Go for broke – the Game that changed my mind

GOAT – who is the greatest of all time? if there is one. TIME. A lot changes over time, that comparisons of players of different times is difficult. One thing though doesn’t change with time: drive, hunger, fight. Regardless of which era, players can be rated by their hunger to win. How much do they want it? Do they give up?

Enter Messi, arguably one of the G.O.A.T. Talent wise, he really is up there with the most talented. It’s hard to find more talented players than him. Let’s try: Ronaldinho? [whisper] Denilson?…um…um…pointless. But isn’t there more to football than talent? Therein is the question that made me doubt a little bit about his ‘greatness’. Didn’t he just have it easy? To start with so great a midfield, so great a team. And by the time Xavi was gone, and Iniesta was a little bit fading, he had already been branded the greatest by some. So is he really great, or does his reputation preced him? Making opposing teams fearful before even facing him.

This was not to mean that Messi is not a good player, or even a great player. Just that he probably isn’t the greatest of all time. Atleast that’s what i thought before. Before what? Before the clasico; 23/04/2017.

The game that changed my mind wasn’t even the greatest clasico (the 5-0 Barca win anyone?). The 6-2 win was probably better. But rarely do i see fire in a player the same way i saw in that game. Messi was elbowed, he started bleeding. He had a black eye. He didn’t really retaliate in the same way he was offended. But he fought football wise, he took charge and did what he does best: play football.

Then Real Madrid equalised, and began pushing for a win – should they have closed down the game?. With a few seconds left, Messi changed my mind in those few seconds. Sergi Roberto made the run, cutting into spaces that had opened up from Madrid’s push. Messi made a run into space, and a cutback pass found him. The rest is history.

He ran to the corner, removed his shirt, raised it to the crowd. No 10 – MESSI! Should he have raised it to the Madrid bench?