Mexico’s Love-Hate Relationship With Argentina Haunts the Team’s World Cup Matchup
On one side of the field, the United States faces Argentina, the hosts of the 2017 FIFA Confederations Cup. On the other side, Mexico is looking to avenge its World Cup final loss to Argentina in 1930, when legendary Mexican singer, actor and musician Salvador “Chivo” Montero made a dramatic appearance on the field in celebration of his team’s win.
The story of these two countries and their rivalry is just as intriguing to football fans as it is to fans of other sports, and it’s easy to see why.
This match will be played in front of a partisan crowd at the Azteca Stadium, located in Mexico City, and the two teams are both playing out of their skin with excitement. For the U.S., it’s the first game at the Azteca, and, for Mexico, it’s the most memorable victory against Argentina in the tournament’s history.
Both teams hope to add to their collections of World Cup wins this year, but it’s their chances against each other that may have the biggest impact on the game.
Argentina: This World Cup has been an incredible surprise for both the country and its football team. Argentina reached the World Cup final last year for the first time since 1958, and, despite losing to Sweden, they were still the first South American country to reach the semi-finals at the World Cup.
In the two previous tournaments, Argentina’s best football team (and it didn’t even deserve a nickname) failed to make the tournament final ever, something to which they are still reeling from a quarter of a century later.
In the game against the U.S., they will be looking for their first win over a top-level nation in almost 20 years, which can’t be easily done.
Mexico: In the 1930 match, Montero made a dramatic appearance on the