When Jesús “Tecatito” Corona darted past five defenders before firing in an outrageous 80th minute equaliser against in-form Venezuela on Monday evening it meant more to Mexico than just securing top spot of Group C in the Copa America. With that 1-1 draw at Houston’s packed NRG Stadium, Mexico extended their unbeaten run to 22 games, one better than their previous record, and made it a near certainty that they will avoid Argentina in Saturday’s quarter-final.
Monday’s result brought an end to Mexico’s run of 11 consecutive wins but they are still on the longest undefeated streak of any national side in the world today and have now conceded just twice in their last 11 games. With momentum building under Juan Carlos Osorio, who has overseen nine wins out of 10 since taking charge last October, El Tri must now be considered serious contenders for a Copa América title.
Brazil and Uruguay were both eliminated in the group stage and although Argentina remain firm favourites to lift the trophy, Mexico are unlikely to have a better opportunity to win the competition than in this expanded centenary edition. This is the first time the tournament has been held in North America and Mexico have essentially stolen home advantage as they draw far bigger crowds in the United States than anyone else, including the host nation…
Oscar Hernández claims to be the inventor of the vampiro.
Drive into the agricultural village of San Luis Soyatlán on the southern shore of Lake Chapala, Mexico’s biggest inland body of water, and you will soon spot dozens of people walking around and clutching plastic bags full of crimson liquid, as if an entrepreneurial vampire had set up shop there to supply his brethren with their daily doses of blood at a very reasonable price.
When I arrive one scorching Sunday afternoon, there are already some 50 people queuing anxiously to get their fix from a stall by the side of the road. There is only one thing that compels them to stop in this otherwise unremarkable town: its status as the birthplace of the vampiro, arguably the greatest tequila cocktail in all of Mexico.
Oscar Hernández, a portly local resident with a creased face and graying hair, claims to have invented the drink almost 40 years ago, during his daily shift selling seasoned cucumbers and jicama at his roadside stand. “I used to prepare these drinks for myself to keep cool in the heat, but customers would arrive and ask what they were,” he tells me. “It looks like you’re sucking up blood when you drink one, so I decided to call them vampiros.”
Mexico and Olympiacos striker Alan Pulido was kidnapped by armed men after leaving a party near his hometown in Ciudad Victoria in the troubled northern state of Tamaulipas on Saturday night. He was released the following evening under circumstances that are still not entirely clear. I went on Sky News, BBC 5 Live and an Irish radio station to discuss the kidnapping yesterday and now that Pulido is safe and sound I’ve decided to do a quick video blog to provide some context and my thoughts on this case.
The Tequila Files 