"
title="
Quote
of
the
day
by
Neyma
(AP
photo)
The
toughest
oppo e ts
i
spo t
a e
usually
the
o es
who
make
wi i g
ge ui ely
ha d.
Neyma ,
the
B azilia
fo wa d,
summed
up
exactly
that
feeli g
about
his
fo me
Ba celo a
teammate
Lio el
Messi.
“Messi
is
a
g eat
playe ,”
he
said.
“Playi g
agai st
him
is
ot
good,
it
is
bad.”
The
li e
is
fu y
o
its
su face,
but
it
captu es
somethi g
eal
that
ple ty
of
elite
athletes
u de sta d,
that
faci g
ext ao di a y
tale t
is
f ust ati g
p ecisely
because
it
fo ces
you
to
be
bette .
Comi g
f om
someo e
who
spe t
yea s
playi g
alo gside
Messi
befo e
eve tually
faci g
him
as
a
ge ui e
ival,
the
li e
ca ies
a
bit
mo e
weight
tha
a
simple
th owaway
joke.
Quote
of
the
day
by
Neyma
“Messi
is
a
g eat
playe .
Playi g
agai st
him
is
ot
good,
it
is
bad”
Whe e
this
quote
actually
comes
f om
Neyma
said
this
to
Globo’s
Spo TV
i
July
2015,
while
discussi g
B azil’s
upcomi g
Wo ld
Cup
qualifyi g
campaig .
He
was
se vi g
a
ba
f om
that
yea ‘s
Copa
Amé ica
at
the
time,
mea i g
he
would
miss
B azil’s
ope i g
qualifie s
agai st
Chile
a d
Ve ezuela,
a d
would
o ly
etu
to
the
side
fo
the
Novembe
match
agai st
A ge ti a,
the
exact
fixtu e
that
would
put
him
di ectly
up
agai st
Messi.
The
quote
was
eally
a
lighthea ted
way
of
admitti g
what
that
pa ticula
etu
match
would
actually
i volve.
What
the
quote
is
actually
sayi g
Neyma
is
simply
ack owledgi g
how
ge ui ely
difficult
it
is
to
play
agai st
Messi.
Calli g
him
a
“g eat
playe ”
ecog ises
the
obvious
tale t.
Sayi g
that
faci g
him
is
“bad”
is
eally
poi ti g
at
the
specific
p oblems
that
tale t
c eates
fo
whicheve
team
happe s
to
be
defe di g
agai st
it.
The
humou
is
what
makes
the
li e
memo able,
but
it
also
captu es
a
eal
p i ciple
i
spo t,
that
someo e
ca
compete
fie cely
agai st
a
ival
while
still
ge ui ely
especti g
thei
ability.
Why
faci g
a
g eat
oppo e t
te ds
to
make
you
bette
Easy
competitio
a ely
exposes
a y
eal
weak ess.
The
toughest
oppo e ts
fo ce
athletes
to
sha pe
thei
speed,
decisio -maki g,
tech ique
a d
co ce t atio ,
simply
because
a ythi g
less
will
ot
hold
up
agai st
them.
Faci g
someo e
clea ly
supe io
i
a
specific
a ea
te ds
to
eveal
exactly
whe e
imp oveme t
is
actually
eeded,
which
is
eally
why
a
difficult
ival
ca
e d
up
fu ctio i g
as
a
u expected
teache .
Why
ecog isi g
a
oppo e t’s
tale t
is
ot
a
weak ess
Some
competito s
wo y
that
p aisi g
a
ival
makes
them
look
less
co fide t.
The
opposite
te ds
to
be
t ue.
Recog isi g
ge ui ely
exceptio al
ability
actually
equi es
eal
ho esty
a d
self-awa e ess.
Neyma
has
said
elsewhe e
that
faci g
Messi
is
“impossible
to
beat,”
addi g,
“it’s
a
pleasu e
to
pit
myself
agai st
him
a d
whe
I
fi ish
my
ca ee
it’s
somethi g
I
ca
look
back
o
a d
k ow
I’ve
tested
myself
agai st
the
ve y
best.”
No e
of
that
dimi ishes
his
ow
ca ee .
It
simply
ack owledges
the
scale
of
the
challe ge
Messi
ep ese ts.
Why
competitio
a d
ge ui e
espect
ca
exist
togethe
Spo t
u s
o
competitio .
Playe s
wa t
to
wi ,
defe d
thei
team
a d
outpe fo m
whoeve
is
sta di g
ac oss
f om
them.
No e
of
that
actually
equi es
dis espect.
The
st o gest
competito s
ca
play
agg essively
while
still
ge ui ely
app eciati g
the
skill
a d
dedicatio
sitti g
o
the
othe
side
of
the
pitch.
What
actually
makes
a
playe
like
Messi
so
difficult
to
face
Elite
playe s
combi e
seve al
qualities
at
o ce
that
make
them
ge ui ely
ha d
to
co tai .
Tech ical
ability
lets
them
co t ol
the
ball
i
impossibly
tight
spaces.
Visio
lets
them
spot
a
ope i g
befo e
defe de s
have
eve
eacted
to
it.
Sha p
decisio -maki g
lets
them
choose
the
ight
optio
almost
i sta tly.
Co siste cy
mea s
oppo e ts
ca
eve
affo d
to
lose
co ce t atio
fo
eve
a
mome t.
Put
togethe ,
that
combi atio
is
exactly
what
makes
a
elite
playe
so
difficult
to
actually
stop.
Why
ge ui e
p essu e
te ds
to
eveal
cha acte
P essu e
shows
how
people
actually
espo d
o ce
thi gs
get
difficult.
Some
get
f ust ated.
Othe s
adapt.
The
st o gest
competito s
study
the
actual
challe ge
i
f o t
of
them
a d
look
fo
a
eal
way
th ough
it,
a
me tality
that
clea ly
eaches
well
beyo d
football.
Why
this
idea
applies
well
beyo d
spo t
The
same
p i ciple
shows
up
i
ca ee s
a d
eve yday
life
just
as
easily.
A
dema di g
colleague
ca
ge ui ely
push
you
to
imp ove.
A
highly
capable
competito
ca
aise
you
ow
sta da ds
without
you
eve
otici g
it
happe i g.
A
difficult
p oject
ca
eveal
skills
you
eve
ealised
you
actually
had.
Rathe
tha
t eati g
eve y
challe ge
pu ely
as
a
obstacle,
it
ca
just
as
easily
become
a
eal
oppo tu ity
to
g ow.
Othe
famous
quotes
by
Neyma
-
“I
just
wa t
to
be
bette
eve y
day,
to
get
bette
eve y
day,
ot
to
be
bette
tha
a yo e
else.” -
“It’s
impossible
to
beat
him.
It’s
a
pleasu e
to
pit
myself
agai st
him
a d
whe
I
fi ish
my
ca ee
it’s
somethi g
I
ca
look
back
o
a d
k ow
I’ve
tested
myself
agai st
the
ve y
best.” -
“Whe
we
lose,
we
do ‘t
have
to
cha ge
eve ythi g
but
co ect
thi gs
by
wo ki g
ha d.” -
“I
am
ot
the
type
of
pe so
who
lets
the
p essu e
get
to
him.
I
t y
to
see
it
as
my
f ie d.”
