Messi Stands Tall for Argentina in Copa América Blowout

Published on 12-Jun-2016 by srijan213

Soccer    Soccer Daily Update

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Messi Stands Tall for Argentina in Copa América Blowout

Shakespeare's line about a rose by any other name  remains true to this day.

Baseball legend Willie Mays, for example, was known as the Say Hey Kid, the media's nickname for him. However, dude was known as Buck to his fellow players.

Seems like the same can be said for Lionel Messi:

The press long ago labeled him as La Pulga -- the Flea -- and fans have upgraded it to La Pulga Atomica.

However, Messi's teammates use a variation on the theme: El Enano.

Messi stands only 5-7/170cm because of a growth disorder in his childhood. However, dude looms larger than all others when he graces a game with his presence.

The latest example of this was his belated appearance at the Copa América when he engineered a 5-0 destruction of Panama.

OK, this wasn't the toughest of opponent for Argentina by any means. The result was expected. The news was Messi had returned to action.

It didn't take long for Los Gauchos to ride tall in the saddle, as Nicolas Otamendi got even taller to score the opener:

Who says humans can’t fly?

That strike stood until deep into the second half, keeping this match closer than it should've been.

Enter Messi.

Dude seemingly appeared out of nowhere to make his mark after a terrible Panamanian defensive blunder.

Memo to opponents: Give El Enano a flicker of space at your peril.

Messi then showed another side of his brilliance by netting a perfect free kick:

Put two keepers in there, and they still won’t get there.

The mighty mite finished his hat trick with a dancing move inside Panama's hallowed ground:

Dude simply dwarfs the opposition.

For good measure, Sergio Agüero was on hand to apply the coup de grace ... or, as they do Spanish in Argentina, the golpe de gracia:

They're now head over heels, officially.