Lots of passion and little play: Rayados and River Plate draw

▲ Monterrey goalkeeper Esteban Andrada was alert to keep the score at 0-0. AP Photo

From the Editorial Staff

La Jornada Newspaper, Sunday, June 22, 2025, p. 9

Soccer is a disputed territory between Mexico and Argentina. In the history of the World Cup and club tournaments like the Copa Libertadores, the countries of the Southern Cone and the northern part of the continent have observed for years the excitement and rivalry that arises every time one team faces the other. The Club World Cup is no exception. In a century-old Rose Bowl stadium, transformed into a smoking cauldron, nearly 57,393 people sang loudly, jumped, waved flags, and defied the geographical distance despite Monterrey's 0-0 draw with River Plate on the second matchday of the tournament in the United States.

From hours before the match until the end, the announced promise of a splendid, colorful setting, in which the identity of thousands of River Plate fans contrasted with the clamor of a multitude of Monterrey fans, changed the normality of the group stage into expressions of antagonism. Borom bom booom/ borom bom booom/ it's Don Ramón's team , Take it vooos/ give it to meeee/ today not even the Chapulín can save you , sang the Millonarios ironically, recalling Roberto Gómez Bolaños' iconic characters in El Chavo del 8 and El Chapulín Colorado . The response was not long in coming.

What will it feel like to go to the B division? , members of La Adicción , the Rayados' main cheerleading group, displayed on a banner, with the River and Tigres emblems turned upside down, amidst a ghost that recalled relegation. The Argentines were relegated in 2011 and played for a season in the B Nacional, the Second Division of Argentine soccer. That still painful event, which led to serious incidents at the Monumental stadium, served as a catalyst for Mexican fans to compete in the stands and corridors. On one side, barbecued meat and on the other, the Argentine barbecue, each sector with its own way of experiencing the sport.

On the pitch, River Plate generated the most dangerous chances. Spaniards Sergio Canales and Lucas Ocampos brought Monterrey closer with mid-range shots, but midfielder Franco Mastantuono, Real Madrid's star signing at just 18 years old, unbalanced the situation and advanced to goalkeeper Esteban Andrada with a repertoire of top-level dribbles and plays. The superiority that Los Millonarios established after the break forced Spaniard Doménec Torrent, the Pandilla's coach, to rethink the very vertical way they approached the match.

For Los Millonarios, a win would guarantee them a place in the round of 16 of the Mundialito . After the draw, they will have to play Inter Milan for first place in Group E – both have four points – while Los Rayados, who have two points and will face Japanese side Urawa Reds on the final day, will depend on the result between the two leaders to determine whether a win can secure them a place in the group stage. Yesterday, Torrent's team looked far from the image they showed the world against the Champions League runners-up.

Even if it weren't for Colombian Miguel Borja's failure to capitalize on a pair of one-on-one chances against goalkeeper Andrada, River's fate could have been different.

From the Editorial Staff and AFP

La Jornada Newspaper, Sunday, June 22, 2025, p. 9

Pachuca will face a do-or-die duel today against Real Madrid, who will be without their star player Kylian Mbappé due to stomach problems, in the second matchday of Group H of the Club World Cup, as both teams must win to stay in the competition.

After presenting with a fever last Wednesday, the French forward was ruled out of his team's debut against Al Hilal, which they drew 1-1 in Miami. A day later, his hospitalization due to gastroenteritis was confirmed, and although he was discharged hours later and is slowly improving, a club source reported yesterday that the player did not travel to Charlotte for the crucial match against the Tuzos.

Mbappé's absence from the match at the Bank of America Stadium is an advantage for the Hidalgo side; however, they can't be complacent, as the new Real Madrid coach, Xabi Alonso, has other dangerous players at his disposal, such as Vinicius Jr., who has been key in attack, and Gonzalo García, who scored the goal against the Saudis.

With the draw in their opening match, Madrid earned a point, so a win against the Tuzos would leave them with four points and a good chance of advancing to the next round.

Pachuca, for its part, faces a more complicated situation after opening the tournament with a 2-1 loss to Salzburg, which keeps it in last place in the group stage with no points. It will also face Al Hilal next Thursday in the final group stage, a team that gave the Merengues a good fight.

The Real Madrid shirt alone expresses the club's greatness, regardless of who's playing. "It's a match that has to be played to perfection ," said the Mexican team's leading scorer, Venezuelan Salomón Rondón, ahead of this difficult encounter.

They need points just like us and it's going to be an attractive match, knowing that Madrid moves masses , he added.

In yesterday's matches, Inter Milan achieved a hard-fought 2-1 victory over Urawa Red Diamonds of Japan, taking them to four points in Group E. Meanwhile, the Asian team is practically eliminated from the competition, finishing fourth with no points.

In the match at Seattle's Lumen Field, Ryoma Watanabe had put Urawa ahead in the 11th minute, but the Italian side turned the score around with a goal from Lautaro Martínez, with a bicycle kick in the 78th minute, and another from Valentín Carboni, in the 90+2 minute. In Group F, Fluminense beat Ulsan Hyundai of South Korea 4-2 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, and a draw in the final matchday of the group stage will be enough for them to qualify for the round of 16.

Leading the group with four points and a two-goal difference, the Brazilian side will close out the group stage on Wednesday against Mamelodi Sundowns (third, with three points).

The South African team put up a fight yesterday, but ended up losing 4-3 to Borussia Dortmund (second, with four points), the lackluster German team that will seek a place in the next round on the final day against Ulsan (fourth, without points).

▲ Miguel Herrera, former manager of the Tricolor and now head coach of Costa Rica, will face Mexico today in a match of mixed emotions. On the other side are his old acquaintances Rafael Márquez and Javier Aguirre, who are looking to maintain their lead over the Ticos. Photo AFP and AP

Erendira Palma Hernández

La Jornada Newspaper, Sunday, June 22, 2025, p. a10

The duel between Mexico and Costa Rica will take on special significance in the 2025 Gold Cup. Beyond securing the lead in Group A, it will be the first meeting between two Mexican coaches leading different national teams in an official tournament: Javier Vasco Aguirre is tasked with maintaining the Tricolor's leadership, while Miguel Herrera will seek to break a 12-year streak in which the Costa Ricans have not been able to emerge victorious in this rivalry.

Miguel led the national team in Brazil 2014. Of course, he knows our way of life, our idiosyncrasies, but ultimately, the players are the ones who carry out the game plan. Our participation is limited to substitutions; it's not that tangible; it's difficult to know how much influence a coach has on decisions (on the field). I don't see any advantage; we're two old acquaintances , Aguirre said.

Both defending champions Mexico and Costa Rica have been impressive in the group stage; both have six points, and the Tricolors currently lead Group A on goal difference. This Sunday's match will determine who will take the top spot heading into the quarterfinals.

While Vasco Aguirre doesn't openly acknowledge that he's studied Herrera's style, he does reveal it between the lines. He recalls their clashes as players in the late 1980s—a time when he was nearing retirement while Miguel was emerging—as well as the duels they had as managers in the Liga MX.

Now, Aguirre makes it clear that Herrera is a manager he respects and cares for, while acknowledging his dynamic style of play, so he expects a difficult match . However, he emphasized: "In the Nations League, we finished at the top of the North American hierarchy and we are also the Gold Cup champion, that allows us to feel like one of the favorites, not the main one, but one of them, respecting all the rivals in the region who have grown ."

For Mexico, the game seems to have a sporting significance—a game that's playing for group leadership and preparing for the World Cup—as well as the achievement of having two Tricolors leading different teams. However, for Costa Rica, the matches against Mexico have greater symbolism.

The most recent time the Ticos beat Mexico was in 2013 in the 2014 World Cup qualifiers. Throughout their history, the two teams have played 55 matches, with the Tricolor team coming away with a record of 34 wins and 15 draws, while Costa Rica has only won six times.

The chance to break that streak and the Tricolor's hierarchy now falls to Herrera, one of the most prestigious coaches in Mexican soccer with two league titles and who also managed the national team.

"I'll keep my feelings until the moment of the match. Now I'm focused on what we have to do. What I want is to win and finish first in the group. Today I owe it to Costa Rica and its people, who have treated me very well ," said Herrera, who seemed a little more cautious, far from the frank and explosive nature that characterizes him.

This game is very important because Mexico has always been a powerhouse in the box, has great players on very good teams, and a high-level league. Their national team is very competitive; for us, that's a benchmark, and we take it very seriously , added Keylor Navas, Costa Rica's veteran star goalkeeper.

Even as Mexico strives to retain its Gold Cup title and gain confidence heading into the 2026 World Cup, which it will host alongside the United States and Canada, it has also found a place to shine in this tournament, as it is the first time it has had three coaches as representatives. In addition to Aguirre and Herrera, Luis Fernando Tena is also leading Guatemala; a scenario that is encouraging given the excess of foreign coaches in the Liga MX.

There are good Mexican coaches at all levels; we'll get this going soon. I spoke with the Mexican Football Federation about improving the coaching training. I have nothing against foreigners, as those who contribute are welcome. For now, for our team, it's probably best to look to Central and South America; there's no other option , Aguirre said.

▲ The Mexican (right) left no room for doubt and soundly defeated the Briton. Photo @DAZNboxing

From the Editorial Staff

La Jornada Newspaper, Sunday, June 22, 2025, p. a11

Francisco Chihuas Rodríguez left no room for doubt and soundly defeated Briton Galal Yafai in Birmingham, United Kingdom. The Mexican's performance was devastating, and in the final round he knocked down his opponent to defeat him by unanimous decision for the World Boxing Council (WBC) interim flyweight title.

The Mexican native, born in Monterrey, Nuevo León, took the initiative from the first round. His ambition and desire to return home with the belt at stake was evident. Despite coming from the lower divisions of light flyweight and strawweight, he appeared vigorous and had the strength to hurt his opponent, with a real chance of winning by knockout.

Chihuahua wasn't just looking to prove himself in this weight class, but also to return to the world championships. Winning in the United Kingdom put him in a valuable position: a prelude to the flyweight title. The Mexican is awaiting a fight between the WBC and WBA champions in the division, Japanese Kenshiro Teraji, and Ricardo Rafael Sandoval at the end of July.

The new interim champion has suffered some setbacks in the past, most notably when he tried to wrest the super flyweight championship from Japanese Kazuto Ioka in 2022, a failed attempt that he lost by unanimous decision.

Yafai was the Olympic champion in Tokyo 2020, and had just had a great victory over Sunny Edwards. That seemed very threatening for the Mexican in his mission in Birmingham.

After a few losses, we achieved our goal , said Chihuahua after the victory. We felt it was the only way to win, I needed to crush him, and that's how I got the win. I was facing a star, in his hometown; I was swimming against the current .

In the final round, Chihuahuas kept sending hooks and overhands. He pounded the Briton up and down, his left eyelid oozing blood after the punishment. In one of those attacks, Yafai's legs gave way, and under the Mexican's punches, his hamstrings simply buckled like two broken reeds, and he fell flat on his back.

Yafai got up, but he was hurt and tried to hug Chihuahuas to contain the punishment; the Mexican dodged the lock and continued to send his gloves up, left, and right. The victory was an indisputable reward for the Monterrey native.

From the Editorial Staff

La Jornada Newspaper, Sunday, June 22, 2025, p. a11

Carlos Alcaraz continues to rack up records in his young career. Yesterday, the Spanish tennis player reached his fifth consecutive final and raised his match win tally on the ATP Tour to 250.

His most recent victory was at the Queen's Tournament in London, where he sealed his return to the final round after defeating fellow countryman Roberto Bautista 6-4, 6-4 in one hour and 29 minutes. The 22-year-old from Murcia will face Czech Jirí Lehecka for the title today.

“I think I'm playing great tennis and I feel more comfortable after each match ,” Alcaraz acknowledged. “Reaching the final at Queen's again is very special, so I guess grass court mode is on.”

With the victory, Alcaraz became the third player in history to reach 250 wins the fastest, behind only John McEnroe and Jimmy Connors. He thus surpasses Rafael Nadal, Roger Federer, and Novak Djokovic, among other historic figures.

If he wins today, Alcaraz will become the second Spanish tennis player with two titles at the Queen's event after Feliciano López (2017, 2019).

This Sunday he will face Lehecka, 23 years old and ranked 30th in the world, who defeated Briton Jack Draper 6-4, 4-6, 7-5.

Meanwhile, Daniil Medvedev ended the hopes of home favorite Alexander Zverev with a 7-6, 6-7, 6-4 victory in their Halle Open semifinal.

Medvedev recovered after wasting three match points on Zverev's serve at 5-6 in the second set and took nearly three hours to overcome his old rival and reach his first final in 15 months.

The Russian player will face Alexander Bublik in the final today.

Meanwhile, Czech Marketa Vondrousova reached her first final since her Wimbledon Open title two years ago, defeating world number one Aryna Sabalenka (6-2, 6-4) in the semi-finals of the WTA 500 tournament in Berlin.

Vondrousova missed the second half of the 2024 season and much of the first half of 2025 due to a left shoulder injury.

Santi González is crowned

Mexican Santiago González and former world number one, American Austin Krajicek, won the title in a Challenger category tournament in Nottingham.

González and Krajicek, the second seeds in the tournament, defeated the pairing of Brazilian Fernando Romboli and Australian John-Patrick Smith 7-6, 6-4.

With information from AP and AFP

▲ Photo Ap

From the Editorial Staff

La Jornada Newspaper, Sunday, June 22, 2025, p. a11

A hundred people demonstrated near Dodger Stadium, one day after the Los Angeles baseball team announced it was donating $1 million to migrant families affected by deportation raids. "The Dodgers want you to shut up for a million dollars ," read some banners, a clear message of anger at the lack of a prompt and clear response from the sports institution, whose majority of fans are Latinos, migrants, and their children in the second-largest Mexican city in the world. A few days ago, various entertainment figures and leaders of organizations criticized the lack of clarity in defending their fans harassed by ICE, and the news of the financial support was received as an act of lack of true solidarity and, above all, intended to silence the protests.