1
00:00:06,800 --> 00:00:09,428
[♪ soft music playing ♪]

2
00:00:09,511 --> 00:00:11,472
[commentator]
Pushing it out on the far side,

3
00:00:11,555 --> 00:00:12,890
kept in by Arriola

4
00:00:12,973 --> 00:00:15,726
using his speed,
driven across towards the penalty spot.

5
00:00:15,809 --> 00:00:17,352
Tips up, and in!

6
00:00:17,436 --> 00:00:19,480
And Trinidad and Tobago in front.

7
00:00:19,897 --> 00:00:22,274
The Trinidad game... disaster.

8
00:00:22,983 --> 00:00:27,070
[commentator]
Long distance blast, and it's Alvin Jones!

9
00:00:27,529 --> 00:00:29,573
One for the legend books!

10
00:00:29,865 --> 00:00:33,994
We didn't make the World Cup
because we lost to Trinidad and Tobago.

11
00:00:34,077 --> 00:00:36,413
[commentator]
Jones into the corner. The whistle.

12
00:00:36,497 --> 00:00:38,332
It's done! It's over.

13
00:00:38,415 --> 00:00:42,085
Trinidad has dethroned the United States,

14
00:00:42,169 --> 00:00:46,089
knocking them out
of the World Cup 2018.

15
00:00:46,590 --> 00:00:50,010
[Wahl] The failure of the US
to qualify for 2018

16
00:00:50,093 --> 00:00:54,348
is the biggest failure
in the history of United States soccer.

17
00:00:54,431 --> 00:00:56,558
[commentator in Spanish]
The United States

18
00:00:56,642 --> 00:00:59,603
has been left out of the World Cup.

19
00:00:59,686 --> 00:01:01,814
[news presenter]
America missing its first World Cup

20
00:01:01,897 --> 00:01:03,565
since 1986.

21
00:01:03,899 --> 00:01:06,568
[Omar González] I just wanna say sorry
to the fans that were pulling for us,

22
00:01:06,652 --> 00:01:08,320
that wanted to go to Russia,
that believed in us.

23
00:01:10,614 --> 00:01:12,491
We let down an entire nation today.

24
00:01:13,492 --> 00:01:16,036
The United States, eliminated.

25
00:01:16,119 --> 00:01:17,412
We have no excuses.

26
00:01:17,496 --> 00:01:18,455
We failed today.

27
00:01:18,539 --> 00:01:20,290
[Taylor Twellman]
This is an utter embarrassment.

28
00:01:20,374 --> 00:01:21,834
With the amount of money

29
00:01:21,917 --> 00:01:25,712
that is in Major League Soccer
and in the sport, you can't get a draw?

30
00:01:26,255 --> 00:01:28,006
A tie? Against Trinidad?

31
00:01:28,507 --> 00:01:31,301
What are we doing? What are we doing?!

32
00:01:31,385 --> 00:01:34,179
Do you know who else
did not qualify for the World Cup?

33
00:01:34,263 --> 00:01:36,890
The United States did not qualify!

34
00:01:38,058 --> 00:01:41,895
We've got money,
we've got resources, we've got population.

35
00:01:42,229 --> 00:01:46,525
This is as embarrassing
as humanly possible.

36
00:01:46,984 --> 00:01:50,070
[commentator] ...Pulisic back for the US,
into the near post. And it in!

37
00:01:50,654 --> 00:01:52,781
And it had to be

38
00:01:52,865 --> 00:01:55,450
Rafael Márquez who's done it!

39
00:01:55,534 --> 00:01:59,663
I enjoyed beating the United States

40
00:01:59,746 --> 00:02:01,915
and breaking the curse.

41
00:02:01,999 --> 00:02:05,085
Anyone in need
of a team to root for, join us,

42
00:02:05,168 --> 00:02:06,962
cheering for the Mexican National Team.

43
00:02:07,254 --> 00:02:08,463
Vamos, Mexico.

44
00:02:08,547 --> 00:02:09,882
[cheering in the background]

45
00:02:11,842 --> 00:02:13,552
[♪ soft music playing ♪]

46
00:02:20,976 --> 00:02:23,270
[male narrator]
The US-Mexico rivalry

47
00:02:23,353 --> 00:02:26,315
is the best rivalry
in international soccer.

48
00:02:27,733 --> 00:02:29,651
[man]
Landon Donovan widely considered

49
00:02:29,735 --> 00:02:32,112
to be the greatest soccer player
in American history.

50
00:02:32,195 --> 00:02:34,197
[man 2] Rafa Márquez
is, without a doubt,

51
00:02:34,281 --> 00:02:37,367
one of the most successful Mexican players
in European soccer.

52
00:02:37,451 --> 00:02:41,038
[commentator]
Mexico have taken the US to the woodshed.

53
00:02:41,121 --> 00:02:42,581
Too much for the young Americans.

54
00:02:42,664 --> 00:02:45,083
The USA have done it again!

55
00:02:45,167 --> 00:02:46,877
[fans chanting]
Dos a cero!

56
00:02:46,960 --> 00:02:50,130
[commentator] Márquez sent off.
A really dangerous challenge.

57
00:02:50,213 --> 00:02:53,008
[Trump] They're bringing drugs,
they're bringing crime.

58
00:02:53,091 --> 00:02:55,719
[man] Now you have
an already heated rivalry

59
00:02:55,802 --> 00:02:57,304
in a political battlefield.

60
00:02:57,721 --> 00:02:59,890
[man 2] Let's move on
to the subject of immigration.

61
00:03:00,015 --> 00:03:04,561
Mexico will not pay for the fucking wall.

62
00:03:04,811 --> 00:03:07,105
[Mexican fans chanting]

63
00:03:08,732 --> 00:03:10,150
[Rafael Márquez]
For me soccer is everything.

64
00:03:10,233 --> 00:03:11,610
I've lived off soccer.

65
00:03:18,533 --> 00:03:21,203
[♪ music fades away slowly ♪]

66
00:03:21,995 --> 00:03:24,164
[fans cheering in the background]

67
00:03:24,748 --> 00:03:28,627
[drumming]
[fans chanting] Landon!

68
00:03:28,710 --> 00:03:30,253
[woman] Landon!
[drumming]

69
00:03:30,337 --> 00:03:33,131
[Landon Donovan, in Spanish]
It's very important to me that you know

70
00:03:33,215 --> 00:03:37,386
I'm here to play soccer, to win trophies

71
00:03:37,469 --> 00:03:40,097
and to be champion with you.

72
00:03:40,180 --> 00:03:41,390
[fans cheering]

73
00:03:41,515 --> 00:03:44,142
[Donovan]
I have a real place in my heart

74
00:03:44,601 --> 00:03:47,312
for the Mexican culture
and the Mexican people

75
00:03:47,396 --> 00:03:49,439
because of where I grew up
and what it's meant to me.

76
00:03:49,898 --> 00:03:53,568
At that point in my life,
I could've gone a lot of places.

77
00:03:53,652 --> 00:03:55,696
I had an offer to go to India and play,

78
00:03:55,779 --> 00:03:58,031
which was also intriguing and interesting.

79
00:03:58,115 --> 00:04:04,079
And in the end, there was something
about experiencing Mexico in a real way

80
00:04:04,913 --> 00:04:06,164
that was appealing to me.

81
00:04:06,248 --> 00:04:07,499
[female TV host]
It couldn't be any other day.

82
00:04:07,582 --> 00:04:12,004
Landon Donovan is returning
after only two years in retirement.

83
00:04:12,087 --> 00:04:14,840
This feels like a Hollywood movie.

84
00:04:14,923 --> 00:04:17,509
[female news presenter]
Captain America is moving to Mexico.

85
00:04:17,801 --> 00:04:20,846
Landon Donovan has come out of retirement
for a second time.

86
00:04:21,304 --> 00:04:23,015
[man]
He wants to help break down barriers

87
00:04:23,098 --> 00:04:25,934
between the United States and Mexico,
and he sees this as a way to do it.

88
00:04:26,018 --> 00:04:27,894
[man]
The question is whether Donovan,

89
00:04:27,978 --> 00:04:31,648
at his age and with his work philosophy,
will be able

90
00:04:31,732 --> 00:04:33,567
to get fit and regain his pace,

91
00:04:33,900 --> 00:04:36,069
or whether this is a sham, a joke,

92
00:04:36,153 --> 00:04:38,572
a signing that, for from helping,

93
00:04:38,697 --> 00:04:41,867
damages both the team's
and the league's credibility.

94
00:04:42,409 --> 00:04:44,828
[Donovan] And it was also a challenge
just to go there,

95
00:04:44,911 --> 00:04:48,040
integrate myself
and understand the Mexican people better,

96
00:04:48,248 --> 00:04:50,042
and let them understand me better,

97
00:04:50,292 --> 00:04:53,920
and start to, like,
mend some of those wounds.

98
00:04:56,798 --> 00:05:00,177
So I thought, like,
all of that combined made it a really...

99
00:05:01,053 --> 00:05:05,724
interesting decision
and choice to do that.

100
00:05:06,183 --> 00:05:10,020
[commentator] Here comes Landon Donovan
wearing number 20.

101
00:05:10,520 --> 00:05:13,523
After 15 months and four days
of retirement,

102
00:05:13,607 --> 00:05:16,109
today he returns for the second time.

103
00:05:17,402 --> 00:05:19,738
[Donovan]
The rivalry between the US and Mexico

104
00:05:19,821 --> 00:05:21,656
is not just about soccer.

105
00:05:21,740 --> 00:05:25,744
It's about a lot more than that,
and I experienced it in 2018

106
00:05:26,453 --> 00:05:31,208
when I did the Wells Fargo commercial
supporting Mexico during the World Cup.

107
00:05:31,291 --> 00:05:34,169
Anyone in need of a team to root for,
join us

108
00:05:34,252 --> 00:05:37,506
in cheering for the Mexican National Team.
Vamos, México.

109
00:05:37,964 --> 00:05:39,299
[fans cheering in the background]

110
00:05:39,382 --> 00:05:41,760
[Hérculez Gómez] That would not happen on
the Mexican side. I'll tell you that much.

111
00:05:42,219 --> 00:05:45,514
You would never find
Rafa Márquez or Osvaldo Sánchez,

112
00:05:45,597 --> 00:05:47,849
no matter how much money the offered them,
doing that.

113
00:05:48,809 --> 00:05:51,186
[male presenter]
He's the face of American soccer

114
00:05:51,478 --> 00:05:54,856
and he says he's rooting for Mexico
during the World Cup.

115
00:05:55,148 --> 00:05:56,399
I don't blame him,

116
00:05:56,483 --> 00:05:59,152
but a lot of his former teammates
are very upset.

117
00:05:59,236 --> 00:06:02,155
I don't root for Mexico,
I will never root for Mexico.

118
00:06:02,239 --> 00:06:06,910
Like, look, I don't have a thing
against Mexico per se,

119
00:06:06,993 --> 00:06:08,245
but I will not root for them.

120
00:06:09,204 --> 00:06:10,997
[Donovan]
That decision by me

121
00:06:11,456 --> 00:06:13,834
to show support
for the Mexican soccer team

122
00:06:14,501 --> 00:06:16,211
brought out a lot of anger

123
00:06:16,545 --> 00:06:21,258
in a lot of Americans
who don't want Mexicans in our country.

124
00:06:22,634 --> 00:06:25,011
And I saw it in every tweet, and message,

125
00:06:25,720 --> 00:06:27,139
and everything people said.

126
00:06:27,806 --> 00:06:31,309
And that told me very clearly
this was not about soccer.

127
00:06:32,102 --> 00:06:35,814
This was about Americans and Mexicans.

128
00:06:37,607 --> 00:06:39,943
[Marion Reimers]
To say this was controversial

129
00:06:40,026 --> 00:06:41,194
would be an understatement.

130
00:06:41,278 --> 00:06:43,405
The correct adjective
would be "opportunistic."

131
00:06:43,488 --> 00:06:45,532
[♪ tense music playing ♪]

132
00:06:46,158 --> 00:06:48,201
It's a discourse matter.

133
00:06:48,285 --> 00:06:51,663
Supporting the Mexican team
doesn't mean supporting Mexicans.

134
00:06:51,746 --> 00:06:54,666
He said, "I grew up with Mexicans,
I get along with them."

135
00:06:54,749 --> 00:06:56,251
That's alright.

136
00:06:56,334 --> 00:06:58,336
Perhaps I'm being short-sighted here.

137
00:06:58,420 --> 00:07:02,632
I don't consider Landon Donovan
to be a leading voice

138
00:07:02,716 --> 00:07:06,469
in public discourse
on supporting Mexican migrants.

139
00:07:08,305 --> 00:07:10,098
[Donovan]
So I understand why people get upset.

140
00:07:11,266 --> 00:07:13,935
Should I've handled it better?
For sure.

141
00:07:14,269 --> 00:07:16,980
Should I've been smarter about it?
For sure.

142
00:07:17,439 --> 00:07:19,065
But I have zero regrets.

143
00:07:22,944 --> 00:07:25,030
What people don't understand about me

144
00:07:25,405 --> 00:07:27,616
is that I grew up in Southern California.

145
00:07:29,201 --> 00:07:30,785
When I was on my first club team,

146
00:07:31,661 --> 00:07:34,581
ninety-five percent of players
on the club team were Mexican.

147
00:07:35,916 --> 00:07:39,544
At least half my friends
that I hung out with were Mexican.

148
00:07:40,086 --> 00:07:43,924
I have become the player I am
and sometimes the person I am

149
00:07:44,007 --> 00:07:46,426
because of the influence
of the Mexican culture.

150
00:07:47,636 --> 00:07:52,015
[Heriberto Murrieta] Donovan embodies
the new US soccer player.

151
00:07:52,098 --> 00:07:55,227
The old ones were not as skilled.
They didn't compete,

152
00:07:55,310 --> 00:07:58,063
they didn't fight,
they didn't add anything.

153
00:08:01,650 --> 00:08:04,027
But Donovan is a great player,

154
00:08:04,110 --> 00:08:07,364
and he also has personality
and he understand the rivalry.

155
00:08:07,447 --> 00:08:09,282
And he adds fuel to the fire.

156
00:08:09,366 --> 00:08:10,867
He's brilliant.

157
00:08:11,326 --> 00:08:14,913
[fans cheering and screaming]

158
00:08:32,138 --> 00:08:35,475
[♪ soft guitar music playing ♪]

159
00:08:37,018 --> 00:08:39,896
[commentator] Rafa Márquez about to enter,
what a moment!

160
00:08:40,855 --> 00:08:44,150
He's going to play in his fifth World Cup.

161
00:08:44,734 --> 00:08:47,570
This is a historic moment for him.

162
00:08:47,654 --> 00:08:50,991
The great captain,
the kaiser from Zamora, Michoacán.

163
00:08:55,495 --> 00:08:59,124
[Márquez] Soccer is everything.
I was born with soccer.

164
00:08:59,207 --> 00:09:03,253
And I will probably die with soccer.

165
00:09:03,336 --> 00:09:07,048
[commentator] Fernandinho placing it
into the path of Neymar.

166
00:09:07,132 --> 00:09:10,135
Neymar... Gonna be two!

167
00:09:11,094 --> 00:09:13,847
It's Brazil two, Mexico nil.

168
00:09:14,014 --> 00:09:16,391
It is adiós México, I'm afraid.

169
00:09:16,474 --> 00:09:18,935
Welcome into the last eight, Brazil.

170
00:09:20,895 --> 00:09:23,273
[♪ soft guitar music continues ♪]

171
00:09:44,586 --> 00:09:48,715
[man] Rafa Márquez debuted in Barcelona
on September 3, 2003.

172
00:09:48,923 --> 00:09:50,884
Almost 19 years later,

173
00:09:51,760 --> 00:09:55,889
this football player,
referred to as the kaiser,

174
00:09:55,972 --> 00:09:59,225
makes his triumphant debut
as manager of the Barcelona Athletic.

175
00:09:59,309 --> 00:10:00,727
[male presenter]
Rafa Márquez has been announced

176
00:10:00,810 --> 00:10:03,396
as the new manager for Barcelona Atlético.

177
00:10:03,480 --> 00:10:07,400
Better known as Barça's B team,
he's gonna play in third tier,

178
00:10:07,484 --> 00:10:09,527
managing the third tier
of Spanish football.

179
00:10:09,611 --> 00:10:11,321
He of course played for Barcelona
for seven years,

180
00:10:11,404 --> 00:10:14,991
between 2003 and 2010,
won a couple Champions Leagues.

181
00:10:15,075 --> 00:10:17,369
[Márquez] I'm very happy and glad

182
00:10:18,328 --> 00:10:21,539
to take this great chance I'm being given.

183
00:10:21,873 --> 00:10:25,668
I know the club very well,
this is a new stage,

184
00:10:25,752 --> 00:10:29,464
and I'm hoping to do a good job.

185
00:10:30,757 --> 00:10:35,720
From what I've learned
about being a coach,

186
00:10:35,804 --> 00:10:41,059
you have to be humble and disciplined,
to work hard and make sacrifices,

187
00:10:41,142 --> 00:10:43,603
and try and make players give their best.

188
00:10:44,646 --> 00:10:50,026
Try to enjoy the present
and to make them better each day,

189
00:10:50,110 --> 00:10:51,653
better human beings.

190
00:10:52,028 --> 00:10:54,406
When I lose the ball, I can't...

191
00:10:54,781 --> 00:11:01,788
I believe humbleness
is a very important personality trait.

192
00:11:01,871 --> 00:11:04,666
You must be humble enough
to remember where you came from,

193
00:11:04,749 --> 00:11:07,669
humble enough to embrace fame,

194
00:11:08,711 --> 00:11:13,091
and also to give way to people
who may be better than you.

195
00:11:16,886 --> 00:11:18,555
If my father were alive,

196
00:11:19,389 --> 00:11:22,809
he would have been there for me
in every step of the way.

197
00:11:23,351 --> 00:11:25,562
He would've seen me
win the Champions League,

198
00:11:25,645 --> 00:11:29,607
seen me play on the World Cups,
or been there when I retired.

199
00:11:30,400 --> 00:11:34,779
Or at least he would've been around
to see my children.

200
00:11:34,863 --> 00:11:38,116
That's probably
the most important thing to me.

201
00:11:40,326 --> 00:11:42,829
[♪ soft music playing ♪]

202
00:11:55,633 --> 00:11:58,595
A huge announcement today.
TQL Stadium in Cincinnati

203
00:11:58,678 --> 00:12:00,763
will host the World Cup qualifying match

204
00:12:00,847 --> 00:12:01,890
this coming November.

205
00:12:01,973 --> 00:12:05,101
The game between Mexico
and the United States men's team.

206
00:12:07,479 --> 00:12:12,525
[coach speaking indistinctly]

207
00:12:16,196 --> 00:12:19,407
It sucks to say that we didn't qualify
for the 2018 World Cup,

208
00:12:19,491 --> 00:12:20,950
but on the positive side,

209
00:12:21,034 --> 00:12:23,745
I don't know if we would have
half of the players

210
00:12:23,828 --> 00:12:26,372
that are on the National Team right now
would've given a chance

211
00:12:26,456 --> 00:12:29,209
if that team
would've qualified for the 2018 World Cup.

212
00:12:30,793 --> 00:12:32,795
[Clint Dempsey] We should have came out
and got the job done.

213
00:12:32,879 --> 00:12:34,797
There's no way
we shouldn't get a result in that game.

214
00:12:35,215 --> 00:12:38,968
I didn't feel there was a lot of talent
that was feeding into the US team.

215
00:12:39,052 --> 00:12:43,139
But sometimes you gotta take a step back,
take two steps forward.

216
00:12:44,015 --> 00:12:47,602
[Balboa] You've got 18-, 19-, 20-year-olds
who are playing at the highest level.

217
00:12:47,685 --> 00:12:49,020
They're quality players.

218
00:12:49,479 --> 00:12:51,648
[Grant Wahl]
There are US National Team players now

219
00:12:51,731 --> 00:12:54,150
in some of the biggest clubs in Europe.

220
00:12:54,234 --> 00:12:57,904
Christian Pulisic at Chelsea,
Weston McKennie at Juventus.

221
00:12:58,279 --> 00:13:00,323
Tyler Adams at Leeds United.

222
00:13:00,406 --> 00:13:02,617
Brenden Aaronson at Leeds United.

223
00:13:02,700 --> 00:13:05,578
Gio Reyna at Borussia Dortmund,
just to name a few.

224
00:13:06,329 --> 00:13:08,790
A new generation of American players
have come in,

225
00:13:08,873 --> 00:13:10,667
have sparked this rivalry again.

226
00:13:10,750 --> 00:13:14,712
This is the moment that's gonna
change history in this rivalry.

227
00:13:15,838 --> 00:13:18,466
These guys, they play
in some of the great clubs in the world,

228
00:13:18,550 --> 00:13:19,759
in some of the great leagues in the world,

229
00:13:19,842 --> 00:13:22,887
and I love the fact
that it does seem to be

230
00:13:23,221 --> 00:13:26,057
more than just a game when it's US-Mexico.

231
00:13:26,182 --> 00:13:29,519
And you can feel it,
you can taste it, you can smell it.

232
00:13:29,602 --> 00:13:34,107
And I hope it never gets lost,
I hope it never becomes just another game.

233
00:13:34,983 --> 00:13:38,987
Being our biggest rival, I think
any time it's USA-Mexico.

234
00:13:39,070 --> 00:13:40,989
It's just... You know what it's gonna be.

235
00:13:42,156 --> 00:13:43,533
You know it's gonna be a battle.

236
00:13:44,784 --> 00:13:47,495
We play Mexico so many times
in the United States

237
00:13:47,579 --> 00:13:49,539
in front of a pro Mexican crowd,

238
00:13:49,622 --> 00:13:53,418
and this is one time every four years
where you get to play them on your terms.

239
00:13:53,876 --> 00:13:56,588
And it's amazing,
it's an amazing atmosphere.

240
00:13:58,631 --> 00:14:01,676
[Cristian Roldán] Our mindset going into
this game has gotta be "do or die."

241
00:14:02,135 --> 00:14:05,638
We wanna separate ourselves
from the rest of the group,

242
00:14:05,722 --> 00:14:07,557
we wanna finish on top.

243
00:14:07,932 --> 00:14:12,312
[Paul Arriola] But our goal is to change
the way the world looks at US

244
00:14:12,478 --> 00:14:15,106
and the way that we play football.

245
00:14:15,523 --> 00:14:17,734
We come into each camp
with that mindset.

246
00:14:17,817 --> 00:14:20,194
How can we get better?
How can we prove to the world

247
00:14:20,278 --> 00:14:22,113
that we're here to play

248
00:14:22,196 --> 00:14:25,283
and we're here to be
a top country in the world?

249
00:14:26,659 --> 00:14:30,705
This is a completely new slate. Mexico is
coming into it looking at their goal of,

250
00:14:30,788 --> 00:14:34,667
you know, "Yeah, big game against the US,
but it means nothing."

251
00:14:34,792 --> 00:14:36,669
We have to go out there,
we need to get three points.

252
00:14:36,753 --> 00:14:38,796
I think it's easy sometimes
to get carried away,

253
00:14:38,880 --> 00:14:41,049
but we have to remember
what we're here to do,

254
00:14:41,132 --> 00:14:42,258
and that's to qualify.

255
00:14:42,759 --> 00:14:46,387
With all good rivalries,
it's that little bit of extra something

256
00:14:46,471 --> 00:14:50,433
that you really want to get the edge on
them, and they wanna do the same to us.

257
00:14:50,516 --> 00:14:52,018
Games that we all live for.

258
00:14:52,101 --> 00:14:53,269
[whistle blows]

259
00:14:53,353 --> 00:14:55,188
[♪ upbeat music playing ♪]

260
00:14:55,313 --> 00:14:57,023
[Pulisic]
I think that's what makes us special

261
00:14:57,190 --> 00:14:59,359
and not just where your family is from.

262
00:14:59,692 --> 00:15:03,196
It's also just the different qualities
and abilities that everyone has

263
00:15:03,529 --> 00:15:06,699
within our team,
it's what makes America America, as well.

264
00:15:08,826 --> 00:15:09,952
[applauding]

265
00:15:10,328 --> 00:15:12,413
We talk about it sometimes,
just joking around.

266
00:15:12,497 --> 00:15:14,499
We do have a very diverse group.

267
00:15:15,041 --> 00:15:17,085
[Arriola] I think that's exactly
what this country is.

268
00:15:17,251 --> 00:15:18,753
It's people of all different backgrounds,

269
00:15:18,836 --> 00:15:21,339
people that come from all over the place,
that are still American.

270
00:15:22,006 --> 00:15:25,468
You know, I think it's a wonderful way
to represent this country,

271
00:15:25,718 --> 00:15:27,679
and to show what we're about.

272
00:15:30,515 --> 00:15:33,184
I went to mostly a predominantly
all black high school.

273
00:15:33,267 --> 00:15:36,270
No one played soccer.
We had a couple, but that was it.

274
00:15:36,729 --> 00:15:38,314
You'd get it when you talked to your
friends, like,

275
00:15:38,398 --> 00:15:41,609
"Man, why're you playing soccer?
No one plays soccer."

276
00:15:41,943 --> 00:15:44,946
But we're starting
to see more black players

277
00:15:45,530 --> 00:15:46,948
want to play the game of soccer.

278
00:15:47,156 --> 00:15:49,617
And they can look at these players
and say,

279
00:15:49,951 --> 00:15:51,786
"I wanna be like him,
I wanna be like him."

280
00:15:51,869 --> 00:15:54,455
Before, we had one, two, maybe three.

281
00:15:54,997 --> 00:15:56,916
But now we have a whole team of them.

282
00:15:57,291 --> 00:15:59,377
And for me it's great to see.

283
00:15:59,711 --> 00:16:02,088
I love looking out on the National Team

284
00:16:02,588 --> 00:16:04,716
and just seeing everyone being different.

285
00:16:05,883 --> 00:16:07,677
[man on speaker]
Are y'all ready for tomorrow?

286
00:16:07,760 --> 00:16:09,011
[crowd cheering]

287
00:16:09,095 --> 00:16:10,179
Are y'all ready for tomorrow?

288
00:16:10,847 --> 00:16:13,683
[Brian Hexsel] It's our biggest rivalry,
USA versus Mexico,

289
00:16:13,766 --> 00:16:17,562
and there's no better spot than up here
in Cincinnati, Ohio.

290
00:16:17,645 --> 00:16:18,855
And I'm excited to see.

291
00:16:20,523 --> 00:16:23,776
We really started American Outlaws
back in 2007.

292
00:16:24,068 --> 00:16:28,114
There was nothing where fans could go
and have this sense of community

293
00:16:28,197 --> 00:16:29,574
around the love of the game.

294
00:16:30,116 --> 00:16:33,077
We have over 20,000 members
around the world.

295
00:16:33,870 --> 00:16:36,539
And we have former players,
you know, like, Landon Donovan

296
00:16:36,622 --> 00:16:38,624
is a member of American Outlaws as well.

297
00:16:38,958 --> 00:16:40,710
[chanting]
I believe that we will win!

298
00:16:40,793 --> 00:16:42,462
I believe that we will win!

299
00:16:43,045 --> 00:16:45,089
Over the last 20 years, we've created

300
00:16:45,173 --> 00:16:49,135
this incredible soccer nation
in our country.

301
00:16:49,218 --> 00:16:53,848
Millions, millions of fans
that support the US National Team.

302
00:16:55,141 --> 00:16:58,227
[woman] American Outlaws are gonna be
those 12th man in the stadium.

303
00:16:58,561 --> 00:17:01,981
We're gonna make sure they feel us
as they're getting tired,

304
00:17:02,356 --> 00:17:04,817
they hear us cheering for them,
saying, "You got it.

305
00:17:05,193 --> 00:17:08,821
We're gonna push you.
We're gonna be loud no matter what,

306
00:17:09,238 --> 00:17:12,492
and we're gonna make sure you know
we're all there for the United States."

307
00:17:15,036 --> 00:17:17,663
[♪ Mexican guitar music playing ♪]

308
00:17:17,747 --> 00:17:19,749
[Rich Guel]
There are many members of Pancho Villa.

309
00:17:19,832 --> 00:17:22,460
We come from all over the place.

310
00:17:22,543 --> 00:17:25,213
Some were born here in the US,
some were born in Mexico

311
00:17:25,296 --> 00:17:27,423
some have migrated here.

312
00:17:27,507 --> 00:17:32,053
It's a band of all Mexicans
that have come together.

313
00:17:35,389 --> 00:17:37,683
[Zinuhe Tinoco]
We all have different stories,

314
00:17:37,767 --> 00:17:40,853
but we all have this passion
and connection to Mexico.

315
00:17:41,979 --> 00:17:43,648
[Guel]
Every time we lose or win,

316
00:17:43,731 --> 00:17:47,902
we remember our ancestors
and the effort they made.

317
00:17:48,277 --> 00:17:51,489
The day we win the World Cup,
we will remember

318
00:17:52,198 --> 00:17:53,533
our ancestors.

319
00:17:54,367 --> 00:17:56,953
They also hoped to win someday
and were very supportive,

320
00:17:57,036 --> 00:17:58,454
and we are going to do the same.

321
00:18:00,081 --> 00:18:04,460
We're present in many states,
in like 35 or 36 cities.

322
00:18:04,961 --> 00:18:08,047
And some of them are organized.

323
00:18:08,130 --> 00:18:13,052
We come from different places,
like Alabama, Tennessee,

324
00:18:13,135 --> 00:18:16,681
Washington, Virginia, California.

325
00:18:16,764 --> 00:18:19,976
We're coming from all sides,
because when you're inside the stadium,

326
00:18:20,059 --> 00:18:22,562
listening to the anthem,
it's something that...

327
00:18:23,020 --> 00:18:26,816
fills your heart
and brings tears to your eyes

328
00:18:26,899 --> 00:18:28,943
with the pride of being Mexican.

329
00:18:33,030 --> 00:18:35,700
[Ricardo Pepi] There's a lot
of mixed emotions, a lot of mixed feelings

330
00:18:35,783 --> 00:18:38,578
towards this game,
because, you know, I'm Mexican American

331
00:18:38,661 --> 00:18:40,288
and I'm representing the US.

332
00:18:42,039 --> 00:18:46,294
My family, they all have their jerseys
and they're all very excited for the game.

333
00:18:50,464 --> 00:18:52,884
[Carlos Meléndez]
Our blood is Mexican,

334
00:18:52,967 --> 00:18:57,138
but if it weren't for my nephew,
we wouldn't have these jerseys

335
00:18:57,221 --> 00:18:58,931
that we're wearing right now.

336
00:18:59,015 --> 00:19:02,560
He's my son,
a center-forward for the United States.

337
00:19:04,186 --> 00:19:06,063
[Pepi] It's a big game for me
and for my family.

338
00:19:06,230 --> 00:19:07,732
I have to make great things happen.

339
00:19:07,815 --> 00:19:09,609
I'm representing
the whole country of the US.

340
00:19:10,318 --> 00:19:16,240
First of all, we have to remember
that it's soccer, it's a sport.

341
00:19:16,324 --> 00:19:21,537
The fact that he is representing the US
doesn't make him any less Mexican.

342
00:19:21,954 --> 00:19:24,749
He lives and breathes like all Mexicans.

343
00:19:24,832 --> 00:19:26,292
We feel that emotion.

344
00:19:26,375 --> 00:19:28,878
And now it's a different emotion

345
00:19:28,961 --> 00:19:32,757
because, like I said,
we've always supported Mexico,

346
00:19:32,840 --> 00:19:35,176
but now it's our turn to support the US.

347
00:19:35,843 --> 00:19:40,097
[crowd chanting]
U-S-A!

348
00:19:41,307 --> 00:19:44,727
[commentator] US-Mexico,
the biggest of nights in Cincinnati.

349
00:19:44,810 --> 00:19:47,063
The oldest of rivalries
in the newest of settings,

350
00:19:47,438 --> 00:19:49,565
against the noisiest of neighbors.

351
00:19:51,150 --> 00:19:54,570
[♪ suspense music playing ♪]

352
00:19:54,654 --> 00:19:58,240
A game between the US and Mexico.

353
00:19:58,324 --> 00:20:01,327
We're neighboring countries,
we represent many things,

354
00:20:01,410 --> 00:20:03,955
we help each other out in many aspects,

355
00:20:04,038 --> 00:20:07,583
and there are many Mexicans
living this side of the border.

356
00:20:07,667 --> 00:20:10,628
Now that I live this rivalry
between the Mexican

357
00:20:10,711 --> 00:20:13,547
and the US National Teams,

358
00:20:13,631 --> 00:20:16,300
it's very intense,
everything's on the line.

359
00:20:16,384 --> 00:20:19,762
It's a matter of pride,
but also mostly of winning.

360
00:20:22,431 --> 00:20:24,600
[Hejduk]
I can't wait just to be at the game, man.

361
00:20:24,684 --> 00:20:26,477
Fans are gonna be there, Mexicans are
gonna be there,

362
00:20:26,560 --> 00:20:27,561
Americans are gonna be there.

363
00:20:27,645 --> 00:20:28,604
[fans chanting]

364
00:20:28,688 --> 00:20:31,273
[commentator] History as any guide, this
could be a turbulent evening.

365
00:20:32,650 --> 00:20:35,319
[Hejduk] Everyone'll have a good time,
drinking their cervezas.

366
00:20:35,987 --> 00:20:37,530
Hopefully we get a dos a cero.

367
00:20:37,613 --> 00:20:40,032
Maybe it's a new tradition: tres a cero.
I'll take that.

368
00:20:40,658 --> 00:20:43,452
[commentator]
For these teams, the hoped for destination

369
00:20:43,536 --> 00:20:45,579
is Qatar a year from now.

370
00:20:46,247 --> 00:20:48,207
Pulisic not yet fit enough to start.

371
00:20:48,290 --> 00:20:52,336
May well get a cameo
from the Chelsea band in the second half.

372
00:20:53,713 --> 00:20:54,922
Pepi!

373
00:20:55,006 --> 00:20:55,923
[fans screaming and gasping]

374
00:20:56,007 --> 00:20:57,717
[commentator]
First semblance of a chance.

375
00:20:59,301 --> 00:21:00,594
It's a foul by Musah.

376
00:21:06,017 --> 00:21:06,851
[whistle blows]

377
00:21:06,934 --> 00:21:09,437
[commentator] We will now see the first
appearance of a yellow card.

378
00:21:10,646 --> 00:21:11,480
[whistle blows]

379
00:21:12,231 --> 00:21:14,859
[commentator]
At the midway point, it is goalless.

380
00:21:15,401 --> 00:21:19,113
[Wahl] I've covered enough US-Mexico
World Cup qualifiers over the years

381
00:21:19,196 --> 00:21:21,741
to know that the tiniest things
that get said

382
00:21:21,824 --> 00:21:25,911
can turn into bulletin-board material
instantly for both teams.

383
00:21:26,454 --> 00:21:30,499
So when Memo Ochoa,
Mexico's goalkeeper, said,

384
00:21:30,583 --> 00:21:35,129
"Mexico is the mirror in which the US
wants to see itself,"

385
00:21:35,212 --> 00:21:36,797
that became a big deal.

386
00:21:37,339 --> 00:21:39,550
[commentator]
On comes the prodigal son.

387
00:21:39,967 --> 00:21:42,470
The player's return to National Team
colors.

388
00:21:44,055 --> 00:21:46,932
[fans cheering]

389
00:21:47,016 --> 00:21:48,350
[♪ suspenseful music playing ♪]

390
00:21:48,476 --> 00:21:49,518
[commentator] It is Romo.

391
00:21:50,186 --> 00:21:53,773
[commentator] He's going to be
replaced. Shortly so too, Corona.

392
00:21:53,856 --> 00:21:55,316
This is Weah for the US.

393
00:21:56,067 --> 00:22:01,530
And Weah does well! Very well! Goal!

394
00:22:01,614 --> 00:22:05,201
So when Christian Pulisic
scored the goal to go ahead of Mexico,

395
00:22:05,284 --> 00:22:09,747
he pulls up his jersey to reveal
a T-shirt that says, "Man in the mirror."

396
00:22:09,872 --> 00:22:12,333
[commentator]
USA!

397
00:22:12,416 --> 00:22:15,836
[Whal] And even does a little thing
with Weston McKennie after.

398
00:22:16,087 --> 00:22:18,089
[commentator]
What a potentially decisive moment

399
00:22:18,255 --> 00:22:21,425
against the old enemy
in a World Cup qualifier.

400
00:22:22,968 --> 00:22:26,097
[Wahl] It was one of those
fun, smack-talk moments

401
00:22:26,347 --> 00:22:28,808
that we see sometimes in this rivalry.

402
00:22:29,141 --> 00:22:31,727
It really resonated inside the US team,

403
00:22:32,228 --> 00:22:35,272
and it made for a classic moment
that we'll talk about years from now.

404
00:22:35,815 --> 00:22:38,192
[commentator]
McKennie. And again McKennie!

405
00:22:38,567 --> 00:22:40,444
Dos a cero!

406
00:22:40,528 --> 00:22:43,781
[crowd cheers]
[commentator] USA!

407
00:22:46,617 --> 00:22:49,203
[commentator in Spanish]
I don't mean to tell you the scoreboard,

408
00:22:49,286 --> 00:22:52,039
but it's dos a cero!

409
00:22:52,123 --> 00:22:54,792
That's the score for the US team.

410
00:22:56,127 --> 00:22:58,504
[commentator in English]
Volume rising, hopes rising.

411
00:22:59,380 --> 00:23:06,011
...as the United States one jarring blow
to the chin of the oldest enemy of all.

412
00:23:06,470 --> 00:23:09,223
On the road to redemption,
the road to Qatar.

413
00:23:10,307 --> 00:23:12,810
And it is dos a cero again.

414
00:23:14,019 --> 00:23:17,565
[male presenter] In March 2022,
Mexico will face the US again,

415
00:23:17,648 --> 00:23:19,275
this time in Mexico.

416
00:23:19,692 --> 00:23:22,736
The United States will seek to qualify
for the World Cup for the first time

417
00:23:22,820 --> 00:23:24,655
in the always challenging Azteca Stadium.

418
00:23:24,738 --> 00:23:27,324
[fans chanting] Dos a cero!

419
00:23:30,369 --> 00:23:32,705
[♪ soft guitar music playing ♪]

420
00:23:36,709 --> 00:23:40,337
My name's Tony Lepore, I'm the director
of Talent ID for US soccer.

421
00:23:42,840 --> 00:23:45,885
[fans cheering]

422
00:23:46,093 --> 00:23:50,347
[Lepore] In the US, we have
some of the largest scouting events

423
00:23:50,598 --> 00:23:55,352
globally, so you have scouts
from so many other National Teams,

424
00:23:55,686 --> 00:23:58,480
given the number of multi-nationals
we have in the US.

425
00:24:00,816 --> 00:24:03,152
I think right now,
in our Youth National Team,

426
00:24:03,360 --> 00:24:06,947
in that player pool, we have
60 to 70 players who are dual,

427
00:24:07,031 --> 00:24:09,033
US-Mexico.

428
00:24:11,368 --> 00:24:14,997
It's not a surprise that Mexico
would now be looking here for players.

429
00:24:16,624 --> 00:24:18,792
[crowd cheering]

430
00:24:22,171 --> 00:24:27,092
We need to look
for the best Mexican players

431
00:24:27,176 --> 00:24:28,594
anywhere in the world.

432
00:24:29,762 --> 00:24:32,306
People are moving places, that's a fact.

433
00:24:32,890 --> 00:24:35,851
And Mexicans are moving
to different places in the world,

434
00:24:35,935 --> 00:24:39,063
so Mexican talent is developing
in those places.

435
00:24:40,981 --> 00:24:44,777
Our scouting division
was set up three years ago.

436
00:24:44,860 --> 00:24:48,489
We developed a strategy

437
00:24:48,572 --> 00:24:52,993
in which there are scouts
in different parts of the US.

438
00:24:53,702 --> 00:24:59,541
Nowadays, the Mexican talent
that's developing in the US

439
00:24:59,959 --> 00:25:02,544
has been doing so for 15 or 20 years.

440
00:25:02,628 --> 00:25:09,510
So much so that the US league
is as strong as any other worldwide.

441
00:25:13,555 --> 00:25:17,851
Players are often not Mexican,
and neither are their parents,

442
00:25:17,935 --> 00:25:22,815
but they have Mexican roots and ancestors,

443
00:25:22,898 --> 00:25:27,486
and they have the legal right
to become Mexican citizens.

444
00:25:27,569 --> 00:25:32,074
But they have no real links to Mexico
and they don't visit,

445
00:25:32,157 --> 00:25:36,704
so it's not that simple.
We want to showcase our soccer project,

446
00:25:36,787 --> 00:25:42,126
and if it suits you on a sporting level,
choose to play for Mexico.

447
00:25:43,711 --> 00:25:49,091
I think it's a really hard thing to decide
which country you want to represent.

448
00:25:49,883 --> 00:25:52,136
Because it is such a complicated one.

449
00:25:52,594 --> 00:25:57,683
And I think that's a reality
of the Mexican-American relationship

450
00:25:57,766 --> 00:25:59,018
for a long time.

451
00:26:00,311 --> 00:26:04,106
The wish to defend
a National Team's colors

452
00:26:04,189 --> 00:26:06,775
is something every soccer player
should be born with.

453
00:26:06,859 --> 00:26:08,819
But that's not always the case.

454
00:26:08,902 --> 00:26:15,743
Especially when we look at Mexican players
born in the US, or vice versa.

455
00:26:15,826 --> 00:26:18,871
There are interesting stories
to look over.

456
00:26:18,954 --> 00:26:22,041
The moment the Youth National Teams

457
00:26:22,124 --> 00:26:24,501
started to become
more and more competitive,

458
00:26:25,169 --> 00:26:27,463
was the moment that Mexico
started to realize,

459
00:26:27,755 --> 00:26:30,424
"Hey, some
of their more competitive players

460
00:26:30,758 --> 00:26:34,094
happen to have a Mexican background.
Although they're born in the US,

461
00:26:34,511 --> 00:26:37,348
they have Mexican parents.
We should go after them."

462
00:26:37,848 --> 00:26:39,391
And the battle began.

463
00:26:40,392 --> 00:26:44,229
[Wahl] I have a lot of sympathy
for these young dual nationals

464
00:26:44,313 --> 00:26:47,274
who are having to make
these incredibly difficult decisions

465
00:26:47,358 --> 00:26:49,735
about whether to play
for the US or Mexico,

466
00:26:50,235 --> 00:26:53,155
because they're getting pressure
from every side.

467
00:26:53,655 --> 00:26:55,908
Sometimes you're getting pressure
from your own family.

468
00:26:55,991 --> 00:26:59,244
Plus, you put in the fact
that these are young kids.

469
00:27:00,371 --> 00:27:02,873
There are lots of cases.

470
00:27:02,956 --> 00:27:05,667
Some are born and raised in the US
from Mexican parents,

471
00:27:05,751 --> 00:27:09,254
and they end up choosing Mexico,
or perhaps the US.

472
00:27:09,338 --> 00:27:12,966
Who are we to judge
those personal decisions?

473
00:27:13,050 --> 00:27:19,473
We start using this lame,
patriotic, nationalist discourse,

474
00:27:19,556 --> 00:27:25,354
and we feel entitled
to decide on other people's nationality.

475
00:27:26,105 --> 00:27:28,524
[♪ soft guitar music playing ♪]

476
00:27:30,275 --> 00:27:33,737
[Obed Vargas]
I grew up with my parents in Alaska.

477
00:27:35,447 --> 00:27:38,409
Living in Alaska is very unique.

478
00:27:38,492 --> 00:27:41,412
Not many people
can say they come from Alaska.

479
00:27:43,205 --> 00:27:47,167
Nature in Alaska is something
that a lot of people like to experience.

480
00:27:47,251 --> 00:27:50,963
There are many activities there
that involve nature.

481
00:27:51,213 --> 00:27:55,259
My family was more into soccer,
but I did have some great times

482
00:27:55,342 --> 00:28:00,347
with my friends going to rivers
or the mountains or going fishing.

483
00:28:02,141 --> 00:28:03,934
[singing in Spanish] Kiss me.

484
00:28:04,017 --> 00:28:07,646
I want to feel your lips kissing me again.

485
00:28:07,729 --> 00:28:10,190
Gently, gently.

486
00:28:10,274 --> 00:28:12,734
[woman] Kiss me!
[woman 2] Kiss me.

487
00:28:13,068 --> 00:28:14,987
You guys don't even know the song.

488
00:28:15,070 --> 00:28:16,989
[laughing]

489
00:28:17,072 --> 00:28:20,993
Soccer runs deep in the family,
starting with my grandparents

490
00:28:21,076 --> 00:28:24,079
On both sides, they played together
in Mexico, they actually had a team.

491
00:28:25,289 --> 00:28:28,208
My dad played,
so he developed a deep love

492
00:28:28,292 --> 00:28:31,420
for soccer, and when I was born,
he passed that on to me

493
00:28:31,503 --> 00:28:32,754
and all my siblings.

494
00:28:33,547 --> 00:28:37,634
[Obed Vargas Sr.] We do miss Mexico.
We do miss our family as well.

495
00:28:38,010 --> 00:28:42,723
But definitely, for us, it's also Mexico,
because that's where we come from.

496
00:28:43,390 --> 00:28:47,352
We adopt Alaska as our home,
but our heart is also in Mexico.

497
00:28:47,644 --> 00:28:48,479
Absolutely.

498
00:28:49,605 --> 00:28:52,483
I started instilling in them
this connection to soccer

499
00:28:52,566 --> 00:28:55,903
since they were young,
probably since they started to walk.

500
00:28:55,986 --> 00:28:59,364
I'd buy them balls
and they started kicking them around.

501
00:29:00,574 --> 00:29:03,869
[Obed Sr. in Spanish]
Go, go, go! Take it!

502
00:29:03,952 --> 00:29:08,373
When he was five or six years old,
he started playing competitively.

503
00:29:08,457 --> 00:29:11,502
And then he started liking it
more and more.

504
00:29:12,085 --> 00:29:18,550
And I could tell he liked soccer
more and more every day,

505
00:29:18,634 --> 00:29:22,721
because when he had practice,
he was willing to go.

506
00:29:22,804 --> 00:29:25,641
You didn't have to go running after him.

507
00:29:27,142 --> 00:29:29,895
[Obed] But I knew
that if I wanted to keep playing soccer,

508
00:29:29,978 --> 00:29:31,230
I needed to get out of Alaska.

509
00:29:31,313 --> 00:29:33,982
Obviously, it's not the best place
to become pro.

510
00:29:36,485 --> 00:29:38,570
[Brian Schmetzer]
When we first had him in training,

511
00:29:39,071 --> 00:29:42,199
at age 15, there were still days
when I thought and said,

512
00:29:42,282 --> 00:29:43,575
"Oh, he's still young.

513
00:29:43,659 --> 00:29:48,455
He still needs to grow and mature,
and how does he handle playing

514
00:29:48,539 --> 00:29:50,624
with players
that were double his age.

515
00:29:51,667 --> 00:29:52,960
[commentator]
Obed Vargas there.

516
00:29:53,043 --> 00:29:56,630
The third youngest player ever
after Freddy Adu and Alphonso Davies

517
00:29:56,922 --> 00:29:58,382
to play an MLS game.

518
00:29:58,549 --> 00:30:01,593
[♪ upbeat music playing
in the background ♪]

519
00:30:06,765 --> 00:30:09,309
[commentator] Important touch by Vargas,
who's hurt himself in the process.

520
00:30:11,478 --> 00:30:14,606
Couldn't welcome that ball coming straight
back at him, but he's recovered.

521
00:30:15,566 --> 00:30:17,859
[Marisol Vargas]
I feel happy for him because...

522
00:30:18,402 --> 00:30:21,321
it's his dream, what he wanted to do.

523
00:30:21,405 --> 00:30:23,073
He's gonna follow his dream.

524
00:30:24,950 --> 00:30:27,703
My heart is broken,
but hey, you need to go.

525
00:30:28,620 --> 00:30:30,414
[Obed]
I had been playing with the Sounders

526
00:30:30,497 --> 00:30:32,416
for five months at the most,

527
00:30:32,499 --> 00:30:36,295
and I thought only in becoming
the best player at Sounders.

528
00:30:36,378 --> 00:30:41,675
So when I got the notification to play
for the U-15 National Team for the US,

529
00:30:41,842 --> 00:30:45,262
it was surreal, very... very unexpected,

530
00:30:45,512 --> 00:30:48,890
because I wasn't really thinking about
National Teams or anything like that.

531
00:30:49,182 --> 00:30:51,852
But when I got the call,
obviously it was joy.

532
00:30:52,603 --> 00:30:55,856
[Obed Sr.] We didn't think he'd get called
for the U-15 US Team.

533
00:30:55,939 --> 00:30:59,443
Whenever we watched
the US vs. Mexico matches,

534
00:30:59,526 --> 00:31:05,073
we thought if he someday got to play pro,
it'd be for Mexico.

535
00:31:05,907 --> 00:31:09,119
[Obed] The first time
I wore the United States crest,

536
00:31:09,453 --> 00:31:10,704
I didn't wanna let it go,

537
00:31:11,371 --> 00:31:13,415
and it's something
you wanna keep and hold on to.

538
00:31:13,749 --> 00:31:15,584
but it's something
you have to earn every day.

539
00:31:15,667 --> 00:31:17,836
And every single time I get to wear it,

540
00:31:18,587 --> 00:31:22,215
it's something I honor very much
and I have a deep love for.

541
00:31:22,299 --> 00:31:24,176
So I never take that for granted.

542
00:31:24,301 --> 00:31:26,803
[players mumbling indistinctly]

543
00:31:26,887 --> 00:31:30,223
[Lepore] For US soccer,
it's never any pressure, you know?

544
00:31:30,307 --> 00:31:33,185
And it's always this empathy
and understanding

545
00:31:33,310 --> 00:31:36,313
about what it means to have
a connection in your heart.

546
00:31:36,396 --> 00:31:38,857
with two different National Teams.

547
00:31:38,940 --> 00:31:41,234
Based on your family,
based on your heritage.

548
00:31:41,568 --> 00:31:44,571
And so we really respect that
and empathize with the player.

549
00:31:44,863 --> 00:31:48,825
And in the end, it's this connection
that they feel in their heart

550
00:31:48,909 --> 00:31:50,285
that will drive them in their decision.

551
00:31:52,746 --> 00:31:54,748
[Efraín Álvarez] Go, go!
[little girl giggling]

552
00:31:55,123 --> 00:31:57,250
[cheering her]

553
00:31:58,794 --> 00:31:59,795
Daddy!

554
00:32:01,046 --> 00:32:03,298
Becoming a dad,
just seeing my daughter grow up,

555
00:32:03,382 --> 00:32:04,758
is another dream, you know? It's...

556
00:32:05,300 --> 00:32:07,386
Seeing her achieve stuff
is a dream for me.

557
00:32:09,054 --> 00:32:12,474
It changes your way
of looking at life, you know? It's...

558
00:32:12,683 --> 00:32:14,142
Now it's everything for her.

559
00:32:14,226 --> 00:32:16,645
You know, what do I do
for she to have a better future?

560
00:32:17,104 --> 00:32:18,980
[girl giggling]

561
00:32:20,023 --> 00:32:21,817
[Efraín]
Both of my parents are from Mexico.

562
00:32:25,737 --> 00:32:30,826
I arrived here in the United States
in 1979.

563
00:32:33,912 --> 00:32:37,666
My mother and I came here
because my dad was sick,

564
00:32:37,749 --> 00:32:41,044
so we could both work to help him.

565
00:32:42,671 --> 00:32:46,883
[Crescencio]
Since he was seven or eight years old,

566
00:32:46,967 --> 00:32:52,389
it was clear Efraín was very talented
and was going to be an important person.

567
00:32:52,973 --> 00:32:55,267
I, his father,

568
00:32:55,350 --> 00:33:01,273
have always said
God sent a big star for my son.

569
00:33:01,356 --> 00:33:03,567
[commentator]
It's a great chance for Álvarez!

570
00:33:03,650 --> 00:33:04,651
Who has scored!

571
00:33:05,318 --> 00:33:09,322
Efraín Álvarez, his first MLS goal.

572
00:33:09,781 --> 00:33:12,409
My first call-up
for the US Youth National Team

573
00:33:12,492 --> 00:33:14,035
was when I was 13 years old.

574
00:33:14,119 --> 00:33:16,705
And it was for their U-15 National Team.

575
00:33:21,084 --> 00:33:25,255
I just remember I came back from school
and I hear my dad talking with someone.

576
00:33:25,338 --> 00:33:27,966
And then after, my father called me up
and he's like, "Hey,

577
00:33:28,800 --> 00:33:32,512
this guy's here
for the Youth Mexico National Team."

578
00:33:32,846 --> 00:33:36,349
And he invited me
to a training camp that they had

579
00:33:37,058 --> 00:33:39,436
I told my dad, no-brainer. I was like,
"I want to go, Dad."

580
00:33:39,853 --> 00:33:42,814
The next week, I was on a plane
by myself to Mexico.

581
00:33:42,898 --> 00:33:45,066
And I did the training camp,

582
00:33:45,150 --> 00:33:48,653
and I loved it, and I told my dad,
"Dad, I wanna stay here. I wanna switch.

583
00:33:49,321 --> 00:33:50,989
I want to play for Mexico."

584
00:33:52,115 --> 00:33:54,868
I mean, the reason I-- you could say I
left the US is,

585
00:33:55,118 --> 00:33:56,870
when I went to the Mexico National Team,

586
00:33:56,953 --> 00:34:00,874
it was just a different atmosphere,
that I'd been around my whole life.

587
00:34:00,957 --> 00:34:03,710
You know, like,
it was a Mexican culture type.

588
00:34:03,794 --> 00:34:06,004
You know, the way
the players carried themselves...

589
00:34:06,338 --> 00:34:09,007
I felt it was more like a family,
you know.

590
00:34:09,090 --> 00:34:11,968
It was... It was just...

591
00:34:12,594 --> 00:34:13,553
I felt more comfortable.

592
00:34:14,054 --> 00:34:15,680
I felt at the right place.

593
00:34:17,724 --> 00:34:21,269
[Sunil Gulati] The US-Mexico competition
for talent is unique,

594
00:34:21,603 --> 00:34:22,813
because we have split loyalties.

595
00:34:22,896 --> 00:34:25,607
A lot of the decisions that are made
by players around the world

596
00:34:25,690 --> 00:34:26,983
certainly aren't along borders.

597
00:34:27,317 --> 00:34:31,488
So you've got a very unique situation,
whether it's the movement across borders,

598
00:34:31,571 --> 00:34:33,573
whether it's the relationship
between the two countries,

599
00:34:33,657 --> 00:34:35,492
whether it's a parent of each country,

600
00:34:35,575 --> 00:34:37,077
whether it's growing up in one country

601
00:34:37,160 --> 00:34:39,079
and spending part of your career
in the other.

602
00:34:39,162 --> 00:34:41,748
All of those things
make it very, very different

603
00:34:41,832 --> 00:34:43,291
than any of the other situations
around the world.

604
00:34:44,000 --> 00:34:46,378
[Andrés Cantor] I believe choosing
the allegiance of the National Team

605
00:34:46,461 --> 00:34:50,757
that you will play for
is a very personal matter.

606
00:34:50,841 --> 00:34:54,052
Everyone has
his own personal choice to make.

607
00:34:57,013 --> 00:34:58,390
I wish it'd be that simple.

608
00:34:59,349 --> 00:35:01,059
[Jason Kreis]
Efraín Álvarez is a player

609
00:35:01,184 --> 00:35:04,646
that the men's National Team program
has a high level of interest in.

610
00:35:04,980 --> 00:35:07,148
Craig has had
very, very good communication

611
00:35:07,274 --> 00:35:09,734
and constant, regular communication
with Efraín,

612
00:35:09,818 --> 00:35:13,154
about what his pathway would look like
with the Men's National Team program.

613
00:35:14,614 --> 00:35:18,785
[Crescencio]
At one point, when both federations

614
00:35:19,286 --> 00:35:23,415
started calling him,
in an interview on TV

615
00:35:24,332 --> 00:35:29,838
I asked
both the Mexican and the US federations

616
00:35:30,839 --> 00:35:33,717
to leave him alone,
because they were traumatizing him.

617
00:35:33,800 --> 00:35:37,971
If the US called him,
I asked Mexico not to call him.

618
00:35:38,555 --> 00:35:43,018
And if Mexico called him,
I asked the US not to call him.

619
00:35:43,101 --> 00:35:49,065
Because they were traumatizing him,
it was driving him crazy.

620
00:35:49,149 --> 00:35:51,860
Saying, "Where am I going?"

621
00:35:51,943 --> 00:35:52,819
This is why.

622
00:35:54,321 --> 00:35:57,490
[Efraín] I think a lot of reporters
were talking crap.

623
00:35:57,699 --> 00:36:01,912
That they don't need me,
that good thing that I chose Mexico,

624
00:36:01,995 --> 00:36:03,580
and blah blah, you know, but...

625
00:36:03,663 --> 00:36:06,333
I mean, and then they...
That's their job, you know.

626
00:36:06,416 --> 00:36:08,877
To talk crap and to make news.

627
00:36:09,836 --> 00:36:13,048
I don't really care about that. They could
talk and I'm gonna keep working.

628
00:36:13,340 --> 00:36:17,510
I'm going to keep proving my family
and myself that I made the right decision.

629
00:36:18,178 --> 00:36:21,473
I chose Mexico for a reason,
and I'm gonna stay with Mexico.

630
00:36:23,892 --> 00:36:25,810
[♪ suspenseful music playing ♪]

631
00:36:29,272 --> 00:36:32,150
[female presenter]
Mexico hosts the US in the first match

632
00:36:32,233 --> 00:36:36,696
of the last set of World Cup qualifiers.

633
00:36:36,780 --> 00:36:39,032
The US are looking
for that fourth consecutive win

634
00:36:39,115 --> 00:36:42,327
against Tata Martino's side.
However, they have never won

635
00:36:42,410 --> 00:36:44,788
a World Cup qualifier at the Azteca...

636
00:36:45,121 --> 00:36:46,539
[Gregg Berhalter]
We can't let our guard down.

637
00:36:46,623 --> 00:36:48,249
Our record here is horrendous.

638
00:36:48,625 --> 00:36:51,211
The odds are against us
getting something out of this game.

639
00:36:51,294 --> 00:36:52,921
We know that, we realize that.

640
00:36:53,004 --> 00:36:55,173
[man]
It's a very competitive team.

641
00:36:55,256 --> 00:37:00,637
It's not going to be easy today,
because they're also dying to win here.

642
00:37:00,720 --> 00:37:03,431
I'm picking up a, very much so, a nervous
energy

643
00:37:03,556 --> 00:37:07,268
between fans, pundits, colleagues,
people in or around

644
00:37:07,978 --> 00:37:10,605
that aren't quite so convinced
of the Mexican National Team.

645
00:37:10,689 --> 00:37:13,900
The talk is it can't be four in a row.
It cannot be four in a row.

646
00:37:14,025 --> 00:37:17,696
The first three were in US soil.
This can't happen in Estadio Azteca.

647
00:37:18,029 --> 00:37:19,698
If it does happen a fourth time,

648
00:37:19,781 --> 00:37:22,742
who leaves? What happens?
A lot of nervous energy.

649
00:37:23,910 --> 00:37:26,454
[♪ tense music playing ♪]

650
00:37:27,789 --> 00:37:29,332
[Donovan]
Making the trip down here,

651
00:37:29,666 --> 00:37:34,379
I just had some time to reflect
on all the times I've been to Mexico,

652
00:37:34,462 --> 00:37:36,423
and specifically to Azteca,

653
00:37:36,965 --> 00:37:40,218
but I've never witnessed this
as a spectator and a fan.

654
00:37:40,593 --> 00:37:44,055
And there can't be more on the line
than there is tonight

655
00:37:44,723 --> 00:37:45,932
for both teams.

656
00:37:47,642 --> 00:37:51,938
I anticipate this will be
one of the biggest sporting moments

657
00:37:52,022 --> 00:37:53,815
of my life, even though I played
in a lot of them.

658
00:37:54,315 --> 00:37:56,526
They're different emotions, because...

659
00:37:56,609 --> 00:37:59,988
when you're playing,
you have some sense of control,

660
00:38:00,071 --> 00:38:03,700
but now as a fan, I don't,
and that gives me a lot of anxiety.

661
00:38:05,368 --> 00:38:07,787
To watch your country play

662
00:38:08,204 --> 00:38:13,043
and have the opportunity
to beat its biggest rival in their stadium

663
00:38:13,126 --> 00:38:15,170
and to get to witness that

664
00:38:16,004 --> 00:38:18,465
could be truly, truly special.

665
00:38:20,341 --> 00:38:23,511
[motorcycle honks blaring]
[crowd yelling]

666
00:38:25,013 --> 00:38:28,767
[Donovan] When you pull up to Azteca,
the stadium itself

667
00:38:29,309 --> 00:38:32,687
and the area around it
seem so vast and big.

668
00:38:35,565 --> 00:38:38,610
The closer you get,
the more hostile it gets.

669
00:38:39,360 --> 00:38:42,155
Right? And so, there are people
outside the bus,

670
00:38:42,822 --> 00:38:44,115
knowing that you're coming in,

671
00:38:44,407 --> 00:38:49,245
and it is every form of intimidation
they can try to hurl at you.

672
00:38:49,329 --> 00:38:53,500
[in Spanish] Go team!
Go Mexico, motherfuckers!

673
00:38:53,583 --> 00:38:56,961
[♪ dramatic music playing ♪]

674
00:38:57,337 --> 00:39:02,258
[commentator 1] The level of security
back here is shocking.

675
00:39:02,592 --> 00:39:04,886
- There's going to be 5,000 officers.
[commentator 2] 5,000.

676
00:39:04,969 --> 00:39:06,805
[commentator 1] There'll be
lots of private security guards,

677
00:39:06,888 --> 00:39:11,351
and beware,
there'll be undercover officers.

678
00:39:11,434 --> 00:39:13,895
People from the Mexican federation
dressed in civilian clothes,

679
00:39:13,978 --> 00:39:18,399
who you won't be able to recognize,
and if they see you screaming,

680
00:39:18,483 --> 00:39:21,903
they will point you out
and you'll be kicked out of the stadium.

681
00:39:21,986 --> 00:39:26,199
[honks blaring]
[fans chanting] Mexico!

682
00:39:28,159 --> 00:39:30,745
- Yeah. You alright?
- Best team wins.

683
00:39:30,829 --> 00:39:32,455
- Best team wins and...
- 3-1, 3-1.

684
00:39:32,539 --> 00:39:34,958
-We're the best team.
-Ah, no! No!

685
00:39:35,125 --> 00:39:37,836
Come on, bro. Dos a cero?

686
00:39:37,919 --> 00:39:40,338
[♪ suspenseful music playing ♪]

687
00:39:48,680 --> 00:39:50,056
[Berhalter]
Think about this, guys.

688
00:39:50,140 --> 00:39:52,767
No one remembers
the second person to climb the Everest.

689
00:39:53,852 --> 00:39:55,019
They remember the first person.

690
00:39:56,062 --> 00:39:59,858
Because of the bravery and courage
it took to forge that first impact.

691
00:40:00,191 --> 00:40:01,693
You guys are ready
to climb a mountain tonight?

692
00:40:01,776 --> 00:40:03,403
[all mumble in agreement]

693
00:40:03,486 --> 00:40:05,947
On three USA, boys, huh?
One, two, three.

694
00:40:06,030 --> 00:40:07,198
[all scream] USA!

695
00:40:07,282 --> 00:40:08,491
[applauding]

696
00:40:08,575 --> 00:40:13,121
[singing in Spanish]
♪ And may the Earth tremble at its core ♪

697
00:40:13,496 --> 00:40:17,709
♪ At the resounding roar of the cannon ♪

698
00:40:18,209 --> 00:40:22,672
♪ And may the Earth tremble at its core ♪

699
00:40:22,755 --> 00:40:26,968
♪ At the resounding roar of the cannon ♪♪

700
00:40:27,427 --> 00:40:29,012
[cheering and applause]

701
00:40:30,847 --> 00:40:34,100
[commentator] And the ball rolls
at the Azteca Stadium in Mexico City.

702
00:40:34,225 --> 00:40:37,437
[commentator in Spanish] With an applause
for Guatemalan referee Mario Escobar,

703
00:40:37,520 --> 00:40:40,940
the ball moves
into the possession of the American team.

704
00:40:41,065 --> 00:40:42,358
[commentator 1]
Both Americans and Mexicans

705
00:40:42,692 --> 00:40:44,068
looking to make a big step here.

706
00:40:44,652 --> 00:40:49,365
[commentator 2] Berhalter was very brave
with his strategy for marking Raúl.

707
00:40:49,449 --> 00:40:52,368
Here comes the ball for Charly.
Centering ball, a shot...

708
00:40:52,452 --> 00:40:53,912
So close!

709
00:40:54,245 --> 00:40:55,496
They got lucky there.

710
00:40:55,580 --> 00:40:58,958
[commentator 2] Here comes Mexico
with a good opportunity.

711
00:40:59,083 --> 00:41:01,336
Here comes Herrera, centering ball...

712
00:41:01,419 --> 00:41:03,046
It went wide.

713
00:41:04,923 --> 00:41:08,384
Here comes Tecatito.
Swinging centering ball...

714
00:41:08,468 --> 00:41:09,969
Cleared by the defense.

715
00:41:10,053 --> 00:41:12,347
Ricardo Pepi was there to help.

716
00:41:13,598 --> 00:41:16,100
[commentator 1] Mexico continue to apply
the pressure. It's Tecatito Corona.

717
00:41:17,018 --> 00:41:18,394
Low, driven cross!

718
00:41:18,478 --> 00:41:20,355
[screaming and gasping]

719
00:41:20,813 --> 00:41:23,566
[commentator 1]
Look out for Antonee Robinson.

720
00:41:23,650 --> 00:41:24,901
Hits the cross...

721
00:41:24,984 --> 00:41:27,528
Musah takes a shot!
Sensational save by Ochoa!

722
00:41:29,030 --> 00:41:30,490
Fuck me, what a save.

723
00:41:31,199 --> 00:41:32,158
[commentator 1] ... in possession.

724
00:41:32,242 --> 00:41:34,410
Meanwhile here's Timothy Weah, back
across!

725
00:41:35,119 --> 00:41:38,373
Ochoa, from point-blank,
denies Christian Pulisic.

726
00:41:41,918 --> 00:41:47,882
[commentator 2] Sensational!
Ochoa saves the Mexican team again!

727
00:41:48,299 --> 00:41:49,842
It'd be actually harder to miss.

728
00:41:50,218 --> 00:41:51,928
[commentator 1]
Acosta. He's playing Pulisic in.

729
00:41:52,136 --> 00:41:53,137
It's Pulisic!

730
00:41:53,221 --> 00:41:58,059
[commentator 2]
Ochoa was fantastic! Superb!

731
00:41:58,142 --> 00:42:01,854
He jumped in the air...

732
00:42:03,273 --> 00:42:07,402
[commentator 2] Chucky, marked by Yedlin,
goes inside and shoots!

733
00:42:07,485 --> 00:42:08,903
[yelling nervously]

734
00:42:08,987 --> 00:42:10,738
[commentator 1]
Just could not get it to bend.

735
00:42:11,239 --> 00:42:14,367
[commentator 2] Steffen comes out
with Zimmerman to the front.

736
00:42:14,450 --> 00:42:16,661
A mistake! This is good!

737
00:42:16,744 --> 00:42:19,372
Raúl Alonso, Raúl Alonso, Raúl Alonso!

738
00:42:20,081 --> 00:42:21,291
The referee?

739
00:42:22,792 --> 00:42:27,880
Yes, he was ready to shoot!
He was ready to shoot!

740
00:42:27,964 --> 00:42:31,301
The referee, Mario Escobar,
is not so sure.

741
00:42:34,262 --> 00:42:36,931
- He went down early. Wow.
[man on speaker] It's for Mexico!

742
00:42:37,598 --> 00:42:40,476
[commentator 1] ...did well to find Acosta
here. It's Kellyn Acosta.

743
00:42:41,060 --> 00:42:43,313
Played it in for Gio Reyna, knocked down
and Pefok!

744
00:42:43,396 --> 00:42:45,648
[fans roaring and gasping]

745
00:42:46,524 --> 00:42:50,778
[commentator 2]
Oof! Oof! Oof!

746
00:42:51,279 --> 00:42:56,576
Pefok had it!
He had it there to convert the finish!

747
00:42:58,244 --> 00:42:59,620
[man] Oh my God!

748
00:43:00,121 --> 00:43:02,248
You know who finishes that? Pepi.

749
00:43:03,541 --> 00:43:06,753
[commentator 2]
Tecate to Raúl Alonso, this could be good!

750
00:43:06,836 --> 00:43:09,339
[commentator 1]
Lozano looking for the angle, Lozano!

751
00:43:09,630 --> 00:43:14,093
[commentator 2]
But Steffan, as always, saves it!

752
00:43:14,469 --> 00:43:17,805
He saved this great, powerful shot!

753
00:43:18,389 --> 00:43:20,933
[commentator 1]
That's as good a look as Mexico have had.

754
00:43:21,517 --> 00:43:22,560
[indistinct muttering]

755
00:43:23,353 --> 00:43:25,396
[Donovan] How has there not been a goal in
this game?

756
00:43:26,981 --> 00:43:28,066
That is insane.

757
00:43:28,858 --> 00:43:33,905
[commentator 2] A pass to the center...
Ladies and gentlemen!

758
00:43:33,988 --> 00:43:35,031
[cheering and applause]

759
00:43:35,114 --> 00:43:36,407
[commentator 1]
The final whistle.

760
00:43:37,033 --> 00:43:40,787
A point apiece, goalless,
but far from fruitless.

761
00:43:42,330 --> 00:43:44,832
[Cindy Cone]
The past year has been

762
00:43:45,208 --> 00:43:51,714
such an exciting year to be a part
of the Mexican-American rivalry.

763
00:43:52,131 --> 00:43:57,053
Whereas before, I think,
we would've been really excited

764
00:43:57,178 --> 00:43:59,555
to tie Mexico at Azteca,

765
00:43:59,806 --> 00:44:01,974
I think the guys
walked away from the game

766
00:44:02,058 --> 00:44:03,309
disappointed that they didn't win.

767
00:44:04,185 --> 00:44:08,481
Which, that right there is a change
in the mentality and the expectations

768
00:44:08,564 --> 00:44:12,068
than what we've seen before,
and I think that's super positive.

769
00:44:12,443 --> 00:44:15,113
[commentator] The US did not look
out of place or uncomfortable

770
00:44:15,196 --> 00:44:16,489
at the legendary Azteca.

771
00:44:16,906 --> 00:44:19,534
Mexico nil, United States nil,
the final score.

772
00:44:22,745 --> 00:44:27,041
Of course we want to beat the US,
but they were showing

773
00:44:27,125 --> 00:44:29,001
signs of humbleness.

774
00:44:29,085 --> 00:44:33,256
They know they want to be better,
but to be better they have to grow.

775
00:44:33,339 --> 00:44:38,052
And to grow, you need to be humble enough
to admit you're not the best.

776
00:44:38,928 --> 00:44:40,471
[commentator in Spanish]
This was a step forward, sure.

777
00:44:40,555 --> 00:44:42,765
Martino's team has a long way to go.

778
00:44:42,849 --> 00:44:47,019
But now we can assume
if they work hard these next eight months,

779
00:44:47,103 --> 00:44:49,439
they'll have better chances.

780
00:44:55,027 --> 00:44:57,447
[♪ solemn music playing ♪]

781
00:45:19,802 --> 00:45:21,304
USA.

782
00:45:22,305 --> 00:45:24,223
[female presenter]
United States of America

783
00:45:24,307 --> 00:45:27,059
are competing
in their 11th FIFA World Cup.

784
00:45:29,812 --> 00:45:30,938
Mexico.

785
00:45:31,814 --> 00:45:33,232
[female presenter]
Mexico will feature

786
00:45:33,316 --> 00:45:35,693
in their 17th FIFA World Cup.

787
00:45:36,736 --> 00:45:39,155
[male presenter]
Mexico, the US and Canada

788
00:45:39,238 --> 00:45:43,618
submitted a joint bid
to host the 2026 World Cup,

789
00:45:43,701 --> 00:45:49,165
despite political relations between them
not being at their best

790
00:45:49,540 --> 00:45:51,751
due to disagreements
in trade and immigration.

791
00:45:52,710 --> 00:45:54,003
So we have the winner

792
00:45:55,171 --> 00:45:58,841
for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

793
00:46:00,218 --> 00:46:05,348
The Member Associations
of Canada, Mexico and USA

794
00:46:05,431 --> 00:46:07,850
have been selected by the FIFA Congress

795
00:46:08,768 --> 00:46:12,188
to host the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

796
00:46:12,313 --> 00:46:13,314
[applause]

797
00:46:13,397 --> 00:46:17,860
We want to jointly assemble, coordinate
and host the World Cup.

798
00:46:21,531 --> 00:46:23,199
Now as co-hosts,

799
00:46:23,449 --> 00:46:27,453
it will still be true, in my opinion,
that just as we produce together,

800
00:46:27,537 --> 00:46:29,956
just as there's
this rich cultural exchange,

801
00:46:30,039 --> 00:46:33,459
soccer is going to be
increasingly North American.

802
00:46:33,543 --> 00:46:39,215
We'll be able to mix up,
face each other and enrich soccer,

803
00:46:39,298 --> 00:46:41,926
so we're better at the eyes of the world.

804
00:46:42,593 --> 00:46:45,805
[chanting] The US, the US, the US,
and that's the way we like it!

805
00:46:46,222 --> 00:46:49,850
[Don Garber] This is a story
about getting our region

806
00:46:49,934 --> 00:46:52,395
to come together and, in essence,

807
00:46:52,603 --> 00:46:55,231
be able to have the same significance,

808
00:46:55,439 --> 00:46:58,943
the same importance,
that UEFA has in Europe.

809
00:46:59,402 --> 00:47:02,321
And you can't just hope for that,
you've got to drive it,

810
00:47:02,405 --> 00:47:03,447
you've got to engage it.

811
00:47:03,531 --> 00:47:07,660
The World Cup being across all three
countries is example number one.

812
00:47:09,120 --> 00:47:10,830
[Cone]
We're going to have to work together,

813
00:47:11,205 --> 00:47:12,456
and we want to work together.

814
00:47:12,540 --> 00:47:16,043
How do me make sure
Canada, US and Mexico

815
00:47:16,127 --> 00:47:19,714
are all united on
literally changing the game forever

816
00:47:19,797 --> 00:47:21,090
in our three countries?

817
00:47:21,173 --> 00:47:26,095
And seeing the explosion
that we're all gearing up for,

818
00:47:26,762 --> 00:47:29,724
from a fandom standpoint,
a participation standpoint,

819
00:47:30,224 --> 00:47:31,809
investment, engagement.

820
00:47:32,810 --> 00:47:35,938
[Whal] These days, we're seeing
so many examples of cooperation

821
00:47:36,022 --> 00:47:40,860
between the neighbors, United States and
Mexico, especially through soccer.

822
00:47:41,152 --> 00:47:44,697
The only concern I have
is that it dulls the rivalry.

823
00:47:45,656 --> 00:47:47,241
Because I hope that isn't the case.

824
00:47:47,325 --> 00:47:50,786
I think this rivalry
is one of the best things in sports.

825
00:47:50,911 --> 00:47:52,371
[Alexi Lalas]
Hosting a World Cup

826
00:47:52,455 --> 00:47:54,790
and hosting this type of World Cup,
with the magnitude...

827
00:47:54,915 --> 00:47:58,586
This is a seminal moment,
not just in soccer history in the US,

828
00:47:58,878 --> 00:48:01,172
but in sports history in the US.

829
00:48:02,965 --> 00:48:04,258
[Sánchez]
I can't help thinking

830
00:48:04,342 --> 00:48:09,180
that the 2026 World Cup

831
00:48:09,263 --> 00:48:12,266
can help bring us even closer.

832
00:48:12,350 --> 00:48:17,813
Not just in sports,
but using soccer as a starting point

833
00:48:17,897 --> 00:48:21,067
to create a North American community.

834
00:48:21,150 --> 00:48:26,030
If a powerful European community
could be created back then,

835
00:48:26,113 --> 00:48:28,908
why not think that soccer and sports

836
00:48:28,991 --> 00:48:34,205
can make our brother countries,
the US, Canada and Mexico,

837
00:48:34,288 --> 00:48:35,539
more united?

838
00:48:35,623 --> 00:48:41,212
I think, once again,
soccer has made a powerful statement.

839
00:48:41,295 --> 00:48:44,006
Few things in this world

840
00:48:44,090 --> 00:48:48,427
can bring together
people, countries and societies

841
00:48:48,552 --> 00:48:52,932
with different points of view
with one common goal, which is soccer.

842
00:48:53,808 --> 00:48:55,101
What does this mean?

843
00:48:55,184 --> 00:48:57,603
Well, the ball flies above,

844
00:48:57,687 --> 00:49:02,566
and there are no barriers
that can stop the will of soccer.

845
00:49:05,444 --> 00:49:10,449
[Donovan] Separating people based on
geographic location makes no sense to me.

846
00:49:11,909 --> 00:49:14,870
I wish we lived in a world,
idealistically,

847
00:49:15,746 --> 00:49:19,208
where there were no borders and people
could just come and go as they pleased.

848
00:49:20,501 --> 00:49:25,131
[Rafael Márquez] Ultimately,
we've always seen the United States

849
00:49:25,214 --> 00:49:28,926
as the place where the dream
of a better life comes true.

850
00:49:29,009 --> 00:49:34,807
But personally, I know that this dream
can also be achieved here in Mexico,

851
00:49:34,890 --> 00:49:36,726
and I have achieved it.

852
00:49:39,353 --> 00:49:41,105
[Donovan]
Things aren't black and white in life,

853
00:49:41,188 --> 00:49:43,524
and there's lots of ways
of looking at things.

854
00:49:44,942 --> 00:49:46,569
We don't have to hate each other.

855
00:49:47,945 --> 00:49:48,904
We don't.

856
00:49:50,823 --> 00:49:54,034
[Márquez] For better or for worse,
soccer will always

857
00:49:54,118 --> 00:49:58,456
be a magnet to attract people.
It’s the most watched sport in the world.

858
00:50:00,374 --> 00:50:02,877
For me, obviously soccer
is more than just soccer.

859
00:50:03,794 --> 00:50:06,338
[Chicharito] I loved
this thing between Mexico and the US

860
00:50:06,422 --> 00:50:07,840
because unconsciously, indirectly,

861
00:50:07,923 --> 00:50:13,220
we've helped them tremendously to grow,
and they've done the same for us.

862
00:50:13,304 --> 00:50:17,808
And that's why rivalries are cool,
and that's what make them what they are.

863
00:50:17,892 --> 00:50:20,060
It should only exist on the field,
because outside of it,

864
00:50:20,144 --> 00:50:22,563
we're neighbors
and we should get along well.

865
00:50:23,773 --> 00:50:26,358
[fans whistling and cheering
in the background]

866
00:50:30,404 --> 00:50:32,740
[♪ soft guitar music playing ♪]