In the end, football won. As the editor of this humble newspaper, I’d like to give my congratulations to Spain for beating the perennial bad hombres Argentina in the World Cup final on Sunday. I’ve always liked patatas bravas and paella myself.
Was that final particularly exciting to watch as a soccer fan? No, not really; Spain were pretty much dominant on the ball but couldn’t score until midfielder Enzo Fernandez got sent off after a second yellow for basically tripping up a 19-year-old center back and acting like it wasn’t a big deal. This was Fernandez’s second yellow; his first one was for backtalking the ref. What a role model.
Not to sound like a pearl-clutcher, but if I had kids and they played soccer like that Argentinian team did on Sunday and throughout the tournament, I’d give them a stern talking-to. That team gave second- hand embarrassment to anyone expecting the 2022 World Champions to at least get a shot on Spain’s goal after 90+ minutes. So much rolling on the grass, appealing for fouls, pushing and shoving…At one point, the captain and best player in the world Lionel Messi tried to get Spanish left-back Marc Cucurella sent off for covering his mouth while talking (even though he was talking to him directly…!) This was right after Argentina were down to 10 men, so of course he wanted to stir up controversy to help his team.
And how could I forget the free-for-all that occurred after the game when 32-yearold Leandro Paredes started throwing some punches at Spanish bench players for absolutely no reason. Clearly, more attacking intent was shown after the game was up.
In fact, Argentina played so woefully that I barely have room in this column to complain about all the other nonsense that deeply irritated me before and during this 2026 FIFA World Cup Final, including but not limited to: Gianni Infantino, that dreadful “half-time” show, hydation/ad breaks, Alexi Lalas, and of course the final being hosted in NEW JERSEY instead of in Atlanta at the state-of-the-art Mercedes-Benz Stadium, which is not only air-conditioned but has incredibly tasty and affordable concessions.
In the meantime, if you guys are missing the fútbol, never fear! The European club season is fast approaching; the English Premier League, for example, starts up again next month with the defending champions Arsenal (my team!) playing on Friday, August 27. To quote Arsenal and England midfielder Declan Rice, “it’s not done!”
Song of the week: Danza Kuduro by Don Omar
A staple of Zumba classes everywhere, this song is now trending on the Instagram stories of the Spanish soccer players who won the World Cup. This song is best played on loud speakers, or on your car radio on a hot day, as you drive to the beach with an ice-cold non-alcoholic beverage in your hand. I recommend one of those Coca-Cola cans with the fun ‘America 250’ designs.
Andrea Gutierrez is the managing editor of the Bryan County News. One day, Gutierrez hopes to see Colombia win the FIFA World Cup.