You're the one that brought Ronaldo up!!
Messi in Miami
- Thread starter Bastian
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They have a couple of games more.
Leaving stats aside, in plain gameplay, "The amigos" has been kind of a 50/50. For moments they work, in others they look like the occasional brainfart machines since 2017 in Barca.
In fact the team against Monterrey looked very similar like against Liverpool in CL, shooting their feet time and again in a very very ridiculous style.
Man, you have your thing for CR too and as a by product you kind of frequently "clash" with Heraklion all over the board too.
I don't have a thing for CR! Quote me where I say anything particularly complimentary about him. I've said for ages I think Messi is the better player...I just get annoyed by weird obsessives (admittedly mostly on the Messi side of the aisle). Heraklion posts about almost nothing other than Messi and frequently resorts to playground level penaldo nonsense. Yes, I find it very irritating.
Yeah you do, you’re at it all the time man! You clearly have an issue with people speaking ill of him.
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But man, you are going to generate more stuff that irritates you by following that trail.
PD:
Anyway, not trying to generate a conflict, on contraire, but just sharing some views on this whole CR vs Messi thing.
I think that whole yellowish debate started and was more fueled by the Madrid Media, followed by a mix of former Man Utd EPL Poster boy with the typical over the top English Press (many here have been talking about the whole EPL marketing in another thread).
We live in a very Social media world that has impregnated a very profitable antagonism in a very silly and sad way. And BTW I mentioned mostly the Madrid and EPL Media, because they DO IT "RIGHT", not because Barca hasn't any, but they are as fvcked as their own Club when it comes to shooting their own feet and Madrid was always and might remain a lot more clever.
This scenario created the enviroment in which fellas from the traditional press or in Social media found a niche that created them a very profitable bizzness by playing the CR ultra fan and trashing Messi for anything. And this is quite new, more than probably a by product of Social Media and traditional Media mimicking. CR himself adds fuel to the fire from time to time when he throws some shade over Messi or Messi related stuff, in the press or social media, even if both clearly respect each other.
As counter part, the whole "beatification" of Messi's character, also goes beyond normal, once Pele also enjoyed that (maybe even more because of the particular period he played).
Neither of them are that neat, thought obviously less "difficult" than Diego and cia.
As an example I found myself here in this thread sometimes annoyed as how people can't get that this whole MLS thing it's not just relaxing his last years and is also trying to become the "Face of Football in Murica". I also dunno how much Messi realized the level of extreme toxicity the North American press in General has, that clearly got Messi in his Monterrey matches, with the clear help of some Argie players and coach in the Monterrey side that know how to play the game within the game.
PD2: Regarding my feeling that you looked a bit more pro CR, that triggers you a bit more when people goes Ubber Messi fan. It's because you don't have to be annoyingly over the top praising Cristiano, or trashing Messi, but for instance I kind of recall that at times you've got a bit too much bothered by other posters "objectivity" regarding the points some of them made in their prefference towards Messi. I remember some chat with Zehner in the past in some of those "vs" rabbit holes threads, where you actually weren't that "objective" (if anyone can) when analysing the other poster opinion and obviuosly your interactions all over the board with Heraklion, you two are going to end married if this trend follows. Anyway, I can get also that in a fecking United Forum people trashing CR gets even more annoying hence your "admittedly mostly on the Messi side of the aisle".
Yep.
Unless you watch most games, like I do, you'd be forgiven for looking at their position in the table and assuming that means that Inter Miami have a great team.
They aren't. They've got an injury crisis going on right now this season that more than rivals United's, so for them to be where they are is a near miracle when most of the current team are worse than their MLS contemporaries.
Miami are still more or less one of the worst sides in the league without Messi. Even sides with Busquets, Alba and Suarez playing don't look good. Messi carries this side.
The thing that also happens in this particular Inter Miami case, it's that with Messi helping very little to none in the defensive side and not having that extra march he had when younger, the team when they doesn't capitilize the moments when he provides in terms of assists, or great pasess and such, suffers a lot.
Worse when he ain't the only one that plays measuring his efforts and this is not desirable at all, specially with such a low level defeding and constant bloopers production from the team as a whole, specially the back line.
Those are some highlights of his last game, yet if instead of focusing on him, you focus on those plays were he assists or puts a great ball that ends in absolutely nothing in very favorable situations for the player receiving the ball, you'll get the picture of why Inter still is quite a disfunctinal team.
And this vid obviosuly doesn't include the ammount of bloorpes they produce in their defense.
Inter didn't bought in my view that well to actually reinforce the team and Martino still doesn't found a more solid squeme.
Messi just destroyed England.
The man is still absurd. What a pass for the goal.
Even just standing, cigarette in hand, the man destroys back lines. Absurd!
GOAT with a goal & 5 assists..
Only a month ago, they lost to NY Red Bulls 4-0 when Messi was injured, and today beat the same team 6-2, what a difference-maker.
Only a month ago, they lost to NY Red Bulls 4-0 when Messi was injured, and today beat the same team 6-2, what a difference-maker.
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1 goal and 5 assists today
This assist is absolutely filthy.
That's 8 goals and 10 assists in 8 games. 18 goal contributions in 8 games for a team that usually loses when he doesn't play.
This assist is absolutely filthy.
That's 8 goals and 10 assists in 8 games. 18 goal contributions in 8 games for a team that usually loses when he doesn't play.
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I think he was robbed a few balon dors honestly, shame we will never see a player like him again.
8 is hardly shabby.
I'm not one to take too seriously pre-retirement football but this is a reminder of the magic he possesses that completely separates him from anyone else I've seen.
Quality in MLS is a joke. I’m not surprised it’s so easy for Messi, Suarez and co.
Went to a MLS match last year and I was very disappointed how poor it was. League two quality maybe?
Went to a MLS match last year and I was very disappointed how poor it was. League two quality maybe?
In general, yes, but in context, it's not usually so easy for Messi, Suarez and co.
Without Messi, even with Suarez, Busquets and Alba playing, Miami still often get beaten, which speaks volumes about how good he still really is. And you have to keep in mind, Inter Miami are still generally one of the worst teams in MLS, even by MLS standards, when you look at the the roster as a whole. Their defence is demonstrably worse than almost any team in the MLS, and the inherited midfield was just as bad.
With Messi (as of March 11th), they won 14 out of 18 games with him playing. 77.8%
Without Messi, they won 1 out of 8 games without him playing. 11.8%
The quality of the MLS aside, you'd think that a team consisting of Suarez, Busquets and Alba would easily win without Messi, but they don't, and that's an argument (once more) to Messi's sheer influence.
Opta has the MLS ranked 15th behind the Danish superliga at 14th which i can attest to is shit.
And we had Copenhagen in our group
And we had Copenhagen in our group
Regarding MLS: it‘s obviously not a good league, but the difference that Messi makes to his team is incredible.
He's a level above literally *every* player in the MLS. Including all of his teammates.
He doesn't seem to do much of his trademark dribbling anymore but i suppose that comes with losing your agility and acceleration.
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Yeah, doesn't do it much nowadays. He's still good enough in other areas he can still dominate an entire game even with no dribbling.
I guess that's the thing with Messi and Ronnie. At their peak they were so versatile, so complete, so varied in what they could offer, that at >35, even after they strip away some parts of the game they had at their peak, they're still able to be very very good at what they kept as their focus.
Hey, no laughing at our misery!
Regarding MLS: it‘s obviously not a good league, but the difference that Messi makes to his team is incredible.
Yeah, Messi’s undoubtedly just playing a different sport to everyone else there - as he was a lot of the time whilst in Europe.
It's obviously not Messi alone but he's the one the doing the main carrying job. Seeing the traditionally worst team in the MLS being league leaders because of old Messi and the 3 amigos is good fun. Pink is an awful colour though.
5 assists in one game is something else.
Although, his fourth assist to Suarez was classic Messi dribbling. Best a man at the halfway line and dribbled to the edge of the box and created the goal.
Insane. Even that last assist to Suarez. Crazy good.
The opposition looked awful though, Suárez is utterly finished and unfit but is still unstoppable for those defenders.
Funnily enough the same Red Bulls team spanked Miami 4-0 back in March, without Messi.
Suarez, Busquets and Alba all played, and Suarez wasn't close to being unstoppable that day.
The level of defending in the MLS is laughable.
When Suarez scores his second goal he just casually pushes away the defender and there's literally no reaction. The defenders look comically slow and clueless.
When Suarez scores his second goal he just casually pushes away the defender and there's literally no reaction. The defenders look comically slow and clueless.
yeah I still remember when Messi made United defenders look like that in numerous times.The level of defending in the MLS is laughable.
When Suarez scores his second goal he just casually pushes away the defender and there's literally no reaction. The defenders look comically slow and clueless.
The League is not a traditional league and it shows.
Still there are lots of youngsters with lots of stamina and it's cahotic self can drive a great player to play below par due to this.
It happened to Miami tons of times, when Busi and cia felt it easy, while not even scoring, suddenly a bad transtition, a bad pass in attack or couple of mistakes in defense and Miami ends with a couple of goals against in the blink of an eye.
And now there is a mountain to climb due to the veterans lacking legs.
That's why Messi is so important for them, because he still can be decisive if they can get him in the game without much help, he helps even in sthg as simply as to not complicate with the ball from the back and passing through the middle, while still having that killer edge, no matter rival, league, tournament.
In any case he still needs to perfom mostly for two reasons:
1. To keep himself fit for the NT, mostly because Copa America is soon and eliminatories are a very rough affair.
2. To keep his image on the stratosphere keeping his bizzness in USA in good health and to tone down the always toxic North American press waiting to create controversy around him.
The third aspect will always be there: he just loves playing football, even more than goals, or assists, titles, of course he doesn't like to loose at all and he would not enjoy it as much if him or his team sucks, but you can see how much he likes to play the game and still be active in a good level.
He would always be extremely competitive, but he just needs a ball at his feet full time, it's noticeable.
PD:
Regardingthe assists, the "first assist" it's an insult to the word assist, the second to Rojas was fecking great no matter League, rival or anything, a real and productive "no look" pass and the ones to Suarez were his tardemark effortless plays he does time and again.
Still there are lots of youngsters with lots of stamina and it's cahotic self can drive a great player to play below par due to this.
It happened to Miami tons of times, when Busi and cia felt it easy, while not even scoring, suddenly a bad transtition, a bad pass in attack or couple of mistakes in defense and Miami ends with a couple of goals against in the blink of an eye.
And now there is a mountain to climb due to the veterans lacking legs.
That's why Messi is so important for them, because he still can be decisive if they can get him in the game without much help, he helps even in sthg as simply as to not complicate with the ball from the back and passing through the middle, while still having that killer edge, no matter rival, league, tournament.
In any case he still needs to perfom mostly for two reasons:
1. To keep himself fit for the NT, mostly because Copa America is soon and eliminatories are a very rough affair.
2. To keep his image on the stratosphere keeping his bizzness in USA in good health and to tone down the always toxic North American press waiting to create controversy around him.
The third aspect will always be there: he just loves playing football, even more than goals, or assists, titles, of course he doesn't like to loose at all and he would not enjoy it as much if him or his team sucks, but you can see how much he likes to play the game and still be active in a good level.
He would always be extremely competitive, but he just needs a ball at his feet full time, it's noticeable.
PD:
Regardingthe assists, the "first assist" it's an insult to the word assist, the second to Rojas was fecking great no matter League, rival or anything, a real and productive "no look" pass and the ones to Suarez were his tardemark effortless plays he does time and again.
Negri, Weigandt, Freire and Aviles are atrocious at the back for them in terms of defending and playing out from the back. Even relative to the MLS they're bad at it. The great miracle is how often teams don't score more against Miami given the sheer number of unforced errors that lead to the opposition getting strong chances to score.
Messi gets the ball so little in most games. You'd be forgiven for thinking that his production comes as a result of Messi getting a lot of touches, but it's not the case; he's maximising every moment with the ball to about as much as can be humanly expected with the likes of Gressel, Ruiz, Negri and co around him.
He could easily win another World Cup in 2026 if the Argentina team around him have a great work ethic and ability.