For Lionel Messi, the time is now. Time to score at the
World Cup. Time to save Argentina from another crushing disappointment. Time to
live up to his reputation as one of the world's best players. Time to end
questions about his performance in the biggest games.
One
thing there isn't time for is celebration. Messi turned 31 on Sunday, two days
before Tuesday's must-win game against Nigeria.
Nigeria
would advance with a win, and a draw might be enough for the Super Eagles
depending on group leader Croatia's result against Iceland.
Other
stars have come through at this World Cup. Messi's great rival, Portugal's
Cristiano Ronaldo, has scored four goals. So has Belgium's Romelu Lukaku.
Neymar has a goal for Brazil. Toni Kroos scored when Germany desperately needed
it.
The only
thing Messi has accumulated after two matches is mounting pressure.
To leave
Russia without even making it past the group stage would be a massive
humiliation for Messi. It would also strengthen the impression some fans have
of him back home, which is of a maverick genius who goes missing in critical
international matches.
His only
medal with Argentina came 10 years ago — at the Summer Olympics — but other
than that there have been only demoralizing defeats.
Messi
was kept quiet in the World Cup final four years ago as Argentina lost 1-0 to
Germany. Messi also played for Argentina when it lost the Copa America final in
2007 — when he didn't shoulder much blame because of his youth — and in 2015
and 2016.
After
the loss to Chile two years ago, Messi missed a penalty in the shootout and then
announced his retirement. But he changed his mind, desperate to make things
right by leading Argentina to World Cup success.
It was
Messi's hat trick — in the final qualifying match at Ecuador — that got
Argentina to Russia in the first place.
Considering
he will be 35 at the next tournament, this may be his last chance. Tuesday's
game, therefore, is make-or-break not just for his country but also for him.
So far
in this tournament, he has missed a penalty — which was poorly taken — in the
1-1 draw against Iceland. Then he had a frustrating game in the 3-0 loss to
Croatia. The widely accepted view is that Messi didn't get enough help from his
teammates and wasn't getting the ball to his feet quickly enough to trouble the
slick Croats.
It's a convenient
argument when applied to most forwards, but Messi is unique and beyond
comparison with all current players except Ronaldo.
He is a
five-time Golden Ball winner, a scorer of 552 club goals for Barcelona — not to
mention 64 for his country — and dozens of hat tricks.
If his
teammates can't find a way to play to his strengths, Messi should still be good
enough to produce at least one moment of magic.
There
were rumors in the Argentine media that beleaguered coach Jorge Sampaoli
wouldn't even be on the field against Nigeria after players asked that he be
removed.
Argentina's
football association president, Claudio Taipa, put that talk to rest on Sunday,
but he didn't provide much clarity about the coach's future. Sampaoli has a
contract that runs through the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
"You
have seen the coach and the team training," Tapia told reporters.
"It's clear that what you are saying is a lie."
Tension
has been evident at practice, too. Sampaoli gave Messi a birthday greeting on
Sunday, kissing his star player on the cheek and patting him on the back. But
then there was no further contact between the two.
On
Saturday, most players trained with their heads down, while Sampaoli asked them
to run for only a few minutes. He then implored them to "play and have fun
as usual."
While
Sampaoli is under huge strain as he fights to save his reputation, Nigeria
coach Gernot Rohr faces less pressure.
Rohr was
hailed as shrew tactician after making key positional changes that directly
influenced the 2-0 win against Iceland on Friday.
Now Rohr
has a chance to cement his reputation by leading the Super Eagles into the
second round, likely at the expense of Sampaoli's job.
Given
how easily Croatia found holes in Argentina's defense last week, Sampaoli's defenders
have good cause to dread facing Ahmed Musa.
Musa's
searing pace allows him to hover around the midfield and attack from deep
positions. This means Argentina's defenders will be less inclined to push up
for fear of leaving too much space behind them for him to exploit.
It could
end up impacting Messi too, since slowing Argentina's passing game is the key
to keeping him quiet. With defenders sitting too deep, this means a slower
transition to the midfield and therefore less passing cohesion, and ultimately
less possession for Messi.
Argentina's
best bet is to score first and control the dynamic, forcing Nigeria to push
forward and allowing Argentina to find Messi on the break.
Then, it
will be down to him to do the rest.
As usual.
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