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Messi
Messi’s magic in America
The flick of the cheek to pass to a teammate and then cushion the ball to score in the win over New York Red Bulls is another testament to Lionel Messi’s magic.
Like so many other goals in his illustrious career, Messi’s first goal in the MLS on August 27 will be much remembered. It was not a masterpiece of a free kick into the high corner, not a solo move through the entire opponent’s defense, or a strong left foot cut from outside the box.
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Messi just did what he usually does on the field: making seemingly difficult things look easy. This is the quality that makes the 1.7 m tall player special.
The Athletic commented: “Players like Diego Maradona, Pele or Cristiano Ronaldo all share a level of greatness that makes them among the all-time greats. But no other player in history football – perhaps apart from Zinedine Zidane – makes football as simple as Messi”.
And coach Gerardo Martino said after Messi contributed a double assist to help Inter Miami defeat Cincinnati in the US National Cup semi-finals on August 23: “Messi normalizes situations that are very difficult to do, and now they We consider those to be very normal football plays.”
Messi celebrates scoring the 2-0 score against New York Red Bulls on August 27
Last weekend, the Red Bull Arena in Harrison, New Jersey was the stage for another brilliant moment for Messi. On his MLS introduction day, the 36-year-old star was a substitute and then entered the field in the 60th minute, when Inter Miami was leading 1-0. Messi, teammate and close friend Sergio Busquets this match were given a break by Martino after playing eight consecutive matches in just one month at the club.
Messi stayed in the locker room and did not warm up with the main squad before the match. He calmly walked out and sat next to Busquets on Inter Miami’s bench before kickoff. In the second half, the record-breaking crowd at Red Bull Arena chanted “We want Messi”, the owner of seven Golden Balls came out to the warm-up area, sprinting lightly with the remaining reserve players. . Not long after, he entered the field and was warmly welcomed.
The crowd wearing pink Inter Miami and Argentina team shirts applauded every time Messi touched the ball in the final half hour of the match. They happily did it even with his simple one-step parries.
As Inter Miami’s rookie superstar walked toward the touchline to take a throw-in, the crowd on the other side of the field greeted him with cheers and the click of cell phone cameras. Messi holds the ball above his head and looks over the field, then lets his teammates throw in. On Instagram, Argentina’s online sports magazine – El Gráfico — joked: “We seem to have just witnessed the greatest throw-in of all time.”
This exaggeration is not new as Messi is the subject of any type of analysis. He has fascinated fans and pundits for over 20 years. But that did not stop the praise, when Messi created another moment of admiration, in the 89th minute.
After Messi cushioned the empty net, analyst Taylor Twellman of Apple TV exclaimed: “This is one of the most absurd passes I have ever seen. Messi performed at the top of the Leagues Cup, and for 35 minutes tonight , he brought New York City one of the most beautiful goals you will ever see.”
Messi combined with Cresmachi and scored against New York Red Bulls in the 89th minute of the match on August 27.
Is Messi’s inch-perfect pass into an empty net one of the best goals of all time? This will be a never-ending debate based on subjectivity, like choosing between Messi or Cristiano Ronaldo to see who is GOAT – short for “Greatest Of All Time”, a term referring to the Best Player all time.
In this case, Messi made a similar incredible pass nine months ago at Lusail Stadium in Doha, Qatar, in the 2022 World Cup quarter-finals between Argentina and the Netherlands. The Argentina captain’s no-look pass penetrated the six-man Dutch defense to allow Nahuel Molina to escape to open the score. How does Messi see Molina? Did Messi see his teammates, or was it just a risky pass?
“I saw Molina,” Messi told TV Pública Argentina in June. “I actually saw Molina move and understood that in that situation the ball usually goes out to the sideline. I don’t remember who was in front of me, but I thought I had a chance to get the ball to Molina’s position because the entire Dutch defense was expecting something else.”
Coach Lionel Scaloni also just talked about that moment at an event in Miami. “That is a pass that only Messi can do,” the Argentina coach emphasized. “Messi knows Molina is there, and Molina knows he has to keep moving to wait for the ball.”
Messi passed without looking for Molina to score.
Nor did anyone expect what Messi did in the New York Red Bulls penalty area, or at least the home defenders. The Argentine star seems to have the ability to imagine the ball in his head, but this is not an ability only Messi has. Many top stars in other sports also have the ability to predict and see what others don’t. But Messi is undoubtedly one of the best in this regard ever, with his vision and vision – as analyst Twellman puts it – “very absurd”.
Before the New York Red Bulls last weekend, everything started with Busquets’ slightly strong ball, forcing Jordi Alba to try to save the ball with a pass to direct the ball to Messi. Like the time at Barca, most of the passes from Alba to Messi, the ball seems to have a magnetic attraction to the left shoe of the Argentine star. “Alba always bounces back at Messi, as if they’ve been practicing it all their lives. It’s special to see that,” Inter Miami defender Kamal Miller said after the game.
Knowing New York Red Bulls midfielder Peter Stroud approached, Messi immediately turned the ball to open the space in the penalty area. The Inter Miami captain knew he didn’t have the momentum to dribble against four New York Red Bulls players, and pushed the ball lightly to lure them forward.
Stroud and New York Red Bulls midfielder Andres Reyes both fell into Messi’s trap, putting their feet forward to close in on the opponent. At that time, defensive midfielder Daniel Edelman also stepped back to follow Inter Miami striker Robbie Robinson – who was calling the ball outside the penalty area. Reyes’ teammate, Sean Nealis, was also nearby, ready to scramble if the ball was passed to Robinson or Inter Miami right-back DeAndre Yedlin.
But again, Messi has other plans. Inter Miami’s 18-year-old midfielder Benjamin Cremaschi raised his hand twice while Messi was surrounded in the box.
New York Red Bulls left-back John Tolkin left Cremaschi behind. In a certain moment, Messi saw Cremaschi and came up with a unique way to score his 11th goal in nine games for Inter Miami.
Instead of passing his right foot, Messi flicked the outside of his left foot towards the space in front of Cremaschi. Real Madrid and Croatia midfielder Luka Modric often makes such skillful passes with his right foot.
After that, Messi rushed into the penalty area while the entire New York Red Bulls defense was stunned by his opponent’s pass. Remember, Messi has a plan. This may be the situation that took place during Inter Miami’s training session, when Cremaschi was not surprised, immediately accelerated to catch the ball and then stretched with one touch for the senior to cushion the ball into the empty net.
Inter Miami midfielder Miller rolled his eyes at what he had just witnessed from the defence. “I was in the back. I remember just watching Messi instead of focusing on the game. It’s hard to concentrate with such a great presence in front of me. That’s great for MLS and North American football. “.
Messi can make opposing defenders look silly, as he has done at the World Cup, La Liga and throughout Europe. He did the same with the New York Red Bulls defense, which was solid and disciplined from the moment Messi came on. Before the match against Inter Miami, they only let the opponent finish 62 times in 24 games – the best number in the MLS this season.
“But Messi just needed a moment to make the difference. Once again, his plan worked perfectly”, The Athletic commented.
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