What sets Lionel Messi apart?

"Messi" is hardly just a name anymore. Over the past five years, it has come to represent more than a 5'7" athlete. To those who know and love the game of soccer, the name has taken on a mythical connotation that makes it hard to see him as just a player. There are several names that have held this power over the life of this great sport, and Lionel Messi is carrying the torch now. Messi started his career like millions of others but has taken it to a place only a few have been able. On May 28th (Champions League final, FOX, 2 p.m. ET), the world will watch one of the greatest players to ever grace a soccer field demonstrate his superiority in the biggest game of the year.
His story starts like most: A young boy from a humble background falls in love with a ball, and it falls in love with him right back. From his earliest days in Rosario, Argentina, everyone could tell that this boy was different from the rest. Like most child prodigies, playing the game just came naturally to him. His talent separated him from the rest of the boys, but it was another thing that separated him from others his age; leading to his serendipitous arrival at one of the most successful youth academies of all time.
Messi had been flourishing with the club Newell's Old Boys. The pairing was ideal, as the club was close to his home, and Messi's father was a coach. However, other factors were at play that made life more complicated for the Messi family. Lionel's health was not as blessed as his feet, and his parents noticed warning signs in his early development.
At the age of 11, Messi was diagnosed with a hormone deficiency. The expensive treatment required for this condition was a constant stress on the family's finances. Barcelona had been tracking Messi's progress, and when they became aware of these difficulties, made the Messi family an offer they couldn't refuse. The club offered to pay for his treatments of close to $900 a month if they would allow Lionel to move to Spain and continue his soccer education in their famous La Masia academy. That moment set in motion a 10-year metamorphosis of a child into a soccer God.
Messi tore through youth tournaments much like he tears through defenses today. He looked out of place against players his own age. Most talented young players need these opportunities in youth tournaments to learn valuable lessons and grow amongst their peers. However, like other prodigies, Lionel had surpassed these lessons early and was ready the highest level. At 16 years old, an age where most young athletes are balancing their high school team with looking for prom dates, Messi debuted for Barcelona - one of the most successful soccer clubs in the world.
Like the legends before him, Messi make a seamless transition from the youth to professional level while still in his teens. When asked, “why is Messi that good,” we can look at athletes in other sports who have made the same leap – ones who became one of the best right from the start. Young prodigies like Sidney Crosby, Lebron James, and Tiger Woods became greats by mastering sports' three S's: skill, speed, and smarts. Skill and speed are things that every young athlete works at from the start, but smarts is a factor that's innate in the truly great. Messi excels at all three.
He's amongst the most skilled we've ever seen. Having watched endless tape of some of the best dribblers of all time - Johan Cruyff, George Best, Diego Maradona - each used the simplest movements to get past their defenders. They were so dexterous, they didn't need to rely on tricks to beat players. Each one had a bagful of party tricks to entertain the crowd, but the art of their craft was in knowing that all they needed was to move the ball where the defenders foot wasn't. It sounds simple, but trust me: There is a sacred art in it. They had such tight control of the soccer ball - touching it, with every step they took at top speed - that your only hope of winning it as a defender was if they gave it to you.
Messi's ability with the ball mirrors those greats. He has the same top speed control. You don't see him do any step overs, drags or other fancy tricks. His genius is in making a defender believe they can win the ball from him. He baits them by presenting the ball close enough that they're compelled to challenge, stabbing at the ball, losing their balance. At that moment, Messi has them.
Most attacking players try and beat defenders with a move, but Messi waits a moment and lets defenders beat themselves. He makes it look effortless, but touching the ball every step at top speed while looking up - ready to cut on a dime, in any direction - is a skill only a handful of players have ever perfected.

By: http://msn.foxsports.com/

Ferguson at the core of United's dynasty

Barcelona squares off against Manchester United Saturday (FOX, 2 p.m. ET) in the biggest match of the year, the Champions League final at England's Wembley Stadium.
This is the second of a pair of pieces that looks back at each team's history, and the major influences on their playing style. Our companion piece examines the influence of total football and Johan Cruyff on Barcelona.
Since 1986, there's been one constant at Manchester United: the club's longest serving manager, Scot Sir Alex Ferguson. Great individual players have come and gone through the club during his tenure - Eric Cantona, David Beckham, Cristiano Ronaldo, Peter Schmeichel being just a few - but the man at the wheel has never wavered in his core belief that the team comes first.
Ferguon's brilliance lies in his ability to manage the biggest egos while convincing the least of his players that they can win any game at any time. This didn't happen overnight, but if you had been paying attention to Scottish football in the late 1970s, you would have seen everything that would come to characterize the Ferguson Way was already in evidence.
Although the English might argue to the contrary, this was an era when Scottish League football was superior to that of the old English First Division, a spell when Scotland routinely qualified for World Cups while England struggled just to join the international elite.
There were plenty of good players in Scotland and a growing North Sea oil-based economy in Aberdeen, where Ferguson first emerged as a special manager. The Dons play their games at Pittodrie, a compact ground tucked into an urban area just away from the broad beaches of the North Sea. It could be cold and wet, but under Ferguson the atmosphere at the ground was often electric, and Aberdeen rose to the challenges offered by their young boss.
It did not begin easily, however. Ferguson took over from a Celtic legend, Billy McNeill, who had actually left Pittodrie in mid-season to take charge of his former club. Aberdeen was then a team featuring a fading star, Joe Harper. Harper's goal-scoring had made him very much the local hero, but his game and declining speed did not fit with the plans the new manager had for revitalizing the Dons. That made for a fitful start: the public was not always behind the new boss, especially when it came to dealing with Harper.
But it took only three seasons for Ferguson to win the fans over, along the way producing a Scottish League title (1981-82) and linking the Dons with Dundee United - who would also win the league in this era - as "The New Firm," a term meant as a direct slap at the Glasgow giants, Celtic and Rangers.
When Aberdeen won that crown, it broke a 15-year spell in which the title had never left Glasgow, serving to validate Ferguson's approach, both on the field and (now infamously) off.
Aberdeen, like today's United, played a high-pressure, counter-attacking game, making use of the width of the pitch, liking to attack down the middle. The home support was loud, Ferguson asking for passionate backing for his players. Ferguson also began his now-legendary tactic of "managing controversy" by insisting that the Scottish media favored The Old Firm, a point of view that was shared by many in the country at the time.
This was an era in which Celtic and Rangers dominated the television screens, and when only delayed highlights of matches were aired. Cracking the Glaswegians' hegemony may have been Ferguson's greatest accomplishment, and that's saying something, given he guided Aberdeen to the European Cup Winners Cup in 1983, defeating Real Madrid in the final.
By then, Ferguson was on everybody's short list when a managerial job opened. He was mentioned as possible boss for Rangers, the club he had once played for, but he turned down job offers from England to remain with Aberdeen. In part, that was because the "right spot" hadn't come along, but also because he was deeply involved with Scotland's 1986 World Cup bid.
An assistant to fabled Jock Stein, he unexpectedly became the man in charge in Mexico when Stein died at the finish of a qualifier against Wales. That Cup also proved to be one of the few failures in Ferguson's career. With a talented side, Scotland had been expected to finally end the hex: The Scots had qualified for five Cups but never advanced past the first round. And neither did he. Even the voluble Ferguson seemed at a loss for words to explain how the Scots, needing a win in their final match against Uruguay to end their drought, could not score against a side reduced to 10 men in the first minute.
He went back to Aberdeen but stayed only until November. That's when Ron Atkinson was axed at Old Trafford.
As at Aberdeen, Ferguson didn't enjoy immediate success. In fact - though it is hard to contemplate today - there was a time in 1989 when fans were baying for his head after three years of disappointment. Banners were hung at Old Trafford calling for him to be sacked, and that winter, many in the media were speculating that he would be gone after Christmas. But the same qualities that Ferguson had brought to Aberdeen - his commitment to scouting and bottom-up coaching - had United's board of directors sold. They had privately told Ferguson he was there to stay.
That year, United won its first trophy under Ferguson, the FA Cup. Twenty-six more major titles, the shattering of Liverpool's long held first division title record and a knighthood would follow. And knowing Ferguson, the climax of the story has yet to be written.

by: http://msn.foxsports.com/

The possession like something fundamental

Profile of the finalist:
Twin Towers de Wembley was between the two where the FC Barcelona conquered his first Glass of Europe in 1992. The new stage of the London capital will welcome again in the Barcelona, that is prepared to repeat the end of the UEFA Champions League 2009 before the Manchester United FC.
Barcelona left victorious two seasons ago and is light favorite to return to gain thanks to its elegant game of combinations and you happen short. Ésto has caused that has written down 27 goals of way to the end. After leading Group D in front of the FC København, the Catalan set eliminated Arsenal FC and FC Shakhtar Donetsk, before disputing a semifinal flood of rivalry before Real Madrid CF.
The technician Josep Guardiola gained the Glass of Europe like player in 1992 in Wembley, and hopes to take to his entorchado equipment to the fourth continental one in the same stage. He could be his penultimate opportunity, since after to have renewed up to 2012, has commented that " every time I am more near the end than of the principle " of its mandate in the bench.
Titles in competitions the UEFA (subchampionships between parenthesis) of Europe: 1992, 2006, 2009; (1961), (1986), (1994)
of the UEFA: 1979, 1982, 1989, 1997; (1969), (1991)
of the UEFA: 1992, 1997, 2009; (1979), (1982), (1989), (2006)
National titles (most recent between parenthesis) : 21 (2011)
of Spain: 25 (2009)
Previous end in the Glass of Europe 6 (it gained 3, lost 3)
Ránking by clubs of the UEFA 2 (his rival, the Manchester United is first)
Goleador Maximo It binds: Lionel Messi, 31
The UEFA Champions League: Lionel Messi, 11
Strengths and weaknesses The instinct to maintain the possession seems to be intrinsic to the genetics of the players of Barcelona. The Catalan club has had more possession than its rivals in all the parties, as much as local as visitor, since it fell by 4-1 before Madrid in May of 2008. In individual terms, Lionel Messi is obvious the jewel of the crown. The Argentine forward has written down 52 goals this campaign in all the competitions, including eleven morning calls in twelve parties of the UEFA Champions League. Nevertheless, there are symptoms of preoccupation in the azulgrana set, mainly by the physical and mental exhaustion. In addition, Carles Puyol has been four months injured and to atraviesta David Villa a bad gust of wind facing door.
Key moment In spite of his excelsa creativity and its dominion of the ball, good part of the presence of the Barça in semifinals must to the forward of the Arsenal Nicklas Bendtner, who failed a clear occasion in the Camp Nou that could have left it go to the Barça in end eighth of the competition. The Arsenal robbed the ball to him to Adriano in the right, Andrey Arshavin attended Jack Wilshere and this it left the ball for the arrival of Bendtner by the center. Badly the control of the Danish forward allowed to arrive at Víctor Valdés. " If the control of Bendtner had been better, probably we would be outside ", said Guardiola.
Player revelation He must be the impenetrable Valdés. The pressure of the azulgrana causes that many of the occasions that the Catalan doorman receives are one against one, situations in which it hopes that the attacker marks. But the levels of concentration of the doorman of 29 years are so high that it can be more than one hour without working and to react suddenly in seconds to save goals. It has only fitted 16 so many in his last 21 parties in the competition and their shutdowns during the quarterfinals before the Shakhtar will be a recurrent nightmare for the ucraniano equipment during months.
State of form Position in league: 1 (Last five parties: DVEEV)
It is the equipment that has dominated Spanish soccer in the three last seasons, and for that reason it can that Barcelona pays a price to maintain a rate so high and to play parties of Maxima exigency level of clubs considering in addition that many of the men of Guardiola play regularly in addition with their selections. They continue dominating the possession in spite of losing something of aggressiveness facing goal at will, whereas some losses in defense have allowed the rivals to generate more occasions of which he was habitual. Although champion of Spanish Liga proclaimed itself, kills time that Barcelona does not find its better soccer.
Breaking the statistic Besides to take to 140 goals in all the competitions this year, the players of the Barça have sent 28 balls against woods.
What say their rivals?
Edwin goes to der Sar, Manchester United " Jugan very well, with the great soccer. They already demonstrated it in the end of 2009. Now we must assure us that we have learned the lesson, and prepare us better and confront the party of way different from that time ".
The Barça dominates the control of the ball like no other, but also it must much to him to Valdés in his way towards his possible fourth European crown.

Giggs wants to continue making history

Although it considers to his rival in the end of the UEFA Champions League, Barcelona, like " an equipment of world-wide class ", the veteran Welsh midfield player delay to continue giving successes to its equipment.
With twelve titles of the Premier League and two of the UEFA Champions League to his backs, Ryan Giggs knows perfectly what lack makes to arrive at highest. The untiring midfield player helped the Manchester United FC to obtain his second Glass of Europe in 1999, and wrote down the decisive launching of penalti that gave the title to the United in the end of 2008 before Chelsea FC.
The following season did not have so many good memories for the veteran Welsh player, since the United fell in another end before a FC Barcelona that according to many experts has improved much since then. But although Giggs respects the ability of the champion of Spanish Liga, thinks that the Manchester has learned the lesson from that defeat by 2-0.
" Barcelona has that experience and confidence that it gives you to gain the trophy. Many of their players overcame the World-wide one recently, so they have much experience, form an equipment of world-wide class. But we have learned of that end and have improved like equipment. The sets are not very different from those of two years ago, both we are good equipment, the best ones of each country ", said to UEFA.com.
He will be complicated to stop players of the stature of Lionel Messi, Xavi Hernandez and Andrés Iniesta or to try that the Manchester imposes its game to the one of the set of Josep Guardiola but Giggs insists on which the United will leave to the attack Saturday. " We must accept that it is an equipment with much talent and try to stop its players key. Once assumed that we must play as we know, to show authority in the field. The Manchester United practices a very offensive soccer and marks many goals and that is not going to change ", explained Giggs.
If the United already were strong in 2009, many experts think that now it is still better. Others nevertheless consider that the equipment of Guardiola is the best one of all the times, something that does not share Giggs: " you never can say that. The clubs are always supeditados to the successes, year after year. They are good but we also are it. We will face a great equipment, we are ready and try to gain the Champions League ".
To dispute the end in Wembley will be an additional aid for the United and also for a Giggs that has played there in numerous occasions in its 21 seasons with the network devils and the Welshman thinks that the new stage is no lost nothing of brightness. " You can continue feeling history in the new Wembley. Obvious he is different but it continues being Wembley, probably the most famous stage of the world. It is the house of soccer and is a great field where I hope that we gain the Champions League ", pointed Giggs.
When Giggs arrived at the club, the only previous success of the United in the most prestigious competition of clubs dated from obtained year 1968 in the field of the north of London. Giggs is too modest as to say it but the group of 2011 already has eclipsado to its predecessors of yesterday. Now, one fourth Glass of Europe would be the perfect legacy for the coming generations. " It is a special event since the first time that we gained it was in Wembley. You only must watch those equipment to find great players and at legend, like Sir Bobby Charlton, who still is in the club ", it pointed the end.
" It is what differentiates this club, all its history and the great players who have played here in addition to the form which we must to play soccer. I believe that it is the club of greater soccer of the world. I hope that we pruned to take advantage of our history and to increase that legacy. I would like that within 30 or 40 years people speak of this equipment, like she is spoken now on the equipment of the 68, like a great equipment ", finalized Giggs.

The defense will be the key of the United

The French defender has happened through many things during the last weeks, but he plays or final it of the Champions League he does not hope that the azulgranas can " complete the circle " winning in Wembley again.
In the month of March Éric Abidal it was enjoying one of the most successful seasons of his race. With a firm one to pass in way towards his third consecutive and classified title of League for the quarterfinals of the UEFA Champions League, the life was decidedly color of rose for the international French, but soon the hard news that would arrive it underwent a tumor in his liver.
Luckyly for Abidal the operation was everything a success, and it demonstrated disputing it to two minutes in the encounter of return of the semifinals of Liga de Campeones before Real Madrid CF. The recovery had been clearly fast, but the turbulent events of the last weeks have caused which the player of 31 years, who lost the last end of Barcelona in the Glass of Europe in Rome by sanction, does not give anything by seated, including a position in the eleven initial in Wembley the 28 of May, according to explained to UEFA.com.
UEFA.com: Which its reaction when one found out that had been him a tumor?
Éric Abidal:
UEFA.com: He will be available for the end?
Abidal:
UEFA.com: In more than an occasion it has said that Barcelona is the equipment in which always it wanted to play...
Abidal:
UEFA.com: Lionel Messi has an extraordinary talent. How he defends it? It is our small secret. If I say that to you I will be giving advantages to the other equipment... The problem with Leo is that you do not know what is going to do. It is of another planet. It can do it everything in spite of being so young. It is many years old ahead, and I hope that it continues collecting more d'Or Ballons, since it has as much talent. We saw it before Real Madrid in the Champions League. With 0-1, it haggled to four players and it marked. He is incredible.
Abidal:
UEFA.com:No played before the Manchester United in the end of Rome, but their companions said that it was the most satisfactory form in the one than he has gained a title.
Abidal:
UEFA.com:Wembley is a legend scene and the press is speaking much of the end of 1992, the first occasion in which Barcelona gained the trophy...
Abidal:
UEFA.com: It will animate France to Eric Abidal or to the Manchester United, equipment in which played Eric Cantona?
Abidal:

Patrice Evra also plays there, you do not forget to him. I believe that they will be to the 50 percent, since many French have played in Barcelona and the same he happens with the Manchester United. That was the first Glass of Europe that gained Barcelona. He would be brilliant to gain it in Wembley and to close the circle again. I have had the opportunity to play with the French selection and is an incredible stage there. That party was impressive. We wanted to play a great encounter and we did it. For that reason always we return to the motto of Barcelona: " More than a club ". Or they were the fans, the people of the bench, the players who we were in the launching slip or those that they played, all enormously mentalizados and we were convinced that we could obtain something. The players who were there and who played that day were fantastic. When he was young my ídolo was Diego Maradona, and played in Barcelona. That age I played like forward, and liked to mark I goals and to do regates. Barcelona was a dream of the childhood for me. I had to work very hard and to make many sacrifices, but today I am happy for being living my dream. I will try to recover. I am very contented to be of return with the equipment. I need to go thus step by step after an intervention. But my body is responding very well, although it would not have to precipitate to me. Until now I have felt really well, but there is no problem if nongame the next party. I have a wonderful work and most important it is to have good health. It has changed a little to me. You always imagine worse, since the nondelays that type of the news. You begin to think: ' If I am not this way, What it will happen tomorrow? How my family will survive ' We tried to seat the things, those that already had been based, but attempt not to even think much about the future distant. It is like with my vacations, never I plan them. I today formulate plans for the following day.

The defense will be the key of the United

Profile of the finalist:
The Manchester United FC is to only a step to complete the circle and it is already prepared to face the FC Barcelona in the end of the UEFA Champions League in the house of English soccer, Wembley.
It was in the old Wembley where the club of Old Trafford left its name for the first time enrolled in the Glass of Europe, with his victory on the SL Benfica in 1968, and it is there where Saturday 28 of May will return to take revenge its defeat in the end of 2009 before the Spanish club, that like the English will fight by his fourth Glass of Europe.
Invicto United is emphasizing in the competition, where it has fitted only four goals. The English equipment led Group C over Valencia CF, with four victories and two ties, and later it surpassed to the Olympique de Marseille by a global marker of 2-1 in the end eighth before eliminating in quarters Chelsea FC and semifinals the FC Schalke 04 winning both as much in house as outside.
Titles in competitions the UEFA (subchampionships between parenthesis) of Europe: 1968, 1999, 2008; (2009)
of the UEFA: 1991
of the UEFA: 1991 (2008)
National titles (most recent between parenthesis) : 19 (2011)
Cup: 11 (2004)
of Liga: 4 (2010)
Previous end in the Glass of Europe 4 (gained 3, lost 1)
Ránking by clubs of the UEFA 1º (his rival, the FC Barcelona, is 2º)
Maximum goleador Premier League: Dimitar Berbatov, 21
The UEFA Champions League: Javier Hernandez, 4
Strengths and weaknesses The trajectory of the United been has constructed from its defense, always very solid with his guardameta Edwin they go to der Sar grazing the 40 years and with a great pair of power stations: Rio Ferdinand and Nemanja Vidic. The United was the less goleador set of all the semifinalists with 12 goals but soon it put six to him to the Schalke, a show of force on the part of Wayne Rooney and by more and more the surprising Javier Hernandez, a revelation in his first season. Ryan Giggs continues shining and the resurrection of Michael Carrick has compensated the absence of Darren Fletcher, something that can worry to the English club given the strength of Barcelona in this parcel of the field.
Key moment In the second day, the United was moderate to Valencia CF and had to hope that ' Chicharitó, that was not titular, marked its first goal in the UEFA Champions League that in addition supposed as much of the victory. That was the first sample of the Mexican young person and the results that were about to to come: before facing Schalke six of the seven victories of the United they had been by only a goal of difference. The champion of the Premier League arrives at the end without granting nor to a goal outside Old Trafford and thanks to his ample European experience account with many options in the great parties.
Player revelation Ji-Sung Park usually is not in the front sight but it obtained his deserved recognition when it marked as much of the victory in the return match of the quarterfinals before the Chelsea. The goal of Park, first since it in front of obtained the goal of the victory Arsenal FC in league, emphasized its paper protagonist in the important parties. Ferguson left him outside the end of 2008, but their versatility and energy have turned to him a key player. " We would like to know what eats, it must have another different diet since it runs much and it has a great energy ", pointed Rio Ferdinand on the Korean.
State of form Position in league: 1 (Last five parties: VDVEV)
The equipment of Old Trafford raised with his 19º national title the 14 of May after tying as opposed to to one the Blackburn Rovers FC, something that was celebrated by all the stop since they surpassed the mark of 18 leagues of Liverpool FC. The United, that finalized its campaign in the Premier winning 4-2 to Blackpool FC Sunday, has demonstrated to be an expert at the time of negotiating the final section of the season, since it has gained six and tied two of his last nine parties.
Breaking the statistic The Manchester United is the first equipment in the era of the UEFA Champions League that reaches the end without concender only a goal at home.
What say their rivals?
Pep Guardiola, trainer of Barcelona " the Manchester United is extraordinarily strong, very similar to Real Madrid. It is an equipment that works very it last and is very difficult to do damage to him. We must have much well-taken care of because they can mark at any time ".

The defensive system of the set of Manchester has reached its better moment of form and will be key in the great appointment before Barcelona.

Champions is centered in the end of Wembley

With the great party between Barcelona and Manchester of Saturday 28 already in mind, the official publication of the competition reviews the keys of the great appointment of continental soccer.
With the final hoped one of the UEFA Champions League around the corner, the official magazine of the UEFA Champions League Champions celebrates the most important event of the European soccer calendar.
Finalist FC Barcelona maintains that Lionel Messi, in spite of being considered to his 23 years like one of the best players of all the times, continues being one more in the group. The Champions explores its season of record and to speak with one of the players who will try to stop to him in Wembley, the midfield player of the Manchester United FC Michael Carrick.
The publication remembers 21 stellar performances in the continental end, from a Alfredo Di Stéfano to Wesley Sneijder, and we showed in addition some to the best images of the competition.
Champions in addition explores of incognito the world of the rival ojeadores, is wondered what makes a great player, gives a guide of observation to investors in clubs and speaks in exclusive right with the technical director of the UEFA Andy Roxburgh on the art to look for spaces.
It will be the sixth time that the end is disputed in Wembley, and Champions reviews the previous occasions. Nereo Rocco took to the AC Milan to the title in 1963, becoming the first Italian equipment in obtaining it. Also we remembered George Best, champion with the Manchester United in 1968. Three years later, Dutch young people of the AFC Ajax began to develop Total Soccer, based on an iron defense of four. In 1978, Bob Paisley took to Liverpool FC to his second consecutive triumph, whereas in 1992, a young person Josep Guardiola prevailed with Barcelona, in which was the first Glass of Europe of the Catalan club.
In addition, interviews with the technician of the FC Schalke 04 Ralf Rangnick, the player of the season in the Milan Thiago Silva, with Helmut Ducadam, hero of the FC Steaua Bucuresti in the Glass of Europe of 1986, and with Stevan Stojanovic of the equipment of the FC Crvena Zvezda that took the glass in 1991.