2016 Copa America Part II

[Ceremony]

Don't worry. Aside from Ronaldo's fanboys the whole world wanted to see Argentina win.

tbf I didn't care

Lionel will be back when Simeone becomes Argentina manager in 2017 and sweeps aside all before them.

 

[Scandale du Jour]

As usual you haven't the slightest clue what you're talking about. He's in the conversation along with only one other player. That's a conversation Ronaldo isn't even close too, just like he's not even close to Messi. Hasn't been since Messi was about 20 years old. Ronaldo shouldn't have even won the Ballon d' Or in 2013 or 2014 either.

What does it have to do with Ronaldo? I am not even a Ronaldo fan. I am a Real Madrid supporter that has said MANY TIMES that he thought it was the time to sell Ronaldo and build a real team, with a distinct philosophy, instead of a collection of stars. I appreciate what he has done for my club, but I am not a fan of the guy. Not a hater either and I appreciate his greatness, but not a "fanboy". No need to trash his accomplishments to pump your boy up, he doesn't need it - well, maybe he does today

I will gladly conceed that Messi is on the short-list for GOAT and that he is the best of his generation (wouldn't go as far as saying it has never been close, but meh, whatever suits you). He is not #1 on my list, that's not an insult. Perhaps I am to caught up in narratives, but, to me, Maradona is still number 1. This tournament doesn't affect my view of Messi positively nor negatively - nor should it. That is all I am saying (and, well, seeing you predictably getting on your high horse is just a bonus I hadn't thought about when I made my post on mobile before going to bed).

Saying that Messi, at this moment, isn't the greatest of all time isn't an insult that should make you that insecure and defensive. Lot of football left to play for Messi. Lot of trophies left to be won (especially at the club level as Barcelona are still the top club in the world). He could very well may be the best ever when he is done. To me, so far, he isn't. It could easily change. However, right or wrong, unless Argentina (and he will play for sure) is to win the next World Cup (which could very well happen), the narrative will always be that he wasn't as great on the international stage as he was at club level. Again, right or WRONG, that will be the perception and it will affect many people's list.

But, hey, maybe I really just don't have a clue and should just blindly kneel at the altar of San Messi

 

[Pouchkine]

4 match in a row at the world cup, 6 in the real copa last year and now the final this year in this joke tournament= 11 big matches without scoring for your little star. He was poor in those matches but seriously the rest of the team and the coaching is laughably bad. No tactics no team play, big stars that turn into horrible players. It was a fitting "game" to end this big farce. The only star yesterday was the referee who had an incredible game considering the level of dirtyness and play acting on both teams. And those fields in nfl stadiums are probably too small to begin with. Big opportunity wasted for the United States and for Messi well that's like a big tennis player who can't even win little tournaments like 500 pts and 250 pts ones, but yeah sure he's the best but he can't win and can't play well against good teams. We probably had like 10-15 min. of real play yesterday during 120min...

I'll say it again for you hockey fans :

Messi for Barcelona= Mario Lemieux
Messi for Argentina= Russ Courtnall

For the all time lists he can't crack the top 20 with those performances in the finals. Too bad he's fun to watch but only with the all star team in Barcelona, for a very good team in Argentina he just can't do it, not a leader not a real great one.

 

[Vasilevskiy]

4 match in a row at the world cup, 6 in the real copa last year and now the final this year in this joke tournament= 11 big matches without scoring for your little star. He was poor in those matches but seriously the rest of the team and the coaching is laughably bad. No tactics no team play, big stars that turn into horrible players. It was a fitting "game" to end this big farce. The only star yesterday was the referee who had an incredible game considering the level of dirtyness and play acting on both teams. And those fields in nfl stadiums are probably too small to begin with. Big opportunity wasted for the United States and for Messi well that's like a big tennis player who can't even win little tournaments like 500 pts and 250 pts ones, but yeah sure he's the best but he can't win and can't play well against good teams. We probably had like 10-15 min. of real play yesterday during 120min...

I'll say it again for you hockey fans :

Messi for Barcelona= Mario Lemieux
Messi for Argentina= Russ Courtnall

For the all time lists he can't crack the top 20 with those performances in the finals. Too bad he's fun to watch but only with the all star team in Barcelona, for a very good team in Argentina he just can't do it, not a leader not a real great one.

Good to see you have no clue about soccer.

 

[Suiteness]

Ronaldinho is the greatest pure footballing talent in the history of the game for me. Granted he ruined it all but that little window of three years at the top brought me infinitely more joy than Messi and CR7 pilling up hat tricks against Levante and Osasuna.

But again, that's just me.

I must add this, those who are saying Messi dragged Argentina to the WC finals in 2010, are beyond delusional. Roberto Baggio in 1994, is what I would call dragging a team to the finals.

 

[Power Man]

Ronaldinho is the greatest pure footballing talent in the history of the game for me. Granted he ruined it all but that little window of three years at the top brought me infinitely more joy than Messi and CR7 pilling up hat tricks against Levante and Osasuna.

But again, that's just me.

I must add this, those who are saying Messi dragged Argentina to the WC finals in 2010, are beyond delusional. Roberto Baggio in 1994, is what I would call dragging a team to the finals.

I agree in term of pure talent, Ronnie was in a different class

Unfortunately he was lazy

But man, the things he did during a game, others do it in practice

 

[Power Man]

Det Alexis photobomb tbh

 

[YNWA14]

There's no question Messi is the best player of his generation. Wrongly or rightly his accomplishments with the NT, especially such a talented team in general, will always be a black stain on his resume. Obviously club football should be weighted more highly given the higher level of competition (especially in the latter stages of the competition, more cohesion, better teams, etc.) but it's something people will always point to if they want something to use against Messi.

I agree in term of pure talent, Ronnie was in a different class

Unfortunately he was lazy

But man, the things he did during a game, others do it in practice

Ronaldinho is still my favourite player to watch. Watch his highlights all the time.

I always wondered what Ronaldinho could have been with R7 like work ethic. It's too bad really that he wasn't more dedicated to the sport in general, but he enjoyed life too much. Part of what made him so amazing though was that enjoyment for the game...always played with a smile on his face. Is there a more respected and cherished player in football? I don't really know anyone that doesn't love him.

 

[Luigi Habs]

Messi is the best player that ever played the game.

Merci bonsoir

 

[Scandale du Jour]

Messi is the best player that ever played the game.

Merci bonsoir

Well, it is an opinion, it is not as clear cut as it is in hockey with Gretzky, for example (and that comes from someone who would eat the peanuts in Mario's ****). A very defendable opinion, but still an opinion. Cases can be made for others... and much much much smarter/more knowledgeable people than me can make them.

 

[Power Man]

Messi is the best player that ever played the game.

Merci bonsoir

 

[Duchene2MacKinnon]

I'll say it again for you hockey fans :

Messi for Barcelona= Mario Lemieux
Messi for Argentina= Russ Courtnall

For the all time lists he can't crack the top 20 with those performances in the finals. Too bad he's fun to watch but only with the all star team in Barcelona, for a very good team in Argentina he just can't do it, not a leader not a real great one.

Someone, please tell this guy Cruyff never won anything for Netherlands.

Also LOL at the Ronaldinho claims...friggen youtube. THere's countless players better and more coming up.

 

[YNWA14]

Also LOL at the Ronaldinho claims...friggen youtube. THere's countless players better and more coming up.

 

[YNWA14]

I swear someone on this board probably wrote this article.

http://www.goal.com/en-ca/news/4184...eltdown-would-never-have?ICID=HP_HN_HP_RI_0_3

 

[Hadoop]

'grats to Chile. Winning at home is one thing. Winning back to back, both as prohibitive underdogs puts this squad as truly a golden generation.

Who knows what would've happened had Messi been able to rally his troops or hit the net in the pk. Maradona was right; GOAT probably, a great captain and leader absolutely not.

Oh and Higuain

 

[JS19]

Unsurprising that people are ******** on Messi and missing the bigger picture. The man was guarded harshly by 3 or 4 players, while the rest of the team was miserable at creating offensive opportunities. Higuain doesn't get nearly as much blame for missing potentially GW shots. Not to mention, you have Maradona talking nonsense about Messi's leadership and Argentina's love/hate relationship with Messi. It's silly really, they revere a footballer for breaking one of the fundamental rules that won a WC (I guess you can argue that there is context with regards), while crapping on a Top-5 world class player simply because he plays for Barcelona and because he doesn't elicit a kind of bravado like Maradona has.

 

[Duchene2MacKinnon]

'grats to Chile. Winning at home is one thing. Winning back to back, both as prohibitive underdogs puts this squad as truly a golden generation.

Who knows what would've happened had Messi been able to rally his troops or hit the net in the pk. Maradona was right; GOAT probably, a great captain and leader absolutely not.

Oh and Higuain

Is he supposed to will his HIguain and Crapacio into finishing their chances? OR like jedi mind skills and move the ball a yard to the right? Rally his troops... he did that. Came to the Copa with all the allegations and injuries surrounds him and walked into the lineup and dominated. Scored himself and provided his teammates tap in's like a 10 and a leader should do. What else could he do?

Maradona was wrong and will always be wrong 90% of his life. He's now urging Messi to stay. Funny, from the man who praised his rival, condemned his compatriot and the whole, if you lose don't come back. During and right before the tournament. That fat moron got what he wanted.

 

[Power Man]

DieGOAT !!!!!!!!!

 

[les Habs]

What does it have to do with Ronaldo? I am not even a Ronaldo fan. I am a Real Madrid supporter that has said MANY TIMES that he thought it was the time to sell Ronaldo and build a real team, with a distinct philosophy, instead of a collection of stars. I appreciate what he has done for my club, but I am not a fan of the guy. Not a hater either and I appreciate his greatness, but not a "fanboy". No need to trash his accomplishments to pump your boy up, he doesn't need it - well, maybe he does today

I will gladly conceed that Messi is on the short-list for GOAT and that he is the best of his generation (wouldn't go as far as saying it has never been close, but meh, whatever suits you). He is not #1 on my list, that's not an insult. Perhaps I am to caught up in narratives, but, to me, Maradona is still number 1. This tournament doesn't affect my view of Messi positively nor negatively - nor should it. That is all I am saying (and, well, seeing you predictably getting on your high horse is just a bonus I hadn't thought about when I made my post on mobile before going to bed).

Saying that Messi, at this moment, isn't the greatest of all time isn't an insult that should make you that insecure and defensive. Lot of football left to play for Messi. Lot of trophies left to be won (especially at the club level as Barcelona are still the top club in the world). He could very well may be the best ever when he is done. To me, so far, he isn't. It could easily change. However, right or wrong, unless Argentina (and he will play for sure) is to win the next World Cup (which could very well happen), the narrative will always be that he wasn't as great on the international stage as he was at club level. Again, right or WRONG, that will be the perception and it will affect many people's list.

But, hey, maybe I really just don't have a clue and should just blindly kneel at the altar of San Messi

Who said anything about insulting Messi or kneeling at his altar? The fact he's "on the short-list" means he's part of the conversation.

 

[BMann]

In Latin America, like 80% were rooting for Chile. Argentines are widely regarded as some arrogant snobs.

Mainly by Mexicans. Hey you cannot live that 7-0 down.

 

[BMann]

Collectively Argentina has a big issue in big games. It doesn't make sense that the team we saw tonight is the same team we saw throughout the tournament.

Feel bad for Messi, he did choke on that penalty but at least he was the best Argentinian player on the field. OTOH, ADM, Aguero and Higuain were all crap.

Why the **** Tata used Biglia over Augusto btw? And why even use him in penalties? He was barely able to make a pass correctly.

Augusto was injured. All those numskulls attacking Messi are just that. People who live behind their keyboards and have achieved precisely the sum of nothing but have some serious envy issues.

Higuain is nowhere near Batistuta or Crespo of recent vintage. Three chance in three finals all of which he missed badly. That's mental fraility. Icardi needs to come in as the nine.