Although it is undeniable
that soccer is growing in popularity in the United States and increasing
numbers of Americans are following the sport, it is still not anywhere near as
much a part of the national identity as it is in Argentina. For the past
several weeks, it has seemed as though the entire country comes to a standstill
whenever the Argentina national team is playing in the Copa America tournament.
The rivalry between Boca Jrs and River Plate is so intense and deep that
essentially everyone in the entire country has chosen a side, even if they
don’t explicitly root for either team or live in Buenos Aires where the
teams are located. Argentine society is so deeply influenced by soccer in ways
which very few other countries are, and the effects of this which can be
observed are quite interesting.
One of the main things that soccer is able to do is
provide a sense of unity to a country which otherwise is rather segmented in
many ways. Society in Argentina has historically been very divided between the
population in Buenos Aires (the Porteños) and the others in the country.
Although everyone is technically Argentine and identifies as such, there is a
huge difference in the lifestyle and upbringing of someone who lives and works
in Buenos Aires vs a person who was born on a cattle ranch in the countryside.
It is in many ways similar to some regions of the United States; someone who
lives and works in Manhattan is going to have an extremely different lifestyle
and way of looking at the world than someone who lives on a dairy farm in the
Adirondacks, yet both people would consider themselves Americans and New
Yorkers. One of the ways to achieve a common sense of unity among the
population is through international sports competitions. During our time in
Buenos Aires, there has been no better example of this than the Copa America.
When the Argentina national team plays; everyone is united as Argentines in
that moment. No matter what area of the country or time of day, people will put
aside what they are doing to support the team. The sense of spirit and unity
which exists as the team plays is something pretty special and unique.
There are some interesting issues worth mentioning that
I’ve noticed, however. Although Lionel Messi is definitely the star of the
Argentine team and arguably the single best player in the world right now, it seems as
though the Argentine people have not fully accepted his accomplishments because
of the fact that he left the country to go play for Barcelona when he was very
young. Because he only became a star after signing on to play with Barcelona,
many Argentines seem to not really view him as an “Argentine” star since he
left at such a young age and only achieved fame in Europe. There are no
particular instances that come to mind of a situation such as this coming up in
American sports, but the situation (especially with regards to soccer) is much
different here. With soccer, club alliance is everything. Even the most hardcore
American football fans look insignificant in comparison to the level of fanhood
which exists in Argentina for the various football clubs. The system is
completely different, and this explains why the level of fan intensity is so much
greater. In the US; professional sports teams are nothing more than that; a
team of players which belongs to a company with the intent to make money. Here
however; these soccer clubs are communities which people grow up in their
entire lives. Club Atletico Atlanta (pictured below), for example, offers numerous
sporting opportunities (not just soccer), as well as educational opportunities
for its members. Being a member of these clubs provides people not only the
opportunity to come to the stadium and see the soccer games, but also to take
advantage of the full range of offerings the club has and to feel as though
they are a part of the community. This is one of the primary reasons why Messi
does not have the support in Argentina that one would expect; he
was never part of one of these Argentine communities except when he was a very
young boy, and he therefore does not have that same common identity. It has
been discussed that Messi might return to Argentina to play a season with
Newell’s Old Boys (his original club as a child) when his career with Barcelona
is coming to a close. This would be a good way for him to solidify his
reputation in Argentina and get his legacy fully embraced by the people.
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