2000’s Top News Stories of the Decade

We have come to the end. Not just to the end of a transformative soccer year, 2019, but to the end of a decade. And wow, it has been something.

The 2010s brought indescribable joy and unspeakable agony, probably more of both than any decade before. Their World Cup finals brought extra-time winners, two American titles, and a hat trick for the ages. Their Champions Leagues brought historic comebacks, unforgettable bicycle kicks, and four finals decided after the 88th minute.

They brought engaging narratives and captivating feats and swan songs. But most importantly they brought us iconic moments. Euphoric moments and brutal ones, but most of all incredible memories. So many that we couldn’t resist trying to rank them.

Without any further ado…to the top 10 iconic soccer moments of the 2010s, in descending order.

(Not so random disclaimer: We only considered on-field moments – so FBI raids and presidential resignations won’t be seen on our list. And we considered them from the perspective of the evolving soccer fan so they come off a bit vague, we know. Don’t hold back in the comments, let us have it.)

2010: Iniesta’s World Cup winner

From a global perspective, an extra-time World Cup-winning goal – one full of quality, too – belongs in the top five. But for fans with no emotional connection to Spain, Iniesta’s golden moment may not hit the same.

15 years from now though, Andres Iniesta’s strike to put Spain 1-0 up on the Netherlands in the 116th minute of the 2010 World Cup final will persist. It’s the one that kids will recreate in backyards. Its impact – clinching Spain a first world title – is forever etched into the era for Spain that will be remembered as Golden. It also solidified Iniesta as a legend.

2011: Rapinoe to Wambach

The toughest thing about back to back titles is determining which championship mattered more. Thirteen months after Donovan’s moment, the U.S. women found themselves in a similar situation: Down a goal, in stoppage time, with yet another World Cup flop staring them in the face. This was epitomized in ESPN’s Ian Darke’s laboured tone. “And it will go down as the USA’s worst performance ever in a Women’s World Cup.”

But then almost out of nowhere, Ali Krieger cut out a pass, Carli Lloyd fought through fatigue and cycled the ball left to Megan Rapinoe. With the U.S. players running on empty, the seemingly impossible became possible.

Eight-plus years later, the entire play still seems so absurd. Watching Rapinoe’s cross in mid-flight, you can almost see when the opportunity shifts from hopeful to perfection.

The Americans then won on penalties. The following weekend, they fell to Japan. But this moment helped re-launch women’s soccer. It enabled explosions of interest around 2015 and 2019. Can you trace most of the USWNT’s decade-long popularity back to July 10, 2011? We think so.

2012: Zambia wins AFCON 2012

2012 was a tough year to select for, but when Zambia beat the Ivory Coast on February 12 2012, in the final of the Africa Cup of Nations in Gabon, it meant redemption for a football team and a nation. It also gave football one of its greatest ever stories. For Zambia, though, there was a bittersweet joy, a sense of having done something that transcended sport.  It was a fairytale triumph for the team, who returned to Gabon 19 years after the plane crash which claimed the lives of the team's coach and 18 members of their squad.

2013: Football Says Goodbye to Sir Alex

United would get their own back on City the following season, and it would be the 13th and final Premier League title won by their legendary boss Sir Alex Ferguson.

On 8 May 2013, Ferguson announced he would be retiring from the game at the age of 71. The Scot bowed out having won a staggering 38 trophies during his 27 years in charge at Old Trafford, more than any other manager in the history of the game.

The following day, David Moyes was appointed as Ferguson’s hand-picked successor. The less said about his 10 months in charge of United, the better. Sir Alex’s influence has only compounded in his absence as Manchester United, for all of their lore and prestige, look unrecognizable in the current hierarchy of club football. At least he still cheers them on from the crowd right?

2014: 7-1

The night of July 8, 2014, was less a moment, more a mood. It was an image that developed over two hours but has since remained in the minds of football fans. “7-1.” Even Google knows the significance of the scoreline. Go ahead, type them into the search bar. Let me know what you first result is?

The first of two World Cup semifinals that summer was humiliating and devastating for Brazil, a country who still is seen as the measuring stick of international soccer. But in one of the country’s worst moments, its world-class footballers looked paralyzed by the moment, by expectations, by the weight of a country on their shoulders. As they unravelled, on live TV with the world watching, we were left to wonder whether the team understood the unshakable grief they’d be responsible for.

You may not remember any of the seven goals. But you’ll remember where you were, the faces you saw, and the sheer disbelief in Brazil capitulating on the world stage.

2015: Carli Lloyd from midfield

In 2015 There was nothing dramatic about the USWNT’s return to the top of the women’s soccer world. They scored inside three minutes, and again inside five. By the time Carli Lloyd took a forward touch in midfield, they were 3-0 up and cruising.

But what Lloyd did next was, and forever will be, iconic. To cap a stunning 15-minute hat trick, from smack-dab in the middle of the centre circle, her strike was honestly a little disrespectful. The audacity.

Dare. To. Shine.

2016: Leicester City’s PL Title

Before the season began, bookmakers offered odds of 5,000–1 on Leicester winning the title. Once in a lifetime stuff. In the summer of 2015, Leicester City hired Claudio Ranieri to replace Nigel Pearson as their new manager and many pundits figured the Italian would struggle to keep the club in the first division.

But the Foxes made an excellent start to the season, spearheaded by striker Jamie Vardy, who scored 13 goals over 11 consecutive matches from August to November, breaking Ruud van Nistelrooy’s Premier League record of scoring in 10 consecutive games.

Despite having been bottom of the league exactly 12 months prior, Leicester topped the table on Christmas Day in 2016 and while the likes of Manchester City, Arsenal and Tottenham Hotspur struggled with consistency, Ranieri’s men pressed on in second half of the season.

Leicester officially became the sixth club to win the Premier League following a 2-2 draw between Chelsea and Tottenham on 2 May 2016 and the trophy was lifted at the King Power Stadium a few days later.

2017 Part 1: Messi at the Bernabeu

No end-of-decade list would be complete without the GOAT, Lionel Messi. Constantly breaking records and boggling minds, Messi has won 23 club trophies and a record 6 Ballon d’Ors to date.

But besides all of his other record-breaking moments, the one that best encapsulated Messi’s brilliance happened on April 23, 2017. Barcelona and Real Madrid were deadlocked at 2-2 after a gritty and embattled 90 minutes of Classico football. It was a must-win for Barca in order to stay in the title race. Sergi Roberto skipped past Marcelo in midfield and passed the ball left. And as everybody’s eyes went with the ball, Messi performed his favorite magic trick. The greatest footballer on the planet made himself invisible, ghosting towards the top of the box and put Madrid to the sword just when they thought they had taken points from Barca.

Arguably more iconic was what he did next. Holding the “MESSI 10” side of his jersey up to a stunned Santiago Bernabeu crowd, and entire footballing world, Messi was flexing and we were all here for it. We are still here for it. And so were the Madrid fans, who couldn’t help but applaud.

2017 Part 2: La Remontada

On February 14, 2017, the decade’s most prolific club was exposed in front of Europe and beaten 4-0 on what felt like a consequential Champions League knockout night in Paris. Turns out the rumours of Barca’s demise were greatly exaggerated. 

With three minutes plus added time remaining in the return leg back in Spain, Barca trailed PSG 5-3 on aggregate and by an away goal. And just when you thought they were even more dead than they’d been in February, Neymar dazzled. Suarez embellished, and Sergi Roberto, a Catalan boy who’d joined the club at 14, provided one of the most iconic moments in recent Camp Nou history to complete a 6-1 victory, the biggest, most breathtaking, most dramatic European comeback ever.

Since it was only the Round of 16, and Barcelona limped out of the competition in the quarters after losing to Juventus, this only ranks at number 9 for us.

2018: Gareth Bale on his bike

“Wales. Golf. Madrid. Bicycle Kicks. In that order.” Gareth Bale’s decade, a majority of which was spent at Real Madrid has been polarizing, to say the least. Observing his current standing with Coach Zidane and the Merengues, you’d almost forget that Bale has arguably been Madrid’s most decisive player of the decade after the club’s all-time goat Cristiano Ronaldo.

Especially when you consider that Bale won two Champions League finals for the competition’s perennial winners. He put crosstown rivals Atletico to the sword with a 110th-minute header in 2014. Then, in 2018, to solidify the Threepeat – and four European crowns in five years for Real – Bale scored a goal that might just be the decade’s best.

Since this goal wasn’t as dramatic as many of the other moments on our list. And because Real fans never quite treasured it properly, we have Bale’s Bike coming in at number 10.

2019: Liverpool refuse to give up against Barcelona

The most recent memory on this list, we all remember Liverpool going into the second leg of their 2019 Champions League semi-final tie with Barcelona 3-0. Down from the first leg and their chances of making it to a second successive final looked extremely unlikely to say the least.

Adding insult to literal injury, Mohamed Salah would miss the game through injury, ensuring that there was no chance for Jürgen Klopp’s side to stage a comeback. But the Reds showed that night what can happen if you refuse to give up hope.

The young club legend Divock Origi got the ball rolling when he made it 3-1 on aggregate after just seven minutes and that was how it stayed until half-time. Georginio Wijnaldum stunned Barça with a quickfire double to level the tie shortly after the interval.

Liverpool knew that it would have been quiet for them if they conceded an away goal but kept pushing. Their fairytale comeback was complete when unlikely hero Origi converted following a now-classic Trent Alexander-Arnold delivery, and boom, 4-0.

Anfield has witnessed some truly magical European nights over the years but this one was definitely top.

Liverpool went on to clinch a sixth Champions League after overcoming a Tottenham side in the final who’d pulled off a pretty stunning comeback of their own in the semi-final.

It’s a Wrap!

So that’s it. An entire decade wrapped up in a matter of minutes. What was your favorite story of the decade? Who did we miss on our list? Who should have made it? Let us know in the comments below, subscribe and join the conversation!

What’s the reason for Argentina’s woes and how can they change the narrative?

Rabbit out of the hat

Almost everyone in the Argentine football circles knows about their once "unofficial Godfather," the controversial Julio Grondona, as he is referred to by several media outlets. The man who oversaw the affairs of the Argentine Football Association for something close to 40 years as if it was a monarchy, also having some unpopular influence in FIFA. Counter-intuitively, La Albiceleste's football somewhat thrived during his tenure but was also dying slowly and unnoticeably like a degenerative disease.

It all became apparent at his demise in 2014 when a supposedly democratic election to replace the forefather, raised a middle finger towards the whole of Argentina's football fraternity. It was a rabbit out of the hat moment, less of a lucky redemptive moment but a curse springing out of nowhere. Two candidates, one who preached reform and the other a perceived perpetuation of Grondona's iron fist regime lined up for voting as 75 members of the association went to the polls. A ridiculous and unmathematical 38-38 tie was the result, yes, out of the 75 votes cast, with the latter candidate eventually getting the nod.

Five years later, things have never been the same as far as Argentina's football is concerned.

Beginning of the end

Lionel Messi, Pablo Zabaleta, Martin Demichelis, Marcos Rojo, Lucas Biglia, Javier Mascherano, Rodrigo Palacio, Ezequiel Garay and Sergio Aguero of Argentina celebrate defeating the Netherlands in a penalty shootout during the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil Semi Final match between the Netherlands and Argentina at Arena de Sao Paulo on July 9, 2014 in Sao Paulo, Brazil.

(July 8, 2014 - Source: Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images South America)

The election did hint on the beginning of the end and so did the team's performance on the pitch in the same period, though not obvious to the eye. This was the same 2014 where Lionel Messi led La Albiceleste to the World Cup final against Germany in Brazil. Everyone had been rooting for the talisman to bring home the only prize missing from his illustrious trophy cabinet and indeed, he had put on a show worthy of praise and honor. He, in fact, walked away with the Golden Ball prize, the award for the best player of the tournament, howbeit reluctantly receiving it. He wanted more, their people wanted more, a chance to redeem a nation by winning a first major senior trophy in close to 21 years had been tombstoned by the Germans in the final. To be fair, it was not only Messi who had rearranged highways and landscapes on their way to the final. The whole of the White and Sky-Blues had punched way above their weight and just like the Germans, could have exhausted all their drive and winning mojo in that tournament.

Although they were not the most talented squad, players like Lionel Messi, Angel Di Maria, Ezequiel Lavezzi, Javier Mascherano and Gonzalo Higuain were the crème de la crème. As few as they were, their quality did rub on the likes of Marcos Rojo and Sergio Romero, with the whole unit fighting like gladiators, giving even what they didn't have for football and country. It was not just the World Cup, La Albiceleste had phenomenally appeared in 2 of the 3 prior Copa America finals before Brazil 2014. They would then appear in two more finals after 2014, however, they were unlucky not to get their hands on some elusive silverware on all the occasions.

Most or nobody could have known, but that run in which they lost no match in regulation time during the whole of the 2014 FIFA World Cup was a fat lady sings moment, almost the end of an impressive era.

Their 2018 World Cup run was just a symptom

The degeneration became apparent during the 2018 World Cup in Russia where the casual football fans witnessed a shocking performance by the South Americans.

Lionel Messi (L) and Pablo Zabaleta of Argentina look dejected after their 1-0 defeat against Germany in extra time during the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil Final match between Germany and Argentina at Maracana on July 13, 2014 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

(July 12, 2014 - Source: Matthias Hangst/Getty Images South America)

The seasoned Jorge Sampaoli who had masterminded Chile's Copa America triumph and done a great job at Sevilla looked way out of his depth at the helm of the White and Sky-Blues. Bizzare tactics and formations that left out key players such as Sergio Aguero, Paulo Dybala, Angel Di Maria on the bench for the likes of the unheralded and untested Christian Pavon and Maximiliano Meza got everybody talking. Sampaoli himself was crucified on social media to say the least. Of course, he did deserve some of the criticism, but even he was just a symptom and scapegoat of a much rooted and bigger problem. Preparations for the Russia tournament were far from ideal. Sampaoli was even appointed to save Argentina of the bushes of missing out on the World Cup in 48 years after a poor qualifying campaign that was rescued by a Messi hat-trick against Ecuador on the final day. A result that became Sampaoli's only competitive win prior to Russia. Scheduled international friendlies didn't help him thoroughly prepare either with a couple getting cancelled, for instance, the Jerusalem one had poor funding from the federation being a major obstacle (which we will thoroughly explore in the next section). It was during such preparations in March 2018 that Argentina suffered their record-equalling defeat at the hands of Spain, a 6-1 humiliation, which Messi was hardly able to finish as he made his way into the tunnel.

In the end, their 1-1 draw against Iceland, 0-3 loss to Croatia and a last-minute fortuitous 2-1 win over Nigeria that granted them passage into the round-of-16 were all actually not shocking but deserved results. La Albiceleste were eventually knocked out of the round-of-16 by eventual champions France with a 3-4 scoreline.

AFA Shenanigans

In 2019, results have barely improved either. A third-place finish at the 2019 Copa America clouded just how dismal their overall performance had been. An opening 0-2 loss to Columbia, a dull and lucky draw against Paraguay and an eventual win over lowly ranked Qatar were enough to send them through as one of the best 3rd placed teams. Something which shouldn't have been the case for the 2-time world champions. Their governing footballing body, the Argentine Football Association (AFA), has had a lot to do with this, if not everything to do with it. Let's look at only a few of the issues;

Players of Argentina look dejected after losing the Copa America Brazil 2019 group B match between Argentina and Colombia at Arena Fonte Nova on June 15, 2019 in Salvador, Brazil.

(June 14, 2019 - Source: Felipe Oliveira/Getty Images South America)

a. The 2014 Election

Surely without getting any more evidence; the circumstances surrounding the succession outlined in the introduction tells a lot about the cancer of corruption damaging the institution. Corruption itself as a phenomenon basically means more money to people behind the scenes and less towards the development of the game where results are expected. This can even be further evidenced by the following two other concerning issues.

b. Managerial appointments

It's very hard to explain Argentina's recent managerial struggles given just how endowed they are in terms of managerial talent as a nation.

Think Diego Simeone, Mauricio Pochettino, Marcelo Bielsa, Gerardo Martino only to mention but a few. They have a pool of renowned tacticians which has been headlining UEFA Champions and Europa League finals as well as the most competitive domestic leagues in Europe. But who have they appointed instead in recent times, Edgardo Bauza, Jorge Sampaoli and the current caretaker coacher Lionel Scaloni, Sampaoli's assistant who has been barely tested. Maybe the top guys are not just interested in the national team job, but for them not to be, there should be a good reason why. It's fair to assume that such former international players and sons of the soil would be at least patriotic enough to want to help revive their country's football. The former Barcelona manager, for example, Martino quit his role after somehow having only 12 players ready at his disposal heading into the Rio de Janeiro 2016 Olympics.

Simply put, AFA actually seems to be holding back in financing top managerial appointments.

c. National team logistics

Many would remember that the Argentinean captain, Lionel Messi once quit the national team. It was immediately after the 2016 Copa America where they lost to Chile in the final. The five-time Balon d'Or winner had himself missed a penalty during the final shoot-out. Messi would then eventually cite poor professionalism and far from ideal logistics by the administrative body as reasons for him quitting. For someone who had given so much over the years and still not managing to help his nation regain major silverware in over 20 years, you would understand the frustration. He was tired especially given the fact that AFA didn't seem to be pulling their own weight. Messi obviously returned to international duty after a presidential and public plea.

More of friendly matches scheduled in the less known parts of the world for financial gains, only if AFA can guarantee the appearances of top players such as Messi and Aguero has also been damaging the team's competitiveness. They are treating their stars as cash cows.

There could be more, but who else wants to continue hearing about such pathetic stunts by Argentina's football governing body.

“Two candidates, one who preached reform and the other a perceived perpetuation of Grondona’s iron fist regime lined up for voting as 75 members of the association went to the polls. A ridiculous and unmathematical 38-38 tie was the result, out of the 75 votes cast, with the latter candidate eventually getting the nod.”

— Dennis Takaendesa, FirstTouch Africa

Pablo Zabaleta (L) and Lionel Messi of Argentina look on with teammates after being defeated by Germany 1-0 in extra time during the 2014 FIFA World Cup Brazil Final match between Germany and Argentina at Maracana on July 13, 2014 in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.

(July 12, 2014 - Source: Martin Rose/Getty Images South America)

A drying talent pool

Contrary to popular belief, the current Argentinean squad is not actually very talented and balanced. After mentioning names of aging stars that include Lionel Messi, Sergio Aguero, Angel Di Maria, Gonzalo Higuain, Paulo Dybala, Icardi, Manuel Lanzini and Lautaro Martinez; the rest of their team members' names are not as glamorous and neither do they have crucial first-team roles at their respective clubs.

Even the above crop of excellent forwards, they are just that, forwards and they all can't play together at once. Take the 26-year-old Juventus forward for instance, Dybala, he has made little impact on the international stage because he is most effective from a position and role undertook by arguably the biggest talent of the century, Lionel Messi. The same can also be said about Lanzini; Icardi, Aguero and Higuain. No wonder coaches like Sampaoli ended up dropping some popular names on the bench.

On the face of it, this may look like karma is residing in Argentinean football right now, perhaps by having mothers give birth to and nurse only forwards in the current generation. Not really. Their current footballing structure is to be blamed for letting this happen. They are no longer as impressive in being a convincing conveyor belt of talent. La Albiceleste won the Under-20 FIFA World Cup in 2001, 2005 and 2007 and of their 20-man 2018 World Cup squad in Russia, seven of those were U20 World Cup winners from 11 or 13 years previously. Now in their last three U20 World Cup squads (2011, 2015, 2017), only two players featured in Russia. Evidence that the pathway to the first team for youth players has become less straight forward.

It is because of that reason that many talented players could be "leaking" from their current system.

Lionel Messi of Argentina football team player arrives to compete in the 2018 World Cup at Zhukovsky airport on June 9, 2018 in Moscow, Russia.

(June 8, 2018 - Source: Oleg Nikishin/Getty Images Europe)

Spare the rod on Messi

It's fair enough to argue that the case we have presented so far is enough to exonerate Messi from being the scapegoat of the national team's woes. Punditry commentary such as "he doesn't mark for the ball, he is not a good leader, he doesn't care about his country enough," should be trashed.

If it were not for Messi's stunning free-kicks and late solo goals against the likes of Iran, they wouldn't have made the 2014 World Cup final. Argentina might have not made even the Russia finals if the talisman had not bagged a hatrick against Ecuador in their 3-0victory on the final match-day of the qualifiers. It was only the 32-year-old who scored a competitive goal for Argentina between November 2016 and the commencement of the 2018 World Cup finals. So when he lost his cool against Brazil or Chile in the 2019 Copa America finals, understand he had more than one good enough reason to justify a mere normal human emotional outburst.

To say the criticism on La Albiceleste's all-time leading goal scorer has been unfair, it's a gross understatement. Where can Argentina go from here Their challenges and shortcomings surely seem obvious now, but how do they turn it around? It's simple at least on paper, AFA just has to do the opposite of what they've been doing right now. They should take good care of players on international duty, schedule friendlies that make competitive and not just financial sense, become more international in establishing a clear pathway to the senior team for the youth players, recruit vastly experienced managers amongst many other things.

If their recent 6-1 friendly victory over Ecuador is anything to go by, maybe they've started the rebuilding process with youthful players under Lionel Scolani.

Here is what the gaffer said;

"It was a positive tour. We got what we wanted which was that the kids get some minutes and for them to be able to show that they could be here. I'm excited because of the way they understand what it means to play with this shirt. There are five or six players which are the base of my team. They don't need to play as much anymore because they've shown and have given us so much.

After that you could win or lose because the best team doesn't always win. No one is unbeatable but this is a national team that will be difficult to beat." – Lionel Scolani

Where is the ceiling for Wilfried Zaha?

“He has been commended for his fantastic dribbles that he completes with half steps, cutting inside from the wing and making defenders sweep the floor with any part of the body he chooses, regularly the limbs and hair on occasion. On top of that his speed on the ball electric, super sonic stuff.”

— Simiso Shabangu, FirstTouch Africa

A few years ago, mentioning Messi and Zaha in the same sentence could have been treasonous, but now has being compared to the five time Balon d’Or winner for his dribbling abilities. That comparison on it’s own is quite an achievement, but the the 25 year-old  Ivorian striker is does not seem to be at the peak of his career yet. Is this Messi association the best he could do or is this just the beginning of the more he could do and become?

Crystal Palace’s “Messi”

Wilfried Zaha of Crystal Palace jumps clear of a challenge from Federico Fernandez of Newcastle United during the Premier League match between Crystal Palace and Newcastle United at Selhurst Park on September 22, 2018 in London, United Kingdom.

(Sept. 21, 2018 - Source: Julian Finney/Getty Images Europe

He has been commended for his fantastic dribbles that he completes with half steps, cutting inside from the wing and making defenders sweep the floor with any part of the body he chooses, regularly the limbs and hair on occasion. On top of that his speed on the ball electric, super sonic stuff. He has become not just a playful dribbler but an effective one at that, scoring important goals for Roy Hodgson’s men. At the start of the 2017/18 EPL season, he netted three goals in two matches for Crystal Palace take his tally to 24, an all time high for an Eagles player in the Premier League. The Selhurst residents really do miss his goals, hair and everything Zaha in periods injuries which has been quite a few in recent times. It’s not unfounded to say that Zaha is Crystal Palace’s playmaker, creating goals for teammates and scoring even more. Henceforth comparisons to Messi are not shocking, the Argentine has just however done the same thing for Barcelona in the La Liga for an extend period of time. Could it be that Zaha reaching such a level at mid-table club like Palace in the English top flight signals the commencement of even a bigger career rather than mere committed service and loyalty? It sure looks like Zaha, with no disrespect intended, has outgrown the club.  Actually, reliance on him might be more damaging than the perks of his brilliance.

The conversation around him moving to a bigger club?

As anticipated, discussions around him potentially moving to a bigger team like Tottenham, Dortmund, Real Madrid or Barcelona have been far from over, even though he recently renewed his commitment to the London club. An obvious argument to a move away would be exposure to other great players propelling him to concentrate on personal growth without the ‘pressure’ of carrying the team on his shoulders. Zaha did however play for a bigger club, Manchester United from 2013-15 managing just two appearances in two years. Some feel like he is play that feeds of the limelight and that he was overshadowed and got his light dimmed at United. Could it be that he was still young and a growing footballer who lacked someone who unequivocally believed in his abilities. Well, I would like to believe that no matter the challenge this time around or club, cannot be too big for Zaha. You do just become one of the most dreaded forwards in the English Premier League for no reason.

Protection and Winning

Wilfried Zaha of Crystal Palace battles for possession with David Brooks of AFC Bournemouth during the Premier League match between AFC Bournemouth and Crystal Palace at Vitality Stadium on October 1, 2018 in Bournemouth, United Kingdom.

(Sept. 30, 2018 - Source: Mike Hewitt/Getty Images Europe)

The Ivorian striker becoming dangerous defenders in the premier league has also seen the defenders arguably becoming a danger to him. He recently called out for more protection as the most singled out player, alluding that maybe he would need to have one of his legs broken before being taken seriously. Maybe he has indeed divided on some occasions but it goes without saying that being the centre of attention because of his abilities and threat he poses to any opponent, more protection would be required. Both from potential haters or shielding himself from naysayers.

On Monday evening, Crystal Palace lost their game to Bournemouth . As soon as the whistle blew, seemingly frustrated, Wilfried Zaha gave his coach a brief handshake and rushed to the dressing room. The fans who had been watching him for ninety minutes could have appreciated more, a custom applause for their unwavering support despite the result. With his abilities at an time high is his career and the desire to win more increasing with every performance, Zaha might possibly be seeing more and demanding more of himself than the entire world has ever seen. Most are already dazzled with what he has given so far, could words be coined to what else he can bring to the Africa and global football in general.

FT World Cup 2018: Live From Russia - Messi vs Iceland

I don’t think my fanatical appreciation of Lionel Messi appears as a surprise to anyone in my immediate life at this point. When it comes to athletes, I have a high level of respect for plenty, but only a couple would really make me feel some type of way if I met them in real life. The list goes Lionel Messi, Serena Williams, and Zlatan Ibrahimovic (who I actually got to see him during the Mexico 🇲🇽 vs Germany 🇩🇪 game, and lost it for a good 30 seconds).

Like many football fans, i’ve been in awe of Messi since he was 17-18, breaking onto the scene with a then, Ronaldinho-led Barcelona squad after a ridiculously dominant U-17 World Cup performance with Argentina. I’ve watched his squad number change from 30, to 19, to the eventual legendary 10 he now effortlessly dons today. I’ve watched him take the torch from Ronaldinho and grow into the best player in the world, gifting two separate coaches Treble honors with the Catalan club (Pep Guardiola and Luis Enrique). I even have gotten to witness him live during a football trip of my own to Barcelona with The Ohio State University’s Men’s Soccer team in 2010. But June 16th 2018 would mark my first time seeing Messi in live action for his nation Argentina. Admittedly, being a childhood Brazil 🇧🇷 fan, I more or less loathe Argentina 🇦🇷. I am in no way a stranger to rooting against them, but am definitely unfamiliar with the notion of rooting for them. Tel est le pouvoir de Lionel Messi. Similar to LeBron James in the NBA Finals, knowing the battle that lies ahead of him whilst considering who is at his side going to battle with him, these GOAT-level players are enjoying a certain level of empathy they may never have received until this unique juncture in their respective careers.

“Oh lawd I can’t wait to see Messi embarrass someone today” I thought at breakfast. 2010 feels like so long ago, and I was too hype to see Messi boss the game in only a manner he knows how (more on this shortly). Who would his victims be you ask? Iceland. Iceland 🇮🇸are definitely a nation that are just happy to have been a part of the tournament, but similar to South Korea 🇰🇷, they were about to embark on a World Cup group stage performance from both players and fans that would earn them much deserved respect in the footballing world. Watching the team warm up, one thing was clear to me. Argentina will

not have it easy. From the blow of the first whistle, everyone and their mum could see Iceland were not only up for the fight, they were prepared for it. Their tactics seemed to be relentless pressure supported by the tactical acumen and maturity to surround Lionel with multiple bodies in the midfield, while allowing him to find his teammates who were then placed in situations where they were being dared to be the decisive ones instead of Messi. Definitely a gamble, but a rewarding one if your team possesses the fitness and discipline to carry this out for 90 minutes.

Argentina struck early in the game through Sergio “Kun” Aguero in the 19th minute. Even though La Albiceleste were 1-0 up, there was a certain calm amongst the Icelandic players. They didn’t panic or abandon their tactics and were rewarded with an equalizing goal in the 23rd, within the infamous “first five minutes” after a team scored a goal but is the most prone to mistakes due to a momentary lapse in focus. Iceland striker Finnbogason found himself in the right place and the right time in Argentina’s box to tuck in Iceland’s first ever World Cup goal at the expense of Messi and Co. As you all know by now, both teams went into the break level and Messi once again failed to convert a potential game winning penalty kick, something he has done 4 out the last 7 times he has attempted a pk for club or country. The rest of the game would go on to be an all too similar narrative for Argentina during the Messi era as none of his teammates looked to be able to conjure up genuine scoring chances in a match that begged them to. Iceland ended with a tie, a much deserved one at that, and Argentina were already thrust on the back foot for the tournament. After all was said and done during the matchday, two things really stood out to your boy.

One. This Messi guy really is a genius. By far the smartest footballer I have witnessed play. Yes you can see this when you watch his matches on television, but the experience is heightened in live time. Even in a game where he may have let down a lot of spoiled Argentinian fans (yeah I said it), he was still playing at a speed and frequency separate from everyone else on the pitch, including his teammates. Which is why I think Portugal have done a much better job supporting their own GOAT Cristiano Ronaldo in my opinion. It was pretty breathtaking watching a player who was quadruply marked at times, continue to lose defenders and create space and opportunities for himself and teammates. Even those in Spartak Stadium who were rooting against him were given plenty of moments where their trolling was legitimately replaced with a gasp at something Messi did to impact the game. This leads me to my second thing that stood out to me.

My fellow Brazil fans. Why were there Brazil fans at this match between Argentina and Iceland you ask? Because that’s how deep the rivalry goes. Yeah yeah I know El Clasico turns everyone on these days, but Brazil vs Argentina is my favorite in football, only further confirmed today. Brazil fans are fully aware of Argentina’s seeming and recent propensity to choke in international competition and were genuinely excited at the chance embarrassment of Argentina during their tournament opener. For the 90 minutes in their entirety, the Brazilians taunted Messi and the stadium full of Argentina fans after every time he lost the ball or one of his teammates failed to do anything with it once Messi passed it to them. Iceland may have gotten the result, but no one left Spartak happier than the Brazilians.

Overall, a Messi goal would have been great, but I was more than satisfied with the match, having gotten to witness with my brother and family in what was our second out of six games scheduled to be seen live in Moscow. Thank you Iceland for the performance and the Thunder Clap. Onto the next one!

Mo Salah on target as Liverpool win 5-2 at home

The Egyptian King showed no mercy on his return. We are almost running out of words of describing Mo Salah’s debut season in England. The Liverpool forward has been on fire this season and has already scored 31 league goals. Liverpool were wounded by losing Coutinho in January but Salah has made that loss almost look like it is not a big deal. Roma also lost Palmieri who left for Chelsea, Salah who left for Liverpool as well as their legend Totti who went into retirement. The two teams are almost in the same predicament but they have believed in their abilities this season which has seen them go places.

Liverpool faced Roma tonight in the first leg of the semifinals of the UEFA Champions League and this feature was unthinkable at the start of the season. The most obvious names of PSG, Juventus, Barcelona, Manchester City, and Manchester United are already out but yet these two teams remain. Liverpool kicked off the match with a fierce attacking play that saw them create chances that were missed by Mane and Firmino in succession. It took a while before the man of the moment found the back of the net from a nicely curled effort at the edge of the box. Salah could not celebrate out of respect for his former club but what a beautiful strike it was. With his abilities, Messi has not been missed at this stage of the competition. Dejan Lovren almost made it 2-0 to Liverpool when his header hit the crossbar. Liverpool were eager to score more and Firmino found Salah on the break and the forward chipped the ball over the keeper to score his second of the night in the 45th minute. This was his 43rd goal of the season and he is now 3 shy of the all-time record at Liverpool held by Ian Rush who was in the stands to watch the African player shine against Roma.

Sadio Mane came from the break to score on the 56th minute to make it 3-0 to Liverpool. It looked all Liverpool in this match before the man of the match, Roberto Firmino scored a brace between the 61st and the 68th minutes. 5-0! Surely, Roma were out. But the team continued to fight until they scored two; the first from Dzeko and a penalty from Perotti in the 85th minute. Roma reduced the defeat to 3 goals and are planning to pull off another come back like they did against Barcelona. Will they make Liverpool regret conceding two goals in this 5-2 win at home?

Barcelona win 5-0 in the Copa del Rey final

Sevilla, who have been a strong team this season, succumbed to a 5-0 defeat against Barcelona when it mattered the most. Sevilla had enjoyed a great campaign that saw them defeat Manchester United in the round of 16 of the UEFA Champions League before being eliminated by Bayern Munich by one away goal. The club also made their way into this year’s Copa del Rey final which is equivalent to the FA Cup in England or the Nedbank Cup in South Africa.

Barcelona looked like they were playing with a different team as they went into the break with a 3-0 advantage. New signing Philippe Coutinho made a sprint into the box on the counter from a brilliant pass by Ter Stegen and drew the keeper to his feet before chipping a pass to his former Liverpool teammate, Luis Suarez to score on the 13th minute. Iniesta then played a delightful one-two with Jordi Alba before he made a brilliant back-heel pass to Messi who shot into the roof of the net for the second goal of the game. Suarez again made it on the score sheet after playing another one-two with Messi but this time from outside the box before sprinting for a short distance before meeting Messi’s pass which he calmly converted into the net. The second half was not disappointing either. Barcelona was out to prove that they are the best and they can beat Sevilla effortlessly. It is like they agreed that all the goals of the night have to come through their tiki-taka passes as this time Iniesta played with Messi before making a fake shot that got everyone on their feet. Iniesta then smashed the ball into the empty net having already dealt with the keeper with his trickery. The Spaniard played a crucial role in this match which some are saying it could be his last final before leaving Barcelona. Philippe Coutinho was handed the penalty to score on the 69th minute which completed the scores for the match. Barcelona ran out 5-0 victors and lifted the Copa del Rey for the 30th time.

Messi scores a hat-trick against Leganes

Many Barcelona fans were probably angry when they heard that Messi was in the starting line up to face Leganes. This is not because the player is off form or that they do not like him. In fact, they love him too much to care for his fitness and wanted the coach to allow him a breather especially considering the number of crucial games that Barcelona are still yet to play. This concern is valid but coach Valverde had other ideas. He did not want to compromise on achieving the record which his club was set to equal if they brought their A game. Messi scored a sublime freekick on the 27th minute to open the scoring for Barcelona. This is his sixth goal that he scored from a free-kick this season. The Argentine magician was on the score sheet again 5 minutes later from a pass by Coutinho. 2 goals were enough before the break before Leganes came from the break with a hunger for scoring. They gave Barcelona a scare as their impact substitute, Claudio Beauvue, came close to scoring when he headed over from a good position. Pique also squandered an opportunity from close-range to make it three as he blazed his shot over the top. El Zhar’s goal on the 68th minute looked like it was going to spoil the record for Barcelona with the way they were playing in the second half. Messi then later on made sure that there wasn’t going to be any comeback from Leganes as he controlled Ousmane Dembele’s pass before scoring his 39th goal in all competitions. Do you think Valverde should have rested Messi in this match?

Manchester City shocked by a 3-0 defeat from Liverpool

The mind games played by Klopp prior to this match evidently had an effect on the result of the match. He talked about his team’s strengths and predicted that his team could hurt Manchester City on Wednesday night. Before we look into how that happened, we first have to look into a special moment leading into the match.

The Manchester City bus was attacked by Liverpool fans on its way to the Anfield for the UEFA Champions League clash between the two teams. The violent scenes saw a window smashed and Liverpool FC immediately apologized when they heard the terrible news. The damage was done though because it instilled fear into the City team that was full of confidence from their domestic dominance. The match kicked off later and Liverpool were on the front foot. Roberto Firmino robbed Kyle Walker before sliding a pass to the Egyptian Messiah, Mo Salah, who fired in past Ederson in the 12th minute. Leroy Sane almost provided a quick response to his team when he charged down Liverpool’s defense only to see his miskicked effort going wide. That was the end of Manchester City’s contribution in the first half as Liverpool produced a blistering performance leading to a second goal by Alex Oxlade-Chamberlain who shot past Ederson from 25 yards out. What a hit it was by Ox, leaving Ederson to watch helplessly as the ball whistled by him into the net. City’s defense continued to look in disarray and failed to cope with the intensity of the home side. Sadio Mane headed down the 3rd from a cross by Mo Salah on the 31st minute and that was it for the night. Guardiola’s tactical approach of playing Gundogan instead of Sterling did not pay off as they failed to produce one short on target in the first half. The second half was better by the City side who dominated in possession and forced Liverpool to defend fantastically. Trent Alexander-Arnold went home with the man of the match award after a fine defensive performance at right-back in charge of shutting down Sane. He also blocked Silva from scoring a cross in the second half to ensure Liverpool win without conceding. City have a tough mountain to climb now just like Juventus. Can they produce a special moment in the return leg?

On another front, Barcelona won 4-1 against Roma thanks to two own goals and a goal apiece by Pique and Suarez. Messi had a fine game but the match showed that the player is still struggling with fitness issues.

Chelsea draw at 1-1 Arsenal

Arsenal Ladies hosted Chelsea Women on Sunday and were hoping to reduce the gap between them and the leaders, Chelsea. Their intentions, however, did not translate to their performance, at least not early in the match as they conceded to a Fran Kirby goal. Kirby finished off the opener from a Ramona Bachmann’s pass. This is all thanks to a poor clearance from by the Arsenal goalkeeper, Sari van Veenendaal, who gifted the ball to the Swedish striker. This gave a wakeup call to the Arsenal team who started attacking more and saw efforts by Beth Mead and Vivianne Miedema saved by the Chelsea goalkeeper. Later on, Lindahl could barely do anything when Mead started running from the halfway line and finished past the goalkeeper with a Messi-like goal. That was not the end of it. The match saw Chelsea having a late attempt to claim victory ahead of Arsenal through substitute Cuthbert from 15 yards out but she was denied by Van Veenendaal. The result gave the chance to Manchester City Women to move level on points with Chelsea but they crumbled to a 2-0 defeat at the hands of mid-table Reading against all odds. Chelsea lead the league with 29 points, Manchester City Women are in second with 26 points and Arsenal Ladies are in 4th with 21 points but are still yet to play their 2 games in hand. Will the Arsenal Ladies manage to catch up with Chelsea who are undefeated in the league so far?

The Spanish midfielder takes a jibe at Zidane

Spanish midfielder Isco bagged a hat-trick in Spain’s 6-1 demolition of a Messi-less Argentina. The headlines from that match came in the post-match interview when he opened up about his situation at Madrid. The ambitious 25-year old bluntly stated that he does not have the confidence that a player needs in Madrid. This comes after he has seen a limited number of minutes on the pitch due to the resurgence of the young Asensio, and also the tactical approach to matches by Zidane. Many have seen this as an attack on his coach Zinedine Zidane as the player went on to say that, “At the national team, I have the confidence of the coach.” This clearly shows that he feels more alive when he is with Spain. Who should blame a player for being honest? Isco has stated the truth that he does not feel well appreciated at club level than at national level. However, his truth could land him in hot soup for he is a good player, but is not irreplaceable especially when considering the fact that the club can afford to send quality players like James Rodriguez on loan. Do you think Isco should have been more careful with the diction he used?

De Bruyne praises Messi and Ronaldo

Belgian sensation talks about the comparisons between him and the very best i.e. Messi and Ronaldo. Kevin De Bruyne could not deny the fact that he is tired of being compared to the duo because they play different roles for their respective teams. This is a bit unfair to the player who does not play as much further on the pitch as the aforementioned Barcelona and Real Madrid players. De Bruyne’s coach Pep Guardiola has suggested that the player is scaling his heights to that of Ronaldo who has consistently delivered for the biggest club in the world. What do you think about this comparison? Is it fair? Should his name be mentioned among the greatest-in-making?