Messi’s slow steps in the match make the sprints at important moments even more special.
At 35, “El Pulga” is mentally strong, and he knows how to stay fit for 90 minutes. No. 10 took slow strides to find space, received Di Maria’s pass to score, and kept hope for millions of Argentine fans.
Messi’s way of playing goes against a lot of the values of modern football. At the 2022 World Cup, no player walked on the field more than the captain of Argentina. Messi turns the illogicality of football into an art, blending with the style of play that gradually finds rhythm with the surrounding satellites of coach Lionel Scaloni.
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| The image of Messi walking leisurely in the middle of the field has become a trademark of M10 at the age of 35. |
Play the style of lulling the opponent
Messi entered the Lusail Stadium with doubts about an ankle injury. No. 10 skips the ghost drill, completes the pass practice, runs a warm-up run, and has a 3-man match. Scaloni knows very well that he should not let his brightest star be entangled in the risk of re-injury right before the life-and-death battle against Mexico.
Before the opponent’s aggressive playing style, Messi was leisurely on the field, not too aggressive in ball situations to find the most appropriate attack plan. No. 10 had only one touch of the ball in the opponent’s box during the whole match. Messi’s preferred position is in the center area outside the penalty area. “El Pulga” successfully connected the surrounding satellites but failed to create a blast point for the first 45 minutes.
It is the patience required in a tense battle of wits. If we only focus on watching Messi play and ignore the happenings around the ball, we can see the number 10 constantly rolling his eyes to learn how to operate the opponent. The first half ended with the captain in a rather quiet way. Argentina fans in the stands prayed for a miracle to come, and Messi collected enough data to wait for his opportunity in the second half.
The impatience of the fans is in stark contrast to the proactive and slow way of controlling the ball of Argentina. The ball rotation phase of “Albiceleste” became even more elegant when they knew that the opponent had received many yellow cards and only knew how to use a large number of players to protect the goal. There is a gap between the defense and midfield, and it is a pity for Mexico that this is Messi’s favorite area.
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| When Hector Herrera realized Messi was in a good position to hit the shot, it was too late for Mexico. |
The Mexican players focused on the ball, while Messi focused on the vast space in front of him. When Hector Herrera realized the position of the most dangerous player on the opposing side, it was too late. Messi caught the ball just fine to facilitate a left-footed shot that went straight into the bottom corner to beat Ochoa.
The advantage of the lead helps Argentina have more basis to stretch the tempo of the match. Everything on the field is going slowly with Messi’s team. The captain chose to pass the ball to Enzo Fernandez after the combination from the corner, not the ball. The 21-year-old’s shot then put an end to all hopes of Mexico’s points.
Tango feet in harmony with the rhythm
“Argentina played the kind of football we wanted in the second half. Having control of the game, having more time with the ball helped me find a lot of space between the midfield and the defence.” Those are the sharings of Messi after the performance of winning the title of ‘Player of the Match’.
Looking at the way Messi plays, viewers feel the calm and lightness in every move. Messi does not need to follow the rhythm of the game. He chooses his own speed to explode at the most important moment. That is the terrifying danger of “El Pulga” at the age of 35.
Slowly but surely is the way that Messi chooses when coming to Qatar to perfect his legacy. After an unsatisfactory start, the Tango legs finally found the rhythm with the same determination when cornered. Scaloni knows this well, and the youngest coach at the 2022 World Cup has succeeded with the changes after the loss in the first match.
In the final match, Argentina will face Poland to compete for the top spot. A point before Lewandowski and his teammates will make “Albiceleste” dependent on the results in the match at the same time to know his fate. Messi certainly does not want to have to depend on anyone on the way to bring the gold cup back to Argentina after 36 years. Now, the World Cup really begins with Messi.
