⚽️ FIFA WORLD CUP : 2018 - RUSSIA ⚽️ ഭൂഗോളമാകെ ഫുട്ബോൾ ലഹരിയിൽ ⚽️

Sergio Aguero, Gonzalo Higuain, Angel di Maria, Paulo Dybala. The names trip off the tongue when contemplating Argentina’s attack.

Mauro Icardi could not even make the World Cup squad. So why are they still so achingly reliant on Lionel Messi?

La Albiceleste only managed a paltry 19 goals in their 18 qualifying fixtures- the same number of goals managed by Venezuela who finished bottom of the group.
Gabriel Mercardo, Lucas Pratto and, erm, ‘own goal’ were joint second top scorers during Argentina’s underwhelming qualifying campaign, with two goals apiece. Pratto has not made the final cut for Russia and Mercado is a defender.

So why are Argentina so impoverished in front of goal, despite all of this attacking talent? Why are they still so reliant on Messi?

Well, the issue is two-fold. Firstly, the Albiceleste midfield would need a jolt of electricity shooting through it to even qualify as pedestrian. They struggle to circulate the ball properly, which means the supply line to that star studded forward line is non-existent.
Consequently, Messi often has to drop deep to find possession, essentially, the Barca man is charged with being the judge and the executioner all at the same time.
In itself, this isn’t an insurmountable issue. Messi is certainly good enough to drift into deeper areas and carry the ball into more dangerous attacking areas. From there, the likes of Aguero, Higuain and Dybala should enjoy a field day, right?
Well, the problem continues for Argentina when Messi slaloms forward. Messi enjoys working with a very particular type of striker.
At Barcelona, his best work has coincided with the tenures of David Villa and Luis Suarez. These are players prepared to make unselfish runs and create space for Messi. In essence, they create a route for him, like Indiana Jones hacking away at stray shrubbery with his machete blade, clearing a path for Messi to blaze a trail.
Lionel has typically not enjoyed such fruitful relationships with the likes of Zlatan Ibrahimovic. Pep Guardiola quickly dispensed with Samuel Eto’o once it was clear that they keys of the team belonged in Messi’s hands. This is Argentina’s major problem, all of their forwards are more of the Eto’o and Ibrahimovic ilk.
Higuain and Aguero are used to playing in teams built to supply them with chances. Ergo, when they make a run, they look to identify space for themselves, so that they can receive the ball and score. Messi works far better with the type of striker prepared to make that run into a personal dead end, but in doing so takes an unwitting defender with him, leaving a slipstream for Messi to sashay into.
Icardi, Higuain, Aguero and even Pratto are excellent centre forwards, but they are strikers accustomed to being catered for.
Neymar is a very similar player to Messi in style and stature. For Brazil, Gabriel Jesus is exactly the type of forward prepared to do that unselfish running that creates space for Neymar. Competing for his number 9 berth is Roberto Firmino, who has made distracting defenders for his attacking colleagues a personal brand. Argentina could do with a peak Carlos Tevez, as opposed to a Higuain or an Aguero.

A cruel pre-tournament injury to Manuel Lanzini has further robbed Argentina of some guile and creativity to support Messi. But Boca Juniors’ Cristian Pavon may well be afforded the opportunity to show that he can be an effective wing man for Messi.

This jarring cocktail of midfielders and attackers are just not custom built to support Messi, which, in turn, means that he ends up doing more and more by himself.

The lack of creativity elsewhere in the team means that Argentina do not suddenly become more than the sum of their parts without their talisman.
Often star players can prove to be a bit of a ‘blockage’ in a team. Cesc Fabregas, for instance, is an extraordinary talent, but one that needs an awful lot of accommodation. Without Messi, Argentina’s creative game is totally stunted.
With him, the ball moves into the final third a little more easily, but, frankly, the strikers just end up getting in his way, or at least, not knowing how and when to get out of his way. As a result, 7 of their 19 goals in qualifying were scored by the Barcelona genius.

If Argentina are to make an impact on this summer’s World Cup, it will likely be by virtue of a heroic virtuoso effort from Messi. One similar to Maradona’s herculean feat in 1986.

 

Barcelona striker Lionel Messimight have thousands of fans and followers, but a fan from West Bengal lives to realise the dream of watching the player on the field.

53-year-old Shib Shankar Patra, a tea-stall owner in West Bengal’s 24 North Parganas district, saved the most from his earnings to make it to the FIFA World Cup being held in Russia this year to watch Messi play. Such is his love for the football player that he has painted his three-storeyed house in the blue and white colours of Argentina.

“I don’t smoke or drink. I have only one addiction and that is Lionel Messi and Argentina. I don’t earn much but ensure that bulk of my earnings is kept aside for these indulgences when World Cup comes calling,” he told PTI.





Patra’s dream of watching his idol play could not be realized when he got a budget of Rs 1.5 lakh for a World cup trip, whereas he only had savings of Rs 60,000. This does not deter the ardent fan, whose house has life-size posters of Messi and whose family watches the footballer’s matches together.

The fanaticism for Messi began for Patra when Doordarshan telecasted the 1986 World Cup, which is infamous for Diego Maradona’s ‘Hand of God’ goal. His family also celebrates Messi’s birthday every year on June 24 by cutting cakes, organising blood donation camps, distributing tea and snacks. This year, a 30-pound cake will be cut and 100 Argentina jerseys will be distributed, Patra told PTI.




“He (the local temple priest) gets me the ‘sindoor’ from Hanuman’s left leg (Messi is a left-footed player) and the vermilion is applied on Messi’s poster during every match. We hope he lifts the Cup this time,” he said.

Kolkata has an avid following of football. Argentina played their first World Cup match against Iceland on Saturday in Russia’s Moscow.

(With inputs from agencies)

 

Ooh ingane oke undalle thanks..

Btw rand perum barcayil ayirunnallo.. N rand perum poyapo orupad kannerozhukem cheythu barca.

 

He deserved to be sacked..He should have waited for the WC to be over.

 

Yeah..ithonnum innum innale onnum thudangiyathalla. Barcelonede first president sanyolne execute cheythath muthal kazhinja prez sandro rosellne jail pidichittathokke reason ithaan sathyathil ..tax fraud okke secondary aan..madrid 2000nu sesham galacticos signings ethire onnum spanish court karyamaya anveshnam onnum nadathiyittilla. Messiykkethireyulla fraud case valare broad aaya coverage kittiyappol ronaldokkethireyulla casenu athinte pakuthi polum coverage kittiyilla.Ithellam connected aan..ithonnum ippolonnum theerukayum illa.Unless catalonia became a free state. At the present scenario, it is a very far possibility.
Ithine okke marikadanu spain 2 euro, 1 wc nediyath oru reethiyil albhutham aan..kaarnm nammal vicharikkunathilum ethreyo adhikam problems avide und. Mattoru rajyathinum ithre adhikm problems undenn thonnunilla..ippol thanne spanish teamile pique catalan independence movementnodu nerittu bandham ulla alaanu..valarnu valuthayi kazhiyumbol parentsne vittu oru stageil kuttikal purathottu pokuna pole aan cataloniayum spainum ennanu angeru oru interviewil paranjath...parents vittilenklm kuttikal pokum enn,,,.pique spanish anthem padarilla..athum ithu kondanu. Ithinte extremely opposite aan Ramos. Ivanmar rendumanu spainte ettvm valya defenders..athonnu alochich nokku
Eth rand per? Xavi,iniesta aano?

 

In less than 24Hours

 

Nale ee samayath ..

 

Vattaaaya

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