Lionel Messi hat trick, breaks record for Argentina in 3-0 win

By
Roy Nemer
-
42

Lionel Messi scored a hat trick and broke a South American record in Argentina’s 2-0 win vs. Bolivia in the World Cup qualifiers.

Messi reached 79 goals with the Argentina national team as he overtook Pele’s record for most goals scored by a South American player for his national team. The first goal saw Messi play the ball through the legs of the opposition and his left foot from outside of the penalty are gave Argentina the 1-0 lead.

Angel Di Maria, who was arguably Argentina’s best player in the first half, played an outside of the foot low cross to Lautaro Martinez who scored. However, Lautaro was offside as the linesman raised his flag.

Lautaro missed another great opportunity as Messi played in a pass and his effort just went wide. Argentina national team coach Lionel Scaloni brought on Joaquin Correa for Alejandro Papu Gomez.

The second goal saw Lionel Messi and Lautaro Martinez combine, with Messi playing a pass to Lautaro who returned the ball and his right footed shot made it 2-0 for Argentina.

Two more changes for Argentina as Nicolas Gonzalez was brought in for Angel Di Maria and Angel Correa for Lautaro Martinez. Scaloni would make two more substitutions as Exequiel Palacios came on for Rodrigo De Paul and Lucas Martinez Quarta for Nicolas Otamendi.

Argentina would score their third goal and it would be Lionel Messi. An effort from outside of the penalty area was saved by the goalkeeper but Messi got to the rebound for his hat trick.

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42 Comments

  1. Nice to have the South American record (for a few years).
    On the global list Messi has four players before him. He should be capable of cathing Ferenç Puskás (Hungary, 84) and Mokhtar Dahari (Malaysia, 89). The numbers of Ali Daei (Iran, 109) and Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal, 111 and more to come) will be unreachable unless Argentina starts scheduling many friendlies against San Marino, Gibraltar and other weak opponents.

    If Suriname and Guyana were part of Conmebol (as they should be) he would be close to a 100 already.

  2. I think overall team performance was good. Messi’s brilliance did once again outshine those individual blunders and mess ups. However, this is definitely a more capable team and I saw Messi more on the finishing side than the playmaking role today.

      • Some errors coming out of defense, but that is to be expected without Dibu’s management and calming of defense or without Romero or Lisandro’s ball control present

          • Exactly Pezzella is not an NT material, ticking time bomb. He will be exposed easily by quality players. Scaloni should get to know his weakness sooner the better for the team. LMQ is also bang average. He is having a soft corners for river plate players is a concern for our national team.

        • Yes exactly spot on again ! Theese ERRORS will be easily fixeable as with Cuti and Lisandro ! Offcourse Dibu’s present is asnececassary thing to, but Musso did good a job ! As i hope him to secure that second place as for third i will try Benitez over Rulli or have it between them, but i don’t think that Arg will face such bad luck that both Dibu and Musso will get injured at same time, though it Still can happen, but hopefully not ! That is why is good to have clear optiona ready and also use them when is the beat time as it was deffenetly for Musso this time, but Arg did not once again used Lisandro and that make’s me sad as i know with Pezella in the WC Arg will not make it even Otamendi can be replaced and should be when needed as Still he is doing Ok and playing good enough, but we will see in the future as Venezuela and Bolivia are obviously not greatest and biggest favourites for the WC !

      • Excluding 2-3 sitter chances absolutely wasted(Correa and Lautaro most notably), our final third attacks had too much passing, and we lost the ball quite a bit there. Also some usual gaps in defense but my point was that most people forgot about those like YOU thanks to our GOAT.

  3. Player Rating
    Musso 6: No need to do too much

    Molina 6: decent performance but need to improve his one on one attack technique

    Pezzella 6: reliable performance

    Otamendi 7: Leader in defense

    Acuna 5: Not too bad but definitely not too good compared with his previous performance

    Paredes 6: long shot is good but he didn’t cover many area in defense which make acuna didn’t move forward a lot

    De paul 7: Good performance as usual

    Papu Gomez 4: didn’t provide what lo celso can do

    Di maria 5: Once again he is very good at one on one but not good at cooperation with the whole team .

    Messi 9: perfect performance

    Lautaro 5: miss too many chances

    Joaquin 7: activate the whole team especially on the left side

    Angel correa 7: totally different to di maria ,he can make the team work as a team

    N Gonzalez 6: Fast ,able to counterattack

    • Good ratings.
      I would give Paredes a higher rating: he took 3 long shots, 1 was bad, ,2 caused gk spills. One Di Maria missed, the other Messi scored. Bolivia midfield never advanced. They were completely stopped by Paredes and the rest of the midfield. Bolivia is not great but stilll, he did everything he had to.

      Acuña has been disappointing lately. Leaning towards Talgliafico.

      Di Maria: too low rating. He is a special player who people don’t know how to rate. Been Argentina’s 2nd best player during the past 15 years and maybe 4th during the past 28 years. Only know has De Paul eclipsed him as our 2nd most important.

    • Paredes had a great game. ADM best attacker after Messi and linked up great with la pulga. Both deserve much higher.

      Acuna and Toro were low point although Toros 1-2 with Messi was awesome and he almost scored but called offside.

      • Why pezzela when there is Lisandro martinez. I think Median is better he is tall and fast.We all saw what happen 2018 would cup.Scaloni should give chance young and fast defenders.

  4. My verdict outside of the football played today: SO happy to see fans back in Argentina and in the monumental. It is made so much better by the occasion of being the first game in Argentina since the Copa final. Especially happy for Messi who got so emotional being able to celebrate with fans after so much heartbreak with the NT. The hat trick is a huge cherry on top that will make this rainy night memorable for so long. The fans that got to go are so lucky

  6. Honesty

    ——————-Lautaro
    —Buendia——Messi——Di Maria
    ———-Paredes—-De Paul
    Acuna—Senesi—Romero—Molina
    ——————Martinez

    Equipe B :
    —————J.Correa
    –Gonzalez—-Dybala—-A.Correa
    ———–Guido—–Lo Celso
    Tagliafico–Martinez—Otamendi–Montiel
    ——————Musso

    + Gomez, Palacios and Marchesin

    This team could break the world

    • Yes, agreed. You can see Joaquin wanted a goal too. He had this killer instinct in the game and was like “I know there are passing angles but the goal is right in front of me!”
      Too bad his shot was deflected but that’s what I want to see. Another taking it upon himself when the goal is in front of him.

      • yes joaquin correa is very useful .he can be a winger ,attacking midfiled or even no.9 .Hopefully he keeps on improving in inter with lautaro . Actually I think two correas ,lo celso ,messi ,Lautaro can be a very powerful combination with de paul as a No.5,

        • Yes, i will also like to see De Paul playing as No. 5, just to see how it will work for him…, though i think he will do as fine as playing allmost in any position, though maybe not as an CB, LOL! As he is so versatile as he can be, wow he is a real gift to an Arg team as there obviously others too…as j.Correa&A.Correa for example or Lo Celso and Nico Gonzalez or Dibu and Cuti as Lautaro too !
          So happy for so many option’s for Arg as everyone clearly follows Scaloni’s and the crew’s plans….
          I hope for some friendliess, though could be a hard thing to arrange them…, but if even a one would be available, then i would love Scaloni to try this before WC, though he most propably won’t as he know’s obviously than some old boring fella who been a fan of Arg since 1978…LOL !

          For any friendly anyhow would love to see this from Arg :
          Benitez
          Foyth. Cuti. Licha. Acuna.
          De Paul
          A.Correa. N.Gonzales.
          Messi. Lo Celso.
          Dybala

    • I was crossing my fingers the whole game for Dybala so Correa felt anticlimactic but I must say he was great upon entering and both Correa’s have played a big part in demonstrating the strength of our bench depth. I honestly think both Correas can have breakout seasons at their respective clubs

    • I agree he was good. He was always making himself available for the attack from the right. He performs well too for Udinese so far. He can easily be our most improved player by the end of the season.

      • I noticed the same thing. He is always available for a pass and was very involved in the game although he is still missing an assist or big chance creation for us. I think that will come soon but overall solid game from him

        • Yes Molina ia looking more an more solid after every game and more game’s he will play…well, i hope he continues on this path as i’m pretty sure of if it as his confidence is clearly after Copa on another level as for so many Arg players too as J.Correa, A.Correa for example are allready and have allready show’n that they truly can deliver as De Paul is very vital with Paredes and Guido too also Nico Gonzalez has it in him allready as does Acuna even his trend might slightly been fading down with Arg, but i bet u that he will keep on as the most important player of whole Sevilla as he has been allready since last year ! Dibu and Cuti and also Lo Celso are so important as ADM and MESSI not really need any comments about how good they are and have allways been amongst the the best of best of all time Arg and of the whole world too as all to e greatest players as there are several of them offcourse from Arg as we all have our favorites, but DIEGO AND LEO STILL IN A DIFFERENT LEAGUE WITH MY ALL RESPECT TO EVERY ALBICELESTE PLAYER FROM PAST TIL’ PRESENT !

  11. Very sad for papu gomez he was invery advance positions just beside the defence nobody was giving him pass , and he was running towards goals many time with counter attack yet no pass came i have seen hik and molina holding theire hands up for a pass 10 times each
    We need to attack from wide as well especially since we have a player like gomez who scores and creates same with molina even though is RB he scores and creates for Udines
    I love all the passes from Paradees he is like a europian wont put the bal on his feet for long (qucik passes with direction chsnges from one wing to another )
    Overall good performance i think lautaro could have substituted earlier for Dybala

      • Yes, about Papu it is great to finally have him with selected for Arg NT as it should have happened such a long time a go allready as unfortunatly with so many others too in the past, but also at the present as no minutes for Lisandro instead 180 minutes for Pezzella…hopefully Scaloni will do even a bit better on this that he allready truly has as i seen for long time, maybe Pekerman was the latest to pick up the best players available and also to try field them together on the pitch, bit as everyone he also made unfortunatly some misstake’s in the end, though either luck was not clearly on our side at 2006 !

  12. emotional interview from the king. so happy for the people in the stadium who have waited for this for so long and now showing off the trophy to everybody. .

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