Following on from setting out in Rio de Janiero, Eilidh and I have made our way down to Buenos Aires. A brief stop either side of the border to take in the sights of Iguazu Falls a welcome interruption. Similarly to Brazil, Argentina is famously known for it’s love of football, so naturally I saught out my fix here also. Prior to our arrival I had enquired via TripAdvisor forum post as to where best for joining in a game, and been pointed in the direction of BAFA (Buenos Aires Futbol Amigos).
BAFA is set up to bring together individuals looking for a game of football. The process is simple, create an account with them and join arranged games at a time that suits you. I selected a ‘6 v 6’ game at 9pm on the Friday night to be played at a complex of pitches in the area of Palermo, around half an hour from where we are staying in Retiro.
Upon arrival I was greeted by a couple of the others that were waiting next to our allotted pitch. Following a quick chat I understood that the team I was sorted into included Jake and Kenny – two American students spending a semester here; Mark – a journalist from Wales who’d lived here for 10 years; Wouter – a Dutchman; and Danny – a Londoner who seemed to do most of the organising. The opposing team was largely made up of Argentinians.
We played for little over an hour, the standard was good and the game was played in the right spirit. Having not played in around 6 weeks I thoroughly enjoyed the run out. Following the game Eilidh and I were invited to join a couple of the players, Jake and Kenny, for a drink nearby. It was great to find out a little bit more about them and why they were staying here.
Regrettably we leave Buenos Aires on the coming Tuesday, so won’t have any time to squeeze in another game, however if I’m lucky enough to return I’d definitely be joining a few BAFA matches again. It was a fantastic way to meet some new people and participate in the common language of football!