Football Fanats 2012

[CTG]

Shut up! He is the second best player in the football history!

Hey! I said he's not that great star in your country because of his mediorce/weak performance in the national team (before 2012). Of course he's the best player on Earth at the moment.

[alanrotoi]

I understood. Here are some idiots that don't like him because he doesn't 55 goals in every match. But who admire him are more

[Chulk]

I think Messi is the best in history. He's way more effective than any other forward and he assists better than most midfielders. He has an amazing speed and control over the ball, and he never gives the ball up, not even after fouls (you can see that there http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wwF3oxvh3DI) I think Maradona had this skill to stay up after being fouled too, just not so obvious because he dived every now and then)
On the other side, Maradona had magic. Same as Ronaldinho (my favourite player after Messi and Rivaldo), he pulled tricks that were impossible for others: overhead kicks (either into goal or passing to a teammate); self-passing over the defender with his heel, his chest, his head, his knee; marseillaise roulete; rabonas (that moved Alan was taking about) and all kinds of dribbling. You can see from 2:30 to 2:40 one of the biggest examples of his magic here http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e6syIrP0qmY
And that

"centro de rabona a la cabeza"

Alan talks about is probably that crossing "de rabona" perfectly aimed at the FW head at 7:30.
If you ask me, Messi is better but Maradona has that thing we called "Mistica" here, something related to his ability to win even when playing badly and that feeling his rivals had before the match that no matter what they did, they wouldn't be able to stop him or his team.
When Messi is on the field, you feel that there is a chance he'll do something amazing and win, but when Maradona was on the field you KNEW that. You KNEW he would do everything for his team and you KNEW you could beat even the strongest rival while playing awful football, because he would do it, he would win that game (Italy 90's quarterfinals against Brazil is the best example I can think of right now).

Sorry about the long post, it's just that I love Messi, I love Maradona even more, and above all I love football, greatest sport ever!

[alanrotoi]

Yeah, I was talking about that center de rabona to Ramon Diaz

[CTG]

You can't compare the players from different era, because several circumstances changed a lot. The game is faster, players need more stamina, higher speed, they pay a lot more attention on physical training, etc. As for me, the best players ever are Maradona, Messi, Pelé, Puskás and Zidane. cr won't ever enter this club. He's not even close to that.

[Chulk]

...players need more stamina, higher speed, they pay a lot more attention on physical training...

Exactly why I think Messi is the best. In an era of physical, less technique-demanding football, with defense being much more important than ever, being a player that no defense can stop is much harder. Of course it was easier to score when teams played 2-3-5 many decades ago than now where most team play 4-4-2 or even 4-5-1 so beating every scoring record there is, definitely makes you the best.

Still I think Maradona was not better than Messi, but he definitely is greater. Maradona is the most "Tsubasa like" player there ever existed. He faced stronger teams and really great players, but somehow he always managed to win despite being injured, having the refs clearly against his team and being on a weaker team...

[alanrotoi]

Two Scudettos with Napoli...

[Chulk]

Two Scudettos with Napoli...

That, a national title with Argentinos Jrs, Argentina's first U-20 World Cup in Japan '79 and Argentina's second World Cup in Mexico '86, Runner-up in Italy '90...

[CTG]

Two Scudettos with Napoli...

That, a national title with Argentinos Jrs, Argentina's first U-20 World Cup in Japan '79 and Argentina's second World Cup in Mexico '86, Runner-up in Italy '90...

Later: coca shrubs, +80 kg, friendship with Fidel... (sorry, couldn't leave it out)

[alanrotoi]

He met Benedictus XVI too. When he came back he said something like: "Why young boys are starving while he lives under a golden roof?"

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3slGgodcXBY

[CTG]

Religion is another thing. I don't really like the catholic hypocrisy.

But...

Back to football: I wonder why the Brasilian stars burn out so fast (Ronaldo, Ronaldinho, Kaká, Adriano - and I guess Neymar will show the same).

[Chulk]

Two Scudettos with Napoli...

That, a national title with Argentinos Jrs, Argentina's first U-20 World Cup in Japan '79 and Argentina's second World Cup in Mexico '86, Runner-up in Italy '90...

Later: coca shrubs, +80 kg, friendship with Fidel... (sorry, couldn't leave it out)

I really don't care what he did or does in his private life. I just think he's the greatest football player ever.

[CTG]

Have I ever noticed that both Maradona and Messi debuted in your national team versus Hungary? (Messi got a red card quite fast... )

[Chulk]

Have I ever noticed that both Maradona and Messi debuted in your national team versus Hungary? (Messi got a red card quite fast... )

Y Pele debuto con un pibe (sorry guys, that has to be said in spanish)

[alanrotoi]

and finished with "y le pegó a la jermu" jajaja