"You truly can't understand Martín with logic. You have to understand Mártin with your heart."- Argentine radio and television personality Mariano Closs on Martín Palermo after scoring against Greece in the World Cup.
Martín Palermo seems to have done things that no one expected him to do as a youngster at Estudiantes. As time went by, he not only scored goals he started to build the legacy of a giant.
Many people aren't familiar with his career and after a while, Palermo starts to grow on you. As was the case on Tuesday when Argentina faced Greece and people outside of Argentina scratched their heads. Everyone that was familiar with his saga was looking to see where he was and then the ball and mentally trying to make the passes en route to "El Titan's" left leg.
At work, Palermo's goal was screamed by Argentines and non-Argentines alike. It was a rallying cry for the rest of the national team. A moment that repeated itself in a more symbolic manner compared and his international career came full circle.
On this day the all-time leading scorer in Boca Juniors history also became the oldest player in Argentine national team history to score. At age 36, Palermo is that feel-good story that would parallel the Rocky saga in the football world. He was that spark that Argentina needed believe it or not- despite their level of play in the World Cup so far.
He is not the most skilled player- never has been. He is not a sleek ball handler with incredible pace. He was always a player that made his fans tremble every time he stood in front of the ball to kick a penalty. But it was moments like the match against Peru in World Cup qualifiers that make him a force. Palermo was making his return to the national team after being absent for well over a decade.
Palermo is Luca Toni's size with Filippo Inzaghi's penchant for the net. He is Peter Crouch's awkwardness and Diego Lugano's power in the box. More importantly, his But deep down inside he is all Martín Palermo. He scores with from point-blank range and with midfield shots on goal as well as headers from 40 yards out. His goals have brought grown men to tears and young boys to dream of being like him someday.
There were instances where he would try a pass to a teammate and one of the three things would happen- he would either slip and fall while trying or the ball would end up in the back of the net. The other 33% of the time he would get the ball to his intended target.
But he's also shown that he is human. He missed three penalty kicks- in one match. He injured his knee twice and still came back. He's also suffered divorces, the loss of a child, and a scandal that potentially could have ruined his trip to South Africa.
What makes his so loved is the amount of times that he has got off the mat and continued fighting on. And that fighting spirit has made his one of the most feared forwards in South American football history.
"I have to thank God, I have to thank Diego, my teammates. It seems like I was touched by an angel my whole life," said Palermo after the Greece match.
That attitude, and not the goal itself, were part of the reason why Palermo's goal galvanized Argentina. It wasn't the most important. It was just that Palermo helped bring this team together once again. For Palermo going to the World Cup and scoring was a gift, but he will never realize the gift he gave them by scoring the most important goal of his life.
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