Argentina's Messi relishing Germany test

HERZOGENAURACH, Germany, June 28: Argentina's teenage forward Lionel Messi thrives on tough away matches in front of a hostile crowd.

''I like to play with the crowd against me,'' Messi said as he contemplated Argentina's World Cup quarter-final against host nation Germany in Berlin on Friday.

''It's a quarter-final and from here they're all difficult matches and this one against Germany a bit more because, apart from the football they play, they're at home and, like it or not, that also helps.'' Messi, who turned 19 on Saturday when Argentina beat Mexico 2-1 after extra time in their second round match, put on an impressive show when Barcelona won at Chelsea in the first leg of their Champions League first knockout round tie in February.

That performance and his scoring contribution in Argentina's 3-2 defeat by Croatia in a friendly on March 1 helped coach Jose Pekerman decide to include the teenager, often compared with Diego Maradona, in his World Cup squad.

Messi pulled a thigh muscle in the home leg against Chelsea and only recovered in time for the World Cup. He has come off the bench in Argentina's last three matches and scored his maiden World Cup goal in the 6-0 win over Serbia&Montenegro.

He also had what looked like a valid goal against Mexico, which would have been a late winner in normal time, overruled for offside.

Messi's features look down from huge adidas posters around Germany at the tournament in which he was tipped to be one of the dominant players but the youngster told reporters he does not think about becoming the world's number one player.

''I don't attach any importance to those things,'' he said.

''I always repeat the same thing, I play when I'm asked and try to enjoy it, do things well for my team, but I don't think about being the best in the world or that I have to do things well because my face is everywhere.

''I play to enjoy myself, if things comes off, good, if not, too bad,'' he said.

REUTERS

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