So glad it didn't find penalties. Once Argentina edged Holland I was really worried the final would be 0-0 heading to the penalty spot.
This Argentina side isn't nearly as cynical as the depleted 1990 version that tried to mug Germany all night and reduce the outcome to penalties. But their style of play obviously was going to lend itself to backing off to the final third and then ruining all the clever German designs. It nearly worked, other than a handful of ridiculous misses. Even the Messi header after the German goal was right there for him.
I was unconvinced regarding Messi the entire tournament. Even if he's not scoring or assisting, the best player on the planet should be obvious to even a novice viewer all game long. That doesn't describe Messi at all. He's a little guy who runs around with his head down and too often takes time off and doesn't find the ball for long stretches. Ronaldo was injured and not close to his best but in this event but you could see the awesome skill set, the ability to do so many more things than Messi.
Too many men on the field. It remains that simple. This is now only 10 goals in the last 6 World Cup finals. And many of those are in extra time. Look for the trend to continue and there's no way to grow the game that way. What's the score at halftime? You can guess 0-0 once it reaches the knockout stage and it will take a fluke to be wrong. This version was fortunate in the group stage, and also in the overtimes, but with so much congestion there won't be goals.
It doesn't help that the finishers are terrible, and clueless. What is the attraction of aiming at the moon? As someone who cherishes probability, I never understand the soccer obsession with kicking the ball too high as opposed to too low. In this sport you are rewarded for topping it. Great things might happen, like a deflection off a leg. Nothing is going to deflect positively off the moon. That wall of players will often flinch and separate themselves when the ball approaches. Smart players on free kicks should act like the wall isn't even there. On Messi's final desperate free kick the one thing he couldn't afford was to sail it comically long. But naturally that was exactly what happened. Too much respect for the wall and into the 40th row. That's my final impression of Messi, other than picking up the undeserved best player award.
thank god we got him signed before the tournament, his stock is much higher now
