Argentina and Brazil.........adiós

Argentina - Germany, we had been talking about this game for days. The Argentinian flag is hanging out of almost any window you can find in BsAs. It's in the shops, in the cars, on the cars, balcony's....all over.

Before this important game there was another: Brazil - Holland. We watched the game in a local bar/café together with the regulars. The ambiance was clearly for Holland. Argentinians does not want Brazil to win anything. For the record I can say that Brazilians does not want Argentina to win anything either. They both love to see the other loose. The cheering when Holland scored a goal was malicious, but the undertone was also: good that Brazil is out, then we're not going to play them in semi finals and risk an embarrassing defeat. This day Brazil lost, and the Argentinians were laughing and the Brazilians (and us with a heart that beats for Brazil) was crying.

My wife was, as a very good patriot when it comes to football, of course devastated. The good thing about Brazilians and especially her is, that bad mood does not last for long. After the game she went to a private class with Olga Besio, one of the big stars in Tango, and this experience clearly gave her back her fighting spirit. We were now ready for the Argentina - Holland game.

We danced all night at Club Gricel where I got my compliment and new alias 'El Porteño' and later La Viruta, came home 6 in the morning and I was the only one who got out of bed at 10 to go to the café and watch the match. I arrived to Café Rio half an hour before kick off. The ambiance was nervous. At first view the Argentinians does not seem very pragmatic. They are very proud and cocky, and of course they would win this match. But underneath I could sense the "is this the end of the road again nervousness?". But not on the outside. They are proud, like an old bird rubbing its old feathers.

15 minutes before kick off the ambiance was chaotic. The waiter was moving around tables an chairs so everyone could see the TV, this under the instruction of his small and choppy mafioso lookalike boss, who at the same time was telling everybody everything about football; who's the best, how bad the referees are, what Maradona should and should not do. And of course, the Germans had no chance.

As we all now now it took the German team less than 3 minutes to prove him wrong and to shut him and the rest of the Argentinians in Café Rio and all over the city up - the city of Buenos Aires was silenced by the goal of young Thomas Müller.

Sanhsara showed up for the second half and could hardly hide her Brazilian satisfaction. She managed to control herself and be discrete, but not for long. After the match she welcomed the Argentinians in the losers club, and all of a sudden Argentinians and Brazilians were friends - brothers of arms in a lost battle. Hugs and kisses........

Reports from a friend in Brazil tells that the Brazilians after all found use for the huge amount of fireworks, that in the first place was meant to celebrate Brazil as a world champion. Second best of course is to celebrate Argentina's defeat. Here in Buenos Aires the Argentinians are rubbing their old feathers.