With the draw finished on Jan. 24, the hype surrounding the 2019 Copa América in Brazil can begin in earnest. The storylines are plentiful: Can Chile three-peat? Can Neymar inspire Brazil on home soil? Can Lionel Messi, freshly returned to the Albiceleste setup, finally achieve international glory? It’s can’t-miss viewing, so here’s how to watch the 2019 Copa America.
Just two years ago, PSG shook the soccer realm by acquiring Neymar by way of a $263 million transfer.
Now with plenty of talent to go around in Paris and Barcelona missing its favorite Brazilian forward, Barça has to look into sending the same money back to France.
PSG hopefully kept the receipt for Neymar, but Barça may have some return policies.
While many people scoff at the idea that a cleat impacts a player's game, when it comes to professionals, it's undeniable that there are clear trends in terms of cleat preference. The main factor, in terms of boot preference for professionals, is the material that constitutes the upper portion of the cleat. This article looks at the three main types of material, attempting to understand why certain players favor specific materials, and we'll discuss k-leather vs kangaroo leather.
#1: Kangaroo Leather (K-Leather)
Yesterday, in a must-win game against Qatar, Lionel Messi did something that was very uncharacteristic of him. With the opportunity to seal the game for Argentina and secure a place in the knockout rounds of the Copa América, he skied an open shot into the stands.
This Messi miss ... pic.twitter.com/5eD5XIziDB
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) June 23, 2019
With the transfer of French star Antione Griezmann appearing imminent, Barcelona boss Josep Maria Bartomeu has denied any contact whatsoever.
This comes just days after reports of Atletico president Gil Marin claiming the club has known of some sort of transfer since March.
Other reports came out saying it was a done deal.
When Lionel Messi declared that Argentina “are not candidates like other times” and that this is a side “going through a process of change,” he wasn’t messing around. The only surprising thing about Argentina’s opening Copa América defeated to Colombia on Saturday night is that Messi himself spurned a glorious opportunity to put La Albiceleste ahead in the 66th minute.
Colombia took full advantage of that miss with Roger Martinez hitting a stunning game-winner in the 71st before Duvan Zapata added the insurance goal in the 86th.
Lionel Messi transcends typical descriptions of an athlete.
There is just one way to properly define one of the greatest soccer players of all time — he is, simply put, a creator.
But to say Messi just creates goals would be like saying the Beatles just create music. Messi, whether playing for his club Barcelona or the Argentina national team, makes the beautiful game beautiful. He scores goals, sure, but he does so artistically. He creates goals for teammates, yes, but he generates attacks no one else can see with agility and raw skill.