‘Argentina dog’ Bruno takes a bite out of Croatia
A group of Brazil supporters yesterday looked on in disdain when 'Bruno', a mongrel dog, wrapped up in the white and sky blue of Argentina, led celebrations along Collie Smith Drive in Trench Town following the South Americans' win over Croatia in the semi-finals of the World Cup.
It is the kind of bite that the Argentina fans would have dreamt about inflicting on supporters of their continental neighbours, as, since 2018 during the World Cup in Russia, the South St Andrew community has become a den for Brazilian support.
"Watch Bruno!" exclaimed an ecstatic Shelly, as the brown and white canine stretched its legs to keep pace with a vehicle filled with supporters galloping down the thoroughfare.
Seemingly caught up in the euphoria, Bruno skilfully managed to avoid getting hit by the car as he chased behind it, which Shelly disclosed was being driven by his master.
"Him owner Blacks in deh a drive. A muss him wrap him up inna di flag. Hey, Blacks no easy, enuh! But mi more than happy fi me team because everybody write wi off when wi lose di first game, but a we still a win," she said.
Admittedly, the frenzy along Collie Smith Drive after the final whistle was not as vibrant as the pandemonium I was a part of in downtown Kingston during the first half of the match.
Led by incessant chants from Kadeen 'Guzzu Boss' Richards, who spared no one when blowing her vuvuzela, Beckford Street immediately came alive after ace forward Lionel Messi opened the scoring from the penalty spot.
"Goal!!! One blud-, oh sorry mi boss! Figet say unuh deh yah wid wi today. Messi a God!" exclaimed Richards, after stopping midway an expletive-laden uproar.
"Weh mi tell unuh say? Unuh think wi done yet! Argentina affi win the World Cup because a God wi say," she belted while pointing to the legions of Brazil supporters around her, who were either biting their nails or holding heads in disbelief.
Argentina will play either Morocco or defending champions France in the second semi-final today. But for Chrissy, the opposition will not be a factor when her side seeks to lift the Jules Rimet trophy on Sunday.
"Mi no care a who, anybody come dead!" said Chrissy excitingly.
"The kinda form Messi inna right now, nothing cyah stop wi. But a France mi wah play because wi have a bone fi pick wid dem," she said, in reference to 2018 when France defeated Argentina in the quarter-finals on their way to winning the tournament.