Home Blog Page 649

New AFA housing complex in Ezeiza called Lionel Andrés Messi

Roy Nemer
-
18

The new AFA housing complex for the players in Ezeiza will be called Lionel Andrés Messi.

In a ceremony on Saturday, AFA president Chiqui Tapia paid tribute to the Best player in the world by making the announcement. Argentina national team players as well as his former team mates from the 2014 World Cup and local league players were in attendance.

AFA president Claudio Tapia started the ceremony and had this to say:

“Today is a very special day for our football and for our home. We thank those who are present, the leaders and our league captains.

“In 2017, we had to start to rebuild our football and within that was the building. It will become the new home of the national teams, with three floors of hotels, a training and high performance center, amenities, meeting rooms, recovery rooms and an auditorium.

“It’s not only the inauguration of this project but also the housing complex of Ezeiza which will bear the name of Lionel Andrés Messi.”

Lionel Messi also spoke at the ceremony. Surrounded by his current team mates in the Argentina national team, Messi had this to say:

“I want to thank (AFA president) Tapia for the recognition, which is very exciting. I have been coming to the camp for almost 20 years and from the first day I entered I felt a very special energy.

“Knowing that the housing complex is going to be called Lionel Andrés Messi is something very nice. It’s special because of what it means and because of the number of players who pass by.

“I went through hard times, it was getting here and feeling happy to be in this place. I am one of those who thinks that tributes have to be done while alive and this recognition is special and means a lot.”

Messi’s former team mates of the Argentina national team, most notably from the 2014 World Cup were also in attendance. Mariano Andújar, Javier Mascherano, Sergio Romero, Marcos Rojo and Maxi Rodríguez were all present for the announcement.

Video: World Cup champions welcome for the Argentina national team

Roy Nemer
-
17

The Argentina national team had a World Cup champions welcome by everyone in attendance at the Monumental.

When Lionel Messi and his team mates took to the Monumental pitch on Thursday, they were greeted with a roar of the crowd that is practically not seen anywhere else. The festivities were already under way with singing and chanting but what the fans gave the team will never be forgotten.

Prior to the national anthems, both Argentina and Panama stood and the fans used the opportunity to thank the team. Below is a video of it all, one that is very much worth watching.

Lionel Messi gives World Cup speech: “I always dreamed of this moment”

Roy Nemer
-
13

Lionel Messi gave a speech following Argentina’s 2-0 win vs. Panama.

Messi scored Argentina’s second goal of the match vs. Panama and the world’s best player gave a speech in front of a packed Monumental crowd. It was a ceremony full of fireworks and emotions which was kicked off by a Lionel Messi speech.

The World Cup winner was the only player to speak to the fans at the Monumental after the win. Here is what he had to say:

“I want to thank all of you for the affection we have been receiving. Not only for being world champions but also for the Copa America. We had said that we were going to do everything we could for this.

“Personally, I have always dreamed of this moment. To be able to celebrate with you, to come to my country, to Argentina, to lift a Copa America, the Finalissima and the greatest one, which is the World Cup.

“Today is our day, where we are celebrating the champions, but I don’t want to forget all the teammates who were there before, who also did their best to win the cup. Who also did their best to achieve this and we were very close to the Copa America and the World Cup. They deserve all the recognition of the Argentine people because they also gave their all for this shirt.

“I’d like to thank all my previous coaches who also tried everything possible for this. Unfortunately, it didn’t happen.

“Hopefully it won’t take so many years. It has been shown that it is very difficult to win the World Cup. It depends on many things, not only on a great group and a great team and sometimes it’s not possible to win it because of details. So let’s enjoy the third start.

Lionel Messi, Thiago Almada score for World champions Argentina vs. Panama

Roy Nemer
-
2

Lionel Messi and Thiago Almada both scored for the World champions Argentina in their 2-0 win vs. Panama.

Messi scored right before the end of the match as the Monumental errupted but it was 0-0 going into half time. Lionel Scaloni’s team created many goal scoring chances in the first half, including a Lionel Messi free kick which hit the crossbar but they were unable to find the back of the net in the first half.

The second half started with three substitutions. Lautaro Martínez was brought on for Julián Álvarez, Lisandro Martínez on for Nicolás Otamendi and Thiago Almada on for Alexis Mac Allister.

With the score still at 0-0 in the second half, Scaloni made three more changes. Paulo Dybala for Ángel Di María, Leandro Paredes for Enzo Fernández and Marcos Acuña on for Nicolás Tagliafico.

Argentina could have had two penalty kicks in the second half. The first was a trip on Tagliafico and the second was a foul on Paulo Dybala.

For the second time in the match, a Lionel Messi free kick hit the cross bar but the effort would lead to a goal. With the ball bouncing off the crossbar and falling to Paredes, it would then land on Thiago Almada and he would score his first goal for Argentina.

Scaloni’s team were leading 1-0 and creating more opportunities and the world’s best player would get his goal. It was another free kick and another Lionel Messi effort.

The best player in the world would not be denied and his effort would find the back of the net for Argentina’s second goal of the match, his first as a world champion for his country.

That goal was Messi’s 800th goal in his career and he is now on 99 goals with the Argentina national team.

Argentina starting XI vs. Panama, first match as World Cup winners

Roy Nemer
-
9

The Argentina national team will play their first match as World Cup winners and it is against Panama.

Argentina national team coach Lionel Scaloni has named the same eleven which started and won the World Cup final. He has not made any changes to the eleven which lifted the trophy.

Dibu Martínez; Tagliafico, Otamendi, Romero, Molina; Mac Allister, Enzo, De Paul; Lionel Messi, Julián Álvarez and Ángel Di María

1...648649650...1,710Page 649 of 1,710