Lots of man love here, as Barcelona's Messi scored a hat track in the first half and added another with two minutes in regulation to singlehandedly outscore Arsenal 4 to 1 in the Champions League quarterfinal.
I suspect the commentators in YouTube clip are speaking in Russian. Watch the little guy in the red and blow wearing #10. His magic begins at 1:11.
I'll admit I'm a noob at soccer. Never played it competitively as a kid and messed around with it in physical education. I cannot dribble a slalom to save my life. But this 5' 5" 22 year old fella exudes pure genius that even I can see. The hype on him is real. At the end of his career he really could be the greatest footballer of all time, and he's already in the company of greats such as Maradona, Zidane and Pele.
What do I see in this maestro? He has outstanding ball control, so that he really could beat three defenders on the dribble, and then thread the needle (first goal at 1:27). Like all great sportsman, he's always at the right place at the right time (2nd goal is a backdoor cut at 2:06). Although he is small in stature, he maximizes his strength as the premier finesse footballer in the world (3rd goal is the chip lob with his weaker right foot over the keeper on the breakaway at 2:50). Like any great champion, he demonstrates poise (4th gravy goal off a rebound and between the keeper's legs at 3:45). He makes unbelievably pitch-perfect passes. He exudes so much joy and love for the game. He makes the difficult look easy. Qualities that I've seen in other players I love to watch: Michael Jordan, Kobe Bryant and Roger Federer.
NOTE: Pardon this interruption to our regular program. Messi's feat deserved comment.
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