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| By Claudia Cosentino
(an Argentine soccer fan)
ICA staff teacher |
Soccer has been properly
called "The passion of crowds" and the world’s
most popular team sport. Even though England was the real
starting place of today’s soccer, it was in South America
where the sport reached its highest level of play and popularity.
Soccer has provoked unbelievable passions
and the deepest feelings in South American fans.However, from
all the South American countries, Argentina has developed
the strongest and the most peculiar feeling towards soccer.
This special feeling has to do with Argentinians’ passionate
and fanatical temper.
Argentinian people are fervent supporters of their soccer
teams. This is so because soccer is the sport in which they
have had more victories. The Argentinian national soccer team
won two World Championships, in 1978 and 1986. Furthermore,
different Argentine soccer teams won several American and
Intercontinental Championships representing their country.
Being part of such important events and being considered one
of the favorite candidates, encourages soccer
fans in Argentina to feel excited, to be keen on this sport
and to have a great passion for this game.
Argentinians are extremely fanatical about soccer,
to such an extent that the game is always present
in several aspects of their lives.For instance, when an Argentine
baby is born it is compulsorily given a name,
a last name, an I.D. and it is made a supporter of a soccer
team. So, it is not surprising to see a young baby in Argentina
showing off his brand-new bib
with the colors of its soccer team. Another example of Argentinian
fanatism about soccer, is their routine on Sundays.
Being the latter not only the well-known
resting day but also the day when the Argentine family gets
together to share the traditional barbecue and the day when
soccer matches are played. An Argentine fan has three different
Sunday-afternoon activities to choose from.
He either spends his afternoon on the soccer field watching
his favorite soccer team play, listens to the soccer match
on the radio, or watches the soccer match on TV. In Argentina,
Sunday would not be Sunday without soccer. In fact, life would
not be life without this game.
In short, an Argentinian soccer fan seems to feel and live
soccer in a very special way. He even seems to leave aside
the worldwide known Argentinian economic
problems and disappointments when his soccer team is playing.
His heart seems to stop beating when a player from his team
takes the precious ball, runs through the green prairie, going
beyond bothering legs that try to stop him,
gets near the goal area, defeats two other defenders and faces
the opponent goalkeeper. He then kicks the ball and up jumps
the goalkeeper. Too high to be reached, the ball gets in the
goal. Gaping, the Argentine fan is out of
breath, but immediately his lungs fill in
with air to yell an ardent cry of GOALLL!!. His team has scored
and he has touched the sky with his hands.
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| Glossary |
Unbelievable:
increíble
Encourages: anima
To such an extent: al extremo de
Compulsorily: obligatoriamente
Showing off: haciendo alarde de
Bib: babero
The latter: el último
Worldwide: mundialmente
Beyond: mas allá
Gaping: quedando boquiabierto
Lungs: pulmones
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