If you haven't already heard, the Mexican national team is going through a bit of a rough patch right now. El Tri's play has left something to be desired recently (at least for Mexico supporters), and the situation has only been exacerbated by the Mexican press and their usual antics. Mexico lost to Sweden 1-0 in Oakland last night, a performance lacking in almost every quality that will be needed for El Tri to beat the Americans in Columbus on February 11th. The Mexican press, as well as a few players, were already circling like vultures in response to Sven-Goran Eriksson's use of naturalized players, an apparent no-no despite the team's lackluster form. Sven's side has done themselves no favors with the Sweden loss, and the temperature of Sven's seat is quickly reaching volcanic proportions.
Mexico, for as long as the United States has been a relevant footballing nation, has been the big bad wolf of the CONCACAF region. They've been the gold standard, the torch-bearer, the one nation in our little corner of the globe that held the rest of the world's respect when it came to the beautiful game. Whether or not this respect was built on reputation more than results is of little importance; Mexicans are passionate about their futbol, a trait the U.S. still lacks, and a passionate populace goes a long way towards garnering esteem around the world. Mexico, if you ask one of their fans, is the only true footballing nation in North America.
So here's the rub all for you Uncle-Sam-costume-wearing, Red-white-and-blue-flag-waving, U-S-A-chanting, Mexico-is-the-enemy die-hards out there: Mexico being bad is not good for American soccer.
As an American fan of the USMNT, this should be a time of great joy, right? The instinct to to revel in the pain of a rival is deep rooted in the sports fans' makeup. I'm sure Ohio State fans aren't losing any sleep over Michigan's fall from grace, for example, and Mexico's ills are the type of thing that should cause great glee among the American faithful. In soccer circles, the hate between the two nations runs deep, bred by the Mexicans' superior attitude, the United States long climb to respectability, and the two-headed-monster nature of the CONCACAF region. If Mexico falls off, it leaves the USA as the region's undisputed soccer power; it calls for a celebration, right?
Wrong.
Dead wrong.
You couldn't be more wrong.
Every comic book fan knows that a hero needs a villain: a bad to his good, a yin to his yang, an evil genius who will bring out the hero's best, pushing him to reach his full potential. Mexico, for lack of a better analogy, is the villain to the United States' hero. The development of soccer in the U.S. has a long way to go, and Mexico's influence on that development should not be underestimated. The Mexicans have provided American soccer, both on the club and international level, with a goal at which to aim, a level to reach that would put the United States on the world football map. If Mexico's decline continues unabated (which I don't believe it will), American soccer will be left in a position that does it no good; that of the complacent front runner.
Perhaps even more important than the Mexicans' role as the Americans' pace setter is their role in popularizing the game here. Rivalry garners attention in any sport, and soccer is no different. The Yankees and Red Sox seem to dominate coverage of baseball, and for a very good reason. Even those with no rooting interest in either team tune in when the two are playing because of the intensity the matchup possesses. USA-Mexico is the type of rivalry that can slowly help turn the tide of American indifference to soccer, simply by continuing at its current degree of fierceness. I'm often frustrated at the lack of attention USA-Mexico gets from the mainstream sports media, but even without a sustained push by ESPN or others, the rivalry remains a staple of the American soccer effort. If what has become the biggest soccer match on the North American continent, every time it is played, devolves into a one-sided affair dominated by the Americans, the sport here will certainly suffer for it.
Don't get me wrong: I'm certainly hoping for a decisive American victory in two weeks time, and the bigger the thrashing, the better. And when the return match hits Azteca, and 100,000 Mexicans are calling for American scalps, I'll be pulling for that elusive away victory we American fans so desperately want. But in the back of my mind, a nagging thought will be pecking away at my consciousness. I'll be thinking about how the USA needs Mexico like Batman needs the Joker and the Red Sox need the Yankees, and I'll know, that for the good of the game in America, Mexico must be once again be good.
A few out of place notes that I couldn't work into the flow of the piece:
1. I know that Mexico isn't completely falling apart; this piece is more of a "what-if" than a discussion of actual fact.
2. I mention the club aspect of Mexico's influence only briefly, so I wanted to make it clear that I'm aware of the FMF's superiority to MLS. I hold no illusions about the current quality of MLS, so the role of the Mexican league as a catalyst for improvement has certainly not waned.
