Argentine dog Coco steals show with Messi-esque display of evasion

A seven-month-old dog named Coco already had walked around 30 blocks from his home in a Rosario neighborhood known as "Barrio Cafe con Leche" but showed no signs of being tired from the commute, as he came onto the field of a first-division match between Rosario Central and Tigre and stole the show by evading stadium security, players and other staff for more than two minutes.

After nearly running onto a ball played over the top into the box in the 13th minute, the match was paused as those involved tried to catch Coco. But the puppy did not want to be caught, first evading a defender just outside the box and then going on a long run across the midfield toward the center circle.

Fans in the Estadio Gigante de Arroyito began to shout "olé" each time Coco cut back to avoid a member of security staff or a player, as the commentators on Argentine TV gamely began to call the moment in the same style they call the typical soccer action.

In total, Coco led a chase for more than two minutes, with the camera at one point pulling back to show more than five agents flummoxed by the canine.

Eventually, Coco left the field of his own accord, substituting himself off, and eventually was corralled by a woman named Camila, who had seen comments on Instagram from the owner, a young woman named Julie.

"I was working and when I got back they told me that Coco had escaped, that he hadn’t come back because sometimes he goes out in the neighborhood. I went around the neighborhood to see if I could find him. It didn’t happen," Julie told local TV network Aire. "I came back to start advertising it, and then I see a close-up of a dog running on the field. I said, ‘That’s mine. There’s no chance it’s another dog.'"

In this city divided by two teams, it turns out Julie – and by association Coco – actually is a fan of Central's rival, Newell's Old Boys, the club where Rosario native Lionel Messi spent five years in the youth academy before moving to FC Barcelona.

"At first I thought, when they figure out who the owner is, they're going to kill me! He stopped the game, he ruined a play, everything," she said. "After, I started to laugh. I couldn't believe how he got past everyone."

Despite favoring the city rival, the dog's run seems to have inspired the home team, with Rosario Central scoring its opening goal shortly after Coco was on the field, though the lead slipped away in a 1-1 draw with Tigre.

Central now turns its attention to Tuesday's Copa Libertadores match against Libertad – a club whose name, meaning freedom, may serve as inspiration for Coco to make an appearance once again.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: