HOUSTON – It wasn’t just the locals with Mexican national team jerseys walking into (the former) NRG Stadium for a soccer match between Germany and Curacao.
The fact some European visitors donned sombreros and waved a Mexican flag also was proof the FIFA World Cup is giving U.S. cities the opportunity to show off their cultural diversity.
Inside the stadium, the Houston Texans Mariachi group drew cheers prior to the start of the game. The audience listened attentively to “Mexico Lindo y Querido” and some hummed or followed along the chorus of the classic “Cielito Lindo.”
In the stands, some German fans practiced their Spanish trying to reclaim their assigned seats from locals; a Curacao fan hugged a neighbor wearing a Mexican jersey after his team scored against the Germans. The Europeans won the game 7-1
Such fraternity and sharing of culture is not exclusive of Houston. In Dallas, local artists are performing at the FIFA Fan Festival in Fair Park.
Argentinians residing in North Texas as well as thousands of visiting countrymen plan to gather on Sunday, June 21, at Klyde Warren Park as a warm up for their team’s Monday match against Austria at Dallas Stadium.
Several bars and restaurants are sponsoring watch parties on the day of the game and others staging Argentinean “fiestas” prior to the game. More events are on tap as Lionel Messi’s team returns to Dallas Stadium on June 26 for a game against Jordan.
In Kansas City, tens of thousands of visitors from the South American nation took over the local stadium to cheer on their team. They were rewarded with three goals from their idol Messi, who became the joint leading scorer in World Cup history with the hat-trick on the evening of June 16.
