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Messi’s magical hat-trick

LionelMessi (GettyImages)

While Wayne Rooney has taken over the mantle of 'Best Player in the World' with his dominant form this season, the previous BPITW is still making his own strong case for retaining the title.

Lionel Messi registered a beautiful hat-trick to lift Barcelona past Valencia on Sunday, 3-1. If you missed the performance, you will want to watch it now.

Here are the highlights:

Comments

  1. That is the thing about the EPL. The emphasis is to use physical attributes to counter more skilled players. And it does not help that referees allow actual muggins to go unpunished.

    Cheers

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  2. This is by no means an attack on Messi or La Liga–he’s clearly top two in the world and I find La Liga to be incredibly fun to watch…but it’s amazing how much more quickly EPL defenders close attackers down and how much rougher they are

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  3. i wouldn’t be so fast to say Rooney is now the best player in the world.

    (SBI-It’s obviously an argument, and a matter of preference, but the popular sentiment right now, based on performance during the current European season, is that Rooney is the best player in the world.)

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  4. Messi dedicated his goals to his niece, the daughter of Cruz Azul striker Maxi Biancucchi who was born prematurely. Incredibly Biancucchi had an fantastic game against Toluca were he also scored a goal!

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  5. Gee thanks. But then that would mean that I couldn’t watch any games.

    Just saying, Pipa put up 3 and you don’t have his clips. And I can’t help but notice the FC Barca ads all the time on this joint. Just saying.

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  6. Messi looks great. Of course, when Barry Bonds and Floyd Landis took steroids we called it doping. But, when Messi took Human Growth Hormone to treat a “growth deficiency” (he was short as a teenager and his strength didn’t match his fancy footwork) we call it good medicine. Let’s get doping out of sport and ban Messi.

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  7. “Magical” really Ives?

    Not taking from the kid. But every goal he scores is just like that. He either runs at the defender and cuts in with his left and shoot with his left or just outruns them and sets himself up for a 1 on 1 with the goalie.

    He could be even more of a monster if he started using his right more. Once he starts with the right I can say that he will be unstoppable.

    Great goals but not “magical.”

    (SBI-Manny, you really need to get out more.)

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  8. At the moment Rooney is the best player in the world! and he deserves to win the world player of the year. But what it will come down to is whether man united win the champions league or if Barcelona do. And how well Messi and Rooney perform at the world cup.

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  9. While no doubt these two are lighting up Europe, fact is that the WPOTY in a World Cup year is not won in March – it is won in June. If Messi and Rooney, for all their current exploits, fail to lead their nations to a World Cup title, neither will win the World Player award. It’ll go, instead, to a Kaka or Xavi or whoever becomes the star of the World Cup-winning team. Just look at Ronaldo in ’02, he had barely played before leading Brazil to the Cup in Japan but those magical four weeks when he tore Japan up with 8 goals were more than enough to sway the FIFA voters in December. And, remember, that was the year of the great Zidane, with his triumphant Champions League strike ag. Leverkusen, dazzlingly leading Real to the title but then subsequently crashing out in Korea.) It was the same case in 2006 with Cannavaro, who won FIFA WPOTY as a defender, no less!! So…no glory in Africa, no WPOTY in December.

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  10. The cut in the first goal before facing the goalie was amazing! The Valencia left back will probably have nightmare for the next couple of days.

    The other thing that should be mentioned is his first touch on the second goal when he receives the pass from Henry. In one motion, he settles the ball and passes it to himself to start his run. The ball does not bounce, it just rolls in front on him. Probably the only player that has better ball control is Iniesta.

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  11. he also is helped tremendously at Barcelona by Dani Alves, who is always a threat to come outside of him. that keeps the opposing left sided players honest and allows messi to cut in if he pleases. when he is with argentina, he doesnt get that sort of running from otamendi.

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  12. To steal a quote I heard once while watching Messi play…

    “All that’s missing is two letters at the end of his name – an A and an H.”

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  13. well maradona keeps playing him as a forward, not on the wings as he does in barca. he’s not a big guy, gets knocked around to much in the box. he’s sort of like donovan in the sense that he needs to go AT players. if argentina would switch to a 4-3-3 w/ higuain in the middle and messi on one wing and tevez in the other, he would be more effective. i do believe he will have a real good wc, ’cause defenses won’t be allowed to be to physical w/ out getting carded(against all attacking players, not just messi).plus we have the ball going thru veron which although pretty good he ain’t iniesta nor xavi.

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  14. i would really love to see Barcelona vs Arsenal in the Champions League quarters as some beautiful football is surely to be on showcase by both sides.

    Joga Bonita!!

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  15. I think its amazing (and sad for valencia) because looking at the game clock, his third goal happens while they are still showing the highlights of his 2nd goal, it must have been right after the restart at the circle? Did anyone else notice this? I’d love to see the uninterrupted replay!

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  16. make sure you clarify – barca in the second half with red-bull-bound henry on the field. barca struggled mightily with bojan and the formation they played in the first half….second half was stunning

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  17. Well here is a question, if Messi is so great, why is he not performing like that for Argentina?

    P.S.

    I really do think Messi is great player.

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  18. Still think Messi is better than Rooney. I was in awe yesterday. His feet in HD looked like a motion capture photograph of a race car going 200 mph. He is mesmerizing.

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