Atlanta (USA), June 19 (EFE).- Lionel Messi and Alphonso Davies, propose two contrasting styles in the first match of the Copa América, the break of the world champion, who already chooses the moments in which he has You have to be decisive, facing the vertigo of a player with a sprint typical of a 100-meter athlete.

The pause

“I think one of the fundamental things about football is doing things calmly. Speed ​​is often confused with haste. By ensuring the pass, controlling the ball well, you gain time: you lose it by wanting to do everything at 100 kilometers per hour.

The phrase is not from Messi, although he could undoubtedly sign it, but rather it was said more than half a century ago by Zizinho, Péle’s idol and, along with Tucho Méndez, the top scorer in the history of the Copa América.

Following Zizinho’s example, Messi no longer needs to constantly pick up speed. He awaits his moment to appear where he is not expected or make the decisive pass.

About to turn 37, he arrives at the Copa América with 1,264 minutes played in his first year in MLS. He played fifteen games with Inter Miami in which he scored 14 goals and gave 11 assists, according to Besoccer Pro data.

In the United States it also continues to be decisive.

Although he had three muscle injuries between March 9 and May 15, he has recovered in time to lead the Albiceleste, as demonstrated in last week’s 4-1 win over Guatemala with two goals and an assist. .

The vertigo

13 years younger than Messi, Alphonso Davies is a born sprinter.

Capable of running at 37.1 km/h against PSG (2023 Champions League record) and being the fastest in the Bundesliga this season (36.41 km/h against Stuttgart, tied with Eren Dinkci of Heidenheim).

An admirer of Messi, his own physical constitution inclined him to look for a different style. “I was trying to imitate Messi’s style but he is a little shorter than me and I took longer strides,” he admitted in an interview with the Bundesliga.

Without being able to emulate the Argentine, Davies looked for someone more similar to him as a reference, the former Dutch Bayern player Arjen Robben, from whom he copied his runs along the wing and even the celebration, on his knees slipping on the grass.

Davies, as a winger or converted into a full-back, is speed in its purest form. Although he was never interested in athletics, a report in Canadian Running magazine showed that he could have made a career as a sprinter.

Taking his Bundesliga record as data, Davies achieved his maximum acceleration in 2.5-3 seconds. Moving to an athletics track and wearing spiked shoes, he could run the 100 meters in 10’4-10’6, without having prepared for it, according to this magazine.

In his most irregular season, due to injuries and the conflict he has with the club for not wanting to renew, Davies has played 42 games this season (3,012 minutes), scoring 3 goals and giving 5 assists.

He shone against Real Madrid in the Champions League, where he scored one of the best goals of the competition, and he hopes to do so on Thursday, against the world champion, in his first competition as captain of the Canadians.