On the other hand, people thought Spain would have a great chance at repeating their World Cup victory. You never know.
And I don’t mind athletes showing emotion. Not everyone is unemotional, stoic, etc. Nor should everyone be expected to be.
Messi wasn’t showing emotion. He was showing petulance. If he’d been crying or something I would actually have had less of a problem with it.
That isn’t an emotional response?
I think outside of the US, it’s pretty universal. In Tournaments, and cup competitions in Rugby, football, cricket as well as in tennis, the beaten finalist goes first and then the winners. I think it’s pretty churlish to tell to them fuck off immdietly after the match.
In football leagues the champions get the trophy as soon as they are mathematically certain of winning.
As for Messi, I think his face showed exactly why it’s better to finish third rather than second.
I thought of a better ‘you never know’ example: The Magnificent Magyars. From 1950 to 1955, the Hungarians won 46 matches, had 6 ties, and only one defeat - the 1954 World Cup, the Miracle of Bern. They are still considered one of the greatest teams in soccer history. They never even came close to another World Cup Final.
Bad phrasing on my part. It’s not the sort of emotional response I think is appropriate.
*Shrug. I have absolutely no problems with it. It’s natural.
There is also the aspect that this isn’t just an individual or even a team loss but a national defeat. Adds a lot more to it I think.
Actually, Argentina had the oldest squad of the whole tournament. In my opinion, 2010 was their golden age (squandered by Maradona), and 2014 was the last chance. I think Messi will still be around at age 31, but no doubt he’ll be a different, worse player.
Oh, brother. Petulance? He had a grimace on his face, full stop. We obviously have different definitions of pouting. Should he have had a shit-eating grin? Or been bawling his eyes out? He was pissed that he didn’t win the greatest contest in the world. Let the man have the facial expression he wants, fer chrissakes.
Lol. 
I thought it was cool Angela Merkel was there. She’s a big fan and quite knowledgeable about it all.
Messi struck me as a big baby. Poor me, I only won best player. I expected him to throw the trophy on the ground and cry. Actually, that’s what I expected from his whole team.
Heard Putin was there somewhere. But who cares? How he can afford the 2018 Cup is beyond me.
Oh, alright. Perhaps I’m just grumpy because he mostly refused to perform the way he apparently does week in and week out in club play.
It’s not his money. I’m wondering how Brazil is going to pay for the Olympics two years after a World Cup. I doubt many of these stadiums can be repurposed.
Heh. I’m grumpy for the exact same reason. Now I can’t justify buying a new Argentina shirt.
Russia will do it the way that most good capitalist nations do: socialize the costs and privatize the profits.
My favorite was Mexico vs. Netherlands. I was heartbroken when Mexico lost. Second place would have been USA vs. Portugal. Third, the final.
Same way they afforded the Olympics, I guess. :rolleyes:
ETA: Would somebody mind filling me in what the story with Maradona is? The wikipedia page wasn’t too helpful.
I think I found it. Wow!
From the 1986 World Cup final against England:
Be a little more sympathetic, people. I thought Messi just looked exhausted and numb, knowing he’d come *thatclose *to winning the thing he’d dreamed of all his life, and will never have another chance.
Buy a retro Coventry City shirt from 1987. It looks very similar and was used in One of the best finals of the oldest football tournament on earth.
My drunkenness in no way implies bias.
Imam quite drunk. Not as drunk as my mate that got thrown out for being drunk. I went home because had to leave…
If I’m going to get a Coventry City shirt, it would have to be this one:
Not sure why he would be any more exhausted than the rest of the players, stats are coming out that show he ran less than anybody on the field.
Maybe he was grumpy because the player who many proclaim as the greatest ever went completely AWOL when it really mattered for his country, he was dung in the semi’s and final and it was a farce that he got the golden ball.
I think the lad is allowed to feel grumpy.
I have a lot of time for Messi, he is a great player but he knows that he hasn’t done enough in any of his world cups to cement his position alongside the likes of Pele and his batshit crazy stumpy, druggie cheat compatriot. That has got to be tough to take. His team are not good enough to allow him to flourish and he is not Maradona enough to single-handedly take them to glory.
He may get another shot in four years time but he is at his peak now so he has to be thinking “is that the chance gone?”