Football in Argentina

There are around 40000 taxis in Buenos Aires so finding one should not be a major problem. Just look out for a black car with a yellow roof. You just can’t miss them. There is always one passing by – usually when you don’t need them. They are parked up along the curb or lazily pacing down the street as if the only purpose was to calm down the traffic. In case you don’t happen to see any just walk around the corner or head out to one of those leafy avenues lined with plain trees with countless little cafes spreading tables in trees’ patchy shades. 

 

Just sit down and relax, order your coffee and simply watch the crowd passing you by, ceaselessly rushing to its countless destinations. This is Buenos Aires – a city of over 14 millions, one of the largest in the world and by far one of the most fascinating. It’s a city that tries to sleep at night but always fails staying wide awake until small hours of the night when its cycle starts all over again with unending cacophony of urban melody. 

 

Names of its districts and neighbourhoods seems already like a ceaseless procession of characters from Cortazar’s novels. When you say them out loud you almost sense surreal atmosphere of those days poised in the air. Balvanera, San Cristobal, Retiro…you can go on forever but you can’t miss La Boca if you are a football fan. 

 

 

Take one of the yellow-roofed taxis and head out to Boca Juniors stadium. You might spot Gabriel Batistuta – long-haired super striker trying to remember the good old days back in the eighties when he wore his yellow-blue outfit and making fans scream very loud countless number of times with his spectacular goals. Doubtless he will ever be forgotten.

 

But Buenos is not only Boca Juniors playground. Football in Argentina would not be the same without River Plate. The clash between the two clubs is never ending warfare. 

Estadio Monumental (home to River Plate football club) is another destination to reach with your taxi. This time you’re looking out for Mario Kempes – another long-haired Argentina super striker. He might be travelling with another taxi somewhere along. The two goals he scored against the Dutch in 1978 World Cup final on the stadium mentioned above must made him rich enough to travel around Buenos with taxis.

 

Who knows he might be rich to the point where he use them as a long distance transfer on his outing to Rosario for example.You never know where your crazy football career might take you. If you spot Lionel Messi somewhere along Avenida 9 de Julio (the widest avenue in the world)he might tell you all about it. 

 

In general Buenos Aires is a city constantly bursting with life and light. No surprise as one third of Argentina’s population lives here. Seen from the space it looks like a heart pumping its liquid light out into the arteries. 

 

One might say it’s a wonder of the world and its yellow-roofed taxis are only making its streets brighter and dazzling with more colour.