USA and Mexico fans at the CONCACAF Cup

The USA national team didn't get the result it wanted in the CONCACAF Cup, but for the USA fans, it was good night.  

For the first time in many years the US Men's soccer team had played an important match in Los Angeles, there were thousands and thousands of American fans in the stands supporting them.  The atmosphere was completely different than the 2011 Gold Cup final at the Rose Bowl.

In this 2011 photograph from the Gold Cup Final the US Soccer supporters section was this small area consisting of probably no more than 1000 fans.

During the CONCACAF Cup the USA fans and American Outlaws covered a whole end of the stadium.

The other amazing part was although there were some moments of heckling and arguing between the USA and Mexico fans, it was mostly good natured.

 Even though with the improved numbers of USA fans at the stadium, the overwhelming was pro-Mexico.

I'd estimate that the numbers were about 65 percent pro-Mexico...

 ... and about 35 percent pro-USMNT.

 When the teams walked on the pitch for the start of the match...

 ...the Mexico fans were definitely louder singing the national anthem.

 But the USA team sure didn't look intimidated.

 After all, in recent years the USMNT has had the uncanny ability to beat Mexico 2-0 in important games.

Unfortunately the American Outlaws fans barely starting beating their drums before Mexico scored.

 But urged on, the USA fans continued to cheer...

...and were rewarded with a quick goal to tie the match back up.

 After the first 15 minutes the match turned into a tactical game with the USA defending...

...and the Mexicans attacking.

 At the half fans caught their breath...

...and shared a drink or two.

 In the second half the USA and American Outlaws urged on the USMNT.

 As USA fans chanted "USA!" the Mexico fans right next to them would chant "Me-xi-co!"

 Mexico had the run of the game in the second half and its fans were left ruing several missed goal scoring opportunities.  

The game than went to extra time and Mexico scored a goal. And it looked like the USA were done.

 But a beautiful combination play by the USA breathed life back into the American fans' hopes.

 They cheered on their team to finish off extra time and take the game to penalty kicks.

 But with only a few minutes left on the clock the USA fans were looked on in disbelief as Mexico scored a clincher.  

 With so few minutes left on the clock there was no way for the USA to respond and the American fans trudged out of the bowl dejected...

...as the Mexico fans celebrated.

But in the end the real remarkable story really wasn't the result, but the fans.  The USA fans came out in numbers, the Mexico fans in even greater numbers. And in large part the fans were passionate and good natured. They gave their all for their respective sides and could hold their heads up high after the game.  

Now I doubt that the next World Cup Qualifier between Mexico and the USA in Azteca will be a love fest, but it really felt, at least for one night, in this game, that the fans of both nation treated each other with respect.  I liked that. And hope it for more as the greatest soccer rivalry in CONCACAF continues.

Gold Cup Final - USA vs. Mexico A.K.A. I Can't Hear You USA

I've been going to and photographing the fans of the USA Men's National Team for 11 years, and I've never been as embarrassed by the American fans as I was on Saturday for the Gold Cup Final. My first USMNT mach was World Cup Qualifying: USA vs. Guatemala in 2000 in RFK, followed by USA vs. Honduras in 2001. At those games the American fans were just as outnumbered 9-1, just as they were at the Rose Bowl in Los Angeles, but they never stopped cheering for their team the whole 90 minutes. In all the years since the supporters section has always cheered the full 90 no matter what the result. On Saturday, the fans quit on the US Men's team. When Mexico scored their second goal they crossed their arms, and didn't cheer, and stood silent in the most important match for the team this year. Its an absolute disgrace, and every American fan at the game should be ashamed of themselves.
Although a lot of people compared the Gold Cup Final like playing in Azteca; The Azteca Norte if you will. But compared to the reception the US fans that went to support the US team in 2009 for the World Cup Qualifier, the atmosphere was not that hostile during the pre-game. In-fact a bunch of Mexican and USA fans ended up kicking a ball around playing an impromptu match between parked cars.
But the crowd outside the Rose Bowl was definitely pro-Mexican. Probably around 90 percent Mexican fans, 10 percent USA fans.
When the US Supporters walked into the stadium they received a ton of jeers from the Mexican crowd.
Some fingers thrown in their faces...
And some pushing and shoving between the USA and Mexican fans, even the female fans.
The supporters group was afraid of the heckling...

and tried to enter through a locked gate but were turned away by security and the police officers.
Finally they made their way through the gates into the stadium.

And into the supporters section which was patrolled by security to make sure only ticketed US supporters made it into the section.
Before the match it was easy to see the USA fans were vastly outnumbered by the Mexican fans.
But that's to be expected in Los Angeles.
While some fans were supporting the USA...

...plenty of Mexican-Americans have still close ties to their homeland sports team.

And the Rose Bowl was majority green.
Even though the Mexican team attacked from the start, the USA got a surprise goal to go up 1-0.
A few minutes later the USA was up 2-0 and it looked like it would be the USA's day.
But just as quickly, Mexico scored a goal and the jeers turned into cheers....
Some scuffles broke out between the Mexican and US fans in separate sections and but once Mexico tied the match up, the American supporters essentially shut up.

The USA team marched out in the second half...
But hardly a cheer was heard from the US fans, especially after Mexico scored their third goal.
USA fans had their hands in their mouths...
Looking on quiet...
Not doing anything...
When your team is down that's when they need to hear you. That's when the USA fans should have been at their loudest. But except for one American Outlaws fan and a few of his friends from Orange County the supporters section remained silent.
And Bob Bradley had the deer-in-headlights look as he watch his strategy for the match fall apart and the USA lose 4-2.

Afterwards the US fans looked stunned by their loss.
And some good natured cheering for each side ensued.
both ways...
But I was shocked at the poor support for the USA team. How can you not go to a match like that and cheer the whole 90 minutes???

As the Mexican Coach said after the game:

""The supporters get my respect," Mexico coach Jose Manuel De La Torre said. "I don't know what it was, maybe 90 or 95 percent of the fans were Mexicans and that means something. When we went down 2-0, they were still cheering, still supporting. The team gave everything they had."
In all honesty, can the USA fans at the match say the same thing? Did they give everything they had??