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CNN Live At Daybreak
England Has World Cup Match Against Arch Rival Argentina
Aired June 07, 2002 - 06:22 ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
FREDRICKA WHITFIELD, CNN ANCHOR: Thousands of people expected to play hooky from work today in England and the country is expected to come to a grinding halt as fans stop to tune in to the World Cup soccer match against arch rival Argentina.
CNN's Richard Quest Johns us from London with all the excitement.
Well, no one goes to work except for the bartenders. They still have to work.
RICHARD QUEST, CNN CORRESPONDENT: Good morning to you, Fredricka.
Welcome to O'Neill's Pub (ph) here in the center of London.
You know, you said thousands of people are going to be watching this afternoon's match. You're wrong. It's hundreds of thousands, millions of people. This is the big match and that's why it may be only 25 past 11 on a Friday morning in Britain, but just look, the pub is almost full to the rafters and it promises to get even fuller, if that were possible, in the next hour.
Kickoff is just about an hour away and in the great annals -- now, look, Fredricka, I realize that you in America have a little difficulty understanding the intricacies, the rivalries, the downright nastiness that perhaps there is sometimes in soccer. But what we've got here is a grudge match that goes to the heart -- listen, at the moment we're watching Spain and Paraguay, where it's 1-0. And this is the precursor to what's going to be a really brutal match between England and Argentina.
Let's talk to some of the fans that are here at O'Neill's.
Good morning to you, gentlemen.
Right, now, is it fair to say -- and bearing in mind we're talking to the United States, where they don't really understand this sort of thing too much -- is it fair to say that England-Argentina is the most important match?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes, it is the most important match. We hate the Argies. We've got to win it today.
QUEST: And what happens if we don't win it? UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Well, we're not even contemplating that. We are going to win today. A draw at least, but there will be a resolve with England today.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: We'll win. We'll win today.
QUEST: It doesn't get sort of more nationalistic, does it, than this? I mean every time England and Argentina have met, it's always been brutal, hasn't it?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Oh, yes. It's an old (UNINTELLIGIBLE).
QUEST: Shouldn't you all be at work? It's 25 past 11.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: A few have got the day off and a few are, should be at work but...
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Extended lunch breaks, I think, today.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Extended lunch breaks.
QUEST: So breakfast has met lunch and if they win, lunch will meet dinner?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Yes.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Of course, so much will happen...
(CROSSTALK)
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: Everybody will take the rest of the day off.
QUEST: Right. Well, so who's going to win then?
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: England.
UNIDENTIFIED MALE: England.
QUEST: There you are, Fredricka. You don't need to really push too -- you don't need to push too hard, and I'm just putting me finger to me ear this morning. And the food, I'd like to show you what they're acting. It's all good, healthy, nutritional stuff.
WHITFIELD: Oh, sure it is.
QUEST: The sort of thing you'd approve of. The sort of thing you'd approve of. All washed down liberally.
The kickoff is just an hour away. One more time, it's England versus Argentina, and who's going to win?
UNIDENTIFIED MEN: England!
QUEST: Right. I think that's left little room for doubt, Fredricka.
WHITFIELD: I'd say so. As long as there's enough beer in the house to wash down whatever it is they're eating. They're going to be there a while.
Hey, so, Richard, what's up with this rivalry between England and Argentina? Why?
QUEST: Well, the actual animosity between England and Argentina -- I'd better get out of the way here. Let me stand over here. The actual animosity between England and Argentina goes back a long way. It's more than just football. It's the Falklands War. It's the fact that they knocked England out of the Cup a couple of times ago. It's the fact that at the last World Cup it was play acting by one of their injured players that got England's top scorer, David Beckham, sent off.
WHITFIELD: Oh.
QUEST: If you look overall, these two teams hate and loathe each other. And finally, both teams have intimated that if necessary they would cheat to win. I perish the thought.
WHITFIELD: Oh.
QUEST: But remember Diego Maradona all those years ago with his hand of God that pushed the ball into the net. That was Argentina and England.
WHITFIELD: Oh, my God. So it's going to get down and dirty, win any way you can. So much for good sportsmanship.
QUEST: It doesn't get downer and dirtier than this.
WHITFIELD: All right, well, have a good time. Don't get down and too dirty down there at the bar.
All right, thanks a lot, Richard Quest. Great to see you.
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