El Mundial

I'm not a soccer fan. Never have been. Course keeping with that theme, the only sport I really got into was football, and even then only with my college team. Thanks to the World Cup, I got a chance to re-consider my love for soccer. Despite my painful, childhood experiences with being extremely clumsy with a soccer ball, I realize that watching soccer isn't painful at all... unless you count how emotionally painful it is when your team loses in a gut-wrenching match... which I don't... cause a soccer ball to the face is MUCH more painful.

Anyway, after being in Mexico for a year and a half and listening to the on-going commentary about the World Cup, I caved and watched my first match... Mexico vs Brazil. Okay, I mostly caved cause it was during work hours, and no joke, EVERYBODY stops working and goes into rooms with projectors/TVs/computers to watch the game. Yes, that's right. Work stopped for two hours to watch the match. I have to say, I thoroughly enjoyed it. The game was a tight one and ended in a tie, but still there was barely time to breathe and OCHOA (the Mexican team's goalie). He's possibly my new idol. It was a game that left me breathless even though I wasn't moving at all. The tension in a room full of Mexicans is also an amazing experience. I think I can safely say that Mexicans know how to watch a game better than most.

I faithfully watched the next game in which Mexico won against Croatia. That was a great game. Nothing like a GOOOOOOAAAAAALLLLLL and a bunch of screaming co-workers in a conference room to get you motivated to get back to work. Also, who else has a coach that celebrates like this? And when the game is in pause, you get delightful images of amazing Mexican fans like the following:

 

 

 

You can't deny that Mexicans know how to party and show their Mexican pride.

Today I watched Mexico's heartbreaking loss to the Netherlands. Everything seemed to be going amazingly well for Mexico. It seemed in the bag. Then everything came crashing down in the last 6 minutes of the game. I was literally on the edge of my seat the whole game. Then all of the sudden I was buried in the deepest recesses of that same chair with no ability to get up as the depressing truth crushed me into not being able to move from my seat for a full ten minutes after the game was over (with the exception of running to the bathroom... hey... it was a long game and I drink when I'm nervous...). Anyway, it was a rough blow, but it cemented the fact that I will never lose the opportunity to watch the World Cup with a bunch of Mexicans in the future ever again.

Despite the sad news that Mexico is out, I've gained a new love for soccer and a new love for Mexico. I'm not sure who I would root for if it came to a game in which Mexico was playing against the US. Sorry my fellow Americans... but I would probably root for Mexico... they're more fun that way. ;-)

Que viva Mexico!