 |
| Mladen Antonov |
The spectre of Lionel Messi’s failure to win a Copa America or World Cup looms heavy over the world’s greatest player.
Unquestionable dominance at club level with Barcelona – and a leading role in one of the stronger Argentina sides in history – renders Messi’s lack of senior national team success a glaring anomaly.
“Leo can’t be our constant savior. The team has to help him,” Argentina coach Gerardo ‘Tata’ Martino told reporters after the draw for the 2016 Copa America, in New York City’s Hammerstein Ballroom.
Messi and co. were pitted against defending champions Chile in an otherwise straightforward Group D containing Bolivia and Panama. While revenge will be on Argentina’s minds following the 2015 final penalty defeat to La Roja, Martino insisted that there was nothing to fear.
“Last year a difficult group hurt us. This year we have the opposite,” Martino added. “We meet Chile again but what’s coming is new. The slate is wiped clean.”
Despite his keenness to deflect the pressure from his star player, talk of this gap in silverware is hardly an elephant in Martino’s room. “It's clear that not having won with Argentina weighs on him,” he told Goal only a few weeks ago. “We need to understand how difficult it is to be Lionel Messi.”
Argentina legend Mario Kempes, a guest at the draw, was less kind: “Messi owes something to Argentina. He knows that. But he’s still the best in the world.”
Life could be more difficult for Messi. He could be American. The hosts were drawn against Colombia, Costa Rica and Paraguay in Group A. It’s a pool that Jurgen Klinsmann will be pleased to escape.
"No group is easy,” the German opined. “We'll take it the way it is. We did the same in Brazil. We'll do it now, too. We'll go out there and give it a go."
Brazil arguably secured the plum draw, in Group B. Rank outsiders Haiti are taking part in their first Copa America, while Peru and Ecuador are not walkovers by any means but will not be expected to keep Dunga and Neymar from sleeping at night.
The Selecao have the clearest route to the final, with the second-placed team in the USA’s group unlikely to be too complicated a last-16 opponent. The draw is set so that South America’s two glamour sides will not meet until the final if they top their groups. Mexico were seeded ahead of both champions Chile and 15-times winners Uruguay – they have been punished with a draw against the latter, who are led by the rejuvenated Luis Suarez.
But Argentina’s progress will be the most scrutinised. Messi has been named the world’s greatest player five times. With Barca he has won seven La Liga titles and four Champions Leagues. With Argentina he has only secured 'junior' titles in the 2005 World Youth Championship and the 2008 Olympic Games.
This year’s Ballon d’Or winner has elected to swerve the summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro, where he could have taken one of Argentina's three over-23 spots. It’s hardly a calculated risk – that gold medal is not one of football’s most coveted titles and already sits in his cabinet.
Messi will not be helped by the 2015-16 club calendar. Barca are expected (but by no means certain) to reach one or both of the Copa del Rey and Champions League finals on May 21 and 28 respectively. The Copa runs through June. He will be playing his third tournament in a row, having reached and lost the finals of both the 2014 World Cup and 2015 Copa.
Neymar will also have to contend with a similar non-stop routine, although he did not go quite as deep into those competitions. Dunga acknowledged there could be tension with his club.
"We have not even talked with [Barcelona coach] Luis Enrique," Dunga admitted. "We'll see. Our intention is to talk to the clubs and see the best formula to not hurt anyone.
"We have to speak personally to the player and find a good solution for everyone."
Exhaustion could be a factor for Messi too, as could fortune.
“Argentina have no luck,” Kempes opined. “They reached two finals in a year and couldn’t win one”.
Superstition dictates that bad luck comes in threes. Argentina and Messi will hope rationality wins out.
0 Response to "Messi on course for dream final with Brazil - but watch out for Chile"