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PrintableMexico soccer team might be America's TeamIs America's team actually Mexico's team? What? It might sound a bit strange, but with the growth of the Hispanic population, the discussion about the most popular team in the United States must now include the Mexican national soccer team alongside the Dallas Cowboys or New York Yankees. Hispanics accounted for more than half of the nation's population increase between 2000 and 2010. When Mexico takes on the United States at the sold-out Rose Bowl in the Gold Cup championship at 8 tonight, the American squad will be the visitors in their own nation. Fans of the Mexican team have been filling stadiums to capacity during the North/Central American and Caribbean regional championship, which began June 5 at Cowboys Stadium. Their games have also been among the top-rated television shows during the tournament. Mexico played before 80,108 fans when it started the tournament at Cowboys Stadium with a 5-0 victory against El Salvador. Sure, the Cowboys fill up their stadium eight times a year. But Mexico didn't need linebacker Keith Brooking on the video board to pump up the crowd before the game. Mexico's fans showed up with drums and chants and produced an authentic, non-processed atmosphere. But their team's popularity extends beyond one local market. June 9: 46,012 fans stormed the heart of NASCAR country to watch Mexico defeat Cuba 5-0 at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, N.C. June 12: A sellout of 62,000 was announced at Soldier Field in Chicago as Mexico knocked off Costa Rica 4-1. June 18: 78,807 filled New Meadowlands Stadium for the quarterfinals to watch Mexico beat Guatemala 2-1. June 22: 70,627 powered up Reliant Stadium for Mexico's 2-0 semifinal victory against Honduras. The U.S. Soccer Federation and CONCACAF officials fully understand that Mexico is more popular in the United States than the home team. So the U.S. Soccer Federation schedules World Cup qualifying matches in the intimate, non-Hispanic dominant market of Columbus Crew Stadium in Ohio. But exhibitions or Gold Cup matches bring too much of a financial boon not to be played in Hispanic-heavy markets. Granted, the Cowboys' popularity helps draw several thousand fans in places such as Arizona. But will the day come when the Cowboys visit the Giants and more people cheer for the Texas team than the home team? Not a chance. But speaking of New York ... Sure, the Yankees are popular, but how exactly are they treated in Boston or other cities they visit? Well, there certainly aren't 60,000 in Los Angeles wearing pinstripes and singing songs an hour before they're scheduled to play the Angels. Mexico's popularity doesn't stop at the people who are packing the stadiums. The No. 1 primetime program Wednesday among young adults wasn't some reality show. Nope, Spanish-language Univision won the night with its coverage of the Gold Cup match between Mexico and Honduras with 10.9 million viewers. In three groups -- those 12-34, adults 18-34 and men 18-34 -- the game had more viewers than ABC, CBS and Fox combined. Among men 18-24 in the Metroplex, the game had twice the viewership of ABC, CBS, Fox and NBC combined among. Univision had similar results June 18 for its coverage of the quarterfinal between Mexico and Guatemala. So when 10 million or more tune in tonight, understand that "America's Team" isn't the one from the United States Read more: http://www.star-telegram.com/2011/06/25/3178405/mexico-soccer-team-might-be-americas.html#ixzz1QKUd5mLm | |
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USA’s Howard livid after Spanish ceremonyPASADENA, Calif. – Tempers flared at the end of Saturday’s CONCACAF Gold Cup final as the United States’ starting goalkeeper Tim Howard reacted furiously to much of the presentation ceremony being conducted in Spanish. The USA surrendered a 2-0 first-half lead against Mexico before eventually losing 4-2 at the Rose Bowl, but it was not just the defeat that annoyed the squad.
Goalkeeper Tim Howard felt he and his teammates were disrespected by the way the post-game formalities were conducted by regional federation CONCACAF – one of soccer’s most controversial governing bodies – and vented his ire as he prepared to step on to the team bus.
“CONCACAF should be ashamed of itself,” Howard told Yahoo! Sports. “I think it was an [expletive] disgrace that the entire post-match ceremony was held in Spanish. You can bet your [expletive] if we were in Mexico City it wouldn’t all be in English.”
Howard was seen gesturing angrily as the U.S. team left the field after receiving its runner-up medals, while team officials attempted to calm him down.
The Americans had already been forced to remain out in the middle of the pitch for several minutes while the victorious Mexicans celebrated their victory.
The final was held in front of a crowd of 93,420, the vast majority of whom were supporting Mexico. Howard, as opposition goalkeeper, was regularly taunted by foul-mouthed chants from the crowd as he took goal kicks from his own area, a custom in Mexican soccer.
CONCACAF media relations staff was unavailable for comment in regards to the decision to hold much of the presentation in Spanish. | |
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Dos Santos seals Mexico’s Gold Cup win with a splendid chipThe U.S. came up with two goals in the first 22 minutes of their third straight Gold Cup final against Mexico, but Mexico, who were the better team throughout, proved it by piling on four goals after that to win 4-2. Six minutes after Landon Donovan followed up Michael Bradley's goal with one of his own to put the U.S. up 2-0, Pablo Barrera began Mexico's comeback. 93,420 fans -- the most for a Gold Cup match in the U.S. -- packed the Rose Bowl for the game, with the vast majority cheering for Mexico and creating a hostile atmosphere for the U.S. even though they were the hosts. A mere four minutes after starting the second half at 2-2, Barrera scored again to give Mexico a lead they wouldn't lose and their sixth Gold Cup title -- perhaps their most bittersweet considering the five players they had sent home during the tournament for failing drug tests (which they blamed on tainted meat). And with the win, Mexico earned a place in the 2013 Confederations Cup -- a spot that went to the U.S. in 2009. It wasn't quite as bad as the U.S.'s 5-0 loss to Mexico in the last Gold Cup final, but that, of course, isn't saying much. An early injury to Steve Cherundolo, giving Bob Bradley the chance to put the panic-inducing Jonathan Bornstein into a shaky U.S. defense, didn't help at all. The terrible defending on display in the video above gives a sample size of what Tim Howard had to work with. Scoring the game's final goal with a flourish, Mexico's Gio Dos Santos controlled the ball in the box as Howard flopped around behind him before finally chipping it over Eric Lichaj's head and into the far corner of the goal. Dos Santos made a number of threatening runs throughout the match, only to come up with nothing, so for him to finish one like this was a dagger. Mexico also lost two defenders to injuries in the first half (Carlos Salcido and captain Rafa Marquez), but that didn't do anything to hurt their comeback. This marks the second time in three years that the U.S. squandered a 2-0 lead to lose a cup final (the other being in the 2009 Confederations Cup against Brazil). If you're an optimist, you could just say it's great that they're reaching cup finals. If you're not, you might find that embarrassing. And if you're just interested in Freddy Adu, you'll be happy to know that he started this game and set up the first goal and had a hand in the second after not even dressing for the group stage and playing less than 30 minutes for the U.S. in the last two years. | |
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Soccer guys got them LEGS man. | |
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