2014 FIFA World Cup Final & 3rd place

[britbox]

Anyone else feel Messi did not deserve the golden ball , I thought Muller or Kroos deserved it

That's the Player of the Tournament, right? :nono

I think it must have been agreed he'd get it before the tournament, because Messi wasn't even the best Argentinian player of the World Cup - that would be Mascherano.

These things are more about corporate branding than anything else...

Agreed, Messi wasn't the best player in the tournament - looked like a popularity vote more than anything else. He even looked a bit embarrassed to receive it.

 

[britbox]

im not a big fan of the.."you gotta win the wc to be goat" narrative. i'm not into goats full stop much.

what..so if messi has scored with that late free kick in the final and arg won wc on pens then a load of folk would be calling messi the goat but cos the opposite happened then he is not..:huh: PAH I'm not having that.

the champions league is of higher quality than world cups are..brazil would never even finish high enough in the prem to even qualify for the champs league.

obviously the world cup is bigger (just about)..after all the name 'world cup' suggests a certain global inclusiveness :snigger..but messi dominating la liga and champs lg (along with Ronnie)..is more impressive for me.

anyway messi..err I mean argentina didn't win the wc..so..blahblahblaaaaaahhhhhh.

I don't think you have to win a world cup (but it helps) and also agree that top flight club football often shows a higher level... but this is the biggest football event in the world and the biggest stage.

Even players who didn't necessarily win the world cup - the likes of Zico - still dominated games and put their personal stamp on the tournament. Zico also did it regularly with Brazil outside of the WC... Could you say the same about Messi?

Messi is a great player... no doubt. But, I'm sorry players like Maradona could dominate games in distinctly average teams. Maradona won Serie A with Napoli for heavens sake, won the WC in a good but not great Argentine team, and was a towering figure (figuratively speaking wherever he went). For me, Messi isn't in the same category. Not a knock against Messi, but more putting into perspective the legend that was Diego Maradona.

 

[JesuslookslikeBorg]

im not a big fan of the.."you gotta win the wc to be goat" narrative. i'm not into goats full stop much.

what..so if messi has scored with that late free kick in the final and arg won wc on pens then a load of folk would be calling messi the goat but cos the opposite happened then he is not..:huh: PAH I'm not having that.

the champions league is of higher quality than world cups are..brazil would never even finish high enough in the prem to even qualify for the champs league.

obviously the world cup is bigger (just about)..after all the name 'world cup' suggests a certain global inclusiveness :snigger..but messi dominating la liga and champs lg (along with Ronnie)..is more impressive for me.

anyway messi..err I mean argentina didn't win the wc..so..blahblahblaaaaaahhhhhh.

I don't think you have to win a world cup (but it helps) and also agree that top flight club football often shows a higher level... but this is the biggest football event in the world and the biggest stage.

Even players who didn't necessarily win the world cup - the likes of Zico - still dominated games and put their personal stamp on the tournament. Zico also did it regularly with Brazil outside of the WC... Could you say the same about Messi?

Messi is a great player... no doubt. But, I'm sorry players like Maradona could dominate games in distinctly average teams. Maradona won Serie A with Napoli for heavens sake, won the WC in a good but not great Argentine team, and was a towering figure (figuratively speaking wherever he went). For me, Messi isn't in the same category. Not a knock against Messi, but more putting into perspective the legend that was Diego Maradona.

messi dominated the decisive moments of argies earlier matches up to qf..but didn't dominate whole matches, he had a strange look about him in terms of his often static movement off the ball, it was odd looking at him having watched him play so many times.

I don't think he should won golden ball but messi's record 4 man of match awards for 4 goals in group stages and match winning dribble/set up of di maria's winning goal vs swiss in 2nd rd was deserved..and i loved his ice cool pen in sfshootoutv Holland also.

from qf onwards messi didnt perform , he was weighed down by whatever it was..pressure/scared of injury/tiredness/weight of maradona yapping away on his shoulders/ whatever whatever who knows wtf ??:huh:

 

[JesuslookslikeBorg]

messi's "pass of the century" vs Belgium was a highlight too.

shame higuain(??) couldn't do it justice by cutting in past his marker and curling a left footer into the corner..would have been one of goals of the tourney if it happened.

 

[JesuslookslikeBorg]

a rematch will happen in Germany as they play argentina in a September 3rd friendly. :devil no doubt Germany parading the world cup in the stadium pre match for the fans to enjoy (but not argentina.:grin

also, strangely..brazil v argentina "superclassico" will be played in china :huh: in beijings Olympic birds nest stadium.