Thread: US Soccer Team Booed in LA - mexico was 'home' team

Mexico rallies for a 4-2 win over U.S. behind overwhelming support at Rose Bowl. In what other country would the visitors have home-field advantage?
Fans cheer prior to the Gold Cup Final at the Rose Bowl. The U.S. team was roundly booed as a vast majority of attendees supported Mexico, which won 4-2. "We're not booing the country, we're booing the team," one fan said. (Kelvin Kuo / US PRESSWIRE / June 25, 2011)


By Bill Plaschke

June 25, 2011, 10:15 p.m.
It was imperfectly odd. It was strangely unsettling. It was uniquely American.

On a balmy early Saturday summer evening, the U.S soccer team played for a prestigious championship in a U.S. stadium … and was smothered in boos.

Bill Plaschke

Most of these hostile visitors didn't live in another country. Most, in fact, were not visitors at all, many of them being U.S. residents whose lives are here but whose sporting souls remain elsewhere.

Welcome to another unveiling of that social portrait known as a U.S.-Mexico soccer match, streaked as always in deep colors of red, white, blue, green … and gray.

"I love this country, it has given me everything that I have, and I'm proud to be part of it," said Victor Sanchez, a 37-year-old Monrovia resident wearing a Mexico jersey. "But yet, I didn't have a choice to come here, I was born in Mexico, and that is where my heart will always be."
On a street outside the Rose Bowl before the Gold Cup final, Sanchez was hanging out near a motor home that was hosting 17 folks — 15 of whom were Mexico fans. Inside, that ratio held, there seemingly being about 80,000 Mexico fans among the announced crowd of 93,420.

This was Staples Center filled with Boston Celtics fans. This was Chavez Ravine filled with Giants jerseys. This was as weird as it was wild and, for a U.S. team that lost, 4-2, it had to be wearisome.

"Obviously … the support that Mexico has on the night like tonight makes it a home game for them," said U.S. Coach Bob Bradley, choosing his words carefully. "It's part of something we have to deal with on the night."

It wasn't just something. It was everything. I've never heard more consistent loud cheering for one team here, from the air horns to the "Ole" chants with each Mexico pass, all set to the soundtrack of a low throbbing roar that began in the parking lot about six hours before the game and continued long into the night.

Even when the U.S. scored the first two goals, the Mexico cheers stayed strong, perhaps inspiring El Tri to four consecutive goals against a U.S. team that seemed dazed and confused. Then when it ended, and the Mexican players had danced across the center of the field in giddy wonder while the U.S. players had staggered to the sidelines in disillusionment, the madness continued.

Because nobody left. Rather amazingly, the Mexico fans kept bouncing and cheering under headbands and sombreros, nobody moving an inch, the giant Rose Bowl jammed for a postgame trophy ceremony for perhaps the first time in its history.

And, yes, when the U.S. team was announced one final time, it was once again booed.

"We're not booing the country, we're booing the team," Sanchez said. "There is a big difference."

Mexico soccer fans have long since proven to be perhaps the greatest fans of any sports team that plays in this country, selling out venues from here to Texas to New Jersey, dwarfing something like Red Sox Nation, equaling any two SEC football fan bases combined.

But eventually, the rules for their unrequited love get tricky. Because eventually, Mexico ends up playing the U.S. team on U.S. soil. And then folks start wondering, as they surely did Saturday, is it really right for folks who live here to boo and jeer as if they don't?

"I know, it's strange, and when we got here, we were a little worried," said Roy Martinez, a U.S. fan who wrapped himself in an American flag and led "USA" cheers to passing cars outside the stadium before the game. "But, you know, it works."

It was truly strange but, in the end, it indeed worked, perhaps because there is pride in living in one of the only countries where it could work.

How many places are so diverse that it could fill football stadiums with folks whose roots are somewhere else? How many places offer such a freedom of speech that someone can display an American flag on their porch one day and cheer against the flag the next?

I hated it, but I loved it. I was felt as if I was in a strange place, and yet I felt right at home.

Certainly, for the U.S. team, it undoubtedly stinks. But then, well, to be honest, the team stinks.

All the misguided hopes that surrounded their advancement into the second round of the 2010 World Cup — We beat Algeria, whoopee! — have come crashing down in recent lackluster play under Bradley.

If this were any other country, Bradley would have been relieved by now. But because U.S. expectations remain sadly low, he is allowed to continue guiding a team whose mistakes and missteps led to the Mexico comeback.

Long after that comeback was complete, when the stadium was finally cleared and the party had moved to the parking lot, the Rose Bowl field contained scattered patches of blue and gold celebration glitter. It was messy, and mangled, and beautiful.

http://www.latimes.com/sports/la-sp-062 ... 114.column

It was imperfectly odd. It was strangely unsettling. It was uniquely American.

There was nothing "American" about this display! The La Raza first attitude displayed over this soccer game is indicative of the much broader La Raza first attitude transcending sports and permeating every aspect of daily life in this state with these people.

This is the same attitude that compels these people to vote for their own politician committed to furthering their interests. This is the same attitude that has all but eliminated white Americans in industries like construction, in lieu of illegal invading La Razas. What, you don’t think Americans ever worked construction before the invasion we currently find ourselves in?

Some will say it was only a soccer game! Those who are paying attention understand it’s much more than that!

It was truly strange but, in the end, it indeed worked, perhaps because there is pride in living in one of the only countries where it could work.

How many places are so diverse that it could fill football stadiums with folks whose roots are somewhere else? How many places offer such a freedom of speech that someone can display an American flag on their porch one day and cheer against the flag the next?

Who says its "working?" No country in the history of the world has been able to survive such a divided loyalty and still remain viable.

Tim Howard calls ceremony a 'disgrace'
ESPNLosAngeles.com
June 26, 2011
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Goalkeeper Tim Howard was still upset after the U.S. lost the Gold Cup final, but his strongest reaction had nothing to do with the four goals Mexico slotted in his net.

After El Tri's 4-2 victory at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, Calif., Howard blasted CONCACAF officials for conducting the title ceremony in Spanish.

"CONCACAF should be ashamed of themselves," Howard said. "I think it was a [expletive] disgrace that the entire postmatch ceremony was in Spanish. You can bet your ass that if we were in Mexico City, it wouldn't be all in English.

"But that's not why we lost the game. They've got some special players who put us in some bad situations."

In addition to crediting Mexico's talented playmakers for the victory, Howard was complimentary about the largely pro-Mexico crowd.

"It was a good crowd today," Howard said. "They were up for it, doing the wave, it was what we expected. We know it's going to be like this."

Nonetheless, Howard seemed visibly upset when officials tried to line the U.S. up for a team photo after the ceremony was conducted in Spanish.

Asked about it afterward, he said: "It never ceases to amaze me all that stuff."

Ben Spencer, a spokesman for CONCACAF, declined to comment about the situation.

After Michael Bradley and Landon Donovan scored to help the United States build a 2-0 lead, Mexico rallied behind two goals from Pablo Barrera to win its second straight Gold Cup title and sixth overall, qualifying El Tri for the 2013 FIFA Confederations Cup, a preview of the 2014 World Cup.

"It's a great crowd and it's a great atmosphere," U.S. coach Bob Bradley said. "Obviously, the support that Mexico has on a night like tonight makes it a home game for them. But it's in the Rose Bowl, and we're proud to be here, certainly we have some fans, but the overwhelming amount of support [for Mexico] is something that we expected and as a team we understand it's part of what we've got to deal with tonight.

"It still makes for a great atmosphere."

Information from ESPNLosAngeles.com's Ramona Shelburne and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

http://m.espn.go.com/wireless/story?w=1 ... OP&wjb=%27

"It's a great crowd and it's a great atmosphere," U.S. coach Bob Bradley said. "Obviously, the support that Mexico has on a night like tonight makes it a home game for them. But it's in the Rose Bowl, and we're proud to be here, certainly we have some fans, but the overwhelming amount of support [for Mexico] is something that we expected and as a team we understand it's part of what we've got to deal with tonight.

Think about what is being said here. Can you imagine this game being played in Mexico and the Mexican coach basically stating they expected the United States to have the home field advantage because of all the American fans that showed up to the game; who just also happened to be living in Mexico illegally.

Further, could you imagine the Mexican coach just brushing it off and accepting they are at a disadvantage in their home country because of the situation?

Mexico would NEVER allow this to happen!

Words cant express how livid I am about this. California should recieve 0 fed dollars and nothing that represents America should be done in that state. It should be kicked out of the union or send in American forces and take it back. One or the other

Related Thread Here
Howard seething as Mexico's fans and players prove too much

http://www.alipac.us/ftopict-241760.html