Messi’s recent free kick craze is becoming suspicious

2017 just started, but truth be told it hasn’t been the best start of the year for Culés worldwide, at least not as much as expected. Barcelona failed to win either of their first two games of the year, falling 2-1 to Athletic Bilbao in the first game before luckily scooping a 1-1 draw against Villarreal in La Liga three days later, however, the Catalán giants have finally bounced back as goals from the MSN gave them a 3-1 win over Athletic at the Camp Nou, overturning that 2-1 deficit from the first leg I mentioned earlier.

It’s a good thing, Barça have qualified for the Copa del Rey quarter final for the 7th time in a role and kept their hope of winning a 3rd consecutive title in the balance, it was a team effort from a normal point of view, but most of the thanks goes to one man, Lionel Messi.

Barça qualified for the Copa del Rey quarter final 4-3 on aggregate, their 3-1 second leg win helped them but it is quite important to note that Barça were trailing 2-0 in the first leg before Lionel Messi scored from a free kick. Assuming that goal did not happen, Barça would have crashed out of the competition despite the 3-1 win, if Messi approves it by the way, because he was even the one who scored to make it 3-1 in the first place which means if his goal in the first leg stands but this recent one did not it means Barça would go into extra time vs Athletic Bilbao.. Truth be told, he saved Barça from the front and also from the back.

Let’s put the Copa del Rey aside, on Sunday Barça played against Villarreal at El Madrigal in La Liga and were trailing by a goal for 90 minutes before Messi decided to save us all (players, coaches and fans) from the embarrassment of two consecutive defeats by scoring one of the best free kick goals you will ever see. That goal gave Barça a point, and although it was just a point, it also saved us from the shame and kept the “Barça have not lost at El Madrigal in the last 9 games” tag intact.. However, that goal might just prove crucial later in the season.

WHAT DID MESSI DO TO HIS FREE KICKS?

I don’t know about you but in my honest opinion, scoring three free kicks in three official games all in the space of six days isn’t only scary but also crazy.. I could call it barbaric because the stuff breaks the laws of normalisation. Mathematically that’s a free kick goal every two days whereas there are some players, really top quality players who struggle to get the stuff on target for months.

• PLAYER RATINGS: BARÇA 3-1 ATHLETIC

It’s three free kick goals in three different games in six days in three different stadiums in three different cities in two different competitions against two different goalkeepers… and just when you thought we’ve mentioned the most amazing thing, Messi sent the goalkeeper the wrong way twice, from a free kick, not a penalty.. He sent them the wrong way, that’s OMG-worthy.

Messi’s second free kick this year against Villarreal was pure magic, it was so good that there was some serious debate on social media on whether it was a goalkeeper mistake or not, it clearly wasn’t, Messi made it seem so.

Sergio Asenjo, a very experienced goalkeeper, was in between the sticks for Villarreal on that day and he knew how dangerous Messi is from free kicks (from everything actually) and pulled off some cool strategy. Prior to 2017, Messi hit his last ten free kicks towards the left hand corner of the goalkeeper, it was like Asenjo studied this prematch so he tried to play smart, positioning himself far away from that side, giving so much space so Messi would target there and he’ll make the save if the wall did not do much to stop it, but he was trying to play smart against the smartest living thing in the world. It was like Messi’s god-mind told him this and BOOM! Messi fired a bullet right where Asenjo was standing, fooling him big time as the poor goalkeeper already made a move to go the other way, it’s one of the best free kicks in a while.

While the debates continued on whether it was Asenjo’s mistake or not, Messi decided to settle it against Bilbao in the second leg as he also sent Iraizoz the wrong way, so he made it clear that it wasn’t just fluke, but insane intelligence and constant practice, but it’s stuff of gods. The free kick meant Messi equalled Ronald Koeman’s all-time club record of 26 free kick goals for Barça, and the Barça legend looks to have politely giving up the honour already because at this rate, it will be forcefully collected in two days time against Las Palmas, as far as Messi is concerned that games kicks off at 1-0.

He scored one against Athletic Bilbao, Ok. Scored another against Villarreal, Ok. But then in this second leg against Athletic Club something struck me like Messi wanted to get a goal from a free kick by all means. Before he scored, he took two free kicks which he fired over the bar and didn’t you notice anything? You must be kidding me. Ok see.

After the first free kick which Messi shot over the bar, he looked so disappointed and annoyed at himself, like someone who missed an open goal or a penalty in a World Cup final, covered his face in distraught and eager to get another one in that position. Why this? Maybe he was so confident in himself and his practice sessions that he could not believe he missed? Or maybe he was sad about the $20,000 he may have wasted on voodoo merchant to supposedly make all his free kicks go in? Or maybe he placed a bet with a friend that he will score a free kick every game? Funny enough it could be one of these but I’m suspecting the it’s the second option because what Messi is currently doing with free kicks now is closer to sorcery than something just natural or so.

No doubts about this honestly, let’s look at the second free kick which he skied also. Before taking the shot Messi spent like a lifetime on the floor lacing his boot just to make sure there isn’t a reason for imperfection this time, when he missed he put on the “I’ve had it all” look. So this stuff is something else, like all three free kick goals were prearranged with the goalkeepers.

Football has become like a video game to Messi, like he is now so good in it he finished football, restarted it and decided that this time he’ll only score from direct free kicks, because being so good in every other aspect has become a boring stuff, as boring as an old man in a grocery store, it’s so amazing.

Messi will be 30 in June which means we’ve used one year out of our current free trial to witness the greatest human to have ever kicked a round object, we just need to enjoy him while we still can, there are so many tragedies in this world but we’ve been given a priceless gift which is seeing this man play football, make the most of it, some are doing it smart, one lad cut a Messi statue to take home as an idol image to worship, that’s a good start for a smart lad.