I saw a team without personality, its legs were shaking: Aguirre
Alberto Aceves
La Jornada Newspaper, Sunday, June 8, 2025, p. 9
In his few days at the helm of the Mexican national team, coach Javier Aguirre tried to lighten the mood. He did so in the way he knows best: jokes and laughter at the dinner table, insults, and conversations about football on the sidelines. Since Switzerland is a top-tier opponent with multicultural origins, he decided to make significant changes: selecting goalkeeper Raúl Rangel instead of Guillermo Ochoa and abandoning the play of other players in favor of the youngsters Emilio Lara and Mateo Chávez, but he was far from turning his team around in the first of two tests toward the Gold Cup. They lost 4-2 at the University of Utah.
Paradoxically, El Tricolor remained the same erratic competitor despite the changes. They were overwhelmed by the pressure, the size, and the skill of an opponent who scored most of their goals with players from migrant families. "The result depends on many factors, but I want to see them run, fight, and compete, because they've been training with us for a while
," El Vasco said on Friday about his new lineup. If consistency also has its rewards in football, Rangel and Chávez, the current full-back for AZ Alkmaar in the Netherlands, were the standouts.
Aguirre insisted on pressing high from Switzerland's outburst. This gamble led to a counterattack in which Cameroonian-born striker Breel Embolo outpaced captain César Montes and left Rangel sprawling in the penalty area to score the 1-0 with a right-footed shot (20). The fans—just over 30,000 in attendance, according to reports—quickly made their discontent known. From the stands of the University of Utah stadium, the Tricolor's errors, from the attack with Santiago Giménez to Lara's carelessness in defense, demanded changes to match such evident dominance.
Shortly before halftime, a poor pass from the Necaxa full-back meant Switzerland was close to extending its lead. Only the post, the distance, and the Salt Lake City wind could prevent Vincent Sierro's shot, helped by a tackle from Rangel, from ending up in the net again. The Chivas goalkeeper showed his ability, saving shots at close range and very close to the goal line, but his inexperience later proved costly for El Tricolor. Giménez, who had not scored since July 16, 2023, tied the game with a header, helped by a rebound from Raúl Jiménez (51).
It was then that a controversial refereeing decision by American Victor Rivas, loudly questioned by Aguirre and his coaching staff, validated the second goal for Switzerland in an offside action. Scorer Zeki Amdouni (64) and three other European players were in front of the ball after a left-footed shot by Ardon Jashari. The lack of concentration caused by that moment meant the 3-1 by Dan Ndoye (71), originated by a mistake by Rangel in the exit. With the feeling of being able to do more for his team, El Vasco adjusted the strategy with the introductions of Alexis Vega and Ángel Sepúlveda, champions with Toluca and Cruz Azul, recently.
With the 1-0, we were scared
Vega set up the Michoacan native with a pass into space, who beat goalkeeper Gregor Kobel with a powerful left-footed shot that just missed the post (75). Despite the improvement of the Tricolor team, Fabian Rieder put the final numbers on the scoreboard (90). Three of Switzerland's four goals – with the exception of Rieder – were scored by players with multicultural roots. Embolo was born in Yaoundé, Cameroon, and migrated with his mother to Europe at a young age, where he is a star for Monaco; Amdouni, whose father is Turkish and whose mother is Tunisian, is the current star of Benfica, while Dan Ndoye, whose father is Senegalese, plays for Bologna.
We made a lot of mistakes. In the first half, I saw a team lacking personality, which was scared by the goal against them. Our legs were shaking every time the Swiss came close. We deserved to lose
, declared El Vasco bluntly and without hesitation at a press conference. Conceding four goals is a terrible sign, but these are the games we want, where people insult you and it shows who has the guts for the World Cup. In the face of adversity, you get to know people. When you concede a score like that, you have to lower your ears and keep training
.
At the request of the Swiss Football Association, the match was played in the evening so it could be broadcast on European channels. Both teams took a hydration break due to the temperature of nearly 30 degrees Celsius. "But the national team has to know how to play wherever it is
," the national team coach explained. "It pains me to the core to see people go home; it's something that hurts me. The four goals were avoidable. At 1-0, it seemed like the world was ending, and a team under my command can't be like that. The blame always lies with the coach; I won't name names. I am the one most responsible for this defeat
."
The Tricolor will face Turkey on Tuesday in North Carolina, in their final warm-up test before the start of the Gold Cup. The Turks defeated the United States 2-1 yesterday in their visit to Connecticut.
From the Editorial Staff
La Jornada Newspaper, Sunday, June 8, 2025, p. 9
A game of grit allowed Mexico to stay in the Maurice Revello Tournament, formerly known as the Toulon Hopes Tournament. The U-20 national team, coached by Eduardo Arce, defeated Japan 4-3 on penalties after a 1-1 draw in regular time. They must now defeat Congo and hope for a combination of results to advance to the semifinals.
Even though the Tricolors have shown commitment on the field, they have struggled to achieve positive results. The penalty shootout victory allowed Mexico to move into third place in Group B, with just three points, one behind Japan. Denmark leads the table with five points after defeating last-place Congo 2-0.
To secure their ticket to the next round, Mexico must win in regular time against the Congolese team on Tuesday and await the outcome of the Denmark-Japan match.
In the match against the Japanese, a mistake forced the Tricolors to fight against the current, finding themselves behind in the 32nd minute thanks to a goal by Motoki Nishihara.
However, the Mexican team managed to respond in the second half with a brilliant save from Chivas player Hugo Camberos, who rebounded the ball and sent it into the net in the 71st minute.
With the score tied at one goal in regulation time, the match went to penalties, where goalkeeper Emmanuel Ochoa emerged as the hero by standing firm and saving Yukata Michiwaki's shot.
Nerves got the better of the Japanese, and Sora Hiraga also missed. Thus, Mexico took the win with shots from Yael Padilla, Heriberto Jurado, Tahiel Jiménez, and Hugo Camberos; only Oswaldo Virgen missed on this occasion, an incident from which the national team was able to recover.
With players who have gained experience in the First Division and others forging their careers in Europe, the Mexican national team aims to redeem itself in this edition of the Maurice Revello Tournament after being eliminated in the group stage in 2024.
The Tricolores boast a crown from this tournament, having won the 2012 championship, in addition to competing in the finals in 2018 and 2023.
She is proclaimed champion in Türkiye
Golden arrows for Maya Becerra at the World Cup
▲ World -ranked Maya Becerra won her second gold medal of the season. Photo: World Archery
From the Editorial Staff
La Jornada Newspaper, Sunday, June 8, 2025, p. a10
Mexican Maya Becerra's arrows hit the gold medal at the Archery World Cup held in Antalya, Türkiye.
The team, world-leading in the compound event , won her second gold medal of the season after defeating the world number two, South Korean Seungyeon Han, 159-151.
Becerra's gold was Mexico's second medal of the day, as hours earlier Becerra, Mariana Bernal, and Adriana Castillo had taken the silver in the team event after losing 233-241 to South Korea.
The world championship gave Maya a boost of motivation to continue working toward the World Championship in the sport in September.
We've already realized that we're doing things right, so we're going to keep working along those same lines and stay in the top positions
, Becerra told World Archery.
Mexico came close to adding a third medal through Bernal, who lost the bronze medal match 147-151 to American Alexis Ruiz.
The next and final stage of the 2025 World Cup Series will take place from July 8-13 in Madrid, Spain, where the national archers will seek the last tickets to attend the grand final of the circuit from October 17-19 in Nanjing, China.
González and Ortiz, silver and bronze in La Coruña
Mexican race walker Alegna González continues her strong showing on her European tour. Yesterday, the Chihuahua native won the silver medal in the 20-kilometer race at the Canton Grand Prix in La Coruña, Spain, ahead of her participation in the World Athletics Championships in Tokyo.
As she has in other competitions, González made a comeback in the final kilometers of the course. After placing fourth in the 16th, the team picked up the pace and crossed the finish line in 1:27.32. Spain's María Pérez took gold, stopping the clock at 1:27.22, while China's Li Peng took third place in 1:27.45.
It was Alegna's second medal in 15 days. Last weekend, the runner won gold at the International Grand Prix in Madrid.
Also Mexican, Ximena Serrano, Valeria Flores, Ilse Guerrero and Sofía Ramos finished the competition in 13th, 30th, 35th and 37th place, respectively.
In the men's event, Ricardo Ortiz finished third in the 20 kilometers. The race walker completed the race in a time of 1:18.21, surpassed by Japan's Toshikazu Yamanishi (1:18.15), who took first place, and Matasora Kawano, also from Japan, who took silver (1:18.19).
Also participating were Julio Salazar (12), Andrés Olivas (25), César Córdova (45), Emiliano Mercenario (50), Noel Chama (53), Brandon Segura (54) and Isaac Palma (57).
Barba finishes second
In the 10-kilometer race, Emilio Barba took second place with a time of 40:48 minutes, surpassed by China's Congshan Bi, who stopped the clock at 40:25.
The 17-year-old is one of the new stars in the sport, having won a silver medal at the Lima 2024 U-20 World Athletics Championships a few months ago.
The Red Devils thrashed Pericos de Puebla 17-6; they scored 38 runs in two games.
▲ Diablos Rojos players Jesús Arredondo and Luis Liberato celebrate the latter's home run, which contributed two runs to the rout of the capital team. Photo @DiablosRojosMx
Juan Manuel Vázquez
La Jornada Newspaper, Sunday, June 8, 2025, p. a10
For the second consecutive game, Diablos Rojos thrashed Pericos de Puebla, this time 17-6, at Alfredo Harp Helú Stadium. A merciless number of runs, adding to the 21-8 defeat they inflicted on Friday night. In two days, they allowed 38 runs, a chilling number for anyone. This became an affront to the visitors, and in the final innings, there was so much tension on the pitching mound that pitchers threw threatening balls at batters; some nimbly dodged them; others were hit, and the game was on the verge of spiraling out of control.
After the cascade of runs suffered by the Pericos on Friday night, taking the mound Saturday afternoon was like undergoing a shock session where a pitcher had to face his deepest fears. Fernando Lozano was the starter, but he looked more like someone condemned to a firing squad. And so it was: of the first five batters he faced in his only inning of work, four hit and scored during the parade of hitters. No one can sustain a start like that. The manager immediately called a meeting on the mound; the Puebla players surrounded the overwhelmed and dejected pitcher . Nothing hurts more than standing in the middle of the field under the accusing gaze of the others. They say that during these brief meetings, every thought is asked; the goal is to gauge the pitcher's nerves, and those this afternoon were very frayed. They asked him for the ball in that ritual of defeat when relief is urgent and in his place Liarvis Breto came on to contain the Reds.
The game settled, and only a pair of solo home runs, one per side, moved the scoreboard. In the second inning, Puebla's Estamy Ureña and Julián Ornelas, in the third, drove the ball out of the park. By then, the pitching and defense were working in both teams, and the scoreboard remained intact for two and a half innings.
But the Pericos reliever couldn't keep up with the Diablos' attack. In the bottom of the sixth inning, he once again felt like descending into hell. A six-run rally made the pitcher pale, including a two-run home run off Luis Liberato. And one more, courtesy of Ramón Flores, to make the score 12-1.
The dilemma sometimes lies in maintaining control with the relief pitchers. When Trevor Clifton took the mound for the Diablos, the game took an unexpected turn in the eighth inning. A four-run grand slam hit by Cristhian Adames cut the score to 12-5. In that inning, the American pitcher hit two Puebla batters. Tempers were flaring, and the pitcher again threatened an opposing hitter by sending a ball too close to his body, infuriating the Pericos bench. Within seconds, they jumped the barrier, and in the middle of the diamond, both teams threatened to get into a brawl.
The Scarlets' response was devastating, adding five more runs, two of them driven in by Julián Ornelas' home run. In two days, Pericos de Puebla accumulated a run count that will make their return home even more difficult if they don't respond this Sunday.
Gauff wins her first Roland Garros title
▲ The American now has two French Open trophies after winning the doubles last year. AP Photo
Ap
La Jornada Newspaper, Sunday, June 8, 2025, p. a11
Paris. American Coco Gauff won her first Roland Garros title, defeating world number one Aryna Sabalenka of Belarus 6-7 (7/5), 6-2, 6-4 yesterday in the final.
Second-seeded Gauff prevailed in a tense, momentum-swinging match to claim her second major trophy after winning the 2023 US Open, where she also rallied from a set down to beat Sabalenka.
The 21-year-old tennis player raised the trophy, kissed it several times, and placed her hand on her heart as the U.S. national anthem played.
It was the first final between the world number one and number two in Paris since 2013, when Serena Williams defeated Maria Sharapova.
After Sabalenka sent a backhand wide on Gauff's second match point, Gauff fell onto her back, covered her face with both hands as she began to sob, and then stood up.
After greeting Sabalenka at the net with a warm hug and thanking the umpire, Gauff screamed with joy and relief, then knelt and leaned forward.
He later celebrated with his team in their box, three years after losing his first Roland Garros final.
Coco became the third African-American tennis player to win the French Open after Althea Gibson in 1956 and Serena Williams in 2015.
Love of the public
In her on-court speech, Gauff said the 2022 loss at age 18 put her in a dark place
, and then thanked the fans on Court Philippe Chatrier.
The crowd really helped me, you guys cheered me on a lot and I don't know what I did to deserve so much love from the French public, but I appreciate it, guys
, he expressed.
Sabalenka, who was in tears moments before giving her speech, praised Gauff for being a fighter
and said she deserved the win, but added that windy conditions made the match error-ridden.
“This will hurt a lot. Coco , congratulations. You were a better player than me in the tough conditions. Well done, two great weeks, and congratulations on your second Grand Slam , it's well deserved,” she said.
The Belarusian started the deciding set strongly, sticking to her high-risk approach to win her first service game.
Gauff responded and raised her level, winning a magnificent rally in the third game that drew loud cheers and applause from the crowd. The American was consistent from the baseline and earned a break point, converting when Sabalenka double-faulted, giving her a 2-1 lead.
The European turned to her box and screamed in frustration, but then regained her composure and broke again to tie the match at 3.
However, she was broken again at love, and Gauff held serve twice to claim the title after 2 hours and 38 minutes of play.
Mexicans Carrasquedo and Rivera make it 2-1 in Eurocup 3 in Portugal
From the Editorial Staff
La Jornada Newspaper, Sunday, June 8, 2025, p. a11
Mexican drivers Jesse Carrasquedo and Ernesto Rivera took first and second place, respectively, in the first race of the second round of the Eurocup-3, held yesterday at the Algarve International Raceway in Portimão, Portugal.
Carrasquedo, 18, originally from León, Guanajuato, had qualified second for the first of two races scheduled for yesterday, after clocking a lap time of 1:39.902 on the 4,653-kilometer track, a position from which he started to fight for victory.
The Escudería Telmex Telcel driver faced a close battle with his compatriot, who was only 16 years old and tried repeatedly to overtake him; however, he was unable to do so. Polish driver Kacper Sztuka, who started from pole position , crossed the finish line in third place, ahead of Frenchman Jules Caranta.
Sztuka had made a good start, but after the immediate intervention of the safety car due to contact between the Russian Alexander Abkhazava, the American Garrett Berry and the Dane Theodor Jensen at turn five of the first lap, he was surprised by Carrasquedo, who took first place, leaving the Pole in second place, who even fell to fifth place.
Running in first place, Carrasquedo held off the attacks of Rivera, a Mexico City native who became dangerous at the restart following the second safety car following Berry's retirement. A brief duel then erupted between the two tricolors, but the Leonese driver soon pulled away to win his second race after the one he contested in Alcañiz in 2024, also in Eurocup 3.
It was fantastic to be able to fight with Ernesto and win the duel, but it was also a great happiness to get that 1-2 for Mexico
, declared Carrasquedo, who in the second race started from 11th place on the reverse grid to finish sixth.
Fellow tricolor Cristian Cantú finished in 16th place in the first competition, while in the next he finished in 15th place.
The second round of the 2025 Eurocup 3 season will conclude this Sunday.
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