Tag: Curacao

Messi scores 100th goal for Argentina, then keeps scoring more goals

Stop, stop Messi, they’ve had enough!

Lionel Messi is having an eventful international break.

The Argentina icon capped off an unusual week by scoring his 100th international goal, then bagging two more as the World Cup champions ran roughshod over poor Curaçao.

So far in this FIFA window, Messi flew home and decided to grab a bite to eat upon getting into the country, only for roughly all of Buenos Aires to turn up outside the restaurant. He then faced a series of nightmare tackles from Panama, surviving with a bloody knee and his 99th goal for the Albiceleste in a 2-0 win.

On Tuesday, there were more goals and less danger. The Paris Saint-Germain man scored a stereotypical Messi goal, making it 100 for his country by feinting around a defender before shooting past screened Columbus Crew goalkeeper Eloy Room.

It was all downhill from there for Messi and Argentina. Nicolás González would add a second three minutes later, and Messi would snap another shot past Room in the 33rd minute to make it 3-0.

That sparked a barrage, with Argentina adding two more within a four-minute span. Enzo Fernández got on the scoresheet within two minutes (with an assist from Messi, because why not?), and then Messi bagged his 55th professional hat trick, making it 5-0 after getting in behind the Curaçao defense and fooling Room with a near-post shot.

Ángel Di María and Gonzalo Montiel would add two more on in the late stages, but the big story — even in a 7-0 win — was obviously Messi making history for the umpteenth time.

[lawrence-related id=16147,15968,15043]

Hawaii was so dominant winning the Little League World Series, it won on a walk-off ‘10-run rule’

Look at all the happiness from the Hawaii players!

In one of the more commanding runs in Little League World Series history, Hawaii (West Region) capped off another championship over Curacao (Caribbean Region) on Sunday afternoon.

The young men from Hawaii were so good over their time in Williamsport that they routinely paced ahead of their opponents. Hawaii went undefeated over six games, scoring double-digit runs on four occasions. And when it came time to secure the state’s fourth-ever Little League World Series over Curacao in the championship game, the young players from Hawaii left no doubt.

By the bottom of the fourth inning, it was already 12-3 in favor of Hawaii. Then Kama Angell — four-for-four with a homer and six RBIs (!) — hit a shot to left field with two players on base. By the Little League’s rules, Hawaii essentially ended the game on a walk-off in the fourth inning by virtue of having a 10-run lead:

Man, look at all the pure joy from the players from Honolulu! Even if they cruised to the Little League title — ending with a 13-3 win — it definitely wasn’t as easy as they made it look. A job well done all around to this spirited group of young players in a wonderful tournament.