Thursday 17 February 2011
Monday 14 February 2011
Chivas most fans, America most hated
Chivas Guadalajara is the most loved team in Mexico and America the most hated, at least according to a recent Mitofsky opinion poll carried out in January this year.
Chivas is the favourite team of 25 percent of all Mexican football fans with arch-rivals in second place on 24 percent. Chivas play with an all-Mexican roster whereas America pride themselves on importing skilful foreigners. The reason behind Chivas maintaining the number one spot despite a poor run of form over the last six months could be down to the success of former player Chicharito at Manchester United and their run to the final of last year’s Copa Libertadores.
A total of 41 percent of those questioned said America was their most hated team. Chivas was in second on 13 percent.
In terms of popularity, Cruz Azul are the third most supported Mexican team with 11 percent. The Mexico City team’s support slipped to the lowest point in the last five years despite them finishing top of the general table last season.
Making up the last spot of Mexico’s traditional ‘big four’ is Pumas with 8 percent. Behind them were Monterrey and Santos on 6 percent. Toluca’s support fell to just 3 percent.
There is a saying in Mexico that the president is always a Chivas fan because if the team wins the title people are happy and not focussing on the country’s pressing problems.
Chivas is the favourite team of 25 percent of all Mexican football fans with arch-rivals in second place on 24 percent. Chivas play with an all-Mexican roster whereas America pride themselves on importing skilful foreigners. The reason behind Chivas maintaining the number one spot despite a poor run of form over the last six months could be down to the success of former player Chicharito at Manchester United and their run to the final of last year’s Copa Libertadores.
A total of 41 percent of those questioned said America was their most hated team. Chivas was in second on 13 percent.
In terms of popularity, Cruz Azul are the third most supported Mexican team with 11 percent. The Mexico City team’s support slipped to the lowest point in the last five years despite them finishing top of the general table last season.
Making up the last spot of Mexico’s traditional ‘big four’ is Pumas with 8 percent. Behind them were Monterrey and Santos on 6 percent. Toluca’s support fell to just 3 percent.
There is a saying in Mexico that the president is always a Chivas fan because if the team wins the title people are happy and not focussing on the country’s pressing problems.
Monday 7 February 2011
A deluge of Tapatio talent: Mexico´s goalkeeping dilemma
Jose Manuel de la Torres has a headache when it comes to deciding on a goalkeeper. It is, however, a good kind of headache.
With his first games in charge of the Mexican national team coming up thick and fast, "Chepo" has to decide which goalkeeper to make his number one. It´s not going to be easy. Mexico has a wealth of talent between the sticks. There are at least six Mexican goalkeepers that can be considered potential No. 1´s for Chepo. Strangely, five of the six are from Guadalajara.
Guillermo Ochoa
The young ´keeper with the big hair seems to have been around forever. To many "Memo" is considered the natural heir to the No. 1 shirt but that view was shaken after Oscar Perez was brought into the World Cup squad after a couple of high profile errors by Ochoa in the warm up games.
Quick, brave and with very good reflexes, Ochoa has won games almost single-handedly for his club. There are doubts about his ability to keep out middle and long range shots.
Ochoa still has time on his side. A move to Europe is also very possible in the summer. That could do his chances of being Mexico´s ´keeper a world of good.
Born: Guadalajara
Club: America
Age: 25
Caps: 43
Oswaldo Sanchez
When Oscar Perez was brought into the World Cup squad by Javier Aguirre as an experienced goalkeeper to do a job, many in Mexico were perplexed as to why he didn´t turn to "Saint Oswaldo" instead.
Sanchez plays for Santos and has been a key player since he joined in 2006. Despite his 37 years, Sanchez is still agile, has excellent reflexes and brings a calmness to the defence. He´s also said he´s available should de la Torre turn to him.
The immediate obstacle is obviously his age.
Born: Guadalajara
Club: Santos
Caps: 98
Age: 37
Jesus Corona
Probably would have made the World Cup squad but he got involved in a fight outside a Guadalajara bar. At the moment Corona looks like the favourite to become Mexico´s long-term goalkeeper after outstanding displays for Cruz Azul. Corona´s positioning is excellent, he´s good at coming out and his distribution is probably the best among the goalkeeping contenders. Hard to pick out weaknesses apart from if his personal life becomes fraught again.
Corona made his debut for Mexico in 2005 but has often been called up as back-up ´keeper.
Born: Guadalajara
Club: Cruz Azul
Caps: 11
Age: 30
Alfredo Talavera
After working together at Toluca and Chivas, de la Torre knows all about Talavera. The 28-year-old could be in with an outside chance soley down to that. It would be unfair to say he doesn´t deserve his chance however. Having only been a first choice in the Mexican league since 2009, Talavera is by far the most inexperienced of the six. Nevertheless, Talavera is a very good all round goalie with no immediate weaknesses. He learned his trade under the tutelage of Oswaldo Sanchez at Chivas. Even today Talavera refers to Sanchez as "maestro." There are even similarities in their styles.
Born: La Barca, Jalisco
Club: Toluca
Caps: 0
Age: 28
Luis Michel
Without Michel Chivas´ percarious situation would likely be worse. Michel extends an air of certainty throughout his defence and is constantly in their ear. Michel has sharp reflexes and a safe pair of hands.
Michel does, however, have a bit of an annoying habit of punching rather than trying to catch crosses.
Born: Guadalajara
Club: Chivas
Caps: 2
Age: 31
Jonathan Orozco
The only one of the six goalies not from Jalisco, Orozco is Monterrey through and through: a product of the northern team´s youth system. Orozco is only 24-years-old and has been a vital part of Monterrey´s recent success. His form means he´s one of the six but he is probably more one for the future.
Born: Monterrey
Club: Monterrey
Caps: 10
Age: 24
With his first games in charge of the Mexican national team coming up thick and fast, "Chepo" has to decide which goalkeeper to make his number one. It´s not going to be easy. Mexico has a wealth of talent between the sticks. There are at least six Mexican goalkeepers that can be considered potential No. 1´s for Chepo. Strangely, five of the six are from Guadalajara.
Guillermo Ochoa
The young ´keeper with the big hair seems to have been around forever. To many "Memo" is considered the natural heir to the No. 1 shirt but that view was shaken after Oscar Perez was brought into the World Cup squad after a couple of high profile errors by Ochoa in the warm up games.
Quick, brave and with very good reflexes, Ochoa has won games almost single-handedly for his club. There are doubts about his ability to keep out middle and long range shots.
Ochoa still has time on his side. A move to Europe is also very possible in the summer. That could do his chances of being Mexico´s ´keeper a world of good.
Born: Guadalajara
Club: America
Age: 25
Caps: 43
Oswaldo Sanchez
When Oscar Perez was brought into the World Cup squad by Javier Aguirre as an experienced goalkeeper to do a job, many in Mexico were perplexed as to why he didn´t turn to "Saint Oswaldo" instead.
Sanchez plays for Santos and has been a key player since he joined in 2006. Despite his 37 years, Sanchez is still agile, has excellent reflexes and brings a calmness to the defence. He´s also said he´s available should de la Torre turn to him.
The immediate obstacle is obviously his age.
Born: Guadalajara
Club: Santos
Caps: 98
Age: 37
Jesus Corona
Probably would have made the World Cup squad but he got involved in a fight outside a Guadalajara bar. At the moment Corona looks like the favourite to become Mexico´s long-term goalkeeper after outstanding displays for Cruz Azul. Corona´s positioning is excellent, he´s good at coming out and his distribution is probably the best among the goalkeeping contenders. Hard to pick out weaknesses apart from if his personal life becomes fraught again.
Corona made his debut for Mexico in 2005 but has often been called up as back-up ´keeper.
Born: Guadalajara
Club: Cruz Azul
Caps: 11
Age: 30
Alfredo Talavera
After working together at Toluca and Chivas, de la Torre knows all about Talavera. The 28-year-old could be in with an outside chance soley down to that. It would be unfair to say he doesn´t deserve his chance however. Having only been a first choice in the Mexican league since 2009, Talavera is by far the most inexperienced of the six. Nevertheless, Talavera is a very good all round goalie with no immediate weaknesses. He learned his trade under the tutelage of Oswaldo Sanchez at Chivas. Even today Talavera refers to Sanchez as "maestro." There are even similarities in their styles.
Born: La Barca, Jalisco
Club: Toluca
Caps: 0
Age: 28
Luis Michel
Without Michel Chivas´ percarious situation would likely be worse. Michel extends an air of certainty throughout his defence and is constantly in their ear. Michel has sharp reflexes and a safe pair of hands.
Michel does, however, have a bit of an annoying habit of punching rather than trying to catch crosses.
Born: Guadalajara
Club: Chivas
Caps: 2
Age: 31
Jonathan Orozco
The only one of the six goalies not from Jalisco, Orozco is Monterrey through and through: a product of the northern team´s youth system. Orozco is only 24-years-old and has been a vital part of Monterrey´s recent success. His form means he´s one of the six but he is probably more one for the future.
Born: Monterrey
Club: Monterrey
Caps: 10
Age: 24
Thursday 3 February 2011
Chicharito enters fray as war of words brews between Mexico and Top Gear
Guadalajara-born Manchester United soccer player Javier “Chicharito” Hernandez, is reported to have given the go ahead for a campaign highlighting the prejudice against Mexico shown in a recent episode of BBC show Top Gear.
Pundits Richard Hammond, Jeremy Clarkson and James May began a segment on the first-ever Mexican sports car by asking why someone would even want a Mexican sports car if cars reflect national characteristics.
“German cars are very well built and efficient, Italian cars are a bit flamboyant and quick and Mexican cars would be lazy, feckless, flatulent and overweight,” says Hammond in the video, which is now difficult to find on the internet.
“They can’t do food the Mexicans,” adds May. “It’s all like sick with cheese on it. Refried sick.”
After a couple more “jokes,” Hammond adds: “I’m sorry but just imagine waking up and remembering you’re Mexican.”
Clarkson responds: “You could just go back to sleep again.”
Clarkson, known for his borderline offensive jokes added: “There won’t be complaints about this because the ambassador will be sat with the remote control in the Mexican embassy like this (Clarkson pretends to snore).”
Top Gear is famous in the United States and the UK for outlandish pranks and jokes but complaints immediately flowed into the BBC with the Mexican ambassador to the UK, Eduardo Medina, particularly riled.
“These offensive, xenophobic and humiliating remarks only serve to reinforce negative stereotypes and perpetuate prejudice against Mexico and its people,” read a statement that also demanded an on air apology.
One 30-year-old Mexican student in the United Kingdom, Iris de la Torre, is attempting to sue the BBC under new equality laws. Her lawyers claim it could cost the BBC 1 million pounds in damages.
Soccer star Hernandez has been given rave reviews for his performances on the field in English this season and Spanish-language sports daily Record says he has lent his name to a Powerade commercial. Chicharito is on the poster with words on his shirt reading:
“Yes, imagine waking up and remembering you are Mexican.”
Underneath is the slogan: “Less prejudice, more exercise.”
The BBC issued a statement Thursday apologizing for the comments: “Our own comedians make jokes about the British being terrible cooks and terrible romantics, and we in turn make jokes about the Italians being disorganized and over dramatic; the French being arrogant and the Germans being over organized.”
Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg is due to visit Mexico later this month.
Just hours after the controversy blew up, the British embassy in Mexico City tweeted: “300,000 British tourists visit Mexico every year, and come away struck by the Mexican warmth, hospitality and the beauty of this country.”
Pundits Richard Hammond, Jeremy Clarkson and James May began a segment on the first-ever Mexican sports car by asking why someone would even want a Mexican sports car if cars reflect national characteristics.
“German cars are very well built and efficient, Italian cars are a bit flamboyant and quick and Mexican cars would be lazy, feckless, flatulent and overweight,” says Hammond in the video, which is now difficult to find on the internet.
“They can’t do food the Mexicans,” adds May. “It’s all like sick with cheese on it. Refried sick.”
After a couple more “jokes,” Hammond adds: “I’m sorry but just imagine waking up and remembering you’re Mexican.”Clarkson responds: “You could just go back to sleep again.”
Clarkson, known for his borderline offensive jokes added: “There won’t be complaints about this because the ambassador will be sat with the remote control in the Mexican embassy like this (Clarkson pretends to snore).”
Top Gear is famous in the United States and the UK for outlandish pranks and jokes but complaints immediately flowed into the BBC with the Mexican ambassador to the UK, Eduardo Medina, particularly riled.
“These offensive, xenophobic and humiliating remarks only serve to reinforce negative stereotypes and perpetuate prejudice against Mexico and its people,” read a statement that also demanded an on air apology.
One 30-year-old Mexican student in the United Kingdom, Iris de la Torre, is attempting to sue the BBC under new equality laws. Her lawyers claim it could cost the BBC 1 million pounds in damages.
Soccer star Hernandez has been given rave reviews for his performances on the field in English this season and Spanish-language sports daily Record says he has lent his name to a Powerade commercial. Chicharito is on the poster with words on his shirt reading:
“Yes, imagine waking up and remembering you are Mexican.”
Underneath is the slogan: “Less prejudice, more exercise.”
The BBC issued a statement Thursday apologizing for the comments: “Our own comedians make jokes about the British being terrible cooks and terrible romantics, and we in turn make jokes about the Italians being disorganized and over dramatic; the French being arrogant and the Germans being over organized.”
Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg is due to visit Mexico later this month.
Just hours after the controversy blew up, the British embassy in Mexico City tweeted: “300,000 British tourists visit Mexico every year, and come away struck by the Mexican warmth, hospitality and the beauty of this country.”
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