The Champs, Tequila

I woke up today to a Goooooooool holler from all my neighbours. If it had been Germany who scored, I would have known too. I have been watching football soccer all of my life, and the heartbreak of constant loss is something I can't seem to bear anymore.

Yet, after that collective shout that shook the buildings, I wanted to make an ode to all of the fans that year after year still wear that green t-shirt, that cry in frustration after "we almost had it". Those who keep singing the same song that we sing while clearing debree after earthquakes and of course, football matches.

"Cielito Lindo" song is simple, it speaks about an enamoured man who is singing to a black-eyed woman, trying to convince her to stay with him in order to prevent her from further heartbreak and sobbing:

when you fall in love, look first
who your eyes fall upon
otherwise you'll end up crying

This song is embedded in our DNA, three notes and our spirit gets transported to Mexico. Today will be an endless party of honking cars; green, white and red dressed people in cantinas and homes. But on close inspection, it has always brought the feeling back home that we can amount to something. I suspect the victory has to do with much criticized Osorio but also the fact some of these players' efficiency in European soccer fields has been surpassed, trusting after some years, that they are up to par.

How much do we need those spirits up? Whew. That's always been a question of how urgent. With Trump around and NAFTA uncertainty, I believe, it has become imperative to show we don't like to be belittled or pushed around.

I hate the Chihuahua dog analogy that's been part of memes, it portrays us as shitty but fierce literal "underdogs" that somehow snap back when least expected, teaching everyone a lesson. I want to believe other possible narratives of Mexicans that want a different future and not what has been the expected, silent, accepted norm.

I wish we could do this not only a football match but locally, with everything we have to surpass to get by, with fighting abuse from authorities from a core-corrupted state, isn't it time to score some organized, collective goals on these fields too?