Soccer fans gather across Los Angeles to watch Mexico - vs South Korea match Posted: Jun 23rd, 2018 - 3:13 pm
Thousands of soccer fans gathered in sports bars, churches, restaurants, pubs, football clubs and makeshift viewing stands all over Southern California on Saturday to watch Mexico take on South Korea in the World Cup in Russia.
Mexico, which upset reigning champion Germany in its June 17 opening match, was favored to win. But history was not on Mexico’s side because it had not won back-to-back matches at a World Cup since 2002.
Then, only 25 minutes into Saturday’s game, Mexico scored its first goal, taking an early 1-0 lead. About 40 minutes later, Mexico scored again to take what proved to be an insurmountable lead. South Korea’s lone goal, in extra time, came too late and Mexico won 2-1.
Mexico is now 2-0 in the tournament and in strong position to advance to the elimination round, while South Korea is 0-2 and has almost no chance of advancing.
The two teams had met once before at the World Cup in 1998, with Mexico winning 3-1.
Watching the first half of the game at Wilshire Park Place in Koreatown, Roy Mendez, 40, stopped waving the Mexican flag he was holding as he waited for Carlos Vela of the Mexican national team to take a penalty shot in the first half.
When Vela scored, Mendez jumped up and down, nearly knocking off his jumbo straw hat emblazoned with the words “Viva Mexico.”
“I’m so happy,” he said. “I’m elated, I’m just feeling so good right now. I don’t know how else to express it.”
His three neighbors celebrated the goal standing alongside South Korea fans, whose enthusiasm was instantly deflated.
“I need them to score another, just in case,” Mendez said, chuckling.
Mendez arrived at the plaza at 6 a.m. The World Cup viewing party was sponsored by Radio Korea and McDonald’s. A giant screen showing the match stood outside of the radio station’s headquarters.
Mendez said he arrived early, despite living only three blocks away. Because of the crowds, they slowly got pushed to the back.
Nearby, Eric Park, 37, and his dog Miggy watched the game with friends.
“It was a fair penalty,” Park said of Mexico’s first goal. “It was unfortunate, but those are the rules of the game.”
“I can only give props to Mexico for putting pressure at the right time,” he added.
Park arrived at 8 a.m., kickoff time, and said he had met Mexican fans on the way who greeted and cheered him.
“It’s a beautiful thing,” he said. “It was like, hey, it’s the World Cup, let’s have fun.”
He noted that the fans of Mexico and South Korea at the watch party were nearly equal in number.
“If you look around this area you have a large population of Koreans and Mexicans,” he said. “It’s great.”
During Saturday’s victory celebration, no one could hear Justin Park amid the chants and vuvuzelas in the plaza.
As he meandered through a sea of green jerseys, Mexican flags and straw hats, the South Pasadena resident had his arms raised and cheered for his compadres: "Viva Mexico! Viva Mexico!"
Wearing the South Korea national soccer team jersey, Justin Park, 43, said he was happy for Mexico's victory.
LINK/URL: Soccer fans gather across Los Angeles to watch Mexico
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