DALLAS (Special envoy).— Father’s Day in Dallas was spent with nearly 40 degrees, very different from Argentina. But the scorching heat did not stop the sky-blue and white tide. Thousands of fans gathered at Klyde Warren Park for the traditional rally before the match against Austria, doubling the turnout from Tuesday in Kansas City. Euphoria exploded after the victory over Algeria, and the party started at three in the afternoon, with firecrackers, flags, and signs reading «I buy tickets.»
The sun was beating down, but passion prevailed. People arrived early because on Monday the match starts at 12 (2 p.m. in Argentina) and they have to leave at 7 a.m. to reach the stadium in Arlington. Among the crowd, familiar faces were seen: Carolina Baldini, mother of Giuliano Simeone, with her son Gianluca; Kelci Rose, English footballer and partner of Marcos Senesi; and the family of Dibu Martínez. The national team arrived on Sunday in this city, famous for the villain of the eighties series, with spirits high to secure a spot in the round of 16, after the turbulent days caused by the false rumor about Messi’s father’s health.
Dallas, Arlington, and Fort Worth form one of the richest metropolises in the U.S., built on oil and finance, but now diversified into technology and real estate. The average household income is $70,000, and the area is home to 38 billionaires from the Forbes list. Among them, three women are among the hundred wealthiest people in the world: Alice Walton (Walmart heiress, with $134 billion), Elaine Marshall ($31 billion, widow of an oil magnate who fought over an inheritance with a former Playboy model), and Lyndal Stephens Greth ($30 billion, heiress of Endeavor Energy).
Other top local billionaires include Stanley Kroenke ($22 billion, owner of Arsenal and the LA Rams) and Jerry Jones ($20 billion, owner of the Cowboys and AT&T Stadium, where Argentina plays on Monday and Saturday). Jones inaugurated that ultra-modern stadium in 2009, now called Dallas Stadium for the World Cup.
The Argentine national team will be in Dallas until Monday, then return to Kansas City, and on Friday come back to close Group J on Saturday against Jordan. The heat does not let up, but La Scaloneta has the support of a fan base that does not give up even under the Texas sun.
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Para mí esto es otro circo yanki mientras los laburantes nos achicharramos. 40 grados y los multimillonarios nos miran desde sus torres de vidrio, los mismos que nos saquean. La selección es del pueblo, no de la FIFA ni de los sponsors. ¡Vamos Argentina carajo! Firmado: El Che del Suburbio.
Para mí estos vagos argentinos vienen a Dallas a bardear bajo 40 grados como si fueran dueños del mundo mientras los vendepatria bilardistas se rien de la patria. Yo creo que Austria no sabe lo que le espera. Vamos selección a romperla toda y callar bocas. Argentina carajo 🇦🇷