Argentina and Me
Argentina and Me
I decided to buy an Argentina football jersey. Is it because I support the Argentinian team? No, I support no particular team and don’t even watch football regularly. I bought it because I like the design—those light blue vertical stripes. I bought it for aesthetic reasons. It is true that I bought a number 10 Messi shirt specifically, but here again my reasons were quite self-centered: Lionel is only 5’7” and the best footballer in history, according to many observers; and I am 5’6”. I like the way his little legs scissor when he accelerates, and he seems like a nice guy. Anyway, I attracted a fair amount of attention when I visited the supermarket on Sunday wearing that snazzy shirt—men and women talking to me in Spanish and smiling. They naturally assumed I was a fan. I smiled and nodded. Maybe I should wear it more often. But here is the ironic thing: I will be wearing that jersey when I watch Argentina play England later this week. Who do I want to win? I’m not going to say, but my choice of jersey has to mean something. I won’t be upset no matter who wins.
I didn’t feel even a pang of disappointment when England lost yesterday, though I’d have been perfectly happy if they had won. I enjoyed the game and thought England played very well. The look of total devastation on the faces of England supporters is not healthy.
The real star of the match was Messi. His play out on the right wing made the difference, with the accurate crosses. You know that you can’t let him just operate at will out there. England could have done a better job of challenging Argentina’s possessions toward the end.
I quite agree: Messi was the one who scored those goals with his accuracy and judgment.