"I'm very nervous because I love Argentina. It's the final. It's probably the last of Messi. So maybe it's our day. I don't know. We came across a few Spaniards but I don't look at them," said Argentine dentist Florencia Luzinin, 30.She was among thousands of blue and white-striped Argentina fans flocking to the busy tourist hubs of central Manhattan ahead of the final game over the Hudson River in New Jersey.Local enthusiasm for the tournament had fallen away after co-hosts the United States were knocked out by Belgium on July 6 and tickets for the final became the costliest in US sporting history. "I think that a reaction for people to lose interest in the World Cup when their country is eliminated is the same as any sporting event," said film festival organizer Chip Parham as he prepared to watch the clash."In any city there is a decline in interest for any sporting event that doesn't feature a local team. With the exception of the Super Bowl."A deadly Legionnaire's disease outbreak and extreme weather in the days before the final including ferocious storms, plus flooding and smoke from Canadian forest fires have also distracted many in the Big Apple. Air quality was back to normal at MetLife ahead of kick-off.But Argentine fans were out in force as they made their way to the 82,500-capacity MetLife stadium, with many gathering in the city's informal tournament hub, Times Square, rekindling the World Cup buzz.The city's Penn Station was a sea of Argentine jerseys, most emblazoned with Lionel Messi's name -- and two dogs were dressed up in the iconic blue and white strip. Spain fans swarmed around Madison Square Garden with one clutching a replica trophy.Spain supporter Alessandra Pichler, 27, said she was expecting a 3-1 victory for Spain. "I think the US has done a great job hosting all the games I've been to. I've been very impressed," she added.