DHANIYĀ IN THE RĀJMĀ

dhaniyā/kottamalli aka coriander or if you're too much of a Peter, cilantro is typically added to most Indian dishes, regardless of region, to enhance the aroma of the dish. It adds very little to no flavour to the dish and most mothers don't fret if they forget to check if it is available in the fridge before the dish is done. Basically it is inessential though most pedantic pseudo-chefs will deny it. If this is too middle class for your liking, it's the Indian equivalent of icing on the cake that I just made up.

For 12-13 years now, people have been saying Messi needs a World Cup to be called the GOAT. It's not enough that he was the best darn player on the planet for 10 years dominating both Spain & Europe. It's not enough that the Barcelona side from 2008 to 2012 under Guardiola played the most amazing football known to hupeoplekind. It's not enough that he absolutely carried an average, ageing team to a near treble single-handedly in 2019. It's not enough that he is the top goal-scorer in the last 10 years even though goal-scoring is far below his skillset totempole. It's not enough that he's the top assist man & not empty assist statpadder (like Fabregas for eg) for the last 10 years. It's not enough that he has the most successful dribbles, chances created, xG etc etc for the last 10 years.

One trophy, that comes every 4 years, is the only thing that matters for GOAThood. Well that's just, pardon my French, bollox. Just because Burruchaga was able to coolly finish Maradona's brilliant pass, just because Zidane's teammates comfortably reached the final in 98 with him suspended for 2 matches, just because Brasil of 1962 were good enough to absolutely roll through to title without Pele, just because Pip*ta (*=u cos Higuain is a p*ta) couldn't finish not once, not twice but THREE @#!$ing times does not mean Messi suddenly became meh & those guys attained nirvana.

Maradona never played in a Copa America final. He didn't even play in most editions. Was probably coked out of his senses during the summer. His fans always praise his inspirational efforts with Napoli, a club that had little history before his arrival, but he couldn't even inspire them to a quarterfinal let alone the title in the European Cup. People massively overrate Serie A of the 80s. A team of nobodies won the Scudetto in 1985: Hellas Verona. Milan were in the doldrums for most of it & even after the arrival of Sacchi, they won just 1 league title which was a gift from Napoli's terrible collapse. Inter didn't win a title for 9 long years. So please stop with the nonsense of "Humble Napoli" narrative. 

 

Messi carried Luis "haven't scored an away Champions League goal since 2015" Suarez, old Pique/Alba/Busquets on his back to 2 league titles & 90 mins from a Champions League final with a 3-0 lead from the semifinal 1st leg. Even in that horrible collapse in Anfield, he setup 3 chances in the 1st half to put the tie to bed. His useless teammates channelled their inner Pip*ta & screwed it all up. All this when he was 32 years old in his 15th year as a professional. So he even has that "carrying" label going for him. 

Ultimately, moral of the story: with or without the World Cup, Messi is still the Greatest Of All Time. Argentina might win tonight or lose. They might play on Sunday & win or lose that too but it'll merely be the cufflink on a suit, a feather in the cap, an icing on the cake or *drumroll* dhaniyā in the rājmā. Haters will anyway hate & find excuses. They can suck on the copium forever. Messi is GOAT win or lose.