We spend a lot of time talking about Lionel Messi here – he was after all recently awarded the 2011 FIFA Ballon d’Or by the coaches, captains and journalists of the world – but there are a lot of other great players out there doing a lot of great things.
Yesterday’s Copa del Rey match between Barcelona and Real Madrid demonstrated just how much other talent there is out there.
Now Messi did get the talent show going himself yesterday when he went on one of his trademark field-length runs and slipped the ball between two desperate Madrid defenders for a Pedro finish. The run and the inch-perfect ball were things of genius.
But as good as that Messi play was, the Argentine was upstaged within minutes when Barca full-back Dani Alves was in the right place at the right time on a corner-kick and lined-up a one-time laser with the laces of his right boot that found that small target where the top of the far post meets the crossbar. A dream goal by perhaps the best right-back in football.
Real Madrid looked to be out of the Cup after those two goals but I guess their players didn’t think so, playing a high-pressure game that saw Cristiano Ronaldo blow past what looked like a pensioner in Carles Puyol, glide past a shocked Barca keeper in Pinto and slide the ball into the open net. It was as if Ronaldo and co had suddenly found a new super-human level.
Puyol was made to look old and slow one more time when fresh substitute Karim Benzema dinked the ball over his head and hammered home the tying goal. A real striker’s goal.
Four different players in on four fantastic goals in a Barcelona-Madrid Clasico that was indeed a classic.
{ 0 comments }
