Gold Cup begins July 7 in Chicago

The 2015 Gold Cup will kick off July 7 in Dallas with host team US facing off against a yet to be determined opponent.  The USMNT's other Group A games (and the other pairings from the group) will be July 10 in Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, MA and July 13 in Kansas City.  While all of the teams participating are (basically*) known (*Honduras has to beat French Guyana in a playoff for the last spot), only the group number one seeds and their sites have been determined, with Mexico set to lead Group C and play July 9 in Chicago's Soldier Field, July 12 in Phoenix and July 15 in Charlotte.  Costa Rica is set to lead Group B and play July 8 at the Stub Hub Center in LA, July 11 in Houston and play the first ever Gold Cup game in Toronto, Canada July 14 (I have a feeling that Canada might "sneak" into this group somehow also).  The full groups will be drawn, and subsequent schedule fully set, sometime in January. The other seven teams set to compete (from qualifying in either the Carribean or Centroamercian tournaments) are Guatemala, Panama, El Salvador, Cuba, Jamaica, Haiti, and Trinidad & Tobago.  Go to concacaf.com for more info and I will update as more is released.

As it stands, we are contemplating a Chicago-Phoenix-Kansas City triangle to catch two Mexico and one USA game...

Terror and Intrigue-Taxis in Brasil

Errrrrrrrcccchhhhhkkk! “Oh my God!!!!” I hear and think at the same time, fingernails digging into my forearm and holding me down to my seat, visions of mom and grandma’s arms smacking me backwards as we brakeswerveslideaccelerate around the other car.  I can almost touch the metallic blue paint through the window and see the other driver’s totally unstartled face as clear as day.  We have all had (hopefully only a few) of the above described near-miss accidents as a driver or passenger, where for some reason everything is suddenly stopped in front of us and we barely swerve in time to narrowly avoid a possibly horrific collision.

However, this is a typical scene and a regular occurrence throughout any given cab ride in Brazil.  I am grateful and simply stunned that we weren’t in more than one fender bender. Public transportation was not great in general and we were usually told that taxis were generally the best, “safest” option over buses and limited metros.  The best quote over the entire World Cup I saw on Twitter was (I wish I could find original tweet) along the lines of: “After this trip, the top ten most harrowing cab rides of my life will have all been in Brazil.”  I am in total agreement, despite some crazy cab rides in London, Madrid, Barcelona, Rome, Berlin, New York, Chicago.  Making any ride worse in Brazil is that motorcycles and scooters (not to mention pedestrian peddlers) can use the in between space and weave in and out of traffic as they please and you are often looking directly at one right next to you as it squeezes between two cars that are almost touching.  While there was a huge police presence everywhere, especially Rio, they were not there to enforce any type of traffic safety-police motorcycles were some of the most dangerous with or without sirens going.

In Salvador, it cost generally 65 or 70 reais to go across town in what all seemed to be “hurried” taxi trips and had us, and many other travelers we talked to, on the edge of our seats, often with eyes closed.  I usually just tried to focus at the city “scenery” as we drove by, not how fast it was flashing and jerking by.  However, there was one dude who got us from the far side of town back to our hotel for only about 50 reais (that’s at a minimum 15% less than any of the other cab rides).  I am not sure if this was better or worse; although it was still indeed terrorizing and harrowing, the 50 reais driver knew exactly where he was going and we somehow felt reasonably assured in his “control”, coming after many other less competent cabbies and even scarier rides before him, including the minor fender bender.

Recife really wasn’t that bad taxi-wise, as far as I can remember, and our trips were generally much shorter, usually only to the mall area.  Fortunately, although the city hadn’t completed the metro or bus lines that were supposed to go all the way out to the new stadium, they had implemented had a fabulous, truly efficient bus system to take game attendees to and from the stadium from a large shopping center and mall. So, we didn’t have to rely on cabs nearly as much in the eight days in this city.  However, I can only suppose that if I didn’t have Salvador and Rio to compare it to, the cab rides here would have been able to make the top ten.

Rio de Janiero is a crazy city, with crazy winding criss-crossing roads, either very wide with an indeterminable number of lanes, or very narrow and somewhat determinable ~two or three usually~ lanes. Not to mention the fact that many cab drivers have no idea where they are going and think that you are so stupid and Portuguese-limited that you can’t understand them calling someone to ask “onde fica” (“where is”)? Or sometimes one will just stop every few blocks and to ask another cabby or a local before blasting off in the pointed direction.  While Brazilians and Caricoas (locals from Rio) are generally relaxed, laid back and not concerned with speed at all, the taxi drivers were always on a mission to arrive as quickly as possible.  It was always a relief to arrive safely at any destination.  When we ate at a cool trendy restaurant in the Santa Teresa neighborhood the host told us it was difficult to call taxis all the way up so they instead provided a slightly more expensive private service, we were psyched for a set price, no rush drive through the city in a really nice luxury sedan.

Recife, parte 2

    In between the three games we attended, since we were there for nine days, we did some touring of Recife and the surrounding area.  Frankly, the city itself does not have a lot to offer, without much historical significance or geographical points of interest.  The beach was right across the street from our hotel and it did have an almost eight kilometer promenade walkway we utilized numerous mornings. Recife actually began as a port for nearby Olinda, but just grew into a big city without a ton of culture. 

      We had a couple of beach days when it was sunny.  The beaches here are pretty expansive and the sand is pretty soft.  Unfortunately, the surf is rough and this is the place that warns of sharks.  Although there are some protected pools during high tide, we never really ventured in the water.  Instead, when we weren’t just walking up and down, we rented chairs, read, watched local kids play soccer and just relaxed.  I tried a bowl of fresh shrimp with lime from some guy carrying a huge bowl up and down the beach-they were a little hard to peel but worth the effort. 

         Since we didn’t always want to just eat downstairs at Maxime’s (and we did more often than not, especially if there was a game we wanted to watch), we asked for other nearby options.  The young man at the desk, who had just moved back to Brasil from the US, suggested a place just down the street, emphasizing that it didn’t look like much but was considered some of the best seafood around.  Indeed the delicious moqueca (fish and shrimp stew) was amazing.  It was served with a salsa that smelled so hot that my craziest Mexicano friends might not been able to handle it and we had to keep it on the other side of the table.

He also recommended the local churrascarria, or I as like to call them, “meat-arias”.  The general idea is an all-you-can-eat set price plus drinks and dessert are extra.  But the basic charge (~$30 here) includes a huge buffet with all kinds of salads, side dishes, fruits and vegetables, quail eggs and other local delicacies, cured meats and cheeses, even sushi nowadays, and more (you could easily fill up here), and then, while you are at your table, they bring you meats. Giant skewers and platters of all types of beef, lamb, chicken, pork (even boar).  There are numerous waiters just walking around ready to give you more meat.  I usually tried to ask what it was, but would always take it regardless of if I understood or not.  There was a huge table of a Mexican family that was there before us and still there when we left taking it all in.  It is a fantastic idea and I’ve got to try the one in Denver (Rodissio’s?).

       One day we took a taxi to Olinda, a much smaller Colonial style town 12km to the north and the original settlement in the area.  It was a gorgeous sunny day as we started at the top plaza that overlooks the town, beach and Recife in the distance. There are local guides there who are all supposedly former street kids who were taken in by the church, educated multilingually and now make their living showing tourists around.  We were adopted by one and shown the various beautiful old churches, monasteries and other government buildings still in use with a little history of the area.  It was a nice little tour, but at the end the guide really tried to gouge us for the tour, asking for $100.  I should have negotiated up front and ended up sending him away pissed off with $40.  The interaction left the experience with a sour aftertaste, but it was a “must visit” site and got us out of the generally boring city.

        Another day we headed to the old section of Recife where there was a lot going on, even though the Fan Fest was empty and locked (we never really got to check it out, but it didn’t sound like the greatest site).  In the main plaza was a huge drum and dance group playing for a large crowd, many of whom were proudly wearing their Mexicano verde.  We wandered around, bought some local art a big fair, and then took a boat across the bay to the “Sculpture Park”, which was a man-made isthmus, lined with various bizarre sculptures, fishermen and drunk vagrants, and even a restaurant. A local couple stopped to ask us if we spoke English, in order to practice a little and they informed us that the road we were on would eventually lead back to the beach area near our hotel.  Against our better judgment, we decided to walk back, since they said it was only twenty minutes on bike.

An hour and a half later, after walking through the edge of a favela along the far end of the beach, and running into the couple again drinking a beer, we eventually made it back to our hotel.  

       We had enough time for a shower and went downstairs to Maxime’s to get a good table for the USA-Portugal game.  We got there just in time as the place really filled up by the time kickoff rolled around.  And it was rowdy with every table packed with a few groups of Americans, a lot of Mexicans of whose allegiances were mixed, and numerous others.  It was loud throughout but when the US scored it felt as if we were at the stadium.  We did our own chants including some “I believe…” and of course, “USA! USA!! USA!!!”.  The entire place went dead silent as Ronaldo made his one play of the game with his cross to assist the tying goal in the waning seconds of a ridiculously long five minutes of additional time.  Everyone quickly paid their bills and the place emptied out.  

       To be honest, although they hosted some excellent soccer games, the city itself just did not have a lot to offer and was a little disappointing, although we did still have a great time.  If we were to do one thing differently on the trip, it would have been to stay farther down the coast at a smaller beach town like Porto da Galinhos, which we heard a lot about.  It would have been lower key, more vacation-like and the transportation would have been feasible as numerous people did so.

Recife, parte 1

[Note:  It has taken me while but I am finally catching up with my all of my Brasil reports, which, not surprisingly, have become much longer than I originally intended.  This is the first of what has turned out to be four posts about Recife, there will be one (or possibly two) about Rio, as well as a couple more about Brasil and Portuguese in general.]

    We had to get up ridiculously early to catch our 6:20 AM flight from Salvador to Recife and after a short, hardly scary at all cab ride, we were at our hotel by 9:00 AM, with the whole day ahead of us to get the lay of the land. We explored the local neighborhood and found a cool little deli/market/cafe down the street and had some of the best coffee I have ever tasted, once we figured out the “system”.  Many retail places in Brasil have slightly different processes for purchasing, many times needing to pay a different person or at a different place, often first, from where you actually get your merchandise.  However, at “Diplomata” (and I think a local even tried to tell us it was different here, even for Brasil), whichever area (coffee, deli, bakery) you started at would give you a lanyard with a barcoded card that they would digitally scan prices into for you. Then, when you were ready to pay, you just present it at the cash register up front to pay when you are all done.  Each place you go tends to have their own set-up so you usually have to observe and ask.

     Later, we went to the main high end shopping mall to get tickets for the Arena Expreso bus (ahead of time because you couldn’t just buy them on the day of the game because that is the system here) and of course, it was only open certain hours.  So we wandered around the gigantic Rio Mar Shopping mall until they were ready.  This enormous labyrinth was full of every store imaginable, including many customer-less American and European designer labels.  Most of whose employees, no matter what type of store it was (except maybe the high end ones) were dressed in the familiar yellow and green and the storefront windows were often decorated the with that same color motif.  The busiest spot was the tiny FIFA kiosco filled with mostly Fuleco crap. We did find a really cool “retro” soccer jersey store.  Eventually, we were able to buy our transport tickets to and from all three games, which turned out to be a great decision as this bus was the most efficient thing we encountered in Brasil. 

     After relaxing back at the hotel, we took the easiest choice and went to the restaurant right next door, Maxime’s Boteco, another fine decision as it became a favorite place to eat and watch games, when it was open.  The pub/tavern has six big screen TVs, three inside and three outside and an extensive menu, from full entrees to a variety of bar food, much of which is brought around on trays for you to sample.  You never knew what was going to be passed or when the next one would come, but it was usually something delicious, like crab or shrimp cakes, little pasties pastries and pies, or grilled meat or chicken skewers.  You could fill up without ever having to order anything but more cerveja.  You can order “chopp” a small draft beer, or they also had large ~40 ounce bottles that are brought to your table in an plastic insulating container (similar to a tailgate beer can holder) with small glasses to share, usually the “Original” brand (yes, that is the name) but also with Bohemia or Heineken when they ran out of the original.

    The next morning we were treated to an extensive breakfast buffet, with even more choice than the impressive Salvador spread, including fruit, breads, hot entrees, eggs, pastries, cereal, juices, cheese, meats, egg and tapioca (they use tapioca for everything including this crepe-like dish) station, so you could something different every day if you want and we were there 8 days without really getting tired of it.  The breakfast room was packed with Costa Rican red jerseys, although the atmosphere was quiet and reserved as everyone readied for the crucial match with Italy.

    The bus ended up being an excellent, efficient mode of transportation sine they never completed the planned subway or public bus lines and the stadium is way outside of town.  We had to pass the stadium before we parked and it looked really cool out there in the middle of nowhere.  We still had to walk a little ways to get to the actual stadium but for the walk up anticipation has always been a huge part of attending any game.   While they had been pretty mellow at the hotel, the Costa Ricans were starting to get loud.  We hit all the stations in the Fan Zone and headed inside to watch the crowd and warm-ups. 

     The Ticos had a huge section behind one of the goals and they rarely stopped singing and chanting from an hour before kickoff to well beyond the last whistle. And they (we) had a lot to cheer about as the team proved their victory over Uruguay had not been a fluke, flustering and all but shutting down Andrea Pirlo in the middle.  Since he had trouble getting the ball, and was harassed by two or three bodies when he did, he could not get it to Mario Balotelli, who was quiet the whole game.  Each Costa Rican goal was greeted with a roar and made me realize how cool it was to be part of it.  The walk out of the stadium and back to the bus was quick and merry, serenaded by the victorious Ticos.

    Afterwards, as we were waiting for a taxi to get back to the hotel, I wondered out loud about what was going on in the next game.  Just then, a taxi pulled up and as we got in, we noticed that the driver had a small TV mounted into his dash and had the game on!  When we got back to the hotel, we ran across to the gas station to grab some water and they had a TV set up outside so workers and customers alike could check the game; it turned out that this TV was almost always on with whatever game was currently playing. That night the celebration continued back at Maxime’s with numerous Costa Riquenos and a generally fun multinational crowd, including a bunch of crazy Mexicanos who were already started to show up for the approaching Mexico-Croatia match.

What to do now?

     I can't believe that it is really over!  Although we were given an extra half hour of football, at least we did not have to succumb to watching the World Cup be won on penalties as Germany managed to find a goal late in the extra period.  My heart was pulling for Argentina and the Americas, but having seen Germany twice live, I always assumed they would find a way to win.  Argentina has Messi and a talented supporting cast, but the Germans have depth and discipline like no other team; no matter who lined up they were always in control of the ball, rarely out of position with their shape and seemingly constant perfect spacing, never making hurried, frantic clears.  Outside of the Ghana game they never looked vulnerable and were definitely the best team of the tournament. There were a record (-tying) 171 goals scored in this World Cup along with some of the best goalkeeping we have seen in a long time.  Germany's Neuer won the Golden Glove (very creepy trophy) but had strong competition from CONCACAF with Costa Rica's Kaylor Navas, Mexico's Memo Ochoa, USA's Tim Howard and others.  Lionel Messi took the Golden Boot for best overall player and James Rodriguez, with only five games won the Golden Ball with his six goals (and probably the goal of the tournament with his chest volley strike against Uruguay).  It was definitely a Cup to remember!

   However, Monday was a difficult, melancholy, slow-moving day and it should have probably been dreary and raining throughout.  I guess I was in mourning as I wore a black CU T-shirt, the first non-World Cup/soccer shirt I had worn in weeks.  I was in a funk all day, unsure of what to do with myself.  I could have watched replays but I couldn't muster the effort.  I will eventually finish recapping my trip, but was just not motivated to write.  No Sportscenter, iphone app, internet site or book could hold my attention for very long.  Hopefully, it will get a little easier each day.  Maybe watching more replays as long as they are available On Demand will become more enjoyable as time goes on (although I still need to watch Mexico-Netherlands to complete my "Mexico Marathon" started last Friday).

    As for this blog, I will finish my trip recaps, with a couple upcoming posts on Recife, Rio and Brasil in general (see previous posts in this blog about Salvador and also a short piece on my other blog: http://bcraptorwatch.blogspot.com/2014/07/a-little-brasil-birding.html ), and will hopefully adding some photos soon.
    After that, I will continue to follow soccer, as there are many other "Copas" to look forward to watching and hopefully attending. I will be checking in on both the Mexican and US national teams as they prepare for those future Cups: The Gold Cup next year here in the USA, followed in 2016 by the Copa America, also in the USA, making its first appearance ever outside South America, then hopefully one of the teams will qualify for the Confederations Cup in Russia in 2017, and eventually World Cup 2018 Russia.  Both of "my" teams look to have their coach for the foreseeable future with Jurgen inked through 2018 and Herrera likely soon to be signed on as well.  In the meantime, both squads will have some interesting friendlies coming up, including a Mexico rematch with the Dutch in Holland.  I also think I am going to start watching some LigaMX.

Salvador, Brasil

       As I finally post the first installment about the trip, it is the last day of the World Cup and Germany will take on Argentina for the title they will hold for the next four years.  I can't believe it is over and I am not sure what I will do with myself next week (probably catch up on these and hopefully Infinity On Demand will still offer all the Univision telecasts).  It seems like a perfect time to recap and I will post something every couple days this week.
       Looking back, Salvador was probably my favorite city of the three we visited.  Rio was over the top, Recife a little boring, and the hotels in those two locales were just not nearly as nice and accommodating as the wonderful Mar Brasil Hotel in the Itapua neighborhood and beach area on the northwest of the large city in the state of Bahia.  Although we were situated on the far side of the city from most of the action, a good 30-minute white-knuckle cab ride away (more on that in a future post), it was just our style, a small, locally run hotel along a quiet beach with good food, beautiful decor and ambiance, including a TV in the lobby that played every game, and absolutely exceptional service.  The staff was always available to help, direct us to many great nearby restaurants, help plan travel and make reservations, and when we were not provided an "ocean view" room as promised, they refunded two nights stay!  (Needless to say, this did not set us up well for the general service we would receive the rest of the trip, but it was certainly nice while it lasted.)
      The first night we tried out some local food at a small family restaurant.  The hotel porter actually walked us to and showed us four restaurants in the area, including the "expensive" one, to make sure we were safe and that they were still open.  By the end of the trip we had tried all four and they all had great food, with shall we say "interesting" service according to our "American" standards.  When we awoke the next morning we were treated to a fine buffet of fresh fruits and baked goods, numerous hot dishes, an egg station, cereals, cheeses and meats, yogurt and two types of fresh juice. We were certainly able to start each day with a good breakfast.
           We quickly jumped into World Cup spirit and as we left the hotel to get into our cab for the Germany-Portugal game, we heard a "Ha-lo! Good Morning! Are you going to the stadium?" in a strong German accent from across the street, as an older man with a Germany flag draped across his shoulders as a cape was jogging toward us.  Although it may not be advised to allow a random stranger to join you we both readily welcomed this jovial fellow, who actually spoke great English and fair Portuguese and he gave us a history lesson and tour of the city, asking the cabbie anything he didn't know and passing it along.  It seemed most local Brazilians were favoring the Portuguese as they were quite eager to rib him in stopped traffic as he waved his homeland's pride. We actually still had to walk up over a kilometer to get to the stadium which is situated on a hill in the middle of a bunch of favelas.  There was a strong police presence along the way and the crowd was jovial, taking a lot of pictures of the stadium and area.  When we got inside it beautiful, the Fan Zone has tons of fun activities and free junk, and our seats  ended up being quite good.  This stadium was constructed on the site of the old one, using over 90% of the materials from the old structure.  The game itself was a blast with a huge group of Portuguese behind us to the left and numerous groups of Germans to the right, keeping the chanting and singing going throughout the game.  The Germans really dominated from start to finish, neutralizing the disappointing Christiano Ronaldo and helped by Pepe's stupidity to thrash the Portuguese 4-0.  The game left me very impressed with how well the Germans space themselves and control the ball, and it wasn't the last time during the month that I had that thought. That evening we actually ended up just watching the US-Ghana game back in the hotel lobby, as a nice crowd was gathering when we got back. It was a really great full first day and perfect way to start this trip.
       The next morning we actually were involved in a minor fender-bender while taking a cab to the old town Pelourinho area.  It actually wasn't even the cabby's fault, although he was your typical crazy Brazilian taxi driver: goes ways too fast, brakes at the last second, comes way too close to nearby cars, uses indeterminable number of lanes. Although we had some very interesting cab rides to say the least, this was our only accident of the three weeks.(again, more to come on this topic). We were in stop and go traffic and the guy behind us, who likely was on his phone, lightly bumped into us. Luckily, everyone was fine with minor damage to the cars and we were able to continue on our way.  The entire neighborhood around the Pelourinho, the main plaza in the Alta (high section) of the Old Town that used to serve as one of the world's largest slave auctions, was decked out beautifully with the trademark yellow and green national colors. It was here that I first noticed how many people were wearing the familiar Brasil jersey, more often than not number 10, and how many places were adorned with streamers, flags or other decorations.  As the city was also setting up for their Sao Joa festivities, there was a lot of general activity, including Capoeira (dance/martial arts) and Oludum drumming performances in the public areas.  There is a very old tramway that takes you between the Alta and Baixa (lower) parts of the old city.  I got my Mexico Havaiana flip-flops down below before we went to the Fan Fest for the much anticipated Brasil-Mexico match-up.
        When we got to the Salvador Fan Fest area out at the coastal point and Farol da Barra, we immediately spotted and were drawn toward four guys in Mexican jerseys sitting below the Lighthouse there and went over to join them.  It was refreshing to hear and speak Spanish, even more so than the English I had spoken.  Our crowd grew and grew with a lot of verde jerseys, Lucha Libre masks, Mexican flags decorating a diverse crowd of fans including your typical rowdy diehard male fans, numerous young couples, two different teenage boys taking their birthday trips with their padres, and one young man who had saved four years to take his grandparents to Brasil (he even had sandwiches in his backpack for them and his grandma was one of the rowdiest fans).  After watching the first of Belgium's late game heriocs on the big screen and before the Mexico-Brasil clash started, we went in search of some food and stumbled upon what would become a "staple" of the trip-"bowl of meat" as we liked to call it, or a simple churrasco/grill stand that simply cooks kebabs of meat and then serves them in a small bowl with not much more than maybe some "farofa" or manioc root powder that really only adds a little texture.  It is simple perfection and filled us up for the intense match-up that was to come.
       The seemingly large Fan Fest area filled up quickly and watching this Mexico-Brasil game in that electric environment was almost like being at the game (it is described in further detail in a previous post "Salvador Fan Fest").  I like to think that from above the crowd looked like a Brazilian flag with our group of Mexican fans a green circle in the middle surrounded by vast yellow all around.  After the intense and exciting 0-0 draw (Americanos just don't get this!) the attitude in the Mexican group was that of celebrating a win. Getting out of the Fan Fest was another story as the entrance/exit was very narrow (another example of brilliant efficiency here) and anxious and slow-going as waves of people inched the crowd slowly forward.  Luckily, the Brasileiros were generally calm, certainly patient and good-natured, joking with us as we all were pushed and pulled along, often body to body and face to face, excruciatingly slowly toward the exit.  We finally got out of the sweaty hoard and hailed a taxi back to the hotel.  All in all, this ended up being one of our favorite days of the trip.
       Although it was a little cold and windy, with huge waves, we spent quite a bit of time walking up and down, as well as sitting on the beach, and also relaxed by the pool.  It was just a very pleasant and comfortable place to be.  One afternoon we were interviewed by a local TV sports reporter who was fishing for someone to sing "The Girl from Ipanema" but he couldn't get anyone to bite. The last night in Salvador, we went to Mistura, the "expensive" restaurant the porter had pointed the first night, as I realized it was one that I had written down after having seen it mentioned numerous times in my reading as "the best seafood in Salvador".  It was quite nice and had impressive large screen TVs that appear to be large paintings but then can convert and show a soccer game when needed, which is often in Brasil.  It was a nice way to end with a great meal but definitely sad to be leaving Salvador early the next morning.

Reacclimating to UnitedStatesian life

Wow-I have been back almost a week now and have been trying to imagine what Brasil looks and sounds like today after the devastating loss suffered by A seleceao yesterday.  The one striking image that sticks with me is bright yellow and green, everywhere you looked.  Many streets were completely decorated, with yellow and green streamers across the streets, along with Brasileira flags in most storefronts, hanging from every building and even adorning the front side mirrors on many cars.  Seemingly everyone, literally 40% or more at any given time, 75%+ on game days, dressed in the traditional yellow Brasil jerseys-the kids, the adults, seniors, waiters, shop and boutique workers.  Most places had a TV going anytime any game was one-IN many of the taxis and some even built into the dash, at the local pharmacy, grocery store or salon, at the gas station, and of course anywhere, even the smallest cart or kiosk, that serves any type of food or drink.  When Brasil was actually playing the normally busy streets were eerily quiet except for the outbursts at overflowing restaurants and bars. (The government and many business actually shut down early, by law, on Brasil game days.) No matter what languages, combinations or lack thereof, we were constantly talking futebol/futbol/football/soccer with someone.  I had stated numerous times that Germany was very good and would be difficult for Brasil under any circumstances, but especially so without Thiago Silva (Neymar as well, but the captain centerback is much more crucial to how the team flows) I  hope that Brasileiro spirit and passion is still prevalent today.

Overall. our trip was amazing, wonderful, trying at times, but a fabulous experience. Unfortunately, with a busy schedule and one-computer lobby "business centers" at all of our hotels it was very difficult to post during the trip outside of Twitter, and then only when I had Wifi and/or some sort of internet connection. The previous post in this blog gave my impressions of Salvador and the Mexico-Brasil game we viewed at the Fan Fest.  Therefore, over the next week or so, I will post a few recaps and summaries of the places we visited, the games we witnessed, interesting multinational people we met and other interesting tidbits of Brazilian culture and language (i.e. "Does Spanish really help?" and...the taxis).  I'll start with something about Salvador tomorrow.

For an extra Brasil tidbit, check out my other blog about Birds of Prey, usually local raptors for me, but the latest post touched on some birding in Salvador: http://bcraptorwatch.blogspot.com/

Salvador Fan Fest

We have arrived in beautiful Salvador, Brasil and are staying at a wonderful hotel in the Itapua area.  Yesterday was a great day as we woke up basking in the glory of the USA win over Ghana and headed to the Pelourinho in the old part of the city.  It was totally decked out for the Cup, as most of the country is, in the  yellow and green of Brasil. After exploring, checking out the cathedral, watching some Capoeira and some Oludum (sp?) drumming, and doing a little shopping, we grabbed another cab down to the Fan Fest.  When we got there it was relatively quiet, with a few hundred people sitting around, watching the Belgium-Algeria match on the GIGANTIC screen.  The two Algerians went ballistic when their team took an early lead on a PK.We quickly found a small group of four Mexicans and joined them.  Anytime we saw another verde or rojo we called them over and our group quickly grew.  By kickoff of the Brasil-Mexico clash we were numbering 40 or so, but that number continued to increase as the game went on and I believe there were over a hundred by games end.  The entire area was standing room only for the match and felt as if we were in the actual stadium.  Our group, especially with some very cool Lucha Libre masks, was the subjuect of countless photo and even video requests from fans and media alike.We sang all the songs and chants (got to clarify some of the words before Croatia) and had a really great Puuuu-Tooooo! for all of Julio Cesar´s goal kicks.  It was an absolutely electrifying environment and I can´t wait for the Croatia game in person next week.

The game itself was a classic, hard-fought 0-0 draw between two hungry teams.  Brasil started out much stronger as Mexico appeared to be very amped for the game.  Memo Ochoa stopped an early shot (one of many on the day) and El Tri started to settle down.  Miguel Herrera´s strategy was aggressive, tackling hard and makingit difficult for Neymar, Oscar or anyone else to do a whole lot in the middle of the field. While some of the Mexican stars like Miguel Layun and Orribe Perralta were quiet throughout most of the match, others like Gallito Vasquez and Andres Guardado had excellent games.  Captain Rafa Marquez played very well, marking Neymar often and pushing upfield on offense.  Keeper Ochoa was phenomenal and earned millions of dollars for hisnext contract with the performance, as well as relegating an outstanding Jesus Corona to the bench for the forseeable future-I think even Senora Corona would agree here. Twitter exploded with references and tributes to him and his is now known worldwide. As I expected, Mexico ripped numerous long rockets but could not keep them on goal, narrowing missing left, right and over the crossbar numerous times.  Even late in the game, they kept pushing for the win, refusing to sit back and settle for a draw.  All three substitutions were offensive minded. When the game ended in a tie, we celebrated a well-earned point as if it was a win.  When we got back to the hotel the game was being replayed on TV and I got to relive it following it on my twitter timeline. This now sets Mexico up to advance with a tie or win against the Croats. That game should blow this one away in terms of excitement.

It's here!

The last week or so has flown by very fast and our departure day is finally here!  The first two days of the 2014 World Cup have been fantastic, full of goals, controversy (stress and pronounce as you please) and most importantly, a Mexico win and three points! The team played very well and the game was well attended by Mexicans and the Croatia game should be quite a party. The energy and atmosphere at the stadiums, and the Fan Fest sites that have been shown, have appeared and sounded phenomenal and I can't wait to be there.  I had planned on writing a little more before I left but this is the last tidbit from the States (I will expound on my experience with Portuguese upon my return). We won't actually arrive until tomorrow after three flights (Denver-Houston, Houston-Rio, Rio-Salvador).  I have some more soccer mags and many books on the Kindle to read on many hours of airport and plane ahead of me.  Although we will miss a few games today and tomorrow (we'll see parts of some before we go and at airport bars), we come home on the off days after the knockout games, before the quarterfinals. We kick off the trip with a bang on Monday with the Germany-Portugal match up at the same beautiful venue in which the Netherlands crushed Espana 5-1 Friday. I am hoping to find some American Outlaw or other Unitedstatesian fans at that game (I'll be wearing my USA shirt) to join after the match to view the Ghana game in a bar somewhere, or maybe we will able to make it out to the Fan Fest.  We have a couple of days to explore Salvador.  We will certainly spend one day in the Pelourinho, the old section of town that includes the markets, many of the historical slave sites and many other points of interest. The other day will likely be spent exploring the beaches to the north of the city, along the Linha Verde (Praia do Forte, Arembepe).  We will definitely sample the local food, especially the regional specialty acaraje and moqueca de peixe.  Salvador is supposed to have some really great ice cream as well. Unfortunately, when we leave, we have a 6:20 AM flight, but we will arrive in Recife with the whole day to chill on the beach.  I will post more from the Cup!  Vamos Mexico!  Go USA!

Less than two weeks!

I actually can't believe how fast time is flying now as school is basically over and we are preparing to leave. I am getting so damn excited, especially after watching a bunch of friendlies this week. Most everything is in place. Most importantly, the dogs are set to be watched at home by our dog walker and spend a little time at their kennel; we have all of our documents with copies ready to go and are just putting together the last details.  I made a few last purchases this weekend, buying one of those awesome Mexico pregame windbreakers they have been wearing, as well as a simple white USA soccer T-shirt, then I finally upgraded to an iPhone5 today so that hopefully I can keep up with the world as well as update our trip, dependent on local internet services.  Since we have a tight turnaround in Rio to catch our flight to Salvador, and for traveling ease in general, we are going with just a carry-on and small backpack each, so we have to pack smartly and we have already begun to set everything out, debating what will make our final suitcase roster. My cheap polyester Spain jersey has been cut due to terrible breath-ability.  We have to bring enough toiletries for the 18 days (which are super expensive in Brasil) in one zip-lock bag, so that should be interesting. I also have to decide what I am going to read and download a few more books as it looks like we won't be bringing many real ones. Otherwise, it is just amping up and soaking in every piece of information on Brasil or the Cup.

USA and El Tri: I was surprised but not necessarily shocked that Landon Donovan was left off the USA 23, but like most, I still think he could have been an asset off the bench. There has been more than enough analysis of this so time to move on with the guys who have tickets to Brasil.  The USA still looked shaky in a win over Azerbaijan but they have yet to field their actual starting eleven, and with the cuts of Parkhurst and Goodson, it is unclear who the four starting four defenders will be and how they will line up. Dempsey was held out as a precautionary measure with a tight groin, but he should be fine.  Against Turkey the team showed some offensive prowess but was shoddy defensively and was lucky to only give up one goal. It is unlikely Ghana, Germany or Portugal will be as soft finishing.  The three youngsters-Brooks and Yedlin in back and phenom Green on the wing-but none of them really impressed. And I never thought I would say or write this (although maybe I did once before), but Kyle Beckerman just might be a better option over Jermaine Jones in the midfield. I also wouldn't mind seeing Diskerud play from the outset instead of Zusi.  Altidore had his best game in a while, but is still stuck in a finishing funk and needed to be subbed late as he was visibly tired. They have one more friendly against Nigeria and then a closed door scrimmage with Belgium in Brasil before they take on Ghana on June 16.

 

Even with the awful injury to Luis Montes, I still like Mexico's chances of beating Cameroon and Croatia and advancing to the knockout rounds.  Fortunately, Marco Fabian is playing very well and is hardly a step down from Chapo Montes, if at all.  Javier Aquino (the expected replacement) will add some speed and creativity on the wing off the bench.  After a slow start, the team generally played very well against Ecuador, a much stronger and more physical team than they had previously faced but they more than held their own won, dominating possession and winning quite easily 3-1, even after watching their teammate go down.  There is still some uncertainty in the midfield, but I expect them to settle on using Gallito Vasquez as the defensive guy in the middle, with  Hector Herrera and Marco Fabian flanking him (even though only a month ago I would have steadfastly held that Gullit Pena would be starting, but his play has fallen off some of late). However, I also like Andres Guardado coming off the bench into that defensive mid role to provide some offensive push if they are down late in a game. Up front I think it will be Gio alongside Oribe, with Chicharito becoming the super sub.  Captain Rafa Marquez also hurt his foot, but it is expected he will be fine for Cameroon.  Mexico has a few guys who like to take big shots from outside the box and this Brazuca ball seems to be to their liking.  I think we will see a lot of long rocket goals in this World Cup. El Tri has two more friendlies against Bosnia Herezgovina and Portugal before they head to Brasil to prepare for Cameroon.

Next up will be a couple of posts on language and hopefully a preview of the three cities we are going to visit.

Tickets! Tickets! Tickets!

Usually when my dog freaks out and starts barking bloody murder, there is no one even there, but he thought he might have seen or maybe heard something go by out front, and I thought this time was no different.  I was home for a quick Thursday lunch walk and was getting ready to head back to school when he went ape.  I figured no one was really at the door and went to pull him away and shut him up when I saw there was indeed a bright yellow uniform walking up the drive.  It didn't register at first but as I squeezed out the door and she asked, "Where ya goin?" but I instantly realized that this package was the last key component to the trip: the actual freaking tickets to the games!  I actually "whooped" in the poor woman's face (also setting off the dog again).  I signed for them and literally ran inside to open them up, (and open I did over the next few minutes , as each and every single ticket-not even a pair to the same game could be placed together-came in a separate envelope with its own separate two-page letter-what a waste of paper).  I set them all out on the table and texted the picture to my wife at work, as well as a few friends.  They looked real nice and I am not shy about showing the picture to people. We might just keep those Bosnia-Iran tickets as a souvenir.

That evening, we checked out exactly where our seats are for each game and they all look great.  The Recife stadium looks amazing and with only 42,ooo seats, every section has fantastic sightlines.  Our closest to the field seats might actually be the ones at the Marakana in Rio.

Lastly, to top it off, the next day our vouchers for our FIFA hotels came as well. I guess we better start packing! 

Gooooooooooooooooolllllllll!

At least it finally felt that way. If you are a Unitedstatesian and you have not applied for your visa yet you had better get on it yesterday as it is a total clusterfu...at the Brasilian consulates.  For us it was over a six week ordeal of waiting and wondering.  About a month after we had originally sent in our documentation, and still a few weeks after we corrected our screw-ups, Monday, April 21, and we still had not heard anything about the visa.  So I called Rachid at Travisa again, and he of course had some bad news that he hadn’t been able to notify us about yet.  The consulate had updated requirements yet again for the World Cup Visa to include having to show actual tickets, since FIFA announced that tickets were starting to be delivered (although currently only available for pickup in Brasil).  Are you freaking kidding me?!  So, now we would have to wait until our tickets arrived and send them down to Houston as well?!  Don’t they realize that we will be spending a ton of money in their country?!  I asked him to please at least to confirm if we could just send one game set of tickets, instead of all of them. 

When he called back 10 minutes later, I assumed it was to tell me that, indeed, I would need to send them all of my tickets.  However, I was elated when he said he had good news this time and that my Visa was good to go and Amy’s would be soon (not sure why they were not together)!  Yes!  I rushed off to an appointment and told Amy there.  

Too good to be true though. When I got home, there was an email from Rachid saying that for some reason Amy’s had not gone through yet (^&Y$*$!) and that she would n0w need to supply actual tickets in order to receive her visa. I still never understood why her stuff was submitted separately.  This was becoming a total nightmare joke, basically so that the consulate and country can make less than $200 (the difference between the cost of a regular tourist Visa and a special World Cup Visa).  We decided to just plunk down the extra $165 and get her a regular tourist visa.  It was still a full week later before we finally got the notification email that both visas were completed and in the mail.  However, I still refused to post this until we had the actual visas in hand and had checked everything for correctness.  

When my dog Jorge freaks out barking bloody murder because he thought he might have heard something from the direction of the front door, I usually get pissed off, but when I caught a flash of the “FedEx” logo driving out of view when I got near the door, a big smile came across my face.  Wednesday, April 30, 2014, 3:42 P.M. I opened the door, leaned down, picked up the thin package and ripped it open before I had even closed the door.  Incredibly, everything appeared to be in order, even though Amy's is dated a full EIGHT days later than mine.  Needless to say Travisa did not get a stellar survey evaluation from us-I only wish I could give the Brasilian consulate some constructive feedback as well .

Therefore, by the posting of this piece I am confirming, repeat I am confirming, that all systems are GO!  All we have left to do is pack! (And a lot more on that to come.)

Fairy Tale Continues-Itinerary Complete (except for that ^%&*! Visa)

     This time the last ticket draw opened an hour earlier than before, 4:00AM Colorado time and I was ready to log in as soon as it was open.  The adrenaline was again starting to pump, even without coffee yet.  The reports had stated that there were indeed some tickets available-how many or what type we didn’t know-for the USA-Germany matchup.  I had already tried a few times to get in, only receiving the same message page about the ticket accounts not being available until today.  But at 3:59, when I once again clicked on “My Ticket Account”…I was quickly switched over to...another little adrenaline surge and boy was I wake now...the page that showed I was in a virtual queue, again left waiting at an ungodly hour for my chance to snag this last elusive ticket (and giving me time to start this post, which helped keep me focused and awake).  

    Every minute or so the page flashed and went through some sort of a refresh, and every time you are momentarily deceived into thinking it is finally redirecting you.  This went on seemingly forever, I got the coffee going, got my first cup, finished it.  I was pretty sure that it was going to be too late by the time I got access and I was getting pretty frustrated. 

    Eventually, after well over an hour of staring and yawning, at 5:01 I got in! I knew right where to go and clicked on the “availability” link, scrolled down to game 45 where it said there was...YES!!!...“medium availability” for all ticket levels to the game!  I clicked, and have become pretty adept at typing in my credit card number quickly, so a couple more clicks, took me a second to find the "checkout" and...now I need to buy USA jersey!  

   We are still stunned that the scheduling and ticketing for this trip has worked out so well.  If you had just given me the draw, I am not sure I would have picked out much different of an itinerary.  We are going to three incredible cities and getting to see our two favorite teams (Mexico and USA), three world powerhouses (Italy, Portugal, Germany-twice), plus Costa Rica, and a knockout round game (that will likely match Columbia against Italy or Uruguay) in possibly the most fabled soccer stadium in the world Estadio Marakana.  Unbelievable!

    The only negative really is that tickets to Bosnia-Iran in Salvador (we hold two from early tickets rounds before the draw) are the absolutely least desired match on the entire schedule (it has seriously been reported that more tickets are available for this match than any other with Greece/Ivory Coast in Fortaleza a close second, plus I have seen a lot of these undesired tickets already available on the internet and Twitter from people like me). Therefore, we are not even going to bother trying to swap them on the FIFA site and will just bring them to Salvador and give them to locals.

Visa Update:  Uh, there isn't really one. Rachid has all our documentation, including a few more email verifications, and he has assured me we are good to go, but I have yet to get any sort or verbal, virtual or hard confirmation.  I am hoping today.

New Addiction: Panini 2014 World Cup Online Sticker Album.  If you sign up for this through the FIFA site you "get" to "open" three packs of five "stickers" each day and "put" them into your virtual album.  There are eleven players (has already created a lot of debate) and a team "sticker" for each of the 32 teams, a special fan "sticker" for each, as well as ones for logos, mascot and even the Brazuca ball.  When you get duplicates, you can swap them with others for ones that you "need".  I got a "free" extra USA fan "sticker" when I made my first swap (an extra Mexico Hector Herrera for USA Geoff Cameron).  Every morning is like Christmas, or at least Easter, as you get to "rip open" your new packs and "place" them in your album. I guess you can also get "free" packs from certain Coca Cola products but I have not seen any participating items yet.

Tickets, TAM, and Travel Travails in prepping for the World Cup 2014 in Brasil–a chronicle of clicking, surfing and waiting

I woke up even earlier than normal, just before 5:00 A.M. on November 11 and groggily realized it was the second phase, first come first serve day for World Cup tickets (we had actually missed the first window).  I logged on to fifa.com while the coffee brewed.  I clicked around, trying to figure out the set-up and layout of the website.  Since we had tentatively decided on almost a week in Salvador and another in Recife, I wanted to grab tickets in those cities first.  As I maneuvered through the website, though some games were already sold out of available tickets, I got two of the projected games on our tentative itinerary, an early game in Salvador and a later one in Recife into our “cart”.  It was then that I noticed a clock ticking as you only had fifteen minutes to make a transaction and I was down to less than five!  I clicked to checkout and one of the first things they needed was passport numbers. Crap!  I scrambled upstairs in the dark, trying not to wake my dogs or Amy.  I softly bounded down the stairs and got the numbers input along with my credit card info and BOOM!  We were off to Brasil!

            I went upstairs and gently shook Amy to give her the news, plus we had to decide if I should grab another game that was still available in Salvador, around the time we were planning to go to Recife.  We agreed to just get it.  We now had tickets to three games and the trip was officially a go!

A few weeks later, the Saturday morning a week before the draw came out, Amy starting looking at flights and hotels.  At first we were a bit dismayed as it appeared prices were even more expensive than we had first anticipated.  She played around with flight possibilities all day on numerous sites and airlines.  She was eventually able to reserve our round trip to Rio de Janiero, through Houston, on United Airlines, getting most of one ticket on miles (only having to transfer and buy a few thousand miles).  We would wait to schedule inter-Brazil flights on domestic carrier TAM until we knew draw and finalized the itinerary.  When she finally clicked on the confirm payment a few days later, we were really going to Brasil!

That next Friday, December 7, the full World Cup draw was announced.  I was checking twitter constantly all day at school to figure out what games we had gotten.   When the draw was complete I logged on and closely checked our three games.  When I realized we got Italy-Costa Rica I had to double-check it and cover my mouth to keep from yelling out in the library.  When I saw that we got Portugal-Germany I actually did “whoop!”and had to triple-check it.  The third game was Bosnia-Iran, not quite as attractive of a game, but I had always said any World Cup game would be awesome.  I scoured the draw the rest of the afternoon, focusing on Mexico, USA and any other Spanish-speaking countries.  We quickly realized that Recife would be hosting both the key Mexico-Croatia game, as well as USA-Germany, and we shifted our itinerary, to arrive there a little earlier and stay longer.  In order to go to Recife in time for the last Mexico matchup meant we would be trying to sell (or just eat) the Bosnia-Iran game in Salvador.  No worries!  We decided to end in Rio and try to attend the round of 16 knockout game there. If we could see Mexico, USA and a knockout round game at Estadio Marakana, the trip would absolutely perfect!

The next ticket window was a random draw beginning on December 8 and going through January 30.  We applied for the Mexico-Croatia, USA-Germany and the knockout game in Rio on June 28.  I logged in the first day, and we had to seemingly wait forever to find out if we actually got anything.  A couple of weeks later, I saw a message on Twitter that if we put in for tickets, we should check our credit card, and indeed there was a charge and I knew we had one more game in hand, we just didn’t know which one.  Finally, when I logged into my FIFA account on the morning of February 26, in order to get some info for this blog, I saw that we indeed were awarded the Mexico-Croatia tickets! I almost ran upstairs to wake up Amy.  This leaves just trying to acquire tickets to the June 26 Recife USA-Germany and the round of 16 knockout game in Rio on June 28. 

Once we knew the draw, we set our full travel itinerary, made a calendar and started looking at hotels.  We would fly out of DIA to Houston, overnight to Rio, then onto Salvador.  After four nights there and the Germany-Portugal matchup, it would be on to eight days Recife and hopefully three games (Italy-Costa Rica, Mexico-Croatia, and please please USA-Germany).  We looked at a lot of options here, including apartment rentals since we would be there for so long.  There were a few that seemed great but included strange extra things like daily electricity charges, or a two-page contract in Portuguese, and we just never felt confident with any of it.  We finally settled on a FIFA-recommended hotel near in the Boa Viagem area.  For Rio de Janeiro, we got another FIFA hotel near Copacabana Beach. The last part was scheduling the flights within Brasil on local carrier TAM.  We have one 6:20 AM flight that will suck.  There have also been many problems with airports, flight patterns and schedules so we are hoping there are no major problems with our flights.  I have heard that others have had flight times changed already, but we have not received any notifications.

For the next to last round of tickets, I was trying to clarify if we were even able to apply for the same games again, so when I tried to log on just before 5:00 AM on March 12, I wasn’t even sure if we could apply.  Since there was such demand it took a few minutes to actually get logged in.  I quickly checked game the June 26 USA-Germ, and it appeared there was no problem-they were only counting confirmed games on your record we were indeed “eligible”-however, only wheelchair accessible tickets were left; when I clicked to the knockout game there was nothing available there either. I was a dismayed and mildly depressed that it all ended up a moot point anyway.  Oh well. 

A little later I was just skimming the whole list of games again to see what was available in general, I noticed that USA-Germany appeared to be the only non-Brazil team or Rio or Sao Paolo based game that was sold out-damn!??!?  But then I also noticed that there were suddenly “low availability" on the Rio knockout game-OMG!  I frantically clicked and it allowed me to do it (I guess some had been in queue and run out of time) so BAM!  We are also going to fabled Estadio Maracana!

The “Last Minute Sales Phase” starts April 15 and goes through the games themselves.  This is where FIFA will be facilitating, and trying to control, the re-sale of any returned tickets, and not let scalping get out of hand.  This will go on throughout the tournament and people can try to re-sell their tickets until up to three days before the match.  I will log on early and continually check in to see if I can somehow procure those elusive USA-Germany tickets, and try to unload my Bosnia-Iran. However, I have already seen tickets being offered on Twitter and some ticket sites.  My friends who went to South Africa said there were similar pre-event procedures, but once people had tickets in hand, it was a free-for-all selling tickets at the airport and on the streets. If the Bosnia tickets have not sold I will just take them and unload them in Salvador.  And once I am in Salvador, and especially in Recife, I will always have some reales* in my shoe just in case I encounter anyone selling a USA-Germ ducat or two.

Our last logistical step was to get our Brazilian Visa.  This had actually been a pain in the ass when Bobby had to apply, even going through a Courier.  I figured that Brazil would make it easier for people, especially UnitedStatesians* and at first, it appeared they did with a special World Cup Visa that is cheaper and supposedly easy to get as long as you have proof of travel and tickets.  They did, however, make it a pain in the ass to put together the documentation and get approved.  We had to send it to a company (Travisa) in Houston who takes care of it and the processing actually costs more ($70) than the actual Visa ($25).  It was also recommended that we register with the US Embassy in Brazil, which also cost.  Then, we forgot to sign our new passports, nor did we notarize the copies of our Driver’s licenses (a requirement at the Houston site only).  When we finally had all that taken care of (after paying an extra round of FedExing), it turns out I hadn’t printed out the page correctly that documented our World Cup ticket purchase so that had to be re-done and mailed in. After that was finally taken care of and we were assured everything was in order, we were put into a long queue for finalization; in fact, Rachid, our extremely patient and helpful Travisa agent, said it was taking so long that he was advising new clients to just pay more for the regular Tourist Visa.  But now, we should truly be ready to go!  All we need now are those USA- Germany tickets for a perfect itinerary! We are Copa Bound!

Late Reaction to Late Mexico-USA Tie

Well, I’ve finally recovered from the late kickoff and lack of sleep, so I decided to throw in my dos pesos about last Wednesday’s game between my two favorite teams, and how its results affect some players moving forward in their World Cup hopes.  I personally predicted and hoped for a 2-2 tie, so that is good, but it certainly was not in the way I surmised in the tale of two halves.  The expected outcome was that the bueno of one team gave me great worry for the other, but both teams probably clarified some players’ tickets for the flight to Brasil, while others solidified their place on the couch watching this summer with stubborn Carlos Vela and retired Steve Cherundolo.

First of all, Mexican capitán Rafa Marquez looked great, the best overall form he has had since returning to the National Team, with a fabulous goal, another near, and most importantly, no OMG moments on defense really (those went to others).  However, he and others exposed how weak his opposite Omar Gonzalez is for the US defense (one good, one bad for me); unfortunately, due to thin depth, Gonzo likely makes the trip south by default, hopefully to forever remain in warm-ups. 

Two Mexican strikers likely in competition with each other for an invite both performed well, Raul Jimenez working well around the field in his second half of play and Alan Pulido (beaten out by Jimenez for the last spot on the Gold Medal Olympic team) taking advantage for his fourth goal in three games for La Selección Naciónal, both also helping to seal Gonzalez’ fate. 

Marco Fabian did not look great as a striker in this formation, but was much more effective as an attacking mid in the second, clogging that position even further, especially as Luis Montes had a solid game as well. While Carlos “Gullit” Peña did not look his best by any means, he is still considered a shoe-in for the team and a likely starter for his full resume.   Likewise, Isaac Brizuela was not spectacular, but will still likely make the final cut, though I don’t see him starting in this crowded group.

Miguel Layun was strong on the outside, even if not back to his 100% top speed, making numerous beautiful crosses as usual, and displaying a powerful shot from the outside, without ever really getting compromised defensively.  He got around US defender Tony Beltran quite easily (good for one, bad for one).  Rogelio Chavez’ tryout on the other side did not go very well, while Paul Aguilar took advantage, looking way better in all aspects of the game, subbing at halftime and setting up a goal.  Miguel Ponce has been playing well at Toluca and got a good shot in within his limited minutes and could be a viable backup at the wingbacks, along with Andres Guardado (who has been playing a little lately in Germany).

For los estadiounidenses, Michael Bradley was magnificent in the first half, leading a fluid attack for the red, white, and whatever the top color of their uniform is called, while also netting a nice score and almost marking a second.  Chris Wondolowski continues to make things happen, getting the start over out of shape Landon Donovan, and scored yet another goal, making it very hard to keep Wondo home for the summer.

I hate to say it (I hope Phytopia doesn’t read this) but even though I hate Kyle Beckerman and his nasty dreads, he played relatively well (outside of his part in the first goal but mostly Gonzalez IMO), looked better than Maurice Edu, and I am just not sure they have a ton of other options for that holding midfielder spot on the bench behind Jermaine Jones and Bradley, so he is slated to be very hot in the humid, tropical weather unless he shaves that head.

In spite of Gonzalez, at least Matt Besler inside, and Michael Parkhurst on the outside, were solid on the left side of the defense, the former definitely a starter in the Brasil and the latter in the running for his regular right side.  Clarence Goodson is never flashy but always stable, and was again as a sub; I can’t see him missing the trip and more and more it appears he might end up starting. Graham Zusi was fairly effective even having to track back a lot to help Beltran.

However, many other known Americans were very blah, namely Clint Dempsey, who needs to turn it on for the team to have any success the tournament (and he did break out this weekend for a hat trick against rival Portland).  Brad Davis was way too quiet. Donovan was out of shape and didn’t do much from the bench.  Eddie Johnson seemed to be pressing at times although he was just a nose or maybe a toe offsides on an almost goal.  Obviously, Dempsey and Donovan make the squad, but others who did not perform well could find themselves on the outside looking in at guys like Aron Johanssen and Mix Diskeruud.)

The overall offensive success of the USA does not bode well for any of the central defenders who play in Mexico who are not wearing the captain’s band (one good and one bad again).  Masa Rodriguez continues to live down to expectations and, like Gonzalez up north, will probably have to serve as a default member of the Brasil roster.  Same story for Topo Valenzuela, who was yet again mediocre at best, with some scary moments, but probably still ends up as the 5^th central defender on the squad.  That all of course bodes well for Iberian players Hector Moreno at Espanyol and Diego Reyes at Porto (finally getting consistent playing time) who will almost assuredly flank Marquez barring circumstance. 

Likewise, Jesus Zavala has been put on standby, while teammate Juan Carlos Medina likely solidified his hold on the holding midfielder position by effectively shutting down Michael Bradley in the second half (more one good, one bad), after Zavala chased him around aimlessly in the first half.  

Neither team was at full strength without European players, with both getting to see a lot of players (friendly six subs), and in the process, I think, answered some of the important roster questions they have been pondering.  Mexico has to feel a little better about the result though, especially that as more of Herrera’s “regulars” came on, his team looked better, stronger and more in control.  The US can take pride in a fantastic start, the fact that they were inches from the winning goal, and did not have a few probable starters waiting on the bench to come in later. 

The most intriguing question mark for the Stars and Stripes is youngster Julian Green, who certainly is fast, but looked completely out of sorts, especially going back on defense.  Granted, he joined the team at the last second, was over-hyped by fans and media, and basically came in cold with little, if any practice with the team, so he just did not yet look ready for primetime. Klinnsman was smart to only play him thirty minutes, and not the ninety many fans wanted.  However, Green was likely made some promises in his allegiance flip, and is considered a key part of the future of this team.  He got a taste, coaches got a look, and they will do everything in their power in the interim to prepare him to be the 23^rd name to make that roster so he can get a glimpse of the Cup up close, even if he never makes it on the field.

The biggest pregunta across the border is about trying to figure out where arguably their most talented player, Giovanni Dos Santos, fits into their system and lineup.  While Chicharito Hernandez has been finally getting some playing time at ManU and notched a goal over the weekend, the only question for him is: Starter or super-sub?  With Gio however, it is a much more complicated dilemma, as he is not really a true striker and needs some space to work that doesn’t really exist in this formation.  On top of that, he is out a month or so with a nagging hamstring, not an injury you want heading into the World Cup.  I still think his best spot might be as one of the attacking mids, but he has made it clear that he does not prefer that, and furthermore, that is by far the deepest area on the team with the aforementioned Peña, Montes, Brizuela, Fabian, plus Hector Herrera, who is again playing more at Porto, and whose versatility and ability to play holding mid almost assures him of a spot on the final roster (especially in light of Zavala’s performance).

Everyone now has until mid-May to narrow down their squad to their provisional 30 for training camp, before they pare down to the final Brasil World Cup veinte-tres on June 2.  However, each side does still have some important decisions to make, both on their bench and even in their starting lineups.  I figure both Herrera and Klinnsman probably know at least seven, and maybe as many as eight or even nine of their projected starters, but each has to figure out a couple of key areas, specifically in the midfield, as well as whom best fills out their depth in case of injury or other problems.

El Tri vs. USA

We are not the average soccer fan couple, especially as we are both Caucasian with no Latino background whatsoever.  Whereas most supporters fall heavily on one side of this rivalry or the other, and often show disdain and hate for the opposing side, we more or less equally support both countries in international soccer, and if anything, with a lean to the south.  The Mexicans simply have more talent, flair, and passion than the “Americanos” (see previous post), they (usually) play a much more exciting style of fútbol, and are frankly just more enjoyable to watch (although 2013 tested the Mexican faithful more than ever before).  I have one cheap USA jersey in my closet, but between us we have well over a dozen items (jerseys, T-shirts, sweatshirts, hats) sporting the Mexican tri color motif.  We actually just ordered six new items from FIFA-four are Mexico, while two are USA (we thought we should have something from our own country and if we get tickets to the Germany game...). I certainly follow El Tri much more closely on the internet and twitter than the USMNT, and we both are far more familiar with the Mexicanos.

 We have always wanted to attend a Mexico-USA match and we seriously contemplated going to this week’s tilt in Phoenix, the last for both teams until three warm-up games in May and June, just before heading down to Brasil.  Amy even lobbied her boss in Arizona to schedule a meeting so she would have to fly down, have a paid hotel and we would only have to get my flight and the tickets, but alas, it was not to be.  Some day we will catch this CONCACAF Clasico live and in person, which will be an interesting sight to behold.  I am curious how a mixed crowd would take us, two gringos, one dressed in red, white and blue, the other in red, white and green, (or maybe we could cut and sew two jerseys together!) for when it comes down to it, I will still root U-S-A when these two teams play each other; Amy, on the other hand, outright cheers on La Selección Mexicana whenever the rivalry is renewed, and she received a roaring approval from the crowd our section at Mexico-Martinique at Sports Authority field.  I will personally wear both teams’ colors to school this week, sporting that new red one from Mexico (I hated it at first, and usually hate red in general, but in person I fell in love) on game day.

We will watch this game on TV (if we can stay up for the 9:15PM Mtn kickoff ), cheering both sides, switching between the English and Spanish telecasts, and, since there are no consequences in this “friendly”, I will be not-so-secretly hoping for a tie, maybe 2-2.  A game like this is a little nerve-wracking, like watching an intrasquad scrimmage of your favorite team in any sport--if one side does something well, it likely means something went wrong for the other.  There will only be LigaMX and MLS players in this game as the Euros will not make this trip. And both Klinnsman and Herrera know their general squad, even if they are not solid yet on the exact starting XI, or the definite final 23 that make the trip to Brasil. They will name 30 players in May, hold their camps and play one warm-up game before releasing their 23-man travel roster on June 2.

However, there are a few players on each side that are hoping to make an impression in this game, most notably Marco Fabian for Mexico, who has had an outstanding Liga season, but has remained on the fringe recently for El Tri and is up against a crowded offensive front.   Both young Mexican strikers, Alan Pulido and Raul Jimenez are expected to get serious playing time as they compete with each other (and Fabian) for one of the last coveted spots.  On the other side of the pitch, 18-year-old Julian Green gets his first US cap, after switching from Germany to the United States, and is expected to challenge for playing time up front.  Both sides have some final questions with at least one midfield spot as well.  Although both defenses are suspect, there are not a ton of viable options for either.   

A couple of jabs leading up to this rivalry game: First, LigaMX squad Puebla, trying to fend off relegation, refused to release USMNT players DeMarcus Beasley (who is likely to play in his 4^th World Cup no matter what) and Michael Orozco-Fiscal, who really needed this game to make a plea for the last spot on the Brasil roster; in case you were wondering, no, Puebla did not have any players called up to the Mexican side, and all other players across Mexico were given their release.  Klinnsman was not pleased with the move and made it clear.  He followed up the next day by saying the Mexicans should have never fired Chepo de la Torre.  No matter what, this game always brings some fireworks on and off the pitch.

The ultimate dream would be to go see this rivalry in Estadio Azteca in Mexico City, in which case we would most assuredly dress in all green and I’d openly and loudly speak Spanish!  Ah, one day.  For now, we will be content to watch this round on the late night big screen, dreaming of acai berries and el jogo bonito.

El Tri and the game that kickstarted our adventure

This piece was actually written last summer during my time in the Colorado Writer's Project, shortly after the Gold Cup game in Denver between Mexico and Martinique.  [FYI-the "language" in it is authentic.]  While Amy and I had talked about going to the World Cup and knew we would need to start planning soon, attending this game solidified in our minds that we were going to follow through with it.

Los fanaticos dEl tri

            It was as if I had been transported to an entirely new place. The volume of the crowd buzz was steadily growing; the seats were rapidly filling with green bodies, wide-brimmed sombreros and a seemingly endless stream of Chicharitos. My adrenaline spiked back to where it was upon entrance. This is what it was supposed to be!

Only moments before, the first game of the day had ended in a meaningless, anticlimactic 0-0 draw. During that first match I had been stunned that I could actually make out the various calls and cheers from individual Canadian and Panamanian fans, and even the spoken instructions the players were giving each other on the field.  When I had first entered the stadium, I was filled with energy, anticipating the high level Gold Cup soccer and especially its fans. But that excitement quickly waned as we approached our seats.  I became deflated, disappointed not just at how few people were in the stands such a short time before kickoff, but in the almost complete silence throughout the match.  Even a big play garnered only a heightened murmur.   The basically boring game ended without fanfare of any kind.

That was when I noticed the change.  It was as if I was actually in Mexico.

My section was suddenly filled with elated faces and voices. I had to speak up for my out of place English to be heard by my friends and family. And it was as if everyone was indeed friends and family there, all in support of El Tri.

            The crowd erupted when the Mexican National Team took the field alongside underdog Martinique.  It seemed like the whole state burst into song with the Mexican National Anthem.  As Martinique put the ball into play the entire stadium exploded into a cacophony of cheers.   Now, instead of individual voices blaring out over the quiet now and then, there was a constant hum that crescendoed with every challenged 50/50 ball or downfield Mexican pass. Any call in favor of the opponent (no matter how correctly warranted) was met with a fervor of boos, hisses, whistles and a few “Chingate”s. Even on the opposing goal kicks the entire crowd would wave their arms in the air cheering, louder and louder (similar to an American football kickoff), until it climaxed on the goalkeeper’s contact with the ball with a deafening “Puuuuuuuu-tOOOOOOOO!!!!”  This is what I expected, wanted, craved, total passion. With a shot on the poor Islander goalie the roar of 25,000, the stadium only a third full, was so deafening I doubted it could be any louder.

            That was until Marco Fabian broke the ice with a looping offbalance rebound that bounced into the back of the net.  OH   MY   GOD!!! Total and utter elation.  The entire stadium shook like thunder with everyone jumping up and down screaming, even my usually reserved wife and her sister.  It felt like being on the dance floor of a gigantic club at midnight on New Year’s Eve, everyone dancing and celebrating to the fullest of their ability.  Most tried to imitate Andres Castor’s infamous “Gooooooooooooooooooooooooooolllllllllllll!!!!!!” for as long as they could before taking another breath.  Yes, this was exactly what I had sought.

            When Martinique earned a penalty kick to gain the tie minutes later, I feared for the life of the referee.  Even mothers and children were screaming things that would make a Marine drill sergeant blush as I learned some new Spanish.  The stunned crowd then grew ominously quiet.

Quickly, though, a rocket from way outside by Luis Montes gave the adopted home team the lead back, and the stadium again exploded in fiesta “MEH-HEE-CO! MEH-HEE-CO!”  The jubilation and excitement maintained throughout halftime.

 The roar grew yet again as the second half kicked off.  The match remained 2-1 and the crowd visibly and audibly stressed throughout the rest of the half.  With each successive play or change of possession, the crowd “OOOOOHHH!”ed and “AAAAAAAAH”ed in accordance. The tension mounted.  The collective sigh of relief exhaled with a Martinique miss created a stiff breeze.  While a narrowly missed a shot by Mexico brought a ridiculous, “AAAAAAAAAWWW” as if 25,000 people had had their own lifeblood drawn out of them.

I was hot, thirsty, hungry and had to pee, but there was no way I was missing even one second of action.  We were all literally on the edge of our seats, desperately begging for another goal to seal it.  When it finally came, Miguel to Miguel, a beautiful cross by the young speedster Layun and finished strong by the substitute striker Ponce, the post-game celebration had begun.  An electrical hum buzzed the air, everyone singing, whooping and Ole-ing, as we exited the stadium in a rhythmic Conga crowd, the sensation lasting all the way home.

            Even though this was only Mexico’s “B” squad in a mid-level tournament, we all felt like we had personally won the World Cup. I vowed to never miss another Mexico game played in Colorado.