Thousands of Argentine soccer fans gathered at the Obelisk in downtown Buenos Aires to applaud their team's best World Cup performance in 24 years.  The scene, unfortunately, exploded into a riot that brought on a tough police crackdown.

It started out peaceful, but quickly turned into a melee.  Cops initially stayed on the sidelines, but when some in the crowd started vandalizing the surrounding businesses, the police gave chase.  Young toughs who were already blotto responded by hurling rocks, destroying storefronts, tearing down streetlights and even breaking into a theater.  Parents with small children could be seen fleeing in fear.

Police called in reinforcements with water cannons and tear gas.  At least one person appeared to have been hit by a police projectile.  Police said 15 officers were injured and at least 40 people were arrested.

The Obelisk is where Argentine fans traditionally gather to celebrate victory.  Those happy scenes were instead held in Berlin and other German cities.