Slim, Mexico’s biggest broadcaster take fight to soccer field

Associated Press, 5/19/2013

Mexicans often feel that billionaire Carlos Slim owns everything in their country, from telephone and Internet companies to banks and chain stores, but his latest acquisitive foray is meeting resistance after touching a national passion: soccer. Slim recently bought part of two of Mexico’s first division soccer teams, setting up another showdown with television giants Televisa and TV Azteca, major players in the soccer field that are in turn trying to push their way into Slim’s telecommunications and Internet markets.

The owners of the 18 Mexican first division clubs are scheduled to meet Monday to decide whether one person or one company can own more than one first-division soccer team, and many see Slim as the target. Each team has one vote in decisions by the Mexican Football Federation, so purchasing more teams would give Slim more power in the federation. Recently, there have been rumors in sporting circles and on social networks that Slim also plans to buy or acquire the broadcast rights for Chivas, one of Mexico’s two most popular teams, along with Televisa’s America. The billionaire’s spokesmen have denied that.

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U.S ties Mexico, 0-0, in World Cup qualifier — and U.S. is happy

Los Angeles Times, 3/26/2013

Officially the game ended in a tie. But try telling that to the U.S. and Mexico, which fought to a scoreless draw in a World Cup qualifying match that left both teams heading in different directions. For the U.S., Tuesday’s result felt like a win — especially since it came at a sold-out Estadio Azteca, a place where the Americans have never won a World Cup qualifier. Plus it leaves the U.S. in third place three games into the six-nation, 10-game qualifying tournament for Brazil 2014.

For Mexico, meanwhile, the tie was as humiliating as a loss. El Tri has played two World Cup qualifiers in Azteca in the last two months and not only is it still looking for its first win, it’s still looking for its first goal — this despite the fact it outshot the U.S., 17-1. So for the second time in as many months, Mexico’s fans booed their team off the field after it fell to fifth in a qualifying tournament in which only three teams are guaranteed berths in Brazil.

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Mexico beats USA in U-20s final

Fox Sports, 3/4/2013

Mexico claimed the CONCACAF U-20 Championship with a 3-1 victory over the United States in extra time on Sunday night. Jesus Corona provided a glimpse into the thrilling affair to come by opening the scoring after four minutes. Benji Joya equalized for the Americans from the spot in the 10th minute to restore parity.

The two teams battled through the remainder of regular time on essentially level terms, but Mexico took control of the match over the fatigued Americans in extra time. Julio Gomez scored the winner with a wonderful bicycle kick in 100th minute before Jorge Espericueta sealed the triumph from the spot seven minutes from the end.

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Mexico U-23s named best team of 2012 by Prensa Latina survey

Yahoo sports, 12/26/2012

The Prensa Latina survey has named Mexico’s Under-23 national team its Team of the Year for 2012. The Mexican Olympic team shocked many outside the area by winning the gold medal at the Summer Olympics in London, going undefeated and ultimately knocking off Brazil, 2-1, in the final. The Prensa Latina survey, carried out by the Cuban news agency, names the best team and individual athlete each year from the Latin American and Caribbean regions.

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US Beats Mexico for First Time…in Mexico

Fox News Latino, 8/16/12

It’s been 75 years of frustration, defeats and close calls, but the U.S.  men’s soccer team finally beat Mexico on their home turf Wednesday  night.

Dominated for most of the night at one of soccer’s most intimidating venues,  the Americans beat the Olympic champions 1-0 in an exhibition behind Michael  Orozco Fiscal’s goal in the 80th minute and Tim Howard’s late sprawling  saves.

“The goal was for the U.S. fans and the whole U.S. We made history,” said  Orozco Fiscal, a 26-year-old defender from Orange, Calif., whose parents were  born in Mexico.

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In Mexico-U.S. Rivalry, the Edge Heads South

The New York Times, 8/14/12

The United States has been playing Mexico in soccer since 1934 but has yet to win a game on Mexican soil. The Americans’ overall record there is 0-23-1, with Game No. 25 set for Wednesday night, when a United States team with many novices and hopefuls will take on Mexico’s national team at Estadio Azteca in Mexico City…

Last weekend, Mexico defeated Brazil to win the gold medal in men’s soccer at the London Games. Mexico has won the past two Gold Cup tournaments and will represent Concacaf at next year’s FIFA Confederations Cup in Brazil, one year before that country hosts the World Cup…

“There is a gap,” the American coach, Jurgen Klinsmann, said during a telephone conference call Sunday. “It would be foolish not to recognize that. If one team doesn’t qualify for the Olympics and the other team wins the Olympics, there is a gap. On the senior level, they’ve done well over the last two years, too. You’ve got to give them compliments for that.”

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Mexico 4, Brazil 2

The Economist, 8/11/12

CONGRATULATIONS are due to Mexico, which on August 11th won its first gold medal in the London Olympics, beating Brazil in the men’s football final. After 93 frantic minutes, the final score was 2-1 to Mexico. Mass celebrations followed in Mexico City.

This blog’s headline isn’t a misprint, but a reference to the score in a longer-term competition: economic growth. In recent years Brazil has outplayed Mexico, growing at 6% or more as Mexico bumped along in the slow lane. But lately that has changed. Last year Mexico grew by 4% and Brazil by 2.7%. This year Mexico is expected to get close to 4% again, whereas some economists reckon that Brazil’s rate could dip below 2%. A recent report by Nomura predicted that Mexico’s economy, currently half the size of Brazil’s, could end up the bigger of the two within the next decade.

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Mexico celebrating surprising gold after top contenders falter in men’s Olympic soccer

The Washington Post, 8/12/12

Mexico is headed home with the gold medal for men’s soccer after coming to the London Games with a team few expected to win it all. It jumped on favored Brazil just 29 seconds into Saturday’s final for the fastest Olympic goal in 36 years, and went on to a 2-1 victory…

Mexico arrived at the Olympics with an outside shot at the title, with Brazil, Spain, Uruguay and Britain expected to fight for the gold. But the Mexicans had been playing together for a few years, and it showed during the run to the title — a championship that shows the national team has a promising future.

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Which international soccer team to play for can be difficult choice for players from immigrant families

The Washington Post, 12/23/11

Junior Flores has never been to El Salvador. When asked, however, he says it’s where he’s from. Born in Los Angeles to Salvadoran parents and raised in Manassas Park, Flores, 15, deals with issues of ethnic identity common to many children in immigrant families.

The difference for Flores is that he is an elite soccer talent with the potential to compete at an international level. Such status can force athletes to confront questions of ethnic and national identity at an early age, often by making very public declarations: In international competitions, do they play for the country they were born and raised in, or for the country of their parents?

For Flores, it’s a choice that could loom on the horizon. This fall he was invited to join the U.S. soccer development academy in Bradenton, Fla., and earlier this month, he was considered by many to be the under-17 national team’s top player during the Nike International Friendlies. He has also been courted by the Salvadoran national federation, which invited him to training when the senior team was in Washington for a CONCACAF Gold Cup match in June.

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Mexico football match abandoned after gunfire

BBC, 8/21/11

A first division football match in Mexico was abandoned because of a gun battle just outside the stadium.

Players from Santos Laguna and Monarcas Morelia ran to the dressing rooms and fans dived for cover as shots rang out in the northern city of Torreon.

The players were in the 40th minute of their scoreless match on Saturday when pandemonium broke out.

Gunmen had opened fire on members of the security forces at a checkpoint, injuring one policeman.

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