Wednesday, February 11, 2004 U.S. coach downplays unfriendly crowd Associated Press GUADALAJARA, Mexico -- The boos nearly drowned out "The Star-Spangled Banner," and a few dozen fans chanted "Osama! Osama!" as the United States was eliminated by Mexico in Olympic men's soccer qualifying. A loud anti-American crowd hollered as Mexico beat the United States 4-0 Tuesday night in the under-23 tournament, claiming a berth in the Athens Olympics. As U.S. players left the stadium for their bus, several fans -- some clutching beers -- chanted "Osama! Osama!" in reference to al-Qaeda leader Osama bin Laden. Police in riot gear held back the crowd and urged people to calm down. "I think the fans here in Mexico are terrific; I think their patriotism and support of their team is terrific," U.S. coach Glenn Myernick said. "But unless I missed something, not one of them came down on the field and kicked the ball. We were beaten by a better football team tonight, not by the fans." For Mexico, the game partly avenged a 2-0 loss to the United States in the second round of the 2002 World Cup, a far more important tournament involving national teams. The U.S. men will miss the Olympics for the first time since 1980 -- when the entire American delegation boycotted the Moscow Games. Mexico also ended the United States' 19-tournament streak of qualifying for every FIFA men's outdoor event, including the World Cup, the Olympics, the World Youth Championship for players under 20 and the Under-17 World Championship. Mexico is unbeaten 20 consecutive Olympic qualifiers since a 3-0 loss to the United States on April 26, 1992. While both national television networks broadcast Tuesday's game live in Mexico, there was no television in the United States, where the game was broadcast on closed circuit to about 190 restaurants. Courtesy of http://soccernet.espn.go.com/headlinenews?id=291083&cc=5901
It's disgusting, that's what I make of it. That's all though. People, when they're juiced up about sporting events, say very regrettable things. I've done that on occasion and I've done it here, which led to a brief, but well-deserved banning. Not to mention, some people know how to argue and hurl insults in the most negative way. Some take one's worst moment, fear or situation and throw it right back at them. Just like on the schoolyard when people would make fun of kids with glasses, etc. The worst insult you could throw at the U.S. to make them feel horrible collectively is to chant for our biggest enemy.
first Mexicans knock our Baseball team out, now soccer, all the while shouting Osama? .....I think its time to invade
Have you ever seen how they treat Chihuahuas? And doesn't Montezuma's Revenge constitute biological warfare?
My worry is that this paint Mexico in a bad light. Imagine if this news get play in the national media? It could become volatile and have domino effect. I never imagined 'Mexico' would feel this way towards their neighbor to the north. What is the origin? Immigration? NAFTA friction? Bush? Whatever it is it does not give them (especially considering the ties between both nations) the right to chant "osama". This is NOT about sports. It is more than. Hate and contempt is brewing and it should curbed. I hope it does not become bigger than this but we should never look away. America's ultimate safety can still be linked directly or indirectly to the the well being of the relationship Herself and that of their neighbors. Am I overreacting?
Not at all. That's the fundamental aspect to the war on terror that iraq and those who supported it missed; in order to combat terrorism, you need, need, NEED global support. And what's more, WE HAD IT. We had a global mandate to take on terrorism, which is as essential to combating terrorism as air control is to conventional warfare...and in the pursuit of easier, more tangible targets which play better on television, we sacrificed that to such an extent that what was an all time global support for the US has been completely reversed, and 'anti-Americanism' regained control and solidified where it already existed, and is increasing at an alarming rate in other places more traditionally pro-US. People said that it was our right to tell the world to screw off and do what we want re: Iraq, and the irony is that many who said so based this argument on the grounds that we had to do what was in our best interests. Leaving aside the whole argument of whether feeling that gives us that right, or whether Iraq repesented anything related to our safety, the fact is that if terrorism is the greatest issue...if terrorism is the issue which has stimulated this need for self-protection, the fact is that what we threw away was far more important to that aim than anything Saddam Hussein could have represented. Does this excuse drunk soccer fans from chanting the name of a mass murderer? Of course not...but while sanctioning those idiots for their choice of verbiage, we shouldn't also overlook that it's a symptom of something many in here don't want to look at. People who want to continue overlooking this will say that A) People have always hated us, and B) That's because we're rich and powerful. Neither of thse is all that true, but more to the point, if that is the case, explain the global support post 9-11 and in Afghanistan? We had what was needed to do this thing...and we threw it away.
I understand the whole competition/testosterone thing, and adding beer to any sporting event lowers the bar on civility. But that's freaking weak. Of course, nobody thinks these Mexican fans are Al Queda sympathizers or anything. Just drunk fans who know how to push the right buttons.
