RIO DE JANEIRO — The Buenos Aires taxicab pulled up to Maracana Stadium Friday afternoon with a giant Argentina flag flapping from its trunk after a 37-hour journey. Out popped Ariel Banega, Juan Arrieta and brothers Matias and Diego Romero Vetera — all in sky blue and white Argentina jerseys.
They don’t have tickets for today’s World Cup final between Argentina and Germany, but that doesn’t matter. They wanted to be as close to their beloved team as possible. Up to 100,000 Argentines are expected to show up here this weekend for this clash of continents, most without tickets.
Two of the men in the taxi — cab owner Banega and Arrieta — said their girlfriends allowed them to make the trip on one condition: If Argentina wins the Cup, they get engagement rings.
Both men were happy to oblige.
They were determined to be here to party with Argentines and Germans on Copacabana beach.
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And they wanted to experience the scene at the Sambadrome and Terreiro do Samba, where thousands of Argentine fans in cars, campers and mini-buses have turned the city’s popular samba concert ground and Carnival parade route into makeshift Argentine villages.
Because most hotels are sold out and many fans arrive with no accommodations, city officials opened up those two sites, provided security and are allowing fans to camp there. At night, Argentine fans have been dancing on grounds where the city’s top samba schools typically perform.
It is the ultimate slap in the face to host Brazil, a nation of 200 million identified more closely with soccer than any country in the world. The Argentines are doing exactly what Brazilians dreamed they’d be doing, celebrating on the eve of the World Cup final.
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Luiz Felipe Scolari says it will be up to the Brazilian football confederation to decide whether he will continue as Brazil’s coach. The confederation has hinted it wants the coach to stay with the national team, but nothing official has been announced.
- Russia’s sports minister says the conflict in the Ukraine should not affect the 2018 World Cup. Russia has faced international criticism since annexing the Crimea and allegedly supporting pro-Russian insurgents in eastern Ukraine.
- Brazil police tell local news media they have arrested 19 people suspected of vandalism during recent anti-World Cup protests in Rio de Janeiro. The G1 news portal says police seized gas masks, fireworks and firearms.
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