Soccer or fútbol as it is known in Mexico, may be bigger than God. On any given Sunday, in any town in Mexico you will find men huddled around TV sets big and small cheering on their favourite team. This frequently makes Sunday a good day to cross the border into the country as we have found on more than one occasion the guards would rather watch the game than deal with our vehicle.
Growing up Mexicans usually become fans of their local team and are then committed to them for life, no matter where they move to. Rivalries between teams are fierce, but there is a new level of pride when it comes to the Mexico national football team. The country unites and cheers for El Tri (called this for it’s three coloured logo). During the 2014 FIFA World Cup you will find that the country stops during the games. Don’t even think about trying to get anything done when a game is on, especially when it is one of Mexico’s top rivals. So if you can’t beat ’em, join ’em!
The guy to cheer for: Giovani dos Santos
Despite 4 coaching changes in the last four years El Tri is now under the strict supervision of coach Miguel Herrer. He has given the guys orders that they cannot have sex for 40 days and they are not allowed to eat beef for fear of any stray hormones that may come up in drug testing (this has happened in the past). The new regime must be working as Mexico beat Cameroon last Friday 1-0 even with two controversial disallowed goals by Giovani dos Santos in the pouring rain. Next up the home team.
Here is the 2014 FIFA World Cup schedule so far for the Mexico games.
Tuesday, June 17, 2014 2:00 PM (EST) • Estádio Castelão, Fortaleza • Group A
vs 
Brazil Mexico
Monday, June 23, 3:00 PM (EST) • Arena Pernambuco, Recife • Group A
vs Croatia Mexico
Watch for Rafa Marquez, the team captain of Mexico, Tuesday as he and his team take on Brazil. Let’s cheer on Mexico!
