Day 7

On the seventh day, the Brown Men's Soccer team rested.

In the morning, the boys explored the artist stands in Recoleta, where dozens of local artisans and craftsmen sell all things painted, knitted, and leathered for low, low prices. Unfortunately, several of the players were unable to purchase the things they wanted, as the merchants informed them that they had been given counterfeit money.

In the afternoon, the team returned to Ricardo's house, where they lounged around the backyard and ate fleftover beef and pork sandwiches. Needless to say, this second asado was just as delicious as the first, if not quite as epic.









In the evening, the boys were treated headed to the Argentina vs. Ecuador World Cup qualifier at the River Plate stadium. The match featured the best and worst of South American soccer -- bouncing fans uniting in song, flags everywhere, ten year-olds shouting insults at the opposing players, incredible displays of skill by Leonel Messi and the rest of the Argentine team, and time-killing tactics by the Ecuadorians that bordered on embarrassing. A last minute strike from Rodrigo Palacio rescued Argentina, and the game ended in a 1-1 draw, which every fan in attendance considered completely unacceptable.

Day 6

Day 6 kicked off with a 30 minute spinning workout at the local gym, led by assistant coach Ryan Levesque. As Levesque sat on the raised bike at the front of the class, barking out commands like Richard Simmons or Billy Blanks, it became apparent that he has missed his true calling. The speakers pumped out the house mix ("musica electronica") as the boys burned off approximately a tenth of the calories they ingested at the previous night's asado.

The afternoon featured a training session at the Argentinos Juniors training ground, and the evening consisted of some free time to explore the city. Because none of the team events were particularly photogenic, I've posted some pictures of downtown Buenos Aires for your ogling pleasure. Enjoy!