That's probably the most perfect freekick ever. It's not knuckleball, it's on the keeper's favoured side and yet he will never ever save that. Perfect placing.

messi is the greatest player to ever play the sport, and possibly the greatest to ever play any sport. its almost absurd, to be totally honest

you can kick the ball back into your half at kick-off now? or is it just at half-time? just saw it being done in this game.

New rule that you don't have to kickoff forwards. It's been happening in the Euros too.

giving a pass to the euros. nonsense tourney with tired players. USA though are an abhorrent team for being in semifinals. Is it their B team or something?

arsedoc md wrote:

giving a pass to the euros. nonsense tourney with tired players. USA though are an abhorrent team for being in semifinals. Is it their B team or something?

They've been shackled by 2 suspensions to 2 key players. Klinsmann hasn't rotated the team either by starting almost the same 11 every game until this game (and they played the last game vs. Ecuador 40 minutes with 10 men). Tired legs doesn't excuse poor play though, especially from the "experienced" Michael Bradley. He's given the ball countless times over and over again, which is the result when you play in the MLS vs. Serie A. Mistakes don't get punished due to the lower quality of players. 

wow. what nonsense was that. i swear I remember seeing a much better USA team before.

Mexico feeling a little bit better tonight

It's really not about the USA. Argies has been thrashing every team for fun and even if you give them Germany tonight it's no difference.

mdgoonah41 wrote:

messi is the greatest player to ever play the sport, and possibly the greatest to ever play any sport. its almost absurd, to be totally honest

Ali, Jordan, Messi, Federer, Bolt.

In that order.

Messi's free kicks have just reached god tier. Amazing how he keeps reinventing his game, I bet he's going to finish his career as a world class wingback at this rate

When Messi retires and someone makes a compilation of all his goals, it's going to be the most orgasmic thing ever created.

I believe that Messi now tops Argentina's goal scoring and assist charts?

If only he played well for the national team.

Yup, he tops everything.

Better goals/game ratio than CR.

He's the best ever, hands down. He's better than everyone else in every single facet of the (attacking) game, it's just insane.

Anyone see Chile's arse err kicking of Mexico?
Alexis was brilliant.

Great free kick and all, but I really think the goalkeeper should save that.
My view on this is pretty much that the goalkeeper needs to trust his wall all the time. Don't ever do the baby steps towards the wall gamble! If a player curls the ball perfectly over the wall and the goalkeeper can't get there then, fair enough, hold your hands up and congratulate the free kick taker for a perfectly executed piece of skill. However, this shot is at most a meter to the left of the goalkeeper, in his corner, and far from a rocket. Any goalkeeper worth his salt needs to save that IMO. I'd certainly have it down as a Cech error if he conceded that.