World Cup: Argentina make return fit for heroes

Young Argentina fans welcome the beaten finalists back to Buenos Aires yesterday. Picture: Getty

The team, beaten by Germany 1-0 after extra time on Sunday, arrived in Buenos Aires in a plane painted with images of the players and a large sign that read: “Thank you Argentina.”

A river of emotional fans wearing the jerseys of the national team – among them a group of Argentine cowboys, or gauchos, riding horses – flooded the road leading from the airport to the football association complex in the city.

“You showed that through courage, passion and leaving everything on the field you can achieve triumphs,” the Argentine president, Cristina Fernandez, said after greeting team members.

“You’ve given us values that Argentines, surrounded by so much triumphalism, thought were lost,” she added. “That’s why I wanted to greet you today and thank you on  behalf of 40 million proud  Argentines.”

The two-times world champions entered the final as clear underdogs after Germany’s 7-1 thrashing of hosts Brazil. But despite complaints about lacklustre play earlier in the tournament, the team, led by captain Lionel Messi, created several opportunities to score in the first 90 minutes.

“I’m thankful to everyone. I would have liked to bring you back the cup and to be able to enjoy it. We tried, we gave it our all, but we couldn’t achieve it,” said Messi, who won the trophy for the tournament’s best player.

“Despite that, I think we gave a great joy to the country by reaching this final and facing our rivals without giving anything away.”

Argentina last played in a World Cup final in 1990 when they lost to West Germany. Four years earlier, they had won the World Cup for a second time, led by captain Diego Maradona, also in a final against the Germans.

After Sunday’s defeat, thousands of saddened but proud Argentines gathered peacefully at the iconic Obelisk in downtown Buenos Aires to applaud their team’s best World Cup performance in 24 years. Cars honked staccato rhythms, firecrackers were tossed into the air and fans of all ages jumped in place shouting “Argentina! Argentina! Argentina!”

Violence broke out later in the night, forcing riot police to use tear gas and rubber bullets  to disperse a group of vandals who hauled rocks, destroyed store fronts, tore down street lights and even broke into a theatre. Parents with small children fled the violence in fear.

National security secretary Sergio Berni said that 120 people were arrested. The Buenos Aires emergency medical service  reported yesterday that 70 people were treated for injuries, including 15 police officers.

The chaotic situation marred what was an otherwise spontaneous show of support for Argentina’s performance in the World Cup.

Over the weekend, hundreds of national flags were hoisted along normally busy avenues that came to a standstill during the match.

Giant posters with a smiling Messi seemed to greet passers-by on almost every corner of Buenos Aires, and plastic replicas of the World Cup, Messi masks and striped white-and-blue scarves became fast-selling items.

The World Cup performance united Argentines otherwise exasperated by one of the world’s highest inflation rates, a debt  crisis and a corruption scandal that has penetrated deep into president Fernandez’s inner circle.

Fernandez, whose approval rating has plunged in recent months, kept a low profile during the tournament. She declined an invitation to attend the final, preferring instead to rest ahead of a summit tomorrow, also in Brazil, with leaders from Brazil, Russia, India and China.