By Henry Winter, at the Maracana
Messi at Maracana: what an event. This was part-homage to one of the game's greats and part-launch of Argentina's World Cup campaign. The two themes were inevitably intertwined as Lionel Messi embarked on his mission, using his phenomenal footballing capabilities to try to guide his country to victory in these finals that are already being hailed as one of the finest ever.
The tone of the tournament has been on attacking and here it
was Messi's turn. He was short of his highest standards, short of the
brilliance that has defined his Barcelona career but he still created
Argentina's first and then scored their second, giving the feeling of a special
cameo being performed in front of an audience of 74,738, the majority enrapt by
his work.
It was astonishing to think that this was only his second
ever World Cup goal in nine games. Messi's majesty in the shirt of Barcelona
has rarely been repeated in the famous strip of Argentina but he demonstrated
some of his Camp Nou class after 65 minutes, racing in from the right to score,
exchanging passes with Gonzalo Higuain, steering the ball away from the chasing
Muhamed Besic, and ignoring a crazy, badly-executed attempted challenge by
Ermin Bicakcic. Besic and Bicakic lay in a tangle on the grass as Messi took
another couple of strides across the D before shooting in off a slight
deflection and the post.
A birdseye view of the scene taken by a photographer
captured the wreckage Messi left in his wake, men in blue shirts scattered
around the box, helpless figures bowing before his genius. Sergio Aguero was
the first to reach the celebrating Messi, followed by Angel Di Maria. The fans
simply chanted "olé, olé, olé, olé, Messi, Messi".
He has delivered. This World Cup has been given such verve
by the counter attacking of so many teams but it also needs the stars to shine
as Neymar did for Brazil, as Arjen Robben did for Holland. Now Messi has
responded to he challenge, also setting the tone of individual excellence, of
the expression of talent, for others.
All eyes had been on Messi. All weekend, Argentinian fans
had been arriving at Copacabana beach, parking their blue-and-white-painted
camper vans, enjoying time in the bars and on that vast stretch of sand before
heading to Maracana to pay homage to their little No 10.
Some walked to this historic ground, weaving between the
gridlocked traffic, hurrying towards the turnstiles, eager to get a glimpse of
Messi at Maracana. Pairings don't come much more stellar.
It felt a quasi-religious experience. Messi's appearance on
the huge screens, leaving the Argentina dressing-room, lifted the rapture
levels. His arrival on the pitch was greeted with thousands of camera phones
charting his every step, the lights spreading across the terraces like beacons
on cliffs.
This was more than Messi at Maracana of course. That was the
main theme but Bosnia-Herzegovina had ambitions of their own. Edin Dzeko wore a
look on his face during the national anthems of a man meaning business. Yet it
was his Manchester City team-mate Aguero who had the first touch, who played
the ball off to Messi as if signalling the chain of command, the tactics. Give
the ball to Messi.
When Aguero was then fouled out wide, Messi took control,
curling in the free-kick with his left foot, the ball clipping Marcos Rojo and
carrying on across goal. It caught Sead Kolasinac, the Schalke defender and bounced
in. Argentina are dangerous enough anyway, particularly when the ball is with
Messi, Aguero or Di Maria, without them being gifted goals.
Messi was playing slightly off Aguero, even tracking back
and fouling Zvjezdan Misimovic. The ball kept coming to Messi, guided to him by
Maxi Rodriguez, then Di Maria. There was 1-2 with Javier Mascherano and a drive
through the middle until he ran into a thick blue line.
Yet this fine attacking side of Alejandro Sabella has a
weakness at the back, a vulnerability almost exploited when Izet Hajrovic
sprinted through but was denied by Sergio Romero, who then pushed away a shot
from Senad Lulic. Bosnia were determined to spoil the Messi party.
Messi and Aguero strode down the tunnel for the second half
deep in conversation. The hopes of a nation weighs on their slim shoulders.
Their understanding is key. Yet they missed Higuain in the opening period,
giving more of a spearhead to their attack. The No 9 arrived at the break,
taking up a position alongside Aguero with Messi in the hole. Fernando Gago
also came on, playing in midfield alongside Mascherano, bringing more
creativity. Hugo Campagnaro and Rodriguez made way.
Bosnia continued to worry Argentina, especially when the
ball was with Hajrobic, who was twice denied by Romero. There was also a real
inventiveness at Bosnian corners, the ball often angled away from the area for
late-arriving players to try to catch Argentina out.
Messi began to take control. Messi's pass to Di Maria was
then intercepted. Then Messi embarked on one of those scamper surges again,
feeding the ball right to Aguero, whose low shot flew straight at Begovic. When
Aguero was clattered by Emir Spahic, Messi curled the free-kick over. He just
couldn't impose himself, often unable to escape Bosnian marking. And then came
that goal.
A reminder of Argentina's Achilles' heel, their defence, was
highlighted with Bosnia scoring through Vedad Ibesivic late on but Argentina
held on. Messi's mission is underway.