The Argentina No. 10 may still go down as
the finest player in history but there can
surely be no denying that three final
defeats in as many years is a significant
disappointment
EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J. -- Lionel Messi
may well go down as the greatest player of
all time, if he is not regarded as such
already, but there is no doubt that calling
time on his Argentina career an hour after
losing his third final in three years can
only be regarded as a stain on his legacy.
Not so much the act of retiring itself - and
he may yet go back on the decision in the
cold light of day - but the fact that he
could not inspire his team-mates to
victory in three attempts. It may sound like
unreasonable expectation but we are
talking about the pantheon of greats, of
World Cup winners like Diego Maradona
and Pele. This is the standard that Messi
has set himself.
Of course, defeat here in New Jersey,
or those in the past two years, cannot be
pinned squarely on his shoulders, just as
all of Argentina’s victories cannot be put
down to the magical No. 10, having failed to recreate
his fine form this summer over 120
minutes, is no doubt a major blot on a
usually exquisitely kept copybook.
Stepping up to take his country’s first
spot kick, after Arturo Vidal had already
missed Chile’s opener, the Barcelona
legend had an opportunity to give his side
a decisive lead, both on the scoreboard
and in the minds of the other 21 men on
the pitch. But he blazed the ball high over
the crossbar and into the stands. If
Argentina was to win from here, the
team would have to do it, for once and no
matter how implausibly, despite Messi.
They could not. Lucas Biglia’s effort was
saved by Claudio Bravo, leaving Francisco
Silva to rattle home the winner in repeat
scenes of last year’s final.
It condemned Argentina to utter
desolation. The players collapsed to the
floor, almost as one. Messi just about
managed to keep his emotions in check in
2014 and 2015 but could not here. He
burst into tears. He said after the match
that his decision to retire had already been
made. Perhaps he knew right there and
then.
Can any sportsman, amateur or
professional, consider such relentless
heartache? Losing three finals in as many
years has never been done. This is an
historic tragedy for Argentina, whose 23-
year wait for a major honor goes on. This
golden generation has come so close, but
has failed each time. It appears Messi will
now never win a title with his country.
Once again Argentina can look back and
wonder where they would be if Gonzalo
Higuain could finish his chances in a
major final. Two years ago in Brazil he
hooked a gilt-edged chance wide of the
post in a tight game that Germany would
go on to win in extra-time. Last year he
fired into the side netting from a
narrowing angle in the Copa final against
Chile, and then missed his penalty in
the shootout. Here, he was lamentable
again. Set through on goal after Gary
Medel switched off, the Napoli striker took
forever to decide what to do and then sent
a tame chip wide of the post.
That was by far the best chance of the
match. Had he scored just one of these
efforts in the last three years, Messi may
have already sewn up the debate about his
legacy, and where he stands compared to
Maradona and Pele. But once again the
supporting cast let him down.
His close friend, Sergio Aguero, who
replaced the disappointing Higuain, would
then uncharacteristically lash a great
opportunity over the bar himself. It was a
night for cool heads but few were up to
the task. Indeed, two saw red in a first half
dominated by elaborate referee Heber
Lopes, a Brazilian, who booked Messi and
two others, gave Alexis Sanchez an
absolute dressing down and even blew the
halftime whistle with enthusiastic jolts of
the neck muscles. Thankfully he toned it
down after the break. Not that the game
opened up too much.
That was thanks in no small part to
Chile’s aggressive approach. Messi spent
the 120 minutes with at least two markers
around him, usually three, sometimes as
many as five.
For the most part he battled valiantly
against them, beating the majority before
being either crowded out or fouled. Indeed
the tactic looked like it might be Chile’s
undoing when Marcelo Diaz received two
bookings, both for fouls on the No. 10,
within the first 29 minutes. The tenacious
midfielder was sent off and it appeared to
be an uphill battle for Juan Antonio
Pizzi’s men, but they stuck to their task,
and were helped when Marcos Rojo was
sent from the field just before halftime.
In the buildup to the match, Pizzi hailed
Messi as the most transcendental
footballer in history, and it’s hard to
argue. No player has captured the
imagination of neutrals so successfully as
Messi, especially in this era of Vines,
memes and instant Twitter reactions. Fans
around the world gather round to watch
his biggest matches, for club and country,
urging him to surpass his exceptionally
high standards. When he does, the
collective joy is unmatched.
There would have been that collective
desire to see him cement his legacy with a
victory here. It would have been cathartic
for many football fans who watched on
disappointed as Argentina faltered against
Germany and Chile.
The majority of the 82,000 people who
came to MetLife stadium, mostly
Argentines and many neutrals, came to see
something special. They were well within
their rights to expect it, too, given how
he’s played in this competition so far. The
U.S. fans have wanted more and more
from him this summer and he has
delivered without fail. The 19-minute
hat trick against Panama, tying
Argentina’s all-time scoring record in the
quarterfinal, surpassing it with an
exceptional free kick in the semis.
Everybody knows Chile’s merits but Messi,
surely, was playing too well to be shackled
all night. He was.
He had a chance to win it, for Argentina
and for those dedicated neutrals, in the
final minute of normal time, but fired just
wide of the post following another dart
into enemy territory.
Sergio Romero saved from Eduardo Vargas
and Bravo denied Aguero in extra-time and
to penalties it went.
Faced with the opportunity to end 23 years
of hurt for his country, and maybe seal his
legacy as the greatest, Messi, the captain,
stepped up. That he only found one of the
rows behind the goal cannot be glossed
over. This was an uncharacteristic failure,
but a failure all the same.
He had done enough in previous matches
this summer to be crowned player of the
tournament, especially given the lack of
serious competition, but was somehow
spurned in favor of Alexis in the post-
match awards ceremony. Even claiming
that award, though, would not have been
enough to cover this great disappointment.
Even if you are not of the opinion that
Messi needs to win an international trophy
to match Maradona and Pele, there can
surely be no denying that a failure to
secure one winners medal in three
attempts is not good enough, when the
topic of conversation is the greatest of all
time. These are the highest of standards.
Messi may be better than any other
footballer ever, he may unite fans across
the world like no other in any sport, but
this may be the lowest point in his career,
and if he does indeed retire he will never
be able to put things right. His tears said
it all.

Ndo nwa'm

Ronaldo may never win the world cup or Euros, buh he'll never quit prematurely.

That's a matured and COMPLETE footballer

God bless ORORO! !!!

q

I don't like the word stain like it's something immoral that he did. His legacy is in tact and clear for all to see. This is just another twist in the messi super hero story. Watch out for the next series of the boy magician from Rosario.lol