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Mexico had a rough night against the United States in the Nations League on Thursday.
The USMNT completely dominated El Tri in a performance that would be hard to forget. However, beyond the tactic and strategic horrors of the squad managed by Diego Cocca, the worst part of the game was the incapacity of players and fans to accept the defeat with any sense of dignity.
There are the bully behaviors of players like César Montes, Jorge Sánchez and Gerardo Arteaga, and the return of the infamous and homophobic "puto" chant on the stands as proof.
The chant. pic.twitter.com/s8ZBJ627C1
— USMNT Only (@usmntonly) June 16, 2023
Both, of course, are bad. But the thing with the "puto" chant is by far the worst.
It was so bad that the ref Iván Barton had to end the game before the injury time was completed and so bad that the feeling is that Mexico lost the battle against the preposterous conduct of their fans.
Why Mexico lost the war against the puto chant?
Of course, once the game finished, Concacaf sent the world a press release condemning the incident with words like "strongly," "unacceptable," and "disappointing," while announcing an investigation that would lead to another statement in the future.
Concacaf Statement – Discriminatory chants during CNL Semifinalhttps://t.co/5rPAsidE3O
— Concacaf (@Concacaf) June 16, 2023
There was no mention of an eventual punishment, but if the word was there, I highly doubt that would stop the fans.
FIFA has fined Mexico on multiple occasions for the offense. The organization has even punished El Tri to play matches in the Azteca behind closed doors and has warned the local federation (FMF) about deducting points and expelling the team from official tournaments.
But the discriminatory chant comes back again and again, despite FMF's efforts to eradicate it.
On and off the field, we must respect the game we love. ❤️
Together, we can eradicate the discriminatory chant. #MEXTOUR | #SomosLocales pic.twitter.com/Ben8XzNyWj— Mexican National Team (@miseleccionmxEN) June 10, 2023
Why? Because despite its face-value meaning and origins, the "eh, puto!" that we hear nowadays is not really used in a discriminatory way or to get on the nerves of México's rivals. No. In reality, it's a sign of discontent of Mexican fans toward their own team.
There is a narrative among Mexico fans that the FMF only cares about money and that the players on the squad are all chosen by TV broadcast Televisa. So whenever things are not going well, they (the supporters) do whatever they have on their hands to "punish" the "corruption and greed" that runs the national team. And the "chant" seems to be the charm.
Of course, when the team wins, you will not hear a hint of homophobia in the stands.
Imagine the Mexican fans as toddlers who are wonderful, sweet creatures when things go according to their plans but suddenly become monsters when they don't get what they want, starting a meltdown for ages. Well, that banshees' cry is the "eh, puto!" for the supporters.
And if you are a parent, you know there is no way to win unless you wait and see them grow up.
The problem with this, though, is that some people never do it.
