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New York Times

Family, community and connection: What it means to be a fan of Mexican soccer in the U.S.

This article is part of our Finding Fútbol series, a special feature produced by The Athletic to chronicle how the U.S.'s Hispanic communities celebrate and enrich the beautiful game. It was, Alvaro Vaquero stresses, not a requirement. He willingly signed up for life as a Chivas fan — a curious decision to anyone who has followed the downs and rare ups of the Guadalajara club over the last several years. Sure, there was some gentle pressure. He certainly was influenced. But as a kid growing up in New York, he didn't have to support Chivas. Advertisement 'My dad would watch Chivas when I was a kid growing up. We'd sit down to watch the games. Back then, they used to play on Sundays at 1 o'clock. It was different then,' Vaquero recalled. 'It wasn't forced, but he would have the game on and I'd sit down and watch it with him. It was always Chivas, so I got brought into being a Chivas fan by default.' Now, Vaquero is the one doing the influencing as one of the hosts of the Chivas del Norte podcast, an independent, English-language show geared at uniting members of the flock in the U.S. He analyzes, celebrates and commiserates with English-speaking fans all over the country after nearly every Chivas men's and women's match through the podcast and in a Discord community. Vaquero still chats with his dad about what's going on with the club. The two also go to games when Chivas are in the U.S., like they were for Thursday's Leagues Cup match against the New York Red Bulls. But he now has a whole community of diehards who have stories just like his. 'We started Chivas del Norte back in 2017, and the inspiration was that we have fans in the States who want to consume content based on Chivas in English. It ended up turning into something pretty big,' he said. 'We connected a bunch of fans from one side of the country to another, West Coast to East Coast, people from Texas. They're all down to meet up, talk about the game and hang. It's cool to see how the initiative we took started up a little movement.' Chivas is well-supported throughout North America and the world, but the team has a policy of fielding only Mexican players. In recent years, it has expanded that definition to include Mexican-Americans and anyone else who qualifies as Mexican under the country's constitution. That cleared the way for players like Cade Cowell to suit up for Chivas but continue to represent the United States men's national team. 'It's different, but I like it,' Vaquero said. 'I think it expands the talent pool for Chivas and also fans here in the States can relate a little more to the team. You've got kids in Cali watching Chivas, thinking, 'It could be me!' It's good for the club.' Dylan Jimenez is a fan of Chivas' biggest rival, Club América, but a group like Chivas del Norte was exactly what he needed when he started discovering the sport during the 2010 World Cup. He was captivated by América's 2013 run to a Liga MX title, capped by goalkeeper Moises Muñoz's headed goal that forced a penalty shootout and sparked jubilant celebrations from manager Miguel Herrera on the touchline and fans throughout Mexico. It also ignited celebrations from Jimenez in his West Texas home. He was hooked. Advertisement Many U.S.-based fans of Mexican soccer are converted by their parents or grandparents, or, like Vaquero, are simply born into the tradition. In Jimenez's case, it worked the other way around. He convinced his dad to start following Mexican soccer, though his dad opted to support Santos Laguna since his family roots are in Coahuila, Santos' home state. 'I found the passion and love all on my own,' Jimenez said. 'Social media has become such a powerful thing. I don't speak Spanish very well — enough to get by and understand a lot — but that was a big barrier for me. I was following these Spanish accounts, the club PR, everything was in Spanish. I felt connected in a sense, but also felt a disconnect.' Jimenez soon found social media accounts and media outlets that cover the league for fans like himself: Mexican-Americans who grew up reading and speaking English and prefer to get their information in that language. 'Here are people who love the game and Mexican soccer like I do, and they're doing it in English! That's how I got plugged in,' he said. In 2018, he and Ivan Pineda, another U.S.-based América fan, launched the Eagle Eye Podcast to track the travails of Las Aguilas. They have built the same kind of community as Chivas del Norte's, aimed at people who may be watching games solo. Despite the popularity of Liga MX, which regularly posts TV ratings that put it atop or just off the summit of the most-watched league in the U.S., and with the Mexico jersey and various club jerseys often bestsellers, per data released by merchandise brands and retailers, following Mexican soccer still can feel like an isolated pursuit in many corners of the country. Even in a city as cosmopolitan as New York, Vaquero knows of several pubs where he can pop in and watch his chosen Premier League team, Arsenal. Ask for Chivas? 'There's no pub that's going to put on the Chivas game because it's prime college football hours or baseball, basketball,' he said. 'They're not going to give you a television at the bar to watch the Chivas game.' It's not only fans who can feel a bit isolated. Sometimes those in the game feel the same. Seattle Sounders midfielder Obed Vargas grew up in frigid Alaska, where hockey, hoops, dog mushing and fishing rule the sporting scene. 'My dad worked all day, but when he'd come home, we'd watch Mexican league games,' he said in an interview with Backheeled earlier this year. Now a Mexico international, Vargas recalls watching the club that represented his father's hometown, a team his dad played for as a youth player before making the long move north after realizing he wouldn't make it as a pro player. Advertisement 'I was a Monarcas fan,' the younger Vargas said, fondly listing off the players he rooted for, ranging from his future Sounders teammate Raul Ruidiaz and Chile international Diego Valdez to 'streets remember' icons like Rodolfo 'Pipila' Vilchis and Joaquin 'Shaggy' Martinez. 'Many people won't know who they are, but that was the team I grew up with.' That admiration for the Mexican game and its importance to his father and grandfather played a huge role in Vargas' decision to file a one-time switch and commit his national team future to El Tri rather than the U.S. Not that playing for Mexico has to mean leaving the United States. Even some Mexico fans in the U.S. express a bit of skepticism about the number of matches El Tri plays in stateside, but its five annual Mextour matches often fill stadiums. 'The fans here are fantastic. A+,' Mexico manager Javier Aguirre said this summer. 'I tell my players that whenever you come, you have a commitment to these fans. 'They'll drive for five hours from I don't know where, they spend their money, they come with their family, they pay for their tickets and the least we can return to them is to run and fight for your country.' Aguirre further emphasized that he wants El Tri supporters to identify with the playing style and the effort that the national team puts on the field. Jimenez, a TV reporter and anchor in Wichita Falls, Texas, used to use a Club América lanyard when going around town, but now has a Mexico one. He said he'll share friendly banter from U.S. supporters in the community, something that peaked during the Gold Cup final on July 6 when he displayed his Mexico jersey during a segment with another on-air personality. The community he's built with Eagle Eye has encouraged him to live out his fandom authentically — and also challenge ideas on both sides of the border about what a fan of Mexican soccer looks like. 'I'll wear the América jersey, but also a cowboy hat at the same time. I feel like it gives a unique spin on who an América fan is,' Jimenez said. 'It's helped me be myself but also show who I am as an América fan.' Advertisement That identity and belonging are what so many fans seek. As Mexican clubs look to expand their brands and win over new fans in the U.S., some have struggled to strike the right tone when it comes to making inroads with supporters in the U.S. who may be curious about Liga MX but are not already committed to a club. 'For a while, they weren't targeting any English media or fans that only spoke English, even though they still watched the team. Now, they're doing a better job,' Vaquero said. 'We're seeing the push to include more of the American fan base, which there's a huge fan base over here.' That fan base still relies largely on the cultural connections millions of Mexican-Americans retain to Mexican soccer. Even as foreign leagues and clubs open offices in the U.S. or produce content geared toward an American audience, most English-language content is still fan-created. There is a sense that, with the 2026 World Cup hosted by Mexico, the U.S. and Canada just around the corner, things may be starting to change. 'Despite the flaws Liga MX has, it's good football at the end of the day,' Jimenez said. 'It's a passion of mine, and there's an audience that — despite it being the most watched league in the United States — shows still even more people could be attracted to watch and grow it even further.' As Liga MX contests continue to put up huge TV ratings, El Tri keeps drawing big crowds and efforts to reach new types of fans grow, more and more fans may be coming to the same realization as Vaquero did all those years ago: Sure, it's voluntary to follow Mexican soccer in the U.S., but if you're not careful you may find yourself sitting down, falling in love and finding a community. The Finding Fútbol series is sponsored by Modelo. The Athletic maintains complete editorial independence. Sponsors have no control over or input into the reporting or editing process and do not review stories before publication. Spot the pattern. 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