Less than 10 hours after arriving in Atlanta from Buenos Aires, Facundo Mey and Malena Riesgo were out pounding the streets of midtown sporting their Argentina shirts on a quest for tickets for Wednesday's World Cup semi-final between Argentina and England.
"We think it's a once in a lifetime chance to see Lionel Messi in the World Cup," said Riesgo.
The 21-year-olds said they were willing to pay up to $2,000 each for a ticket for the match at the Atlanta Stadium. If unsuccessful, they conceded they would watch the game at a bar in the city.
Argentina, who beat France on penalties in the 2022 World Cup final in Qatar, go into the semi-final in shaky form.
Progress through knockout rounds
They needed extra-time to see off World Cup debutants Cape Verde 3-2 in the last 32.
Egypt led them 2-0 up until the 79th minute before Argentina came back to win 3-2. And in the quarter-final, Switzerland appeared to have their number.
But Argentina's array of stars found moments of magic to win 3-1.
England have also laboured rather than breezed through the knockout rounds.
In the last 32, they came from behind to beat Democratic Republic of Congo 2-1. They erected a 10-man defensive wall in the 3-2 last-16 victory over Mexico and they profited from sheer good luck to dispatch Norway 2-1.
'Egypt was the worst'
"Egypt was definitely the worst," said Mey recalling a game he watched back home. "It looked like we were going out."
Riesgo nodded. "There was a lot of crying," she said. "But when we won, it was amazing."
Added Mey: "We're just not used to seeing Argetnina losie in the early stages of the knockout rounds."
Neither are the two used to seeing England play Argentina.
They were babes in arms when the sides last met on 12 November 2005.
The match, which ended in a 3-2 win for England, was a friendly played in Geneva, Switzerland.
It was a fitting venue considering the hostile history of the games between the sides since the infamous quarter-final at the World Cup in 1966.
1966 World Cup game
After a kickfest masquerading as a World Cup tie, the England boss Alf Ramsey refused to let his players swap shirts with their opponents whom he labelled "animals" for their on-field antics.
A 10-week war between Britain and Argentina in 1982 over the Falkland Islands injected spice into England's World Cup quarter-final clash against Argentina at the Estadio Azteca in Mexico in 1986.
And the Argentina skipper Diego Maradona threw in a red hot chilli pepper when he used his hand to guide the ball past the England goalkeeper Peter Shilton.
The cunning fooled the match officials who allowed the goal. Maradona resorted to bravura genius for his second goal: a scythe through half a dozen of England's finest footballers for a strike that was later hailed as 'the Goal of the Century'.
When David Beckham was sent off in the last 16 game against Argentina at the 1998 World Cup in France, it was for a petulant little kick rather than a weapons-grade hack on Diego Simeone.
Fear of Kane
Fast forward a lifetime of two ticket-hunters. Mey and Riesgo said their concern lies more with the pace and precision of a certain Harry Edward Kane.
The England skipper has hit six goals during the tournament to sit two behind his Argentine counterpart Lionel Messi.
"Kane is a very good striker," said Mey. "He's been very efficient when scoring his goals but I think we have a great defence and we can win."
Mey, a River Plate fan and Riesgo, a Boca Juniors supporter, smile as they talk about how they denigrate each other's favourite team in Argentina.
"Of course we fight about that," she beamed. "But when it comes to the national team of our country, it's love."
The lord of the adored? Messi.
"I think he's the best in the world," gushed Mey. "And he will do something magical in the game against England."
Riesgo, patiently waiting for her partner to finish his eulogy, added: "He's the most intelligent. He's always one step ahead. He watches what is going on all the game and looks for the spaces.
"I don't know what else to say about him ... he's the best."
