Football: Messi and Argentina beat France on penalties to win World Cup

Lionel Messi crowned his glittering career with victory in the World Cup on Sunday as Argentina beat France on penalties in a final for the ages, triumphing 4-2 after Kylian Mbappe's hat-trick ensured the game ended level following extra time.

Gonzalo Montiel rolled in the deciding penalty to give Argentina their third World Cup and prevent France becoming the first team in 60 years to retain the trophy.

But a truly remarkable game saw Messi and Mbappe both live up to their billing, with Messi scoring twice and Mbappe becoming the first player since England's Geoff Hurst in 1966 to net a World Cup final hat-trick in a game that ended 3-3 after extra time.

Messi had opened the scoring from the penalty spot midway through the first half before Angel Di Maria doubled Argentina's lead at the end of a brilliant counter-attack in the 36th minute.

But the astonishing Mbappe breathed life into the holders as he pulled one back from the penalty spot with 10 minutes to go before equalising in stunning fashion just 60 seconds later to force extra time.

Messi then seemed to have decided the contest in Argentina's favour once and for all when he converted a rebound in the 109th minute, only for Mbappe to net from another spot-kick, bringing the game level at 3-3 and forcing a shoot-out.

The third World Cup final penalty shoot-out started with Messi and Mbappe both scoring, but Kingsley Coman's next kick for France was saved and Aurelien Tchouameni then crucially missed the target.

It is the second time in five World Cups that France have lost the final on penalties after they were beaten by Italy in 2006, and it is Argentina who are champions for the first time since 1986.

The win allows Messi, at 35, to complete his glorious career by emulating Diego Maradona, and this will be remembered as his tournament despite the best efforts of Mbappe, who finished as the tournament's top scorer on eight goals, one more than his Paris Saint-Germain teammate Messi.

Mbappe hat-trick

France's quest for history had been threatened by a virus in the days leading up to the final and they appeared sluggish before Argentina went ahead.

France conceded a penalty for the fourth time this tournament when Di Maria was clipped by Ousmane Dembele, and Messi stepped up to score from the spot for the fourth time in Qatar, his 12th World Cup goal allowing him to equal Pele's tally.

The expected response from the defending champions was not forthcoming and Argentina increased their lead in the 36th minute.

Messi and Julian Alvarez combined to release Alexis Mac Allister bursting through the middle, and he played a first-time ball to the back post for Di Maria to finish.

Having hardly featured in the knockout rounds due to injury, Di Maria had returned here and appeared tearful as he celebrated his goal, which was a World Cup final classic.

France had not even mustered a shot and Deschamps moved before the interval to replace Olivier Giroud and the struggling Dembele.

On came Randal Kolo Muani and Marcus Thuram, as Mbappe moved into the middle of the attack.

Argentina blow two-goal lead

Argentina had famously blown a two-goal lead before eventually emerging victorious in their last World Cup final triumph 36 years ago, but there appeared little prospect of a repeat of that scenario.

However, the French were suddenly given hope when they won a penalty 10 minutes from time as Kolo Muani was brought down by Nicolas Otamendi.

Mbappe smashed the spot-kick into the net and the watching French President Emmanuel Macron rose to his feet. France had hope, and within another minute they were level.

Messi was robbed of possession by Coman in the lead-up, before Mbappe found Thuram and then met his partner's knockdown with a stunning volley.

It will go down as one of the most dramatic moments in World Cup history, and the French players on the bench raced across the pitch to celebrate with their teammate.

Argentina, who lost the 2014 final in extra time, looked shattered, and yet it seemed again that they had won it when Messi followed up to score early in the second extra period after Lautaro Martinez's shot was saved.

But France were again saved by Mbappe as he converted another penalty following a Montiel handball.

It was end to end, and Argentina needed a brilliant Martinez save from Kolo Muani to take it to penalties and Montiel's kick proved decisive to spark wild Argentinians celebrations.

Agence France-Presse

Football: Messi, Argentina land in Qatar after 5-0 World Cup warm-up win

DOHA, Qatar -- Argentina and superstar Lionel Messi arrived in Qatar for the World Cup early on Thursday, just hours after a 5-0 warm-up victory, while defending champions France have also touched down in Doha.

Messi, 35, has a sackful of trophies but the tournament in Qatar is likely to be his final chance to equal the achievement of fellow Argentine great Diego Maradona in leading his country to World Cup glory.

He landed with the Argentina squad in the Qatari capital Doha at 2:30am (2330 GMT, Wednesday) from Abu Dhabi where they had beaten the United Arab Emirates 5-0 Wednesday in a friendly in which Messi scored.

One of the favourites going into this year's World Cup, the South Americans will begin their campaign on Tuesday against Saudi Arabia in Group C, which also includes Mexico and Poland. 

The 1978 and 1986 World Cup winners extended their unbeaten run to 36 matches as Messi scored his 91st international goal.

Messi was cautious about the team's chances in Qatar, even though they are among the favourites.

"We have a very nice group that is very eager, but we think about going little by little. We know that World Cup groups are not easy," the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner said in an interview with CONMEBOL, the South American football federation.

- Champions arrive -

France arrived in Doha on Wednesday, seeking to become the first team to retain the World Cup since Brazil in 1962.

Ten members of the 2018 title-winning squad are in the squad, including captain Hugo Lloris, Kylian Mbappe and Antoine Griezmann.

But the defending champions, grouped with Australia, Denmark and Tunisia, are without first-choice midfield pair Paul Pogba and N'Golo Kante.

Ballon d'Or winner Karim Benzema, who has missed a series of games for Real Madrid this season because of injury, is set for his first World Cup appearance since 2014.

The United States return to football's top table after an eight-year absence and Christian Pulisic says this World Cup is an opportunity to change global perceptions of American soccer.

"That's what we're here to do," Pulisic told AFP. "Maybe it hasn't been the top sport or whatever back in the States. 

"But we want to change the way that the world sees American soccer. That's one of our goals."

The build-up to the tournament in Qatar has been dominated by concerns over Qatar's treatment of migrant workers, women and the LGBTQ community.

Pleas from football's world governing body FIFA for a switch of focus to football have gone unheeded by some countries.

Netherlands coach Louis van Gaal said on Wednesday supporters boycotting the tournament were "right to do that" but hoped his team would do enough to persuade fans at home to follow them from afar.

"I hope that we play so fantastic that at the end of the tournament when we play the final they shall look on television and see how good we are."

The veteran coach hit out at FIFA earlier this year, calling its decision to award Qatar the World Cup "ridiculous".

"I think you have to play in football countries. (They have) more experience with everything," he said on Wednesday.

- 'Fake fans' row -

England supporters from India outnumbered fans from England nearly 10 to one as Gareth Southgate's team rolled into their World Cup base on Tuesday.

The supporters said they were angered by reports in the British and French media that they were "fake fans".

Sajidh, 29, said Indian football fans in Qatar had been "outraged" by reports suggesting they had been paid to wear the shirts of World Cup nations.

"It is purely fake news and I would like to say loud and clear that none of us have been paid in any way," added Sajidh, who gave only one name.

"We are diehard England fans."

World Cup organisers weighed in on the issue on Wednesday, saying supporters from across the world had contributed to the local atmosphere.

"Numerous journalists and commentators on social media have questioned whether these are 'real' fans," they said in a statement. 

"We thoroughly reject these assertions, which are both disappointing and unsurprising."

Agence France-Presse

FIBA will look to ease travel burdens at 2023 World Cup

BEIJING — FIBA will look at adjusting travel demands on teams at the next World Cup, after this tournament in China led to many complaints about the distances that nations participating in the knockout stages had to cover without much time to prepare for games.

Some teams faced major travel challenges at the tournament’s most crucial time. And multiple nations argued that the semifinal-game winners — Spain and Argentina — benefited from having two days off before those matchups, while semifinal losers Australia and France had only one day.

FIBA contended that playing a tournament-record 92 games in 16 days across eight cities meant some logistical headaches were inevitable. And with the next World Cup in 2023 set to be spread out over three countries — Indonesia, Japan and the Philippines — more challenges are likely then as well.

“After having experienced it, on paper sometimes it looks perfect,” FIBA Secretary General Andreas Zagklis said. “Then you see the imperfect aspects of it. These are the things we’re ready to improve in the future.”

Serbia coach Sasha Djordjevic, who resigned from his national team on Saturday, said the rest factor should be equal going forward. He also thought cramming so many games into such a short time span affected the quality of play as the tournament went along.

“Give the same conditions to all the competitors to have the same rest days, the same conditions to compete,” Djordjevic said. “After 15 days of games and games and game, and back to back … you need that rest to give your best basketball.”


In other matters addressed by Zagklis on Sunday:

USA STRUGGLE

Zagklis was asked his reaction to many top NBA players not making the trip to China for the World Cup, which is one of the reasons why the U.S. — which had won the last two titles at the event — finished only seventh in China, its lowest finish ever at a World Cup or Olympic event.

“It’s not our job to put together the roster of any of the 32 teams,” Zagklis said. “We set the stage, the conditions for all the teams and then each national federation has its own way of approaching the players and having them commit to play for the national team.”

Zagklis also said many nations, with the exception of the U.S. and Canada, brought most of their top NBA players.


BOGUT PROBE

Australia center Andrew Bogut complained loudly and profanely after his team’s semifinal loss to Spain, calling FIBA a “disgrace” and alleging that a call late in regulation against the Boomers cheated them of a spot in the gold-medal game.

Australia lost to Spain in double overtime. Bogut played in Sunday’s bronze-medal game, which Australia lost to France, but FIBA will still complete an inquiry into what he said and may take disciplinary action.

“We do have a very specific set of regulations and a set of principles,” Zagklis said. “Where these lines are crossed, we have a disciplinary procedure and in this case there will be a disciplinary procedure.”

OLYMPIC QUALIFYING

There will be 24 teams competing next year for the last four available spots in the men’s basketball tournament at the 2020 Tokyo Olympics. The U.S., Spain, France, Argentina, Nigeria, Iran, Australia and the host Japanese have already grabbed eight of the 12 slots in the field.

Zagklis said FIBA doesn’t plan to take long before announcing dates and sites for the four six-team tournaments that will decide those spots. The winner of each of those tournaments qualify for Tokyo.

Interested nations will have the right to bid to host one of the qualifiers, and will have to pay a hosting fee if selected.

Zagklis said the tournaments will take place on multiple continents, since both FIBA and the International Olympic Committee want the game exposed to as many parts of the world as possible.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Age-defying Luis Scola propels Argentina towards World Cup glory

Luis Scola is 39, his hair has more than a few streaks of grey and at the Basketball World Cup in China he has shared the court with rivals half his age.

But Argentina’s evergreen captain is playing a big part in the country’s bid to win the world crown for the first time since the inaugural edition in 1950.

He was named player of the game in Sunday’s 91-65 victory over Poland, drilling 21 points to propel Argentina into a quarter-final showdown with title-contenders Serbia on Tuesday.

The forward was also named best player against Nigeria for registering a double-double, scoring 23 points and 10 rebounds.

The last member of Argentina’s so-called “Golden Generation” who won the Olympics in 2004, Scola has won every major trophy in international basketball, except the World Cup.

“What age are you talking about, I’m 28, right?” he joked after Argentina swatted aside Venezuela in the second round.

Speaking in an unmistakably American accent, a product of spending a decade in the NBA up until 2017, Scola added: “I understand everybody talking about my age, but my brain does not function that way.

“I am not going to the court and thinking, oh my god, I’m older than these guys, or, oh my god, these guys are five, 10, 15 years younger than me.

“To me, it’s natural.

“I just think that I’m a player, I am a good player and I’m going to make good plays and help my team win.”

‘No goodbye tour’

However much he tries to avoid it, talk about his age and how much longer he can plod on for is never far away.


Scola, who spent the last two seasons in Chinese basketball, is featuring in a record-equalling fifth World Cup.

Last week he reached another milestone when his heroics against Nigeria moved him up to second on the FIBA World Cup all-time scoring list, trailing only the legendary Brazilian Oscar Schmidt.

If that was a proud moment, there is the growing prospect that Argentina could be in for a shout of at least a medal, although Serbia will present a mighty challenge despite losing to Spain on Sunday.

That same day, Scola shared the court with the youngest player in the tournament, Poland’s 18-year-old Aleksander “Olek” Balcerowski.

Scola had said that what happens at the World Cup will dictate if he would carry on for the 2020 Tokyo Olympics.

Doing so would have a nice symmetry because he is the only remaining member of the Argentina team that stunned the USA on the way to Olympic gold at Athens 2004.

He was also in the team which won silver at the 2002 World Cup.

Asked what it was like to now be the grandfather of a team whose average age is 27, younger than most other rosters at the World Cup, Scola replied: “This is not like a tour or a goodbye week.

“This is a world championship and we are trying to go all the way to the medals.

“We don’t do maths with the ages.”

source: sports.inquirer.net

Messi begins bid for 1st World Cup title against Iceland

MOSCOW — Lionel Messi takes the field for the first time in this year’s World Cup on Saturday when Argentina opens group play against Iceland, the smallest nation to ever play in the tournament.

The superstar forward goes into the World Cup under enormous pressure to finally win a major international title. Critics of the Barcelona forward believe that void takes him out of the debate as the best player in the history of the game.

Messi is playing in his fourth World Cup and came close to the title in 2014. Although he was named player of the tournament, Argentina lost to Germany 1-0 in the final. Messi took Argentina only to the quarterfinals in his first two World Cup appearances.


He turns 31 on June 24 during the group stage, and this could be Messi’s final shot at a World Cup title.

Messi will be the headliner of the Group D match at Spartak Stadium in Moscow, but Iceland could have strong fan support after its improbable run to the quarterfinals of the 2016 European Championship. Iceland coach Heimir Hallgrimsson does not mind being the darling of the tournament in its World Cup debut and only second major tournament.

Slovakia in 2010 was the last first-time World Cup team to make it to the knockout stage of the tournament and Iceland believes it can make a run, as well. Captain Aron Gunnarsson, who sports a long red beard and plays the role of a Viking warrior, leads the postgame, slow-building clapping exchange between the team and fans that is Iceland’s trademark and should energize the crowd.

The game is at 4 p.m. local time (9 a.m. Eastern).

source: sports.inquirer.net

No Messi in Argentina squad for Rio Olympics

Argentina coach Gerardo Martino on Thursday named part of his squad for the Rio Olympics but superstar Lionel Messi was not included after being chosen for the Copa America instead.

The full list of 22 will be revealed in the coming days but not before Sunday’s final of the Copa, where Argentina take on holders Chile.

Messi’s exclusion was expected. He won gold at the Beijing Olympics in 2008 but Martino had already decided that the Barcelona star would not compete at both the Copa and the Olympics in August.

Nine players were named in the squad on Thursday.

They were Giovani Lo Celso (Rosario Central), Geronimo Rulli (Real Sociedad), Angel Correa (Atletico Madrid), Emmanuel Mammana (River Plate), Jonathan Silva (Boca Juniors), José Luis Gomez (Lanus), Mauricio Martinez (Union), Leandro Paredes (Empoli) and Cristian Espinoza (Huracan).

Argentina were Olympic champions in 2004 and 2008 and will be favourites in Rio.

They are in Group D of the competition along with Portugal, Algeria and Honduras.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Hot stuff Nadal into Argentina Open semi-finals

Top seed and defending champion Rafael Nadal reached the Argentina Open semi-finals Friday, braving temperatures of 33 degrees to clinch a 7-6 (7/3), 6-2 win over Italian journeyman Paolo Lorenzi.

Nadal, the world number five, is back on his favorite clay court surface and is playing his first event since his shock opening round loss to compatriot Fernando Verdasco at the Australian Open last month.

He had seen off close friend Juan Monaco of Argentina in Thursday’s first round but faced a slightly tougher test Friday when 34-year-old Lorenzi, the world 52, clawed his way back from a 4-1 first set deficit.

But 29-year-old Nadal clinched victory on his first match point after one hour and 51 minutes on court.

It was the Spaniard’s 346th win on clay as he remains on track to claim a 48th career title on the surface which has brought him his greatest success.

Nadal will now face Austria’s world number 19 Dominic Thiem on Saturday for a place in the final.

Thiem, the fifth seed, defeated Serbia’s Dusan Lajovic 6-4, 6-2 in his quarter-final.

Thiem, the youngest player in the Top 20 at 22-years-old, lost to Nadal in their only previous meeting in straight sets at the 2014 French Open.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Messi scores 2 goals, Argentina thrashes Hong Kong

HONG KONG — Lionel Messi needed just six minutes to make his mark in Argentina’s 7-0 rout of Hong Kong in a friendly at Hong Kong Stadium on Tuesday.

The Barcelona star Messi scored twice after going on as a substitute for the last 30 minutes of the game to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Hong Kong Football Association. 



Napoli striker Gonzalo Higuain and Benfica’s Nicolas Gaitan also scored two goals each after Sevilla’s Ever Banega had opened scoring in the 19th minute.

Argentina started the match with many of its stars, including Messi and English Premier League players Angel Di Maria, Sergio Aguero and Pablo Zabaleta all on the bench.

But it hardly made a difference as the Argentina attack shredded the hapless Hong Kong defense, showing no ill effects from the loss to Brazil in smog-ridden Beijing three nights earlier.

“The match against Brazil was important and it gave us some questions which we will need to answer in the future. But tonight the teams are on a different level and we played the way we are supposed to,” Argentina coach Gerardo Martino.

Messi thrilled the 20,000-strong crowd six minutes after entering the game when he figured in a sublime one-two before neatly chipping the ball over Hong Kong goalkeeper Yapp Hung-fai.

The Argentine captain then turned provider when he threaded the ball between two defenders for Gaitan to tap in. He scored again after beating three defenders before hammering home a low shot.

Even the appearance of a Chinese fan on the pitch failed to ruffle Messi. The man, wearing an Argentine shirt, ran straight toward Messi holding out a pen. Messi coolly accepted the pen and signed the shirt before the fan was pounced on by security guards who marched him away.

The football centenary celebrations happened against a background of civil unrest in Hong Kong, where pro-democracy activists clashed with police and barricaded a tunnel near the government headquarters late Tuesday, expanding their protest zone again after being cleared out of some other streets in the latest escalation of tensions.

The student-led protesters are now in their third week of occupying key roads and streets in Hong Kong’s business district.

source: sports.inquirer.net

Germany beats Argentina 1-0 to win World Cup

RIO DE JANEIRO — Mario Goetze produced the piece of individual skill that Lionel Messi couldn’t muster.

With two quick, deft touches, Goetze ended Germany’s 24-year wait for another World Cup title with an extra-time winner against Argentina on Sunday — denying Messi the one title he needs to forever take his place among the game’s all-time greats.

It was the moment of brilliance that ensured Germany’s 1-0 victory in a tight and tense final.

Goetze, who wasn’t born when West Germany beat Argentina in the 1990 final, controlled a cross with his chest in the 113th minute and in one fluid motion volleyed the ball past goalkeeper Sergio Romero and inside the far post from five yards out.

It delivered Germany its fourth World Cup title, equal second with Italy on the list of all-time champions and just behind Brazil’s five.

“It’s an unbelievable feeling. I don’t know how to describe it. You just shoot that goal in, you don’t really know what’s happening,” Goetze said. “And then at the end of the match, having a party with the team, the whole country … it is for us, a dream come true.”

At the final whistle, German players fell into a pile in a mid-pitch celebration. Messi walked past them with his hands on his hips — still in the shadow of his compatriot Diego Maradona, who led his country to the 1986 title.

The 22-year-old Goetze went on as a substitute for Miroslav Klose near the end of regulation time and his fresh legs made the difference.

Andre Schuerrle broke down the left flank, sending his cross into the area, and the Bayern Munich midfielder did the rest with a clinical finish. The goal echoed that of Andres Iniesta four years ago, when the midfielder scored in similar fashion but from the other side of the area to give Spain a 1-0 extra-time win over the Netherlands.

It went entirely to script, according to Germany coach Joachim Loew.

“I said to Mario Goetze, ‘OK, show to the world that you’re better than Messi and you can decide the World Cup. You have all the possibilities to do that,’” Loew said. “I had a good feeling with him.”

Germany became the first European team to win a World Cup in the Americas, and the victory ends a string of near misses since winning its last major title at the 1996 European Championship. The team lost the 2002 World Cup final to Brazil, the Euro 2008 final to Spain and was eliminated in the semifinals in both 2006 and 2010.

Argentina had not been back in the final since that 1990 loss, and has now been beaten by Germany in the last three World Cups.

“This was our chance, and we felt that way. We couldn’t do it. We have to lift our heads and suffer the pain,” Argentina midfielder Javier Mascherano said. “Obviously, the pain is tremendous.”

It is Germany’s first World Cup title as a unified nation, having won as West Germany in 1954, 1974 and 1990.

The Germans faced Argentina in both the 1986 and 1990 finals, during Maradona’s heyday. This time, they were up against Messi, the four-time world player of the year who has set a slew of scoring records in leading Barcelona to every major club title and is widely considered the best player since Maradona.

But in the biggest game of his career, Messi came up short.

He had one good chance to score when he was sent free in the area just after the halftime break, but sent his shot wide. It was a difficult angle, but still the type of chance he so often converts for Barcelona.

Messi threatened intermittently throughout the match, but was effectively smothered by the German defense. His free kick in the 120th minute went well high.

Messi, who scored four goals in the group stage but none in the knockout rounds, then had to trudge alone up the stairs of the Maracana Stadium to accept the Golden Ball award for the tournament’s best player, shaking hands with German Chancellor Angela Merkel along the way.

“At this moment I don’t care about this prize — only lifting the trophy matters,” Messi said. “I’m hurt for losing the way we did. … I think we deserved a little better, we had chances. As well as they controlled the ball, we still had the clearest chances.” After Messi received his award, the German team made its way up the stairs for captain Philipp Lahm to raise the hallowed 18-carat gold trophy.

Until Goetze’s winning goal, the game was more notable for top-class defending than creative attacking, but both teams had their share of chances.

Gonzalo Higuain fired wide when gifted a chance in a one-on-one with goalkeeper Manuel Neuer, and later had a goal ruled out for offside.

Germany defender Benedikt Hoewedes hit the post just before halftime with a header.

Germany had entered the game as the favorite after its 7-1 semifinal drubbing of Brazil. But Argentina proved to be an entirely different proposition.

“I’m very proud of the team. They played a great game against a great team,” Argentina coach Alejandro Sabella said. “I salute the players, they made the country proud.”

After Germany’s last win in 1990, then-coach Franz Beckenbauer predicted that a unified Germany would be “unbeatable” in the future. It took 24 years to prove him right but with young players like Goetze, the next wait may not be as long.

“We, I think, deserve this trophy,” Goetze said.

___

Lineups:

Germany: Manuel Neuer; Philipp Lahm, Mats Hummels, Jerome Boateng, Benedikt Hoewedes; Christoph Kramer (Andre Schuerrle, 31), Bastian Schweinsteiger, Toni Kroos, Mesut Ozil (Per Mertesacker, 120), Thomas Mueller; Miroslav Klose (Mario Goetze, 88).

Argentina: Sergio Romero; Pablo Zabaleta, Martin Demichelis, Ezequiel Garay, Marcos Rojo; Lucas Biglia, Javier Mascherano, Enzo Perez (Fernando Gago, 86); Ezequiel Lavezzi (Sergio Aguero, 46), Gonzalo Higuain (Rodrigo Palacio, 78), Lionel Messi.

source: sports.inquirer.net

5 reasons why Messi stands out in football world

RIO DE JANEIRO — A four-time world player of the year, Argentina’s Lionel Messi is gifted with talents that most footballers can only dream of. What makes him special is that he possesses not just one or two but a combination of special skills that give him an edge over just about everyone.

Although he hasn’t played brilliantly in every game of this World Cup, Messi’s talents have been on display on Argentina’s road to Sunday’s final against Germany. Here are five traits that explain what makes the Argentina captain so difficult to stop. 


SPEED

There are plenty of players who could outrun Messi in a 100-meter dash. But running with the ball is a different story. Messi can control the ball at close to top speed, making him an excellent dribbler. Also, it’s his acceleration rather than his top speed that cuts up defenses. Few defenders can keep up when Messi revs up from standstill, creating space for his left-foot shot.

BALANCE

Like former Argentina great Diego Maradona, Messi uses his short stature to his advantage. His low center of gravity enables him to make quick turns and to stay on his feet when challenged. Often, the only way to knock him off balance is to foul him. Defenders at the World Cup have been taking turns tackling Messi to spread the risk of getting booked around the team.

ACCURACY

Messi is one of the world’s top free-kick takers, striking the ball with impressive accuracy with his magic left foot. Almost always he hits the target or just misses it — you rarely see Messi blast a free kick five meters over the crossbar. In Argentina’s final group-stage match, Nigeria gave Messi two free kick opportunities near the penalty area toward the end of the first half. He elegantly curled the first one over the wall, but goalkeeper Vincent Enyeama was well-positioned and stopped it. By the second free kick, Messi had fine-tuned his aim, and struck the ball perfectly inside the post. Enyeama jokingly asked the referees during the break to not give Messi any more free kicks.

PATIENCE

Patience is a perhaps and underrated virtue for a football player, and it’s one that has served Messi well in the World Cup. Every opponent has come with a plan to stop him, by closing down his space and tackling him as soon as he touches the ball. As a result Messi has looked out of the game for long periods. But instead of hanging his head and getting frustrated, Messi keeps looking for openings, patiently awaiting a moment when defenders take their focus off him for just a split second. That’s when he strikes. Against Iran, that moment came in injury time when he scored his second goal of the tournament. Against Switzerland, it happened in extra time as he set up Angel Di Maria’s winning goal with a piercing run down the middle.

INTELLIGENCE

Messi also stands out for his ability to read the game, mapping out paths to the opponent’s goal in his mind before the opponent does. That’s key to understanding why he’s such a prolific scorer. Knowing by instinct where a gap will open up for a quick pass or shot gives him an advantage over others, though it can also complicate things for the team. Sometimes Messi lets chances slip away by being too smart for his Argentina teammates, who aren’t in sync with him to the same degree as Andres Iniesta and Xavi Hernandez in Barcelona.

source: sports.inquirer.net