Dubai: A considerable crowd packed into Reem Al Bawadi Restaurant & Café before the kickoff on Tuesday night, preparing for two-time champions Argentina to battle Greece — a crucial Group B encounter which would determine the appropriate second round match-ups.
Instantly upon entering the premises, it feels as if you have been transported into one of Lebanon's famed mountain restaurants; the walls embellished with panoramic views of Beirut.
Arabic music dazzled eardrums while the Al Jazeera pre-game commentary was fittingly muted.
Flags of the 32 national teams taking part hung ceremoniously all around the café. Staff displayed their allegiance by donning Brazilian, Dutch, German, Italian and Argentinian jerseys while hurtling past with sheeshas and huge trays of mezze.
A concern with the Albicelestes game-plan seemed to permeate as we geared up for kickoff: "I don't want Argentina to be conservative, we need to carry momentum into the knockout stages and also be fair to the Nigerians and South Koreans," said Diego Suztermann — a Rosario born and bred Argentinian.
The tale of the first half was lacklustre — to say the least. For long periods Diego Maradona's team was frustrated by the Greek defensive scheme — an unattractive approach that had worked to perfection during their fabled Euro 2004 campaign.
The highlights of the half came during additional time when Greek keeper Tzorvas saved shots by Maxi Rodriguez and Leo Messi, the latter inciting cries of "when will Messi score? I had predicted him to win the Golden Boot!" from a disgruntled Messi-worshipper, Issam Q.
Meanwhile, a historical anecdote was aptly used to describe the flow of the game: "Greece is resisting like Troy, but it's only a matter of time before the Trojan horse breaches their walls" replied a calm Tarek Sulaiman, draped in Argentina colours.
