Bags of urine?
Yes. Bags of urine. They throw them at the players and at the small group of Americans that go there. I know of at least one couple going there on their “second honeymoon”. They both referee so they’re used to the abuse.
Besides the altitude, the air in Mexico City is just awful. Low in oxygen, high in pollutants. For some reason I seem to think we might have beaten Mexico in a game in Guadalajara, but I didn’t see any mention of that.
It’s more of a one sided rivalry, though, since it’s really only the Mexicans who care about soccerball. The vast majority of Americans probaby won’t be aware the game is going on and will be instead focusing on the NCAA tournament.
Too bad, I’ll probably be watching.
The return match will be September 3 and played in the much smaller Crew Stadium in Columbus, Ohio, which is not exactly convenient for Mexican fans to get to and is fairly hard to buy tickets for.
The U.S. will only play Mexico in Southern California or Florida in a friendly and only if it wants to get a big payday.
The other U.S home qualifiers will be played in Birmingham (Guatemala), Salt Lake City (Costa Rica) and a site to be determined for the final one on December 12 against Panama. If the U.S. has not clinched a spot by then, expect the US to pick a place where it will likely be pretty cold so the Panamanians won’t enjoy the trip.
You’re entitled to your opinion but you would be wrong. Consider Ireland v. England. Ireland v. Northern Ireland in Windsor Park in 1994. Short of people getting killed in Mexico City because of the game nothing can come close to that.
Consider any match in Turkey. Consider any match in the former Yugoslavia. Consider any game involving the English National team particularly against France, Germany or Argentina. Consider a trip to ther Faroes in February or anytime in Albania.
Consider your comment to be woefully inaccurate.
I was really hoping it was an exaggeration. I mean, I know that soccer fans can be passionate, and I understand a certain amount of antagonism toward the other team and its fans, but throwing real bags of real urine is just over the line, isn’t it?
In any case, thanks for clearing that up, Shibb.
Some of the urine throwing is a byproduct of the absence of toilets in the cheap seats of many stadiums. So people bring bags to take care of their business and then once it’s full, well, why not chuck it?
I think the fans in expensive seats get hit more often than the players. I was under the impression that it was more of a class warfare deal than national animus.
“Not fair” the eternal cry of the looser.
Here in South America everyone complains about La Paz, (one of Bolivia´s capital), it’s 3000 meters above sea level and it’s almost imposible to even tie the game up there. One argentinian manager once sad “It is inhuman to even have to play there”, war almost happened 
everyone from the president down had to apologize.-
I think it was the same manager that instead of using our stars decided to use the b team and train them merciless in the Argentinan Andes. We won, (or at least we tie), the lesson is that a good team will prevail always.-
And for the complained against the mexicans fans. I can only say that they are invited to wear Argentina’s colours in the middle of londo before a match between our two countries or England’s colours in Buenos Aires
Your rivalry is only a few years old, everyone else has been playing this game for more than a hundred years.
I never complained that it’s not fair. I just see it as a challenge. The USSF (our FA) has just gotten wise to playing to one’s advantages, which is why we beat Mexico 2-0 in Columbus qualifying for the last WC. I think the game was in February and the temp was near freezing. And it was in front of a bunch of raucuous American fans instead of 100,000 Mexicans in Pasadena, California. The problem with being the land of the immigrants and a relative late comer to the beautiful game is that every qualifier we have is an away game, either actually or essentially. There’s no reason the Mexican FA should ever schedule a qualifier, at least against us, away from Azteca. It’s called home field advantage.
The general US population is ignorant of this rivalry, but die hard American fans are aware of it and have become (almost) as nasty to the Mexicans as they are to us. The bad part of this is that it sometimes manifests as racism or attracts people that would use racism as a lever. Some of the American cheers at these matches are below boards, just as the Mexicans cheering for Osama bin Laden are not appropriate. But it happens.
It’s not as crazy as England v Argentina, but then again we’ve not fought a war with Mexico for a long time. I used to travel frequently to BA and it was a strange place. I once arrived there only to find all businesses closed because you were celebrating losing the Malvinas war. I found that quite odd.
I hope we can be considered a strong enough side sometime in the near future to start some new rivalries with our friends in England, Argentina, Brazil and Germany.
Any Dopers interested in USA v England this May in Chicago, there is a USSF presale starting this Saturday. Tickets go on sale to the general public sometime the following week. If you’re not already registered with US Soccer you can probably do so now and be ready for the presalel.
The Faroes?
Ohh, bad weather, I get it.
The thing is, it’s not that people would get killed in Mexico City. It’s that as a U. S. player, you’re up against 100,000 people, the altitude, your country’s foreign policy, real or exaggerated racial slights dating back to the Gadsden purchase . . . you’ve come up with a bunch of matches that combine some of those things, but none of them offer every single danger that Mexico City provides, rolled into 2 hours of fun this weekend.
Sure, English fans may find it dangerous going abroad. But I don’t think self-inflicted hooligan behavior is something that would make winning harder for the English team. Euro football is so incredibly sheltered that players need protection from racist fans, as opposed to batteries or urine bags.
Sorry, my friend, I think a player would much rather play his WC qualifying anywhere in Europe than in some of the tropical shitholes that the US gets to play in.
The rivalry with england is older than the Malvina´s war. I won’t deny it, that nasty little war increased the rivalry a lot.
[Slightly Off Topic]
Fox Soccer Channel are showing Northern Ireland v England Tuesday night, 8 pm EST, if I’m not mistaken.
[/SOT]
Just saw in the news that Australia are going to change over to the Asian Football Confederation and leave Oceania. Which will make their qualification chances a lot more straightforward. Usually that means finishing in the top of that group with Japan, South Korea, Saudi Arabia. It should also give them some slightly better matchups on the way there. I wouldn’t write them in just yet but it’s got to greatly improve their odds. Just pending approval of FIFA and the OFC.
That was the U-23s (they got stomped). I believe our last loss to was in the last WC qaulifying.
I think over the last decade we have a winning record against Mexico.
Playing if front of hostile crowds is also good preparation for qualifying.
Oh, and don’t forget, the last time we played as Azteca, not only did we get bags of urine thrown at us, but chants of “Osama, Osama” reigned down from the 100,000 fans. Classy, I tell you…
So yeah, it gets very heated in games between both sides.
It dates back to the 1966 WC at least - with the Rattin sending off and the “animals” thing. On our side the war didn’t make a lot of difference (but then we won) but the “hand of god” certainly made matters a great deal worse.
Having said that most English fans (and the population at large) have no animus towards the Argentinians and at a football level are quite fond of certain players (Ossie Ardilles and Ricky Villa are living legends at my club - and Maradonna turned out for us in a testimonial once (Ossie’s).
If you want visceral hatred from an england crowd - you need to bring on Turkey.
owlstretchingtime you are right. 1966 was the year.
Once upon the time England was the country Argentina admire the most, one of our best friends and allies. Over the years that changed and the war didn’t help.
But still we don’t hate England, (how could you hate the birthplace of the Beatles for naming only one thing every argentinian loves).
The English team is different. We hate it. We hate it very much. I admire lots of it’s players, (except Beckham, I can’t stand him), but the team I hate.
I am not so much of a football fan, (at least for argentinian standards), but how I love when our two teams play each other and the knowledge that there is no one in both our countries from the Queen or the President downwards who is not praying to all gods in heaven for a victory.
Finally the hand of god was legitimate, but the second one, (which the english rarely mention was simply genious).
Well, I can say from personal experience that throwing bags of urine is very popular in Brazil too. Since Maracana has room for about 120 000 people for local matches (like the world famous Fla - Flu rivalry), that can add up to a lot of pee.
Also, football rivalries can become so heated that they cause conflicts to flare up into wars. :eek:
Quite right. I think that Maradonna is the greatest footballer who ever lived, and is certainly the best i ever saw in the flesh.