PRENSA NEW YORK NO PUEDE CREER LA LOCURA QUE GENERAN ARGENTINA Y ESPAÑA

NEW YORK PRESS CAN'T BELIEVE THE MADNESS GENERATED BY ARGENTINA AND SPAIN New York, surrendered to the spectacle: the World Cup paints the Big Apple sky blue and white. Less than 48 hours remain until the final, and New York can no longer distinguish between day and night. On one side of the river, in Newark, authorities announced the complete closure of Fan Village and the entire Ironbound neighborhood, where they expect to gather some 5,000 fans on Sunday. On the other, under the lights of Rockefeller Center, the American press observes with astonishment a phenomenon rarely seen on its own soil: two soccer-mad nations turning an entire city into a grandstand. "This is what the World Cup does best," summarized an NBC reporter on camera. "It brings together different cultures, different languages, and different histories, all connected by the same passion." This isn't a scripted line. According to local reporters, this is the atmosphere on every corner of Manhattan and New Jersey these days. Hotels transformed into temples The devotion began far from the stadium. In front of the Spanish national team's hotel in Montclair, fans gathered in large numbers just to catch a glimpse of their idols, even for a moment. "The best team in the world is Spain," proclaimed one, convinced that La Roja would eliminate Argentina. Another, half Italian, half Spanish, confessed with emotion that being there, cheering on his country, "means so much." On the Argentine side, the scene was just as intense, though more arduous: fans enduring the blazing sun in front of the Albiceleste's hotel, hoping to see the team or, at least, the bus. One of them summed up the South American fan's epic journey with an itinerary that resembled a flight with too many layovers: from Dallas to Miami, from Miami to Atlanta, back again, and finally to New York. Miles and miles chasing a dream. Rockefeller Center: The World in One Square At Telemundo's Fan Village, set up beneath the skyscrapers, the New York press encountered a scene that would be hard to forget. Flags of every color, chants in various languages, entire families, and a sense of community that surprised even locals. "There are so many people from all over the world," said one attendee. "Everyone coming together in one place, in this incredible Rockefeller Center. It's simply wonderful." The highlight came when several FIFA legends took to the makeshift field: Iker Casillas, Kaká, Javier Mascherano, John Terry, and even Carles Puyol made an appearance in a special exhibition. "I didn't expect to see Kaká and Puyol here," admitted one fan, still incredulous. The party didn't stop even with the hazy sky caused by smoke from the wildfires that drifted down from Canada; air quality was a concern for days, but it is expected to improve by Sunday. A City Under Lockdown With the president and numerous international dignitaries expected for the game, security will be at its peak. The organizing committee is asking fans to be inside East Rutherford Stadium by 1:30 p.m., and trains and buses will depart an hour earlier due to the presidential operation. New Jersey Transit, however, is boasting of its logistical prowess: they claim to have moved a record number of people in their fastest times ever, the equivalent—according to their own comparison—of "seven Super Bowls of people."