So much more than a gigantic television screen offered by the British Embassy for the receptions accompanying the World Cup England-Ghana and Scotland-Brazil fixtures last Tuesday and Wednesday – and probably just as well, given the outcome of both matches.
The impact of the World Cup was immediately noticed by this journalist even before entry with the Ukrainian flag normally accompanying the Union Jack atop the Embassy residence replaced by Saint George’s Cross (an even more drastic change the next evening with both the usual flags substituted for the Scottish and Brazilian standards).
Once inside, any number of flags with Saint George’s Cross and red-and-white decorations above and around the guests on Tuesday, Saint Andrew’s cross and blue-and-white décor on Wednesday. The hour before kick-off went by pleasantly enough admiring the display of jerseys, playing table football and taking on the trivia quiz roulette – accompanied by tasty nibbles washed down with plenty of London Pride and London Porter beer (in the case of the Buenos Aires Times team at least with other options available). Fish and chips were, of course, the star dish (supplemented by Scotch eggs on Wednesday) with a huge cake decorated with the respective flags to see the guests through half-time alongside four prize draws.
The game was preceded by two videos, one plugging English football as the cradle of the sport and the second rather more entertaining, photoshopping host Ambassador David Cairns alongside the various Argentine stars lighting up the Premier League around the country before some brief remarks from London’s man in Buenos Aires.
And the centre of it all – the match itself? The film The English Patient may have won nine Oscars in its time but no such recognition for the patient English against Ghana as they exhausted the patience of the spectators with their monotonous passing game. A goalless draw – need we say more?
The one redeeming feature was the sparkling commentary of Juan Manuel ‘Bambino’ Pons covering the match – as a Premier League fan, this reporter has already heard numerous Bambino Pons commentaries this year and noticed age slowly catching up on him with the odd error as he draws closer to his three score and 10 but his commentary of the England-Ghana match was flawless, absolutely impeccable.
This journalist was not in the Embassy residence the next day to see just how dour the Scottish reactions were to the goals of Vinicius Júnior but, according to Embassy sources, there was a group of Scottish bagpipers in full traditional dress to welcome in the guests and create a great atmosphere from the start. The guest of honour was Brazilian Ambassador Julio Bitelli, accompanied by his family and several of the diplomats working with him.
Will there be occasion for another such reception next month? Let us hope so.
) world, community, diplomacy, british embassy, uk,
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