I was premature a bit Mod... please fix date in title thread! Ok after the game is over, those of you who were actually at the game in Azteca, please post away with your thoughts, feelings, impressions, memories, pictures, etc...
Aside from the fact that we lost, that was one of the most incredible experiences of my life. There are about a million things I should share, but I got two hours sleep last night and I need to nap, so I'll bullet point a few highlights: - Holding our flags up to the windows on the bus as it raced alongside a train full of people waving the Tri back at us. - Listening to one of the Jersey guys in the back of the bus singing the Jetsons theme en Espanol - Meeting a certain celebrity press credentialed photographer with a "CLEVELAND ROCKS" chant as he saluted us from the field before the game - Singing the Star Spangled Banner at the top of my lungs under the BabyBAF and not being able to hear anything but other people singing. - The roar when Mexico scored their first goal. Not a happy moment, but the sound was something to be appreciated nonetheless. - The comedy of seeing hundreds of Mexican fans begging a comely young lass with a Stars & Stripes bikini top to "take it off!" - The adrenaline surge when Eddie ripped the ball into the side netting. Wow. - Our section and the entire Mexican section to our left applauding each other after the game. Amazing, amazing stuff. I'll be in Azteca in 2009- will you?
Was there with my Mexican brother in law, so I had to at least TRY to curb my worst instincts... I didn't succeed.... Sung the national anthem with gusto; jumped out of my seat and high fived my brother in law in the middle of a sea of green (right next to the USA fans); noticed a lot of American-English accented Mexican fans in our section (BOOOOO); and otherwise had no problems getting in or out. I was at my in-laws in Tampico till this morning; flew in to MEX for the game at 0900; took taxi to my brother-in-law's hotel in MEX to drop his bags (mine were checked); then another taxi to stadium... Toughest part was climbing steps to get out-us old folks strain a little at 7000 feet and smog-lungs killed me for 1/2 hour after I was in the taxi to the airport. Now am at airport VIP lounge (Mexicana) after an excellent steak dinner at the airport-waiting for my flight out. No problems, outside of an occasional (booed by MEX fans) Osama chant (yes, low-class in Mexico is REALLY low class) no problems ; fans well behaved and match was fair..right team won ... Best part was the absolute silence after the USA goal.... No problems
Willl you go? Cool. How easy is it to get tickets? I am German and it sounds awfully difficult to get them. But to be fair I need to look into it more. Where in Germany will you stay? Let me know if you need tourist information.
We had a much better cheering section this time than 4 years ago. I give credit to a larger American presence and the presence of the New York, New Jersey ESC group who led the way in Korea. This time in Azteca, like 4 years ago, the American fans self selected their seat location. The fans who wanted to stand and scream and show their patriotic feelings were in the front of the section. Other US fans were in the back. The police took a lot of time relocating us 3 times. I think they made the right decision. We ended up on the goal line in the corner. We had a very good view of all three goals, including the possible offside on the first Mexican goal and the obvious penalty on the Eddie Johnson chest tackle in the box. Not that many of us were talking about it. We stood and screamed like there was no tomorrow. We were right next to a big fence that separated us from the Mexican fans just behind the goal line. This helped to minimize the projectiles thrown. I had a direct hit from a beer cup half full after the first Mexican goal, as did many of us, including Vince. The Mexicans had some kind of advanced video device in the corner and identified the bounders who were warned but not ejected. Drew Carey came over for a surprisingly long time before the start of the game and saluted us from the other side of the police infested moat and we saluted him too. There was plenty of tension during the game but no riot after the game. Metrotard got his hands on a Mexican flag at the end of time and started waving it with an American flag. This seemed to defuse an explosive situation and soon it was like a love fest with no feces or urine thrown and much good will. The incredilbe security delegation seemed relieved as American and Mexicans shook hands and exchanged jerseys thorugh the barrier. I cannot say enough about Metroflip, Leo, Metrotard, Ed and the rest of the crew from New York and New Jersey. They inspired us to great heights. I gave it everything I had. Any more and they would be shipping me back to Chicago in a box.
I´ve been to games in the US with more tension. Yes, we got doused with beer (but as far as I could tell, only after some American fans threw beer over the barrier themselves ) but really nothing happened. Azteca exploded for the goals-- but the Mexican fans seemed to be spending all their time watching the game and reacting, rather than chanting, so sometimes it was pretty quiet. We took the metro and train to the stadium and didn´t have any problems at any point. Mexico City has gotten an awful rap that might have been justified recently, but just doesn´t seem to be true anymore. There´s no reason for anyone not to come in 2009...
Of course I wasn't there, but the US fans did appear on TV (holding a big flag)when the US scored their goal. Azteca was loud, but not as loud as I thought it would be. Maybe because it was Easter. Still unfortunately, I could not hear any of the US songs and chants. They were drowned out by the Mexican fans. On another note I thought the ESPN analysts for once were not sugarcoating things. They singled out Ogebyu (I hope I spelled his name right) when he had a defensive lapse that led to a Mexican goal. They also noted that Mexico could have blown the game wide open in the second half had their crosses been better. ABC/ESPN has come a long way since the '98 WC, when some announcer (Jack Edwards?) claimed near the end of the US-Germany game that the US went "toe-to-toe" with Germany.
Good Times at Azteca. It´s weird to feel both important and bad-ass enough to have such a formal police escort when you haven´t even done anything yet. Kudos to all the fans who came dressed in full Yank gear. I tagged along the bus ride with the Screaming Eagles, and we were met by the police and escorted the whole time at Azteca. The stadium is amazing, though it didn´t get quite as full as I expected. The vast, vast majority of Mexican fans were polite, passionate and a little curious about us. I was too busy cheering to get to know many of the U.S. fans myself, but the camraderie of our little USMNT section was obvious. It was great to be a part of the chants - the ESC boys really brought the business as far as leading off many of them. Props to Leo and all the rest. The Baby Ass flag was actually great cover from the sun a few times. Drew Carey took a few photos of U.S. and we cheered for him a Cleveland Rocks chorus. Kasey Keller simply rocks. He waved to us quite a few times, and he got pissed at his defense just like we did, plus he had some amazing stops. I´m so glad we got the one goal. It was great to finally hear our cheers while everyone else was silent, plus the triumphant unfurling of the BAF to celebrate was great. We stood the whole game, but for those moments, we were jumping on the seats. No, we didn´t win this time, but it´s been such an amazing trip. I´m definitely coming back. The thing that struck me was how the Mexican fans didn´t seem all that happy with the win. More like relieved. So I think they know they escaped a little bit. Next time, I´ll be here, and I truly think we can take it.
I believe that was Phil Schoen. Worst sin of that (and of the Edwards Era as well) is that JP Dellacamera was on ESPN's payroll for years doing CL matches, and for some reason wasn't used on any major USMNT matches until recently. Now that JP does those matches, things are a lot better.
She got a lot of "face" time in local tv here. She proably the only american fan they´ll remember here.
I did not see any Americans throwing beer at the Mexican fans. The crap throwing started a few seconds after the first goal. I think it is safe to go to games in Azteca but that is because there are thousands of police and you are escorted everywhere with a double cordon of police with helmets, shields and other special gear. Take that away and it could well be a different story. Univision has a highlights video of riots after national team matches, and it is not a reenactment. Going to the game without a police escort is one thing. Getting home on your own is another. I think all of the US fans who went to the game on their own went home on ones of the 3 busses. Before the game the NY New Jersey crew told the fans to chant CORTEZ, CORTEZ if the Mexicans started the OSAMA OSAMA chant. Sure enough, the fans to the left of us started chanting OSAMA andf we chanted CORTEZ back. The Mexicans shut up immediately and had a confused and hurt look in their eyes. There was no recurrence of the OSAMA chant. More great work by the ESC boys. I agree with other posts that Azteca was not as loud or insane as in my two past visits. I am not sure why but I have a theory or two. Last time, we had perhaps 10 US fans who consistently cheered and every time we were heard during a quiet moment, the huge crowd drownded us out with jeers. Yesterday it was very different. We have maybe 60 to 100 fans who cheered all the time and it seemed we were heard. Keller waved when we did the KASEY KELLER chant and he was at least 65 yards away. The New Yorkers started many creative chants, inclduing one SILENCIO MEXICO SHH SHH, mocking the fans who were sitting on their hands. After the game the US section applauded the Mexican fans and team and the fans loved it. We did that in St. Etienne after the Turkey game and got the same positive response. One of the Mexican players, I think it was Fonseca, applauded us and we returned the applause. McBride also applauded us. When we were brought back to the busses with a double cordon, I went beyond one of the lines and started shaking hands with the many Mexicans who were waiting to see us. It was safe because the police were there. About 50 shook my hand and 20 would not, some offering obscene gestures as I offered my hand. We also apllauded the police and thanked them individually for their protection. Most of them smiled. All in all a thrilling game and experience. We will beat them in Columbus.
Ten of us took the subway and train to Azteca from downtown (Rishi, the Atlanta boys, a couple of English who were supporting us). On the train cars we starting singing and playing the drum, getting bolder further alon the trip (with how loud we were). Some Mexican fans responded with chanting, some just hissed or booed. But we didn´t get any poor treatment. Once we got to the stadium, we were on the complete opposite side of our seats. En route to the US section, we probably got on every Mexican tv station. There was someone with a REMEMBER TWIN TOWERS banner, he shoved it in our face after we did some songs for ESPN deportes just outside the security gate. When we came in with drum it gave the section a quick charge for the section was already full with SV, SE, and anyone else who took the bus over. Match and section was phenomenal. May favor moments of those three hours were our national anthem (they didn´t boo), post Lewis goal silence, applauding the supporters after the match, and shutting up Osama chants with a CORTEZ chant. I'll share more when I get back to the States tonight.
the game was an awesome experience. you could feel how nervous the mexicans until the first goal. i thought it was funny how there was one row of mexicans at the back of the US section, and they complained almost the whole game we wouldnt sit down. the crotez chant was very clever and effective. they had reports on televvisa that they were trying to break the world record for the loudest stadium, but they missed it by about 10 decibels, but it was loud but i dont think world record loud. after mexico scored and they started throwing cups at us, i just waived to them for more. i was thinking if they threw enough maybe mexico would get in trouble like costa rica did. i told every mexican that tried to taunt us after the game, that we would take a victory in the world cup over one in qualifying. i rode the metro-light train all the way to and from the game, and didnt get anything more than wierd looks. i had put my usa jersey and flag in a bag though.
In other words, you were completely and utterly wrong when you moaned that the team would not get the same fan support it got four years ago. Shocker.