Brazil 3 Argentina 4: Hat-trick hero Messi steals the show in seven-goal thriller

Cool finish: Lionel Messi scores his first goal Lionel Messi scored a hat-trick as Argentina beat Brazil 4-3 in a lively friendly on Saturday, dealing a blow to the Brazilians as they wrapped up their preparations for the London Olympics. Brazil took the lead in the 23rd minute when a quickly taken free-kick found Romulo, who banged in the goal as Argentina's defenders appealed in vain for offside. Argentina equalised in the 31st minute after Gonzalo Higuain robbed Brazilian captain Sandro and fed Messi, who shot low into the corner of the goal. Within three minutes, the diminutive striker put Argentina 2-1 up, running on to a pass from Angel di Maria and rounding Brazilian goalkeeper Rafael Cabral. Brazil got back in the end-to-end game in the second half when Oscar scored from close range after 56 minutes and then reclaimed the lead when Hulk took advantage of a fumble by Argentine goalkeeper Sergio Romero to score. But Argentina stormed back quickly as Federico Fernandez headed in from a corner in the 75th minute before Messi scored the best goal of the game with a trademark run and shot from outside the penalty area in the 84th minute. Brazil's Marcelo and Argentina's Ezequiel Lavezzi were sent off for an altercation in injury time. The game was played in front of a sell-out crowd of nearly 82,000 at Meadowlands Stadium, home of New York's two American football teams, the Giants and the...

Read More........ → June 10, 2012

Chelsea 'cleared to sign Lionel Messi'

Messi is 'unsettled' at Barcelona, reports suggest – and Chelsea are poised to swoop BY Bill Mann: The Premier League's finest will be dismayed to hear that Barcelona have got their beady eye on Paul Pogba, but is that because Chelsea are poised to deprive the Spanish giants of Lionel Messi in the summer? Transfer Talk dishes the dirt on the latest tittle-tattle. • If Metro has its facts correct then Chelsea "have been cleared to sign Lionel Messi" at the end of the season. The paper claims that the Barcelona goal machine is weighing up his options after allegedly becoming unsettled at the Camp Nou, and then mentions the sum of ￡200m as the likely transfer fee for the Argentine ace. It's believed that Messi wants to take up the challenge of playing in the Premier League and Chelsea are prepared to pay the astronomical sum "all up front" in order to secure his signature. • Barcelona will have their sporting director Ariedo Braida in Germany tonight to watch Paul Pogba in action for Juventus against Borussia Dortmund. That comes as a blow to Arsenal, Man Utd and Chelsea, who were apparently all keen to sign the French star. The same three clubs have also been frustrated in their efforts to lure Mauro Icardi away from Inter Milan, theDaily Express reports. He will now remain in Italy. • Former Dutch international Ruud Gullit says compatriot Louis van Gaal is "crazy" about Mats Hummels and wants to sign the Borussia Dortmund...

Read More........ → February 26, 2015

FIFA World Cup: Sublime Lionel Messi lights up Maracana

Lionel Messi finally made his mark on the World Cup and lit up the Maracana with his first goal in the finals for eight years but Argentina had to battle hard for a 2-1 win over debutants Bosnia in their opening Group F match on Sunday. Messi, four-times world player of the year and Argentina’s best footballer since Diego Maradona graced the 1986 tournament, put his side 2-0 ahead on a night when the stadium was turned into little Buenos Aires by tens of thousands of his countrymen. “It was important to start with a win and to get three points but we need to improve,” man-of-the-match Messi told reporters. Although they took the lead in the third minute when Sead Kolasinac netted the fastest own goal in World Cup history, Argentina looked unconvincing until Messi struck with a dazzling run and sweet left-foot shot that went in off the post in the 65th minute after a one-two with substitute Gonzalo Higuain. It was Messi’s first goal in the finals since scoring in Argentina’s 6-0 win over Serbia & Montenegro almost eight years ago to the day. Even then they could not afford to relax as Bosnia substitute Vedad Ibisevic scored in the 85th minute to set up a tense finale. “They were two different halves,” Argentina coach Alejandro Sabella told a news conference. “In the first one I think we controlled the Bosnians well, but beyond that, we didn’t create the kind of depth that we managed in the second half. Obviously we need...

Read More........ → June 16, 2014