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He Maturín Monument es the largest and most modern stadium in Venezuela. Built for the 2007 Copa América, it never hosted a fall of the vinotinto team, and adds two wins and two draws by the hand of Fernando Batista. This Thursday, at South American qualifying, Argentina will appear for the first time on that stage in search of a success that will bring the team even closer to the 2026 World Cup. However, and although few remember it, Lionel Messi He already played on that grass. But not with the colors of the national team…
On June 28, 2008, while Spain was vibrating with the definition of the Euro Cup and Argentine soccer set its eyes on the Racing vs. Promotion. Belgrano, Messi and Ronaldinho Gaucho They starred in an incredible match in Maturín that did not lack spices: flight delays, an immense number of casualties and a huge deluge that was on the verge of suspending the match.
The Another Galaxy Party of 2008 in Maturín
Messi was 21 years old and was still wearing the 18th shirt of the national team and the 19th of the Barcelona. Ten days before, with La Pulga as the starter, Argentina and Brazil had tied without goals at the Mineirão but without the presence of Ronaldinho – the Rosario’s teammate at Barça – who was not taken into account by Dunga and who that same week would seal his arrival in Milan.
In December 2007, Messi and Dinho had faced each other in San Luis in the first version of the “Party from Another Galaxy”a charity initiative that pitted Lionel’s friends against those of the eccentric Brazilian midfielder. Without Messi on the field, who was injured in a knee, the Argentine’s team won 1-0 with a goal from Leandro Lázzaro. The rematch took place in mid-2008 and the organizers took advantage of the Messi boom in the Copa América to move the match to Venezuela. The venue chosen was Maturín, a new stadium that had capacity for 51,000 people. The referee was Horacio Elizondo, who had retired after the 2006 World Cup in Germany.
The San Luis version of the friendly
Promoted by the governor of Monagas, Rafael Briceño, the event generated great expectations in the city. Maturín had not hosted any Argentine national team match in the Copa América and The eagerness to see Messi was total. Half of the total number of locations flew in less than 48 hours.
“In Messi’s team, which will be led by the Venezuelan César Farías, there will be the Argentines Roberto ‘Pato’ Abbondanzieri, Fabricio Coloccini, Juan Sebastián Verón and Gabriel Heinze, the Uruguayan Sebastián ‘Loco’ Abreu along with his compatriot Diego Forlán, the Paraguayan Roberto ‘Toro’ Acuña, the Colombian Radamel Falcao and the Venezuelans Jorge ‘Zurdo’ Rojas, Juan Arango and Giancarlo Maldonado. Zico, at the head of Ronaldinho Gaúcho’s team, will lead his compatriots Robinho, Julio Baptista, Luis Fabiano, Elano, Sylvinho, Adriano, Edmílson, Maicon and goalkeeper Dida,” read the official newsletter.
Messi smiles during the last practice of the Argentine team in Miami, before traveling to Venezuela; will return to the stadium where he lived a chaotic night 16 years ago.CHRIS ARJOON – AFP
However, the weather started to get thick the day before the game. A hundred Venezuelan fans awaited the arrival of the stars at the airport and at the door of the San Miguel Hotel, on the outskirts of the city, where the players of both teams would stay. A delay in flights caused Argentines and Brazilians to arrive in Maturín the night before the match, amid rumors that the match could be suspended. To top it off, several of the announced figures could not even take off and were removed from the game at the last minute. On the side of Messi, Verón and Heinze. And on Dinho’s side, almost the entire Scratch base: Dida, Robinho, Luis Fabiano, Maicon and Elano.
The match, finally, took place with a lower attendance than expected (around 60%) and under a pouring rain that flooded the streets and affected the playing field. As a result of the downpour, the meeting was postponed for two hours and ended around midnight. To the sound of the introduction of Star Wars (it was the Match from Another Galaxy, of course), Friends of Lionel took the field with Abbondanzieri; Rojas (defender of Unión Maracaibo), Coloccini, Rolando Schiavi, Acuña; Falcao, Andrés D’Alessandro, Arango, Messi; Martín Palermo y Abreu. In the Dinho group, meanwhile, Baptista, César Sampaio, Vampeta and Edmundo, among others, performed.
Ronaldinho and Messi shared Barcelona’s attack from 2003 until 2008, when the Brazilian moved to Milan; They got along very well.Archive
It was the first time that Messi and Ronaldinho, teammates in Barcelona, faced each other on a field. Then they would see each other’s faces Beijing Olympics and in the 2010 friendly in Qatar that ended 1-0 in favor of Argentina with a goal from Rosario in extra time. That time in Maturín, where Lionel will return this Thursday to wear the light blue and white shirt after his injury in the Copa América final, the friendly ended 7 a 7 with two goals from Ronaldinho (4-1 and 7-6) and one from Messi (5-5). With the score 1-5, and tired of the rival’s touching, Abbondanzieri kicked Edmundo which Elizondo, understanding the context, punished with a yellow card. In the end, security faltered and some 50 fans jumped onto the field and even reached the locker room area, where they managed to take photos with their idols.
Late in the morning, Governor Briceño entertained Messi and Ronaldinho and announced that he would give them each a diploma and a medal. However, after the toast, one of the medals disappeared and Messi, in the midst of confusion, could not be awarded. A surreal night with the star, when not?, in the center of the scene.
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