When the technical director of Hondurasthe Argentine Diego Vazquez, He gave the speech before the game, fielded 10 players and said one: “You, one meter from Messi in any sector of the field”. Ettore Castellano He shrugged and nodded. The sector of the field in which the Rosary moved did not matter, there were 16 like a postage stamp.

How did Messi play? As if he didn’t have an unbearable personal brand. He anticipated, played first, covered the ball and always looked for a partner. It’s more. In Lautaro Martínez’s goal, he not only managed to get rid of Castellanos, but he also hit a nice ball so that the Papua Gómez participated in the Bull.

But before the goal, Lio showed how much he wanted to score: first he received the pass, despite Castellanos’ attempt to prevent it. He turned and stood there, as if inviting him to try and get it out. The Honduran midfielder of Motagua has remained in the schemes, as someone who does not want to expose himself to ridicule. The PSG man made him eat some feints until he got bored and opened the game, as if nothing had happened.

It is not the first time that the most experienced have a custom branding. A rival who will only score or try to reduce the potential risk of the fencing door. On June 23, 1985 in Lima, for the South American qualifiers for the World Cup in Mexico, the Peruvian luigi reina it was the shadow, or rather, he had created it Diego Maradona It was his own shadow.

Like Castellanos with Messi, Reyna has always been at the head of the Maradona brand. Although the ball was in goal or Diego had approached the bench to drink water. In Miami, Messi was more limited but managed to deliver the characteristic imbalance of him.

Messi then played to catch the mark, to play first to unload quickly and to go looking for the return: thus he won the rope several times at his mark. That dynamic left Lo Celso – sometimes Papu Gómez – the responsibility of keeping the game flowing.

The only time Castellanos couldn’t help but watch Messi? The penalty: that was the only case of the match in which Messi did not have the heavy presence of Honduras on one side.

For the second half, Messi changed positions. Once again he was a reference in the area and managed to play more loosely. Without the stamp that was attached to the first part. So much so that he received it alone in the croissant and placed it on top of Luis López, who, however long he stretched, could not avoid the goal. Great goal from a pillory and a certainty: if they hit him in the World Cup, Lionel will be able to get away with it.

In the end, while the Hondurans lined up to greet the champion from Rosario, Castellanos was already the first to change his shirt. And he did not leave empty-handed: so much effort was worth – at least – the tenth alternative of Argentina, the one used by Leo Messi.