Jerome Boateng Falls Under Lionel Messi Spell
What elevates Lionel Messi's goal to mythical status though was his feint: Switching to his right when the defender expected him to make a run towards his left onto his preferred left foot. The same foot that had beaten the best goal-keeper in the world at his near post just minutes ago. But Messi went right, Boateng went down.
'Tripped' on Messi's magical goal vs Bayern Munich? You weren't the only one. Jerome Boateng did too, literally.
Outside of the foot, followed by inside of the foot; the simplest form of dribble that one learns in primary school. Of course, doing it in a game situation requires hours and hours of practice, but it is not uncommon to see under-13 footballers replicate it in game situations.
What elevates Messi's goal to mythical status though was his feint: Switching to his right when the defender expected him to make a run towards his left onto his preferred left foot. The same foot that had beaten the best goal-keeper in the world at his near post just minutes ago. But Messi went right, Boateng went down.
The chip over Manuel Neuer added to the mystic. The ball had the trajectory of a swish in basketball- a little flatter and it would wriggle out of the ring, a little more loop and it may sailed over; And the pace of a perfect pot in snooker- a little harder and the jaws of the pocket would spit it out, a little slower and the swerve on the table would change the ball's course.
Messi's delicate chip (from his right foot no less) too was executed with pinpoint precision.The pace and the flight ensured the ball had passed 6 ft 4 inches Neuer before he could raise his arms and beat Rafinha's outstretched legs in the goal; yet it wasn't hit as hard to sail over the net.
There are split second moments in sports that help make the distinction between humans and immortals pretty easy: Michael Jordon's jump-shot, with 5 seconds to go, in game 6 of the 1998 NBA finals vs the Utah Jazz; Mika Hakkinen's audacious move to go past Michael Schumacher in the closing stages of the 2000 Belgian GP, with Ricardo Zonta sandwiched in the middle; A visibly tired 32 year old Muhammad Ali's combination left-right, that took George Foreman by surprise and knocked him out in round 8 of 'rumble in the jungle'.
Messi's goal vs Bayern Munich in the semifinals of the 2015 Champions League makes the cut!
Former England international Jamie Redknapp summed it best- "What he did to Jerome Boateng was almost illegal"
Boateng interestingly, had a great outing against Messi's Argentina in the finals of the 2014 FIFA World Cup- a tournament more prestigious and important than the Champions League. In fact the defender played a central role in Germany's victory in the final, winning 83 percent of his duels and making a last-ditch clearance against who else, but Lionel Messi. Yet, the winner of a World Cup, a Champions League and three Bundesliga titles will always be remembered as the man who succumbed to gravity's pull in the wake of a Messi dribble.
Messi's description of one of the best goals in champions league history was as nonchalant as his chip over Neuer, "It was over in a second, it just happened"
As Benjamin Franklin once said, "Well done is better than well said".