Prior to my trip in Argentina, I always longed to witness the excitement of a foreign country during a fútbol match yet along a World Cup match. On Tuesday June 22, 2010, Argentina and Greece faced off in the South Africa World Cup match. Arriving in Argentina that morning, I receive a note from our tour lead that we should settle in, meet for lunch and we were invited to watch the match. My heart pounded with excitement, the moment I desired had finally come. We trekked down to Caseros in downtown Buenos Aires, enjoyed “baby chicken”, drank their native beer, Quilmes and then we proceeded on our hunt for a local bar that would be watching the game. Unfortunately, we didn’t have any luck finding a local bar due to the fact that the majority of downtown Argentinians gathered at the San Martin Plaza to cheer on and support their beloved fútbol team.

We’ve all seen video footage of foreign countries, especially Latin counties and the passion they have for their national sport. Finally that moment arrived in my life and I was ready to check it off my bucket list. A sea of sky blue and white marched and chanted their national anthem throughout the streets and into the plaza. It took me by surprised as to how many television monitors and projectors were set up in the vicinity for the natives to watch on. Members of my group and I pushed our way through the masses till we got a location that gave us decent view of the jumbotron screen that held the attentions of thousands of enthusiastic Argentinians. The first half of the game was quiet, ending with both teams walking to half time with 0-0 on the scoreboard.

The second half picks up where the first half left off, team captain Lionel Messi playing his heart out along with the rest of this team dominating the ball possession over Greece and making the first goal within the last half hour of the game. Tuesday afternoon, the second day of South America’s winter and here I am standing in the heart of animated and die hard natives jumping, shouting, kissing each other and pulling on their nearest person clothing in celebration. Confetti rockets shot in the air, bullhorns being blown and the new sneakers now blessed with dirt from the locals jumping up and landing on my feet, but I didn’t give a damn. I wanted this moment and glad to experience it in a country I’ve always wanted to leave footprints on.