When I reviewed a Pepsi World Cup commercial a few weeks back, I wrote that I couldn’t come up with a snarky nickname for Lionel Messi because he is just too badass. If there was any doubt that he is the best player in the world, after his performance yesterday in the Champions League game against Arsenal he has surely addressed those doubts. But after watching him play yesterday I have also come up with an appropriate nickname for little Leo Messi: he is The One-man Harlem Globetrotters of Soccer (or Football if you please). He makes every team he plays against look like the Washington Generals.
Just look at the highlights from the game:
Messis scores four goals, three coming in the first half within 21 minutes of each other. I felt like I was watching something historic, goals with both feet, the chip over the goalkeeper, and that last goal where he hesitates for a split second before putting it right between the goalkeeper’s legs. It’s like everyone else is playing in slow motion.
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Here’s to hoping for a great 2011 for Messi, that he can emulate Platini’s achievement in winning the ballon dor three years in a row, now that would be immense. There are many players who won three times including van basten, platini, and Johan cruyff, these players played better than Messi, sometimes you have to wonder how good they really are and whether you can compare different players in different eras.