It's not the size of the dog in the fight, it's the size of the fight in the dog.
Both players stand at 5 feet, 6 inches tall, but the depths of their heart are only an afterthought when it comes to their achievements.
One is nicknamed "La Pulga," (Spanish for flea) the other, the "Flying Flea," so it's no coincidence that Lionel Messi and LA Galaxy midfielder, Emmanuel Boateng, are compared with each other on occasion.
Messi is a five-time FIFA Ballon d'Or winner and arguably the greatest player on planet earth. At just 29-years-old he has already accomplished some of the greatest feats in the sport of soccer—except a World Cup—so the similarities between the two players are few and far between.
However, Boateng is still just 22-years-old and has many years ahead to prove his place among the pantheon of soccer greats.
On Wednesday, during the Knockout Round of the 2016 Audi MLS Cup Playoffs, Boateng channeled his inner Messi with two sensational goals as he led the LA Galaxy to a 3-1 victory over postseason rivals, Real Salt Lake.
Boateng's brace advanced the Galaxy into the semifinals of the Western Conference and catapulted the Ghanaian born player into the spotlight of American Soccer.
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The Galaxy lead the game 1-0 in the 20th minute when Boateng was charged with a foul in the box that led to a RSL penalty kick that was easily converted by Joao Plata for the game-tying goal.
The questionable call that cost his team the lead only fueled Boateng's anger and aggression and he quickly redeemed himself with two spectacular runs just eight minutes that gave the Galaxy a commanding 3-1 lead.
First, Boateng sliced and diced his way through four RSL defenders like the Slice-O-Matic as he navigated his way from left-to-right inside the box, burying a left-footed shot into the far post for his first goal.
A few minutes later, Boateng's speed proved to be a driving force as he raced down the rightside of the pitch, blowing past defender Demar Phillips before once again finding the far right post for the brace.
The video of both goals are below and should conjure up images of Messi himself.
The goals that got 'em there. #LAvRSL https://t.co/Xaaq6rPdW9 — Major League Soccer (@MLS) October 27, 2016
Now Messi:
Lionel Messi stun defenders during training for game against Atletico Madrid https://t.co/JEyB6qbZec pic.twitter.com/Sv2KEKvd8F — SuperiorBet (@SuperiorBetNG) September 21, 2016
