Argentina vs Austria-World Cup Action At Its Best In Dallas!

We are back at home safely. This trip was an education for me. Argentina has the most devoted and ardent soccer fans in the world. A couple of centuries ago, Charles Dickens wrote a classic book, "A Tale of Two Cities." I am going to briefly give you a tale of two cities this morning: Dallas, Texas, and Arlington, Texas. Sunday morning, Elena and I found ourselves in downtown Dallas around ten in the morning. Even at that early hour, Argentina fans were starting to congregate in the principal downtown park, which is like a long walking trail. A huge flat screen television was already showing soccer games. When the Dallas Museum of Art opened at 11:00, Elena and I toured the museum. It was impressive. It was amazing to see the museum full of people wearing Argentina soccer shirts. The sports fan also appreciated culture. After the museum tour, Elena and I emerged onto the street. Hundreds or perhaps thousands of Argentina fans were now on the streets. All sorts of food trucks and souvenir vendors were seen. Some fans from Spain and Austria were also spotted. Things were peaceful and mellow. We went to lunch at an excellent Tex-Mex restaurant. The restaurant was full of upper-middle-class and wealthy Argentine fans. These were the people with actual tickets to the game coming on Monday. What was amazing was that many Argentine fans of humble means found the way to travel to Dallas. They did have tickets to the game. They would watch the game on the big screen television in the downtown park. What a beautiful moment full of love. Law enforcement stayed discreetly in the background. They let the party go on. It reached its height at five in the afternoon. So many people came that the major Dallas freeways were clogged as if it were rush hour traffic. The next day, Elena and I boarded a trolley at nine in the morning that took us to the stadium where the game between Argentina and Austria was to be played. The crowd at the stadium was counted at 70,649. There was a massive law enforcement presence from the Arlington Police Department, with officers in full battle dress and often riding around in ATVs and other military vehicles. A helicopter prowled overhead. I am sure there was a large contingent of law enforcement and intelligence officers in plain clothes. The stadium was an engineering marvel. It was covered on the top with a highly efficient air conditioning system. Elena and I rode escalators up five levels to find our modest seats. We had a pleasant surprise. The seats assigned to us were comfortable. We had a marvelous view of the field below. Argentina perfomed brilliant in the second half. They scored two goals and won. Lionel Messi set a FIFA record for the most goals scored. What a beautiful and unforgettable time.