Pretty unbelievable that journo filed this day(s) ago, and it got published this morning... Imagine if Argentina had lost today... #1520922

Leo Messi at 39 spends most of the game either walking or standing still, while his Argentine teammates patiently exchange short passes, waiting for his signal. When he breaks into a run, it means he sees an impending goal and wants the ball. Against Cape Verde last Friday in Messi’s new hometown of Miami, centre-back Lisandro Martínez delivered it from 40 yards. For any other footballer, the ball arriving overhead would have been a quarter chance at best. For Messi it was routine: one touch to control, another to flick it over the keeper Vozinha for his seventh goal in four games this tournament.

Yeah, was an unbelievable goal. "!ÞESSI MAÐUR" screamed the Icelandic commentator today when he scored. Can't even count them out.

Argentina aim to be the first world champions to retain the title since Brazil in 1962. They have the easiest path to the final, starting with the round of 16 game against Egypt in Atlanta on July 7.

...didn't turn out to be so easy, huh.

Apparently he's a god, on and off the pitch

Today, he plays without pressure, with nothing left to prove. He says, “God gave me too much, now everything is just to enjoy.” The World Cup is his tournament. He dominates its record books, including most goals (20), assists, chances created and minutes played. Almost every Argentina fan in Miami had “Messi” on the back of their shirt.

Every team has a 'Messi' strategy

Controlled possession is Argentina's game now

Every team he joins plays around him. Having an asset like him, that makes perfect sense.

And so Argentina weave intricate passes in midfield, hardly ever attempting crosses or quick counter-attacks. Messi wanders where he likes, sometimes dropping back to make play, sometimes loitering at outside-right, always aiming to end up just outside the penalty area. That’s where Argentina’s attacks are directed. Players on the wings function chiefly as decoys, luring opponents away from Messi’s hunting ground in the centre.

lol, decoys.

Yet Argentina struggled mightily to beat tiny Cape Verde 3-2. Their “Messidependencia” is extreme. Playing without pace is a weakness. They defend poorly, barely ever pressing, and seldom even putting pressure on opponents with the ball. If a 39-year-old can win them another World Cup, it might be the most remarkable individual feat in the tournament’s history.

archive: https://archive.md/O8KrP