Mexico wins its Gold Cup opener, but 'El Tri' fans were in no celebratory mood
Dominican Republic midfielder Jean López, left, Mexico forward Raúl Jiménez battle for the ball during a CONCACAF Gold Cup match at SoFi Stadium on Saturday. (Mark J. Terrill / Associated Press)
They played a soccer game at SoFi Stadium on Saturday.
Not that many people really cared.
Mexico won, beating the Dominican Republic 3-2 in the first game of the month-long CONCACAF Gold Cup. Yet even the team's biggest fans found it hard to celebrate given what was going on just a dozen miles away, where hundreds of people protested in front of police, national guard troops and U.S. Marines during the eighth day of protests over federal immigration raids aimed at the Latino community.
Advertisement
'When the Mexican team plays, it's a celebration, right? But no, it wasn't,' said El Coronel, the nom de guerre of the leader of Pancho Villa's Army, the Mexican national team's largest supporter group in the U.S. — a group started by Sergio Tristan, a Texas attorney and national guard colonel who spent 30 months on the front lines in Iraq as a U.S. Army infantryman.
Fans cheer for Mexico before its CONCACAF Gold Cup soccer match against the Dominican Republic at SoFi Stadium on Saturday.
(Wally Skalij / Associated Press)
They couldn't celebrate because many in Southern California's Latino community — citizens and immigrants, documented and not — were being targeted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) agents. So they stayed away from Saturday's game, believing it would be a target-rich environment for ICE.
In response, Pancho Villa's Army confined its band to their barracks and canceled its traditionally joyful pregame tailgate party Saturday. Cielto Lindo and Patrones de México, the national team's two other major supporters' group in the U.S., did the same.
Advertisement
'We don't feel right celebrating with music and food [when] our brothers and sisters and cousins and mothers are all suffering from what's happening,' said El Coronel, who attended the game as a civilian, wearing a blue hoodie rather than a national team jersey. 'While others are suffering, it just doesn't seem right.'
Last week the Department of Homeland Security announced on social media that federal agents would provide security for the FIFA Club World Cup, which also kicked off Saturday in South Florida, raising concerns that fans attending soccer matches could be targeted in immigration sweeps. The security presence at SoFi Stadium was normal, however, visibly limited to uniformed police officers and the ubiquitous yellow-clad workers from Contemporary Services Corp., a private company.
Read more: Hernández: Cowardly Dodgers remain silent as ICE raids terrorize their fans
'Everything,' El Coronel said, heaving a sigh of relief 'is calm.'
Advertisement
But fears over what could happen left most of SoFi's top deck empty and the lower bowl just half filled. Mexico's last three games at SoFi drew an average attendance of more than 64,000; Saturday's drew an often-subdued crowd announced at 54,309.
Carmen Garcia of El Monte came, but reluctantly. She bought a $350 VIP ticket a month ago but had second thoughts once the ICE raids began.
'I tried to get a refund,' she said in Spanish. 'They said no. So we are here, but we are not happy.'
One of those who didn't enter was Daniel Fuentes of Los Angeles, who instead gathered with a group of anti-ICE protesters across the street from the stadium a couple of hours before the game.
Advertisement
'I am a soccer fan but today we are not for soccer,' he said in Spanish. 'It is not fair what Donald Trump is doing, lifting up our working people saying they are criminals and it is not so.
'They are raging against us Latinos, saying we are the worst.'
Fans tailgate in the SoFi Stadium parking lot before a CONCACAF Gold Cup match between Mexico and the Dominican Republic on Saturday.
(Wally Skalij / Associated Press)
The Mexican soccer federation generates about a third of its annual income in the U.S. through matchday income, TV rights and sponsorship deals driven by the large Mexican and Mexican-American fan base in the country. The team's U.S. tour ahead of the 2022 World Cup, for example, reportedly generated $31 million.
But while those fans have long backed the team, given the chance to return the favor, the team decided to stay silent. The media were told coach Javier Aguirre — the Mexican-born son of Spanish immigrants — and his players would only answer questions about soccer.
Advertisement
Mexico, the reigning Gold Cup champion, started slowly in opening its defense of its title in the biennial 16-team tournament. The Dominican Republic, ranked 139th in the world and playing in the confederation championship for the first time, frustrated 'El Tri' for most of the first half before an Edson Alvarez header put Mexico ahead to stay a minute before the intermission.
Raúl Jiménez brought the crowd out of its stupor less than two minutes into the second half, chasing a through ball from Santiago Giménez into the penalty area, then finishing with his right foot from the edge of the six-yard box to double the lead.
Read more: Big turnouts for 'No Kings' day, more ICE immigration raids and L.A. police fire rubber bullets at protesters
Peter González halved the deficit for the Dominican Republic in the 51st minute before Mexico's César Montes and the Dominican's Edison Azcona traded scores 14 minutes apart.
Advertisement
Montes' goal came first, on a header that ricocheted off a couple of players before one-hopping its way just inside the left goalpost in the 53rd minute.
Azcona answered with a right-footed shot from the left wing that bounced off a pair of Mexican defenders and over goalkeeper Luis Malagon.
The teams move on to Arlington, Texas, for their second group-play games Wednesday, with Mexico facing Suriname and the Dominican Republic playing Costa Rica. The U.S. opened its Gold Cup schedule Sunday in San José against Trinidad and Tobago.
Staff writer Eduard Cauich contributed to this story.
Get the best, most interesting and strangest stories of the day from the L.A. sports scene and beyond from our newsletter The Sports Report.
This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
19 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Shohei Ohtani hits 2 HR, Clayton Kershaw pitches 7 scoreless innings as Dodgers regain 1st place over Giants
Shohei Ohtani hit two home runs, while Clayton Kershaw pitched seven scoreless innings to lead the Los Angeles Dodgers back into first place atop the National League West with an 11-5 win over the San Francisco Giants on Saturday. Ohtani put the Dodgers on the board first with a leadoff homer off Landen Roupp, who left a 91 mph cutter up high in the strike zone. Roupp caused more trouble for himself in the second inning, walking Teoscar Hernández and Max Muncy on five pitches apiece. Both runners came around to score on an Andy Pages single and Michael Conforto double. Advertisement With two runners on and one out, Roupp intentionally walked Ohtani but then left a sinker in the middle of the zone for Mookie Betts to smack for a two-run double. The Giants starter lasted 1 2/3 innings, allowing six runs on four hits, five walks and no strikeouts. Ohtani added his second home run in the sixth, pulling a high, outside curveball from reliever Tristan Beck over the fence in right-center field. That was the 250th home run of Ohtani's spectacular eight-year MLB career, 79 of which have been in less than two seasons with the Dodgers. Surprisingly, Ohtani hadn't hit a home run in his past 10 games before. That may have made him press a bit, compelling him to chase pitches he normally might have held back on, according to Dodgers manager Dave Roberts. "I think it seemed like a while," Roberts said, via "I think that there was a lot of chase down below in the last 10 days. Tonight, he got the ball, used the big part of the field and put some good swings together." Advertisement Perhaps even more encouraging for the Dodgers was Kershaw's best start since returning to the rotation on May 17. Making his sixth appearance on the season, the veteran left-hander allowed only three hits and one walk with five strikeouts in seven innings. In his past two starts, Kershaw has given up one run in 12 innings, striking out 12 batters and walking only one. "In the moment, I can think of some pitches outside myhead that I'd like to have back, that I'd like to throw better," Kershaw said after the game. But there's no restrictions physically, health-wise, which is great." Saturday's start dropped Kershaw's ERA to 3.25 for the season, though he's striking out 6.5 batters per nine innings, which would be the lowest rate of his career. However, he's also 12 strikeouts away from reaching 3,000 for his career. "Maybe by September I'll get there, we'll see," Kershaw said, via "It's obviously a very cool thing and it's starting to get a little more on the forefront of the mind, but who knows how long 12 could take me at this point? It might be until August, so we'll see.' Advertisement Only 19 other pitchers have hit and surpassed that mark in MLB history, including two other active pitchers, Max Scherzer and Justin Verlander. With Saturday's win, the Dodgers regained a one-game lead to lead the NL West at 42-29, just ahead of the Giants at 41-30. Dustin May starts for Los Angeles in the series finale on Sunday night, while Kyle Harrison gets the nod for San Francisco.
Fox News
25 minutes ago
- Fox News
Former US soccer star reveals the 'biggest issue' threatening America's World Cup dreams
Former USMNT player Stu Holden identified one big issue the team needs to figure out before the World Cup begins next year. Holden, 39, said the team needs to figure out which players will be on the field. "I think the biggest issue for the USMNT is to figure out who are the 11 guys who are going to step out on that field on June 12, 2026, that can inspire people and get results. There has not been anything in two years since the World Cup in Qatar that has made me feel that we have taken any strides forward," Holden told Fox News Digital. "I think that is the goal with developing and the amount of investment we have put into the game in this country is that I haven't seen anything that makes me think we are going to do anything that we haven't done before." "It is about this group of players, not just making us believe, but making themselves believe but making themselves believe by getting some results and building some momentum heading into that moment. So that when they step out on that field, they know they can get the job done." In the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, the United States were knocked out in the Round of 16. One of the tournaments USMNT has to determine their starting 11 players for the World Cup is the Gold Cup. However, USMNT's best player, Christian Pulisic, is not playing in the Gold Cup, which Holden said is a big deal. "I think it's a big deal, because I think anytime the United States national team is playing I want the best 23, 11, whatever it is, American players playing on those fields in those moments. And I also want players that are excited to play and represent their national team in every moment," Holden said. "And it is not just a, 'Eh, maybe I will come in this time.' So, I think that is what we are missing. He is our best player and I want to see our best player on the field. And when he is on the field, it sets the tone and makes other people want to be a part of it as well. It is instrumental in building a culture and that is what I think this team right now is really lacking." Pulisic will be back with USMNT for the World Cup, but Holden has one player that fans should look out for other than Pulisic. "I think Weston Mckennie is a player that always excites me because he just has some really raw talent. He is an excellent athlete but he is also just a gamer. In some of the biggest moments he turns up with a goal," Holden said. "My hope is he's a guy who takes and shoulders some of that responsibility for the World Cup next year and be a guy who can really create some moments. We can't just have one good player, we need to have four to five of our top players playing at their absolute maximum for this team to do something special." Holden played for the USMNT from 2008-2013 and the midfielder scored three goals in his tenure. The 39-year-old is currently a soccer analyst for Fox Sports and is excited for the world to see the soccer culture that the United States has built. "I am excited, as a guy who lives in L.A. now and has for ten years, for people to come and visit L.A. and see the soccer culture that we built here. I think back to the final that we built here in 1994 (when the World Cup was last in the United States)," Holden said. "The other part I am excited for is, I have two young kids, and I can't wait to take them to games in our own backyard, and let them see the best players, the biggest teams, and experience that, because that is how we inspire the next generation of people. So, I am excited about those fans that will be inspired to be a part of our game going forward." Follow Fox News Digital's sports coverage on X, and subscribe to the Fox News Sports Huddle newsletter.
Yahoo
29 minutes ago
- Yahoo
Rams proud of Stetson Bennett's growth, but he still has a long way to go
Los Angeles Rams quarterback Stetson Bennett is entering his third season in the NFL. Bennett, a former Georgia Bulldog, has improved, but is a long way away from starting for the Rams. The former two-time national champion quarterback is the Rams' No. 3 quarterback behind starter Matthew Stafford and veteran backup Jimmy Garoppolo. Bennett has yet to attempt a pass in his NFL career, but appears to be set as Los Angeles' third-string quarterback. The Rams don't have a fourth-string quarterback competing with Bennett, who is expected to maintain his role on the practice squad. Advertisement Despite no significant change in his role, the Rams like where Bennett is entering his third season in the NFL. 'A ton of growth, particularly from two years ago,' Rams offensive coordinator Mike LaFleur said regarding Bennett. 'A lot of credit to him, working on what he needed to work on to get himself into this situation. But a ton of credit that (quarterbacks coach) Dave (Ragone) too and I'll say even Jimmy and Matthew. I think they've done a great job of just putting arm around him, mentoring him. What awesome two quarterbacks to learn from that have won a crap ton of games in this league. Proud would be the wrong word but for lack of a better term, proud of where he's at and he's just continuing to go.' Bennett is entering a critical phase in his NFL career. He continues to need to exhibit improvement in order to remain the Rams' third-string quarterback. He typically gets a lot of action in the preseason, so that will serve as a big opportunity for him. Matthew Stafford is 37 years old, so the Rams are hoping to develop a quarterback that can take over once he retires. With Jimmy Garoppolo also being 33 years old, Bennett is the Rams' top quarterback of the future option on the Rams' roster. However, NFL teams expect a lot out of their starting quarterbacks, so Bennett, who is 27 years old, will have to continue proving himself in order to ever get a chance to compete for the starting role in Los Angeles (or with any NFL team). Los Angeles Rams quarterback Stetson Bennett (13) throws the ball What next for Bennett? OTAs are complete, but Los Angeles has mandatory minicamp from June 16-18. Bennett will look to get more opportunities at that. Advertisement 'He needs to play just football, right?' LaFleur added. 'We're out here again. We're out playing flag football in shorts right now but I know this: He's going about his process in a professional way each and every day to give himself the best chance when he inevitably gets his ops (opportunities) in August in the preseason.' Bennett is looking to make the most of his opportunities ahead of the preseason. Last year, Bennett attempted the second-most passes (69) and recorded the second-most passing yards (437) of any quarterback in the preseason. However, Bennett threw five interceptions, which was the most (tied) of any quarterback during the preseason. If Bennett wants a chance to start or consistently serve as a second-string quarterback in the NFL, then he needs to limit turnovers. This article originally appeared on UGA Wire: What's next for former Georgia QB Stetson Bennett?
