¡ORO!
Posted on August 11, 2012 13:35
So here we are, at the end of the tournament that no one cares about. The one that was not prestigious enough to capture your or anybody else’s attention, or so we were told earlier this year.
It wasn’t meaningless for Honduras. All they managed to do was defeat one of the Gold Medal favorites and give another major heart palpitations before finally bowing out. Was it worth the trouble for them to find a new base of players for a national team in transition? I think so.
Moussa Konate scored 5 goals for Senegal and made a pretty good down payment on his future in the process. I am pretty sure he knew that the Olympics weren’t the World Cup, but still a little more prestigious than the World Football Challenge
Brazil used the Olympic tournament to solidify its base for the home team at the upcoming World Cup. Surely those writers remember Brazil, right? Those of the jogo bonito, the pentacampeão yada yada yada… had yet to win a Gold Medal in soccer at the Olympics. Gold would have been a nice confidence booster as 2014 creeps ever closer.
Or a devastating setback, depending on the result. Those who were responsible for the latter have already had a hugely successful Olympics – their most successful Olympic campaign, ever, in fact. And to win the Gold on top of that? A glorious, glorious achievement.
Quick little factoid – guess who has never lost to Brazil in a tournament final?
Aside from winning their first Olympic soccer medal ever in their history, Mexico’s Olympic campaign will be recorded as an unqualified success for more than just the Gold medal that is hanging around the players necks. True, it was the biggest win in Mexico’s soccer history. But it was a lot more than that. It has solidified a very sound foundation for the future both near and far.
It gave Mexico’s players an extended opportunity to play together and win together. Players like the central defense partnership of Diego Reyes and Hiram Mier. They worked together through the Pre-Olímpico, Toulon, and the Olympics. That’s nearly 20 matches where they can learn how to best complement each other. They stonewalled Brazil for 91 minutes today, their best effort in a series of great efforts throughout the tournament.
Oribe Peralta has been a top local league striker for a number of years, but he was a huge question mark at the international level. Peralta answered the call with massive goals vs Switzerland and Japan, the latter of which clinched Mexico’s spot in the final (and it was one of the top goals of the tournament).
And to get two more in the final, wow. The man has free meals waiting for him in restaurants all over Mexico for the rest of his life.
Now Chepo de la Torre will not have to wonder if Peralta is up to the challenge during a crucial qualifier, or a World Cup game because he’ll already know.
The other 15 players – MVPs everyone of them. The team unity was as good as I had ever seen it for a Mexico side. And Flaco? Muchas gracias, flaco. Un abrazote!
Mexico has a bright future to be sure, and the present is equally as incandescent. After the Pre-olimpico, we stated on this space that Mexico would be a legitimate medal contender, not only with the talent that they had, but who would be added to the squad. 2 of those players declined to participate while another was not allowed to participate. And in the final, Mexico was without their best player in London. In other words, Mexico wasn’t even at full strength, and they still won the Gold Medal. So how much incredulity will we get when we say that Mexico should be considered a legitimate contender to make a deep run 2 years from now in Brazil?
In the end, the Olympic tournament was terrific for CONCACAF: an Honduras that acquitted themselves extremely well, a bronze for the Canadian women, and Gold Medals for on both the men’s and women’s sides.
What I would give to be at the Angel right now.
BULLSHIT. WHY DIDN’T LONEY WRITE THIS ARTICLE?
JAJAJAJAJA
BULLSHIT IS RIGHT. VIADO.
Oro…
Mexico played beautifully. Just dominate the game. Honduras had played with great composure and intelligence, and but for a ref determined against them might well have seen Brazil out at an earlier stage.
The USA has got to come to grips with the rising quality of Concacaf, and strive with determination for a qualitative improvement in the national sides. Satisfaction with our “status quo” won’t leave much at all for us to be satisfied about.
Congratulations to Mexico. A well earned Gold.
Great for Mexico but I still can’t believe Brazil hasn’t won the Olympic Gold.
Happy to see the winners NOT make fools of themselves by wearing t-shirts that claim greatness has been found.
Tough call there. In the eyes of some, greatness is a style of play, but in the eyes of others, greatness is about winning. As long as scores are kept and awards are given out based on those scores, the scoreboard will have at least as much to say about greatness as any other factor.
Don’t think the people wearing the shirts made fools of themselves. The people who told them to put them on were the ones who made fools of them.
What in the hell are you talking about? Am I missing something? Clearly I am. Who wore shirts that said “greatness has been found”? Explanation please.
The women’s winners.
After the USWNT won the Gold, they put on shirts that said “Greatness Has Been Found”. Even if Nike gave them the shirts, it was still kinda tacky for the Olympics, especially given the controversy of the their last two matches. Atomic is one of those rare US fans to speak honestly about it.
But forget them, this is post is about Team Mexico! Congrats again–a Gold well earned! The final was good but I think the Senegal match was pretty entertaining.
My apologies to Team Mexico. This is their day after all. I should have kept the other thing out of it.
Chinga tu madre pinche gringos ardidos! VIVA MEXICO!!!!!
Odias mas a los gringos que quieres a tu pais. Que patetico.
Sad, but the first of the douchebag posts has arrived, courtesy of the goat sucker. You reveal yourself to be an insecure prick, undermine your team’s excellent achievement, and pollute an otherwise typically enjoyable and classy blog post from John Jagou. Shame on you, deshonrado.
Congratulations to Mexico for their well-earned honors at the youth and Olympic levels! I look forward to a decade of very difficult matches against an exciting, dynamic Mexico.
The Mexico/USA rivalry can only benefit, and I hope to see its influence to raise all CONCACAF boats in their efforts to match the Tri. Great stuff.
lmao at goat sucker
Good for Mexcio & Honduras!
Great article. Viva México.
Awesome performance by Mexico. As a big fan of the USMNT, I have to tip my cap off to a gold medal well earned.
I still would have loved to see the US team that thumped them 2-0 earlier this year compete in this tournamnet, but I guess that’s what qualifiers are for, and the USA screwed the pooch. The deserving teams advanced, and Mexico proved its great worth on a grand stage.
Concacaf ruled the Olympics. 3 medals out of 6. Not too shabby.
People actually want my opinion on Mexico winning?
Look, if you think I’m sitting here in the dark, helplessly despondent at the thought of Mexico winning a major title, and trembling with fear at the prospect of the US facing this potential for the next two or three World Cup cycles…you’re absolutely right.
I can show you where the light switch is
Loney is the greatest. He´s funny. Even when he´s wrong he´s hilarious. I rather see a funny article even if I disagree than boring stuff I agree with. If you want to see real shit “reporters” who are only funny in their belief that they actually act as if they matter, there´s always Bill Archer.
Grant Wahl has Mexico as one of his six favorites for World Cup 2014.
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