Here is a curious piece of information for the FC BARCELONA fan & the Football _ Soccer lover in general. Argentine International & Barça forward LEO MESSI has become the Top Goal Scorer in the History of FC BARCELONA for the Champions League competition. His two goals yesterday against Greek Club Panathianiakos took him pass Brazilian Rivaldo to take his goal tally to 27 goals.
List of Top Goal scorers in Champions League for FC Barcelona:
1. Messi 27 2. Rivaldo 25 3. Kluivert 21 4. Luis Enrique 20 5. Eto'o 18 Leo Messi will go far beyond his current goal mark as the player has only 23 years of age. Here is a VIDEO of yesterdays 2º goal for Messi - a work of art.
It is perhaps the most decisive & media attracting World Cup qualifying clash for sometime; the URUGUAY vs. ARGENTINA game. The latter is in real danger of losing & having its World Cup participation at the mercy of a qualifying 2º leg game against the winner of the Oceanic team, while the former could have its direct ticket to the World Cup if they win. What is certain that a both to either will solve must of their speculation & give the direct ticket as the ultimate prize. Both must win!
(photo: sport.es)
Added to the excitement is that the Worlds Nº1 Football player the Argentine & FC Barcelona star LEO MESSI is wrapped up in a bizarre dynamic of facing the real possibility of not participating in the next World Cup, while his National Team Coach Diego Armando Maradona has his head on the chopping block waiting to see if the axe will fall or not. On the other fence Atletico de Madrid star & European Golden Boot for 2008-2009, DIEGO FORLAN, has the chance to help finally take Uruguay back to the World stage after years of eliminations & playing second fiddle to its powerful Football neighbour.
Big night, which will have millions, glued to their TV seats with passions on the edge as two Spanish Liga based players play their part in this important & transcendental Football game. SFS will be watching!Tweet
Two of the World maximum Football stars, LEO MESSI & CRISTIANO RONLDO, are going through a physical & mental depression that is attracting the criticism of the media & fans. Rightly or wrongly, these two figures of World & Spanish Football are privileged sportsmen that earn huge amounts of money that are way beyond the reach of 99% of humanity & are not immune of criticism. Their talents & goals rip out of the hearts of all spectator passions that are beyond rational & logic, which creates a “boomerang effect” that brings them back anxiety, frustration, doubts & stress when things do not go as planned, when the spectator stops feeling the passion.
Many suspect that LEO MESSI has entered into a low form dive that is worrying & that may have short to mid term psychological implications on the player. His performance for Argentina in their “must win matches” not only was non-existent buthis team lost both to Brazil (1-3) & Paraguay (1-0) putting them now 5th on their South American table with the real risk of missing out on the South African World Cup 2010. How much of this is Messi´s fault? Many would argue the blame is National Coach Diego Maradona who does not know how to motivate the Argentine Team & doesn´t where to tactically place Messi on the field. That being the case, some observers recall that the true “Historical Great Players” (Pele, Maradona, Cruyff…etc) become legends precisely when things got tough & took the responsibility onto themselves to take a “mediocre” side onto victory single handily onto glory. The "old school" mentioned commentators thus conclude that Messi has still “a ways to go” & maybe “chocking” under extreme pressure. They raise the question: Does Messi really deserve to be awarded “World Best Player” if his team Argentina does not participate in the South African World Cup? Spanish media go on further with this question: Should´nt Xavi Hernandez be most suited to be given this years “FIFA World Player”? Xavi has won the same as Messi & goes beyond the Argentine because he has been fundamental in securing Spain a place in next years World Cup. Food for thought!
Perhaps this is all too strong a criticism for such a young man who maybe just psychically & mentally tired with so much “unbalanced” pressure & exaggerated expectations on his shoulders. The best thing that can happen is for Messi to return to the FC BARCELONA environment with his team mates & his supporting Coach Guardiola to find “North” again, regain the lost form & his confidence. All that is needed is a good match with some goals & everything will be forgotten.
The “National Team” factor is also playing its part on another young giant of World Football, REAL MADRID star signing CRISTIANO RONALDO finds himself in a very similar situation both sporting wise & with his National side Portugal. With the real threat of Portugal missing next years World Cup, Portuguese media & supporters have ruthlessly criticised the player for not being up to the level expected from a 94M€ man. It’s a heavy tag that can cause legs to buckle for anyone, even more with someone who is called onto by destiny to enter the Olympus of World Football History.In the Ronaldo case, there are added factors like the adaptation to his new team REAL MADRID, his new Coach Pellegrini, his new team mates, new style of Football, new City like Madrid & being 24 hours under the spy-glass from media. These are big reasons to dent the armour or rip the mind with doubts for any 24 year old human. Real Madrid are aware of all this & remind the “World” that Zidane took 4 months to adapt himself to Real Madrid before he marvelled the World & showed who he was on the field.
Perhaps Ronaldo should be rested on the bench this weekend – for good logic & sporting reasons; but will he accept the substitution? Will the pressure, stress & arrow at the ego unleash the “Bad Cristiano” Ronaldo he has inside him with boyish & uneducated manners ( remember he threw a towel at Ferguson for being substituted) & unlock dressing room problems that may have mid to long term consequences at the Club? Close aids comment that Roanldo is anxious to prove to Spanish media & crowds why they paid 94M€ for him, & return to claim the “Best Player in The World” crown. This anxiety is affecting his play, rushing instead of waiting, over doing things instead of constant work, looking for goals in spectacular fashion instead of just helping the side to victory. His is missing PATIENCE.
Whatever the answers maybe to the many questions that everyone is asking of these two Football talents, SFS is confident that their professionalism, their inbreed (DNA) urge to win at everything & their sporting pride will eventually get them out of their personal slumps. It is worth mentioning that every “Sporting God” has lived his/her career with up & down cycles: this is normal. What is unrealistic is for someone to maintain themselves during a 15 year career at Nº1 always; it is like winning the FIFA World Player Award 15 years in a row. Forget it, it’s impossible, a sportsman has other things in their life, it’s called their personal life, with unpredictable events occurring daily which enter & affect your sporting life – both players are humans.
What differentiates the great players from the average is their spirit of coming back better than before, their mental strength to rebuild their path after it has deviated, their unstoppable drive to overcome adversity. At FC Barcelona Messi has GUARDIOLA as an example & guide to follow, at REAL MADRID Cristiano Roanldo has his Captain RAUL GONZALEZ to follow as the latter’s career has been “killed off ” Football wise by media & fans for the last 5 years, & Raul just shuts everyone’s month with goals & via leading from example game after game.
It’s interesting how the destinies of Messi & Ronaldo have entered parallel paths.Tweet
SERGIO AGUERO & LEO MESSI have given their list of 11 players & Coach that they each consider make up the ideal UEFA 2008 Team. Surprising names & curious selections, eg Aguero leaves out Messi & Messi includes Aguero but leaves out Ronaldo.
SFS will let you decide if each have said something "hidden" in their selection, but SFS thinks its all innocent. By the way , great sides!
SERGIO AGUERO - TOP 11 UEFA Team choice: Petr Cech (Chelsea); Sagna (Arsenal); Rio Ferdinand (Man Utd); Carvalho (Chelsea); Evra (Man Utd); C.Ronaldo (Man Utd); Xavi (FC BCN); Cesc Fabregas (Arsenal); Ribery (Bayern M); Del Piero (Juventus) & Ibrahimovic (Inter) Best Coach : Ferguson (Man Utd)
LEO MESSI - TOP 11 UEFA Team choice: Petr Cech (Chelsea); Maicon (Inter); Rio Ferdinand (Man Utd); Puyol (FC BCN); Von Brockhorst (Feynoord); Zanetti (Inter); Xavi (FC BCN); Cesc Fabregas (Arsenal); Iniesta (FC BCN); Sergio Aguero (At.Madrid) & Rooney (Man Utd) Best Coach: Ferguson (Man Utd) Tweet
Putting my grain of sand to help contribute in expanding Spanish Football - Soccer | Sports abroad. An ex-amateur Footballer long ago - alias Striker - is now a fan that has the game embedded in his Football - Soccer Sports heart.
