So the bitter rivals — uh, friendly neighbors — shall meet again.
On Thursday night in Chicago, U.S. soccer beat Honduras, 2-0, and Mexico squeaked past Costa Rica in penalties, in the CONCACAF Gold Cup semi-finals. (That’s the league that joins national soccer teams for North American, Central American and Caribbean countries.) Now — surprise! — the U.S. and Mexico will face off in the final.
The match is Sunday, July 26, at Giants Stadium in New York. But the game that soccer fans on both sides of the border are already foaming at the mouth for comes next month, here in Mexico City. The red-white-and-blue and red-white-and-green meet again on Aug. 12 at the cavernous Estadio Azteca (capacity, oh, just 105,000 people), for the all-important World Cup qualifiers.
And why should you care, noble follower of baseball, basketball or U.S. football? Because soccer is the world’s sport, and because anytime the United States and Mexico — the “So far from God, so close to the United States” Mexico — confront one another on a field of play, it’s always about much, much more than the final score.
Put another way, these two squads despise each other, and as the U.S. keeps building a powerhouse reputation and Mexico keeps struggling, the stakes are only getting higher and higher.
From Sports Illustrated:
Mexico still has a large obstacle to overcome. Even though this is an inexperienced U.S. squad, El Tri hasn’t done well against any U.S. teams on American soil since 1999. Young U.S. squads took out their Mexican counterparts in 2000, ’04 and ’07. The winner of this final, however, could get a psychological boost ahead of the crucial August date. A Mexico win could give even more faith that its struggles are a thing of the past and the second half of qualifying could see a sleeping giant awaken. A U.S. victory could give the Americans an even greater mental edge on their southern neighbors, and the U.S. needs as much help as possible in that department heading to the Azteca.
Ladies and gentlemen, the FIFA qualifying match already has a trailer. (So why are these epic soccer battles still not generally broadcast in the United States?) The U.S., by the way, is the reigning CONCACAF Gold Cup champion, two tournaments running. In the 2007 final, the U.S. beat Mexico, 2-1.
Now the only question is, Which colors to wear?
* Photo above via.
Daniel Hernandez
Daniel Hernandez is a journalist and commentator based in Mexico City. His work on politics, arts, culture, and media has appeared in publications throughout the United States, Europe, and Latin America, including Flaunt, West, The New York Times T Magazine, Tu Ciudad, The ...
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Harry Balls says:
MEXICO MEXICO MEXICO MEXICO MEXICO
Harry Balls says:
MEXICO MEXICO MEXICO MEXICO MEXICO MEXICO
Tal Shahar says:
It can't be considered a rivalry if the U.S beats them every time. The U.S has won 12 out of the last 13 games in the U.S. That is domination. Most of the games in the U.S can be considered neutral games because many times there are more Mexican fans then American fans at these games. It is amazing the dominance the U.S has over Mexico. It is obvious who the better team is now. There is no debate. U.S.A is clearly better!!! U.S.A has won the last two gold cups, they beat Mexico 2-0 in the 2002 world cup, they won the last world cup qualifier easily. U.S will clearly win again tomorrow. No point in even watching the game.
Daniel Hernandez says:
Thanks for the comment, Tal! But ... Look! Mexico routed the U.S. 5 to zip!!! Yes, they were the second-string teams, but an impressive showing nonetheless. Now the Mexican squad is amped heading into the Azteca on August 12.. It's going to be a madhouse.