The Future Has Arrived

There’s some thing special happening at the Nou Camp. Something Once-In-A-Generation special.

Lionel Messi, one of football’s all-time great prodigies, is not only adding his name to short list of top-tier superstars in today’s game, he looks poised to enter football lore as this generation’s transcendent star. To watch him make the incredible seem mundane is to know that you are watching greatness. Messi’s game does not feature the step-overs and theatrics that we’ve come to see from the likes of Cristiano Ronaldo and Ronaldinho. His greatness is defined by a combination of speed, agility, maneuverability, and ball control that only comes around once in a generation.

Going back to the mid-20^th Century, roughly once every decade, a phenomenal talent whose star outshines those of his contemporaries emerges. In the 1940s and 50s it was another Argentine, Alfredo Di Stefano of Real Madrid and River Plate; the 1960s belonged to the legendary Pele; Johan Cruyff dominates the 1970s for Ajax and FC Barcelona; the 1980s brought the brilliance of Messi’s countryman, Diego Maradona; and the 1990s and early-21^st Century brought the greatness of Zinedine Zidane. More than any other player in the world today, Lionel Messi has the look of world football’s next legend.

At just 20 years of age, with just 90 senior level matches under his belt (75 for FC Barcelona, 15 for Argentina), Lionel Messi has cemented himself among football’s most electrifying players. He is often compared to Argentine legend Diego Maradona, not the least of these comparisons coming from Diego Armando Maradona himself. His Argentina side won the 2005 FIFA Under-20 World Cup (Messi was both top scorer in the tournament and named its most outstanding player), he is the youngest Argentine to appear (and score) in the World Cup, he’s played 3 seasons of top-flight club football in Spain with FC Barcelona, having scored 32 goals in 75 games with the club (including 6 goals in 6 games so far this season), he is the youngest goal scorer in Barcelona’s history and the owner of two Primera Liga winner’s medals as well as a European Champions’ League winner’s medal. He has been named 2005 Argentine Player of the Year and 2006 Young Player of the Year by both World Soccer magazine and FIFPro. In June 2007, he won the EFE Trophy, awarded to the top Ibero-American (Spain, Portugal, Mexico, Central and South America) player in Spain.

Did I mention that until June 24, he was still a teenager?

While his resume compares favorably to any 20-year-old footballer in history not named Pele, the true magic of Lionel Messi’s game cannot be quantified. It’s even difficult to put into words. What makes him so special? The way the ball sticks to his feet? The way he slithers through, and flies past, world-class defenders, making them look like their stuck in cement? The way he always seems to make the right decision at just the right moment? Yes… but there’s more.

Maybe it’s his size, or rather, his lack of size that makes him relatable to average fan. Due to a growth hormone deficiency, he stands just 5’7” tall and weighs about 140 lbs., but his abilities command the attention of every defender on the field. His counterparts, not to mention his own uniform, which often appears several sizes too big for him, dwarf him, but he never seems overmatched. It’s as though the football gods thought it unfair to couple his otherworldly speed and skill with an imposing physique.

He commands the attention of everyone watching, from opposing defenders to television viewers thousands of miles away. Whether he’s playing for a championship or in a preseason exhibition, Lionel Messi not only lives up to the hype, he exceeds it. From his hat trick on March 10 against Real Madrid (the first in a Barça-Real match since 1994-95), to his awe-inspiring, Maradona-like goal against Getafe in the Copa del Rey semifinal, to his two goal performance in Barça’s must-win season finale against Gimnastic, Messi seizes the big moments in a way that only the truly special ones do, often in spectacular fashion.

All this before his 20th birthday.

This past summer, while playing for Team Argentina in the 2007 Copa America tournament, Lionel Messi continued his run of outstanding play, establishing himself as the premiere talent in Latin American football. Despite Robinho’s goal scoring binge for Brazil en route to the tournament title, and the presence of top-class talents like Juan Roman Riquelme and Carlos Tevez on his own star-studded Argentina side, Messi established himself as the must-see star of the tournament.

Now, just over a month into the 2007-08 season in Spain, it is obvious that Messi has not only picked up where he left off last season, he’s taken his game to all new heights, occasionally delivering plays that seem to take the game to its highest elevation. From his first goal of the young La Liga season, an awe-inspiring combination of a flick and volley that left Sevilla keeper Andres Palop frozen in his tracks, to his amazing two-goals-in-six-minutes at the start of Barcelona’s match against Real Zaragoza just four days later, Messi’s play early in the La Liga season has emphatically sent the message that the future of football has arrived.

Despite my best efforts, it’s impossible to describe the nature of a feeling. One can only comprehend what separates Lionel Messi from his peers by watching him play. Only then does it become apparent that the smallest player in the game is its biggest star.

2007-08 La Liga Preview

We’re just four days from the kick-off of the 2007-08 Spanish La Liga season with the Madrid Derby at the Bernabéu, between Atlético Madrid and defending La Liga champions Real Madrid. There will be no shortage of storylines in Spain this coming season- From Barcelona’s spending spree, to the end of the “Galacticos” era at Real Madrid, to the departure of Fernando Torres from the only club he’s ever known, Atlético Madrid.

In the interest of full disclosure, I don’t know if should really be attempting a true La Liga preview. I must question my own ability to remain truly objective, as I am a huge fan of FC Barcelona, a title that carries with it certain implied biases and rivalries that are not easily put aside. With that said, I will do my best to look ahead and give you my thoughts on what to expect from the coming season in La Liga (by the way, Real Madrid will NOT repeat as champions!). Anyway, some thoughts on how the season will play out:

Who will represent the La Liga in the Champions League? FC Barcelona, Atlético Madrid, Valencia, Real Madrid (In order). Coming off a heartbreaking season in which the club failed to win a major competition, and, following several weeks of lackluster play, fumbled away the league title on the season’s final day, Barcelona enters the 2007-08 season as the class of La Liga- not only in terms of talent on the pitch, but in terms of the players’ motivation to atone for their fans’ disappointment. With additions of Thierry Henry, defenders Eric Abidal and Gabriel Milito and defensive midfielder Yaya Toure, as well as the pre-season emergence of 18 year-old Mexican prospect Giovanni Dos Santos, Barcelona has retooled its already formidable squad which includes, among others, world-class striker Samuel Eto’o, perennial Player of the Year candidate Ronaldinho and the world’s top young player, Lionel Messi. Look for Barcelona to take no chances with the La Liga title this season. Atlético Madrid heads up the next tier of contenders in Spain. Despite losing star striker Fernando Torres to Liverpool this summer, the club has added a number of influential players, led by striker Diego Forlán (look for big things from him!), Benfica forward Simão Sabrosa and former Arsenal and Real Madrid man Jose Antonio Reyes. Atlético Madrid spent the proceeds of the Torres sale wisely and should be one of La Liga’s top clubs this season. Next, we have Valencia, who added talented Racing Santander striker Nikola Zigic to an attack that already boasts the likes of David Silva and Fernando Morientes, not mention all-world Spanish striker, David Villa. Real Madrid will be the recipient of La Liga’s final Champions League spot because, well, I guess the defending champions deserve to be shown some level of respect (although don’t be surprised if Sevilla takes this spot!). After a summer of Jose Calderon’s shameless tampering, artificially linking the club to everyone from AC Milan ’s Kaká to Premiership stars Cristiano Ronaldo and Cesc Fabregas, Real enters the season with Ajax midfielder Wesley Sneijder, former Barcelona striker Javier Saviola and Roberto Soldado to show for its transfer window activity. The final days of the transfer period could also see the arrival of Chelsea’s Arjen Robben at the Bernabéu. Make no mistake, Real Madrid has succeeded in bringing in some quality players this summer, but it seems somehow anticlimactic. Think of it this way- no matter how nice, a brand new BMW doesn’t seem all that special when you’ve been running around screaming about how you’re planning on buying a Ferrari.

Who will be the top player in La Liga at season’s end? Ronaldinho. Despite turning in the second-best goal-scoring season of his of his career (best in terms of league goals), Ronaldinho didn’t regularly control games with the spectacular, virtuoso performances that have been his trademark. Whether last season’s drop-off in form was the result of fatigue or complacency, a well-rested and highly motivated Ronaldinho will be on a mission to regain his throne as the world’s best footballer.

Which player will take his game to another level in 2007-08? Lionel Messi. This will be its own article in the very near future, but it bears mentioning here that, more than any young player in the game, Lionel Messi has the potential to break into the Pele/Maradona class. He’s one of the most electrifying players in world football, and he possesses “it”- the ability to identify his genius and to maximize it. He may be the best player on the planet within six months. Oh, by the way, consider this: he stand all of 5’7”, weighs about 140 pounds and just turned 20 years-old in June. Amazing.

Which new acquisition will make the biggest positive impact for his club? Diego Forlán. One of the top players in the 2007 Copa America and a deadly striker in his days at Villarreal, Forlán will make an immediate impact on the Madrid attack this season. Since he doesn't have to adjust to playing in a new country or a new league, the Uruguayan striker could potentially exceed all of the production that the club lost with the sale of Fernando Torres this season- at just 2/3 the price.

Which new acquisition is most likely to disappoint his new club? Luis Garcia. A frustrating talent. Luis Garcia has the ability to be a world-class striker, but his inconsistent play on the ball and propensity for losing possession have always stood in the way of his excellent skill. At age 29, he undoubtedly has time to reverse this reputation, but by that age it can be argued that you are what you are. His talent will create expectations, but his inconsistency will create disappointment.

Whose departure will be the most damaging to his former club? David Beckham. This has as much, if not more, to do with Beckham’s fame, aura and persona, as it does with his on the field production. Un the day of his move to Real Madrid four years ago, it was reported that approximately $1 million worth of the teams merchandise was sold- that day! Additionally, Real Madrid sold over $600 million worth of merchandise in his four years at the club, a good chunk of that attributed to his commercial appeal. Real Madrid is the New York Yankees of Spain, where star power and persona are as big a part of the team’s presence as trophies and championships. Plus, they’re going to need to keep their revenues up in order to finance their next generation of huge-dollar purchases. With all of that said, it’s important to point out that the club didn’t start its charge to top of the La Liga table until Beckham was reinserted into the line-up- and, frankly, he played really well down the stretch! That’s not to say that he the sole reason for the club’s league title, but he certainly did provide them with a spark.

Who could exceed expectations and be a pleasant surprise? Sevilla. Coming off their defeat of Real Madrid in the Spanish Supercopa, the two-time defending UEFA Cup champions, and winners of the 2007 Copa Del Rey, have the look of a side that could exceed expectations and finish #2 or #3 in La Liga. With Freddie Kanoute and Luis Fabiano in attack and former Ajax winger Tom de Mul in midfield, Sevilla could pose a serious threat to the traditional La Liga powers. Also, despite he stated desire to play for a bigger club, the lack of a deal (for now) to sell star right-back Daniel Alves means that he could be around until the January transfer window, if not all season. His attacking style of play from a defensive position would give the club a big boost.

Who will be the La Liga’s biggest disappointment? Real Madrid. Despite a spectacular season in attack from Ruud Van Nistelrooy, the return (as always) of captain Raúl, and the ready-to-break-out Brazilian star Robinho, Real Madrid has not improved and retooled like their fellow contenders in Spain. Standing pat while those around you improve is akin to regressing. Yeah, there’s still talent here, yeah they are still “Real friggin’ Madrid”, but don’t look now, other Spanish teams (beyond just Barcelona) have some money too and they are splashing it around at a clip previously reserved for only Real and Barca. Not only is this club is unlikely to challenge for the La Liga crown, they may have to fight for their Champions League spot.