Messi is so good, he even makes dumb clichés seem true

Of all the wonderfully inept clichés that govern sports commentary, there are few more delusional than imagining that the superstar performer has to step up his game when the match is on the line. As if a player of such immense quality wouldn't be bothered to perform to his best ability throughout. And perhaps, if that same player had done all that he could throughout the match, they wouldn't be in a position to need last minute heroics.

The truth is, really good players will be really good players throughout a match. It might seem as though they accomplish what others can't at the most important moments, but in reality they accomplish what others can't at all times.

On Tuesday, Lionel Messi made a brilliant run in extra time. Evading tackles, he burst toward the box, drew the attention of multiple Swiss defenders, then passed the ball to a newly unguarded Ángel Di Maria. The Real Madrid midfielder, with an open path to goal, blasted his shot at the only part of the net that Diego Benaglio couldn't reach.

Di Maria may be credited with scoring the winner, but to everyone watching, it was obviously Messi who sent Argentina to the next round, and eliminated Switzerland.

It was the type of performance that lends credence to the previously mentioned platitude. Lionel Messi is a big-time performer. He steps up his game when his teammates need him the most. Look at what he did at the end of extra time vs. Switzerland!

Imagine the reaction on Twitter: You call it extra time? Messi calls it winning time. #RealTalk

It wasn't just against the Swiss, either. Supporters of the premise that the best performers step up at the biggest moments will also point to Argentina's win over Iran in the Group Stage. 

There, in the dying minutes of the match, Messi created just enough space from about 20 yards out to unleash a curling stinger into the top left corner of the net. Once again, it was game over for the opposition.

Heroic? Certainly. But nothing out of the ordinary for Messi. In fact, if we look at the seven goals that Argentina have scored in this tournament. Messi has had a direct hand in six of them, and uncorked the corner that led to the other one.

In Argentina's 2-1 victory over Bosnia-Herzegovina, it was his free-kick that led to the opening own goal. Then, in the 65th minute, he started the play at the center circle, moved up the pitch with passes back and forth to Di Maria and Higuain before getting past his defender at the top of the box, and whipping in a beautiful shot off the post and in.

For the 3-2 win vs. Nigeria, Messi collected two goals, the first in the opening minutes off a rebound, the second on a swerving free-kick in first-half stoppage time that was downright cruel to the opposition 'keeper. 

The only Argentina score that Messi with which wasn't directly involved was scored in the second half when his corner was driven into the area, rattled around and accidentally kneed into the net by Marcos Rojo.

Even then, you could make a case for him having more to do with the goal than any other Argentine player.

Despite playing a part in all of Argentina's goals, his incredible talent is best remembered when it's winning the match. It almost does a disservice to his abilities to imagine that he's at his best with the match on the line rather than all the time.

Praising Messi's abilities is nothing new. He's brilliant, and few would dispute his place among the top players in the world. However, he's not any more brilliant in stoppage time or extra time or when the match is on the line than in the opening minutes or mid-way through the second half or at any point during the 90 minutes and beyond.