At Home...in Buenos Aires, Argentina
In November 2019, I finally made it back to the place where I was born - Buenos Aires, Argentina. I loved it.
The U.S. Soccer Beach National Team went in Buenos Aires for a 10-day camp ahead of the World Cup. I went along as the team’s press officer.
Back in 2008 was the first time I had visited this beautiful city - since my family left when I was a kid - when I went on a business trip with two FC Dallas executives. We were there for three quick days, and while I was able to get a glimpse of the city, we were driven around on a set schedule. So, yea, it was neat…but I realized now how little I saw.
So, I was excited to enter what felt like a new country among my travels. It took no time to realize it was much more. I couldn’t help wonder what my parents life was like here, or how different mine and my brothers would have been had we stayed.
We stayed on Avenida 9 de Julio just a couple blocks from the Obelisco. We trained at the amazing Argentina Federation Association training complex in Ezeiza and also at the training ground for Club Huracan. As you can imagine, the AFA complex consisted of a dozen or so pristine fields. It also had a real nice indoor facility for the reigning Futsal World Cup champs, a beach soccer court, and two facilities with all the necessities for the country’s youth, men’s and women’s national teams to exercise, study and stay.
Huracan’s facility was not as exclusive. The sand court sits towards the back of the complex, beyond a number of fields where the club’s members and academy kids play, and adjacent to the first-team’s training fields.
After a few double-day training sessions, the team took a Sunday afternoon off to attend a game between Racing and Huracan (at Racing’s 45,000 seat stadium). It was an incredible atmosphere, as one can imagine, and everyone had a great time.
We also had a chance to tour Boca Junior’s ‘la Bombonera’ Stadium. Again, so much history and really cool to see this place, even if my family has always been River Plate fans. We then took a short stroll through the Boca neighborhood before finishing the night with a traditional Argentina asado (barbecue) at our host’s house. Delicious.
In between trainings and in the evenings, I walked the city…from Palermo Soho, to Puerto Madero, to Recoleta, San Telmo and Bosques de Palermo. I took every opportunity to grab facturas, empanadas, and ice creams, including…
Cadore Heladeria - possibly the best ice cream I’ve ever had…so good! It’s on Corrientes a few blocks from the Obelisco.
El Sanjuanino in Recoleta - excellent empanadas and choripan.
Estilo Campo - higher end restaurant in Puerto Madero overlooking the water. Met a cousin for an awesome steak lunch.
London City Coffee Shop / Bakery - medialunas / ham and cheese sandwiches near the Casa Rosada.
There was so much familiarity yet I had almost no memories of having been. The food. The accent. The people and vibe in general. I had lunch with a relative I hadn’t seen since we were kids. It was like meeting someone new, yet we chatted with the comfort of old friends. As I rode to the airport to leave, I was happy sad. I hadn’t spent ten days in a new country, it felt like home.
