AL RAYYAN, Qatar — Argentina and Brazil share a 750-mile border and a long tradition of World Cup excellence, having combined to win seven titles and reach the semifinals together in four of the last five tournaments.
No other two neighbors are even close to that level of accomplishment.
Yet for all they share, there is a huge difference in how they've greeted that success. While the cheerful Brazilians have danced and sang their way into the final eight of this World Cup, where they will meet Croatia on Friday, Argentina has displayed all the joy and spontaneity of someone preparing for a root canal heading into its quarterfinal with the Netherlands.
