Soccer Tejas
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The Colombia men’s national team is one step from lifting the Copa America after 23 years, and one Houston family does not want to miss that moment.
Colombians from all over the world have converged in Miami, Florida, where the grand finale against Argentina will be played.
For several days, the city of Miami has been infected with the optimism that this final is causing for Colombians who long for the cup.
Police dancing in the street with the Cafeteros fans has gone viral on social media, and the prices of the final have also gone viral, reaching thousands of dollars for a ticket into Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens.
Many from Houston have traveled to Miami to cheer on their team without even having bought a ticket, hoping to snag a last-minute deal once in Miami. Some have experienced strategies to achieve a better price and not miss out.
“My strategy is based on many years of experience of going to large events,” said Luis Ramírez, a Colombian living in Houston. “Not only football events but also National Basketball Association (NBA) games, World Series, and National Football League (NFL) post-season games. The most recent one I went to see was Manchester City’s game against Liverpool in Liverpool. I bought the ticket two hours before the game.”
He has a similar strategy for the Argentina vs Colombia duel, where he will get the ticket a few hours before the match, monitoring how many tickets are left to ensure he buys his.
Ramirez pointed out that it is a strategy that so far has not failed him to be able to get tickets at a better price.
Others preferred to go to with a ticket in hand before arriving in Miami, like the Sánchez brothers.
“After that suffering semi-final against Uruguay, we felt the need to go even more and that same night together with my brother and dad we bought the tickets to live this unique experience,” said Stevent Sánchez, a resident of Katy, Texas. “It’s something that maybe you don’t see that often and we had to be there.”
It is worth mentioning that the fans of Argentina are also excited about the final, as a soccer-loving country, and always want to win. Still, highlighting that in their recent history, they have won everything, they show a little less euphoria for this cup.
The “Albiceleste” is the current champion of the previous Copa América (2021), the Finalísima (2021), and the FIFA World Cup (2022).
Apart from the joy of selection, a large amount of money is at stake. Third place: 5 million dollars. Runner-up: $7 million. Champion: 16 million dollars.
