Eric Remedi has marked some of Major League Soccer’s most dynamic midfielders and kept them in check. Maxi Moralez, Sebastian Blanco and Kaku to name a few. It’s a big responsibility, but man marking an opposing team’s playmaker is something Remedi does well. In fact, he once marked the world’s most famous No. 10.



This was back in 2013, when Argentina’s national team were preparing for the 2014 World Cup in Brazil. Remedi was then a 17-year-old academy player with Argentine side Banfield who hadn’t yet made his Primera División debut, but had already impressed Argentina’s then-U18 coach Julio Olarticoechea. The coach chose a select group of young players to form what is commonly known in South America as a sparring squad for senior national teams. Remedi made the cut, and was tasked with marking none other than Lionel Messi as as Argentina trained during World Cup qualifiers.



“He’s by far...