Video: Argentinian fans suffered and celebrated penalties against the Netherlands in full flight and with an 80-year-old man’s battery radio

If the heartbreaking draw in the Netherlands and extra time, in which the stick and the giant Dutch goalkeeper denied the Argentine team victory, forced us to hold our breath, the penalty shoot-out is followed by a garbled reporting on a battery-operated radio during a flight tested the emotional stability of dozens of people.

The tense and at times desperate definition of the penalties that Emiliano “Dibu” Martínez had as hero of Lionel Scaloni’s team was captured by some mobile phones of those who held their breath at every shot.

“I mean it On top of the plane was an 80-year-old man with a small radio, and we all listen to the penalties with him at 11,000 meters high. The radio, friends. It never leaves your hand,” wrote on Twitter Nicolás Salvarrey, who is part of the radio show hosted by Andy Kusnetzoff on FM Urbana and was traveling in Mendoza.

In the video you can see how the passengers of Aerolíneas Argentinas flight 1402 celebrate Messi’s goal in Argentina’s first penalty, shout “Dibu” Martínez’s saves, suffer Enzo Fernández’s missed shot and finally explode with Lautaro Martinez’s goal.

“Come on, Toro, old chap,” said one of the passengers moments before the rod that sealed the classification. After that, he yells and hugs.

“This was the definition of the penalties aboard the AR 1402, heard live with the battery radio of a man who shouldn’t have social media but who is up to it, at 11,000 meters he saved us with an AMSavarrey added on Instagram when sharing the video.

The AR flight departed Friday at 17:38 from Jorge Newbery Airport and landed in Mendoza at 20:01.

Power outage and celebrations in the streets of the city of Julián Álvarez

Calchín is a municipality of just over 3 thousand inhabitants, 120 kilometers from the capital of the province of Córdoba. Julián Álvarez was born in this place 22 years ago. It’s Friday and only one event can interrupt the sacred siesta: the match of the Argentina national team against the Netherlands, for the quarter-finals of the Qatar 2022 World Cup.

The heat is suffocating and everyone is looking for an air conditioner to protect themselves. 40 degrees under the sun suffocate anyone. It’s just after 4pm and there’s not a soul left on the streets of Calchín.

Julian’s family is not there. “They all went to Qatar,” explains those who know them, that they are all in this place. Only Juli’s grandmother is left, who made a statement on television a few days ago and now chooses to follow her grandson’s performance without contact with the press that arrives from Buenos Aires.

As in every corner of the country, in this place everyone sits down in front of the television to watch the Albiceleste match. Everyone wants him to win the national team. But everyone wants Julian to win. The Manchester City forward is very loved for these payments. La Araña is the standard bearer of Calchín in the world.

At the impromptu Fan Fest, a blackout added drama to the penalty shootout. A small group started hearing it on the radio, the noble AM ​​that never fails on this kind of occasion. At another table, meta user, password and 4G data on a mobile phone so that a small screen took us back to Doha, with the first two penalties saved by Dibu Martínez. What was fatality turned into optimism and euphoria.

Like it’s a movie, it just started raining. The penalty missed by Enzo Fernández didn’t matter. “Come on, Lautaro, come on,” they shouted to Calchín. The one chosen to kick off the semi-final for the national team was precisely the player who lost his place in the team at the hands of Julián. Here the flag is one. And the most awaited goal cry arrives, we are in the semifinals.

The light also returned and horns began to be heard in the streets of Calchín. This small city of Cordoba that appears on the world football map thanks to Julián Álvarez. Within days, the illusion continues.

db