|
|
Canales Corner: The Rolling Tide Of Progress Creates Rivalry
Oct 20, 2010 9:37:00 PM
By Andrea Canales
"Our fans drive us," Christian "Chaco" Gimenez told me. "The Mexican fans make it clear to us that they don't ever want the club to lose to an American team."
This was years ago, in 2007, back when the wily Argentine midfielder played for Mexican club Pachuca. I'd asked him about the club's motivation to win a new tournament. Pachuca was one of the first teams to compete in the SuperLiga tournament - a competition set up between USA and Mexican clubs. Pachuca won the first-ever trophy.
Yet even as the New England Revolution became the first Major League Soccer club to lift the SuperLiga trophy a year later, the competition was dismissed by many as having little value.
It was the CONCACAF Champions League tournament that was considered a more valid test, and whether it was because their clubs were deeper, their players more experienced in an established league, or because their fervent fans pushed mightily for achievement - Mexican clubs dominated the tournament.
Real Salt Lake's win last night over Cruz Azul isn't going to change that - after all, it was just a game in group play, and both teams will advance in the tournament. It certainly wasn't the first time that an MLS team has beaten a rival from Mexico, either.
Still, there were a few notable aspects to the result. Cruz Azul was denied the top spot in the group. Looking at the frustrated face of Gimenez on television, it seemed he hadn't forgotten that cardinal rule about losing to an American club, and he certainly wasn't happy about it.
Then again, with Real Salt Lake rolling out a diverse lineup featuring Argentines, Brazilians, Colombians, Canadians and Mexican-Americans, all coalesced into an impressive unit by an intense young coach with piercing blue eyes, Gimenez may have marveled a bit at how MLS has evolved.
It's not that there aren't still some plodding teams that rely heavily on athletics more more then technical skill, but that's not the only option or even the norm in the league these days.
One aspect of Real Salt Lake's win over Cruz Azul was also the fact that the MLS club was playing many second-string reserve players.
That indicates as much as anything that the league clubs are getting over the mental block that often seemed to exist when playing teams from Mexico. The professional league down south has a longer history, and MLS players seemed to bring that bumbling little brother act whenever they competed against clubs from there.
That's where exposure in SuperLiga or previous CCL editions may have helped. Even the rivalry between the two national teams, which has seen the USA improve from some terrible years when the wins by Mexico were constant, has served as inspiration.
So what was a relatively minor group stage win may serve as notice to Mexican clubs, some of whom have considered the CCL their personal playground for a while.
There's a new kid in the game who has come to play, and who wants to leave with silverware.
Andrea Canales is Chief Editor of Goal.com North America and is trying to remember to update her Twitter account.
Visit the U.S. national team page on Goal.com for more and join Goal.com USA's Facebook fan page!
This was years ago, in 2007, back when the wily Argentine midfielder played for Mexican club Pachuca. I'd asked him about the club's motivation to win a new tournament. Pachuca was one of the first teams to compete in the SuperLiga tournament - a competition set up between USA and Mexican clubs. Pachuca won the first-ever trophy.
Yet even as the New England Revolution became the first Major League Soccer club to lift the SuperLiga trophy a year later, the competition was dismissed by many as having little value.
It was the CONCACAF Champions League tournament that was considered a more valid test, and whether it was because their clubs were deeper, their players more experienced in an established league, or because their fervent fans pushed mightily for achievement - Mexican clubs dominated the tournament.
Real Salt Lake's win last night over Cruz Azul isn't going to change that - after all, it was just a game in group play, and both teams will advance in the tournament. It certainly wasn't the first time that an MLS team has beaten a rival from Mexico, either.
Still, there were a few notable aspects to the result. Cruz Azul was denied the top spot in the group. Looking at the frustrated face of Gimenez on television, it seemed he hadn't forgotten that cardinal rule about losing to an American club, and he certainly wasn't happy about it.
Then again, with Real Salt Lake rolling out a diverse lineup featuring Argentines, Brazilians, Colombians, Canadians and Mexican-Americans, all coalesced into an impressive unit by an intense young coach with piercing blue eyes, Gimenez may have marveled a bit at how MLS has evolved.
It's not that there aren't still some plodding teams that rely heavily on athletics more more then technical skill, but that's not the only option or even the norm in the league these days.
One aspect of Real Salt Lake's win over Cruz Azul was also the fact that the MLS club was playing many second-string reserve players.
That indicates as much as anything that the league clubs are getting over the mental block that often seemed to exist when playing teams from Mexico. The professional league down south has a longer history, and MLS players seemed to bring that bumbling little brother act whenever they competed against clubs from there.
That's where exposure in SuperLiga or previous CCL editions may have helped. Even the rivalry between the two national teams, which has seen the USA improve from some terrible years when the wins by Mexico were constant, has served as inspiration.
So what was a relatively minor group stage win may serve as notice to Mexican clubs, some of whom have considered the CCL their personal playground for a while.
There's a new kid in the game who has come to play, and who wants to leave with silverware.
Andrea Canales is Chief Editor of Goal.com North America and is trying to remember to update her Twitter account.
Visit the U.S. national team page on Goal.com for more and join Goal.com USA's Facebook fan page!
Inside Goal.Com
-
RIGG: Anelka struggling against the current in Shanghai
Nicolas Anelka went against the grain when he moved to Shanghai. Now he's finding that coaching and gelling tactically is like swimming against the tide.
-
ROGERS: Bradley should command a bidding war among Serie A teams
Chievo is currently shopping the American midfielder and several Italian clubs have shown interest.
-
ISOLA: Neymar-led Brazil should be considered the 2014 WC favorite
Neymar was brilliant as Brazil easily handled the United States with early World Cup preparations officially underway.
-
LATHAM: Mexico using summer friendlies to build depth
With World Cup qualifying to begin in June, Mexico is using three U.S.-hosted friendlies to build squad depth.
-
McCARTHY: Harrisburg springs its wildest Open Cup upset to date
The City Islanders fought back from three goals down with nine minutes to play and won the game on penalty kicks in a stunning game on a wild night for the U.S. Open Cup.