Chapter 40: They Deserved a Brilliant Life

This is a report from our correspondent in Buenos Aires, Argentina, on June 13th, 2001. There were protests against the Argentine government's decision to sell the national airline, Aerolíneas Argentinas, to a Spanish company. Many airline employees were going to lose their jobs.

Unemployed airline workers held a big protest today at the Ezeiza International Airport. The Argentine government sent military and police forces to block the highways leading to the airport. This caused long delays for people trying to attend the FIFA U-20 World Cup youth soccer tournament. Many missed their flights.

Even the referees who came from South Africa, along with our reporter, couldn't meet their local contacts. They had to wait at the airport, missing their flights to the match venue in Mendoza, a city in western Argentina.

The entire airport seemed unprepared to host such a major international event. Some people were unaware that the tournament was happening. A few international FIFA guests became angry when they couldn't find any local staff to help them. The police officers nearby were smoking and didn't understand the guests' limited English.

Our reporter was originally scheduled to fly to Mendoza that evening, but had to change plans due to the delays. Many other reporters were left stranded and helpless in this chaotic situation.

This report from the frontlines in Argentina marked the troubled start of the U-20 World Cup tournament. It was a complete mess.

The setbacks caused the participating teams to question how professionally this tournament was being run. The young soccer players, eager for their chance to shine on the world stage, felt disappointed and let down.

The Brazilian team's young players had mixed feelings. Seeing the Argentinians' disorganized situation, they felt some understanding and even found humor in it, as this was expected behavior from their rivals Argentina. However, they also felt hurt that they had to suffer due to the Argentinians' mismanagement.

Kaka, the famous Brazilian soccer star who was there to support his young teammates, initially didn't deeply relate to these emotions. But by drawing parallels between the long-standing Brazil-Argentina football rivalry and the tensions at the tournament, he could understand his teammates' feelings better.

On June 17th, local time in Buenos Aires, the opening ceremony of the 2001 FIFA World Youth Championship finally began at the José Amalfitani Stadium. This was followed by the first match of the tournament, with the host nation Argentina facing Finland.

As mentioned earlier, only 1,500 tickets were sold for the opening ceremony and first match. This was less than a third of the stadium's capacity of nearly 50,000 seats, making it look quite empty.

The 24 teams participating in the U-20 World Cup were divided into six groups, with matches spread across six different venues around Argentina. The top two teams from each group would advance to the next round, except for Group A, where Argentina and Finland played their first match today. The other groups would start their matches tomorrow, so those teams attended the opening ceremony in Buenos Aires.

If possible, the head coaches of the teams would have preferred to avoid the hassle of travel and wait for their matches at their respective venues. However, they had to attend the opening ceremony to show respect to the hosts, Argentina. Additionally, since Argentina was considered a strong favorite to win the whole tournament, everyone wanted to observe their strength firsthand.

The opening ceremony itself was quite simple. Some famous Argentine singers and dancers performed songs and traditional dances that were unfamiliar to the foreign guests. This was followed by a fireworks display that everyone could enjoy. Then the inaugural match between Argentina and Finland began.

The dozen or so young Brazilian players sat together in the stands. Initially, when the TV cameras were focused on them, they maintained a normal, calm demeanor. However, once the match started and the cameras shifted away, they revealed their true selves, joking and playfully teasing each other.

"Come on, let's make bets. Who will win?"

"What kind of question is that? Obviously Argentina will win."

"Hmm? So you're supporting Argentina?" 

"Of course not! But you have to respect your opponent, you know? Do you really think Brazil's big rival can't even beat Finland?"

"Good point... Kaka, those girls over there keep looking at you. Wait, the ones on the right too... Well, the ones in front are also looking. But maybe they are checking me out too. You should go sit next to Adriano; he's taller than you, so he won't block their view of me..."

"Get lost! Stay away from me, man."

Even at their young age, these talented Brazilian players understood the virtue of respecting one's opponent. They enjoyed some lighthearted jokes and banter.

A side note: One of the most handsome players in modern football, Sergio Agüero from Paraguay, declined the call-up to his national U-20 team. This meant he missed the chance to face Kaka, another very good-looking young player. As a result, Kaka stood out as the sole heartthrob among the 24 youth teams at the tournament, unmatched in his appearance.

Of course, there were still plenty of talented players on the pitch that day. The fan favorite and anticipated star was Argentina's Javier Saviola.

Unlike many young players just starting out, the equally young Saviola had already been named the Argentine Player of the Year at age 18. He represented a prodigy who achieved fame at an early age. For him to participate in the U-20 World Cup was like a PhD student taking a high school exam - too easy for his skill level.

At the time, the two Spanish giants, Barcelona and Real Madrid, were competing to sign Saviola from his Argentine club River Plate. Barcelona had already offered a high transfer fee of $16 million, but River Plate's board wanted even more money. 

One could imagine that if Saviola had an outstanding performance at the U-20 World Cup, attracting interest from other top European clubs, Barcelona would inevitably have to increase their offer. So while others came to gain recognition, Saviola's objective was to increase his future transfer value and earnings.

Of course, some critics believed that River Plate was being too greedy. This tournament could backfire, causing them to lose both the player and the potential transfer fee. If Saviola underperformed, even Barcelona's $16 million offer could be withdrawn.

However, the experienced Kaka knew that the ambitious River Plate would likely succeed in their plan.

Saviola's rise to global superstardom began at this U-20 World Cup tournament. 

Argentina would eventually win the championship. Saviola would become the tournament's all-time top scorer with 11 goals, claiming both the Golden Boot and Golden Ball awards as the best player. Even before the end of the U-20 World Cup, this rising Argentine star would transfer to Barcelona for a high fee of €25 million, officially entering the big leagues in Europe.

Although Finland had international player Forsell, who had previously played alongside the famous Ruud van Nistelrooy, he couldn't stop the powerful Argentine attack. 

Argentina scored two goals through intricate combinations, ultimately winning the opening match 2-0. Saviola officially opened his scoring account at the U-20 World Cup, unfazed by the huge hype and expectations surrounding him.

The other youth teams watched with concerned faces, viewing the Argentine squad as their primary adversary and roadblock in the tournament.

(end of chapter)