squee-happy and image-heavy.
HERE WE GO:
I feel like I should be a little bit disappointed at how the game was won, because two Lionel Messi penalty kicks does not a spectacular final match make. Still, the mini-Argies won, and I have to be satisfied with that.
I remember thinking in 2001 that Ghana was such an interesting team to watch, even though they were slaughtered by Argentina in the finals. Nigeria in this year's tournament furthers my perception that African teams are getting better and better, especially at the youth level, and if this transitions into the senior level, future World Cups could get verrrrry interesting, especially when it's hosted by South Africa in 2010. Anyway, my point is, Nigeria outplayed Argentina tonight, but through some really poor finishing and unlucky defending, they still managed to lose.
Lionel Messi was acting as a striker because Cardozo wasn't eligible for play, and he didn't get to touch the ball for much of the first half. I don't know that it was because of great defending on the Nigerians' part, more like the ball rarely made it up that far. The mini-Nigerians all have really long limbs and are really fast, so they pretty much controlled the tempo during the first half hour. The mini-Argies were missing Cabral in the center, which was kind of worrisome for me, but apparently the team has enough depth to supply a replacement in Garay. Still, the defense was run pretty ragged at first, by the mini-Nigerians' creativity and pace, and it was only through some really poor finishing that Nigeria didn't get on the scoresheet first.
After the mini-Argies found their footing, though, they began to play around in the midfield, limiting the mini-Nigerians' touch, which was probably frustrating for the opposition but good for putting together offensive attacks. The teams pushed and pulled for about ten minutes, and then Messi latched onto a ball and entered the goal box ... and then that's when the mini-Nigerians made Mistake #1. Messi may be young, but he's already performing at professional levels. So when he's presented a PK, he will slot that baby home. It was really sleek, too. He had a relaxed, but concentrated look before taking the kick, and he barely had to look at the ball, just side-footed it calmly to the left. It was rather beautiful.
Nigeria's second mistake can be summed up as a general lack of finishing. All of their missed chances, plus a handful of offsides (all justly called) made them seem impotent. As HT approached, they seemed to grow more and more frustrated, especially with the offsides, but I'll ramble about that more later. Besides, Argentina is really good at clamping down on the opponents' offense once they have the lead, and with only five minutes until HT that wasn't really a hard task.
The mini-Nigerians, to their credit, came out in the second half fighting to win, and they got their crucial strike about seven minutes after HT, which set the Argies going again. And here's where the mini-Nigerians made their third mistake: giving away a second PK. Messi again, this time to the bottom right corner (Vanzekin, the Nigerian keeper, had dived to his right, thinking perhaps Messi would try the left corner again). This kid is so composed, even under pressure. I love him to bits, I really do.
After they conceded that PK, the mini-Nigerians seemed to deflate. Promise Isaac, the Nigerian captain, was trying to get his team to regroup, but tensions were too high and it just wasn't going to happen. You could see the looks of resignation on their faces during added time. Plus, the mini-Argies began to do what they did best: control the ball. Some midfield juggling ensured that the Nigerians didn't touch the ball nearly as much as they would have liked, and Aguero nearly made it 3 - 1 (he should have chipped instead of shooting straight). That was probably the most impressive thing about this team during the match; how effectively they shut down the opposition after they have the lead.
Some people on the BS and MaXxed forums were complaining about the officiating. I'm not about to rewatch the game and address every foul that was committed, but I will say one thing: I've seen much, much worse in this WYC. The Argentina-Spain and Argentina-Columbia matches were both much more biased than this one, and for that I give the Norwegian ref credit. HOWEVER. There were a couple of uncalled fouls in favor of the mini-Argies, and I think those, along with their lack of finishing and numerous offsides, really frustrated the mini-Nigerians in the first half. They began to challenge the ref every time a foul was or wasn't called, which culminated in a PK appeal that didn't happen, mostly because both players seemed to trip at the same time, and over each other's feet (I've rewatched this part three times, by the way). Whereas both of Argentina's awarded PKs were clear-cut fouls inside the box. In the second half, I think the ref turned on the Nigerians a bit, not out of spite or bias, but because they were contesting a lot of his calls. It makes sense to me, anyway, and it explains why the Nigerians kind of self-destructed at the end. Still, the refereeing wasn't without its doubtful moments. Two of the mini-Nigerians shouldn't have been shown yellow cards. However, I still have no idea why Lionel Messi got one. I mean, the camera wasn't even on him for a couple of minutes, and the next time it pans to him, they show him with a yellow card! Buh?
To sum things up: not the best match ever played (man, I wish I could get my hands on that 2001 final), but not an ugly one either. I'm just going to be content that the mini-Argies won, and spam you all with pictures. :D
Appropriate to start with the captain, Pablo Zabaleta:
He scored three goals in this competition, and was probably
one of the hardest-working players on the field. :)
Keeper - Oscar Ustari:
Pretty good as far as I could tell, although
he didn't really do anything spectacular.
Defender - Julio Barroso (probably my favorite mini-Argie besides Messi):
I like him not only cos he's so wee-tiny, but also because
despite his height he can jump and win headers, and because
he's one of the cleanest mini-Argies. I can see him playing
in a Zanetti-like role in the future, if he continues to grow.
Midfielder - Lucas Biglia:
Didn't see enough of him to make an impact, but I love his socks. :D
Midfielder - Fernando Gago:
Another hard worker, though not as fluid as some of the other mini-Argies.
Defender - Gabriel Paletta:
Tough defender, but sometimes unnecessarily rough.
Probably my least favorite mini-Argie. :/
Midfielder (Holding?) - Juan Manuel Torres:
He's a little rough around the edges, but he's also a wee-tiny one so I think
a lot of that has to do with how much harder he has to work for the ball.
Striker - Gustavo Oberman:
Another one of my favorite wee-tiny mini-Argies. He didn't get many chances
to show what he can do in front of goal, but he was a constant menace.
And of course, Lionel Messi:
A Messi-Torres sammich:
This picture is disturbing. I'm sure you can see for yourselves:
... AUGH. UNDRESSING LIONEL ON THE PITCH IS NOT ALLOWED. *__*
Messi-centric celebration pictures:
Looks like Aguero wanted to cop a feel show Messi some love. Aww.
LOOKIT HOW WEE-TINY HE IS! *puts him in pocket (again)*
I felt really bad for the Nigerians. If they hadn't slipped up defensively those two times, I don't think Argentina would have stood a chance. Still, applause for the runners-up, cos they really impressed the hell out of me:
Diving headers always make me happy, so I thought Ogbuke's goal was pretty brilliant.
:/
Not sure why he has the tape up there, but Vanzekin made some good precautionary saves.
AND NOW. PILES AND CEREMONY PICTURES AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, A TROPHY THAT IS NOT OVERLY PHALLIC! OH, AND MORE MESSI, COS THE KID IS LOVE.
Cardozo back there wants some attention ...
THE CIRCLE OF LOVE RETURNS! :D
Messi: "That's right, bitches. I scored more than all y'all."
O captain my captain!
#10 is really wee-tiny. I don't think he ever played, either. O.O
Wah. Why is Oberman so cute? And why does he look so Asian? XD
It's a big orgy down there. Keep at it, boys. :D
Anyone know what his shirt means? Looks like people's names.
I don't think it's anything religious, anyhow. (Thankfully.)
Holy shit, #10 really is REALLY wee-tiny. Makes Messi look huge. XD
Nawww, Messi getting some love from Armenteros.
Now for the Adorable Moments segment of this post:
- The rest of the mini-Argies basically treat Lionel Messi like a pet. After his first PK, when he showed his t-shirt to the cameras, he got enveloped by several teammates at once, and then there were random hands grabbing at his jersey, pulling it back down again. And then, after he collected his Golden Ball award, he got swallowed up again by the huddle, and he's so wee-tiny to begin with that you can't even tell what's going on, just that he's getting a lot of love. He's like the baby of the family, man. *flail*
- Lionel looked a bit nervous before collecting the Golden Boot award; he was primping rearranging his hair and trying to make sure he looked all right, and he put his jersey back on too! And he forgot to pose for a picture with the presentation group, so he had to go back. And then he gave the prince of Holland (or whoever that guy was) this big grin and I had to take a moment to recover from the sheer cuteness. And then it happened all over again when he got the Golden Ball, except this time he was just beaming from sheer joy. I LOVE THIS KID SO MUCH.
- Taye Taiwo was so gracious when accepting his Bronze Ball award. He smiled and everything, and I was, I don't know, really touched or something. In terms of overall performance, the Flying Eagles did deserve to win, but those few mistakes just sunk them. You could tell they were devastated, especially John Obi Mikel. :/
- When the mini-Argies went up to collect their medals, they had to shake everybody's hands, but they weren't really paying attention, they just wanted to get up on the platform and do their crazy dancing and chanting with their teammates. MESSI AND CARDOZO HAD A MOMENT ON THE PLATFORM, IF YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN. *squishes them together* And all of the ladies in pink were amused by them; they kept glancing back and smiling to themselves. NO ONE CAN RESIST THEM.
- After they were presented with the trophy, they left the platform, and danced around in yet another circle, this time with the trophy in the center. The mini-Argies really love this frolicking business, I see. Hey, I'm not complaining. :x
- Neri Cardozo's sluttiness knows no bounds (yes, he deserves his own individual mention). He didn't play in the game so there was no ass-patting this time around. However, besides sharing that moment with Lionel up on the platform, he was also clinging and clung to by Cabral when the trophy was presented, and he got a piggyback ride from Galetta after the frolicking ended and they set off on their victory lap.
- Um, Ustari and Lionel were holding hands behind Aguero's back. Um, it was really really cute, because Ustari still had his keeper's gloves on. What am I going to do with myself now that the WYC is over? Cry myself to sleep every night, I suppose.
I feel like I should be a little bit disappointed at how the game was won, because two Lionel Messi penalty kicks does not a spectacular final match make. Still, the mini-Argies won, and I have to be satisfied with that.
I remember thinking in 2001 that Ghana was such an interesting team to watch, even though they were slaughtered by Argentina in the finals. Nigeria in this year's tournament furthers my perception that African teams are getting better and better, especially at the youth level, and if this transitions into the senior level, future World Cups could get verrrrry interesting, especially when it's hosted by South Africa in 2010. Anyway, my point is, Nigeria outplayed Argentina tonight, but through some really poor finishing and unlucky defending, they still managed to lose.
Lionel Messi was acting as a striker because Cardozo wasn't eligible for play, and he didn't get to touch the ball for much of the first half. I don't know that it was because of great defending on the Nigerians' part, more like the ball rarely made it up that far. The mini-Nigerians all have really long limbs and are really fast, so they pretty much controlled the tempo during the first half hour. The mini-Argies were missing Cabral in the center, which was kind of worrisome for me, but apparently the team has enough depth to supply a replacement in Garay. Still, the defense was run pretty ragged at first, by the mini-Nigerians' creativity and pace, and it was only through some really poor finishing that Nigeria didn't get on the scoresheet first.
After the mini-Argies found their footing, though, they began to play around in the midfield, limiting the mini-Nigerians' touch, which was probably frustrating for the opposition but good for putting together offensive attacks. The teams pushed and pulled for about ten minutes, and then Messi latched onto a ball and entered the goal box ... and then that's when the mini-Nigerians made Mistake #1. Messi may be young, but he's already performing at professional levels. So when he's presented a PK, he will slot that baby home. It was really sleek, too. He had a relaxed, but concentrated look before taking the kick, and he barely had to look at the ball, just side-footed it calmly to the left. It was rather beautiful.
Nigeria's second mistake can be summed up as a general lack of finishing. All of their missed chances, plus a handful of offsides (all justly called) made them seem impotent. As HT approached, they seemed to grow more and more frustrated, especially with the offsides, but I'll ramble about that more later. Besides, Argentina is really good at clamping down on the opponents' offense once they have the lead, and with only five minutes until HT that wasn't really a hard task.
The mini-Nigerians, to their credit, came out in the second half fighting to win, and they got their crucial strike about seven minutes after HT, which set the Argies going again. And here's where the mini-Nigerians made their third mistake: giving away a second PK. Messi again, this time to the bottom right corner (Vanzekin, the Nigerian keeper, had dived to his right, thinking perhaps Messi would try the left corner again). This kid is so composed, even under pressure. I love him to bits, I really do.
After they conceded that PK, the mini-Nigerians seemed to deflate. Promise Isaac, the Nigerian captain, was trying to get his team to regroup, but tensions were too high and it just wasn't going to happen. You could see the looks of resignation on their faces during added time. Plus, the mini-Argies began to do what they did best: control the ball. Some midfield juggling ensured that the Nigerians didn't touch the ball nearly as much as they would have liked, and Aguero nearly made it 3 - 1 (he should have chipped instead of shooting straight). That was probably the most impressive thing about this team during the match; how effectively they shut down the opposition after they have the lead.
Some people on the BS and MaXxed forums were complaining about the officiating. I'm not about to rewatch the game and address every foul that was committed, but I will say one thing: I've seen much, much worse in this WYC. The Argentina-Spain and Argentina-Columbia matches were both much more biased than this one, and for that I give the Norwegian ref credit. HOWEVER. There were a couple of uncalled fouls in favor of the mini-Argies, and I think those, along with their lack of finishing and numerous offsides, really frustrated the mini-Nigerians in the first half. They began to challenge the ref every time a foul was or wasn't called, which culminated in a PK appeal that didn't happen, mostly because both players seemed to trip at the same time, and over each other's feet (I've rewatched this part three times, by the way). Whereas both of Argentina's awarded PKs were clear-cut fouls inside the box. In the second half, I think the ref turned on the Nigerians a bit, not out of spite or bias, but because they were contesting a lot of his calls. It makes sense to me, anyway, and it explains why the Nigerians kind of self-destructed at the end. Still, the refereeing wasn't without its doubtful moments. Two of the mini-Nigerians shouldn't have been shown yellow cards. However, I still have no idea why Lionel Messi got one. I mean, the camera wasn't even on him for a couple of minutes, and the next time it pans to him, they show him with a yellow card! Buh?
To sum things up: not the best match ever played (man, I wish I could get my hands on that 2001 final), but not an ugly one either. I'm just going to be content that the mini-Argies won, and spam you all with pictures. :D
Appropriate to start with the captain, Pablo Zabaleta:
He scored three goals in this competition, and was probably
one of the hardest-working players on the field. :)
Keeper - Oscar Ustari:
Pretty good as far as I could tell, although
he didn't really do anything spectacular.
Defender - Julio Barroso (probably my favorite mini-Argie besides Messi):
I like him not only cos he's so wee-tiny, but also because
despite his height he can jump and win headers, and because
he's one of the cleanest mini-Argies. I can see him playing
in a Zanetti-like role in the future, if he continues to grow.
Midfielder - Lucas Biglia:
Didn't see enough of him to make an impact, but I love his socks. :D
Midfielder - Fernando Gago:
Another hard worker, though not as fluid as some of the other mini-Argies.
Defender - Gabriel Paletta:
Tough defender, but sometimes unnecessarily rough.
Probably my least favorite mini-Argie. :/
Midfielder (Holding?) - Juan Manuel Torres:
He's a little rough around the edges, but he's also a wee-tiny one so I think
a lot of that has to do with how much harder he has to work for the ball.
Striker - Gustavo Oberman:
Another one of my favorite wee-tiny mini-Argies. He didn't get many chances
to show what he can do in front of goal, but he was a constant menace.
And of course, Lionel Messi:
A Messi-Torres sammich:
This picture is disturbing. I'm sure you can see for yourselves:
... AUGH. UNDRESSING LIONEL ON THE PITCH IS NOT ALLOWED. *__*
Messi-centric celebration pictures:
Looks like Aguero wanted to cop a feel show Messi some love. Aww.
LOOKIT HOW WEE-TINY HE IS! *puts him in pocket (again)*
I felt really bad for the Nigerians. If they hadn't slipped up defensively those two times, I don't think Argentina would have stood a chance. Still, applause for the runners-up, cos they really impressed the hell out of me:
Diving headers always make me happy, so I thought Ogbuke's goal was pretty brilliant.
:/
Not sure why he has the tape up there, but Vanzekin made some good precautionary saves.
AND NOW. PILES AND CEREMONY PICTURES AND MORE IMPORTANTLY, A TROPHY THAT IS NOT OVERLY PHALLIC! OH, AND MORE MESSI, COS THE KID IS LOVE.
Cardozo back there wants some attention ...
THE CIRCLE OF LOVE RETURNS! :D
Messi: "That's right, bitches. I scored more than all y'all."
O captain my captain!
#10 is really wee-tiny. I don't think he ever played, either. O.O
Wah. Why is Oberman so cute? And why does he look so Asian? XD
It's a big orgy down there. Keep at it, boys. :D
Anyone know what his shirt means? Looks like people's names.
I don't think it's anything religious, anyhow. (Thankfully.)
Holy shit, #10 really is REALLY wee-tiny. Makes Messi look huge. XD
Nawww, Messi getting some love from Armenteros.
Now for the Adorable Moments segment of this post:
- The rest of the mini-Argies basically treat Lionel Messi like a pet. After his first PK, when he showed his t-shirt to the cameras, he got enveloped by several teammates at once, and then there were random hands grabbing at his jersey, pulling it back down again. And then, after he collected his Golden Ball award, he got swallowed up again by the huddle, and he's so wee-tiny to begin with that you can't even tell what's going on, just that he's getting a lot of love. He's like the baby of the family, man. *flail*
- Lionel looked a bit nervous before collecting the Golden Boot award; he was primping rearranging his hair and trying to make sure he looked all right, and he put his jersey back on too! And he forgot to pose for a picture with the presentation group, so he had to go back. And then he gave the prince of Holland (or whoever that guy was) this big grin and I had to take a moment to recover from the sheer cuteness. And then it happened all over again when he got the Golden Ball, except this time he was just beaming from sheer joy. I LOVE THIS KID SO MUCH.
- Taye Taiwo was so gracious when accepting his Bronze Ball award. He smiled and everything, and I was, I don't know, really touched or something. In terms of overall performance, the Flying Eagles did deserve to win, but those few mistakes just sunk them. You could tell they were devastated, especially John Obi Mikel. :/
- When the mini-Argies went up to collect their medals, they had to shake everybody's hands, but they weren't really paying attention, they just wanted to get up on the platform and do their crazy dancing and chanting with their teammates. MESSI AND CARDOZO HAD A MOMENT ON THE PLATFORM, IF YOU KNOW WHAT I MEAN. *squishes them together* And all of the ladies in pink were amused by them; they kept glancing back and smiling to themselves. NO ONE CAN RESIST THEM.
- After they were presented with the trophy, they left the platform, and danced around in yet another circle, this time with the trophy in the center. The mini-Argies really love this frolicking business, I see. Hey, I'm not complaining. :x
- Neri Cardozo's sluttiness knows no bounds (yes, he deserves his own individual mention). He didn't play in the game so there was no ass-patting this time around. However, besides sharing that moment with Lionel up on the platform, he was also clinging and clung to by Cabral when the trophy was presented, and he got a piggyback ride from Galetta after the frolicking ended and they set off on their victory lap.
- Um, Ustari and Lionel were holding hands behind Aguero's back. Um, it was really really cute, because Ustari still had his keeper's gloves on. What am I going to do with myself now that the WYC is over? Cry myself to sleep every night, I suppose.