"I ain't going out like that"
The famous words echoed by B-Real of Cypress Hill. Messi cannot retire officialy from Argentina. He can't do it. I totally understand if he takes a break, maybe even missing the World Cup, just to offer some space between himself and the inferno that is storm brewing in Argentina right now. But he simply cannot have his final memory in an Argentine shirt be sending his penalty over the bar.
It hurts, it's painful. I can only imagine what he is going through. To lose three finals in a row is brutal, so brutal. You then bring in the fact that Maradona piled on the pressure by saying the Argentine team should not even come back home if they don't win the trophy. The heat was on, and to not only fail yet again but for the superstar player whose team were on his shoulders to sky the first penalty after Vidal missed, is just too much to take.
So I get it for Messi. The decision makes sense to reitre...for now. Baggio did the same thing when he opted out of Euro 96 after his famous miss in 94 which is one of the most infamous images in football. I remember watching that when I was young and seeing how badly the Italians toook it. But then after much reflection, he came back in 98. They got knocked out by France on penalties, but he made sure this last memory in an Italian shirt wasn't missing the key penalty that lost them the World Cup.
Messi just needs time to reflect, suck it all up and then go again. He's got to get himself off the canvas after this heavy Tyson body blow and just keep punching. I have a feeling that if Argentina are to ever win it with him, it will be when nobody favours them. Probably when he's left Barcelona, is much older, and semi-retired. Then the pressure will be off, and he can just enjoy the tournament with no pressure and then, it will come to him. That's what I think may just happen.
I cannot stress how much of a big mistake it would be of Messi if he is to quit and never come back. It's the wrong move to make. No matter what he continues to do for Barcelona or the titles he wins, this will haunt him continually if he doesn't get back in the ring and make it right. He doens't even need to win a trophy necessarily, although that would help a lot, he just needs to play for Argentina again and not make the lasting memory this miss. HH
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