Can Messi Beats Maradona?

Maradona: Do you think you can beat me, kid?
Messi: Why not, coach? I am sent by the God of God to play football. Let me show you the way to play beautiful football!


Argentina needs at least a draw against Uruguay to qualify automatically to the World Cup in SA, provided Ecuador beats Chile by less than 5 goals. A win will surely confirm their participation in the biggest sport event in the world. World Cup will lost its shine without Argentina as the best player in the world plays for this country. I wonder who is this great Argentinian!

Can Messi matches Maradona's achievement by bringing home the World Cup in 2010? What do you think? For record, Maradona leads Argentina to the second World Cup title in 1986, beating West Germany 3-2 in the final. If Messi wins the World Cup for Argentina, i think he will become the Best Legend of Football.

p/s: Pele once said Maradona is sent by God to play football. Maradona replied "I dont remember sending anyone to play football." Hence the conversation above.

Related post: Messi is better than Maradona

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Dunga bets on Argentina to qualify automatically
CAMPO GRANDE, Brazil (AP) - Brazil coach Dunga predicts Argentina will reach next year's World Cup in South Africa without needing a playoff.

Argentina plays Wednesday away to Uruguay in the final round of South American qualifying. Argentina will finish fourth in South American qualifying if it wins the match, which would give it the final automatic qualifying berth. Brazil, Paraguay and Chile have claimed the first three spots.

Argentina can also advance automatically with a draw.

Uruguay will also advance automatically if it wins, but a draw would not be enough.

"Uruguay is going to have to go for it, and that could give Argentina lots of space to play in," Dunga said. "They will be over the nervousness and will play much better." Argentina salvaged a 2-1 victory on Saturday against Peru, winning on Martin Palermo's scrambled goal three minutes into second-half injury time.

"Anyone who works in football knows Argentina not only had to beat Peru, but also a case of the nerves," Dunga said. Going into Wednesday's round of matches, Argentina has 25 points, Uruguay 24 and Ecuador 23.

The fourth-placed team advances automatically. The fifth-placed team earns a playoff in November with the No. 4 team from North and Central America and the Caribbean for another berth. The opponent will be either Costa Rica or Honduras.

Ecuador, which plays at Chile, also has a chance.

If Ecuador beats Chile, it will finish at least fifth and earn a playoff spot. Ecuador could also get the automatic spot. For that to happen, Argentina and Uruguay have to draw and Ecuador has to beat Chile by at least five goals.


Argentina needs a real coach, not Maradona
Argentina's sparky little playmaker is such a dazzling pleasure to watch; football's showcase would be poorer without him. - John Leicester



messilegend

Maradona in trouble!

Argentine World Cup veterans defend Maradona

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina (AP) - World Cup veterans Javier Mascherano and Juan Veron have thrown their support behind embattled Argentina coach Diego Maradona ahead of Saturday's crucial qualifier against Peru.

"Maradona has all our support," Liverpool midfielder Mascherano said after a closed training session Wednesday at the general headquarters of the Argentine Football Association. "He's the coach and he knows what he does."

His comments come a day after Maradona, acknowledged as one of football's greatest ever players, said he may quit as coach if he cannot continue on his terms, even if Argentina qualifies for South Africa 2010. Estudiantes de Argentina playmaker Veron, who is unavailable for the Peru match due to a suspension, defended Maradona's stance.

"Diego isn't satisfied, or doesn't like something, it's not bad that he demands certain conditions to continue," he said.

Argentina is in danger of missing out on next year's World Cup, and most of the blame has been placed on Maradona who has failed to mold a team out of some of the world's best players including Barcelona star Lionel Messi and Manchester City striker Carlos Tevez.

Maradona, 48, put Messi and Gonzalo Higuain in the attack during Wednesday's practice session.

And while Messi is in the lineup, Real Madrid striker Higuain, who has yet to play in Argentina's qualifiers, and Martin Palermo, the Boca Juniors leading scorer, will contest the other lead spot. For the moment, Higuain seems to be a step ahead. The rest of the lineup for Saturday's match will include Sergio Romero, Jonas Gutierrez, Rolando Schiavi, Gabriel Heinze, Emiliano Insua, Enzo Perez, Javier Mascherano, Angel Di Maria, and Pablo Aimar, a team official said.

Maradona has been at odds with AFA technical secretary Carlos Bilardo, who coached him in Argentina's 1986 World Cup-winning squad at Mexico, and at Italy four years later. He said Bilardo should have traveled to England to persuade Manchester City to rest defender Pablo Zabaleta and striker Carlos Tevez.

Zabaleta returned unfit to play against Peru. Argentines are losing their patience with Maradona after losses against Brazil and Paraguay have left the team struggling in fifth place. Brazil with 33 points, and Paraguay on 30 have already qualified. Chile (27), Ecuador (23) and Argentina (22) round out the top five, while Uruguay and Venezuela have 21.

The top four teams from South American qualifying earn an automatic berth for the World Cup, while the No. 5 team faces a playoff in November with the fourth-placed side from the North and Central American and Caribbean region for another berth.

Maradona has led Argentina to four losses and only two wins, with 12 goals against and only six in its favor. He also had a poor record in his short time as a coach in the 1990s, when he led two Argentine clubs to 5 wins and 29 losses.

The team will practice again Thursday afternoon, avoiding the twice-a-day workouts conducted by most national teams. Maradona said in a television interview after taking over as coach that he only works in the afternoon because he likes to sleep in.

This rankles many Argentines. Polls show a majority feels Maradona is unfit to coach, despite his success as a player.


Source: http://www.thestar.com.my/sports/story.asp?file=/2009/10/8/sports/20091008144530&sec=sports

Messi vs Ronaldo

Who is the best footballer in the world today? Messi or Ronaldo (MU kid, not botak/bald one)? Well, both have their own group of supporters/fans. For MU fans, usual la, Ronaldo should be your choice (or else you have to sit/stand with Liverpool fans in the Theatre of Dreams - heavily guarded. Bottles, shoes coming......Watch ur head!! no need to watch the game already). Same with Barca fans, most will say Messi is the best.

Maybe I should conduct a survey in this blog to determine who is the best! Just vote in the comment box guys or at Messi The Legend. Thank you.




Back to Messi vs Ronaldo. In my opinion, both have their own special trademarks. Of course, most girls will prefer Ronaldo because they look at footballer's face only. Even when Ronaldo is "dribbling", they also look at the face only - see got pimples or not isit? Ronaldo is also good in the air (heading ball, not other thing!) and freekicks (although I much prefer David Beckham's curly kicks). Messi on the other hand plays like Maradona. As my friend said, "the ball seems like gummed to his feet."

His dribbling skill, needless to say, is phenomenal. Compared to Ronaldo, his dribbling skill is more natural and beautiful. Ronaldo, you dont need to always left right left right....., like that I also can do, but I think I will get dizzy before the opponent. If you are really good, you just need a touch or two to dribble past your opponents.

It is not easy to play like Messi/Maradona, because their special dribbling skills are GIFTED, not learned.





p/s: This is an old post with slight editing, my original post at http://www.messilegend.blogspot.com/