Futbol. What else?

And the fever mounts. In Argentina this month, football trumps life just as powerfully as the national team trumped Mexico today. Clearly, the entire country is riveted when it comes time for Lionel Messi and his buddy to play. But what is equally amusing is what happens after the day's sacred game is over. Honking continues for hours. The goals are incessantly replayed. Mothers of the adored players are interviewed on every channel. And when I say interviewed, I actually mean: they are lauded for their divine offspring. Last week, I (distractedly) listened to a radio program, wholly devoted to Diego Maradona, that lasted a good two hours. Various listeners called in to vociferously voice their opinions of the man. The commentator, who has clearly been thinking about 'El Diego' for a long, long time, had some sharp insight. Maradona acts as a mirror for the country, he said. Both triumph together; both come tumbling down together. And right now, the Argentine coach is worshipped once more-- but who knows for how long? Though the country's excitement regarding the World Cup is tangible in every Porteno street corner, there remains a historically-rooted nervousness. Only Saturday will tell where Maradona and the country head.



A fervent mannequin-fan in front of a shop.