m really excited to be able to be in a group, close to him.”
The main concerns of most Argentinians is the economy and the loss of purchasing power, but the torments of the national team has relegated even that into the background.
The nation yearns for a return to the glory days of 1978 and 1986 when Argentina won the World Cup.
Over to you, Mr Messi. —