I’m looking forward to all thee games on Sunday but Mexico vs Germany is the one I am most excited about.

I picked Germany to win it at, so with that comes the expectation that they will beat Mexico.  I just returned from a Sonoma Academy alumni event tonight and Ronja, one of our former students from Germany attended.  It was great to see her and she was excited about Sundays game.  Her boyfriend, also German, said he expected a 4-0 win as Germany has a strong history in opening games.  In South Africa, I had the pleasure of watching them beat Australia (ironically 4-0) in their opening game in Durban.  They also beat Portugal 4-0 in their opening game in Brazil.  Germany likes to make a strong statement.

On the other hand Mexico has proven to be a consistent presence in the World Cup and they should be respected for that.  Mexico has advanced to the knockout rounds the past six World Cups, only to be eliminated, so there is hope they can take the next step this time around.  Growing up in California, I have witnessed the passion of Mexican (and Mexican American) fans for many years.  As soccer was growing in popularity in the US, we could always look to Mexico for a true soccer culture, where families appreciated the sport in ways most Americans had yet to discover.  Although Mexico is our biggest soccer rival, they have raised the bar for the entire region.   The fact that many players can play for either for the Mexican or the US National teams will force both countries to continue to develop their programs in order to attract and maintain the highest level players.  That is positive for the sport.  Currently, several Mexicans and playing in Major League Soccer and several Americans are playing in Mexico, which is also an added bonus for players in both countries.

I hope you are ready for another exciting day of games!

 

 

 

 

 

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