By Paulo Fiorenza
I’Argentina is in the second round of world Cup in Qatar, after having made its fans suffer with the screaming defeat in the opening against Saudi Arabia: the following victories against Mexico and Poland gave Alviceleste the first place in the group he will face Australia in the Round of 16 on Saturdayto eventually challenge the winner between the Netherlands and the United States in the quarterfinals.
At 35 Leo Messi – so far the author of two goals and an assist in the tournament – he shows himself to be very polished, after the excellent first half with PSG, and more than ever willing to give his people one more joy after the Copa América he won there’ Last year. The Rosarino champion is the ultimate leader of a handful of men willing to follow him in every aspect, supporting him when the ball needs to sing and protecting him when the atmosphere on the field gets boiling and someone dares to threaten the integrity of the Pulce or disturb your royal serenity.
The granitic compactness of Scaloni’s Argentina (which before the defeat by the Saudis had been undefeated for 36 straight games) – an expression of a team willing to follow its leader everywhere – is plastically portrayed in a suggestive video that portrays the players of the Selection before entering the field for the decisive match against Poland🇧🇷 The firm look of the players, the slow but determined gait, the almost phalanx disposition before the battle, say better than any words the maximum level of concentration in the Alviceleste resort.
A beat in unison that has Messi as its catalyst🇧🇷 The captain is ahead of everyone, flanked by two non-random men, Leandro Paredes on the right and Rodrigo de Paul on the other side, two squires who, even on the pitch, will be ready to gnash their teeth if anyone tries to mess with Messi. In particular, de Paul has repeatedly ended up in viral videos in the past, in which he is seen acting as a veritable ‘bodyguard’ for Leo.to the point of ‘accompanying him’ even after matches, when greeting opponents or being harassed by fans for selfies and autographs.
Constant protection from the Atlético de Madrid midfielder, who, incidentally, from the films in question seems to be appreciated by Messi himself, who always finds the former Udinese at his heels and doesn’t blink. After all, the good Rodrigo knows very well that in Qatar he has the opportunity of a lifetime to write his name in football history if he wins the World Cup with Argentina. A goal that necessarily passes through the feet, health and serenity of the seven-time winner of the Golden Ball, a national heritage to be preserved at all costs from ill-intentioned people.
Someone in the past has argued that Messi lacks leadership, mistaking his character not inclined to shouting and vehement gestures for a lack of affect in the dressing room. Just watch the video that precedes the Argentina-Poland match to understand that it’s exactly the opposite: Leo turns around, looks at all his teammates, transmits to them the strength of the leader and then runs towards the field followed by the troops. 🇧🇷Respect to the greatest in this video is absolute madness“, wrote the Udinese striker Gerard Deulofeu, who played with Messi at Barcelona and knows what he is talking about.
Source: Fan Page IT
I’m George Gonzalez, a professional journalist and author at The Nation View. With more than 5 years of experience in the field, I specialize in covering sports news for various print media outlets. My passion for writing has enabled me to craft stories that capture the attention of readers all over the world.