Mexico Medical Student |

Right now Mexico is playing Iran in the opening games of the FIFA World Cup. They’re playing in Germany, but you think they were playing in the soccer stadium down the street, people are yelling so loud. As I was making a late breakfast, I noticed a lot of yelling and hollering from houses behind our backyard. It wasn’t continuous, so I didn’t figure anything special. Then the yelling got more intense, and then whatever household lost it with screaming. I could have sworn I heard “GOL!” somewhere in there, and then I remembered the Mexico/Iran game was early in the schedule. Sure enough, I turned on the TV and there it was; they were continuously looping the goal that Mexico had just scored minutes earlier.

It’s hard for people in the US to wrap their heads around how intensely soccer (or fútbol, as it’s said in Spanish, “football” in all other English-speaking countries) is permeated in the culture here in Mexico and in most all Latin-American nations. In fact, the US is a worldwide oddity in that soccer is not a major sport; moreover, the US doesn’t even have a true national sport. Baseball is probably the closest thing, but there’s no international league participation that instills national spririt the way soccer exists in other countries. I never have been able to get into soccer; I’ve tried, but it’s just a lot of teasing with too little tangible action for me. At least hockey moves faster and has fights.
Just in case Mexico wins (and I wish them well, but they aren’t that strong of a team from what I hear), I think I’m going to stay inside today before the craziness ensues.

Update, 1PM: Mexico won 3-1. Glad I’m stocked with provisions.