Long before the semi final matches were played i knew there was no other person more suited and worthy for the Golden Ball award other than Messi, he alone and with Mascherano supporting, dragged an ordinary looking Argentina team to the World cup final! No other player has had such collosal influence on their teams fortune since 1986 when Maradona, the Argentine legend Messi looks to emulate, did the same in 1986 winning the world cup all by himself for the nation. It came as no suprise then that he scooped the award on a night that what really matters to Messi wasn't the award but the world cup itself.
What came as a suprise, however was how the decision to award Messi the golden ball was derided as controversial and a compensation to Messi for not winning the world cup. Nothing could be further from the truth. Stats and facts points to no other worthy winner than Messi. Below are the factors that makes him one.
*LEADERSHIP&IMPACT - Without Messi's influence Argentina wouldn't have made it past the group stage. Of the 6goals Argentina scored at the group stage Messi was responsible for four, representing over 67% of the teams effort. Robben, the dutch who came third in the running for the golden ball award scored 3 and assisted 1 out of the 10goals Netherland scored at the group stage, that amounts to 40% contribution of his team efforts while Muller did much better scoring 4 of Germany's 7goals accounting for 57% of of his team's total output. All these 3 contenders has their biggest influence during the group stages of the competition just like you would expect more goals to be scored at the group stage than at the knockout stage!
Would Germany have gone this far without Muller? Yes they would have done so! Thank God for all of Mullers goal but this team could have called on podolski, klose, Schurrle and they would have delivered.
Holland needs Robben, but they needed their coach Louis van Gaal much more to have gotten this far. His tactics and ability to manage this young group of players got Holland this far more than Robbens goal, but then Holland still had Rvp, Dempay and Sneijder who equally did their part.
However same could not be said of Argentina, up until Di maria's goal against Switzerland, it looks as though it was only Messi that was interested in playing for Argentina. Make no mistake about this, apart from the goals he scored, Messi was at the heart of 80% Argentina did positively at the World Cup. No one has had greater impacts on his team fortune than the little Argentine.
*KNOCKOUT DEBATE
One of the argument against Messi winning the Golden Ball was the fact that he registered no goal at the knockout stages of the world cup. Its a fact, but this award isn't for the highest goal scorer, its for the best player of the tournament and you don't need to score goals to be the best player of the tournament. Messis assist against Switzerland was crucial in getting them to the quarterfinal and against Belgium he held off the challenges of 2players ran into space, release Di maria who released Higuain for the goal, that was a crucial build up to the goal. Yes he didn't scored but he had moments that without them otherwise would have seen Argentina going home.
If Messi didn't deserve the award due to his knockout stages performance why then should Robben deserves it? What did Robben did at the Knockout stages of the competition that Messi didn't do? Nothing. Well he did something, he dived for the penalty that got Holland the win against Mexico! Other than that he had no output, no moment that counted. All his 3goals and 1 assists also came in the group stage of the competition!
Someone might say Robben troubled defences, so did Messi who was the dribbling master of the competition completing 46dribbles. He is also the tournament top chance creator with 23! So in what way was Robben better than Messi in this competition? In all the statistics that counts, Messi trumps Robben.
James Rodriguez scored 3 at the knockout stages but i cant recollect the last time the golden ball was won by a player whose team didn't made it past the quarter final! If you are that good then you should take your team far...simple! Messi carried his team, Rodriguez didn't.
MAN OF THE MATCH AWARD
Four man of the match award must count for something right? Especially when no other player matched that feat. Robben had 3Motm in this competition, one less than Messi who added a fourth one at the knockout stage. That surely counts!
* A CASE FOR MULLER
Their is only one player who could have beaten Messi to the golden ball and that is Muller, of the 3 contenders only he has a better stat than Messi: 5goals 3assists over 7games. But that performance must be put in the context of the German team. If Messi was to be slot in to this German team, he would certainly better those stats. The German team looks like the Barcelona team Messi likes to play in. Messi carried the hope of a nation, Muller didn't. The pressure was on Messi but certainly not on Muller. With 4goals and 1 assists Messi had performed admirably carrying Argentina to the final and on this ground he edged out Muller despite all his stats. Lets not forgot that Ronaldo carried the hope of Portugal too but fail admirably too! Could that be the reason why many are angry Messi won the golden ball and ignore all the facts and stats that suggests that he should?
- PAB
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