From: atena@uxh.cso.uiuc.edu (Arturo Tena-Colunga)
Newsgroups: rec.sport.soccer
Subject: A Mexico vs Brazill 1994 Final! :-) :-)
Date: 17 Apr 92 17:37:13 GMT
Article-I.D.: ux1.1992Apr17.173713.25929
Organization: University of Illinois at Urbana


      Radu writes :

>Arturo flamed a little bit over what he perceived as Brasil-bashing on my
>part. 

      Nop! I was kidding on the bashing (sorry for picking up the wrong
word) while defending one of my all time favorite national teams: Brazil!
Brazil's magic is it the REAL THING!!!!! :-)

>I like Brasil, and, unqestionably, their WC record is by far the best.
>However, I'd be surprised if they managed to get to the semifinals again,
>although they have a lot of class players. 

      I think they have been out for so long that it is about time they
fight back. The talent is there and developing...

>As for the prospect of them playing
>against Mexico in a world Cup Final, we should maybe get serious. 

      So you are telling me I cannot dream a little? :-) Nor the U.S followers,
the British, the French, the Colombians, the Morocans, the Australians,
the Chinese, etc? :-)  Not everything in football is reality. A lot of the fun
is dreaming. :-) Didn't you dreamed once to be a great pro player when you were
a child? :->  In any case, MENOTTI promised us to make us World Champs!!!!! :-)
And I am going to remember him that in 1994!!!! :->  
      If I get serious, then, I know we have a slim chance, as MOST TEAMS, but
surprises are just around the corner knocking at the door... :-) On the other hand,
I saw great young talent to develop in key positions for the Mexican national
team (Libero, center forward, offensive wings and golie), unfortunately most
of them out of the pre-olympic team :-\ that has a lousy golie |-\, and awfull 
defensive right winger |-/, and mediocre stopper and left defensive winger :-(. 
The defense of that team stinks!!!! |-( I am very upset with Cayetano because he left
our best under 23 year old players out of the pre-olimpic team!!!! (LUIS GARCIA,
Salvador Mariscal, Claudio Suarez, Israel Castillo, Ramirez Perales, Jesus
Cordoba, Sergio Bernal etc, etc, etc). In any case, that is another story and we rely 
on our midfield (without injured rising star Ramon Ramirez) and our 2 forwards : Pedro
Pineda & Mario Arteaga. But  watch out in that pre-olimpic team for libero 
Manuel Vidrio of Chivas, he is going to be SOMETHING ELSE...

>Mexico played
>so many times in the World Cup and the best thing they have to show is a second
>round qualification, (1986-Mexico) where they "managed" to loose "only" after
>penalty shots to Germany ( I still can not believe ALL Mexican players shot the ball
>to the right of Schumacher - at that time it was well known that Schumacher
>preferred to dive towards his right on penalty shots..)

      For starters, if that lousy Colombian referee would have had glasses, we
should have beaten the Germans since "Abuelo" Cruz' goal at 70' was completely
legal!!!! |-\ And let me reminded you that the game was dominated by Mexico, 
as Pablo Larios was having a picnic at the mexican goal, while Tony Schumacher,
Karl Heinz Foerster and even Hanz Peter Briegel  were very busy trying antics against
Hugo Sanchez and "Abuelo" Cruz (that responded accordingly, this was captured by
the cameras of Mexican network IMEVISION ). Ahhh ?Did you ever see Lothar Matthaeus
in that game???  :-> Well, that is because he was nulified very effectively by
Carlos Mu~oz. Not even Littbarsky did anything. As for the penalty kicks, it is always
tough, and mexican players shot them badly, most likely for the pressure and the
fact they finished the game in worst phisical condition than the Germans. Besides,
Tony Schumacher was a great golie. As for ALL  mexican players shooting to the right,
I have to watch the painful video again, because I think Quirarte shot left... And
my memory is worth trusting... :-) 

      BTW, we didn't loose in that WC, we were eliminated on the penalty tie-breaker.
In FIFA's record the score of the game was MEXICO 0 GERMANY O  That game still
hurts, because refereing took a part on the final outcome...

>All due respect to South American great teams: Brasil, Argentina (whose 
>prospects I rank brighter than Brasil's) and sometimes Uruguay (not last time
>around though - Belgium ridiculed them). But: Mexico? 
>Again, let's get serious here...


  One day maybe :-)  Who was The Netherlands before 1965? Denmark before 1980?
In any case, watch out guys! because I am planning to coach the National Team
someday, and you'll see what Mexicans can do when well coached :-> Bora just
gave you a taste of it in 1986...   :-)

>Radu T. Tomescu at UCBerkeley
>Department of Economics

      Cheers!

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                        Arturo Tena Colunga
                        e-mail arturo@civilgate.ce.uiuc.edu
                               atena@cevax.ce.uiuc.edu
                               atena@uxh.cso.uiuc.edu