Copa America

Mexico enter their final two games of the fourth round of CONCACAF World Cup qualifying assured of their place in the fifth and final round, the ‘Hex’. However, their matches against El Salvador and Honduras will not be taken lightly by Mexico coach Juan Carlos Osorio, for whom they present something of a poisoned chalice. 

Two victories are expected, but any slip-up against the sides ranked 137th and 84th in the world would only magnify the hurt of Mexico’s last competitive match — that 7-0 defeat to Chile in the Copa America Centenario quarter-finals.

Some great players are simply synonymous with their actions on the pitch. Andrea Pirlo is heralded as the world’s greatest direct free kick taker, Lionel Messi is unsurpassed when it comes to dribbling and Cristiano Ronaldo’s right foot is a bonafide deity. 

For Luis Suarez, his reigning domain is certainly more niche but no less impressive. No one hits a side volley quite like the Uruguayan number nine. 

Lionel Messi’s past and present Barcelona teammates have leapt to his defense following the Argentine’s shocking decision to retire from international football following Argentina’s defeat at the hand’s of Chile in the 2016 Copa America Centenario final.

Chile is the best team in all of the Americas, of that there is no doubt. What Chile have accomplished over the last year is nothing short of remarkable, but just how did they do it? How did they survive and thrive in the tumultuous CONMEBOL and best the likes of Brazil, Uruguay and Argentina, twice? The answers are management, teamwork and spirit. This generation of Chilean footballers embodies everything you would want in a team, and it all started with Marcelo Bielsa.

On Sunday, spectators were given an unconstrained glimpse into the mind of Lionel Messi, a footballer whose cryptic statements and enigmatic private life only add to his magical legend.  

Messi’s a consummate professional, dedicated to the game on an otherworldly level. Argentina’s crushing defeat to Chile in the 2016 Copa America Centenario final gave proof to his wholehearted devotion to the cause.

The 1989 Detroit Pistons played a gritty, unrelenting style of basketball that called for an overly physical defense and resorting to fouling whenever the other team got a clear lane to the hoop. Their offense was led by an exciting but inconsistent gunner and a point guard whose heart and brains brought the whole thing together. They bumped their way to a finals victory against a team that featured some of the finest offensive talent of the era.

Sound familiar?

Messi has come out and said he plans to retire from the Argentina National Team. Is he serious?

I don't think he is. Not even a little bit. This is an empty threat by Lionel Messi and his teammates. Despite speculation being that Sergio Aguero, Javier Mascherano and others could follow Messi’s lead and retire from Albiceleste duty, this comes, not only after another final defeat, but during a time when Argentine Football is undergoing a massive organizational transition.