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Argentina Football



Football

Football was introduced to Buenos Aires by British sailors in the 1860s, and by the end of the nineteenth century, amateur clubs had begun to spring up. In 1930, Argentina reached the first World Cup Final, before losing to the hosts, Uruguay, but with interest in the game booming, the domestic game turned professional in the following year. On the international stage, rivalry is hottest with Brazil. Argentina has twice won the World Cup : at home in 1978, and in Mexico in 1986. The 1978 World Cup was the most controversial of the competition's history: awarded during Isabel Peron's presidency, it became a political hostage of the country's military dictatorship, who saw in the tournament an opportunity to unite a riven nation and to demonstrate to the world the success of their regime. Money that was sorely needed for other projects (some $700 million) was spent on new stadiums and infrastructure projects, political opponents were rounded up, and despite growing international concern over human rights abuses, FIFA refused to change the venue. Argentina won the cup after a 3-1 victory over the Netherlands, among widespread reports that the Peruvian team was bribed to throw the match that led to Argentina reaching the final ahead of Brazil.

The domestic football scene is dominated by two colossi, River Plate and Boca Juniors . Both teams originated in the poor port area of Buenos Aires' La Boca, but have little else in common other than a shared hatred. Class divisions accentuate this rivalry. River Plate, founded by Englishmen in 1901, moved from La Boca to the more affluent area of Palermo in the north of the city, and it is traditionally the team of better-off Portenos. The team's kit is white with a diagonal red band, and their stadium, known as the Monumental or the Gallinera (Cock Pit), was the venue for the 1978 World Cup Final. Fans of Boca Juniors' (founded in 1905) are nicknamed the Xeneizes, which derives from the fact that the core of the club's early support came from Genovese immigrants, and the team has stuck loyally to its working-class roots. Their cauldron of a stadium, the Bombonera, is in the heart of La Boca, blocks away from El Caminito tourist street. The clash of these two arch rivals, known as the superclasico , is viewed with quasi-religious fervour and is given saturation coverage by the nation's media, both in the days leading up to the game and for the post-mortem afterwards. Neither team is completely satisfied about winning the championship if the season has been blighted by a defeat in the superclasico .

Boca are also notorious for their barra brava . Every team has a barra brava - organized mobs of fanatical supporters that are "sponsored" by the club with free tickets and transport to games. The barras have attracted fierce criticism in the press for their involvement in extortion rackets, drug dealing and political intimidation, and businessmen and corrupt politicos have been known to employ the barras as their hired heavies. Sporadic attempts at clamping down on the barras have had mixed success, but one significant prosecution resulted in Jose "The Grandfather" Barritta, a shady mafioso godfather figure who ran Boca's gang, being imprisoned for his role in the murder of two River fans in 1994.

Other important teams in the capital are Velez Sarsfield; San Lorenzo, a team that has a nominal alliance with La Boca against River Plate and plays at the Nuevo Gasometro Stadium; and Racing Club , who play in the deprived southern barrio of Avellaneda. Ignore the stench from the Riachuelo and head there to witness the extraordinary devotion of their fans, or hinchada (nicknamed the Guarda Imperial ), universally acclaimed as the most fanatical of all, despite their team's lack of success on the field over the last thirty years and numerous recent brushes with bankruptcy. Win or lose, the singing here is unbeatable. The strident antipathy that exists between Racing and local derby rivals, Independiente , comes close to the more famous feud between River and Boca. The city of Rosario has a similarly bitter clash, between Rosario Central (whose supporters are pejoratively known as Los Canallas - "riff-raff") and Newell's Old Boys (whose fans are called Leprosos - lepers). The only other cities that are represented by teams in the first division are Cordoba and La Plata.

If you can, be in Buenos Aires on a date that coincides with a crucial fixture for the national team: this is the best time to experience the full fervour of Argentina's passion for the game and, should the result go the right way, head to the Obelisco on Avenida 9 de Julio - the magnet for communal celebrations . Likewise, the Obelisco is the point of ritual homage for supporters of domestic clubs after league or cup success. Spectating at a domestic game can be an incredibly exciting experience. At present, the domestic footballing year is split into two separate championships: the opening one ( Apertura ), which is settled in December, and the closing championship ( Clausura ), which picks up after the summer recess and lasts until June. In January, some of the major teams from the capital decamp to Mar del Plata to play in a minor summer tournament. Seats ( platea ) at games cost about $20, but you'll get much more atmosphere on the terraces ( popular ; $10), though you should be aware that celebrations can get very

© 2003 by Rough Guides Ltd. as trustee for its Authors. Published by Rough Guides. All rights reserved. Rough Guides name is a trademark of Rough Guides Ltd. Buy the book here! The Rough Guide to Argentina

rowdy: stand just in front of one of the crowd-control barriers so as not to get bowled over by the inevitable surge that follows a goal, and cede the very centre of the terrace behind the goal to the hard-core hinchada . Problems with crowd control are evidenced by the towering fences that surround most pitches. Also be aware that policing at the bigger games can get very heavy-handed: you may well be charged on horseback or baton-charged, so stay alert to avoid potential trouble spots.


your food is yummy

isabella says "i think yalls food is super dooper yummy keep up the good work
"

what

samanth says "nothing. you can survive on your own. dont go there its a horrible place."

what you need

katie says "bring lots of food and water. try to bring non perishable food. and bring warm and cold clothes. you will need it."

Buenos Aires City of Design

Bob Frassinetti says "In August 2005 Buenos Aires was appointed City of Design by the UNESCO. This is recognition the city of “good airs” shares with other top notch design areas of the world such as Berlin, Montreal.



This appointment evidences recognition towards what Buenos Aires is doing in this particular area, and it cannot be understood if not put in perspective to the recent boom that took place in this area recently. BA features a constant flow of movement in terms of design, from mind-blowing creations to average regular, items the broadness of the design movement in the Argentine capital provides a wide rainbow of options featuring something for every taste.



Buenos Aires has been among the firsts of the American Continent to take upon the challenge of design together with Rio de Janeiro in Brazil and Mendoza in Argentina –as well-. The turning point in contemporary design in South America can be dated at the end of the 1950s and all throughout the 60s. The decade of 1960 was a strong decade for innovation, creation and design in the deepest sense of the words. The Arts in general had a strong input back then, and design was not an exception, from aesthetics to usefulness, Argentina has been taking upon the challenge of designing new and innovative objects ever since. After a couple of decades of ups and downs, ins and outs, always in tune with the general panorama of what was going on in our country, today, Buenos Aires is breeding and furthering some interesting aesthetic and conceptual approaches to objects.



In terms of industrial design today in Argentina, there are at several different disciplines working in an avant-garde creations and innovating in theory and practice in this sense. The range goes from industrial products to vehicles, furniture and lighting, making of Buenos Aires a design spot pretty much hyper-comprehensive in terms of design for the visitors.



An interesting insight on design in Buenos Aires is provided by worldly known Argentine architect and designer Ricardo Blanco in his book entitled Crónicas del diseño industrial en la Argentina – Chronicles of the Industrial Design in Argentina-, where he reconstructs the path of evolution thru means of a particular historical perspective and journey. Not aiming to cover the entire historical process, but more in the sense of providing an organized insight into the world of useful aesthetics, Blanco attest to evidence the intention and cultural bases of the Argentine design path.



Thru means of the current literature and the ever growing production of industrial design objects Buenos Aires takes upon new airs of discovery, as it mutates from the traditional city of beef and tango to a much more interesting and amusing spot of arts, design and aesthetics… And all in all, in the meantime we explore the new inputs of design we can always stop to enjoy the delightful Argentine cuisine and culture, but now in a broader and richer way.

Bob Frassinetti, Buenos Aires, Argentina"

Ganja

Faith says "look for ganja at all times"


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11/23/2008 8:05:15 PM