Competition between All-Time Greats

AFP PHOTO/JONATHAN NACKSTRAND

Portugal\'s forward Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates after scoring the second goal during the Russia 2018 World Cup Group B football match between Portugal and Spain at the Fisht Stadium in Sochi on June 15, 2018.

Cristiano Ronaldo or Lionel Messi? Who is the best among these two? Comparisons are often made between the two “soccer gods”, especially during the 2018 World Cup in Russia.

The question is most often debated among the respective fans of the two superstars. However, as it turns out, Ronaldo and Messi are also asking that question themselves. At any occasion they seem to compete to present themselves as the greatest. Their hidden desire to best each other has sharpened their rivalry and sparked comparisons among soccer fans.

Just look at Ronaldo’s gesture after scoring a goal against Spain. He was seen stroking his chin, despite having no beard. Deliberately or not, the gesture will be associated with having a goatee. In an advertisement for a famous shoe brand, Messi poses with a goat. The ad seems to be referring to Messi’s nickname “Goat”, or “greatest of all time”.

With his gesture, Ronaldo seems to be trying to say, “I am the Goat, not Lionel Messi!” Ronaldo has earned bragging rights after scoring a fantastic hat trick against fan favorite Spain, forcing the team into a draw with Portugal. In Portugal’s second match on Wednesday (20/6/2018), Ronaldo scored another goal against Morocco, leading his team to victory, 1 to 0.

Messi, on the other hand, failed to score a penalty goal for Argentina against debutant Iceland, and the match ended with a draw.

While Ronaldo was having the time of his life, Messi seemed to be saddened by his failure. “Obviously it hurts me to have missed the penalty. They would have opened a little more and we could have found more spaces. I feel responsible for not having been able to get the three points,” Messi said after the match.

Ronaldo has shown his individual strength, which is seemingly unrelated to the strength of his team as a whole. Meanwhile, Messi’s failure seems to show that he shines only in strong teams, such as the FC Barcelona.

Related to this, former Argentinean national soccer player Hernan Crespo said, as quoted by Gazzeta dello Sport, that “Ronaldo plays alone. He is physically strong. He shoots and succeeds. Messi is different. In order to truly become Messi, he needs a team. Without a good squad, Messi will not win the World Cup.”

Argentinean soccer legend Gabriel Batistuta shared Crespo’s sentiment, saying that Argentina should not rely too heavily on Messi. “I want Argentina to have a clear idea and a strong force, instead of depending on players’ initiatives,” he said.

AFP PHOTO/MLADEN ANTONOV

Argentina\'s forward Lionel Messi reacts at the end of the Russia 2018 World Cup Group D football match between Argentina and Iceland at the Spartak Stadium in Moscow on June 16, 2018.

Clearly, Argentina’s failure is much more than just about Messi’s failed penalty kick. It is also about their overdependence on Messi. Coach Jorge Sampaoli acknowledged that Messi had given his all in targeting the opponent’s goalpost. Messi had strived to lead his team to victory. “However, we seemed to be lacking in creativity, and we could not keep up with the pace of the match,” Sampaoli said.

Apart from Messi, Argentina also has reliable striker Sergio Aguero. Furthermore, Paulo Dybala and Gonzalo Higuain have remained on the bench thus far. As a squad, however, they have a huge problem in their inability to cover one another’s weakness and support one another. Senior goalkeeper Wilfredo Caballero, for example, cannot be burdened with maintaining the defense due to his lack of experience in the national team.

Argentina’s fragility as a team has been detected since the qualification round for this year’s World Cup, which it visibly struggled to get through. Eventually, their match against Ecuador in the Conmebol zone of the World Cup qualifier became a life-or-death situation. At the time, only a victory could get Argentina a direct ticket to the World Cup, or at least to a playoff match against Oceania’s New Zealand.

Ahead of the critical match, Argentinean legendary coach Cesar Luis Menotti said in an interview with TyC Sports television station that “Argentina is in a chaotic and dire situation.” Menotti said Argentina performed like a circus troupe that only wished to present jokes to the soccer world. The only player that escaped Menotti’s criticism was Messi.

“Messi is the only player that has a chance to save Argentina. He is magic, like Maradona,” Menotti said.

He was right, as Messi led Argentina to win a ticket to Russia after beating Ecuador, 3 to 1. He scored a hat trick after Ecuador scored first and became the man of the match.

Argentina is not yet in a precarious position. However, after securing only a draw against Iceland, they really need to step up their game against Croatia. Croatia is not Iceland. Messi and his teammates must not assume that Croatia will play defensively, like Iceland.

KOMPAS/FERGANATA INDRA RIATMOKO

Sindhunata

Luka Modric, Mario Mandzukic, Ivan Rakitic and their teammates have not gained their reputation playing defensively. They will surely shower Argentina with endless assaults on the goal. Argentina’s defenders, known for their proneness to loss of concentration, will be sitting ducks without a proper strategy.

Croatia is not an underdog in Group D. If Argentina only scored a draw against underdog Iceland, can it beat Croatia? This must be a headache for Sampaoli. Furthermore, he has been warned not to make his squad too dependent on Messi.

However, who knows, just like in the qualification match against Ecuador, Messi can once again be a messiah for Argentina – proving that he is indeed the Goat, the greatest of all time. That would be the perfect response to Ronaldo’s cynical jab.

Sindhunata, Journalist, Soccer Fan