"Aye, There's the rub!"

Today we'll go with a strong Argentine theme-and no, I did not just get done watching "Evita".

I talked on the phone today with my friend Sharon, who lives in Fargo.(one place in the U.S where you say the name of the city and there is no need to ask which state) She is really psyched about hosting an AFS exchange student from Argentina.  It's winter in Argentina now, but he is going to learn about a whole different level of winter on the Northern Plains.

I watched the Copa America final yesterday. Argentina, who went through the rest of the opposition like Sherman through Georgia in it's prelminary, quarterfinal and semifinal wins playing utterly sublime soccer(Only giving up one goal in 5 games), got taken to the woodshed by Brazil 3-0. Dunga's player's,  who may not have played the "Jogo Bonito" associated with the Brazilian Game (for many soccer fans, Brazil's 1970 World Cup winning squad lead by Pele is the exhibit A for Jogo Bonito, that is, free-flowing, entertaining soccer. For the fans of Futebol, Brazil's 1970 team is held in the same regard that Baseball fans hold for the1927 Yankees)-All credit to Brazil, who gave a masterful display of how to do a counter attack-particularly the third goal. Robinho and Wagner Love ripped holes in the Argentine defense, and they were off to the races like Greyhounds racing for kibble.  Depending on how you look at it, Brazil's win over it's auld enemy illustrated that A: life and sport are NOT fair and B: It shows why in sport, no matter how favored a team is and how good the favored team looks in it's previous games, you still have to play the game.

In spite of yesterday's disappointing result for the Argentine Soccer afficianado, it has not been a totally negative time for Argentian sports: In the U-20 World Cup, Argentina dumped Mexico 1-0, it's national rugby team has made HUGE strides. Many of it's best players are playing in Britain, Ireland and France-more than a few people, myself included, think that this is a team that is capable of making it to the Semi's at the Rugby
World Cup in France this September and October. (I have tickets for me and Ian to see a preliminary game in Marseille when they play Namibia at Le Stade Velodrome-I also have tickets to see USA-Tonga and Tonga -Samoa in Montpellier) Two Argentine Basketball players played with the NBA champion San Antonio Spurs this year, and an Argentian Golfer won the recent US Open. Oh yeah, Argentina is the defending Olympic champs in Soccer and Basketball(where they schooled a US team that had LeBron James, Allen Iverson and Tim Duncan, among others) Heady times for athletes from the land of the Tango, Gauchos, Diego Maradonna and the Perons.

In spite of yesterday's loss to Brazil, I don't think there is any need to cry for Argentine sport. It seems to be doing just fine.