New York’s Argentinians were crying in their beers Sunday after their team was defeated by Germany in an emotional, hard-fought World Cup final.
Only one goal was scored — by Germany substitute Mario Goetze deep into extra time — but it was enough to dash the hopes of the Argentinian faithful.
“I don’t even have words,” said Argentina fan Danielle Graziano, 27, who ran out of Boca Juniors Argentine Steakhouse, where she watched the match with dozens of flag-waving supporters. “I’m just going to cry.”
Heartbroken fan Chelsea Memet, 22, said she would still name her first-born after Argentina’s star Lionel Messi, even though his potential game-tying, last-minute free kick sailed way over the bar.
“I’m still naming my son after Messi,” Memet said. “But I’m definitely not marrying a German.”
After pummeling host Brazil 7-1 in the semi-final, the Germans needed extra time just to get one goal in the net.
But that one goal was all that was necessary to secure Germany its first world title since 1990, and make fans watching at Zum Schneider, a Lower East Side bar, jump for joy.
“This is one of the best places in New York City if you’re German,” said Kristina Ruff, 30, a doctor from Midtown. “It’s awesome here.”
Moments after the game, the phrase “Don’t Cry for Me Argentina” was trending on Twitter.
“It’s amazing,” said Logan Reisenbigler, 22, a graduate student from the Upper East Side, who watched at Zum Schneider. “I lived in Germany for six years and I just came back from Germany. If it wasn’t going to be America, it had to be Germany. I’m ecstatic. I was overcome with emotion. I’m going to go all over the city and scream.”
As soccer fans reached a fever pitch over the world’s biggest sporting event, the Vatican tried to play down any potential rivalry between the Church’s two living popes by finding something they could both agree on — peace.
The match between Germany and Argentina had been dubbed the Pope Bowl because each of the pontiffs hails from a country represented in the final. Pope Francis is from Argentina, and his predecessor, Pope Benedict, who resigned to make way for a new church leader, is originally from Germany. But there was no spiritual wager, or even a joint soccer-watching session.
“Popes are above such things,” the Rev. Federico Lombardi, the Vatican spokesman, said before the match. “They can only hope for the best team to win.”
In the end, only one team got the miracle goal it needed. Gotze’s dramatic strike was the first time Argentina had trailed in the entire tournament.