They were equally ecstatic to see their favourite teams reaching the quarterfinals of this year's World Cup, as they were utterly letdown when both teams failed to reach their expectations.

The city, in fact the entire country was divided in two groups -- one supporting Argentina, the other Brazil, as if the other teams were non-existent. Naturally both groups left no stone unturned to watch the games even if it meant missing important meetings or family gatherings.

Last Friday evening proved an example where the atmosphere was tensed at a wedding reception at MP Hostel in Sher-e-Bangla Nagar when hot favourites Argentina faced host.

Argentinean supporters kept checking their wristlet watches over and over as the time of the match was approaching.

"I was not sure if I would be able to reach home by 9 to watch the match," said Swapan, a Shantinagar resident.

"We were at the venue by 7:00 -- even before the bride arrived," he said.

When dinner was finally served, the guests who came from different parts of the city were simply gulping down the mouth-watering dishes.

Mahatab Chowdhury from Modhubagh was pacing up and down wondering if he would be able to catch a cab.

"Even if I leave now, I won't reach home before 9:30 which means I will miss the first half hour of the match" he was heard to have said anxiously though he was almost through with the meal.

Some guests were disappointed that the hosts did not arrange any television sets for them. "They should have realised how important this match is," said Lubna, an Argentinean supporter.

The atmosphere was a similar at a birthday party at the Station Officers' Mess in the Dhaka Cantonment.

Arifa Monzoor, a schoolteacher and resident of Gulshan, was desperately looking for a television set to watch the progress of the game though it was already halfway through.

Finally, she caught sight of a television set in a corner of the hall where birthday party was going on. As the area was divided by a glass partition, she glued her eyes on the television through the blinder on the glass.

With the match heading towards an unsettled end, she called her father, who was a footballer, over phone to know whether the match was likely to be played on extra time.

"Let's rush home," she shouted suddenly to her children, "We will watch the rest of the match at home."

Obviously after all the excitement, they turned numb -- their team lost. The supporters of Argentina simply could not accept the fact that the team poised to carry the cup home, had to leave the tournament at this stage.

"It was the referee who was responsible for the defeat," said Bhaswar Bannerjee, an ardent Argentinean fan.

"If he had given the foul inside the Argentine penalty box, my team would have definitely won," he added forgetting that players in his favourite team missed two goals at the penalty shoot out later in the game.

At 11:20 pm, just after the match ended, more than a hundred residents of Dilu Road, New Eskaton came out of their homes with heavy hearts, and rushed to the only teashop open at that time for tea and cigarettes, giving the shopkeeper a tough time as he was not used to serve large crowds at one go.

Those supporting Argentina were disheartened while those supporting other teams could not suppress their joy.

" It is intolerable to lose a match after playing such good football. Fourteen players (probably meaning the three referees as well) of Germany played against Argentina otherwise we would not have lost," said Kashem, another Argentinean supporter.

"The Argentinean coach does not understand football at all, otherwise how could he have kept Massey and Saviola sitting on the sidelines," said an angry Rana.

"I will disconnect cable lines in all homes in the area. If Argentina can not play, no one can watch other teams playing either," said Ibrahim a local resident, furiously.

Some German supporters also present among the crowd kept silent probably because they also felt sad to see their friends feeling low.

At this very moment, the shopkeeper ran out of cigarettes.

When a diehard Argentinean fan started shouting at the shopkeeper for not having any more cigarettes, a German supporter in the crowd offered him a cigarette from his packet. They then congratulated and consoled each other.

Naturally the Brazilian supporters were cautious in expressing their happiness. They were not sure whether their favourite team would meet the same fate the next day.

"We are very sad to see such a good team leave the tournament," said Azim, a shopkeeper in Kalabagan.

"But we are sure Ronaldo will not disappoint us," he added.

But unfortunately his words did not turn out to be true as Brazil lost to France by one goal on Saturday night.

Now it was the time for the supporters of Brazil to turn numb. All the prayers, all the good wishes, all the hopes did not fructify into a success.

"For the Bangladeshis, the World Cup is over," said a Brazil supporter after seeing his favourite team lose the match.

But then, like in all games one has to lose and one wins.