Argentina star Lionel Messi.Credit:Fairfax Media
The name Messi elicits fear and awe in equal parts.
The man who has blessed the planet with his mastery of the game will have been mentioned countless times at Socceroos meetings leading into Sunday morning’s round of 16 World Cup showdown with Argentina.
Harry Souttar, Kye Rowles, Aziz Behich and Milos Degenec will be under strict instruction, as will central midfielders Aaron Mooy and Jackson Irvine.
The special case Messi presents may also lead to something out of left field from Australia coach Graham Arnold. Noted terrier Cam Devlin looms as a potential wildcard.
What ’s next is one of the toughest jobs in football, not dissimilar to the one that confronted Socceroos great Paul Wade when he stood opposite Diego Maradona in Australia’s failed bid to reach the 1994 finals in the United States.
In the lead-up to the 1993 matches in Sydney and Buenos Aires, Wade followed a tip from coach Eddie Thompson and watched videos of Maradona in pursuit of an edge. He then impressed in both fixtures.
The golden boots of Lionel Messi will keep the Socceroos transfixed on Sunday morning.Credit:Getty
Now, with Messi – the closest thing the world has seen to the great Maradona – standing between Australia and a spot in the quarter-finals, Wade put himself in Arnold’s shoes.
“That’s going to be interesting for Graham Arnold. Not many people man-mark anymore, but I can honestly see merit in it because if you are not passing players on, like Maradona, and he does get the ball, he will rip you apart,” Wade said.
“I would say this, to whoever is marking him: just get four or five of his last games and just watch him and him alone. What does he do? Where does he move? When I marked Maradona, Thommo gave me a couple of his last games on video and I watched him.
“I knew he wasn’t very tall and I knew he only used his left foot, but you know the one thing I did pick up on? He didn’t move very far but, boy, when he moved, he was like lightning.
“If you can know in your mind, and can be comfortable with who you are stopping, they become less intimidating.”
Following Thompson’s advice almost 30 years on, a look back at Messi’s work during pool play in Qatar makes for sobering viewing for Australian fans. As versatile as he is dangerous, identifying what role Messi will play is the first challenge for Australia. Then the harder part – stopping him from dashing the dreams of a nation.
The master of making space
Before the strike that set Argentina on the road to victory against Mexico in their second pool match, Messi’s ability to find pockets of open space was there for all to see.
That the most watched man in world football is able to peel away from those charged with stopping him is one of his greatest skills.
In the 64th minute of the 2-0 victory, Messi first gets a touch in a relatively trouble-free position. Mexico have eight defenders within an area approximately 35m x 10m. Argentina have four players in positions ahead of their main man.
Messi plays the ball to Enzo Fernandez, who immediately shifts it back to the short side of the field. At barely a jog, Messi drifts to just beyond the D at the top of the penalty box. Trouble is brewing as he spots a fatal error made by Hector Herrera, who has turned his back.
It wasn’t as bad as the fate that befell Lot’s wife in the Book of Genesis when he looked over his shoulder, but Herrera soon realised it was already too late. After barely getting out of a jog, Messi was suddenly in a great attacking position with the ball at his feet and more than enough time and space to take a touch and fire.
The finish was great but it was the 10 seconds prior which opened the door. Souttar and Rowles may also have Martinez also on their minds, forcing Mooy and Irvine to avoid the mistake by Herrera that changed the game and got Argentina’s Cup push back on track.
The No.10 as a false 9
Playing with a flat four at the back can result in central defenders looking at each other when Messi is playing as the centre of an attacking trio. Such was the case against Poland in their group-sealing 2-0 win on Thursday morning.
Lautaro Martinez started this game on the bench with Angel Di Maria and Julian Alvarez the wide attacking options.
If that formation is repeated against Australia, Souttar and Rowles will have to make decisions. Do they allow Messi to wander without close attention or does one of them follow him? If one leaves the other, the tremendous understanding they’ve displayed in recent matches will be compromised.
As early as the 10th minute against the Poles, Messi sat back in his preferred spot at the top of the D. Poland had six men goalside but Messi again had what he wants – space and time to pick his head up with the ball at his feet.
One of those runs where the ball remains so close to his foot a mistimed lunge of a defender will turn into a foul ensues. Messi gets a sight of goal from a tight angle but Poland keeper Wojciech Szczesny is up to the task.
Later in the same game, another late run into the box resulted in a scuffed shot that was stopped by Szczesny.
The central defenders were largely neutered by Messi. Considering the effectiveness shown by Souttar and Rowles in the wins over Tunisia and Denmark it will be interesting to see if Messi plays in this role again.
Messi’s role will say a lot as to whether or not coach Lionel Scaloni truly rates Arnold’s men. Will he negate one of Australia’s strengths or will he just say “We are Argentina, you’re Australia, and you’ll be the ones worrying about us.” That, but in Spanish.
The tortoise, and the hare
Those in the sports science department of the Asociación del Fútbol Argentino will have never been in love with the GPS data coming from their No.10.
Messi will never win a foot race – the fastest part of him is between his ears. Nor will he clock up the 10km-plus efforts some of the game’s elite athletes can register.
But when he needs it, the old man can still motor. While it came in their concerning first-up loss to Saudi Arabia, Messi played as a true No.10, and that afforded him the chance to run at the opposition’s centre backs with some wind in his sails.
Argentina were short of a gallop on this day – Messi included. If their timing was sharper, they would have been three goals up at the break. Instead, they gave the Saudis enough hope for them to produce an all-time Cup upset. But the man in the golden boots doesn’t misfire often and that’s a cause for concern for the Socceroos.
Gene Kelly, Fred Astaire, Lionel Messi
Herky-jerky dribbling sometimes does the trick, while at other times standing sentry with the ball motionless at his feet can prove just as daunting. But the thing Messi is best known for is his rapid-fire surges at back-pedalling defenders. It’s the stuff of nightmares.
Sides far better than the Socceroos have failed to curb him in the past, but that’s not to say the genie can’t be kept in the bottle for 90 minutes.
Once the 35-year-old gets moving, that low centre of gravity comes into its own. His knack for keeping the ball close while maintaining speed and changing direction is legendary. Australian players, and fans, will be hoping he has two right boots on in his next outing.
Ten working for one
For Messi to be successful, he needs a serious buy-in from his teammates. He needs to be afforded the chance to drift to a dead part of the field and scan proceedings in real time. That usually results in good things. He lets things percolate and then re-inserts himself into play.
During these times, his teammates shoulder the load. The holding midfielders who’ve played lots of football with him over the years know what is expected of them.
They’re lining up to do it as well because they know success invariably follows. Whether that success – which included a Copa America title in 2021 – sees a Jules Rimet Trophy added to the cabinet remains to be seen.
Now to see if Australia can derail the hopes of a football-mad nation.
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