Harrison, NJ, September 28 (BUS): Lionel Messi responded to an in-game request on the field for an autograph goal.
Messi scored twice and was saved by fans twice on the field as Argentina extended their unbeaten streak to 35 games over three years by beating Jamaica 3-0 on Tuesday evening in their penultimate World Cup friendly.
“You have to enjoy Messi,” said Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni. “No matter your country, everyone does. I’m his coach, but I’ll buy a ticket to see him.”
Julien Alvarez put Argentina ahead in the 13th minute. Messi entered 56th place and increased his career total to 90 goals in 164 caps with his 17th multiplayer match, the Associated Press reports.
“There are no words to describe what it is,” Alvarez said. “Playing five or 10 minutes or all of the match, he managed to do amazing things.”
At the 65th minute, a fan ran into the stadium and tried to take a picture of Messi. Messi stood and watched the spectator get attacked at his feet while the fan was still trying to take a picture with his cell phone.
The world’s best player six times, three months after his 35th birthday, doubled his lead when he beat Andrew Blake to the left of the goalkeeper with a left-footed shot from 23 yards in the 86th minute after leading him forward after granting and going with Giovanni Lo Celso.
After his first goal, a naked Messi fan approached Messi and asked him to sign on his back, and he began to scribble an autograph while three goalkeepers dealt with the fan and their number increased.
Messi scored another goal three minutes later after Adrian Mariappa pulled him just outside the penalty area. Messi sent the kick across the defensive wall and into the right arm of a sprawling Blake to net his ninth goal from a free kick for Argentina.
Messi scored four goals in Argentina’s two World Cup friendlies this month, giving him 16 goals in his career in the United States.
The fans applauded less than a minute into the second half when Messi walked with his teammates to a corner and started warming up. A large percentage of the crowd seemed to focus more on Messi’s stretch than they did on the field, and the fans stood and shivered when Lautaro Martinez walked in and took the captain’s armband from Angel Di Maria.
Messi, who won Argentina’s first major title in the Copa America last year, is still quicker and faster than most players, and his addition galvanized Argentina in the second half. He also forced Blake to make a pair of diving saves.
Many of the 25,000 sales crowd at the Red Bull Arena wore the blue and white striped Albiceleste jerseys, making it feel like a match on Argentina soil. Public discourse announcements were primarily in Spanish and the tape panels “Vamos Argentina!”
Alvarez put Argentina ahead after Nicolas Tagliafico passed from the wing to Martinez, who circled around Leon Bailey to open up space and pivoted around the 22-year-old Alvarez. He scored his second goal against Blake in 11 international matches.
Argentina is heading to its 13th consecutive World Cup and is seeking to add the tournaments it won in 1978 with Mario Kempes and 1986 with Diego Maradona. Argentina remains one friendly, against the United Arab Emirates on November 16 in Abu Dhabi.
In the Qatar World Cup, Argentina opened against Saudi Arabia, which tied 0-0 with the United States in the Tuesday fair, then plays with Mexico and Poland.
Argentina have had 25 wins, including a penalty shootout victory, and 10 draws since the 2-0 loss to Brazil in the Copa America on July 2, 2019.
Scaloni made eight changes from the starting lineup in Friday’s 3-0 win over 80th-ranked Honduras in Miami Gardens, Florida, and introduced Di Maria and Giovanni Lo Celso. Emiliano Martinez replaced Jeronimo Rulli.
The Reggie Boys, who finished sixth among eight nations in the final round of the North, Central American and Caribbean region, played in no-name shirts, unlike Argentina. Jamaica kicked off the first-choice squad in their first game under new coach Heimer Hallgrimsson which included Premier League Michael Antonio, Leon Bailey, Bobby Decordova-Reed and Blake, one of Philadelphia Union’s top stars.