KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KCTV) – Argentina, the defending World Cup champions, will kick off their title defense in Kansas City and will travel to the city over the weekend, according to the Associated Press.
The city will host World Cup matches in two weeks.
For Isolina De La Vega, an Argentine native and owner of Los Hornos, the moment goes beyond a soccer match.
De La Vega left Argentina and built a restaurant, a community and a piece of home in Kansas City. Three and a half hard years.
“That’s crazy, because when you’re here, you don’t see that. You don’t realize, yeah. But we are very proud of our work because it’s a hard work. We have three and a half a year with the restaurant. Three and a half difficult years. To open a restaurant near for new culture in a new city. No, that is very, very difficult,” De La Vega said.
Now the world is coming to her doorstep.
“We take the responsibility because we are the representative from Argentina here. So, we take our work very, very hard. Our idea is to represent Argentina in the best way, with the culture, with everything,” De La Vega said.
People from different backgrounds across Kansas City are preparing for the World Cup.
“This is once in a lifetime here. I follow sports. I understand the World Cup. How big it is – this is going to be something that we don’t see. Maybe never in my lifetime in this city. So, you know, part of me is a little nervous. We’re going to definitely invite a lot of people here from different cultures,” said Justin Broja of Nick and Nino’s.
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