Messi magic in NJ classic

While the Euro 2012's group of death lived up to its name for mostly unintended reasons on Saturday night, football fans here in Bangladesh rather wisely chose to switch channels to witness another late night battle.

The game in question, even in the name of a friendly, provided more flare, excitement and magnificent goals than the stereotyped European football. It was a game between two great South American rivals, Brazil and Argentina, in New Jersey where 82,000 fans were in attendance.

The frantic friendly ended in a 4-3 win for Argentina. Captain Lionel Messi once again proved worthy of a dictionary full of superlatives with a hattrick against a youthful yet combative Brazil side, playing their last match before heading for the London Olympics. (see more hot model pictures click me)

Being a friendly, the match obviously didn't carry any tangible importance and included some players who probably wouldn't be out there if it did, but there simply is no such thing as a Brazil v Argentina match that isn't Apocalyptic in tone.

And for Messi, the amazing has become routine.

Capping his record-setting season with a spectacular display, Messi scored on three dazzling runs to finish with an unprecedented 82 goals for club and country and lead Argentina over their South American rival to a slender overall 35-34 aggregate in all competitions that includes 24 ties, according to FIFA.

Although a full-strength Argentina prevailed in the end, it was an inexperienced Brazil that took the lead in the 23rd minute when a quickly taken free-kick found Romulo, who banged in the goal as Argentina's defenders appealed in vain for offside.

Messi levelled the scores after 31 minutes after Gonzalo Higuain robbed Brazilian captain Sandro and fed the striker with a defense-splitting pass for him to shoot low into the corner of the goal.

Within three minutes, the diminutive striker ran clear again to put Argentina 2-1 up, collecting a pass from Angel di Maria and rounding Brazilian goalkeeper Rafael Cabral.

After half time, Brazil got back in the game when Oscar scored from close range after 56 minutes and then reclaimed the lead when Hulk took advantage of a fumble by Argentine goalkeeper Sergio Romero to score.

Argentina stormed back quickly in a rollercoaster game as Federico Fernandez headed in from a corner in the 75th minute.

Then, with six minutes of normal time left, came a goal that will long be remembered. Messi took a pass just past midfield near the sideline, dribbled around Marcelo and cut diagonally for the goal. He took a half-dozen touches as defenders dropped back. Then, with Juan stepping up to stop Messi's run, the Argentine cut to the center and a yard shy of the arc set loose with a 23-yard rocket that went in just under the crossbar.

Messi ran to his bench and was mobbed by teammates as Rafael Cabral turned and retrieved the ball from the net with a disgusted look. It was his 26th goal in 70 games for Argentina.

''Nobody can defend again him,'' Albiceleste defender Pablo Zabaleta said through a translator. ''He makes the difference on any team. He's incredible, the way he plays. He goes hand in hand with his team. He goes from the right, the middle, shares the ball. You can't stop him.''

"It's always beautiful to beat Brazil and I am very happy with my three goals," Messi told reporters after the game.

Messi has been criticized in the past for not repeating for the national side his brilliant form with Spanish giants Barcelona that earned him the World Player of the Year title for the last three years.

Messi thanked his parents for the turnaround. "They more than anyone else know what I suffered in the national team during the bad times I went through. They were always by my side then and now they are having as much fun as me."

Argentina's coach Alejandro Sabella paid tribute to Messi.

"Thankfully for us, he's Argentine and we can enjoy having him in our team," Sabella told a news conference. "He's an exceptional player who is going through an exceptional phase."

Brazilian coach Mano Menezes was left scratching his head about Messi who made the difference in a game in which Brazil created a string of scoring opportunities.

"No one in the world has found a solution (to playing against him)," Menezes said. "He had four chances and scored three goals...Against some players you cannot give any space and perhaps we gave him too much."

Brazil's Marcelo and Argentina's Ezequiel Lavezzi were sent off for an altercation in injury time.

The defeat was Brazil's second in less than a week after they lost 2-0 to Mexico last Sunday.

But Menezes said he remained confident about the Olympics.

"We have a very good Olympics team and we will only make a few small changes before we start," he said.

Brazil, who have won the World Cup a record five times, have never won the Olympics where teams are required to field teams mostly made up of players under 23 years of age.