Estadio Azteca, Mexico City, Mexico… June 11th, 2017… USA played Mexico in a crucial World Cup Qualifier and I was there to take it all in on my Azteca Pilgrimage.
Growing up as a Mexican American I have always had two national teams to support and rarely did I ever have to choose between the two. As a young kid, I had no choice and no thought of ever sporting anything other than a green El Tri kit while watching matches with my familia. Although I got older and I developed a bigger sense of pride for my birth country and its national team, the USA Men’s National Team, along the way. For years now I’ve supported both nations side by side as long as they aren’t playing against each other and if they are well I awkwardly sport my red, white, and blue in my family’s sea of green. It was a whole other story on Sunday as I blended into a sea of 100,000 Mexican fans at Estadio Azteca but with a divided heart on what nation to support… like the famous Mexican-American quote says “Ni de aqui, ni de alla.” or “Not even from here, not even from there” was exactly how I felt.
Nevertheless the trip of a lifetime to Mexico for the match was more than worth it. From the second I arrived in Benito Juarez International Airport it was well-known there was a huge match that weekend as I saw many green Mexico kits as I walked through customs. My weekend proceeded quickly en route to the rivalry match at Azteca on Sunday but before hand I had the chance to see the sights and encountered several American Outlaw supporters everywhere I went. Although the rivalry between Mexico and the USA is a huge one it seems like the local “Chilangos” (Mexico City Natives) where welcoming of all the gringos coming to the Mexican capitol. Oddly enough I expected more of a hostility to American fans in their time in the capitol but I was left waiting to see what it would be like at the Azteca.
Come game day it was very interesting to see how the whole city embraced the upcoming match up with its biggest rival. Although I am extremely passionate about soccer, there is nothing cooler than having a city of millions feel the same way about an upcoming match as you do. Something you can rarely find in most American cities. But still come game day who would I feel most happy about scoring a goal? I didn’t know! The El Tri jersey was my outfit choice for the night considering I wasn’t sitting with the Outlaws and I really didn’t know how hostile the crowd would be towards me wearing a white Bobby Wood kit in a sea of green. From what I would say is a neutral perspective, it was amazing to see the rivalry in action as once the match began the real hostility came out.
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The second the American Outlaws walked into their stand there was a hoard of boos that rang out all night long. That followed any US chant that got relatively loud, that followed US warm ups, and yeah y’all get the point. Azteca was cracking up exactly what it was storied to be for the historic North American Rivalry and I am sure even more so for the Americans surrounded by hoards of armed policeman and accompanying riot shields. Something I am not sure whether is supposed to make US fans safe or even more uneasy. Furthermore, in the first minutes of the game as Bradley put the USA ahead the boos became screams as the stadium sat in shock of such an audacious goal early on from the Americans. Beer cups and probably batteries thrown at the fans and who knows maybe even bags of an unwanted liquid were thrown as many say often are. I was sitting in the middle of rivalry between two entities much bigger than me and it was all it was cracked up to be. Yes I may have celebrated both goals (the USA’s a bit quieter) but I wouldn’t change the result of a tie for anything. In the end I got to stay neutrally happy in a one all result! Plus, who doesn’t want to experience a celebration like this… (filmed by yours truly).
Carlos Vela’s goal mayhem was surely one I’ll never forget as it was borderline emotionally to be around so many people who loved the sport I do as well. The point for the US may have felt like a loss in the end for Mexico but soon as the final whistle blew the Americans sang on and the Mexicans also sang on in the rain outside… what may seem as a rivalry that separates, I see as a game that brings these people from different nations together.
Furthermore the morning of the match I had the chance to meet up with former USMNT center back Jimmy Conrad and play in his pick up game of fans and locals near the famous Estadio Azul, home of Liga MX team, Cruz Azul. Although the street soccer match consisted of many Americans who came for Jimmy’s meet up and many locals who just showed up for their normal Sunday “cascaritas” there seemed to be no rivalry on the court. We all played and spoke in passes and shots and that seemed to be one of the best things of my Azteca Pilgrimage.
Estadio Azteca, the Chilangos, and El Tri are all they are cracked up to be. Good food, good people, and good soccer although I may not know what side to support there might not be a more beautiful thing in this world than the USA vs Mexico rivalry in the Estadio Azteca.