Mexico dreaming big after upset
MOSCOW — Mexico is starting to dream big after beating defending World Cup champion Germany.
The 1-0 win was among the biggest victories in Mexican soccer history and is giving the team’s players confidence that they could reach the quarterfinals in Russia or perhaps beyond.
“I don’t know if we’ve sent a message to other teams, but internally we’ve spread a clear message that that we can, and are completely capable of competing with anyone,” defender Miguel Layun said after training Monday. “It helps us to know we’re capable and that when we work together, we can accomplish anything.”
The most successful international tournament for Mexico was winning the gold medal at the 2012 London Olympics.
Coming into Russia, fans didn’t have big hopes for the team’s chances of going far in the World Cup. But that changed overnight with Sunday’s victory.
“The feeling is indescribable because no one really expected much from us. I think we’re the only ones who believed in ourselves,” midfielder Jonathan Dos Santos said. “We have made history in a way that no one ever has. Starting out on the right foot was good for us, and there’s a long way to go, but we’re doing well.”
Mexico hasn’t made it past the second round since the 1986 World Cup, when it hosted the tournament and reached the quarterfinals. This generation of Mexican footballers, however, is the first to have 15 players from leagues outside their home country, and insists that it can make it to the quarterfinals or even further.
El Tri has never had so many players from foreign leagues, besides its squad in South Africa in 2010, which had nine. That year, Mexico was knocked out
by Argentina in the round of 16.
“We didn’t come to Russia just to beat Germany and go home. We hope to beat South Korea and leave all negativity in the past,” said forward Javier Hernandez, referring to Mexico’s next match in Rostov on Saturday. “We have the mindset to achieve. Yesterday was just a first step on the way to the final.”
ST. PETERSBURG, Russia — FIFA has opened disciplinary proceedings against Mexico after its fans used an anti-gay slur during the team’s 1-0 win over Germany.
Some Mexican supporters chanted the slur when Germany goalkeeper Manuel Neuer prepared to take a goal kick in the 24th minute of Sunday’s game at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow.
Fans in Mexico use the chant to insult opposing goalkeepers as they take a goal kick. Widely considered a slur, some argue there is no discriminatory intent.
FIFA did not elaborate on the nature of the disciplinary proceedings
and didn’t say when a hearing would take place.
“Further updates will be communicated in due course. As proceedings are ongoing please understand we cannot comment further at this stage,” FIFA said in a released statement.
The Mexican soccer federation has been repeatedly fined by FIFA over fans chanting the slur in recent years, but the sanctions haven’t escalated. The federation and players have previously urged fans to stop the chant to avoid further punishment.
The Court of Arbitration for Sport canceled two fines against Mexico in November, ruling the chant was “insulting” but not meant to offend, though it left other fines in force.
FIFA is using a new anti-discrimination procedure for the World Cup, under which referees are instructed to stop the game for an announcement on the public address system when discriminatory behavior is seen or heard. If it continues, the official could suspend the game and then abandon it if the behavior persists.
Slur investigated