England’s semifinal against Argentina has been “rated the ‘highest risk’ match” of the World Cup after a meeting between FIFA, the FBI and the Atlanta police department, according to Matt Lawton of the London TIMES. The “intense rivalry” between the two countries has “led to concerns around potential clashes between fans, with a number of measures being implemented including separate entrances into the stadium and dedicated bars in the downtown area close to the ground.” FIFA’s ticketing policy means that “much of the 75,000-seater indoor arena will not be segregated,” with fans from any country able to purchase tickets in any given area. But the official ticket allocations are “positioned at opposite ends of the stadium,” with each “provided with their own entrance in an effort to minimise the risk of trouble.” The FBI, FIFA and local law enforcement agencies met on Monday, with sources suggesting that the discussion “focused on the history” between England and Argentina -- in particular the Falklands War -- and how that might “trigger problems despite the good behaviour of fans at this tournament until now” (London TIMES, 7/14).
HEATED RIVALS: BBC.com’s Paul Battison wrote authorities say that “there will be increased security measures in place” for Wednesday’s World Cup semi-final between England and Argentina. Atlanta police are “aware of historical tensions” between the two countries. In 1982, Britain and Argentina fought the Falklands War -- a 74-day conflict that resulted in the deaths of 649 Argentine soldiers, 255 British combatants and three civilians. The British overseas territory, known in Argentina as Las Malvinas, remains the subject of a sovereignty dispute between the two countries (BBC.com, 7/14).
RARE OCCURANCE: The WALL STREET JOURNAL’s Clegg & Robinson wrote the distinction of “greatest rivalry in sports” belongs to a showdown that “isn’t such a regular fixture on the calendar.” It is a “long-running feud that has included decades of chicanery, unconditional hatred, and a 74-day war fought on the high seas.” And on Wednesday, it will come to a head once again, for just the fifth time in over 150 years, and with “more on the line than ever before.” Each installment on the pitch has “come to define an entire era of the rivalry” (WALL STREET JOURNAL, 7/14).
A FLAME REIGNITED: In N.Y., Panja & Herrera write few rivalries in international soccer “carry the same charge -- a collision of politics, culture and sports” -- as England against Argentina at the World Cup. Once both teams reached the semifinals, the “fever already gripping the World Cup in Argentina rose again.” Screenings for “El Partido,” a documentary reconstructing the 1986 match, “jumped from a single daily showing at one Buenos Aires cinema to nearly 20 a day across the city” (N.Y. TIMES, 7/15).
