I don't need Donovan to make me cheer for Mexico. After watching Mexico play with heart and speed and passion against Germany, I'm all in for them. I can only wish the USMNT had half the talent, courage and passion. Bums couldn't even beat out Panama. What a joke. Vamos Mexico!!!
being first generation Mexican-American, I lean towards the US but when they are out, its Mexico all the way and sometimes your enemy can be your friend
I can't bring myself to root for Mexico. It's the equivalent to rooting for the Ducks, Trojans, Angels, 49ers, Clippers, and San Jose. Just can't... no way, it's gross.
I respect Mexico as a footballing nation but cheering for them does not come naturally. The best I can probably do is not root against them, depending on the opponent.
For me it's a bit tricky. I'm rooting for Mexico to make it out of their group because it's good for Concacaf's image and because I like pulling for underdogs. I might even pull for them to win one game in the round of 16, depending on the opponent. But in my ideal world their run will end there. No way I'm wishing them real glory while we sit at home on our thumbs. (I know, it's our own fault. Still....) Funny thing is I just had a similar "conflicted rooting" issue happen with a guy I know well and play poker with from time to time. He was doing very well in one of the World Series of Poker tournaments earlier this week. There were only eight players left (started with 700+) and this guy was chip leader. Also there was significant money involved - 1st was worth $250k, 2nd 140k and the prize money dropped off rapidly after that. Now normally I would be unreservedly cheering him on. The problem is the fellow is a bit cocky and a bit of a douche-bag. Years ago he did some underhanded stuff to try to get a game I play in shut down so his own game could thrive. But on the other hand he was our douche-bag. I was telling a friend I could pull for him to do well but he would be unbearable to be around if he won. So I said I would pull for him to get 2nd place. Guess what? Yep, my wishes were granted! Now hopefully he doesn't read this forum.
This is a great analogy. The players on the MexNT in the 1990s and early 2000s were insufferable douche-bags. However, I feel like the new generation of players, Guardado, Ochoa, the Dos Santos boys, and Vela, are all fairly likeable players. They all seem to respect the US, and treat them as a worthy opponent. When the USMNT is not playing against those guys, I have a hard time rooting against them. That said... When Rafa came on the field in the Germany match, I immediately started hoping that Germany would tie it up, and it would be his fault. I just hate that guy. As far as Donovan goes... No one who has followed his career should be in the least bit surprised by this. He genuinely likes Mexico, and the Mexican public generally love him. Remember when he coached the junior team in the MLS All-Star game? After the match was over one or two of the Mexican players started to get a picture with him and there was a mad rush from the rest of the team to get in the picture. People who say he's selling out by encouraging other to root for Mexico are just ignorant. All that said, I think his response to Boca was ill-considered. He should have kept that to a personal communication.
What everyone else said. I love reading our reasoned responses here. I appreciate everyone's positions. I was also surprised to see Landon in a Verizon ad today. Guess when the USMNT didn't supply any new stars, they went with the most well-known one! EDIT: @Ghosting agree with you about Rafa Marquez. I wish that guy would just go away. He reminds me of all the bad juju from the 2000s, and his douchebag moments with the Red Bulls. Complete and utter jerk.
Rafa nearly cost his team a goal. Couldn’t happen to a better dude. Come on South Korea. Make it a game.
Honestly, I hate to see the guy out there. The last hurrah against Germany, yes. Then sit his butt on the bench.
Like @Berks I hate Rafa because of his dirty play for the Red Bulls. Saw him break a guys collarbone (iirc) on a dirty play. Saw him get a red card for dirty play when the RB's were in the playoffs. But to be fair the jerk actually did a nice job of killing off the last few minutes of today's game. His teammates seem to be stuck on trying to force passes and dribbles through SK players and kept losing the ball. Rafa came on and used his vision to survey the field and repeatedly make the simple pass to wide open players. It's a pet peeve of mine that professionals seem to forget that simple skill when trying to kill off games.
That's because football requires critical thinking not only physical endurance. The USMNT did not play the same game that Mexico is playing and the proof is in who is watching from home and who is in Russia.
I've got no problem with Landon earning a living acting in those ridiculous adverts, money makes the world go round and if someone is willing to pay you for something and you think it's worth it? Make that money LD.
Donovan gets his first win as head coach, with SD Loyal beating FC Dallas in pre-season. Some post-game thoughts from manager @landondonovan after the first win for @SanDiegoLoyal. #USL pic.twitter.com/v7vjifNhpZ— Cesar Hernandez (@cesarhfutbol) February 2, 2020
LD, coaching a team named "Loyalty", gets his first win on the day that Jurgen Klinsmann's latest disastrous coaching tenure comes to an abrupt end? Poignant.
Looks like Hertha Berlin figured him out early. Reading articles, looks like the same old stuff. Unbelievable they hired him in the first place. Someone in the EPL probably will give him another shot. Dumb.
Klinnsman's explanation of his decision to abandon Hertha with a Facebook post - "I hardly slept at all that night and then I came marching in early yesterday morning, and I'm a type of person that can hardly be stopped. Sure, if I had spoken to a couple of people, they probably would have convinced me to keep going, to take two or three days off or whatever. I didn't have the day off that the team had and that's how it happened,'' Klinsmann said." https://www.si.com/soccer/2020/02/12/jurgen-klinsmann-resignation-defends-reasons-hertha-berlin The asshat is saying he impulsively quit on his boss and his players because they lost a couple games and he was tired/cranky. Wonder if that was how he made the decision to screw over Landon (and the US in the process)? What a "leader," right?
Wow. I actually wrote the following without that new and slightly more damning information. https://wp.me/p5ioea-2ls
Thanks, good post as always. The shyster took a big consulting fee from Toronto FC to screw them up for a bit, too.
Thanks! I'd forgotten he was doing that during their really bad period. I just assumed he wasn't that involved and MLSE were just running things badly.