Mexican fans are ROK-ing all night
Mexican fans plunged into anguish on Wednesday by their team’s drubbing by Sweden were left cheering for South Korea (aka the ROK), exploding into celebration when the Asian side defeated Germany 2-0, sending Mexico into the World Cup knockout stage.
Brimming with optimism after their team upset Germany in its World Cup opener and then beat South Korea, fans in Mexico watched in horror as Sweden scored goal after goal in their final Group F match.
With the clock ticking down in Ekaterinburg and the score 3-0, it appeared Mexico was about to be sent unceremoniously home.
That is, unless winless South Korea somehow managed to avoid defeat by Germany and erase the possibility of a three-way tie for the group, which Mexico would have lost on goal difference.
Suddenly, all eyes turned to the South Korea-Germany match being played simultaneously in Kazan.
“Korea! Korea!” chanted fans in a Mexico City bar, leaping into the air and embracing when the Asian side scored a stoppage-time, VAR-assisted goal, and then a late second to seal the reigning champion’s humiliating exit — and allow Mexico to squeeze through to the last 16.
“I went from crying to laughing,” said Cecilia Gonzalez, a 22-year-old student who was celebrating the outcome with tequila.
“Thank you, Korea! I don’t even know quite where it is, but thank you, thank you!”
Some fans even flocked to the South Korean embassy in Mexico City to celebrate, chanting that Koreans are “our brothers”.
Social media in Mexico was instantly flooded with a barrage of memes: A Mexican in cowboy hat and boots dancing to K-pop staple Gangnam
Style, a fake news headline on Mexico changing its official language to Korean, Twitter users vowing to start watching more Korean dramas on TV.
As for their own team, the fans’ disappointment was palpable.
“Mexico really let me down. My expectations were so high. They played so well in the other matches, it got my hopes up. But they didn’t play like I thought they would,” said 20-year-old student Cecilia Jimenez.
“Mexico played very, very badly. Luckily the Koreans did us a favor,” said Alan Gonzalez, 29, a lawyer.
With its three goals, Sweden finished atop the group and will play Group E runner-up Switzerland.
Mexico is stuck playing Group E winner and five-time world champion Brazil.
Mexicans were left praying for their good luck to continue.
“It’s been going well for us so far. We beat the world champion, that’s not so easy,” said Luis Padilla, 29, a cafe owner in Mexico City.
“This is a country that grinds to a halt for football. Football changes everything. It sets our national spirits,” he said.