World Cup 2022 Qatar

Quote from Bombonera

I'm an Everton fan so I'm used to difficult games and disappointment! But my word, Argentina showed some character to win. I doubt I'm the only one to have feared the worst at 2-2. And the penalties were near to flawless.

By the by, the BBC were generous in their applause of the Argentine fans which they rightly said were the best at the whole tournament. Also, at the end, they showed some clips of the TYC Sports commentary which was a nice touch and very entertaining!

Yes, that was a nice touch.

Talking of commentary, I watched some matches on ITV and quickly reverted to TyC or TV Publica because the ITV commentary was sooo boring compared to the passion of and Argentine one.

Like this!

Quote from Carlos

There are some savages that destroyed the small door to enter in the obelisk . I painfully recognize that many of us are mere barbarians and deserves the worst destiny,

What is the use of some flags illegallu in the top of the obelisk.

At this tieme, I would suggest the endlosung, to finish the problem.

endlosung

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/…during%20World%20War%20II.

The regime tried its best to politicise the event and sugared it with a public holiday when it became clear that both AFA and the team were not going to acquiesce to the overtures. It smacks of desperation on this government's part because it so wanted to take credit. But the AFA fell out with these cretins long ago and 'El Chiqui' Tapia, head of the AFA was not going to bullied.

Does anyone remember when Juan Martin del Potro won the US tennis open in 2009 and refused to meet Cristina Kirchner at the Casa Rosada? As revenge, she set the dogs on him in the guise of AFIP (IRS).

That's emblematic of just what these people embody and I'm glad the team gave them all a slap in the face.

One wonders how FIFA arrives at those results.

The Hand Of Fate.

I spent the first 60 minutes of the final riding around Buenos Aires on my motorcycle and absorbing the atmosphere. The streets were completely deserted, like a scene from The Walking Dead, so I turned off the engine at traffic lights to listen for roars and cheers.

Then at Nuñez, I saw a man run from a petrol station pumping his fists and car horns honked which is when I knew Argentina had scored their first goal.

I was determined not to look at my phone in the hope of receiving news through the ether in the streets - the jungle drums, if you will.

Never had silence been so ominous, but a few minutes later, at a set of lights in Acassuso, the buildings around me erupted in a roar and a motorcyclist pulled up alongside me and indicated the good news - two goals for Argentina.

At half-time I stopped at a bar in Acassuso and watched as men, women and children, all wearing Messi shirts paced up and down, their heads either bowed or pointing to the heavens. No one spoke and all I could hear was the muffled sound of the TV commentary, the cheers of the fans in Qatar, yet I could feel a heavy tension in the air around me.

Stopping at other bars in Martinez and La Lucila, the scenes were the same - fans willing the team on with hands on heads at missed chances and near misses by both France and Argentina.

But it was time to head back and face the music.

On arriving back home, where my wife, her son and his girlfriend were strung out and agonising over the remaining minutes at 2-0, France got that penalty and I was told to bugger off.

They're a superstitious lot, you know.

Then, just minutes later, Mbappe scored THAT goal at 81 minutes and I was cursed forever.

"Why did you have to come back, ffs???" they all asked, so I hung my head in shame.

With the tension being too much to bear, I wandered around outside, silently willing the team on, occasionally peering at the TV through the window, my knees having turned to jelly as the match went into extra time.

At 107 minutes and sitting on the grass opposite the house, I heard a mighty roar and it was 3-2. Messi had scored and I rushed back inside to celebrate, only to be pushed outside again. Clearly, that's where I belonged, so sat down on the grass again, feeling like a naughty schoolboy.

Ten minutes later I heard an awful groan, saw hands on heads behind the curtains in the living room and knew that something disastrous had happened, so peered around the front door. Our Nemesis, Mbappe had scored another penalty, meaning the nightmare scenario was looming - a penalty shoot-out was inevitable and my mind immediately flew back to 2014 and 2018.

Wisely, I then retired to the kitchen again with Maria, simply because that's where I had been for the Croatia shoot-out, so I was converted from curse to talisman, the remaining two protagonists slamming the door and ordering us not to leave on pain of death. I believed them.

Groans, followed by cheers, more cheers, then a roar, then an eruption and I knew we had done it. The door was opened and the spell was broken.

Tears were shed, many hugs were given and the street exploded outside our house. Cars packed with supporters rolled past, honking their horns, waving flags and we danced in the street!

I felt honoured to have been in Argentina on such a momentous and happy occasion. One thing Argentines know how to do better than most, is celebrate and boy, did we celebrate!

What a day!

Quote from Rice

What a unique World Cup Final day you experienced, Splinter ! Tell us, please, how you came to be the Grim Reaper not allowed in the door? Simply because you hadn’t been in the audience when Argentina reached 2-0, and you arrived in time for France’s first score? Or had the Croatia match marked you as one not allowed to watch with the faithful? Will your newfound talisman status carry over into future seasons?

Because they wanted me where I was during the moments when Argentina scored. Either in the kitchen or out of the house, because as soon as I came back, France scored two goals.

Many Argentines would only sit in the same seats they had been in before when the team scored, along with other superstitious rituals.

From the BA Times:

Messi, Scaloni and the arduous reconstruction of ‘La Selección’

Off the pitch Messi showed the leadership, passion, and even aggression that Argentines have always asked of him. He has finally become a prophet in his…

batimes.com.ar