All eyes are on Messi

Rio de Janeiro: Argentina’s meeting with the Netherlands in Sao Paulo on Wednesday is the second semifinal of the 20th Fifa World Cup for everyone. But the match would represent the moment of truth for Lionel Messi, Argentina’s captain and unarguably the greatest football player of this era. Messi is good that he has reduced the test for 11 players into an individual examination.

Does Messi have to win the title here to become an all-time great? The debate can go on and on because the yardstick can vary from person to person. But it will end once and for all if he does go on to lift the trophy at the Maracana on July 13. Before that, Messi has the small matter of taking Argentina past the penultimate hurdle. Argentine-born Alfredo Di Stefano, whose legendary status is beyond debates, passed away on Monday and maybe it’s time for another Argentine to fill in the vacuum.

Argentina coach Alejandro Sabella has no qualms in admitting that his team are over-dependent on Messi. “He gives us water in a desert,” the soft-spoken man said after the quarterfinal win over Belgium. If supplying inspiration to a misfiring team isn’t enough, Messi is now burdened with mixing hydrogen and oxygen.

Not surprisingly, the first semifinal involving hosts Brazil and Germany has monopolised media attention here. However, don’t be surprised if the second takes the plaudits in the end. Some of the finest talents in contemporary football would be on show in the Argentina-the Netherlands match. The Dutch trio of Arjen Robben, Robin van Persie and Wesley Sneijder may not measure up to Messi in individual ability but each one of them is eminently capable of changing the course of a match in a flash.

Another major plus for the Netherlands, easily the most consistent team here, is their coach Louis van Gaal’s uncanny knack of pulling a rabbit out of the hat at critical moments. The master tactician’s substitutions have been the cornerstone of the Netherlands’ wins in the knockout rounds.

South American teams are always under an obligation to entertain at the World Cup and statements on lack of excitement in Argentina’s displays have become a truism here. Messi and his teammates would know that few would talk about their five wins by a single-goal margin in Brazil if they manage to nail the last two matches. Gonzalo Higuain’s superb first-time strike in the previous round was a timely reminder to Argentina’s critics that the two-time champions were not a team of Messi and 10 cheerleaders.

The absence of the spring-heeled Angel Di Maria, who is nursing an injury, is a blow which Sabella would hope to offset with fit-again Sergio Aguero. Argentina have enough firepower up front to hurt any team in the tournament but the same can’t be said about their defence and midfield. Sabella’s reluctance to use the services of midfielder Fernando Gago has baffled many. Argentina would be left to rue another failed campaign if there is no feeding to the attacking troika of Aguero, Messi and Higuain.

The Dutch, on the other hand, can count on the brilliance of Sneijder to keep the supply going from the middle. Van Gaal would, however, be worried by the dip in form of Van Persie. After a breathtaking start to the tournament, the Manchester United forward has been struggling in front of goal  to raise doubts about his ability to deliver when the stakes are high.

Argentina is celebrating its Independence Day on July 9 and the football-mad nation would be hoping that it doesn’t remain enslaved to failure for another four years.