Monterrey looks for another surprise against River Plate
FIFA Club World Cup 2025
Monterrey looks for another surprise against River Plate
Alberto Aceves
La Jornada Newspaper, Saturday, June 21, 2025, p. 9
At Monterrey's camp, the Club World Cup in the United States generates the illusion of feeling part of the elite, at least for a while. The presence of European giants like Paris Saint-Germain and Inter Milan, finalists in last year's Champions League, doesn't detract from the Monterrey squad's hopes of making a splash at the international level. Captain Sergio Ramos' experience and mentality are his model. "Opponents may only know four or five names on the team, but that lack of familiarity can lead to surprises
," the Spaniard warned a few hours before the second game of his adventure, this time against Argentina's River Plate.
In a tournament that distributes a billion dollars among all its participants, according to official FIFA data, Rayados returns to the centennial Rose Bowl stadium in Pasadena, California, after challenging Inter's superiority with an unpredictable 1-1 draw. "Anything can happen in football; wearing a jersey or having a name doesn't mean a rival can beat the other before a match has even been played
," said Argentine midfielder Jorge Corcho Rodríguez. "We have to be intense, because the only thing that matters is winning. We're prepared to compete at the same level as River, as we did with Inter
."
For the Millonarios, a win this Saturday guarantees a place in the round of 16 of the Mundialito . First place in the group could likely be decided on the final matchday against the Nerazzurri , provided the Italian side beats Urawa Red Diamonds in Seattle.
For Monterrey, the three points would put them on track to qualify, but they still have to seal their place in the final match against their Japanese rival. "In these types of tournaments, one mistake can knock you out
," emphasized midfielder Fidel Ambriz, one of the youngest players on the squad coached by Doménec Torrent.
A former River Plate and Argentina national team star, Martín Demichelis, headed the Rayados' technical team until his replacement last month by Spaniard Torrent, Pep Guardiola's former assistant for a decade. The current Monterrey squad includes European stars such as Spaniards Sergio Ramos, Oliver Torres, and Sergio Canales, but there's also no shortage of representatives from the South American country. Up to four Argentine players could be included in the starting lineup this weekend: goalkeeper Esteban Andrada, midfielder Jorge Rodríguez, and forwards Germán Berterame and Lucas Ocampos, a well-known River Plate fan.
Hopefully we'll continue to surprise. It's going to be a unique match; the other day the fans made themselves heard, and it was a pretty big stadium. We're motivated by everyone who's come out to support us; it's surprising because we didn't expect it
, said Germán Berterame, a naturalized Mexican Argentine, regarding the presence of Monterrey fans in the United States and the upcoming chant duel they'll hold with River Plate fans.
With more skill than brilliance, the Millonarios defeated Japan's Urawa Red Diamonds 3-1 and will head into this match as sole leaders of Group E.
▲ The captain of the Mexican national team stood out in the last match against Suriname by scoring two goals. Photo FMF
From the Editorial Staff
La Jornada Newspaper, Saturday, June 21, 2025, p. a10
Mexico and Costa Rica, undefeated leaders in the Gold Cup and protagonists of matches that transcended the history of Concacaf football such as the Aztecazo – the name given since 2001 to the first Costa Rican victory at the Azteca Stadium – will decide on Sunday at Allegiant Stadium, a venue with a capacity for 65,000 fans in Paradise (Nevada), the first place in their group on the road to the quarterfinals.
Victories over the Dominican Republic (3-2) and Suriname (2-0) give the impression that confidence is growing within the tricolor squad, but not at the pace the players would like, admits Russian Lokomotiv defender César Montes. The group is one of our greatest strengths. We don't have a player like Messi in the national team, but the collective aspect always comes out on top. We still need time
.
Montes, appointed captain by manager Javier Aguirre in the Copa del Rey, scored the winning goals last week from set pieces. With the exception of Fulham striker Raúl Jiménez, the five goals for the Mexican team have come from defensive players like the Sonoran, who has three in the competition. West Ham's Edson Álvarez scored the first in their debut against the Dominican Republic.
Learning from the greatest
(Aguirre) has let us know he has faith in us, and the same goes for the group. We're building a good team. We've gained physical and mental confidence, maybe not as quickly as we'd like, but we've developed a good feeling
," adds the former Monterrey defender, who has been apprenticed to assistant Rafael Márquez in leadership matters. "Being captain of the national team represents an enormous responsibility, but I'm still learning from the greatest
."
In Costa Rica, former national team coach Miguel Herrera—a World Cup player in Brazil in 2014—offers his full commitment to achieving the goals he has set since last January. One of Piojo 's first actions was to confirm the return of experienced goalkeeper Keylor Navas, who had distanced himself from the Costa Rican national team due to differences with previous coaches and managers.
After several phone calls, public praise, and a personal trip to Rosario, Argentina, where Navas plays for Newell's Old Boys, Herrera convinced the former Real Madrid international to join him on his adventure. With that confidence and the memory of a unique precedent like the 2001 Aztecazo , when they defeated the then-named CONCACAF Giants 2-1 on the way to the 2002 World Cup in Korea and Japan, the Central American team will seek another triumph in Group A against the tricolor team.
We all know that Mexico is a very strong opponent both locally and globally
, acknowledged Navas, 38, who won three Champions League titles as Madrid's goalkeeper from 2014 to 2019. For me, the secret of a professional player is to compete with the same intensity in every game, no matter who's playing in front of you
. The Ticos are coming off a 2-1 victory over the Dominican Republic and a 4-3 victory over Suriname.
The FMF appeals to the CAS against the fine for homophobic shouting.
Erendira Palma Hernández
La Jornada Newspaper, Saturday, June 21, 2025, p. a10
As it prepares to host the 2026 World Cup, the Mexican Football Federation (FMF) filed an appeal with the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS) against the fine imposed a month ago by FIFA of 80,000 Swiss francs (1,874,300 pesos) due to homophobic chants made by fans during the match between Mexico and the United States, played on October 15, 2024, at the Guadalajara stadium.
The amount is one of the highest imposed so far on the FMF in the 19 fines it has received from FIFA – mostly for discriminatory chants made by tricolor supporters – since the rest of the sanctions were around 10,000 and 20,000 francs, which is why they decided to appeal to the CAS.
The only higher fine was when the federation was fined 100,000 francs for homophobic chants from fans during matches against Poland and Saudi Arabia at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
To date, the Mexican soccer governing body has had to pay out more than 13.7 million pesos due to the punishments imposed by FIFA.
According to a report from FIFA's Anti-Discrimination Monitoring System (Admos), two homophobic acts by fans were recorded during the match between Mexico and the United States.
The first occurred in the first and eleventh minutes when fans shouted "eeeh, faggot!"
after a goal kick by the American goalkeeper. Approximately 3,000 to 4,000 fans, who were in the upper level of the stadium, shouted the expression, which lasted approximately nine seconds
, according to the Admos report.
The second incident occurred after the match, after approximately 50 fans who were near the lower level of the venue sang the chant "poropopo, poropopo, whoever doesn't jump is a faggot gringo
."
Admos staff noted that in both cases, there was no reaction from the referees, commissioners, or players to activate the protocol against discriminatory acts.
In response to the debate over the meaning some people give to the word "puto"
because it is supposedly part of Mexican folklore
, FIFA emphasized that in Spanish it means "faggot
," which literally refers to a male sex worker and is used in a discriminatory and homophobic manner.
The latest punishment comes just as Mexico faces the 2026 World Cup, which it will host alongside the United States and Canada. The chanting has been a problem the FMF has been unable to eradicate since receiving its first fine from FIFA in 2016.
The shouting went from being an act of insult to the rival to a complaint against the Tricolor for poor sporting performance.
Gold Cup 2025
The most expensive in the Premier League
▲ Photo @liverpoolfc
La Jornada Newspaper, Saturday, June 21, 2025, p. a10
German footballer Florian Wirtz, one of the most promising players in European football at just 22 years old, became the most expensive signing in the English Premier League after being announced as Liverpool's new signing from Bayer Leverkusen for a fee close to $150 million, according to British and German media.
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