Football Fanatics

FOOTBALL!!!! and by football I don't mean American football, but SOCCER.

*note* I'll probably say write football instead of soccer... just to clear that up








Fanatic doesn't begin to adequately describe the people's obsession with football. It is a impressive but also scary. Like Ancient-Rome-and-the-spectacle-of-gladiators-battling-in-the-arena impressive but scary. Although in these neo-games the spectators can get more violent than anything in the game itself.

Argentina is a center of football. Maradona was the best soccer-player in the world. He played in four FIFA World Cup tournaments, including the 1986 tournament. In this game he captained Argentina and led them to their victory over West Germany and winning the Golden Ball award as the tournaments best play. In this tournaments quarterfinal round, he entered football history for two different reasons. One, he scored the first infamous goal with an unpenalized handball known as the "Mano de Dios" or "Hand of God". The second he made a 60m dribble past five England players and made the most impressive and impossible goal ever, voted as "The Goal of the Century" by FIFA. Although he is rather a controversial figure in history, the distraction of the World Cup and the win was something Argentina needed during one of their most dangerous times of military dictatorship and instability.

 Then, even now, Argentines pride ourselves in Messi, currently considered the best player. My point however is that soccer is not only a game but has strong historical significance to Argentina.

The country is divided into two teams River Plate and Boca Junior. When I first came, I was part of a family for River, and now I'm in Boca. Today there is a game where both teams play together. In their last encounter River won. Since I still haven't decided which team I am for... if the winner is River, then I will consider myself a red and white River fan. Other-wise, I'll remain independent (I'm not that much of a football fan anyway..).
     I'll blog the results tomorrow ;P


~ From Argentina With Love