USA-Argentina Messi Liveblog

By: Matt | June 8th, 2008

I was excited to tune into ESPN Classics this evening and find myself in front of a USA-Argentina Friendly? Any squad that includes Messi is sure to deliver a few moments of brilliance.

This network has really stepped it up in terms of footy coverage, and is soon reinventing itself as ESPN3, an offset of the 4 letter network that will emphasizie world soccer coverage. (It’s worth nothing that my cable provider predicted this move months ago when it placed ESPN Classics just above Fox Soccer Channel.)

I’ve always wanted to try out the liveblog thang, so here is my first, and slightly modified attempt at one - a Messi-specific chronicle of this international friendly.

Got started a little late, but I am sure Messi has plently of tricks remaining up those Adidas sleeves of his.

‘17 - great service from Messi to Heinze’s head in the box, where the ketchup master player directs it just above the bar.

‘24 - two men in Messi down the sider outside the box, still manages to earn a corner.

‘27 - Amazing through ball from Messi to Santa Cruz, the even younger Aregentine can’t put it past Hopward though.

‘38 - How has Argentina not socred yet? The US is holding up alright, and have had a few good chances, but the White and Sky Blue have been m,voing with way more purpose.

‘45+0 - Messi ankle-breaks a US defender as he forces it into the box, but the shot dosn’t come

halftime - Well, before I could get to an analysis, I saw that Nike advert…first-person, and directed by Guy Ritchie…and pretty amazing if you ask me. The training, the taunting from superstars, the ladies…done in great style from the british director of Lock Stock, and Snatch.

back to Messi though…he seemed to drive a lot of the action from the Argentine side, not always with the solo strike, but through so creative and far-sighted passing.

but that ends my night, as Messi is substituted. It looks like a brutally warm New Jersey eve, and Leo needs to pace himself. Olympic qualifying on top of normal futbol duties sounds like a heavy schedule.