Thursday, October 11, 2007

SOLD OUT! SOLD OUT!

Yes. I saw it coming, but now I can say it's a reality. Argentina-Chile will be played in front of a sold-out crowd on Saturday.

Apart from being the start of the World Cup Qualifying campaing, there were other reasons to explain this hunger for tickets.

This will be Lionel MESSI's second match in Buenos Aires, but the first one with his now acquired status of football superstar. He is nominated (together with fellow Argentines Juan Roman RIQUELME and Carlos TEVEZ) to win the footballer of the year award. He is the top-scorer of La Liga (with 6 goals, followed by his friend Sergio Kun AGÜERO with 5) and he showed a lot of what he can do in an Albiceleste shirt during the last Copa America.

Marcelo BIELSA, the only manager in history to win an Olympic Gold with Argentina, will be seated in Chile's bench as he starts his tenure for them. Much has been said of BIELSA and he was one character that used to divide the waters when he was in charge. Some loved him, some hated him. That didn't change that much and I expect some applauses and some booing coming from the crowd in similar proportions.

Players like RIQUELME and TEVEZ are also crowd-pleasers and I'm sure a fair bit of fans bought their tickets just to watch them.

All and all, I think there are a lot of positive signs these players could use to raise their game. It's always good to have the supporters on your side and Saturday present these players with a great opportunity to make the Copa America final image slowly go away.

A fresh start with some not-so-fresh faces, but positive atmosphere in the camp.

Los Pumas are taking over as the main stars of the present and the football national team will look forward to regain their historical place in the highest step of the podium.

The people have responded. Now it's the players' time.

2 comments:

Seba said...

It happens everywhere, but I wanted to mention it.

I'm frustrated to see ads in Today's papers in which you could read: "ARGENTINA-CHILE - tickets - call 55555555555"

Of course, that's not the number, just wanted to reproduce the ad.

I hate to see those things. People queueing for hours and hours and a lot of them missing out on the chance to buy their tickets, only to see these bad guys making great money out of the re-sell of tickets.

I'm gutted.

johnny said...

Seba-unfortunately this ticket issue is more and more of a problem locally. Not just with this qualifier, but also involving big name local teams-Boca and River. It is more and more difficult to find a ticket to see Boca play. The "powers that be" send alot of tickets to "middle men"-travel agencies, fancy hotels, who then sell the tickets as part of a "package". Transportation to the match, etc. is included. At mega prices. Disturbing and frustrating. Tourists with their dollars and euros are the target. An unpleasent reality.:(