Lionel Messi and Argentina looked poised to finally
seal their first major tournament win in 23 years, particularly when goalkeeper
Sergio Romero stopped Arturo Vidal’s first spot kick for Chile in the shootout.
Messi walked up with a chance to quiet the critics and finally match his
stellar club career by sealing a major victory for Argentina. Instead he missed
terribly and, when Chile’s Bravo stopped Biglia’s kick in the fifth frame, it
was all but over for Argentina, confirmed moments later.
This was the second year in a row that Chile has
beaten Argentina in the Copa America final, after again going the full 120
minutes without either team breaking through. It was also the third major final
for Argentina in which they could not find the back of the net in 120 minutes
of action. Two of those ended in penalty kick heartbreak, with Germany’s Gotze
breaking their heart with a late goal in the third. The game tonight was a
cagey affair, with two questionable sending offs in the first half and plenty
of chances for both sides in the second. As has been the case in three finals
before, Higuain had a chance in the first half to crack the game open
one-on-one with Bravo, but for the fourth time in total, he failed to deliver. The
same happened against Germany in the last World Cup in Brazil and he failed to
capitalize on an opportunity late in the last Copa final. Aguero finally came
on in the closing minutes of regulation, but he too was denied by an excellent
save from Bravo. Messi had some nice runs and half chances, but Chile played
him effectively by pushing four, five and even six men at him whenever he
closed on the 18-yard-box. His frustration began to show and his passing and
dribbling became increasingly erratic as time wore on, though he almost set up
the winner on two occasions in extra time.
The question must now emerge again of whether a
player can be the “greatest ever” if he cannot replicate his club form for his
country, particularly when that country is replete with talent that rarely
coalesce on a national side in any given era. Messi has failed to score in his
last 360 minutes of Finals action and tonight missed his first penalty shootout
in his entire career.
It is not that Messi does not score for his
national side – he broke the record for most goals ever by an Argentine in the semifinal
cruise over the U.S. a few nights before He scored regularly in the group stage
of the last World Cup and in this year’s tournament leading up to the final. Why
he can’t seem to reach that level in Finals is certainly something to consider
and something that might mar his legacy if he doesn’t end that drought in the
next World Cup (2018) or Copa America (2019).
Messi has incredible talent and scores goals in
bunches that have never been seen before, clearly a better all-around player
than his contemporary Ronaldo; also arguably an underperformer for his team in
big tournaments. But the slight diminishing of luster in the past two seasons
and the reality that he is surrounded by among the best talent in all the world
with Barcelona does then pose a question about whether he still sits behind
Pele and Maradona. To me, Maradona is the greatest player of all time until
Messi wins that major title for his nation. And one must admit other names
sneak into the conversation if we include the dual criteria.
I was rooting for Argentina tonight, and for Messi
to get off the snide and solidify his place at the top of the pantheon, but
that outrageous penalty kick makes it hard to believe that this is the best
player the world has ever seen. Sure it was one moment in a record-smashing
career, but we can add the other two finals to that list and a growing sense that
his magical moments seem to come less often for country than club.
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