USA-Mexico is less than two weeks away, and I'm starting to get excited. In an effort to keep that excitement from exploding all over the place, I've decided to do the first ever MFUSA Top Ten.
Top ten lists around the web tend to be hack and wildly overdone, but there's a reason they are so popular: people love them. With that in mind, I'm going to ease the my mental load and do something quick and light.
So here, for your enjoyment, are the top ten reasons the USA-Mexico rivalry is the greatest current rivalry in sports:
10. Language Barrier
Like it or not, the language barrier plays a large part in increasing the intensity of this rivalry. Things are always a little testier when you can't tell what the other guys is saying about you; this applies to both the fans and the press. Americans despise the arrogance of the Mexican soccer supporters; Mexican fans despise the upstart nature of the Americans, who they see as playing "their" game, and each is paranoid about what the other is saying in a language they (mostly) don't understand. USA-Mexico is the only rivalry in North American sports for which language is a factor.
Bonus language item for American fans: The Donovan-speaks-Spanish factor has to be galling to the Mexican supporters.
9. Familiarity Breeds Contempt
Any great rivalry must take place often to reach rivalry status, and the USA-Mexico rivalry certainly benefits from the regularity of their meetings. Regardless of what other games might be on the horizon, fans on both sides circle their meeting against the other as soon as the schedule is released. With the contempt comes pining; supporters of each team would grudgingly admit that a long period without a USA-Mexico match is a boring one. A rivalry is truly great when anticipation for the next match begins as soon as the last has ended.
8. Player "Poaching"
The relationship between Mexico and the U.S., from a political standpoint, is a unique one. Millions of Mexicans have come to this country for the opportunities it provides while still remaining loyal to their homelands. This is never more evident than in the soccer world; several players have been on the radar of both the USMNT and the Mexican national team, and the decisions they've made have added to the rivalry.
7. Home Dominance
For me, this is an important aspect of the USA-Mexico face off each and every time the game is played; can the away side break the losing streak on the home side's soil? The long losing streak in the U.S. frustrates the Mexican fans, and the inability of the Americans to win in Azteca frustrates those on the U.S. side. The pressure to break the streak ratchets up the intensity to fantastic levels that Ohio State-Michigan could never hope to see.
6. High Stakes
Any and every USA-Mexico match has the rivalry boosting question of regional dominance at play; those games that are for a title (i.e. '07 Gold Cup) or to move on in a knockout tournament ('02 World Cup), or to move towards World Cup qualification are extra-special, and come with additional hype. The run up to La Guerra Fria is a perfect example of this, a game with so much buzz (among soccer fans anyway) that I think even ESPN will acknowledge it.
5. The Patriotism Factor
No other rivalry on the American sports scene contains the overt element of national pride. Flag waiving and patriotism are innate qualities present in both the American and Mexican people, and the head-to-head soccer rivalry is a perfect excuse to each group to show off their love for their country. Nationalism can be ugly when it becomes an excuse to persecute or oppress, but when it's part of an athletic endeavor it's only another factor that makes the competition fierce and results meaningful.
4. Recency Effect
The best rivalries, history nonwithstanding, are made through epic battles played out over a relatively short period of time, as close to the present as possible. This is why the Yankees-Red Sox rivalry has taken on a new element in recent years; despite the term "rivalry" being applied before 2004, it took a historical Red Sox comeback and subsequent championship to bring the rivalry to it's current hype-worthy level. This is true for the USA-Mexico rivalry, as the USA's soccer renaissance over the last 20 years has finally given Mexico a competitor for regional dominance. Great games between the two with back and forth results have made each match up a must watch.
3. Memorable Moments
Every rivalry has moments that define it; USA-Mexico is no exception. Landon Donovan's first international goal, Blanco's Golden Goal in Mexico City, Rafa Marquez's red card in the '02 World Cup, Benny Feilhaber's wonder strike in the '07 Gold Cup; each adds something to the rivalry. Even momentary standoffs and hard tackles become part of the lore, riling up the supporters and intensifying the uneasy truce that exists from when one game ends until the next begins.
2. Melting Pot
Only in America can a rivalry between two different nations play itself out in front of "home" crowds for the visiting side. While it pains me to see American stadiums full of hysterical Mexican supporters, it's impossible to deny that this circumstance gives the match up another edge. As an American, it makes it all the sweeter when the match does take place in front of a true home crowd, with thousands of USA supporters dressed head to tow in red, white, and blue.
1. Enmity
Hate is a strong word, but in this case it might be the only accurate word. There has been talk of a grudging respect developing between the two sides in the most recent years, but the hatred the exists been the supporters of the two side may never wane. Exhibiting a actual dislike for one's competitors, which players on both sides have done, is the ultimate in rivalry fire-stoking. Fans take up the cause without hesitation, and "hatred" (as least as it relates to soccer) becomes the central them of every encounter. To say that the USA hates Mexico and vice-versa isn't a stretch by any means. Now that's what I call rivalry.
Okay, I'm officially exploding with anticipation.
I'll leave you with a video, just to whet your whistle:
