“Hand of God” deja vu for Argentine fans

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The young Argentine soccer star Lionel Messi has often been compared to the legendary Maradona, long retired. But last weekend fans of the Spanish club Espanyol weren’t especially pleased when Messi, playing for rival Barcelona, seemed to take a page out of Maradona’s play-book and scored what appeared to be a hand goal in a close Spanish League match.

Some immediately recalled Maradona’s famed ‘hand of God’ score that helped lift Argentina past England in the 1986 World Cup in Mexico. British fans still fume at what they label a blatant hand goal, though Maradona said afterwards it must have been a divine limb that intervened in Argentina’s favor. Maradona remains reviled by many in England.

Messi later netted a second, clean goal, thus accounting for both of Barcelona’s scores. But the 2-2 final ultimately left Messi’s powerful Barcelona squad tied with Real Madrid going into the final weekend of league play. Messi, disappointed his club didn’t prevail, had little to say afterwards.

-- Posted by Patrick J. McDonnell and Andrés D’Alessandro in Buenos Aires