Messi can finally close the debate on who is the greatest
PHOTO | FABRICE COFFRINI Argentina's forward and captain Lionel Messi celebrates after winning their FIFA World Cup semi-final match against the Netherlands in a penalty shoot-out following extra time at The Corinthians Arena in Sao Paulo on July 9, 2014.
What you need to know:
- This will be a tight game and if Argentina produce their semi-final form they are very capable of stopping Germany
- Brazil’s Neymar, hopes Argentina beat Germany in Sunday’s World Cup final for Barcelona team-mates Lionel Messi and Javier Mascherano.
When Brazil won the rights to stage the World Cup seven years ago, everyone thought the trophy will certainly remain with the host nation that is regarded as the home of football. Selecao have won the World Cup a record five times.
Many football purists envisioned Brazil meeting their arch rivals Argentina at the iconic Maracana stadium in Rio de Janeiro in the final on July 13 - with Neymar and Lionel Messi, both adorning the number 10 jersey’s fighting it out for the rightful place in the game’s history.
Unfortunately, this was not the case. Luiz Felipe Scolari’s attempt to secure his place in Brazil’s sporting history by winning a second World Cup, came a cropper after suffering the heaviest defeat at the hands of three times World Cup champions Germany, 7-1.
To many, this World Cup was the opportunity for Brazil to erase the memory of the darkest day in their sporting story, when Uruguay stunned the home crowd by beating Brazil 2-1 at the Maracana in 1950, an episode dubbed the “Maracanazo”
On Sunday, Argentina and Germany will square it out in the final. Both teams have met twice in the World Cup finals. The first meeting was in 1986 when a Diego Maradona inspired Argentina beat West Germany 3–2 in the final in Mexico. In 1990, West Germany revenged by winning 1-0.
RECENT RECORD
Recently, Joachim Loew’s men have had the upper hand in their recent World Cup contests, defeating Argentina on penalties on home soil in 2006, before embarrassing Argentina 4-0 in the quarter-finals in South Africa.
Brazil’s Neymar, hopes Argentina beat Germany in Sunday’s World Cup final for Barcelona team-mates Lionel Messi and Javier Mascherano.
Personally, despite Germany’s shocker against Brazil, I think it will be a different ball-game. This will be a very tight game and if Alejandro Sabella’s team can handle Germany’s stars of Mueller, Ozil, Kroos and Khedira the way they did with Holland, they can nip this one.
Against the Netherlands, Sabella’s side was very compact and it will be difficult to break them down. The performance of Javier Mascherano caught my eyes the way he roved the midfield and was very impressive in Sao Paulo. If Angel di Maria and Sergio Aguero can come alive on Sunday, together with Messi, then we will have a contest to behold.
Messi, will be motivated by the prospects of lifting the World Cup in the Maracana, right at the centre of enemy territory considering that Argentina and Brazil are the fiercest rivals.
This will be a stage for Messi to confirm his status as the world’s greatest player. It has been repeatedly pointed out that he has never translated his club form to country in major tournaments. Today he has the opportunity to close this debate once and for all.
