Argentina – Honduras – A delicious lob and a double: Messi, in full swing, guides Argentina

Brilliant with PSG, decisive for Argentina. Two months before the World Cup, Lionel Messi is gradually regaining his level and it is Honduras, beaten last night (3-0), who paid the price. Author of a double, the PSG striker is the man of the match. “La Pulga” is not yet, far from it, a player of Inter Miami, the club of David Beckham playing in MLS who would like to attract him to Florida, but if he becomes one one day, he will know that the fervor will not be feigned to see him play.

It must be said that in a Hard Rock Stadium filled with 64,420 spectators vibrating like in Buenos Aires, Messi made sure to give them their money’s worth, by being in all the good moves of the Albiceleste, now undefeated in 34 matches , and which imposed itself without flinching and could even have made the bill more salty for the Hondurans.

His uncontrolled lob twenty meters from the opposing cages, after an interception by Enzo Fernandez who had just come into play, was a model of inspiration, ease and technical mastery, for his team’s third goal (69th) then ultra-dominant. His 88th achievement in 163 selections. Earlier, just before the break, as a good captain, he had quietly scored the 2-0 penalty, taking the goalkeeper on the wrong foot (45 + 2), to kill any semblance of suspense.

Close to the triple

It was his judicious opening over the defense in the 16th minute that found Papu Gómez on the left side, who crossed back towards Lautaro Martínez, for the opener. After which, Messi was the target of a shoulder blow as violent as it is illicit from Deybi Flores, rightly warned by the referee (20th). Which gave rise to an additional clash among others in this particularly tense first act. The Argentinian N.10 could have added one or two goals to his credit, if he had not missed his unbalanced recovery in the box, the ball passing over his left foot after being deflected by a defender ( 44th), or if his powerful recovery had not taken off too much at the entrance to the area (56th).

He thought he had scored the hat-trick in the 85th minute, taking the ball acrobatically in the area, but he narrowly missed the target. With this excellent performance, Messi confirmed that he was going through a good period, interviewed in the jersey of PSG since the start of the season, whether in the French championship or in the Champions League. Enough to maintain the dreams of glory of Argentine fans two months before the World Cup in Qatar, where their team will face Saudi Arabia, Mexico and Poland in Group C. Until then, the Argentines will play a another preparatory meeting against Jamaica, Tuesday in Harrison (New Jersey).