In a Patagonia town with an 85-foot Messi statue, Argentines celebrate advance to World Cup final

CUTRAL CO, Argentina, July 15 : In a town in Patagonia boasting a new 85-foot (26-metre) statue of soccer superstar Lionel Messi, joyful Argentines celebrated their country's advance to the World Cup final after they beat long-time rivals England.It was a scene repeated in Buenos Aires and across the country. Now only Spain lies between Argentina and their attempt to be the first country to win a back-to-back title since 1962.In Cutral Co in the southern province of Neuquen, a crowd of about 300 locals gathered to watch the game on a screen set up next to Messi's towering knees. They burst into screams as the referee blew his whistle at the end of the semi-final against England. Argentina came back from being 1-0 down, ultimately winning 2-1."It was a victory of suffering," said Lucas Rome