Lionel Messi is without doubt one of the best players in the world if not the most talented at the moment. Messi has been in scintillating form the last couple of years having scored 38 goals in 51 appearances in all competitions in the 2008/09 season. He also had 18 assists in those 51 matches while he managed 23 goals in 31 La Liga matches.

Messi did even better in 2009/10 season scoring 47 goals and assisting on 14 others in 53 matches in all competitions. The Argentina star had a remarkably tally of 34 goals in 35 La Liga matches. In the current campaign, Messi has already scored 13 goals in just 10 matches and his stunning tally is only inferior to Real Madrid’s Cristiano Ronaldo who scored 14 goals so far in the Spanish league. However, Ronaldo played in two more games in the league and his total number of goals in all contests is inferior to that of Messi. The Argentina forward scored 23 goals in just 18 games this season compared to Ronaldo’s 18 goals in 19 matches.

There is not doubt all eyes will be on the dangerous duo and some have gone as far as billing the clash as a ‘Messi versus Ronaldo’ contest but this is quite inaccurate as the two stars will not be facing each other on the field due to their attacking nature. This means Messi will not be responsible for marking Ronaldo and vice versa. Both teams have other key players who can influence the match such as Xavi in case of Barca and Gonzalo Higuain for Real Madrid.

Prior to this highly anticipated match against Los Blancos, Messi scored a hat-trick against Almeria last weekend and followed up his heroics with a goal in the Champions League in mid-week in Athens against Panathinaikos. There is no doubt Messi has been an absolute magician for Barcelona in the last few season and his club record backs up the fact he is perhaps the best club player on the planet. Messi scored a hat-trick against Real Madrid in El Clasico in the 2006-07 season to prove he can shine on the big occasion as well.

Some have questioned his form for Argentina but he managed to score in the 4-1 win over the World Cup champions Spain in September. However, he went one better by scoring a late winner against Brazil on November 18 in a friendly in Qatar. This is Messi’s first win over the Selecao and for him to secure the win with a sublime finish can only do wonders to his confidence. This winner for Argentina could be the goal Messi has been missing not just to take his international career to the next level but also to continue his stunning and torrid scoring record with Barca.

The main question will be whether Messi will be able to score against Los Blancos in El Clasico to add to his impressive resume. (Please check http://www.laligatalk.com/messi-versus-ronaldo/1881 for a previous piece written on Messi & Ronaldo)

At the moment the answer would most likely be a resounding “Yes” considering Lionel Messi’s torrid scoring run and his great form. However, one would only need to look at Argentina’s matches to see how the talented Messi who is widely regarded as the best player in the world becomes just another good player. In fact the Barcelona version of the player can be considered as unplayable and near impossible to stop while the Messi who plays for Argentina is still a quality player but one who can be somewhat restricted.

Messi’s form for Barca puts him alongside some of the best players in the world in the last two decades including Zinedine Zidane and the Brazilian Ronaldo (when healthy and at his peak). Messi will surpass both and perhaps be considered one of the best ever if he can lift the World Cup trophy in South Africa 2010. At the tender age of 22 he has already won the Spanish la Liga and the Champions League not to mention the historic sweep of all titles available the last campaign. This is in itself a great achievement which cannot be underestimated but for him to be considered amongst the best ever, Messi must win the World Cup with Argentina.

This season Messi has already scored more goals than he did last season in all competitions and his 27 goals in la Liga are more than the 23 he managed last season in the domestic league. Messi’s form with Barca does not translate to his caps with Argentina where his performances are deemed as less impressive and not as great. The main reason is the fact Barca have a better structured team with more talented players and a vastly superior coach in Josep Guardiola. Diego Maradona might be one of the best players to ever grace the football field but he was never admired for his character and his limited coaching skills leave a lot to be desired. Guardiola took over as a young coach but proved he had the tactical knowledge but more importantly he knew how best to use Messi and the current talent at his disposal. The fact Guardiola spent the majority of his career at the Camp Nou helps as well while Maradona had limited coaching experience prior to taking over Argentina and has shown he is clueless when it comes to bringing the best out of Messi.

Argentina have quality players and are not a bad team but Maradona has failed to surround Messi with the right players and has not been able to employ the proper system which turns Messi into the focal point in the national team. In Barcelona Messi can rely on the talented and underrated Xavi Hernandez to thread in pinpointed passes and provide incisive assists. Xavi was one of the main architects behind the triumph over Real Madrid and he is by far one of the most reliable and effective midfielders in the world. Messi also has the likes of Andres Iniesta, Zlatan Ibrahimovic and Daniel Alves who provide ample support in terms of passing, assists and diversion to free up the Argentine genius and give him more space to roam freely and operate.

The answer to the question why Barca’s Messi performs much better than the Messi who represents Argentina could be simply down to the one way to stop the young star: Hire Maradona and make sure Messi is not surrounded by the appropriate squad. Could the main obstacle preventing Messi’s rise to claim the crown of one of the best ever be none other than Maradona (a former great and the current Argentina coach)? Some believe Maradona’s ego and desire to safeguard his status as Argentina’s best ever is behind Messi’s shortcomings while others simply attribute this to Maradona’s utter incompetence as a tactician.

Will Messi carry Argentina all the way to the final and help his country claim a third World Cup title to cement himself as not just this generation’s best player but one of the best ever to play in the history of the game? Only time will tell and barring any injury Messi has about three chances (World Cup 2010, World Cup 2014 and World Cup 2018).

As expected Lionel Messi succeeded Cristiano Ronaldo as the winner of the Ballon d’Or award. The Barcelona star comfortably won the prize but he admitted his surprise at the margin of victory as he received 240 points more than Cristiano Ronaldo who finished second.

Messi was quite close to winning all 480 points  possible as he finished with a near perfect 473 points while Real Madrid’s Ronaldo got 233 points which is less than half of Messi’s total! There is no doubt the Argentinian deserved to win since he was one of the main driving forces behind Barca’s treble winning season. He led all scorers in the Champions League with nine goals and scored in the final triumph against none other than Ronaldo’s Manchester United. The Catalan club’s star also scored 23 times in la Liga and was on the score sheet six times in the Copa del Rey.

The goals scored by Messi do not tell the whole story since his contributions transcend beyond the occasions he found the back of the net to include the assists he provided his fellow Barca players with. Messi’s assists totalled 18 in all competitions. The top spots on the list were dominated by Barca players which is also not surprising considering the influence of the likes of Xavi and Andres Iniesta as well as current Inter striker Samuel Eto’o.

Messi mentioned to France Football he is honoured to win the award and dedicated it to his family. He also said he was delighted to become the first Argentina to win the Ballon d’Or. Given the performances of Messi the past year, it is near impossible to find any other player more deserving of the individual award. It will not be a shock if Messi repeats next year, but his chances will be hindered if his country continues to struggle  under Maradona’s leadership and fails to impress in South Africa 2010. Despite the concerns over Argentina and Maradona, who can bet against Messi repeating as the award winner?

Sergio Agüero and Atlético Madrid cannot see or find their form.

Atlético Madrid prolonged their faltering start with a 1-1 draw against Racing Santander on Saturday.  Even with a man advantage for the majority of the second half, they lacked the finishing touch to nip the win from a feisty Santander side.  Racing came off a 4-1 drubbing at El Sardinero by Getafe, including a hat trick by Soldado, so Racing did not have the greatest levels of confidence leading into a match against a highly explosive offensive team.

Atlético had many of its players participate in the two World Cup Qualifying matches in the previous weekend, so they were not at full strength.  Diego Forlán sat on the bench after playing for Uruguay, Simão Sabrosa started but played in Portugal’s two qualifying matches, Maxi Rodríguez was not in the eighteen as he picked up a muscle strain with Argentina, and Sergio Agüero also participated in the two Argentina matches.  This clash with Racing also commenced an era without John Heitinga, as he made a €7 million move from Atlético to Everton, and starting at right back for Los Colchoneros was Juan Valera, who interestingly enough played for Santander on loan last season.

For the first half hour, Atlético had the better of the play, but both teams were lifeless.  Paulo Assunção fizzed a shot past Santander keeper Toño in the ninth minute but also breezed just wide of the post.  Sergio Agüero fired a shot in the 21st minute but headed straight towards Toño and was able to make the save.  Despite Atlético controlling the ball at a two to one ratio, Racing created the best chance in the first thirty minutes as talisman Pedro Munitis provided a lovely through ball into the box for Alexandre Geijo.  Geijo, however, was caught in between taking the shot and crossing the ball back to Munitis, and Geijo’s effort flashed across the six-yard box, went wide of the post, and was too far for Munitis to get on boot on it.

After this opening stanza, Atlético seemed to get their legs under them and began an assault on Toño’s goal.  Simão missed a golden opportunity in the 34th minute when he shanked a shot from twelve yards after Agüero slipped in a beautiful ball into the penalty area.  José Jurado rifled a shot towards Toño’s near post after a quick dribble and run in the 38th minute, but Toño parried it away successfully.  Florent Sinama-Pongolle made a run into the six-yard box, and if it were not for a desperate yet timely challenge by Sepsi László, Sinama would have Atlético up 1-0.  With all this attacking pressure by Atlético, that left gaps in the defensive line, and Geijo almost made Atlético pay for their men going forward in the 38th minute, but a last ditch sliding tackle in the box by Tomáš Ujfaluši took the ball from Geijo’s boot.  Racing made another foray into Atlético’s box in the 41st minute, and Oscar Serrano’s combination with Manuel Arana sent Arana towards goal, but a kick save by Sergio Asenjo stopped the attack.

Atlético finally took advantage of a goal-scoring opportunity when they scored in the 43rd minute to give the supporters in the Vicente Calderón something about which to cheer.  Off a corner kick, Racing headed the clearance out of the penalty box, but only towards Jurado, and he took the ball first time on the volley and breached the Racing defense and Toño’s goal.  As Atlético is wont to do, they conceded a goal within a few minutes of scoring themselves.  The build-up to Racing’s goal started with a hopeful long ball into the box for Geijo.  He laid the ball off for Arana who in turn laid the ball off to Serrano, and his late run gave him the space to shoot and score.  The Atlético defensive pressure was lacking, and their attempts to stab tackle the ball away from Racing were deemed fruitless as Racing equalized one minute into first half stoppage time.

To jump-start the attack in the second half, Abel Resino substituted Agüero out for Diego Forlán.  Atlético missed his prowess towards goal as well as his off-the-ball runs, and it was clear that Agüero ran out of steam by the end of the opening forty-five minutes.  When José Ángel Crespo received a red card in the 47th minute for illegally tackling Simão when he had a clear goal-scoring opportunity, Atlético’s second and third goals became inevitable.  These goals never materialized, as Santander’s defensive discipline kept Atlético out of their net.  Atlético constructed some offensive attacks but never really put their boots on Racing’s throat when they had the man advantage for nearly the whole second half.  Atlético’s best chance occurred in the 58th minute when Forlán’s swerving free kick hit the post.  Atlético played as though they already had the lead and merely tried to sit on the score line.

After being humiliated by Málaga 3-0 in the opening weekend, many expected Atlético to fight back and take out their anger on a Santander team who were embarrassed themselves by Getafe.  At the end of the match, the players were clearly frustrated, but that frustration did not compare to Los Colchoneros in the stands, who whistled, heckled, and demanded the immediate dismissals of club president Enrique Cerezo and general manager Miguel Ángel Gil Marín.  It may be hyperbole to talk crisis in the south of Madrid, but Atlético’s history shows that this type of situation is ripe for internal and external turmoil.  Soon, the chants for Abel Resino’s head will commence and all of this occurring when they kept their two stars Sergio Agüero and Diego Forlán.  Atlético Madrid has a Champions League group stage match against APOEL Nicosia on Tuesday and then a collision with La Liga champions Barcelona at the Camp Nou on the weekend.  If they do not beat APOEL and get some sort of result against Barcelona, all hell may break loose within the boardroom and the Vicente Calderón.

Gabriel Heinze’s days with the Argentine national team could be numbered after his fallout with Alfio Basile.

His dreadful performance against Paraguay, his horrid own goal and his reaction to be subbed in favor of Getafe’s Daniel Díaz will most likely leave him out of the upcoming call up that will occur in October.  Heinze’s actions afterwards were just a microcosm of the relationship between coach and team.

” Ask (the coach) why he did it.”  He then confronted Basile in the dressing room after the match about the subsitution.

That was the answer he gave the Argentine press after his substitution.    This type of indirect challenge to authority led to Heinze not even being in the list of players that were going to participate in the match against Peru in Lima.  The Real Madrid has even insinuated that he will retire from international play in order to avoid dealing with the criticisms from the media  as well as having to deal with Basile while he is coach of the national side.

Heinze’s actions along with Carlos Tévez second sending off in four matches will have them probably watching the games against Uruguay and Chile from Europe.   That, in addtion to his actions during the Paraguay match when left the dressing room might have pink slipped the Manchester United star, too.  But the problem is deeper than just these two players.  There is something much greater than having the best talent in the world.     Sources in Argentina are now looking at the possibility of calling up young Real Betis defender Fabián Monzón over the out of favor Madrid back.   While Hernán Crespo mentions that he is “dying for a shot to play” for the Albiceleste.

On one end you have the Boca clique led by Riquelme and Battaglia.  “Cambiasso and Zanetti on one end.  Then there is the Gago and Zabaleta group that scream for playing time,” These are two of the players that seem to have shown that the team is quite divided and that Alfio Basile has lost the team.  The team is divided into cliques now and that could mean a great deal of problems for the team in the coming months.

Boca Juniors’  striker Ricardo Noir is the latest gem to emerge from the club’s prolific youth program that exported players in recent years like Fernando Gago, Ever Banega, and Carlos Tévez, .   After a thunderous start to his first-team career, he is now being looked at by various Spanish teams as a viable option or development project for any team that looks to have one of the top goalscorers of the future.

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Although there was nothing confirmed, his agent mentioned in the Argentine media that talks are in the beginning stages for the Boca youngster. For many people in Argentina, Noir quickly became Boca’s heir apparent to Martín Palermo up front. He has been the only forward in the past decade to emerge with characteristics similar to the former Villarreal man.

Azulón president Ángel Torres came out with all guns blazing as his team will be without their two goalkeepers in less than a month.   What made the club prsident more indignated was the fact that he did not receive a call from any Argentine footbal federation official to talk about the matter and arrangements as far as retribution for the absence of both players.

¨We expect the proper executives to have the appropriate insurance as we have been affected severely,¨said Torres in an interview with Argentine radio.   Getafe will also consider denouncing the Argentine Football Federation to FIFA in the event that they do not get in contact with the club.   The club has also been left out in the dark as far as formal doctor´s observations and formalized reports.

Starting goalkeeper Roberto Abbondanzieri will be out for approximately two weeks after suffering a lacerated knee in Argentina´s 1-1 draw against Paraguay on Sunday.   Ustari will miss the majority of the 2008-09 season due to an ACL tear that he suffered when playing for Argentina in the Olympics in Beijing.

Getafe were able to obtain Valladolid netminder Jacobo Sanz on a loan basis for the rest of the year as he will get a better chance to earn minutes in the Getafe net immediately and battle Roberto Abbondanzieri as soon as he returns from his injury.

Daniel ¨Cata¨ Díaz got the call from coach Alfio Basile as a replacement for Inter defender Nicolás Burdisso.  Burdisso suffered a calf injury and will be out of action for approximately 45 days. The Getafe defender  will

This injury ocurred in this weeks Italian Super cup final at the Stadio Olimpico in Rome.  The injury  excerbates the crisis for Jose Mourinho´s side as Burdisso as well as Iván Córdoba, Marco Materazzi, Walter Samuel,  and Cristian Chivu will be out of action from extended periods of time.

In addition to Díaz, Newcastle´s Jonás Gutiérrez, and Napoli´s Germán Denis will be part of Alfio Basile 23-man squad that will take on Paraguay and Peru.

The biggest transfer in Argentina is supposed to happen within the next 72 hours.   Many of the people outside of the country know him, but he seems to be one of the biggest promises in the game in three or four years.

River Plate’ s Matías Musacchio, one of the club’s biggest prospect is being looked at by Real Madrid and he could be packing his bags and crossing the pond to be one of the Baby Merengues next season.   River Plate treasurer Hector Grinberg will be negotiating with Madrid sports director Predrag Mijatovic in order to obtain the youngster on a one-year loan basis for  US$ 4 million.  Madrid plans to have the player as the primary signing for their Madrid Castilla B side in the second division with an eventual option for River to obtain 10- 15% of his pass depending on how he performs over in the European scene.

Although he is very young, the defender had experience as he took a great leap from the River Plate seventh division all the way to having started on occassion with the first team during the 2006 Apertura under Daniel Passarella.

There are positions in the world that are very daunting to undertake and Argentine superstar Sergio Agüero can have the distinction of being the most daunting player both on and off the field.

His gunslinging attitude on the field made him an idol fairly quickly at Atlético Madrid, but it is his relationship with his current girlfriend that makes him even ¨braver¨.

He is not currently engaged to just any model or girl in Europe. He is currently living with none other that Gianina Maradona. I guess by the last name you would know who she is related to. Speculation as to him becoming a father were confirmed against Brazil after one of his We´re Having A Baby!goals when he ran towards the stands where his future father-in-law sat and sucked his thumb, giving the hint.

Afterwards, he mentioned that he did that in order to dedicate the goal to his girlfriend who watched intently in Buenos Aires. The world meanwhile watched how the Argentine demigod broke into a combination of tears and joy as he got the news the only way you could give it to Maradona- after a great goal against a rival.