'I was there'

Columnist

Thursday 22 March 2012

It is usually the Welsh who say "I was there" on great sporting occasions.

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Tom Shields

Five Irishmen from Derry were there at Camp Nou when Leo Messi became FC Barcelona's most prolific ever scorer. I know because I was there standing beside them behind the south goal.

These grown men were awe-struck. "I can't believe I'm seeing him in the flesh. I can almost reach out and touch him," said Joe. "Messi is unbelievable. Ask Marty here who played with Derry City with Paddy McCourt." This last comment was delivered without irony. Marty himself was lost for words at Messi's performance, which is something for a Derry man.

The Camp Nou support is resolute, almost messianic, in its devotion to their Argentinian superhero. But there is some doubt over Messi's belief in a supreme deity. When he scores a goal, looks skywards, and points to the heavens it is a tribute to his late grandmother.Among the banners to be seen at Camp Nou: "I don't believe in God; I believe in Messi." And maybe the final word: "God believes in Messi".The Barca fans have come to believe that Messi will always provide with his voracious appetite for goals. The uncertainty is whether he will nutmeg a defender and chip the ball over the goalkeeper in the first half or the second half. Or maybe both.Not all of Messi's goals are magnificent. He lurks most efficiently in the six-yard box although lurk may not be the appropriate for his positional acuity in latching on to a spilled ball or an inefficient clearance. These close-in goals are often scored from angles that are so acute they barely qualify for Euclid's geometry.Messi is a team player and a creator of chances for others. Like the flicked header which set Xavi up for the first of Barcelona's goals on Tuesday night. He also takes a decent corner.What the culés like about Leo (apart from the 234 goals in seven seasons) is his work ethic. He gets knocked down, he gets up again. Against Granada, he was repeatedly nailed – to use a term I learned from an ex-Derry City player. But he persevered, ran off the obvious pain in his legs, and went on to score his hat trick.Messi manages to combine being the world's best player with an almost matter of fact approach to life and football. He stands in stark contrast to Cristiano Ronaldo, his flash rival over at Real Madrid. Mind you, CR7 does have the burden of having to play football the Jose Mourinho way.At the end of the epic and emotional 5-3 victory at Camp Nou, one of the Derry man said: "I can't wait to tell the grandchildren all about all of this." One of his friends said: "I'll be telling the wife I'm moving here to watch Barca."

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'I was there'

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