Tensions ahead of an always charged USA-Mexico football match this Friday have suddenly been magnified by the election of Donald Trump as America's 45th president.
Trump ran a scorched-earth campaign that openly denigrated immigrants and called for the mass deportation of Mexicans from the United States. His incendiary rhetoric – Trump called Mexican immigrants, among other things, rapists – could make for an ugly backdrop to a rivalry that has already had its fair share of nasty incidents. There is a real fear that the rhetoric Trump used could make its way into the stands and streets around the stadium, targeting Mexican fans.
American goalkeeper Tim Howard refused to answer questions on Wednesday before training, saying that he wasn’t invested in politics and didn’t vote – but added that if he had, it wouldn’t have been for Trump.
Michael Bradley was more open about the subject, though he took care with his statements. Bradley did not criticize the president-to-be, instead making a plea both for acceptance and for the American people to come together.
“I certainly think given the way everything has gone the last few months, there’s an added layer to this game,” he said. “But my general feeling is that we, as Americans, we trust our system, we respect our democracy and regardless of your beliefs and regardless of how you’ve voted, we have an obligation to come together, get behind our new president and have faith and trust that he will do what’s best for the entire country.”
That type of acceptance may take a while to take hold, as a wave of melancholy has swept the country after Tuesday night’s result. The typically vibrant “Short North” section of Columbus that houses both millennials and many members of the local LGBT community was full of quiet conversation and downcast faces on Wednesday (Columbus, in Franklin County, was won by Hillary Clinton, but areas surrounding it turned red for Trump). Chicago, home of both US Soccer and Barack Obama, was jittery, with protests and gallows humor in evidence. Whether things will change by the time Friday’s game rolls around is doubtful, especially considering the rivalry’s checkered history.
The USA-Mexico rivalry stretches back to 1934, but did not really burst into the American consciousness until the 1990s. Soccer has always been vastly more culturally important in Mexico than in the US; when the American team started to enjoy even modest success, Mexican fans began to chafe. A landmark game – a 1991 win at the Los Angeles Coliseum for the USA in a regional tournament – set a precedent that has now lasted for almost 25 years: the USA have been dominant at home, while Mexico have ruled the roost when games are played at the Azteca.
But tensions between the two teams have steadily risen over the years as both sides have clawed for supremacy in North America. Part of it is the normal sporting tension seen in rivalries across the globe. But part of it is a reflection of the fact that Mexico has long been the poorer cousin to the south, and as a global recession has taken root, Mexican emigres have become scapegoats in many American communities.
Recent USA-Mexico games have seen a ratcheting up of the pressure. Mexican fans have been criticized for booing the American national anthem at several events; racist messages and anti-Mexican signs have been seen in the American crowd. This mirrors a growing hostility between the nations – culminating in Trump’s infamous call for a wall between the nations – that has been steadily brewing.
Despite this, Howard insists that fans will enjoy the spectacle of the game and put aside politics at the gate. When asked what he expected from the US fans on Friday night, he responded with a simple: “I don’t know, they’re going to be excited for hopefully a US win.”
“It’s politics and this is football,” Howard added. “Mexico is going to try and kick our asses and we’re going to try and kick theirs. It’s got nothing to do with politics.”
Sport always tries to pretend it is apolitical. In reality, bringing together two countries that have shared a contentious history three days after the presidential election is going to produce reactions. What the American Outlaws decide to do or what the Mexican fans choose to express during the game may just be banter, but it is likely to take on charged overtones Friday.
Ironically, Trump has also been linked to this famous rivalry: in an ill-judged move, Fox Soccer released a promotional video last October ahead of a must-win playoff game between the nations that featured footage of one of Trump’s speeches. The clip was widely condemned, and Mexico had the last laugh.
Fired up by the insult, El Tri went on to upset the USA 3-2 at the Rose Bowl.
Mexico v USA: a stormy history
– Visiting American players and fans have often been pelted with objects thrown from the crowd in Mexico. Landon Donovan was hit with bags containing urine at a World Cup qualifier in Mexico City; other fans have been pelted with coins, batteries and bottles. Filmmaker Michael Whalen recalled shielding a 10-year old girl from a hail of bottles while taping a documentary on the rivalry in 2012.
– Donovan incensed Mexican fans in 2004 when local press reported he had urinated on a practice pitch in Guadalajara. (He hadn’t.) Two days later, the USA was serenaded with chants of “Osama, Osama” amid a 4-0 loss, a reference to the 9/11 terrorist attacks.
– On-field incidents have ranged from the usual poor sportsmanship to the more extreme, such as a 2007 incident in which goalkeeper Oswaldo Sanchez attempted to trip American striker Eddie Johnson as he celebrated scoring a goal. In 2009, a Mexico assistant coach slapped an American player, Frankie Hejduk, in the tunnel post-game. Most infamously, Rafa Marquez headbutted Cobi Jones during a 2002 World Cup game, and received a four-match ban.
– Howard memorably ripped into Concacaf, the region’s governing body, after a home game at the Rose Bowl had a post-game awards ceremony conducted entirely in Spanish. Said Howard at the time: “I think it was a fucking disgrace. You can bet your ass if we were in Mexico City, it wouldn’t be in English.”
– Tensions have risen in the stands as well: 32 arrests were made after the last meeting between the two teams, a one-off playoff game at the Rose Bowl. Seventeen fans were also ejected from the game for fighting during the game.
(Guardian service)
