Why Lionel Messi is the greatest player of all time!

As football fans watched Barcelona squander Bayern Leverkusen’s hopes of survival in the Champions League with a 7-1 win, I am certain that you could not help but notice that Lionel Messi controlled and dominated the match as if he were a Middle Eastern dictator.  The Argentinean shattered the previous record held by Jose Alfini of AC Milan with his five-goal performance.  Lionel’s recent outstanding performance helped to cement his place as one of the greatest soccer players to ever set foot on the field, perhaps The greatest. 

Lionel Messi is a manager’s wet dream with his eternal hunger to win, lightning-fast speed, god-like dribbling skills, arsenal of moves, menacing shot and infinite dedication to his club and its well-being. Messi remains a down-to-earth individual, despite his never- ending exposure to the spotlight.  Measuring only 5 foot 7,
Messi’s accomplishments are undeniably amazing and a remarkable feat in a sport that is mainly dominated by taller individuals. 

The thing that is even more remarkable is that Messi was affected by a hormonal problem as a teenager which slowed his growth and development.  Born in Rosario, Argentina, Messi gained the attention of the most influential teams by working his way to the top of the ranks in Newell’s Old Boys.  The family was required to move to Spain if Lionel wanted to pursue his career in soccer, because no Argentinian club wanted to pay the expenses to cure his condition.  Fortunately, Barcelona gladly covered the bill for his medical treatments, because Catalan coaches had no doubt that Messi would prevail and become a star. 

Lionel Messi celebrating his hundredth goal in La Liga!

Messi made his debut for Barcelona in 2004 against Espanyol.  Since his debut, he has scored 154 goals in 205 games for the team and has been awarded the FIFA Ballon d’or three times.  He has helped Barcelona win La Liga five times and contributed greatly to their three Champions League titles.

Many Futbol fans believe that Messi is the heir to Maradona’s vacant throne, but I think that Messi is a step above the “Great One.”  There is no doubt that Maradona was as skilled as Messi if not more skilled, but the one characteristic that Maradona lacked was Messi’s composure and his altruistic character.  One cannot count how many times Maradona lost his cool in matches for petty reasons.  Maradona’s ego was as big as he was.  For example, when Diego was playing for Barcelona, his need to seek vengeance over the Athletic Bilbao player, Andoni Goiko, who had sidelined him for three months, ruined his team’s hopes of capturing the league title that season.  Maradona started the brawl and showed his true character with his unpredictable ninja kicks during the brawl!  Maradona rarely passed, and on numerous occasions his selfishness proved detrimental to his team. 

Messi distributes the ball and always manages to keep his composure even if he is the most fowled player in FIFA.  Messi has been able to improve his entire squad and has been the main factor in Andres Iniesta’s and Xavi Hernandez’s exponential growth. 

One thing is for certain, no matter what you think of Lionel Messi, it is impossible not to appreciate his talent and style.  Messi has made a mark in stone on the Futbol world! 

In my opinion, he is without a doubt the best player to ever set foot on the grass of a Futbol pitch!

By: Tristan Haerens

The battle for the throne!

The battle for the throne!

There has always been a bitter rivalry between Manchester United and Manchester City that never ceases to extinguish. United has always been the stronger side with countless trophies and titles over the years.  Manchester City had their glory days in the 70’s and 80’s, but as soon as Sir Alex Ferguson stepped on to the pitch as the manager for the Red Devils, City has never been able to regain its form.

  Before Saturday, the two Manchester clubs were locked at seventy points with both having played 29 games.  Unfortunately, City was unable to maintain the current standings as they tied with Stoke City.  United plays Fulham today and will be looking to obtain a three point lead over their arch rivals. 

 The City side lacked ingenuity and the usual creativeness that players of the likes of Yaya Touré, David Silva, Mario Balotelli and Samir Nasri bring to the table.  The second half of the match vs. Stoke City displayed many of City’s weaknesses and gave critics even more reason to believe that once again the club will be overshadowed by its bitter rival, Manchester United.  If United emerges victorious against Fulham, they will secure a three point lead. 

One of the factors that contributed to City’s floundering performance is Patrick Viera’s brainless comments directed toward Sir Alex Ferguson.  The French international and now City Coach suggested that resurrecting Paul Scholes from retirement was a decision based on desperation and showed that United was lacking depth in their squad.  The remarks were possibly sparked by City’s uncertainty and fear of being conquered by United.  The statement was plain stupid and added more fuel to the already burning fire. Viera ignored the reality that Scholes has been playing extremely well and has been a valuable asset to the United squad.  

The Scotsman, Sir Alex Ferguson fired back by saying "They played a player the other night who refused to go on the pitch, one that the manager said he'd never play again and takes a five-month holiday in Argentina. Could that come under the description of desperation?"   Ferguson’s counter attack was sufficient to quiet the Frenchman and hints that Viera’s comments just added to Ferguson’s eagerness to win the Premier League.  The feud was similar to a peasant insulting a king. Viera has probably jeopardized his club’s hopes of winning the league by adding undue pressure to his squad with his naive remarks. 

I think that United will prevail against Fulham and go on to win the League again!  It looks as though United will secure its place on the throne for yet another season!

By: Tristan Haerens

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