Lost in Translation – Culture clashing with a touch of adventure

Football… you know as in kicking a ball, with your feet

I understand the American name for “football” a ball that measures a foot… but you have to consider that the U.S. is about the only country in the world that uses as standard the system of feet, inches and yards. So the idea of a foot-long-ball to anyone else would actually mean 30.48 cm-long-ball, and now THAT doesn’t make much sense. You can understand now why we are a little resentful about how you don’t even agree or acknowledge the name of a sport that could be a religion for Mexicans. What does “soccer” even mean?

Please don’t take it personally, I love football, I’m one of the few Mexicans that even understand the American game and who would watch the Super Bowl for something other than the advertisements. But futbol, or soccer, as you say has just a magic to it. Anyone, anytime, anywhere can play it you only need a round object and somewhere to shoot at. The passion, intensity, speed, teamwork, accessibility make futbol a cult in Mexico.

The stock market shuts down on important Mexican world cup games, the streets empty, the restaurants and bars overload. You would have to see it to believe it. And if you have the luck to watch a live game, you better brace yourself for one intense experience. The energy that the crowd has while watching a match is just overwhelming at times.

Now some Mexican technicalities, Mexico City has 3 major teams that are big rivals with each other. The Pumas (team of the UNAM, the biggest public Mexican university), the America Club, and the Cruz Azul. The rivalry between the teams can seem a little exaggerated if you are an outsider to Mexican futbol, but for everyone who considers themselves a true fan of one of those teams it will dictate your life. Literally. Well, almost. Just make sure you sit down in the right section when you go to the stadium to watch a “Clasico” game between any of those big dynasties.

Cruz Azul Team http://static.goal.com/220700/220745.jpg

Cruz Azul Team http://static.goal.com/220700/220745.jpg

pumas_201113

Pumas Club http://cdn.foxsportsla.com/sites/foxsports-la/files/img/notes/news/620×465/pumas_201113.jpg

sin-cuatro-de-sus-jugadores-titulares-asi-salio-america-0

The America Club http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-BmIgm_IBOrE/UivVKUk39_I/AAAAAAAAEGI/l2pBnuf00to/s640/sin-cuatro-de-sus-jugadores-titulares-asi-salio-america-0.jpg

But as a country we are one no matter which team you cheer for http://rubenluengas.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Afici%C3%B3n-Selecci%C3%B3n-Mexicana.jpg

But as a country we are one no matter which team you cheer for http://rubenluengas.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/Afici%C3%B3n-Selecci%C3%B3n-Mexicana.jpg

5 Responses to “Football… you know as in kicking a ball, with your feet”

  1. Jodi Rafalko

    My boyfriend is a major freak about calling it futbol, and he’s american! There are certainly some people here in the U.S. that are on board with the ‘proper’ name for the sport, the universally recognized name for the game that is played all over the world. Even here at Penn State I think they’re pretty serious about calling it futbol and not simply soccer, so I hope that’s at least a little refreshing!

  2. brenmc

    This really ties into America’s egocentric nature. Personally, I don’t understand why we have to complicate, well, basically everything just because we want to be different from the rest of the world. Soccer (futbol), while not necessarily my all-time favorite sport, is actually very interesting, and I would love to see more about these rivalries between teams. You always see riots or uproar in the news surrounding big soccer games or events, but I have yet to get a perspective from someone who has more of a stake in the matter than an article on BBC. I’d actually really like to hear more about futbol, very interesting post.

  3. David Smith

    Great call on the Ravens! You are not alone! Having a British father allows me to relate. Every Saturday or Sunday morning, as long as I can remember, we would watch his club (Manchester United) play. It had many highs and lows, and while I love the NFL and watching Penn State, nothing truly compares to the passion of football. For his 50th birthday, my mom bought us tickets to a match in Manchester, and while games at Beaver get loud, the barrage of noise and excitement we encountered was phenomenal.

  4. Ross Anthony Maietta

    I wish we had a sports cultural similar to this in the Estados Unidos. The closest we get intense is trying to get back to your seat with spilling your beer. Something like this would be an overwhelming experience to someone like me who is not accustomed to such an atmosphere. I think it’s very cool and would love to go some day.

  5. Kelly Margaret Friday

    Too bad you like the Ravens… It is crazy to think about how sports in different cultures can be so different. Literally, football is such a huge part of American culture, probably more than it should be. I read some article that stated that millions of Americans watched the Super Bowl this past Sunday, making it one of, if not the most, watched programs each year. I can’t even imagine going to a game and not seeing the stands packed. That being said, I can honestly say I’ve probably only been to 1 futbol (soccer :)) game, which is somewhat strange considering the rest of the world is obsessed with soccer

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