World Cup win for Argentina thrills fans in Huntington

Hugo Garcia said it was too early to breathe a sigh of relief as his home country of Argentina was up 2-0 over France at halftime in the World Cup final on Sunday.

He was right to be cautious.

France tied the game in the latter part of the second half, turning the championship into a white-knuckle matchup that wasn’t decided until Argentina won during a penalty shootout some three hours after kickoff.

But when Argentina scored the winning penalty kick, Garcia and the crowd gathered at his Huntington restaurant Café Buenos Aires erupted into cries of joy, pounding on tables and chanting “Messi, Messi” in honor of the team’s star player Lionel Messi.

“We did it,” he cried.

It was special to view the game in a place where so many people felt a connection to the team and knew the words to chants like “Vamos, Vamos, Argentina,” said Danys Farias, an Argentina native from Medford who attended with her 20-year-old son Alan.

“It’s more than just a sport to us,” she said. “It brings people together.”

Garcia estimated that 80% of the parties gathered at the Argentine eatery included someone of Argentine descent. The half-dozen televisions displayed the Telemundo broadcast of the game in Spanish. Specials included the “Messi cheeseburger stuffed Argentine style” and “Maradona’s chicken Milanese sandwich,” named for the soccer great and former Argentina player Diego Maradona.

Argentina’s win in Qatar was a matter of national pride for a country suffering economic turmoil, Garcia said. The county has faced annual inflation rates above 60%, with about 40% of people living in poverty.

“We need this World Cup,” Garcia said. “Argentina deserves to be a champion.”

The restaurant was filled with those who agreed, including Blayne Gelbman of Huntington. The game took on an added layer of importance because it was the last shot for the global superstar Messi to win a World Cup, he said.

“He’ll be ensconced as one of the best ever with Pele — as he should be,” Gelbman said. “It’s his white whale.”

Sunday’s win was Argentina’s third World Cup trophy and its first since 1986.

Argentina supporters even outnumbered those rooting for France at Bistro Cassis, the nearby French restaurant Garcia also owns with his business partner Fabio Machado.

The Argentina-loving crowd didn't deter fans like Jonathan Cahn of Huntington Station, who moved from Paris to the U.S. four years ago.

"It was an awesome game," he said. "It was disappointing. As soon as the French came back into the game, they were actually dominating ... it was very close. When it's penalty kicks, anything can happen." 

The restaurant was filled with enthusiastic soccer fans who leapt to their feet when a goal was scored. Workers brought out plates of eggs Benedict, bacon and savory crepes and Machado kept his promise and offered glasses of prosecco each time the French team scored a goal.

Isobel and Jerry Scilagyi of Huntington came to enjoy breakfast and cheer on the French. 

"I'm from Scotland," said Isobel Scilagyi. "France and Scotland have always had an alliance. We’re always paired together and I actually love France. "

The game was also a showcase for 23-year-old French forward Kylian Mbappe, who scored all three goals for France and won the tournament’s Golden Boot trophy.

“Mbappe is awesome,” said Dominique Ambroise of Northport, whose father’s family is French. "He has won before and we are all relying on him."

Regardless of who they were rooting for, fans agreed the game was an intense spectacle to watch and an exciting end to the monthlong tournament.

“It was a great game,” Gelbman said. “As a fan of Argentina, you want it to be blowout. But as a fan of the game, you want it to end like that.”