The Don't Cry For Argentina World Cup Soccer Rave (A.K.A. The Glory Of The Game Rave)

Either you get it or you don't. Either you feel the joy or you don't. Either you understand and feel the glory of the World Cup or you just don't get it. For all you dissenters and non-believers out there I can't make you believe... but Argentina can.

I just watched one of the greatest displays of soccer I've seen in my life, a life which includes the past 16 years of watching a whole lot of World Cup and European Championship soccer. I woke up this morning at 5:55 AM to watch the game between Argentina and Serbia & Montenegro that started 5 minutes later at 6 AM. I was a bit foggy-eyed, but I was soon snapped right out of that by the brilliance of Argentina.

In qualifying games for this World Cup Serbia & Montenegro had the best defensive record of any team. They gave up just one goal in 10 games. Yes, just one goal. Now that's some good defense! Well, in today's game they had given up that many to Argentina within the first 6 minutes, and by the half it was 3-0. And then by the end of the game the score was an unbelievable 6-0. Again, I repeat, Serbia & Montenegro have one of the best defenses around.

And these weren't just any old goals. These were 6 beauties. The highlight of them all was the second goal, which was simply a soccer clinic in passing. 24, count 'em, 24 passes, including a fantastic final few through the defense... and goaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaallll!!!!!!!! You have to see it - the whole play - to believe it.

But it wasn't just the goals, the Argentines were playing quick-passing soccer the whole game and they made Serbia & Montenegro look like they were actually Liechtenstein, Samoa or, uh, Canada out there.

Total domination. Brilliant playmaking. Fantastic goals. Now this is what it's all about.

Oh, yeah, and then there was Lionel Messi. I keep reading about how he could be the next Maradonna. Well, the 18-year-old kid comes on in the second half and within a minute or so the punk sets up a beautiful goal. And then within about 10 minutes he scores a beauty all of his own. Now that's a World Cup debut!

Do not miss this game. Watch it tonight on replay. Just do it! Fans of soccer will love it. But all you non-fans out there have just got to see this in order to understand what you're missing. There have been some other great games and definitely some much closer fought battles (Tunisia and Saudi Arabia's 2-2 tie was great, as was Germany's 1-0 win over Poland, with the winner scored in injury time, even though I was cheering for Poland), but watching Argentina in this game was something else. It wasn't just fun and entertaining, it was exciting. "What will they do next?" "No way!" "Holy shit!" "Wow!!" What a ride it was. Don't cry for Argentina? Really? But what if I just can't help crying these tears of joy? What then?

I've watched all 21 games of this World Cup so far. And now I've got to go because game 22 (The Netherlands vs. The Ivory Coast) is about to begin.

Oredakedo (Mike Cowie)
Friday, June 16th, 2006