Re: World Cup 2014, Brazil
Lol:
https://sports.yahoo.com/blogs/socce...174341628.html
I don't know what's worse, the reasons the FIFA gave or the fact that some guy at Yahoo actually thought that they make sense...
We, the commission, we look at all the games, and we judge that he was the most important man for his team. He went to the final, which is one of the conditions for the attribution of the trophy,"
Not that Messi contributed much in the knockout stage to reach the final. He gave the assist on Di Maria in extra time against Switzerland but the next three matches he wasn't decisive, he wasn't even visible most of the time. The Argentinian offense was unconvincing throughout the tournament. It was the defense with Mascherano, Garay and Zabaleta that pulled them through the knockout stage.
Moreover, Messi was more than decisive in the first four games. In the semifinal against the Netherlands, he took the first penalty and scored.
Messi was essential in the group stage, that's pretty much where it ends. After that he gave the assist on Di Maria. No idea how taking the first penalty counts into this thing, your regular penalty taker should always take the first penalty in a shootout IMO.
The analysis also takes into account the fact he was the captain of a united team. A team that played well together. That's something we hadn't seen for a long time from Argentina.
Yeah, the captain in the entire WC, everyone saw that Mascherano was the true captain of the team. He was the one motivating the team when the games went to extra time, Messi was just standing at the edge of the circle listening. If anything he should be getting less points because of his role as a captain. Seeing your captain strolling around in the central circle while your team has to defend doesn't really give you a morale boost...