There
is often much debate about football's greatest ever free-kick taker,
but Barcelona's Lionel Messi reinforced his own credentials last night
with a stunning effort against Colombia. The strike marked the latest in
a succession of set-piece goals for the Argentine, placing him on a
pedestal with free-kick greats Juninho Pernambucano, Zico, and David
Beckham.
Pace? Power? Accuracy? Talk often centres on how best to
score from a dead-ball situation, however, most important of all is that
the shot finds its intended destination; the back of the net. Here are
seven Messi efforts that strengthen his case due to their impressive
range.
La Pulga's precise effort past the United States' Brad Guzan made him Argentina's all-time leading scorer.
Positioning
his wall ahead of what appeared to be a harmless free-kick into the
box, Thibaut Courtois could do nothing as Messi's quickly-taken strike
sailed over his head and into the far corner of the goal.
In
the Supercopa de Espana, the Argentine curled a long-distance shot
through Iker Casillas' hastily assembled wall to once again put his name
up in lights at the Estadio Santiago Bernabeu.
During
a Copa del Rey clash with Espanyol at the Camp Nou, Messi changed his
technique somewhat in hammering home a dipping free-kick off the bar.
His
stunner at the Camp Nou was voted LaLiga's Goal of the Season for
2013/14, while the goal away in Almeria was a perfectly measured effort
from a difficult angle.
In
a World Cup Qualifier against Uruguay, Messi placed his free-kick under
the wall to emulate earlier efforts from Ronaldinho and Rivaldo.
The Argentine magician's
latest free-kick goal
could well be the best of the lot, as he sent a fierce curler over the
wall and into the top corner via the crossbar. Simply unstoppable.
