For more than once I thought about going to Argentina to watch soccer games, but never did go. And, some 19 years ago someone made the name "Meadowlands" sound very dear to me. Finally, I was at the Meadowlands Sports Complex, New Jersey, for the first time, just a little more than a week ago, to watch the Copa America Centenario final match between the national teams of Argentina and Chile.
The sky was perfectly blue. The magnificent New York City skyline was clearly visible behind the MetLife Stadium. We arrived early. The fun and excitement started from the parking lot. Opposing fans, in groups, shouted at each other jokingly. The smell of barbecue filled the air. We found a shaded spot under a large tree just by the parking lot to sit and chat, a dear friend of mine for years, my youngest daugher, and myself. Beer, hamburgers, and potato chips well prepared us for the big game.
With the recent decline of the Brazilians, the Argentinean national team seemed to be the only team from the Americas that can rival the soccer power houses of Europe. The expectations for them were high, after they dealt the host country USA a 4:0 blow in the semifinal, with a brilliant performance from the world's best player Lionel Messi on the team.
But, Argentinean fans' anxiety grew gradually with the elapse of the game time. The overly aggressive swarming defense and quick defensive position switch of the Chileans were very effective against the superb personal skills of the Argentinian attackers. The Argentineans were able to advance their attacks to the goal area many times, but they overlooked many passing opportunities, trying again and again to beat the Chilean defense one against two or three, and failed to create quality shots. Messi was no exception. He worked hard, was taken down by the Chilean defenders numerous times. Every time he got up again he showed more signs of frustration. No score from either team in the regular time, nor in the overtime. The Chilean fans were very happy. Then came the nerve wrenching penalty shoot-out. The Argentinean fans got so excited when the Argentinean goalie Romero stopped the first Chilean shot. Messi was to take the first shot for Argentina. Fans were calm and confident, expecting an easy goal. But he missed wildly. Messi, the world's best shooter, missed. Argentina fans fell into total silence with disbelief, while Chiles fans, severely outnumbered, burst into loud cheers. The game ended with a Chilean victory of 4:2. Messi, again, failed to deliver a championship for his country.
On our long drive home after the game my daughter and I discussed the prospect of an Argentinean win at the next World Cup. But the next day Messi announced his decision to retire from the national team. We realized that we had just witnessed history: Messi's last game with the Argentinean national team. He will continue to play the game of soccer with his club, continue to score goals and amaze fans with his great skills, but his name will never be associated with any World Cup or Copa America championship.
Do Cry For Me, Argentina
