Wow - Chile was 80th in the world less than a decade ago, please don't tell me the USA can't climb up the ladder. Well done Chile. DD
Kind of ridiculous for everyone to jump off the Messi bandwagon after a missed PK. His teammates sucked tonight too. Is that the 2nd or 3rd game in a row Higuain has missed an easy goal-scoring chance?
It's a team game but this is one of those situations where the significance is very magnified. Further as a shanked penalty kick it is pretty much all on him. It's not like the Chilean Keeper made a great play. Messi just missed.
But it is a team sport and he wasn't the only one on his team to miss; blaming Messi and not Biglia also is just ridiculous. And they played for 120 minutes without scoring, so the whole team deserves blame.
Messi has never delivered on the national stage, and now he's running from the national team. I love how people are blaming the pitch and other players on the Argentina team. Greats step up when teams need them the most. Messi may be best player on one of the greatest teams ever assembled in Barcelona. But, he unfortunately is not going to be a GOAT because he's never delievered away from Barcelona. Sad cause I really like the guy, but he never looks right with Argentina, is it the team or the man himself, don't know, but it doesn't look good for his legacy.
It is harder to get titles on the national level. You see each other only couple months while you train most of the year with your club teammates (Claudio Bravo, Neymar, Suarez.....) Nobody is complaining when Neymar and Suarez could not attain any titles with their national side. Chile just has their number Germany won the WC without having Top 2 players..... they got couple in the Top 20. I do not even understand how Argentina can keep sweeping other teams 4-0 and strikers like Aguero and Higuain cannot score in the Finals.
really that is fantastic for them... The US has to establish 3 of their stars in the best leagues with the best teams Like Zaredes with Barca, Woods with Juventur or ManU, ManCity and Jones with Chelsea, Bayern I do not think this will happen anytime soon.
Neymar and Suarez are not one of the best if all time, far from it. Suarez might be one of the better strikers of this generation but talking about these guys as goat they are not I. Consideration. I don't think you have to win it all, but you have to show that you can carry a team, that's what goats do I my book. Also especially if you are I the finals you have to be that special player....Messi has too often been non noticeable, can't say that about other greats.
This era is different from the eras when you had one or two superstars and they get it done. Apart from the Zidane led or Ronaldo led teams the last two WC winners Spain and Germany did not have a Top 2 or arguably consistly Top 3 player. Team chemistry is most important, coaching, virtue of fighting are equally relevant. You could count Iniesta, Mueller or Neuer as Top 3 those years but they are not consistenly Top 3 every year. You do not have to have the best player to win a World Cup or a Euro, Copa. If you think it takes 5 for Basketball, then it takes even more in Soccer (11 players on a much bigger pitch)
I do not think you are 100 percent correct. National sidewise. Messi won the Olympics twice and Neymar wished he could win one. He missed the Copa for the Olympics. If you think the Olympics are not important enough, star players especially from South America view it differently than Europeans.
He is probably tired. Had to play national league La liga, Champions League, Spanish Cup, Copa and test matches.
As I posted back then, Mario Goetze already has one more world cup title (and world cup winning goal) than Messi will ever have.
Think multiple of them will retire, mood in the locker room after the loss has been abysmal according to players.
