WORLD CUP: Messi magic leads Argies to victory

Argentina is through to the next round of the World Cup, to which we’ve all expected. Lionel Messi and Marcos Rojo scored the three goals in a 3-2 win over Nigeria. This was one of those matches that was better than advertised, Nigeria plays a fun style of the sport, and you know with Argentina you will get a great style of play with their biting attack. Plus having Lionel Messi up front helps everything.

The match started off very fast, kind of like the USA v Ghana match when Clint Dempsey scored within the first minute of the match, Messi got his first goal of hte match within the first three minutes of the match. Not to be outdone but CSKA Moscow’s Ahmed Musa scored one a minute later.

The match was a very free flowing, passing style that we see so many top teams try out. ESPN in America has an “Eye in the Sky” Camera at the match, and one can see the massive lanes to start the attack. It was as if the ball turned up the field and the players went ot their spaces waiting for the ball. This was the beautiful game that we all see, and many nations that don’t play the free flowing way, or don’t have the players to do it, should put this tape in.

As the dying minutes of the first half were ticking off, Lionel Messi put in a free kick in the top right corner of the goal to give Argentina a 2-1 lead. It was another one of those goals from Messi that for a time took a bite out of confidence of the Nigeria team. But not to be undone by Messi, Musa came back after the half and put another goal in, to tie it all up. With the game back on, the play got more agressive and Marcos Rojo put in the game winner sealing it 3-2.

Argentina and Nigeria are both through to the next round, finishing first and second in the group. Now the pressure, like it always has been for Messi, is back on. Nothing short of winning the final would be acceptable for the Argentina fans, and the media. Talk about pressure, but this is Lionel Messi, he’s been dealing with this for his career.