Why This Is Messi's World Cup...
I’m a full-blooded Gunner. Hence, with three Arsenal players
gunning with the Germans for the ultimate diadem tomorrow, I should be routing
for my club players. But this is the World Cup. Not club football. My
sentiments only rested with Nigeria but dear Super Eagles left early enough for
me to truly concentrate.
Football analysis bothers on two fronts…pre- and post- match
analyses. The very easy path is post-analysis…all one needs is being smart
enough to tinker words, talk with so much authority based on hindsight and
blah, blah. I never considered analysts based on their post-match mumbo jumbo.
I regard analyst based on their pre-match exercises.
Pre-match involves assuming both coaches’ positions,
anticipating their line-ups, guessing each player’s output based on current
form and opposition…then onto the most difficult of predicting which team would
be victorious based on tactics and other anticipated indices. This is where any
analyst earns his keep.
However, because football is a very emotional game, most
analysts commit the unforgivable blunder of forcing the head towards where the
heart lies. In such instances, one always faltered. Football, as beautiful as
the game is, has a lot of factors guiding each competition. That’s why FA Cup
matches in any country of the world always throw surprises every now and then.
In England, for instance, one can bet anything he has that west Ham United cannot
win next season’s EPL title, but same person will not put down his dime when it
comes to betting against same team in FA Cup.
For the World Cup, such tradition is even more pronounced.
The World Cup started exactly 84 years ago…and out of over 200 FIFA–affiliated
countries, only eight has rotated winning it amongst themselves. Tried as
countries like Holland, Mexico, Portugal, etc, they’d always be pushed aside
when the chips come down.
Germany and Argentina are both members of this G8…they have
won five trophies between them…so, each team has every credential to win
tomorrow. On the other hand, football has produced players of exceptional
qualities and no player of such quality has failed to win a world Cup at his
peak, provided such player in question came from one of the chosen G8…Pele, Maradona,
Zidane, Original Ronaldo, Lothar Matheus, Romario, Ronaldinho, Pirlo, Xavi,
Iniesta, etc.
Today, the best player playing football is Lionel Messi…he
is at his peak at 27…he has led Argentina to the final…is there any exceptional
player in Germany that can deny this gem his moment? NO> Unless the god of
soccer decides to start punishing these greats with Messi, then the scenario is
very set for Messi’s coronation.
Besides this very important factor, has the German side any
advantage over Argentina? NO>As good as Germany is, they’re not better than
Argentina by any margin. Position by position, both teams may not blink on
equal measure but taking pros and cons, whatever advantage one has in one
particular department, the other covers up in another. Germany may be more
fluid in the middle, retaining the ball and running intricately…but Argentina
are more potent in attack when personnel manning both sides positions’ get to
the dissection table.
No team in the world, even in real Madrid or Barcelona, has
a team with the confident strike force of Aguero, Higuian, Di Maria, with Messi
shepherding from behind. No defense will blink once in 90 mins, or 120 mins for
that matter, with this foursome prowling.
It’s a battle of wits and ingenuity…whichever team that
blinks first may never have the opportunity to recover. It may go the tactical
exertion witnessed in the semi-final between Argentina and Holland, unless a
goal comes early.
I’m a lover of football and will wish the better side wins
but the little I know about this game tells me Argentina will nick it tomorrow.
It may get to extra time or even penalties but this Cup is not leaving South
America.
Enjoy every moment tomorrow – this is Messi’s World Cup!
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